126 posts from: Project Server Help
Essential Study Guide for Microsoft Project 2010 Exam 77-178
(Indexed 2010-08-09):
Title: Essential Study Guide for Microsoft Project 2010 Exam 77-178Body: Letting our Blog readers kow in advance about the presale release of Ultimate Study Guide: Foundations Microsoft Project 2010.[Image]You are in for a real treat with the 2010 version of Microsoft Project. Dale and I wrote this book with our audience in mind; both novice and experienced users who want to solidify their skills or study for Microsoft's 77-178 certification exam for Microsoft Project 2010. This is the same book...(truncated)...
Cancel Unneeded Tasks
(Indexed 2010-07-27):
Title: Cancel Unneeded TasksBody: A common practice among many self-taught users of Microsoft Project is to delete unneeded tasks in a project. Although there is nothing wrong with this practice if you delete the tasks during the planning process, deleting tasks after you baseline a project is problematic. When you delete a baselined task, you are deleting the baseline information about the task, and have no way to know that the task ever existed in the project. Furthermore, when you delete a ba...(truncated)...
Add the Default Macros to Microsoft Project 2010
(Indexed 2010-07-18):
Title: Add the Default Macros to Microsoft Project 2010Body: In the 2000 through 2007 versions of Microsoft Project, the software included a group of default macros. These default macros, written in the VBA programming language, included the following: Format_Duration ResMgmt_TaskEntry Rollup_Formatting Toggle_Read_Only Update_File Probably the most popular macro of the preceding group of five was the Format_Duration macro. This macro allowed you to change the formatting of values in the Duratio...(truncated)...
See the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in the Resource Usage View
(Indexed 2010-06-24):
Title: See the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in the Resource Usage ViewBody: The Resource Usage view is one of two special assignment views in Microsoft Project, the other of which is the Task Usage view. On the left side of the Resource Usage view, the system displays each resource in the project, along with the task assignments for each resource. The system indents and italicizes the task assignments below each resource's name. On the right side of the Resource Usage view, the system displays...(truncated)...
Last Chance for Pre-order Pricing on Implementing and Administering Microsoft Project Server 2010
(Indexed 2010-06-10):
Title: Last Chance for Pre-order Pricing on Implementing and Administering Microsoft Project Server 2010Body: [Image]We're still incredibly busy writing our Microsoft Project 2010 and Microsoft Project Server 2010 book series, but I wanted to take a moment to remind our blog readers that time is running out on our incredible pre-sale pricing for Implementing and Administering Microsoft Project Server 2010, which is shipping now! You have until June 15 to take advantage of this special offer and...(truncated)...
Project Server 2010 Must Read
(Indexed 2010-05-12):
Title: Project Server 2010 Must ReadBody: Implementing and Administering Microsoft Project Server 2010 sets the deployment Gold Standard. Do not start your Microsoft Project Server 2010 implementation without it![Image]New York, NY, May 13, 2010 msProjectExperts essential reference for Microsoft Project Server 2010 begins shipping June 14, in step with the general availability launch of the Microsoft Office 2010 suite. "We are pleased to announce the pre-sale availability of our most popular boo...(truncated)...
Prepare for Project Server 2010 -- Go Back to Excel School
(Indexed 2010-05-11):
Title: Prepare for Project Server 2010 -- Go Back to Excel SchoolBody: As many of you already know, Project Server 2010 is finally here, and it brings many powerful new features in tow, including the flexible and approachable Microsoft Excel based reporting infrastructure available in the new Business Intelligence Center. Project Server 2010, along with the Excel Services feature provided by SharePoint Server 2010, now offer the ability to publish Excel-based reports to the web for business user...(truncated)...
Whats New Study Guide Microsoft Project 2010 ships April 20th
(Indexed 2010-04-05):
Title: Whats New Study Guide Microsoft Project 2010 ships April 20thBody: The first Microsoft Project 2010 book release from msProjectExperts, What's New Study Guide Microsoft Project 2010, begins shipping on April 20, 2010. We are especially pleased to ship this book in time for the first Microsoft Project 2010 soft release. If you order now, you can have your book in your hands before May 12, when the first RTM versions of Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 technologies become available to partne...(truncated)...
Project Server 2010 Exchange Server Sync Gotcha for Test Domains and VM Environments
(Indexed 2010-04-03):
Title: Project Server 2010 Exchange Server Sync Gotcha for Test Domains and VM EnvironmentsBody: Here is a little gotcha that can catch you off guard in a Virtual Machine Demo environment or in a lab or test domain. When I'm writing, I like to use my domain admin account as one of the test accounts in Project Server lab instances to speed up my ability to go from the application to diagnostics. I do this for convenience. Well, that convenience reared an ugly head when I activated Exchange synchr...(truncated)...
A Resource Changed a Task Start date in My Tasks, Why doesnt this Show in the Gantt Chart View?
(Indexed 2010-04-02):
Title: A Resource Changed a Task Start date in My Tasks, Why doesnt this Show in the Gantt Chart View?Body: The above captioned question comes up periodically in the Microsoft Communities so I thought I might as well create a post on this topic. When users make changes to their assignments in the My Tasks page, project managers can see the change in the Approvals page and after approving the update; they go looking for the new date in the Gantt Chart view in Microsoft Project and do not see the ...(truncated)...
AutoStatusPlus 1.01 Released
(Indexed 2010-03-26):
Title: AutoStatusPlus 1.01 ReleasedBody: Version 1.01 of the Project Server 2007 Timesheet AutoStatus Plus solution has been released and is available for download from the product's CodePlex site. This release contains important bugfixes related to the behavior of the AutoStatus Plus Timer Job when errors are encountered, and is recommended for all current and future users of this product. Both x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) builds are available; please ensure that you download the correct packa...(truncated)...
Project Server 2007 Hack -- Sticky My Tasks Header Row
(Indexed 2010-03-25):
Title: Project Server 2007 Hack -- Sticky My Tasks Header RowBody: If the PWA 'My Tasks' page has more than a few tasks to display, the system forces you to scroll the data grid downward to view all of your tasks: [Image] However, when you scroll downward, the column headings such as 'Task Name', 'Start', 'Finish', and 'Progress' scroll upward with the rest of the data in the table, making it easy to confuse the data in the columns: [Image] To force the top (header) row in the 'My Tasks' web par...(truncated)...
