Configure Team Foundation Server using the advanced configuration

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The advanced configuration for Team Foundation Server lets you customize most settings. Although you can run the advanced configuration on either a client or a server operating system, if you use a client, you won’t be able to add a portal or reporting to your deployment.

Installing on more than one server

If you use advanced on a client operating system, you don’t need any domain accounts. On a server, you must have at least one domain account, which you can use for all of the following identities:

  • The service account for Team Foundation Server.

  • The report reader account for creating HTML reports.

  • The service account for new installations of SharePoint Foundation.

For more information about accounts, see Accounts required for installation of Team Foundation Server.

Tip

Access the Team Foundation Server Configuration tool by launching Team Foundation Server Administration Console, choosing Application Tier, and then choosing Configure Installed Features.

Required permissions

You must be a member of the Administrators security group on the server on which you will install TFS. If you plan to configure reporting, you must also be a member of the Administrators security group on the server that is running SQL Server Reporting Services. If you plan to configure SharePoint, you must be a member of the Farm Administrators group on the SharePoint administration site. If you did not install the Database Engine that will host the configuration database or a database administrator manages the instance of SQL Server that you are using, you must be a member of sysadmin Server role in SQL Server.

Tip

If you or your database administrator want a better understanding of the required SQL Server permissions, see the following page on the Microsoft website: Database Permissions Required to Configure TFS.

To configure Team Foundation Server using the advanced configuration

  1. In the Team Foundation Server Configuration tool, start the advanced wizard and read the Welcome screen.

    Choose Advanced

  2. In SQL Server Instance, type the name of the server that is running SQL Server or the named instance that will host the configuration databases.

    Specify a database server

    You also have these options:

    • Select This instance is a SQL AlwaysOn Availability Group to specify that the SQL Server instance is an Availability Group Listener (AGL) and its availability group will host the TFS databases created during set up. See Use SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with Team Foundation Server.

    • In Server Database Label, type a label string, which is then embedded into all three of the default database names.

      This technique enables you to use a single instance of SQL Server to host multiple configuration databases.

    • Select the Use pre-existing empty database(s) check box, and then specify databases that are hosted on the server that is named in SQL Server Instance.

      You must create names for these databases by using the default naming structure, with or without a label. You can find the default naming structure under Team Foundation Server Databases.

    • Test the connectivity to SQL Server.

    Specify any optional database server details

  3. Choose Use a system account. To use a domain or local account, choose Use a user account. User accounts require a password. To test the user account and password combination, choose Test.

    Specify a system account

    Network Service is the default value for the TFS service account.

    Tip

    If your report server and SharePoint servers are not installed on the same server as TFS, you should add the account you use here to the Farm Administrators group (for SharePoint) and the content manager group on the report server. If you’re installing TFS on the same server as the report server and SharePoint, this account is added to these groups automatically.

  4. Choose NTLM as an Authentication Method. If you choose Negotiate (Kerberos), Kerberos authentication is attempted first. If that attempt fails, NTLM authentication is used.

    Specify authentaication

    NTLM is the default setting.

  5. Accept the default Port number. Otherwise, enter a different one. This is the port number clients will use to connect to TFS.

    Specify listener port

    The default value for Port is 8080.

  6. Set up your file cache location. Make sure you have at least 50 Gb of free space. If you use a drive other than your Windows drive, TFS will perform better.

    File cache folder

  7. Accept the default virtual directory or specify something else.

    Specify virtual directory

    The default value for Virtual Directory is tfs.

  8. Under Web Site, note the TFS Site URL, which is dynamically assembled based on your input in Port and IIS Virtual Directory. Developers will use this URL to connect to TFS.

    Take note of the site URL.

    On a client operating system, you must skip to step 10. You can’t add a portal or reporting (steps 8 and 9) on a client operating system.

  9. Choose Configure Reporting for use with Team Foundation Server to use reporting. Otherwise, clear the check box to skip it.

    Choose to configure reporting

    1. Type the name of the server that is running SQL Server Reporting Services in Reporting Services Instance and choose Populate URLs.

      The URLs for the report server and its management site appear in the drop-down lists for Report Server URL and Report Manager URL.

      Choose Populate URLs

    2. Make sure that the values displayed are the URLs that you want to use for TFS.

      Double check you have the right URLs

    3. Type the name of the server that is running SQL Server Analysis Services in SQL Analysis Services Instance.

      To test the connectivity to SQL Server, choose Test.

      Specify the instance of Analysis servies

    4. Type the name and password of the report reader account. To test the user account and password combination, choose Test.

      Specify the report reader

      Tip

      If you specified a user account for the service account of TFS in step 3, you must select the Use a different account than the Team Foundation Server service account for the report reader account check box to use a different account.

    Note

    After installation is complete, add your administrators to the Team Foundation Content Managers group on the server that hosts SQL Server Reporting Services. Otherwise they might have problems, such as being blocked by a TF218027 error when trying to create a team project.

  10. Choose **Configure SharePoint Products for use with Team Foundation Server ** to use SharePoint. Otherwise, clear the check box to skip it.

    Choose to configure SharePoint

    If you chose to configure SharePoint, then you have two choices—either install and configure SharePoint on this machine or specify a SharePoint location. Here are the details:

    • Install and configure SharePoint on this machine

      1. Choose Install and configure SharePoint on this machine.

        Choose to install SharePoint

      2. Choose the big Install SharePoint Foundation 2013 button. When the install finishes, choose Next.

        Choose the big button

        Note

        If the SharePoint installation requires a reboot, you might need to reenter some of the information you previously entered in this wizard.

      3. Type a user account and password for the service account for SharePoint Foundation. If you specified a user account for the service account of TFS in step 3, you must select the Use a different account than the Team Foundation Server service account for the SharePoint farm check box to use a different account.

        Use the report reader account

    • Specify a SharePoint location

      1. Choose Specify a SharePoint location and then choose Next.

      2. In Site URL, type the URL for the SharePoint web app.

      3. In Administration URL, type the URL for the SharePoint Central Administration site. To test connectivity to each of these URLs, choose Test.

  11. Select the Create a new team project collection check box to create a collection, or clear that check box to skip that step.

    If you create a collection, accept the default values, or type a new name and description.

    Create a new team project collection

  12. On the Review page, review the settings, and choose Next to let the wizard validate your configuration.

    Readiness checks validate your system

    If you run into a problem, you can use the detailed results to identify the issue. If you can, fix the issue, and then choose the link to run the ready checks over again. If you resolved the problem, you’ll be able to configure TFS in the next step.

    Use detailed results to troublshoot any problems

  13. Choose Configure.

    The wizard applies configuration settings. This process might take several minutes.

    The wizard applies your configurations

  14. At the success screen, choose Next. Review the results of the next success screen, including the connection URL for TFS and any details about the installation.

    Take note of your connection URL

  15. Choose Close. In the TFS Configuration Center, note that TFS extensions for SharePoint have already been installed, if you installed TFS and SharePoint on the same server.

    Configuration results

    After you close the TFS Configuration Center, the Team Foundation Server Administration Console appears.

See Also

Concepts

How to: Set up remote SharePoint Products for Team Foundation Server

Set up Team Foundation Build Service