Add the Build Service Account to the Project Collection Build Service Accounts Security Group

Before a build machine can build projects in a given team project collection, you must configure the collection with the build service account for that build machine. First, you identify the account under which Team Foundation Build Service is running on the build machine. Then, on the application-tier server that hosts the collection, you add the account to the Project Collection Build Service Accounts group for that collection.

Required Permissions

To perform these procedures, you must be a member of the Project Collection Administrators group on the application-tier server. For more information about permissions, see Team Foundation Server Permissions.

To manually add a workgroup or domain build service account to the Project Collection Build Service Accounts security group

1. In Team Explorer, click the team project collection that you want to associate with the new build service account.

2. On the Team menu, point to Team Project Collection Settings, and then click Group Membership.

   The Global Groups on ComputerName**\**TeamProjectCollectionName dialog box appears.

3. Under Groups, click TeamProjectCollectionName\Project Collection Build Service Accounts, and then click Properties.

   The Team Foundation Server Group Properties dialog box appears.

4. Click the Members tab.

   In the User or Group list, verify whether the account name under which Team Foundation Build Service is running is already present. If the account is not listed, continue to the next step.

5. In the Add users and groups section, click Windows User or Group, and then click Add.

6. The Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box appears.

7. In the Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box, type the name of the account under which Team Foundation Build Service is running on the build machine that you want to enable. 

8. Click Check Names.

To manually add a network build service account to the Project Collection Build Service Accounts security group

1. In Team Explorer, click the team project collection that you want to associate with the new build service account.

2. On the Team menu, point to Team Project Collection Settings, and then click Group Membership.

   The Global Groups on ComputerName**\**TeamProjectCollectionName dialog box appears.

3. Under Groups, click TeamProjectCollectionName\Project Collection Build Service Accounts, and then click Properties.

   The Team Foundation Server Group Properties dialog box appears.

4. Click the Members tab.

   In the User or Group list, verify whether the account name under which Team Foundation Build Service is running is already present. If the account is not listed, continue to the next step.

5. If Team Foundation Build Service is running on a different server from the application tier:

   1. In the Team Foundation Server Group Properties dialog box, click Windows User or Group, and then click Add.

   2. Confirm that Computers appears in the Select this object type box. If it does not, click Object Types, click Computers, and then click OK.

   3. Confirm that the name of the domain in which the build service account resides appears in the From this location box. If it does not, click Locations, click the correct domain name, and then click OK.

   4. In the Enter the object names to select box, type the name of the build machine on which Team Foundation Build Service is running, and click Check Names.

6. If Team Foundation Build Service is running on the same server as the application tier:

   1. On the application-tier server for Team Foundation, click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, click Visual Studio Tools, and then click Visual Studio 10.0 Command Prompt.

   2. At the command prompt, type the following command:

      tfssecurity /server:<TFS URL> /g+ "[Server]\Project Collection Build Service Accounts" n:"NT Authority\Network Service"

      For more information, see Changing Groups and Permissions with TFSSecurity and this page on the Microsoft Web site: NetworkService Account.

See Also

Other Resources

Team Foundation Server Services and Service Accounts