Project Server Trick -- Hide Those Stubborn Name, Start, and Finish Fields in a PWA View
(Indexed 2010-02-23):
Title: Project Server Trick -- Hide Those Stubborn Name, Start, and Finish Fields in a PWA ViewBody: In most PWA views (Project Center views, Project detail views, etc.), there are three fields that Project Server will not allow you to remove from the view: Name (project name, task name, etc.) Start Finish What if you want to hide one or more these fields from a view... either because they are irrelevant to the information that you need to display, or because there are other fields (either built...(truncated)...
Data Differences between the Timesheet Cube & MSP_Project_Timesheet Cube in Microsoft Project Server 2007
(Indexed 2010-02-05):
Title: Data Differences between the Timesheet Cube & MSP_Project_Timesheet Cube in Microsoft Project Server 2007Body: The fact that Project Server has two different "Timesheet" cubes, alone, is an understandable source of confusion for many users, but when people then discover that in most Project Server implementations where both of these contain actual work data, that most often these contain very different data they get really puzzled. This can be particularly noticeable when you look at the ...(truncated)...
Project Server Trick -- Add Process Instructions to the New Issue and New Risk Forms
(Indexed 2010-01-08):
Title: Project Server Trick -- Add Process Instructions to the New Issue and New Risk FormsBody: As I mentioned in my previous post, 'Hacking PWA with Web Parts' (http://www.projectserverhelp.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=7), many pages in PWA and in the Project Workspaces are web part pages, and you can manipulate them easily through your web browser. You can add, remove, and rearrange web parts on these pages quite easily without any programming. You can usually identify the editable web part p...(truncated)...
President Announces 2010 Stimulus Plan for Project and Project Server Training
(Indexed 2010-01-05):
Title: President Announces 2010 Stimulus Plan for Project and Project Server TrainingBody: Save $500 on Project and Project Server Training Classes Our New Year's resolution - Offering a Jump Start on your training needs in 2010 with MSPE BUCKS! $500.00 per person off any Open-Enrollment Training scheduled NOW January 5 March 31, 2010. This offer is valid for registrations placed January 5-31, 2010. Hurry, limited time offer! Check out courses and schedule: http://projectservertraining.com/lear...(truncated)...
Project Server 2007-2010 Admin Tip -- Naming Enterprise Lookup Tables
(Indexed 2010-01-05):
Title: Project Server 2007-2010 Admin Tip -- Naming Enterprise Lookup TablesBody: Here is a quick naming convention tip for Microsoft Project Server 2007 and 2010 Enterprise Lookup Tables. To avoid any confusion when working with several Enterprise Custom Fields and Lookup Tables in Project Server, consider naming your Lookup Tables with the "Lookup" suffix: [Image] Notice that I have not only named my new Lookup Tables with the "Lookup" suffix, but I have also renamed all of the built-in Lookup...(truncated)...
Which Project Server Instance Are You Connected To?
(Indexed 2009-12-28):
Title: Which Project Server Instance Are You Connected To?Body: When you connect your copy of Microsoft Project Professional 2007 to an instance of Project Server 2007, Project Pro does not make it immediately obvious which instance it is connected to. When you look at the Project Pro 2007 interface, it may display that you are "Connected" on the lower status bar, but does not display the instance... [Image] [Image] To determine which Project Server instance you are connected to, select... Tools...(truncated)...
Reading a List of Project Server Calendars into an SSRS Report using the PSI
(Indexed 2009-12-17):
Title: Reading a List of Project Server Calendars into an SSRS Report using the PSIBody: Recently on the microsoft.public.project.developer newsgroup, a user posted the following question: I want to consume the PSI Calendar webservice for reporting purposes. I created a shared datasource in Visual Studio 2008 (installed by SQL2008) to access the PSI ListCalendars webservice and it works fine (finally). Now I'm trying to consume the Calendar.ReadCalendars PSI webservice via the same datasource b...(truncated)...
Check the Clock before Tweaking Project Server Security
(Indexed 2009-12-11):
Title: Check the Clock before Tweaking Project Server SecurityBody: [Image]When you start making changes to security in Project Server during high-activity business hours, you run the risk of interrupting your users. Project Server uses a common programming approach to synchronizing data by rebuilding the target data store rather than attempting to make programmatic changes to the data based only on deltas. In other words, when you make a change to Project Server security that affects a user, du...(truncated)...
Revised Installation Help for Microsoft Project Server 2010 BETA
(Indexed 2009-12-11):
Title: Revised Installation Help for Microsoft Project Server 2010 BETABody: I want to let those of you who have downloaded our sample installation chapters for Microsoft Project Server 2010 Beta know that I have found and corrected errors that you should be aware of:1)On page 22, for Target Applicaton ID, "ExcelServices" is specified when it should be "ProjectServerApplication"2)In all occurrences in the documents where SQL 2005 AMO and SQL 2005 Native Client are specified, it should specify th...(truncated)...
MSDN Webcast Event Real-World Solutions: Project Server Security in SQL Reporting Services (Level 300)
(Indexed 2009-12-11):
Title: MSDN Webcast Event Real-World Solutions: Project Server Security in SQL Reporting Services (Level 300)Body: Please join us on Wednesday, December 16th 2009 for the MSDN Webcast Event Real-World Solutions: Project Server Security in SQL Reporting Services (Level 300) MSDN Webcast Event. This web-based event, led by Project MVP Stephen Sanderlin, will begin at 1:00 PM Pacific Time (4:00 PM Eastern Time). In this webcast, we discuss a method of taking advantage of Microsoft Office Project ...(truncated)...
Installation Help for Microsoft Project Server 2010 BETA
(Indexed 2009-11-30):
Title: Installation Help for Microsoft Project Server 2010 BETABody: msProjectExperts releases installation sample chapters for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 and Microsoft Project Server 2010 BETA versions as free community download. [Image] New York, NY December 3, 2009 Today, Microsoft Project Server 2010 Beta users get an implementation boost from msProjectExperts, which released Beta versions of the installation modules from Implementing and Administering Microsoft Project Server 2010 fo...(truncated)...
Project 2010 Beta SDK and TechNet Documentation Now Available
(Indexed 2009-11-20):
Title: Project 2010 Beta SDK and TechNet Documentation Now AvailableBody: Microsoft has announced the availability of the Project 2010 Beta Software Development Kit. See the full announcement (which includes links to downloads and major content sections in the online SDK) at The Project 2010 (Beta) SDK Now Available. In addition, information on Project Server 2010 for IT Professionals is now available on TechNet at Microsoft Project Server 2010 Install, Upgrade, Operate.Category: Project 2010Pu...(truncated)...
