Add a user to the “Team Foundation Service Accounts” group in TFS

Here is what you do:

1. Open the TFS Admin Console
2. Click on the Applciation Tier in the left tree
3. In the "Administration Console Users" find your user (assuming it is there)
4. Select your user, and then select "Reapply" to the right of the box
5. Click on Advanced Features in the dialog box that appears.
6. Make sure "Add required permissions to change service accounts" is selected.
7. Select OK

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Install Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2010

Introduction TFS  2010 

Team Foundation Server or TFS is now well know tool for Application Lifecycle management. It almost support everything which you need during your application development process. starting from requirement gathering documentation to deployment. Bug tracking, source control, testing, build management etc.  during my couple of assignments and client meets many people asked a question Why TFS and why not Visual SourceSafe or any other open source tool? this question is really difficult to answer as everyone carry there own features and drawback.  But many time i also thought what about small organizations, or small teams , do they really need all TFS features and if not then why they should invest so much money to deploy TFS ? as TFS deployment was not at all easy job. and it required huge investment also. if this is case then  what about a person who want to use Source control on his personal machine ? he can not install TFS on his machine as TFS only support Server OS and not any client OS. But now we have a good news for all those people who want to use TFS just for source control and on their own machine, and for small Teams or small organizations too…


To install Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2010 Beta 2 on Windows 7:
1. Download the TFS 2010 Beta 2 ISO image from here. You can burn it to a DVD, mount it to a virtual drive using your favorite ISO management software or just extract the contents to your hard disk using a common tool like Winzip.
2. Download the latest TFS 2010 Beta 2 Installation Guide from here (Recommended for future reference).
3. Start the installation using setup.exe which you will find in the TFS-x64 and TFS-x86 folder in the root of your installation media. Choose a folder depending on your computer architecture.
4. In the Welcome screen click Next.

5. In the license terms screen click Next.

6. In the feature selection screen select the features you want to install and the install location. Then click Install and wait for the installation to complete.


7. In the final installation screen make sure the Launch Team Foundation Server Configuration Tool checkbox is checked and then click Finish.

8. The Team Foundation Server Configuration Wizard will start now. Select Basic in the left panel of the wizard start screen and click Start Wizard.

9. In the TFS Basic Configuration Wizard start screen click Next.

10. In the SQL Server selection screen select SQL Server Express if you don’t have any SQL Server instance installed on your machine. Otherwise that option will be disabled and you can choose your SQL Server instance. Then click Next.

11.In the Configuration Settings Summary screen click Next.

12. In the Readiness Checks screen wait until your proposed configuration passes all validations and then click Configure.

13. Wait until the wizard configures all required stuff and click Next.

14. Your TFS 2010 Beta 2 is now installed and configured. Click Close in the final screen to finish the configuration.

15. You can always check the details on your TFS configuration by going to the new Team Foundation Server Administration Console that you will find in Start Menu –> Microsoft Team Foundation Server 2010 Beta 2.

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Create a new Team Project Collection

Under the Name tab, you have to enter the name of Collection which you want to give for your new TPC (I named it as Demo Collection). You can also provide some description about your TPC in Description tab which is optional and click next.

Here, you need to enter the name of SQL Server Instance where you want your new TPC data to reside.

You have the option either to choose the creating a Database for this TPC or use the already existing empty database and then click next.

 

In next screen, you have to choose SharePoint configuration. Here you have the options to either configure SharePoint Site for TPC at default collections or you can specify the your existing SharePoint site and  you can also choose not  to configure the SharePoint for this collection, if you choose last option then you cannot configure the Share Point sites for the all the Team Projects under this Project Collection. You also have the flexibility to create a Share Point site for this TPC later on, then if you need you have to configure SharePoint site for the existing team projects manually.

 

In next screen, you will have the Reports configuration. Here you have the options to either configure the Reports for TPC at default path or you can specify the path for at existing Reports folder, you can also choose not to configure the Reports for this collection, if you choose last option then you cannot create  the Reports  for the all the Team Projects under this Project Collection. Here also you can enable reporting for this TPC later on.

The next screen is related to Lab Management Configuration, Lab Management is the new feature in TFS2010 which enables the users to create and manage virtual test environments where you can deploy and test your application. There are no options available here as I don’t have the Lab Management configured for my Team Foundation Server.

The next screen is Review Configuration window, which will show up all the configuration settings you have specified, so that you can review the configurations before creating the Team Project Collection. If you want to make any changes to the configurations then you can go back to the previous windows and can make the changes.

After Reviewing the configuration settings, you can click on verify button. Which will verify that if you’re Team Project Collection is ready to be created or not, it will show up the errors and warning (if any) which can make your Team Project Collection fail.

You can then choose to create the Team Project Collection if the verify option doesn’t throw any warnings and errors. If the verify option throws any errors, then it is strongly suggested that you have to first rectify the issues then only go for TPC creation especially in case of warnings as it is a common practice to overlook the warnings.

