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Licensing Clarification for Azure DevOps Server 2022 (On-Premises) During Migration from TFS 2015 (On-Premises)

Atul Choudhari 5 Reputation points
2026-03-03T08:34:23.0466667+00:00

Hello ,

Currently, TFS is installed in Client server/domain & we are accessing same TFS repository for check-in & checkout code from our domain. Now we are going to migrate TFS  & Azure DevOps server in the in the same client domain/server.

So, we can access it through our domain? In the same way how we are doing it with TFS.? This clarification is important for us to ensure compliance before proceeding further.

Need to clarifiy, while installing azure devops server 2022 on the on prem server, need a liceses for that?

Azure DevOps

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  1. Siddhesh Desai 4,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-04T08:19:04.3233333+00:00

    Hi @Atul Choudhari

    Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

    Azure DevOps Server 2022 is the on‑premises successor to Team Foundation Server (TFS) and is designed to work in the same Active Directory (domain‑joined) environment. During migration from TFS 2015 to Azure DevOps Server 2022 on‑premises, there is no change in the authentication model. If the Azure DevOps Server is installed on a domain‑joined server, users can continue to access repositories, perform check‑in and check‑out, and work with projects using their existing domain accounts, exactly as they do today with TFS. From a compliance perspective, while Azure DevOps Server does not enforce a product key during installation, Microsoft licensing terms still require that the organization owns a valid Azure DevOps Server license and appropriate Client Access Licenses (CALs) for users or devices accessing the server. This often causes confusion because the server continues to function even without entering a key, but licensing obligations still apply.

    Refer below points to resolve this issue or this is the workaround:

    Domain authentication and access Azure DevOps Server 2022 fully supports Windows / Active Directory authentication. As long as the server is joined to the same domain, users can continue accessing Azure DevOps Server using their domain credentials in the same way as TFS 2015. No change in user workflow is required.

    Server licensing requirement Although Azure DevOps Server 2022 does not prompt for a product key during installation, you must have a valid Azure DevOps Server license (purchased via Volume Licensing or Azure billing) to remain compliant. The absence of a key does not mean the product is free for unlimited use.

    Client Access Licenses (CALs) Each user or device accessing Azure DevOps Server requires a User CAL or Device CAL, unless they already have a qualifying Visual Studio Professional or Enterprise subscription (which includes a User CAL). Up to five users with Basic access are included at no additional cost, but additional users must be properly licensed.

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  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-03T08:34:35.5433333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Azure DevOps Server 2022 is the on‑premises successor to TFS and is designed to run in the same kind of domain/server environment. When upgrading from TFS 2015 to Azure DevOps Server 2022 on‑premises, domain users can continue to access the server using their domain accounts, in the same way they do today with TFS, provided the server is joined to the domain and configured accordingly.

    Direct upgrade to Azure DevOps Server 2022 is supported from TFS 2015 or newer, and the product is intended for on‑premises, domain‑joined deployments.

    Regarding licensing: installing and running Azure DevOps Server 2022 on an on‑premises server requires a valid Azure DevOps Server license and product key. The upgrade guidance explicitly lists “License and product key” as a prerequisite for installing/upgrading Azure DevOps Server.

    For detailed requirements and upgrade planning (including supported source versions and prerequisites such as license and product key), see the Azure DevOps Server upgrade and requirements documentation referenced below.

    References:

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