To boost server capacity and processing speed, you may encounter scenarios such as moving a TFS environment to a new environment with a higher server configuration, which helps to improve the overall performance of the TFS server. You perform a clone when you intend to continue using the original TFS instance.

Permissions needed to clone TFS:

need to be an administrator on both sets of hardware (the old and the new) administrator (or have the equivalent permissions) for TFS and all the software on which your deployment depends: SQL Server, reporting, and any other software with which your deployment interoperates, such as Project Server.

Servers: Administrators (local Administrators group or equivalent)

TFS: Team Foundation Administrators and Admin Console Users

SQL Server: sysadmin

Take a full backup and Create a Scheduled Backup:

Open the administration console for Azure DevOps Server and on the Scheduled Backups page take a full backup, Backup the encryption key if TFS deployment uses reporting. Once the full database back up is completed successfully at network path, check the network path of backup files can access from the new hardware. Configure the Scheduled backup as required.

Install and configure the SQL Server, and install TFS on new hardware:

Install and configure SQL Server on the new hardware server.  If reporting is used in old TFS deployment, include the reporting and analysis services components. You must install the same version and edition of SQL server as in old hardware configuration including service pack and cumulative update levels.

Restore the TFS databases:

Install the required software with same version for TFS deployment as like old TFS deployment in a new hardware server, but not configure TFS on the new hardware server close the installation wizard. Open the administrator console in unconfigured state and use restore database option in scheduled backup wizard enter the network share path which contains the Backup files and select the correct backup set in a list. Provide correct SQL server instance of new hardware server in which TFS deployment to be restored. Complete the restoration of database in a new hardware server.

Configure the new TFS server:

Once you start configuring the TFS installed features need to select the deployment type as existing database for the TFS deployment as shown in image(a) below.

Specify the new SQL server instance in which TFS databases were restored as shown in below image(b). Click on next.

select the deployment scenario as clone a deployment, as shown in below image(c). Click on next.

In below scenario overview image(d) step, it shows the automatic process happening during the clone deployment.

Provide the correct service account image(e) and click on next.

Provide the proper settings of TFS server and enable the SSH service image(f) and click on next.

Before proceeding further, review the configuration settings and run the readiness checks. If successful, then complete the TFS deployment configuration in a new server image(g).

Once the application tier configuration is complete, make sure to reconfigure the scheduled backups and clear the local and client cache.

Conclusion:

This blog provides an overview of how to configure backups, recover database backups using application tier servers, and clone the TFS deployment on new hardware.