Security Update for Team System Web Access 2008 SP1 Posted

A number of other notable bloggers in the Team System space have already blogged about this but it is important enough that we need to get the word out to a large audience.

Microsoft posted a security update for TSWA 2008 SP1.  I would recommend that everyone install this update, but especially anyone that exposes their TSWA to the Internet as that is where the greatest risk lies.

Hakan Eskici has the original post for Microsoft.  There is no KB article yet, I will update this post when one becomes available.   The KB article can be found at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/961267

“A security issue has been identified with Team System Web Access 2008 SP1 and we have recently published an update that fixes it. Please note that this is a full release, so you will need to uninstall any existing versions of Web Access before installing this update.”                                                                - Hakan

The download link will bring you to the TSWA 2008 SP1 download page.  Since it is a full install, they have replaced the vulnerable TSWA version with the updated one.

To verify if you have the Update installed, select the Help | About menu from TSWA and check the version.  It should be 9.0.3275 for TSWA 2008 SP1 Update.

Installing MOSS 2007 for TFS 2008

I’m starting an engagement that includes installing MOSS 2007 for the client and I’m always  nervous when dealing with a first-time installation situation.  I keep telling myself that this is a good thing.  I have experience working with MOSS/SharePoint, but I’ve never done an install before. 

Based on that one fact, I’ve spent the last couple of days doing installs and configurations on a “Virtual DataCenter” hosted in Hyper-V on my Dell laptop.  The topology is

• a Win2k3 Domain Controller
• a Win2k3 MOSS server
• a Win2k3 SQL Server
• a Win2k3 TFS server

The TFS is running as AT/DT with MOSS hosting the Team Project portals and all are attached to the domain provided by the DC machine.

My biggest concern was configuring the MOSS server correctly so that the TFS install would go smoothly.  The installation of MOSS was quick and easy, it was the configuration after installation that was a nightmare.  I had no idea that I knew so little about MOSS configuration even after working with it in a TFS environment for a couple of years.  Luckily I found a couple of articles and blog posts that walked me through the configuration. 

I’ve attached the links here in case anyone else had to do a similar install.  The author, Justin Devine, has created a single Word doc with all the steps.  He has also reproduced the Word doc as a series of blog posts.  I’ve added links to both below in case you are working somewhere that you don’t have the ability to open a Word doc.

Order of install

1. Create MOSS accounts (lots and lots) in AD per blog/doc.
2. Install SQL Server per TFS Dual-Server configuration then follow additional steps in MOSS blog/doc for SQL Server Surface Area and logins.
3. Install MOSS per blog/doc
4. Configure MOSS per blog/doc in its entirety
5. Install TFS Prerequisites
6. Run TFS BPA
7. Install TFS

MOSS Install and Configuration Blog Post (Part 1, later parts linked from this one) - http://justindevine.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/moss-2007-virtual-small-farm-walkthrough-part-1/

MOSS Install and Configuration Word Doc - http://justindevine.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=376

Technorati Tags: TFS,MOSS

Upcoming Events

I’ve successfully (relative term) navigated my first Team System User Group – Virtual Edition presentation by giving the Overview to Extending the TFS Warehouse simultaneously on Second Life and LiveMeeting.  What an interesting way to hold a User Group meeting.  It’s kind of like “Geeks Sans Frontières (GSF)” or “Geeks Without Borders”.  Thanks to everyone that attended.

I had a great time doing the Overview but found it difficult to not dive down into the guts of the subject so I’m going to flesh out the topic into a full presentation that I’ve committed to giving at the New Hampshire Code Camp on 28-Feb-2009 at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, NH.  After I navigate that presentation I’ll tweak it and get a slot in a future TSUG-VE meeting.

Since I am a neophyte to all things BI, I’m going to attend the New England Data Camp v1.0 on 24-Jan-2009to get some more insight into Data Warehouses and Cubes.  This is one area that is an art all unto itself and I am woefully ignorant.  I know a few people that are eyeballs-deep into this and they are “scary-smart” so I’m looking forward to being the dumbest guy in the room next Saturday.

Here’s the upcomings:

24-Jan-2009        New England Data Camp v1.0 – Microsoft Offices - Waltham, MA  (attending)
28-Feb-2009        New Hampshire Code Camp – Daniel Webster College – Nashua, NH (presenting)

For a complete rundown of Developer events in New England for January and February 2009, check out Chris Bowen’s roundup.

 

P.S.   It looks like “Geeks Without Borders” is an actual group that provides “computers and related equipment to schools, clinics, and nonprofits in developing countries.”  I have no affiliation with them, but it seems like a very noble cause.  Check them out if you get a chance.

Announcement: The first real MSBuild/Team Build book arrives!

Inside the Microsoft Build Engine: Using MSBuild and Team Foundation Build

Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi and William Bartholomew have just finished the first comprehensive, totally  dedicated MSBuild book on the market.  William has told me that it has 3 full chapters dealing with Team Build on top of a grounding in MSBuild.

I’m really excited about this book as it fills a gaping hole in the Visual Studio landscape and more so for those of use working with TFS.  I have a copy on order and can’t wait for it to arrive.

Here’s the blurb from the Amazon site:

Product Description
The build process when code gets assembled to see how and how well it works is a critical step in software development. Developers had few options for customizing the build process before Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008, but the Microsoft Build Engine (MSBuild) enables developers to customize each step during a build. MSBuild is extensible and uses an XML file to describe each step, allowing the build master or developer to easily change and augment how projects are built. This book offers hands-on guidance for customizing MSBuild, and provides a cookbook of examples on Web deployment, automated releases, and other essential topics. It also covers Visual Studio Team Foundation Build, the build engine in Visual Studio Team System.

Extending the TFS Warehouse Discussion on 15-Jan-2008

To anyone that is interested, I'll be having an "Extending the TFS Warehouse" discussion during the Team System User Group - Virtual Edition (TSUG-VE) meeting next Thursday, 15-Jan-2009 at 5pm PST (UTC -8:00).  I have the "warm-up" spot and then we will have Trent Nix giving a presentation on "SCRUM with Team System".

It will be a quick 15 minute discussion/slideware around how to create a warehouse adapter to get additional TFS data or your own custom data into the TFS Warehouse when the Warehouse Service runs.

This is a prelude to a full session on this topic.  If you have specific interest in this topic, I invite you to attend and let me know which areas are most important to you.  These comments will help drive the larger presentation.

The meeting is held Virtually (hence the -VE in the group name) on Second Life so it is open to everyone that has Internet access.

I'm looking forward to trying this out.  I'm also linking in some info about the user group from the group leads, (MVP) Dave McKinstry and (MVP) Paul Hacker.

A New VSTS User Group in your area

How to participate in the Team System User Group - Virtual Edition