Microsoft Publically Releases Project Conference 2009 Content
(Indexed 2009-11-20):
Title: Microsoft Publically Releases Project Conference 2009 ContentBody: Microsoft has publically released the content from the Project Conference 2009 at no charge. Here are the links for the three sessions I presented at the conference: DM200 Project Server Programmability Overview DM303 Best Practices: Consuming the PSI DM401 Building a PSI Wrapper for Application Integration Other videos are available here: Project 2010 Video Showcase Project Conference 2009 Showcase Microsoft Show...(truncated)...
Microsoft Releases Public Beta of Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, and Project Server 2010!
(Indexed 2009-11-20):
Title: Microsoft Releases Public Beta of Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, and Project Server 2010!Body: Yesterday, Microsoft announced the availability of the Public Beta for Office 2010, Project Professional 2010, Project Server 2010, and SharePoint 2010. Note that Microsoft has (as of now) made the following branding changes for the 2010 release: Windows SharePoint Services is now known as SharePoint Foundation Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) is now known as Microsoft SharePoint Ser...(truncated)...
How to Delete a Project Workspace Site Template from Project Server 2007
(Indexed 2009-11-07):
Title: How to Delete a Project Workspace Site Template from Project Server 2007Body: As mentioned in my previous post, "Illustrated Guide to Updating the Project Server 2007 Workspace Template" (http://www.projectserverhelp.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=21), you may choose to tweak the site template that is used to generate new Project Workspaces based on your business process needs (implementing new functionality, changing existing functionality, etc.), then register that new template for use wi...(truncated)...
Crowdsourcing the Solution to Time Tracking
(Indexed 2009-11-03):
Title: Crowdsourcing the Solution to Time TrackingBody: Time Tracking Stinks [Image] Let's face it... nobody likes to track their time. It's not fun, it's inconvenient, and it provides very little value for most of the thousands upon thousands of people who are asked to do it every day / week / month. It's not extremely difficult or time consuming to do in most cases, but nonetheless it still stinks. Whether they are using paper-and-pencil timesheets, Project Server timesheets, or another third ...(truncated)...
Monitor Your Project Server Investment by Measuring Project Web Access Traffic and Usage
(Indexed 2009-10-16):
Title: Monitor Your Project Server Investment by Measuring Project Web Access Traffic and UsageBody: When it comes to implementing Project Server, many would agree that installing and configuring the tool is the easy part; the hard part comes when you try to 'motivate' everyone in the organization...Category: Project Server Administration;Project Server Development;Project Server Usage;SharePointPublished: 10/16/2009 5:56 PM
Project Server 2010 Provides Vastly Improved Installation Experience
(Indexed 2009-10-07):
Title: Project Server 2010 Provides Vastly Improved Installation ExperienceBody: Installing Project Server has never been a pleasant task with numerous prerequisite steps and downloads as well as server tweaks and configurations. With the introduction of 2010, Microsoft removed...Category: Project 2010;Project Server Administration;Project Server GeneralPublished: 10/7/2009 9:33 AM
Surrogate Timesheets Appear Under Timesheet Creator not Timesheet Owner in OLAP Cube
(Indexed 2009-10-06):
Title: Surrogate Timesheets Appear Under Timesheet Creator not Timesheet Owner in OLAP CubeBody: This issue comes up from time to time in the Project Server news group. The default structure of the Project Server 2007 reporting database...Category: Project Server Administration;Project Server Development;Project Server UsagePublished: 10/6/2009 10:59 AM
Microsoft Launches New Microsoft Project 2010 Website
(Indexed 2009-09-24):
Title: Microsoft Launches New Microsoft Project 2010 WebsiteBody: A great place to start your tour of the new features in the Microsoft Project 2010 product line-up is on Microsoft's new product introduction website ...Category: Project 2010;Project Server UsagePublished: 9/24/2009 9:09 AM
Sample Code posted for Microsoft Project Conference 2009 sessions DM303 and DM401
(Indexed 2009-09-23):
Title: Sample Code posted for Microsoft Project Conference 2009 sessions DM303 and DM401Body: Good morning! I just wanted to write a quick post to let you know that I have posted the sample code for my Microsoft Project Conference 2009 sessions, DM303: Best Practices: Consuming...Category: Events;Project DevelopmentPublished: 9/23/2009 8:46 AM
Announcing Expanded Book Offering for Microsoft Project 2010 and Microsoft Project Server 2010 with Microsoft to Feature Excerpts on MSDN
(Indexed 2009-09-22):
Title: Announcing Expanded Book Offering for Microsoft Project 2010 and Microsoft Project Server 2010 with Microsoft to Feature Excerpts on MSDNBody: Previews of new Microsoft Project 2010 and Microsoft Project Server 2010 books to be featured on MSDN, TechNet, and other Microsoft...Category: Project 2010;Project Server GeneralPublished: 9/22/2009 11:48 AM
Bookmark this KB article: How to match release names with version numbers for Project 2007 and Project Server 2007
(Indexed 2009-09-21):
Title: Bookmark this KB article: How to match release names with version numbers for Project 2007 and Project Server 2007Body: While much of the community was attending the Microsoft Project Conference last week, the support team at Microsoft added a great new resource to the Microsoft Knowledgebase last week. ...Published: 9/21/2009 5:01 PM
Project 2010 Unveiled -- New Desktop Features Overview
(Indexed 2009-09-21):
Title: Project 2010 Unveiled -- New Desktop Features OverviewBody: Project 2010 Unveiled: Part 1At long last, Microsoft Project 2010 and Project Server 2010 were unveiled to the general public last week...Category: Project 2010Published: 9/21/2009 10:36 AM
Field Not There? Dont Despair when Building Views in Project Web Access
(Indexed 2009-09-02):
Title: Field Not There? Dont Despair when Building Views in Project Web AccessBody: One of the frustrations many Project Server administrators have when they go to add a field to a view in Project Web Access is that it's simply not available in the pick list. There are numerous...Category: Project Development;Project Server AdministrationPublished: 9/2/2009 4:22 PM
August CU Released in August
(Indexed 2009-08-27):
Title: August CU Released in AugustBody: Indeed, we are actually in the month of the August and the August 2009 CU packages for Office, SharePoint and Project Server are already available and the Project and Project Server packages contain...Published: 8/27/2009 4:29 PM
Hacking Project Server: Retrieving the Project Server database names using Reflection
(Indexed 2009-08-27):
