Upgrade from TFS Trial to Licensed Version
I recently upgraded from the TFS Trial Version to the Licensed Version. It is my understanding that I will need to upgrade the SQL Server 2005 Standard edition as well. However, it is unclear as to how this is done.
When I run the TFS Version Detector utility, I get the following results:
Team Foundation Server 2005 - Final Release (8.0.50727.147) Standard Edition
SQL Server 2005 - RTM (9.00.1399.06) Standard Edition
Is it a simple case of installing a licensed version over the top of the version that came with the trial disk or is there something else I need to do? I really don't want to take a chance of breaking anything since our team is so invested in this system at this point.
Thanks,
John
[759 byte] By [
jwgreg] at [2008-1-4]
>> Regarding upgrading SQL Server it is not a requirement to upgrade to the TFS Licensed version.
You have to be careful here. We received the same advice and got into all sorts of problems. No disrespect to Abdelhamid.
We installed the trial edition of TFS along with the SQL Server 2005 that came with it. Having decided that we liked the product we purchased the licensed version of everything and upgraded the install of TFS (by entering the new license key).
Everything went fine until 180 days after our original install when everything stopped working. Trying to connect to the SQL Server in any way after this point was rejected with a message that the trial edition of SQL Server had expired.
Trying to follow the instructions on upgrading SQL Server also failed as the install process needs to start one of the database services and that is not possible once SQL Server has expired.
We were left with no option but to uninstall everything and start again. I would definitely recommend attempting to upgrade your SQL Server before the trial period expires, it will stop working.
Steve
Hi Guys,
Sorry to reopen this thread again.
We have a 180-day trial edition of TFS with the following information:
Team Foundation Server 2005 - Final Release (8.0.50727.147)
Trial Edition - 18 days remaining (Trial ID = XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXX)
SQL Server 2005 - SP1 (9.00.2047.00) Enterprise Edition
Note that our SQL Server is already licensed.
Now, we bought TFS 10-CALS and we want to activate the license on our production TFS server.
I believe this is what we have to do:
1- Look for the Product Key in our Licensed TFS CD in the file: AT\Setup.stb which is a 25 character code
2- From Control Panel > Add Remove Programs , double-click the TFS entry and click Repair
3- When asked for the product key we just enter the product key that we acquired in step #1
Is this all what we have to do?
Also, I have some other worries:
- Will this license activation affect the already existing data as we have been using TFS for about 6 months in full production?
- Do we have to do anything to SQL Server, as it is installed on the same TFS machine (But note that it is already licensed) ?
- When activating the TFS license, do connected users have to close their Team Explorer connections from Visual Studio .Net 2005 ?
- Do we have to reinstall Team Explorer on user's PCs from the licensed CD?
Thanks in advance
Hello Luai7,
For your question,
Will this license activation affect the already existing data as we have been using TFS for about 6 months in full production?
As I know there should be no problem when you upgrade your TFS.
You can follow the document :How to: Upgrade from Team Foundation Server Trial Edition
Please read the how to carefully.
Of course you may back up the data - tier before the upgrade for safe.
Here is Backing Up and Restoring Team Foundation Server Data
You may back up the data before and immediately after the upgrading if the data is very important.
Do we have to do anything to SQL Server, as it is installed on the same TFS machine (But note that it is already licensed) ?
You don't need to upgrade the SQL Server 2005.
But you can apply SP2 for SQL Server 2005 after you have upgrade TFS.
When activating the TFS license, do connected users have to close their Team Explorer connections from Visual Studio .Net 2005 ?
It will be better not to connect to Team Foundation Server.
Upgrading from a Trial Edition should be very fast. It will not take much time.
Do we have to reinstall Team Explorer on user's PCs from the licensed CD?
No it doesn't need.
You may install SP1 for VS 2005 both on the TFS server (including Build Server) and clients if you haven't installed them.
Thanks a lot Hua for your reply,
By the way the link you posted regarding upgrading from TFS trial edition does not work!
Also, will the proposed 3 step instructions I posted be sufficient for a successful upgrade to a licensed version ?
Thanks again.
Hello Luai7,
Could you please tell more about the link?
Could you please tell which step in the link doesn't work?
Also, will the proposed 3 step instructions I posted be sufficient for a successful upgrade to a licensed version ?
It shoud be sufficient for your problem because you don't need to upgrade SQL Server 2005.
Here are brief steps from the document:
To upgrade to Team Foundation Serve
On the Team Foundation application-tier server, click Start, click Settings, and then click Control PanelIn Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs.
In Add or Remove Programs, click Change or Remove Programs. Click Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server, and then click Change/Remove.
In Maintenance Mode Options, select Upgrade to Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server, type the product key for your Team Foundation Server, and then click Next.
A Command Prompt window might appear and display services stopping and starting.
Note
During the upgrade of Team Foundation Server, you will have to provide a product key. If you acquired Team Foundation Server through a volume licensing program, you will not have an individual product key to provide during the upgrade process. You must contact Visual Studio Developer Professional Support in order to obtain a product key for the upgrade. For a list of support contact numbers, visit the Microsoft Web site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/support).
On the Maintenance - Setup Complete page, click Finish.
Thanks a lot Huo,
The information you supplied is more than sufficient. One last thing though, couldn't we use the product key from the Licensed CD AT directory (From the setup.stb file) ?
Hello Luai7,
I am not sure I have caught your meaning.
couldn't we use the product key from the Licensed CD AT directory
Do you nean that while you input the product key there is an error?
If so could you please tell more about the error?
Thanks.
Hi Hua,
I meant that I don't need access the URL regarding the upgrade instructions because the information you've already given to is more than enough.
As for the product key, I did not yet try to perform the upgrade because I am still waiting for Microsoft support to contact me regarding this issue. But what I mean is why do we need to acquire a Product Key for the upgrade from Microsoft support when it is already there in the AT directory of the License CD. Correct ?!
Please have a look at this link:
http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2006/10/04/Last-word-on-TFS-Expirations-_2800_I-hope_2900_.aspx
Thanks
Hello
Sorry. I haven't looked closely. 
Based on my understanding you can use that key to upgrade.
The document gives a formal official way to do it.
Good luck.
