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Open the Administration Console

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TFS 2015

You can configure and manage various aspects of your Azure DevOps on-premises deployment by using the administration console. For example, you can add a server for hosting project portals, create and modify project collections, and change the service account used for Azure DevOps Server, previously named Visual Studio Team Foundation Server (TFS).

The Team Foundation Server Administration Console is installed when you install one or more of the following components on a server:

  • an application-tier for Team Foundation Server
  • Team Foundation Build
  • the extensions for SharePoint Products
  • Visual Studio Lab Management

Prerequisites

  • You must be a member of the local Administrators group on the server where you want to open the console, and either a member of the Team Foundation Administrators group or your Edit Server-Level Information permission must be set to Allow. See Add server-level administrators to Azure DevOps on-premises.
  • If all of your components are installed on a single server, the administration console provides management nodes for all components in your deployment. If, however, your deployment uses multiple servers, you must open the console on the server that is running the component that you want to manage.

Open from the Start menu

To open the administration console from the Windows Start menu on a server that is running one or more Azure DevOps components, enter and choose Tean Foundation Server Administration Console. On older versions of Windows, you may need to choose All Programs, then choose Microsoft Team Foundation Server, and then choose Team Foundation Server Administration Console.

Note

If the console doesn't appear as a menu option, you might not have permission to open it. You can try to open it at a command prompt, but you might not be able to access some or all of the administration console's functionality.

The administration console opens. You might have to wait briefly for all the information to populate throughout the nodes of the console.

Open from the command prompt

Tip

You can open the administration console at a command prompt even if you do not have all the required permissions to view or modify some or all of the information that the console shows.

  1. On a server that is running one or more Azure DevOps components, open a Command Prompt window running as an administrator, and change directories to the tools directory for Team Foundation Server.

    By default, the tools directory is located in Drive:\Program Files\TFS <version>\Tools.

    For example, for TFS 2018 the directory is:

    Drive:\Program Files\TFS 2018\Tools

  2. Type TFSMgmt.exe and press ENTER.

    The administration console opens. You might have to wait briefly for all the information to populate throughout the nodes of the administration console.

View installed updates on your server

To determine what updates have been installed, you can open the administration console or view the version number of a particular file.

  1. Open the administration console and choose Application Tier and review the version numbers listed for the application-tier and data-tier.

  2. To learn when the software was installed, choose Installed Updates.

If the administration console provides isn't available, for example during an Azure DevOps upgrade, you can view the file version number of the Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Admin.dll file.

  1. Open Windows Explorer (or File Explorer), and browse to Drive:\Program Files\\Microsoft Team Foundation Server 2018\Tools

  2. Expand the sub-menu for Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Admin.dll, and then choose Properties.

  3. Choose the Details tab, and review the information under File Version.

View or change the Public URL

Prior to changing the Public URL, review Web site settings and security for Azure DevOps on-premises.

Important

Changing the Public URL impacts your end users. While we recommend converting from HTTP to HTTPS bindings, Visual Studio client connections will need to be re-established and old bookmarks will no longer resolve. Coordinate changes of this sort with your users to avoid significant disruption.

  1. From the Azure DevOps Administration Console>Application Tier node. The Public URL is listed under the Application Tier Summary section.

    Azure DevOps Server Administration Console, Application Tier, Change Public URL

  2. Choose Change Public URL.

    Change Public URL dialog

    Change the URL and choose Test to verify.

Q & A

Q: Why do some of the fields say "Loading"?

A: On some servers, you might have to wait briefly for all the information to populate throughout the nodes of the console. This is more common on servers with minimal resources or in a multi-server deployment.

Q: Why can't I perform certain tasks from the administration console?

A: You can only perform those tasks for which you have permissions. While you may have permission to open the admin console, you may not have all the permissions to run a task that the admin console supports. The console can be opened by anyone who has a valid user account on the server or servers on which the console is installed. However, you'll only be able to perform those functions for which you have the required permissions.