Title: Hacking Project Server: Retrieving the Project Server database names using ReflectionBody: Recently, someone in the Project Developer newsgroup (microsoft.public.project.developer) asked how to go about retrieving the names of the Project Server 2007 databases through code. Unfortunately,...Category: Project Server DevelopmentPublished: 8/27/2009 1:06 PM
Migrate Custom Calendars Manually from Project Server 2003 into Project Server 2007
(Indexed 2009-08-26):
Title: Migrate Custom Calendars Manually from Project Server 2003 into Project Server 2007Body: If you do not use the Microsoft Office Project Upgrader tool to automate the migration of your Project Server 2003 environment to Project Server 2007, then you will need to migrate 2003 objects manually....Category: Project Server AdministrationPublished: 8/26/2009 11:44 AM
Excerpts from Rod Gills VBA Book now on MSDN
(Indexed 2009-08-26):
Title: Excerpts from Rod Gills VBA Book now on MSDNBody: [Image]I thought it worth...Category: Products and Add-Ons;Project Professional ClientPublished: 8/26/2009 9:42 AM
Project Workspace Hack -- Prevent Users From Reversing Deliverable Start and Deliverable Finish Dates
(Indexed 2009-08-25):
Title: Project Workspace Hack -- Prevent Users From Reversing Deliverable Start and Deliverable Finish DatesBody: When using the Deliverables feature in Project Professional 2007, the tool prevents us from creating a deliverable that has a finish date that is prior...Category: Project Server Administration;SharePoint;Project Professional ClientPublished: 8/25/2009 12:22 PM
Issues Accepting Task Updates from Resources using Project and Project Server 2007
(Indexed 2009-08-21):
Title: Issues Accepting Task Updates from Resources using Project and Project Server 2007Body: After installing Service Pack 2, I've seen a number of users report issues with accepting task updates in the Project Client where the number of updates exceeds as little as 50 updates. Without replicating...Published: 8/21/2009 10:46 AM
Who Said Theres no Free Quick Launch? New Custom Web Parts for Project Server 2007 Released Including a Very Cool Freebie
(Indexed 2009-08-19):
Title: Who Said Theres no Free Quick Launch? New Custom Web Parts for Project Server 2007 Released Including a Very Cool FreebieBody: Yesterday we released a bunch of new web parts for Project Server 2007 including the first in our series for the My Timesheet page and a new Quick Launch Toggle...Category: Project Server General;Project Server Usage;SharePointPublished: 8/19/2009 10:03 AM
MSDN Webcast Event -- Real-World Solutions: Importing Workspace Data to Project Server Custom Fields (Level 300)
(Indexed 2009-08-18):
Title: MSDN Webcast Event -- Real-World Solutions: Importing Workspace Data to Project Server Custom Fields (Level 300)Body: Please join us on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 for an MSDN Webcast Event Real-World Solutions: Importing Workspace Data to Project Server Custom Fields (Level 300). This web-based event, led by...Category: Events;Project Development;TrainingPublished: 8/18/2009 7:54 PM
Evaluating Project Pro 2010 with Project 2007 and Win7? Dont
(Indexed 2009-08-18):
Title: Evaluating Project Pro 2010 with Project 2007 and Win7? DontBody: I wanted to make a quick post to advise anyone who is or about to start evaluating the Project Pro2010 client along side ProjectPro2007, not to try this if you are running Win7. Although you can...Published: 8/18/2009 10:23 AM
Making sharing schedules easier
(Indexed 2009-08-16):
Title: Making sharing schedules easierBody: Woeful apologies for my lack of posts, but no sooner had this blog started, I got a full time contract helping to plan...Category: Project Development;Project Professional ClientPublished: 8/14/2009 11:27 AM
Project Server 2007 Security Explained -- Brief Description of the Default Security Categories
(Indexed 2009-08-04):
Title: Project Server 2007 Security Explained -- Brief Description of the Default Security CategoriesBody: Once again, we gather here today to discuss the wonderful world of Project Server security... this time the topic du jour is security Categories. Leading up to this point, we have already covered...Category: Project Server AdministrationPublished: 8/4/2009 2:45 AM
Stay Ahead of the Pack With These MS Project Resume Building and Job Search Tips
(Indexed 2009-07-30):
Title: Stay Ahead of the Pack With These MS Project Resume Building and Job Search TipsBody: We all know that times are tough for many Project Managers and the companies that employ them. Even if you are not currently a daily MS Project or Project Server user, these products have such a...Category: Certification;Project Professional Client;Project Server Administration;Project Server General;Project Server Usage;Project Standard Edition;TrainingPublished: 7/30/2009 11:33 AM
Announcing the Ultimate Project 2007 Exam Prep Boot Camp -- September 9-11 in Phoenix AZ
(Indexed 2009-07-24):
Title: Announcing the Ultimate Project 2007 Exam Prep Boot Camp -- September 9-11 in Phoenix AZBody: As stated in my previous post, 'Get Certified in Microsoft Project 2007 and Project Server 2007 for Free at the Project Conference 2009', people who attend the Microsoft Project...Category: Certification;Project Professional Client;Project Standard Edition;TrainingPublished: 7/24/2009 3:52 PM
Get Certified in Microsoft Project 2007 and Project Server 2007 for Free at the Project Conference 2009
(Indexed 2009-07-24):
Title: Get Certified in Microsoft Project 2007 and Project Server 2007 for Free at the Project Conference 2009Body: The Microsoft Project Conference 2009 is quickly approaching (September 14-17, 2009), and along with all of the great information, perks, and freebies that will be provided at the event, there will...Category: Events;Project Professional Client;Project Server Usage;Project Standard Edition;CertificationPublished: 7/24/2009 3:13 PM
Project Server 2007 Security Explained -- Groups vs. Categories
(Indexed 2009-07-21):
Body: Attention Project Server Administrators! Confused about the slippery security model? Here is another installment in my series about Project Server 2007 security: Groups vs. Categories. Groups and Categories: What's the Difference? Generally speaking, a Group in Project Server represents a collection of Users, and a Category represents a collection of Data that users can access, view, and act upon. [Image] Groups... In More Detail As stated in my previous article, 'Project Server 2007 Secur...(truncated)...
Project Server 2007 Security Explained -- Users vs. Resources
(Indexed 2009-07-15):
Body: If you are perplexed about the Project Server security model, then you are not alone. The key to cracking this confusing collection of concepts is understanding the building blocks. Users and Resources are two of those foundational pieces, so let us begin by examining them. Users and Resources: What's the Difference? Generally speaking, a User is a person who can log in to Project Server and use its features and functions. Depending upon the person's role within the organization, a User ma...(truncated)...
