We have started to compile a list of common FAQs from the forums and plan on using this post as a way to deliver them to you.
Q: When installing a new Team Foundation Server, is there a way to use an existing SharePoint Web Application?
A: Yes. During initial setup you have the option to enter any WSS site URL in the setup wizard. Later, if you want all team projects for a server to use a different WSS Site, then after installation you will need to run TfsAdminUtil.exe ConfigureConnections to change the URL that TFS will use. Note that this command does not move your WSS content and you will need to migrate whatever existing WSS docs you have to the new server. Be sure on the new WSS box to install the TFS Sharepoint Extensions or you will not be able to create new Team Projects. In Whidbey and Orcas there is an 1:1 relationship between Team Foundation Server and the WSS Site. We do not support separate WSS sites for different team projects from the same Team Foundation Server. We also do not support a single WSS site working with multiple Team Foundation Servers.
See also: http://blogs.msdn.com/sudhir/archive/2007/06/25/sharing-your-corporate-sharepoint-server-with-multiple-tfs-servers.aspx
Q: When creating a new TFS Project, is there a way to use an existing SharePoint site collection?
A: No, Team Foundation Server does not support binding to an existing SharePoint site to a new team project. The URL defined in the project creation wizard is a generated URL of a new top-level site that will be created for a team project under a single configured SharePoint web application.
Q: When creating a new TFS Project, is there a way to create a sub-site under an existing SharePoint site collection?
A: No, currently Team Foundation Server does will not work with SharePoint sub-sites. This issue is being investigated.
Q: How do I add or remove accounts from the Service Accounts group after performing a domain move.
A: Please see: http://blogs.msdn.com/charles_sterling/archive/2008/02/19/adding-or-removing-accounts-from-the-service-accounts-group-after-performing-a-domain-move-on-tfs-2005.aspx
Q: How do I: Team Foundation Server Disaster Recovery.
A: Please see: http://blogs.msdn.com/charles_sterling/archive/2008/02/19/adding-or-removing-accounts-from-the-service-accounts-group-after-performing-a-domain-move-on-tfs-2005.aspx
Q: Do I really need to use three different account when installing Team Foundation Server?
A: Check out Noah’s post: Clarification on TFS Setup with Admin Accounts
Q: How do upgrade Team Foundation Server 2005 to a named instance of SQL in Team Foundation Server 2008?
A: See Sudhir’s post Upgrade: TFS 2005 with Default Instance to Orcas with Named Instance
Q: IS TFS Setup account required to be Admin on DT Machine?
A: Short answer no, just a SQL Admin –please see Sudhir’s post on for more information
Q: How do you upgrade Team Foundation Server 2005 with Domain account to Team Foundation Server 2008 with Network Service
A: Run 2998 TFS installer to upgrade from VS 2005 TFS to 2008 TFS. At end of the setup you will your TFS environment upgraded to 2008 with TFS service running under the service account used in 2008.
We do not recommend you to change the service account at time of upgrade
After the upgrade is over you can use TFSAdminUtil to change the service account. The command to change the service account is as follows
TFSAdminUtil changeaccount OldDomainAccount "NT Authority\Network Service"
Q: How does offline mode work in Team Foundation Server 2008 Version Control
A: See Ben Ryan’s posts:
When and how does my solution go "offline"?
TFS 2008 adds improved support for "offline" scenarios. This blog post identifies the scenarios under which a solution will be placed in "offline" mode.
more...
How to make TFS Offline strictly solution-based
For some users it may be a bit offputting that taking one solution offline causes all other solutions bound to that same server to go offline when they are opened (assuming no "Go Online" operations in the interim).
more...
Q: How and what information is Team Foundation Server Storing in Version Control
A: Please See:
1. How offline mode works in TFS 2008 version control
2. TFS Version Control Concepts 1: Items
3. TFS Version Control Concepts 2: Item Names
4. TFS Version Control Concepts 2b: Namespaces in practice
5. TFS Version Control Concepts 3: Item Versions and the two meanings of 'Changeset'
Q: How do I build Building VS 2008 projects with TFS 2005 or getting around the error: “Solution file error MSB5014: File format version is not recognized. MSBuild can only read solution files between versions 7.0 and 9.0, inclusive:
A: See Buck’s post: http://blogs.msdn.com/buckh/archive/2007/11/29/building-vs-2008-projects-with-tfs-2005.aspx
Q: How do I run two build agents on the same machine in Team Foundation Server 2008.
