TFS 2010 Installing Team Explorer for a web solution

Question

I've developed a custom web solution that connects to the TFS server. Now I want to move that solution to the test phase by having it installed on a test machine.

The problem is that on the test machine Team Explorer 2010 isn't installed which has resulted in some weird behavior, e.g. the WorkItemStore is always null after connecting.

I've been working on setting all the necessary .dll's in the bin folder but with no results.

Do I really have to install Team Explorer on my web server to get this working (maybe the install configures registry setting, temporary files etc.) ?

Answer 1

The short answer is "Yes." You could probably make it work if you tried hard enough, but you're probably also not completely within the confines of the license agreement if you do.

You'll also need to make sure you are compliant with licenses as appropriate. I believe if you want that server to be able to connect, you're going to need a device CAL, which does not remove your need for an individual CAL for the people connecting.

Answer 2

If you check your TFS media, you'll find Object Model installers under TeamExplorer\WCU\TFS. They're used by the installer, so I'm not sure how reliable they are when invoked directly, but you might find that easier.