TFS: Installation using DNS aliases – Part 1 : Data Tiers

TFS: Installation using DNS aliases - Part 1 : Data Tiers

In my last series of post I’ve looked at how you can rename server which runs TFS components and reconfigure them so that the platform can be operational again. In this new series i’ll explain how to realize an installation using DNS aliases so that future server changes will be simplified by simply changing the alias :)

Even you start with a single server installation, using DNS aliases for all components will simplify your task if you need to make some evolution later. Here’s the list of components on which we will have an alias:

  • SQL Server
  • Analysis Services
  • Reporting Services
  • SharePoint
  • Team Foundation Server (Application Tiers)

I’ll look at the specific installation and configuration for this task in 3 parts:


Let’s start with the Data Tiers part which is comprised of SQL Server, Analysis Services and Reporting Services. Here are the aliases i’ll be using but feel free to use your own :)

  • SQL Server : sql01
  • Analysis Services : analysis01
  • Reporting Services : reporting01

My domain used for this tutorial is demo.local.

SQL Server

For the SQL Server part (database only), there is no specific configuration as this component doesn’t have any dependency :)

Analysis Services

As for SQL Server, this component doesn’t have any dependency so there is not specific configuration except in one case : when you install Analysis Services on the same server as another component which depends on it. In this case after the installation you must add a registry key to disable the loopback check. By default you cannot connect to Analysis Services locally using another address than “localhost”. Here’s how to do this:

  1. Open the registry editor (regedit.exe).
  2. Go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa key.
  3. Add the DisableLoopbackCheck entry of type DWORD with the value 1.

Be careful that this can have some security implications. For more information please read the following Microsoft KB : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/983444

Reporting Services

Installing and configuring Reporting Services is a little bit longer so that you can use DNS aliases:

  1. Install Reporting Services but do not configure it.
  2. When the installation is done you must configure Reporting Services manually using the configuration manager.
    SSRS 01
  3. Connect to your local SSRS server.
  4. On the Database tab, click Change Database.
    SSRS 03
  5. Select Create a new report server database and click Next.
  6. In the field Server Name, enter the fully qualified DNS name (FQDN) of the SQL server using it’s DNS alias and click Next.
    SSRS 05
  7. Finish the database creation by using the default values.
  8. On the Web Service URL tab, click Apply.
    SSRS 10
  9. On the Report Manager URL tab, click Apply.
    SSRS 11
  10. On the Web Service URL tab, click Advanced.
    SSRS 12
    If you ask yourself why we left the Web Service URL tab and come back to it after this is because the UI is not refreshed automatically and we need to change the tab to have the button enable :(
  11. In the Multiple HTTP Identities section, click Add.
    SSRS 13
  12. Click Host Header Name and enter the fully qualified DNS name of the Reporting Services server using the it’s DNS alias and click OK.
    SSRS 14
  13. Click OK to close the Advanced Multiple Web Site Configuration window.
  14. In the Dans l’onglet Report Manager URL, cliquez sur Advanced.
    SSRS 16
  15. In the Multiple Identities section, click Add.
    SSRS 17
  16. Click Host Header Name and enter the fully qualified DNS name of the Reporting Services server using the it’s DNS alias and click OK.
    SSRS 18
  17. Click OK to close the Advanced Multiple Web Site Configuration window.
  18. Click Exit to close the Reporting Services configuration manager.

Here’s what you must do to install and configure the SQL Server components to work with DNS aliases :) For the next part we’ll see how to configure SharePoint.

Carpe Diem.

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