Setting Up Clients To Access TFS
• Before installing Team Explorer (Administrative privileges required) on a client’s computer, determine
what role(s) this user will have in TFS.
- If the user is a project manager and prefers to see work items in Excel or Project, install these tools first
with all the latest service packs.
- Also consider installing InfoPath 2003 if the user has intentions to modify the MSF process guidance
documents.
- The Team Explorer Installation recognizes these Office tools during its run and installs Office add-ins
for TFS into them.
- TFS SP1 allows Excel 2007 and Project 2007 to see TFS work items.
• Whether or not your clients already use Visual Studio 2005 for development is irrelevant.
- You need to install Team Explorer from the TFS installation media.
- You may want to copy the \tfc\ folder from the TFS server media to a network location so that all team
members can install Team Explorer.
• After the installation of Team Explorer on a project member’s computer, you must install Visual Studio
2005 SP1.
- Even if VS SP1 has already been installed!
- Developers and Testers may have already installed VS SP1 (440+ MB!) when it was released.
- During installation of SP1, two separate installers run – one for Visual Studio itself and a second
installer for Team Explorer.
- Perform a reboot of the client machine to ensure set up is fully completed.
Connecting To TFS
• Initially, it can be difficult to connect to TFS from Team Explorer.
- You have to make sure the port number is open though all intermediary firewalls (default port: 8080).
• Most importantly, the user must be logged in to their machine with a valid TFS user account.
- This account must have already been added to TFS before the client can connect; otherwise, Team
Explorer will always fail in connecting.
- You learn about TFS membership later.
• Open Visual Studio 2005 and view the new Team Explorer window.
- It will be available in your View menu or as a new toolbar button, displaying a colorful bar chart. Isn’t it
pretty?
• The Team Explorer window appears next to the Solution Explorer.
• Notice the one toolbar icon in the Team Explorer window.
- This button allows you to connect to a TFS installation.
• Click it to bring up a window showing you previously connected TFS servers.
• In the picture above, you can see the name of the server is davintfs.
- This server has four projects that the user is authorized to work with, based on the account that the
user logged in with.
- If you prefer not to work with any of the pre-existing projects, merely uncheck those projects in the
dialog.
• Typically, most Team projects are in TFS Source Control.
• Note, if the TFS server you’d like to connect with is not shown in the list, click the Servers… button.
- This brings up a separate dialog box that allows you to add one or more TFS servers.
- If security is a major concern on your network and you’ve installed an SSL certificate from a CA
(Certificate Authority), choose HTTPS.
• If you receive the connection error on the last page when you try to connect to your TFS server, keep
the following tips in mind.
- You must have the VS SP1 installed.
- You must be logged into the client machine using an account that is added to the TFS server.
- If you are using a workgroup (such as WORKGROUP) on the server, make sure that the client is
running in that same workgroup.
- Also make sure that the user account exists on both machines (TFS server and client) with the same
password.
- The local firewall or other network firewalls cannot be blocking port 8080.
- Of course, make sure the server is running and has not been taken offline.
• This is a popular problem. Here are a few tips you can try to help you figure out why a client cannot
connect.
- Try to ping the TFS server at the command prompt from the client. If you cannot ping it, you cannot
connect to TFS.
• These next two steps prompt you with a Windows dialog box, asking you to authenticate with your
TFS user account.
- Try opening the root portal on the server using the following Web address:
http://<TFSServerName>/ (obviously using the TFS server’s real name).
- See if port 8080 is open by trying the following URL:
http:// <TFSServerName>:8080/services/v1.0/Registration.asmx
• You can also perform these tests on the TFS server itself to make sure everything is running.
- Unfortunately, if you still cannot connect with your Team Explorer, perhaps try connecting to other
TFS servers.
- There are several articles on the Web that address this problem.
- Don’t feel alone with this issue. You’re not given a helpful error message. Talk to the TFS administrator
or other experienced TFS users.
• If you were able to connect to TFS server successfully, congratulations!
- You now have full functionality with TFS.
• In the next chapter, you examine the management of TFS projects with Team Explorer.
• Before installing Team Explorer (Administrative privileges required) on a client’s computer, determine
what role(s) this user will have in TFS.
