I am creating a simple web app for TFS2008, so I am using the “Microsoft.TeamFoundation.*” assemblies to access TFS. Everything was working really great until I decided to move it from my machine to a separate Win2003 server.
In fact, it was a clean server with latest updates applied. So, I copied my application’s binaries and tried to run it. No luck (but what a surprise 😉 )!
I had the following talk with system components:
- ME: Please start and do something
- It: “Object reference not set to an
instance of an object” when the
code tried to access WorkItemStore - ME: Ok, please find “WorkItemTracking.Client.-” binaries in GAC
- ASP.Net: Unable to load “Microsoft.TeamFoundation.WorkItemTracking.Client.Cache” for some reason, can you do something?
- ME: Ok, just removed binaries from disk so the only left are in GAC. Can you take a look please once again?
- ASP.Net: Cool, it works!!!
- It: Hmmm, “Object reference not set to an
instance of an object” again, are you blind? - ME: Grrr! Ok, all binaries are in GAC? What now?
- It: Nope, don’t you know the magic word?
- ME: A long talk with my friend
- ME: Ok, everybody quiet. Here is the tool that will make you all happy – MS Team Explorer 2008
- It: Yummy!!!
- ASP.Net: Cool!
- ME: Finally! MS TE2008 is godlike!
The question I have is as follows:
- Is there any way I can install my application on a clean Win2003 server without having to install Team Explorer 2008?
- Or, perhaps, I am missing something or did something wrong.
Please advise! Thank you in advance!
A little more information on the issue:
- I have administrative permissions on the server
- I am in the Team Foundation Administrators group in TFS, so I have all permissions here as well
- The web application is running under separate application pool under my account
- The cache folder specified for the TFS Cache components exists and web application full access to it
- The “read-only” flag is removed everywhere (cache folder, web application folder)
The short answer is no. The long answer is discussed here: Deployment of code which uses the Microsoft Team Foundation Server APIs