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Rule Checking Performed by the Best Practices Analyzer Tool

The Best Practices Analyzer tool for Team Foundation Server collects and analyzes data that it obtains from the computers in a deployment of Team Foundation Server. The tool follows a set of rules in configuration XML files.

The tool performs the following types of checks:

  • Preinstall check.   This check collects and analyzes information to determine whether the servers on which Team Foundation Server is installed or will be installed meet the following requirements:

    • Hardware requirements and best practices configuration. This check reviews the servers' platform, processors, disks, memory, and domain.

    • Operating system requirements and best practices configuration.

    • Software installation and configuration.

    The Preinstall check assesses the same set of rules that the System Health Check assesses. The System Health Check is performed immediately before you install Team Foundation Server. Before you can install Team Foundation Server, you must fix any issues that these checks find. Therefore, the rules that compose these checks are known as Find It, Fix It (FiFi) rules. 

    FiFi rules query Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) classes and functions. You need administrative credentials to call WMI classes and functions. Also, in some instances, certain rules can retrieve information only when the check is run on the server that is being checked. For example, Windows Installer functions support queries of local computer information only.

    Note

    For optimal results, run the Preinstall check against the computers that are designated as application-tier and data-tier servers for Team Foundation.

  • Health check.   This check collects and analyzes information to determine whether the servers in the deployment of Team Foundation Server meet configuration and operational requirements. The Health check also includes all rules in the Preinstall check. Information reported includes, but is not limited to, the following:

    • Application pools are correctly configured.

    • Service account passwords are not expired.

    • Databases are correctly configured.

    • SQL Server services are installed, running, and correctly configured.

    • Required Web services are running, correctly configured, and set for automatic startup.

    • SharePoint Products and Technologies is deployed and correctly configured.

    • Permissions to execute scripts on specific directories are correctly configured.

    • Any mismatches in version numbers of software and databases are detected.

    • Web site resources are well defined and correctly configured.

      Note

      For optimal results, run the Health check on the application-tier server for Team Foundation. Some information is not available when the check is run from a remote server or client.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Run a Scan

How to: List Scans and View Reports

How to: Run a Scan

Other Resources

Getting Started with the Best Practices Analyzer Tool