Project Server 2007 Security Explained -- Brief Description of the Default Security Groups
(Indexed 2009-07-13):
Body: If the Project Server security model confuses you, then you can take some comfort in knowing that you are one of many people who struggle with the complex concoction of Groups, Categories, Users, Resources, Organizational Permissions, Global Permissions, Category Permissions, and Security Templates. To help make the security model a bit less confusing to yourself and other Project Server Administrators, following is a list of the security Groups that come 'in the box', as well as a brief d...(truncated)...
Reporting Message Processor Failed General Queue Job Failure
(Indexed 2009-07-09):
Body: One of the more common General Queue Job failures that you run across in the field is when the Reporting Project Change Message job fails to update the Project Server 2007 reporting database when a project manager publishes a new version of a project plan. The task assignment publishing process is unaffected by this error condition and only the reporting database suffers for lack of current information on the project. These errors typically complain "The INSERT statement conflicted with th...(truncated)...
Display the My Tasks page as a Folder in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
(Indexed 2009-07-08):
Body: In Project Server 2003, Microsoft offered users two ways to display tasks from the PWA View My Tasks page in Microsoft Office Outlook. These two ways included: Install the Project Server 2003 Add-In for Outlook, which allowed users to see their PWA tasks on the Outlook calendar as appointments. Display the View My Tasks page as a folder inside of Outlook.In Project Server 2007, Microsoft retained the first option and expanded it, allowing users to display PWA tasks as appointments in their...(truncated)...
Workaround Tips for MS Project Professional 2007 SP2 Enterprise Global Bug
(Indexed 2009-07-01):
Body: As stated in a previous blog post, there is an issue with Project Professional 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) in which you may corrupt the Enterprise Global Template (EGT) by opening it with Project Pro: http://www.projectserverhelp.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=69 According to Brian Smith, Microsoft is planning to have the bug fixed in the August 2009 Cumulative Update package: http://blogs.msdn.com/brismith/archive/2009/06/29/project-20...(truncated)... In the meantime, however, here are some ...(truncated)...
Update for Project Server SP2 Fixes Expiration Date Bug
(Indexed 2009-06-30):
Body: [Image]The Microsoft SharePoint team has released an update for the Office Servers (including Project Server 2007) Service Pack 2 (SP2), fixing theexpiration date bug as mentioned here:http://www.projectserverhelp.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=66When applying SP2 for Project Server 2007, an expiration date is improperly activated, thus causing the product to lock users out of the system after a trial period has elapsed.As stated on the Microsoft SharePoint Team Blog, Project Server 2007 use...(truncated)...
New Project Workspaces Filter web part Now Available
(Indexed 2009-06-25):
Body: Today we launched the Project Workspaces Filter web part, the latest in our web part series for Project Server 2007. This new web part resolves the frustration that many users have with the Project Workspaces web part showing too much information to be useful. Out of the box, the Project Workspaces web part provides only two views: All workspaces and Owned workspaces. For systems with numerous projects or many small projects moving at a high velocity, the All Workspaces view gets very larg...(truncated)...
You May Need to Reset Tracking Settings in Project Server 2007 and Republish Projects after Installing SP2
(Indexed 2009-06-18):
Body: The Project Server Infrastructure update, released in July 2008, introduced significant usability enhancements for the My Tasks page in Project Web Access, introducing a time-phased time entry grid to mimic the feel of the 2003 My Tasks page that people had become comfortable using. In making these changes, the developers inadvertently punched a couple holes in the program logic that allowed time entry by day tracking to apply against proposals and activity plans, as described in a recent ...(truncated)...
PMI NYC Event -- The Gantt Chart, Still Vital after 100+ Years
(Indexed 2009-06-15):
Body: Please join us on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 for the nextPMI New York City chapter event... 'The Gantt Chart: Still Vital after 100+ Years'. This in-person event will begin at 5:30pm, will be held at the Microsoft offices in mid-town Manhattan, and will be led by Gary Chefetz MVP, MCP.Gary Chefetz is founder and Chief Executive Officer of MSProjectExperts. Gary is a Microsoft Project MVP, recognized for his expertise sharing in the Microsoft Communities and for authoring numerous books abo...(truncated)...
Project 2007 Client Damages Project Server E-Global Bug in SP2
(Indexed 2009-06-13):
Body: We discovered a bug in SP2 this week that causes damage to Enterprise Global items. After editing the Enterprise Global file, Project Pro crashes on most views rendering it unusable for the most part. The good news is that this can be cured by rebuilding the Enterprise Global file, but I am suggesting that everyone who has deployed Service Pack 2 for Project and Project Server, refrain from making changes to the Enterprise Global file until Microsoft releases a patch, or have administrator...(truncated)...
New Web Parts for Project Server 2007, Everything Youve Been Asking For
(Indexed 2009-05-29):
Body: Imagine your My Tasks Page in Project Web Access with summary tasks, a navigation tool that allows you to page by project and controls for the grid display. Picture a dashboard that displays your time entry totals by day, week and project as you type. This should be music to the ears of any regular Project Server user. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to announce MSProjectExperts' new line of web parts and VSTO add-ins for Microsoft Office Project 2007 and Microsoft Office Project Ser...(truncated)...
Use Twitter to Track Tasks and Time in Project Server 2007
(Indexed 2009-05-27):
Body: Task and Time Tracking: The Challenge One of the most challenging aspects of a Microsoft EPM implementation can be motivating project Team Members to log in to PWA on a regular basis and submit their task updates or record their time spent on various activities. For those of us who are implementers, we realize the importance of timely, consistent, and accurate updates; without this, we lose the very foundation of accurate historical tracking in Project Server. It is therefore very importan...(truncated)...
Need to Re-Enter License Key After Upgrade to SharePoint and Project Server 2007 SP2
(Indexed 2009-05-22):
Body: Per Christophe Fiessinger's blog, an issue has emerged within the SharePoint and Project Server 2007 Service Pack 2 update; after applying the SP2upgrade, a 180-day expiration date will be in effect:http://blogs.msdn.com/chrisfie/archive/2009/05/22/imp...(truncated)... the software is allowed to expire, people will no longer be able to log in and use the system, but the system configuration and the userdata stored in the system will not be lost.Brian Smith has published a simple work-aroun...(truncated)...
Microsoft Project Conference 2009 Web Site Updated with Track and Session Info
(Indexed 2009-05-20):
Body: For those who are considering or planning to attendMicrosoft Project Conference 2009, the official web site has been updated with more specific track and session info:http://www.msprojectconference.comThe conference will be held September 14-17, 2009 in Phoenix, AZ; a welcome reception will be held on Monday Sept. 14, and sessions will be held Tuesday-Thursday Sept. 15-17.In addition to MS Project and Project Server 2007 sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to see and touch pre-re...(truncated)...
