Does TFS Includes VSS?

A big part of Team Foundation Server is a new version control system built from the ground up. It uses SQL Server 2005 databases to store version controlled items. So no, you don't need Visual Source Safe. But you do need to buy one of the Visual Studio 2005 Team System SKUs, each of which include a CAL that allows access to the TF Server. I'm not sure if there is going to be a stand-alone Team Explorer (w/CAL) SKU for doc writers, etc.

Even in dual machine installation?

There needs to be a stand alone explorer with full capabilities. Virtually every project and place where I have consulted they have used SCC to store non source documents related to the code. I am trying to get to the bottom of this question - see my post at http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=118328

We have installed Beta 3 TFS and it is working fine using our RC1 installed developer clients. We have also installed just the TFS client on machines without the full IDE. Our problem is that the Source Explorer on the TFS client only machines does allow the checkout or creation of new files or of folders (these functions are grayed out). Is this a bug, a configuration problem or something that is not working yet in Beta 3? We have not been able to find any settings that control this behavior. This is why we are asking whether the stand-alone client will be full featured for version control.

If you install just the TFS client (aka Team Explorer) and not the full IDE, you should still have access to the full range of source control features via the Source Control Explorer tool window. If the SCC menus and toolbar buttons are grayed out, then there are a number of things that could be causing the problem.

1) Are you connected to a TFS Server? You can check this by going to the Team Explorer tool window and seeing if a Team Project hierarchy is shown.

2) Do you have at least one Team Project created. The first level nodes (just below the root, $/) in the SCC repository must be team project folders. It's possible that much of the SCC functionality will be greyed out if a team project does not yet exist.

--Ben Ryan

In my post I failed to mention that we are connected to our Team Server and browsing a particular project. All files in the project are visible and we can access certain functions including checkin, label, history, etc. but not checkout, new folder or add files.