You might want to create empty databases for Team Foundation Server, because doing so can be useful for managing the databases of multiple instances of Team Foundation Server on a single instance of SQL Server or hosting Team Foundation Server databases on a managed instance of SQL Server. Whatever the reason, this topic provides guidance for how to provision empty SQL Server databases for use with Team Foundation Server.

Conceptually, this procedure contains two steps:

1. You create the databases and name them based on established guidelines.

2. You identify these databases when you install Team Foundation Server.

Team Foundation Server has two databases that you can configure to use empty databases during installation.

• Tfs_DatabaseLabelWarehouse

• Tfs_DatabaseLabelApplication

These databases must use the naming structure as shown, but you can either omit the string DatabaseLabel or use any custom string that uniquely describes both databases.

When you install Team Foundation Server, you must select the Use pre-existing empty database(s) check box. If you added a label, you must also type it in Server Databases Label. The installation wizard will then use the empty databases that you created to set up the configuration database.

Note
Each project collection requires its own database, but you cannot configure Team Foundation Server to use an empty project collection database during installation. You must add an empty project collection database after installation, using Team Foundation Server Administration Console.

Concepts