Microsoft Project 2010 Updates Available
(Indexed 2009-05-12):
Body: Several new Microsoft Project and Project Server 2010 updates are available in the Project 2010 Resource Center:http://www.projectserverexperts.com/Pages/Project2010...(truncated)... latest updates include:Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview InfoProject Server 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010 Preliminary System RequirementsMicrosoft Project 2010 Ignite Airlift InfoLearn About Project 2010 at the Microsoft Project ConferenceFirst Requirements Announced for Project Server 2010Microsoft Pr...(truncated)...
More Project Server Hacks -- Disable Acceptance of Task Updates in PWA
(Indexed 2009-05-07):
Body: Although many Project Managers have grown accustomed to accepting Task Updates via PWA, some companies choose to adopt a process in which the PMs only accept those updates from within Project Professional 2007. They may have chosen to follow this process because they prefer to use the publishing engine within Project Pro. They may also prefer to accept the updates and immediately proceed to reschedule work, analyze variances, and perform other adjustments within the schedule prior to publi...(truncated)...
Microsoft Project 2007 and Project Server 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) Now Available
(Indexed 2009-04-28):
Body: In accordance with Microsoft's announcement today of SP2 for Project 2007, we haveposted a list of download links for quick referencein the FAQs section of the Project Server Experts comunity site:http://www.projectserverexperts.com/ProjectServerFAQKno...(truncated)... to a post on Christophe Fiessinger's blog, Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Microsoft Office Project 2007, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007,Windows SharePoint Services 3.0(WSS 3.0), and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server2007 (MO...(truncated)...
Project Server as a Work Intelligence Tool -- Metadata and Taxonomies
(Indexed 2009-04-14):
Body: Once you have established a good data foundation for your Project Server Work Intelligence System (as described in the previous article, 'Project Server as a Work Intelligence Tool -- Establishing a Solid Data Foundation'), you need to prepare the data for consumption. However, before you get excited and start building Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), reports, and dashboards to help people make important decisions about the work in the organization, you will most likely need to classify ...(truncated)...
Project Server Experts FAQ Updates for March 2009
(Indexed 2009-04-14):
Body: msProjectExperts is pleased to summarize additions and updates to our FAQ Knowledgebase for Project Server during the month of March.Change the password for Project Server 2007 service accountsNew FAQ: explains how and where to set the passwords for Project Server accounts when you change the password for service accounts used by Project Server.Convert from Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 trial version to fully licensed versionNew FAQ: that shows you how to update the license key for...(truncated)...
Error accessing file: Network connection may have been lost when accessing VBA Macros stored in the Enterprise Global in Project Server 2003 and 2007
(Indexed 2009-04-13):
Body: I see this problem reported in the Microsoft Public Newsgroups regularly, and it is a known issue with both Project Server 2003 and Project Server 2007. When you try to access a macro stored in your Enterprise Global File when using Microsoft Office Project 2007 or Microsoft Office Project 2003 while attached to either Project Server 2003 or 2007, the system reports the "Error accessing file: Network connection may have been lost." This error often indicates corruption in the VBA stream in...(truncated)...
SharePoint Designer 2007 Now Free -- Use It To Customize Your Project Workspaces
(Indexed 2009-04-02):
Body: SharePoint Designer 2007, Microsoft's design and editing tool for IT professionals, can now be downloaded for free: http://www.microsoft.com/spd What is SharePoint Designer? Perhaps many of you have heard of SharePoint Designer (SPD), but haven't had the opportunity to take it for a test drive. So what exactly is it? SPD is a desktop / client tool which can be used to create, design, modify, and manage SharePoint web sites. In previous versions of SharePoint (WSS 2.0, SharePoint Portal Ser...(truncated)...
PWA Quirk -- Using SQL Named Instances for Cube Building
(Indexed 2009-03-31):
Body: If you have multiple systems sharing the same SQL Server installation, such as multiple SharePoint / Office Server farms, third-party line-of-business (LOB) applications, data-driven web sites, etc., then you may want to break your SQL installation into separate named instances to maintain a level of separation between the data that drives them.To take that concept a step farther, if you're running Project Server 2007 and you're using the Data Analysis OLAP reporting features, then you'll ...(truncated)...
Project Web Access Quirk -- Using SQL Named Instances for Cube Building
(Indexed 2009-03-31):
Body: If you have multiple systems sharing the same SQL Server installation, such as multiple SharePoint / Office Server farms, third-party line-of-business (LOB) applications, data-driven web sites, etc., then you may want to break your SQL installation into separate named instances to maintain a level of separation between the data that drives them. To take that concept a step farther, if you're running Project Server 2007 and you're using the Data Analysis OLAP reporting features, then you'll...(truncated)...
MPUG Southeast Michigan Event 4/1/2009 -- Build Your Own Lightweight Project Management Information System with SharePoint and Microsoft Project
(Indexed 2009-03-23):
Body: Please join us on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 for the next MPUG Southeast Michigan event... 'Build Your Own Lightweight Project Management Information System with SharePoint and Microsoft Project'. This in-person event will begin at 3:30pm, will be held at the Microsoft offices in Southfield, Michigan, located a few miles northwest of Detroit.During tough times, project teams need to become more efficient than ever, and one way to streamline PM processes is by making the best use of inexpen...(truncated)...
Using DataTable.Select() and LINQ to Filter Task Data Returned by the PSI
(Indexed 2009-03-20):
Body: Unlike other methods in the PSI (e.g. ReadResources()), the ReadProject() and ReadProjectEntities() methods do not accept an xmlFilter parameter to pre-filter the data returned by the PSI. Normally, your only option would be to use a foreach or while loop. However, the DataTable class used by the PSI offers the Select() method an alternative solution. Another option is to use LINQ, which Microsoft introduced in the .NET Framework 3.5. In order to implement the LINQ code in this post, you ...(truncated)...
Project Server as a Work Intelligence Tool -- Establishing a Solid Data Foundation
(Indexed 2009-03-18):
Body: As stated in my previous article, 'Project Server as a Work Intelligence Tool: The Basics' (http://www.projectserverhelp.com/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=47), Project Server is used to aggregate, organize, and analyze large volumes of complex work data for trend analysis, risk mitigation, and productivity improvements within the enterprise. The integrity of the underlying raw data stored in Project Server is of paramount importance, as it is the foundation for all of our Work Intelligence effo...(truncated)...
Why is % Complete always a whole number in Microsoft Project?