- If the user is a project manager and prefers to see work items in Excel or Project, install these tools first
with all the latest service packs.
- Also consider installing InfoPath 2003 if the user has intentions to modify the MSF process guidance
documents.
- The Team Explorer Installation recognizes these Office tools during its run and installs Office add-ins
for TFS into them.
- TFS SP1 allows Excel 2007 and Project 2007 to see TFS work items.
• Whether or not your clients already use Visual Studio 2005 for development is irrelevant.
- You need to install Team Explorer from the TFS installation media.
- You may want to copy the \tfc\ folder from the TFS server media to a network location so that all team
members can install Team Explorer.
• After the installation of Team Explorer on a project member’s computer, you must install Visual Studio
2005 SP1.
- Even if VS SP1 has already been installed!
- Developers and Testers may have already installed VS SP1 (440+ MB!) when it was released.
- During installation of SP1, two separate installers run – one for Visual Studio itself and a second
installer for Team Explorer.
- Perform a reboot of the client machine to ensure set up is fully completed.
Connecting To TFS
• Initially, it can be difficult to connect to TFS from Team Explorer.
- You have to make sure the port number is open though all intermediary firewalls (default port: 8080).
• Most importantly, the user must be logged in to their machine with a valid TFS user account.
- This account must have already been added to TFS before the client can connect; otherwise, Team
Explorer will always fail in connecting.
- You learn about TFS membership later.
• Open Visual Studio 2005 and view the new Team Explorer window.
- It will be available in your View menu or as a new toolbar button, displaying a colorful bar chart. Isn’t it
pretty?
• The Team Explorer window appears next to the Solution Explorer.
• Notice the one toolbar icon in the Team Explorer window.
- This button allows you to connect to a TFS installation.
• Click it to bring up a window showing you previously connected TFS servers.
• In the picture above, you can see the name of the server is davintfs.
- This server has four projects that the user is authorized to work with, based on the account that the
user logged in with.
- If you prefer not to work with any of the pre-existing projects, merely uncheck those projects in the
dialog.
• Typically, most Team projects are in TFS Source Control.
• Note, if the TFS server you’d like to connect with is not shown in the list, click the Servers… button.
- This brings up a separate dialog box that allows you to add one or more TFS servers.
- If security is a major concern on your network and you’ve installed an SSL certificate from a CA
(Certificate Authority), choose HTTPS.
• If you receive the connection error on the last page when you try to connect to your TFS server, keep
the following tips in mind.
- You must have the VS SP1 installed.
- You must be logged into the client machine using an account that is added to the TFS server.
- If you are using a workgroup (such as WORKGROUP) on the server, make sure that the client is
running in that same workgroup.
- Also make sure that the user account exists on both machines (TFS server and client) with the same
password.
- The local firewall or other network firewalls cannot be blocking port 8080.
- Of course, make sure the server is running and has not been taken offline.
• This is a popular problem. Here are a few tips you can try to help you figure out why a client cannot
connect.
- Try to ping the TFS server at the command prompt from the client. If you cannot ping it, you cannot
connect to TFS.
• These next two steps prompt you with a Windows dialog box, asking you to authenticate with your
TFS user account.
- Try opening the root portal on the server using the following Web address:
http://<TFSServerName>/ (obviously using the TFS server’s real name).
- See if port 8080 is open by trying the following URL:
http:// <TFSServerName>:8080/services/v1.0/Registration.asmx
• You can also perform these tests on the TFS server itself to make sure everything is running.
- Unfortunately, if you still cannot connect with your Team Explorer, perhaps try connecting to other
TFS servers.
- There are several articles on the Web that address this problem.
- Don’t feel alone with this issue. You’re not given a helpful error message. Talk to the TFS administrator
or other experienced TFS users.
• If you were able to connect to TFS server successfully, congratulations!
- You now have full functionality with TFS.
• In the next chapter, you examine the management of TFS projects with Team Explorer.
TFS Client Access
Table of Contents
Copyright (c) 2008. Intertech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This information is to be used exclusively as an
online learning aid. Any attempts to copy, reproduce, or use for training is strictly prohibited.
online learning aid. Any attempts to copy, reproduce, or use for training is strictly prohibited.
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