Connect Release Management to TFS

These are the steps for connecting TFS to Release Management and adding an SMTP server. These are optional procedures. See system requirements for details of compatible versions of TFS. If you want to connect TFS, you will need a user account to act as an intermediary between TFS and Release Management. We show an account being created for this purpose, but you can use an account that already exists in TFS as long as it has the appropriate permissions.

Connect Release Management to TFS

Required permissions

To connect TFS to Release Management, you must be a member of the Release Manager role in Release Management. To manage permissions in TFS, you must be a member of the Project Collection Administrators group. To add a user account, you must be a member of the Windows Administrators group (local user) or the Domain Administrators group (domain account).

Tip

Do you need to add team mates to the Release Manager role in Release Management? Read Add users to Release Management.

1. Either designate an existing account or create a user account in TFS to act as intermediary account for Release Management. This can be a local or domain account. It doesn’t need any special Windows or Domain permissions. We’re creating a local Windows account named RMTFS (pictured).

   

   Note: If you’re planning to use an account that already exists in TFS, you can skip this step. If you have TFS deployed on more than one server, you’ll want to use a domain account.

2. In TFS, make the account a member of the Project Collection Administrators group.

   

   Set administrator permissions for team project collections: You can ignore the procedures for SharePoint and Reporting Services. Release Management doesn’t need access to these features.

3. In TFS, select the account and set the Make requests on behalf of others permission to Allow.

   

4. In Release Management Client, choose Administration, Manage TFS and then New.

   

5. Add the URL and project collection for TFS.

   

6. Enter the name and password of the account that you permissioned in step 2 and then verify the password for the account.

   

   After you save these settings, Release Management is connected to this TFS project collection. You’re ready to manage releases with TFS and Release Management.

Set up an SMTP server

Required permissions

To connect an SMTP server to Release Management, you must be a member of the Release Manager role in Release Management.

Tip

Do you need to add team mates to the Release Manager role in Release Management? Read Add users to Release Management.

1. In Release Management Client, choose Administration and then Settings.

2. In the SMTP Server Configuration box, enter Server Name, Port, User Name and User Password.

3. Choose Save.

Next steps

After you connect Release Management to TFS, you’re ready to manage releases with your deployment. See Manage your release.