 

If you choose the create TPC option, then it will start the process of creating a Team Project Collection  and once its completed you can check the status of configuration different components  during Team Project Collection. You can see in below screen that all the components are configured successfully.

In next screen, you can find the location of log file created for this Team Project Creation, this log file is really important in case of Team Project creation failure because it will help you to find  the root cause for the failure.

Now, you can see that the New Team Projection (Demo Collection) which was created is now available in Team Foundation Collection tab and its status is Online.

 

You can now try to connect to this Team Project Collection from Team Explorer. Choose the newly created Team Project Collection and click on connect.

 

This Team Project Collection is empty because no Team Projects are created yet. Now, you can create the new Team Projects and start working.

 

 

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Introduction to File Server Resource Manager

With the increasing demand on storage resources, as organizations rely more heavily on data than ever before, IT administrators face the challenge of overseeing a larger and more complex storage infrastructure, while at the same time, tracking the kind of information available in it. Today, managing storage resources not only includes data size and availability but also the enforcement of company policies and a very good understanding of how existing storage is being used, allowing for sound strategic planning and proper response to organizational changes.

File Server Resource Manager is a suite of tools that allows administrators to understand, control, and manage the quantity and type of data stored on their servers. By using File Server Resource Manager, administrators can place quotas on volumes, actively screen files and folders, and generate comprehensive storage reports. This set of advanced instruments not only helps the administrator to efficiently monitor existing storage resources, but it also aids in the planning and implementation of future policy changes.

By using File Server Resource Manager, you can perform the following tasks:

·      Create quotas to limit the space allowed for a volume or folder and generate e-mail and other notifications when the quota limits are approached or exceeded.

·      Automatically generate and apply quotas to all existing subfolders and any new subfolders in a volume or folder.

·      Create file screens to control the type of files that users can save, and send notifications when users attempt to save blocked files.

·      Define quota and file screening templates that can be easily applied to new volumes or folders and reused across an organization.

·      Schedule periodic storage reports that help identify trends in disk usage, or generate storage reports instantly, on demand.

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Raise the Forest and Domain Functional Levels in Windows Server 2008/R2

Introduction

      In Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), domain controllers can run different versions of Windows Server operating systems. The functional level of a domain or forest depends on which versions of Windows Server operating systems are running on the domain controllers in the domain or forest. The functional level of a domain or forest controls which advanced features are available in the domain or forest.

• Domain functional level. Six domain functional levels are available:
  
  Windows 2000 mixed (the default in Windows Server 2003)
  
  Windows 2000 native
  
  Windows Server 2003 interim
  
  Windows Server 2003
  
  Windows Server 2008
  
  Windows Server 2008 R2
  
  Setting the functional level for a domain enables features that affect the entire domain and that domain only. If all domain controllers in a domain are running Windows Server 2008 R2 and the functional level is set to Windows Server 2008 R2, all domain-wide features are available.

• Forest functional level. Five forest functional levels are available:
  
  Windows 2000 (the default in Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008)
  
  Windows Server 2003 interim
  
  Windows Server 2003 (the default in Windows Server 2008 R2)
  
  Windows Server 2008
  
  Windows Server 2008 R2
  
  Setting the functional level for a forest enables features across all the domains within a forest. If all domain controllers in a forest are running Windows Server 2008 R2 and the functional level is set to Windows Server 2008 R2, all forest-wide features are available.

How to Raise the Forest and Domain Functional Levels in Windows Server 2008/R2

By default, when a new Domain Controller with Windows Server 2008 / Windows Server 2008 R2 is being installed, the lowest available functional level is Windows 2000. The Default selected forest functional level is Windows Server 2003

   

When you create a new domain or a new forest, set the domain and forest functional levels to the highest values that you know your environment can support. This way, you can take advantage of as many AD DS features as possible.

If you are sure that no domain controllers that run Windows Server 2008 (or any earlier operating system) will ever be added to the domain or forest, select the Windows Server 2008 R2 functional level

To raise the functional level of the Forest and functional level of the Domain , follow the below Steps:

• Raising the Functional Level of the Forest:

1. Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts
   
   Click Start > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Domains and Trusts
   
   
   
   The Active Directory Domains and Trusts Management Console  will display the available Domains
   
   
2. Right click on the Active Directory Domains and Trusts [ ComputerName.DomainName.com ] main node , and click on Raise Forest Functional Level...
   
   
   
   
3. The current forest functional level will be displayed along with the available functional levels that you can use for your forest level .
   
   
   
   Select the forest functional level and click on Raise
   
   
   
   On the warning dialog box, confirm your choice by clicking on OK
   
   
   
   Note the following : After you set the forest functional level to a certain value, you cannot roll back or lower the forest functional level, with one exception: when you raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2008 R2 and if Active Directory Recycle Bin is not enabled, you have the option of rolling the forest functional level back to Windows Server 2008. You can lower the forest functional level only from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2008, it cannot be rolled back to Windows Server 2003.
   
   
   
   The functional level raise will be successful, and the replication process will start between the Domain Controllers in the forest.
   

