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Team Foundation Source Control Proxy Server

17 posts · Jan 2006 – Nov 2025

What this trail covers

This thread tracks the evolution of Team Foundation Source Control proxy server capabilities. The proxy is designed to boost network performance for distributed teams by caching source control files locally, reducing bandwidth usage and download times across slower network links. It serves client requests from its local cache, downloading files from the main Team Foundation Server only when not present in the cache. Maintenance involves monitoring performance counters like cache size, hits, misses, and disk space utilization. This post details the configuration file nodes for the Team Foundation Server Proxy, including elements for server URIs, cache root, cache limit policies (percentage-based and fixed-size), statistics persistence time, and reader/writer chunk sizes. It also outlines the manual process of editing the proxy.config file and recycling the application pool for changes to take effect.

All Microsoft trails
  1. November Patches for Azure DevOps ServerUpdated the hash algorithm used in the TFVC Proxy authorization process from SHA-1 to SHA-256 to improve security. This requires updating the proxy along with the server to maintain compatibility.
  2. TFVC Windows Shell Extension for VSTS and TFS 2018This post announces the release of the TFVC Windows Shell Extension as a standalone tool on the Visual Studio Marketplace. This extension provides a lightweight, integrated version control experience within Windows File Explorer for TFVC users. The latest release adds support for Team Foundation Server 2018 and Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS). Previously, this tool was part of the TFS Power Tools.
  3. Testing devices made easier with Perfecto Mobile's MobileCloud™ platform and Team Foundation ServerThis post details the integration of Team Foundation Server with Perfecto Mobile's MobileCloud™ platform to streamline mobile development and testing, enabling the use of real devices across carriers and geographies, leveraging existing ALM investments, and developing efficient mobile test automation. It highlights benefits such as continuous integration, device-agnostic testing (ScriptOnce™), exploratory manual testing, and scalable cloud-based solutions for unit testing on real devices and/or emulators. The integration allows development teams to manage and test Windows 8, Android, and iOS applications on real devices within the MobileCloud™ from their TFS installations, providing rich media reports.
  4. Locking and git-tf and... danger?This post details the challenges and risks associated with the `git-tf checkin` process, specifically focusing on the need for locks to prevent race conditions and data inconsistencies when bridging Git and Team Foundation Server (TFS). It explains the default locking behavior of TFS, the implications of the `--no-lock` flag, and a scenario where not locking can lead to missed changesets. The post also initiates a discussion on finding safer alternatives to locking.
  5. Network Considerations for TFS Proxy ServersThis post addresses a specific network configuration issue for TFS Proxy Servers running as a machine account (e.g., NETWORK SERVICE) on machines with automatically received proxy settings. It explains that these settings are cached at a user level and thus not available to machine accounts. The recommended solutions are to manually configure proxy settings for the server or to run the TFS Proxy Service as a user account, log in as that account, and launch a web browser to cache the settings.
  7. Showing files with pending changes or files that are open in Visual Studio 2012 Solution ExplorerIntroduced the ability to show just those files that are open or those with pending changes in Visual Studio 2012 Solution Explorer. This feature includes a new "Filter" button next to the "home" button in Solution Explorer with options to show open files or files with pending changes. This functionality also works with other MSSCCI providers.
  8. After upgrading to TFS 2012: Updating licensing and enabling async checkout for server workspacesThis post details post-upgrade tasks for TFS 2012, specifically focusing on updating licensing and enabling asynchronous checkout for server workspaces. It follows up on a previous post about upgrading team project settings to enable new features like code review and task boards.
  9. Team Foundation Service Preview – Upload Source to Your Hosted AccountThis post walks through the step-by-step process of uploading source code to a Team Foundation Service Preview account using Visual Studio 2010. It covers connecting to the TFS Preview account, opening Source Control Explorer, mapping local folders to server folders (creating a workspace), adding files and folders to source control via drag-and-drop, selecting specific files for upload, verifying added files with a yellow '+' sign, checking in pending changes, and finalizing the check-in to upload files to the cloud repository.
  10. VS ALM Library Updates on MSDN for January, 2011This post details the TF Proxy command and its configuration for both developers and network administrators, including securing Team Foundation Server with HTTPS/SSL and integrating with Windows authentication. It also mentions updates to work item type definitions and global workflow customization.
  11. Missing Proxy installation steps in the current installation guideThis post provides the missing installation steps for the Team Foundation Server Proxy, detailing the wizard steps from running setup to configuring the service account and completing the installation. It also includes instructions for configuring the proxy after installation.
  12. A question about displaying history of files stored in Team Foundation source control.Introduces the `tf.exe history` command as the best way to retrieve a report of all files currently checked out and by whom. Also mentions query capabilities to look for a word in all files in a directory, suggesting `tf.exe history` as a solution.
  13. Migrating from Visual SourceSafe to Team Foundation Source ControlThis post details the migration of Visual SourceSafe (VSS) to Team Foundation Source Control (TFSC), providing two walkthroughs for preparation and migration.
  14. Preparing to Migrate from Visual SourceSafe to Team Foundation Source ControlThis post details the preparation and execution of migrating from Visual SourceSafe to Team Foundation Source Control, including backing up the database, analyzing for data integrity issues using VSSAnalyze, and using the VSSConverter tool to identify potential data loss and specify folders for migration. It also covers creating a user mapping file.
  15. Team Foundation Server Proxy and Source ControlThis post introduces the Team Foundation source control proxy, detailing its design for boosting network performance by caching source control files locally. It explains the basic operation from both client and server perspectives, including cache management based on last access time. The post also outlines essential maintenance tasks, such as monitoring performance counters (Current Cache Size, Total Cache Hits, Total Download Requests, Total Files in Cache, Total Cache Miss), and describes the security mechanism using a pre-authenticated ticket scheme with public/private key signatures for user authorization.
  16. Remote Connections and Geograpically Dispersed DevelopmentThis post addresses the use of the Team Foundation Server proxy for geographically dispersed development, specifically in response to a query about source control for such teams. It explains that the proxy reduces bandwidth needs across wide area connections by caching downloaded source control files locally. It also provides links to learning resources about the Team Foundation Server Proxy and its configuration.
  17. Configure Team Foundation Source Control to use Proxy ServerThis post details the procedure for configuring a Visual Studio client to use a Team Foundation source control proxy server. It outlines the steps to access proxy settings via the Tools > Options menu, enable the 'Use proxy server' option, and specify the UNC path of the proxy server and its designated port (8081). It also mentions the choice between HTTP and HTTPS protocols and advises contacting an administrator for configuration details.
  18. About the Team Foundation Server Proxy Config FileThis post details the configuration file nodes for the Team Foundation Server Proxy, including elements for server URIs, cache root, cache limit policies (percentage-based and fixed-size), statistics persistence time, and reader/writer chunk sizes. It also outlines the manual process of editing the proxy.config file and recycling the application pool for changes to take effect.