A: Please see http://blogs.msdn.com/jpricket/archive/2007/08/03/tfs-2008-running-two-build-agents-on-the-same-machine.aspx
Q: How do you run Update to "How to run tests in a build without test metadata files and test lists (.vsmdi files)": Test Categories
A: Please see: http://blogs.msdn.com/buckh/archive/2007/04/27/update-to-quot-how-to-run-tests-in-a-build-without-test-metadata-files-and-test-lists-vsmdi-files-quot-test-categories.aspx
Q: Changing the recursion type for the initial "Get" that Team Build does
A: Please see: http://blogs.msdn.com/jpricket/archive/2007/12/10/changing-the-recursion-type-for-the-initial-get-that-team-build-does.aspx
Q: How do I change the drives the TFS Databases are on?
A: Please see: http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2007/12/18/changing-what-drive-tfs-databases-are-on.aspx
Q: How do I enable SQL Mirroring for Team Foundation Server
A: Please see: http://blogs.msdn.com/sudhir/archive/2007/09/19/tfs-failover-sql-mirroring.aspx
Q: Why is it important to uninstall Team Foundation Server 2008 beta releases prior to installing Team Foundation Server 2008 RTM release?
A: It is important to uninstall all of the beta components to ensure the installation has the correct RTM components. The RTM setup will block if any beta components are found.
Q: Why is it important to uninstall Team Foundation Server 2005 from the data-tier server prior to installing Team Foundation Server 2008 in a dual-server configuration?
A: There is no Team Foundation Server 2008 data-tier sku and thus customers should uninstall the TFS 2005 data-tier server prior to installing TFS 2008. More importantly, if after installing TFS 2008 the customer then uninstalls TFS 2005 from the data-tier server, the 2005 uninstall process will delete TFS 2008 sprocs.
Q: Is Team Foundation Server 2008 supported on Windows Server 2008?
A: Yes, the RTM version of TFS 2008 is tested and supported on Windows Server 2008. For details on TFS 2008 version compatibility on MSDN see: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms253078.aspx
Q: Is Team Foundation Server 2005 supported on Windows Server 2008?
A: No, Windows Server 2008 is not a supported OS for TFS 2005. You can find details on TFS 2005 version compatibility on MSDN at : http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms400697(VS.80).aspx
Q: Anything I should know when installing Team Foundation Server on Windows Server 2008?
A: From Brian Harry: Now that Sharepoint is no longer included in Windows Server 2008, you have to install it yourself. Further, when installing TFS on Windows 2008, the TFS installation process won't automatically install Sharepoint (this is due to the fact that there was a great deal of uncertainty at the time about exactly what was being done with Sharepoint in Windows 2008 and we had to take the safe route of not messing with it).
The issue is this. If you try to install WSS 3.0 on Windows 2008, it will not install. It will tell you that you have to install SP1 and you will probably wonder how you can do that without first installing WSS 3.0. The answer is that you need to install the Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 with SP1 installer that bundles Sharepoint 3.0 and SP1 together.
Q: Is Team Explorer 2005 compatible with Team Foundation Server 2008?
A: Yes, Team Explorer 2005 will work with a TFS 2008 server. Likewise, Team Explorer 2008 will work with a TFS 2005 server. You can find more details on version compatibility on MSDN at: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb558975.aspx
Q: Is Team Build 2005 supported on Windows Server 2008?
A: No. Team Build 2005 is supported on Windows Server 2003. Note that Team Build and Team Foundation Server must either both 2005 or 2008 versions. You can find more information on MSDN at: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb399235.aspx
Q: Is it possible to install either SQL Server Reporting Services or Analysis Services on remote servers?
A: Yes. In TFS 2005 the SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) had to be on the Application Tier and SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) had to be on the Data Tier. With TFS 2008 you can deploy these on remote servers. This is documented in the TFS Installation Guide in the section titled: "How to: Customize Deployment of Team Foundation." You can always download the latest version of the guide from MSDN here.
Thanks to MVP El Bruno for creating a Spanish translation of this FAQ located here: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN-ES/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2972526&SiteID=11&mode=1
