Configure an SMTP server to support alerts and feedback requests

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For feedback requests and alerts to work, you must configure an SMTP server for TFS.

Configure an SMTP server for TFS

  1. If you aren't an administrator of TFS, get those permissions.

  2. Open the Team Foundation Administration Console from the Start menu. Or, at a command prompt, type TFSMgmt.exe (located in Drive:\%programfiles%\Microsoft Team Foundation Server 12.0\Tools).

  3. Open email alert settings.

    Open email alerts for the application tier

  4. Enable email alerts and specify the SMTP Server and the email address to use for sending emails.

    Enable and configure SMTP server

    If your deployment is configured to use SSL, then select the second checkbox and enter a certificate. See also Set up HTTPS with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for Team Foundation Server.

    Troubleshooting tips:

    • Make sure your firewall is configured to allow communications between TFS and your SMTP server.

    • Your SMTP server must be configured to allow anonymous senders to send email, or you must have previously created an account specifically to use as the email account for alerts. If you specify the TFS service account (TFSService), this account must be a domain account with permission to send email.

    • If you used a system account (such as Network Service) as the TFS service account, leave the User and Password fields blank for the advanced configuration, and make sure that your SMTP server is configured to allow anonymous users to send mail. Alternately, specify an email-enabled domain account to use as the email account for alerts. If you do not, email notifications will not be sent.

  5. To verify your configuration, open alerts management. You might need to refresh your browser to see this option if you just recently enabled an SMTP server.

    Manage individual alerts from Team Web Access

    Create an alert and then perform an action that will trigger the alert. You can set alerts for yourself or for a team.

This task supports Request and review feedback and Set alerts, get notified when changes occur.

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