Use TFSServiceControl to start and stop services for Azure DevOps on-premises

Azure DevOps Server 2022 | Azure DevOps Server 2020 | Azure DevOps Server 2019

You can use the TFSServiceControl command to stop or start all of the services and application pools used by Azure DevOps Server. For example, you use this command when backing up or restoring databases, or when you are moving your deployment from one machine to another.

Note

You must use the TFSServiceControl command to ensure that all necessary operations, services, and application pools are stopped for maintenance tasks such as backup and restore. You cannot manually perform all of the tasks carried out by the TFSServiceControl command.

Prerequisites

  • You must be a member of the Team Foundation Administrators security group, a member of the Administrators group on the application-tier server, and a member of the sysadmin security group for any SQL Server databases that Azure DevOps Server uses. See Set administrator permissions for Azure DevOps Server.

  • Even if you log on with administrative credentials, you must open an elevated Command Prompt window to perform this function.

    TFSServiceControl [quiesce|unquiesce]
    

Parameters

Option Description
quiesce Stops or pauses all of the services, application pools, and operations in your deployment of Azure DevOps Server. This is required for certain maintenance tasks, such as restoring databases.
unquiesce Starts or restarts all of the services, application pools, and operations in your deployment of Azure DevOps Server. This is required to return your server to operation after you run the command with the quiesce option.

Remarks

You use the TFSServiceControl command as part of specific maintenance tasks. After you specify the quiesce option, the server will not operate until you specify the unquiesce option. By default, the TFSServiceControl command is located in the %programfiles%\TFS 12.0\Tools directory.

Example

The following example shows how to stop a deployment of Azure DevOps Server.

TFSServiceControl quiesce

The following example shows how to start a deployment of Azure DevOps Server.

TFSServiceControl unquiesce