(Indexed 2009-03-18):
Body: Clients that use Project (with or without Project Server) have often asked me why the % Complete field is always presented as a whole number (or integer) as opposed to a decimal. The simple answer is "because that's how Project does it", but over the years I've encountered enough interest in this topicthat it warrants a deeper examination. I also discuss one potential problem that Project's behavior can cause, and provide you with a workaround for resolving it.To ensure that you have the w...(truncated)...
MPUG Recording Available for Download - Give Your Project Workspaces a Facelift
(Indexed 2009-03-16):
Body: For those of you who joined us for our last MPUG WebNLearn session, 'Give Your Project Workspaces a Facelift', I'd like to extend a warm thank you for attending; the questions were great, and there seemed to be a lot of interest in the topic. I'm always excited to talk about SharePoint, especially when it's used in conjunction with Microsoft Project. I'd also like to thank the MPUG NYC Chapter, the MPUG NORTHEAST CONNECTION, and Kirk Vantine of MPUG Global for giving us the opportunity to ...(truncated)...
MPUG NYC Metro Event 3/19/2009 -- More Tips and Tricks with Microsoft Project and Project Server -Gary Chefetz, MVP
(Indexed 2009-03-16):
Body: Please join us on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 for the next MPUG New York City Metro event... 'More Tips and Tricks with Microsoft Project and Project Server'. This in-person event will begin at 5:30pm,will be held at the Microsoft offices in mid-town Manhattan, and will be led by Gary Chefetz, Microsoft Project MVP.Gary Chefetz is the founder and President of msProjectExperts. He is one of only 9 Microsoft Project MVPs in the US and 29 in the entire world. In addition to his coveted MVP tit...(truncated)...
Project Server as a Work Intelligence Tool -- The Basics
(Indexed 2009-03-13):
Body: As the Project Server platform evolves over time, it is clearly migrating from an Enterprise Project Management (EPM) tool to an Enterprise Work Management tool. The feature set has been growing over time to include tools for planning and tracking all of our company time, regardless of whether it is...Working time or Non-Working timeProject timeOperations timeSupport timeAdministrative time (training, meetings, vacation, sick, etc.)[Image]Because of this evolution, perhaps it's starting to...(truncated)...
Preventing Committed Generic Resource Assignments from Crippling a Project Managers My Tasks Page in Project Server 2007
(Indexed 2009-03-13):
Body: One of the little quirks that Project Managers must deal with in Project Server is the way the system handles assignments for Generic Resources. Project Server 2007 introduces the construct of "Assignment Owner," which is an attribute of an assignment and determines who in the system is responsible for updating task assignment. In other words, who will report progress on the task. For regular work resources, the system sets the Default Assignment Owner, an attribute of an Enterprise Resour...(truncated)...
REMINDER: MPUG LunchNLearn 3/5/2009 -- Give Your Project Workspaces a Facelift with Tony Zink
(Indexed 2009-03-02):
Body: This is a friendly reminder to please join usthis Thursday, 3/5/2009, for a special webcast sponsored by MPUG Northeast Connect, 'Give Your Project Workspaces a Facelift with Tony Zink'.One of the most powerful features in Project Server 2007 is the Project Workspace which is created for each project in the system. These SharePoint collaboration web sites not only come with several powerful features "in the box" such as Issue logs, Risk logs, and Project Document libraries which help proje...(truncated)...
Project Server Experts February FAQ Updates
(Indexed 2009-02-27):
Body: MSProjectExperts is pleased to summarize the updates we made to our free http://www.projectserverexperts.com FAQs and support knowledgebase during the month of February. We hope you find these informative and useful. Common Errors:Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 is required for this actionExplains how a Project Options setting can cause this errorServer Error In Application: Object reference not set to an instance of an objectShows how to resolve this error if due to an unstable...(truncated)...
More Project Server Timesheet Hacks -- Hiding the 'Add Lines' Feature
(Indexed 2009-02-25):
Body: Those of you who have used Project Server 2007 Timesheets for any period of time have probably noticed some drawbacks to using the 'Add Lines' feature, such as difficulty locating the correct task from a potentially long list of projects and associated tasks, as well as the inability to enforce that Team Members only select task names, rather than project names. Use of the 'Add Lines' feature can sometimes cause issues and Team Member confusion... something that we don't want if Team Membe...(truncated)...
Bad Economy, Good for EPM
(Indexed 2009-02-25):
Body: If your organization is like most, management is running cautious right now, if not completely driven by economic fear. The market abhors uncertainty and the typical automatic management reaction to uncertain times often results in new project paralysis, including the fear of launching projects that could dramatically improve performance and productivity. Organizations that react this way are missing an excellent opportunity to make some of the changes that they may even have lamented not ...(truncated)...
Project Conference 2009 Early Registration Now Open
(Indexed 2009-02-24):
Body: Yesterday, February 23, 2009, the Project Conference 2009 Team announced the availability of early registration for this year's conference to be held In Phoenix Arizona from Septermber 14 through the 17th. This is the premiere Microsoft Office Project and Project Server event sponsored by Microsoft.The Project Conference is a wonderful learning and networking opportunity for Project and Project Server practioners. Mingle with your peers and members of the Project product team. Although the...(truncated)...
Task-level Custom Fields Dragging Down Your Project Server Performance?
(Indexed 2009-02-18):
Body: Got SQL Server Maitnenace Plan?A scenario that I'm seeing more regularly in the newsgroups is people reporting that their Project Detail Views, the views that you drill down to from the Project Center, are not rendering or rendering very slowly. In alll cases I've seen with this problemthe systems have more than 40 task-level custom fields. The symptoms tend to build over time as the database becomes more laden with assignments, and ultimately results int he system throwing the general err...(truncated)...
Project Server Experts FAQs - January Updates
(Indexed 2009-02-05):
Body: We added more great content to our Project Server FAQs in January. Check out these posts by clicking on the title links.Deliverables: How to create a formula to calculate date varianceCustom Enterprise Fields: How to easily edit Project-Level custom enterprise fields for multiple projectsProject Workspaces: How to delete orphaned sitesResource Plans: How to remove an enterprise resource from a resource planInactive Resoure Error: Inactive Resource Shows as Material Resource and produces an...(truncated)...
Yet Another PWA Hack -- Displaying the Project Server Version
(Indexed 2009-01-28):
Body: Have you ever wondered which version of Project Server 2007 you're running? There are a few documented ways to do this, but they require access to the SharePoint Central Administration web site, access to the Project Server machine(s) or SQL Server, or the ability to use developer's tools. I'll show you another quick way to add a simple web part to the PWA home page (or any web part page in PWA) which will display the Project Server 2007 version.If you're not familiar with manipulating Sha...(truncated)...
