How to: Verify a Connection to the Database Server

If Visual Studio Team System Team Foundation Server is not functioning correctly, you should verify that all SQL Server services are running on the data-tier server and that the connection settings are correctly configured.

Required Permissions

To perform these procedures, you must be a member of the Administrators security group on the application-tier server for Team Foundation. You must also be a member of the sysadmin security group for SQL Server on the data-tier server for Team Foundation.

To verify that SQL Server services are running

  1. On the data-tier server for Team Foundation, open the Start menu, point to** All Programs**, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or Microsoft SQL Server 2008, point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager.

  2. Click SQL Server Services, and verify that each service has a green arrow next to it.

    The green arrow indicates that the service is running.

  3. Click SQL Server Network Configuration, double-click Protocols for MyInstanceName, and then verify that TCP/IP is enabled.

    If you specified the default instance during installation, the instance name will be MSSQLSERVER.

To verify a connection to the database server

  1. On the application-tier server for Team Foundation, open the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server, and then click SQL Server Management Studio.

    Note

    If you did not install Workstation Components, Books Online, and development tools when you installed SQL Server, you will not have SQL Server Management Studio.

  2. In the Connect to Server dialog box, select Database Engine in Server type, type the name of the server to which you want to connect, and then click Connect.

    Note

    If SQL Server is installed on a cluster, the server name is the name of the cluster and not the computer name. If you are using a named instance of SQL Server, you must specify the name of the server and the name of the instance.

    Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio opens.

  3. In Object Explorer, verify that a green arrow appears next to the server name.

    Note

    If you cannot connect to the server, verify the firewall settings, and then try to connect again.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Restart a Service and Set it to Start Automatically

How to: Enable the TCP/IP Protocol for a Database Instance

How to: Verify a Connection to the Database Server

Resolving Problems Connecting to the Data-tier Server

Other Resources

Managing SQL Server Services