 

• Raising the Function Level of the Domain:
  

1. Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts
2. Right click on the Domain name, in this example : elmajdal.com , and then click on Raise Domain Functional Level...
   
   
   
   
3. You will notice that you don't need to do anything here, as you already have raised the Forest Functional Level to the highest available level which is Windows Server 2008 R2.
   You cannot set the domain functional level to a value that is lower than the forest functional level. For example, if you set the forest functional level to Windows Server 2008 R2, you can set the domain functional level only to Windows Server 2008 R2. The Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 domain functional level values will not be available on the Set domain functional level wizard page. In addition, all domains that you subsequently add to that forest will have the Windows Server 2008 R2 domain functional level by default.
   
   
   Note the following : You can lower the domain functional level only from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2008. If the domain functional level is set to Windows Server 2008 R2, it cannot be rolled back, for example, to Windows Server 2003.
   

 

 

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Transferring FSMO Roles in Windows Server 2008

Introduction This is a must to read article for any system administrator who administers Microsoft Windows Servers. One of any system administrator duties, would be to upgrade a current domain controller to a new hardware server. One of the crucial steps required to successfully migrate your domain controller, is to be able to successfully transfer the FSMO roles to the new hardware server. FSMO stands for Flexible Single Master Operations, and in a forest there are at least five roles. In this article, I will be showing you how to transfer the FSMO in Windows Server 2008,  and in my next article, I will show you the complete steps required to successfully migrate/upgrade your domain controller to a new hardware server. The five FSMO roles are: Schema Master Domain Naming Master Infrastructure Master Relative ID (RID) Master PDC Emulator The FSMO roles are going to be transferred, using the following three MMC snap-ins : Active Directory Schema snap-in  : Will be used to transfer the Schema Master role Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in : Will be used to transfer the Domain Naming Master role Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in : Will be used to transfer the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master roles Note: The following steps are done on the Windows Server 2008 machine that I intend to set as the roles holder ( transfer the roles to it ) Lets start transferring the FSMO roles. Using Active Directory Schema snap-in to transfer the Schema Master role You have to register schmmgmt.dll in order to be able to use the Active Directory Schema snap-in Click Start > Run Type regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll Click OK A popup message will confirm that schmmgmt.dll was successfully registered. Click OK Click Start > Run, type mmc, then click OK Click File > then click Add/Remove Snap-in... From the left side, under Available Snap-ins, click on Active Directory Schema, then click Add > and then click OK Right click Active Directory Schema, then click Change Active Directory Domain Controller... From the listed Domain Controllers, click on the domain controller that you want to be the schema master role holder and then click on OK You will receive a message box stating that the schema snap-in is not connected to a schema operations master. That is for sure, as we have not yet set this Windows Server 2008 domain controller as a Schema Master role holder. This will be done in the next step. Click OK In the console tree, right click Active Directory Schema [DomainController.DomainName], and then click Operations Master... On the Change Schema Master page, the current schema master role holder will be displayed ( ex. ELMAJ-DC.ELMAJDAL.NET) and the targeted schema holder as well (ex. ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET). Once you click Change, the schema master holder will become ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET , click Change Click Yes to confirm the role transfer The role will be transferred and a confirmation message will be displayed. Click OK Then click Close, as you can see in the below snapshot, the current schema master is ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET Using Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in to transfer the Domain Naming Master Role Click Start > Administrative Tools > then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts Right click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, then click Change Active Directory Domain Controller... From the listed Domain Controllers, click on the domain controller that you want to be the Domain Naming master role holder and then click on OK Right click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, then click Operations Master... On the Operations Master page, we are going to change the Domain Naming role holder from ELMAJ-DC.ELMAJDAL.NET to ELMAJ-DC2K8.ELMAJDAL.NET, Click Change Click YES to confirm the transfer of the Domain Naming role The role will be transferred and a confirmation message will be displayed. Click OK , then click Close Till now, we have successfully transferred two FSMO roles, the Schema Master role and the Domain Naming role. The last three roles can be transferred using a single Snap-in. Using Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in to transfer the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master Roles Click Start > Administrative Tools > then click Active Directory Users and Computers Right click Active Directory Users and Computers, then click All Tasks > Operations Master... You will have three Tabs, representing three FSMO roles (RID, PDC, Infrastructure). Click the Change button under each of these three tabs to transfer the roles. Click Yes to confirm the role transfer The role will be transferred and a confirmation message will be displayed. Click OK As for the Infrastructure role, once you click on the Change button you will receive the below message By default, when you first install your first Domain Controller, it holds the five roles and beside that it is a Global Catalog. If your environment is a multi-domain/forest, then you should think about structuring your FSMO roles and transfer the Infrastructure role to a none Global Catalog domain controller. Else if you have small number of domain controllers ( ex. two domain controllers) then you should not worry about this. Click Yes The Tabs should now look like this:   That's it, by now, you have successfully transferred the five FSMO roles to the Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller.

 

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