MPUG LunchNLearn 3/5/2009 -- Give Your Project Workspaces a Facelift with Tony Zink
(Indexed 2009-01-16):
Body: Please join usThursday, 3/5/2009, for a special webcast sponsored by MPUG Northeast Connect, 'Give Your Project Workspaces a Facelift with Tony Zink'.One of the most powerful features in Project Server 2007 is the Project Workspace which is created for each project in the system. These SharePoint collaboration web sites not only come with several powerful features "in the box" such as Issue logs, Risk logs, and Project Document libraries which help project team participants share informati...(truncated)...
What Does the Edits to total task % complete Option Setting Actually Do?
(Indexed 2009-01-09):
Body: A while back one of my students asked me a question I could not answerat least not right away. He asked me the purpose of the Edits to total task % complete will be spread to the status date option. You can find this option in Microsoft Project by clicking Tools Options and then clicking the Calculation tab. Figure 1 shows this option. By default, this option is not selected in Microsoft Project. [Image] Figure 1: Options dialog,Calculation page options To learn the meaning of this option...(truncated)...
MPUG NYC Metro Event 6/18/2009 -- Blending People, Process and MS Project to Maximize Effectiveness
(Indexed 2009-01-09):
Body: Please join us on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 for the next MPUG New York City Metro event... 'Blending People, Process and MS Project to Maximize Effectiveness'. This in-person event will begin at 5:30pm,will be held at the Microsoft offices in mid-town Manhattan, and will be led by George Pitagorsky, PMP.George Pitagorsky, PMP, is a consultant advising clients on the implementation and improvement of management practices.His expertise has been earned through managing and consulting in compl...(truncated)...
FREE Midwest Microsoft Project Conference -- 1/14/2009 - 1/15/2009
(Indexed 2009-01-07):
Body: Please join us on Wednesday, January 14th and Thursday, January 15, 2009 at the Midwest Microsoft Office Project Conference in Oak Brook, IL.Microsoft and the partner community are joining forces to launchthis FREE 2-day Microsoft Project Conference to share turn-key solutions and best practices with local companies who have an interest in Enterprise Project Management solutions and making the most of their Microsoft investments. Youll hear from partners and your peers in other organizatio...(truncated)...
MPUG NYC Metro Event - More Tips and Tricks with Microsoft Project and Project Server
(Indexed 2009-01-07):
Body: Please join us on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 for the next MPUG New York City Metro event... 'More Tips and Tricks with Microsoft Project and Project Server'. This in-person event will begin at 5:30pm,will be held at the Microsoft offices in mid-town Manhattan, and will be led by Gary Chefetz, MVP.Gary Chefetz is the founder and President of msProjectExperts, and heis one of only 9 Microsoft Project MVPs in the US and 29 in the entire world. In addition to his coveted MVP title, he also pos...(truncated)...
MPUG NYC Metro Event 3/19/2009 -- More Tips and Tricks with Microsoft Project and Project Server
(Indexed 2009-01-07):
Body: Please join us on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 for the next MPUG New York City Metro event... 'More Tips and Tricks with Microsoft Project and Project Server'. This in-person event will begin at 5:30pm,will be held at the Microsoft offices in mid-town Manhattan, and will be led by Gary Chefetz, MVP.Gary Chefetz is the founder and President of msProjectExperts, and heis one of only 9 Microsoft Project MVPs in the US and 29 in the entire world. In addition to his coveted MVP title, he also pos...(truncated)...
MPUG WebNLearn 1/9/09 Learn from an MVP: Tips and Tricks for Microsoft Project 2007
(Indexed 2009-01-04):
Body: Please join us on Friday, January 9th, 2009 for the latest MPUG WebNLearn webcast featuring Dale Howard, MVP. Dale is the Vice President of Education for msProjectExperts and is one of only 29 Microsoft Project MVPs in the entire world. In addition to his coveted MVP title, he also possesses the CTT, MCTS, and MCITP certifications.Known for his highly interactive and engaging presentations, Dale Howard will show you a number of powerful tips and tricks for effectively using Microsoft Proje...(truncated)...
Dale Howard Renews MVP Honorary Title from Microsoft
(Indexed 2009-01-01):
Body: On January 1st, I was pleased to receive an e-mail message from Microsoft, notifying me that I have been renewed as a Microsoft Project MVP (Most Valuable Professional) for another year. I received my first MVP award in 2004, and have continued to receive this award from Microsoft every year since then. I am honored and extremely grateful that Microsoft chose to grant me this coveted honorary title for another year!People occasionally ask me how they can qualify to become a Microsoft MVP. ...(truncated)...
MPUG Recording Available for Download - Managing Projects with MS Project and SharePoint
(Indexed 2008-12-08):
Body: For those of you who joined us for last week's MPUG WebNLearn session, 'Managing Projects with MS Project and SharePoint: Collaboration, Automation and Intelligence ', I'd like to extend a warm thank you for attending; the questions were great, and there seemed to be a lot of interest in the topic. I'm always excited to talk about SharePoint, especially when it's used in conjunction with Microsoft Project. I'd also like to thank the MPUG NYC Chapter, the MPUG NORTHEAST CONNECTION, and Kirk...(truncated)...
MPUG WebNLearn Tomorrow -- Managing Projects with MSProject and SharePoint
(Indexed 2008-12-03):
Body: Please join us tomorrow, December 4th, 2008, for a special webcast sponsored by the New York City chapter of MPUG, 'Managing Projects with MS Project and SharePoint: Collaboration, Automation and Intelligence '. Tony Zink, MCTS and Principal Consultant with MSProjectExperts, will present several ways that Microsoft Project and SharePoint can be used together to streamline how people collaborate and manage their work on projects. The NYC chapter of the Microsoft Project User Group is a prou...(truncated)...
MPUG WebNLearn 12/4/08 -- Managing Projects with MSProject and SharePoint
(Indexed 2008-12-03):
Body: Please join us tomorrow, December 4th, 2008, for a special webcast sponsored by the New York City chapter of MPUG, 'Managing Projects with MS Project and SharePoint: Collaboration, Automation and Intelligence '. Tony Zink, MCTS and Principal Consultant with MSProjectExperts, will present several ways that Microsoft Project and SharePoint can be used together to streamline how people collaborate and manage their work on projects. The NYC chapter of the Microsoft Project User Group is a prou...(truncated)...
Displaying Task Schedule Status Indicators in Microsoft Project
(Indexed 2008-12-02):
Body: Microsoft Project can be configured to display graphical status indicators which provide a quick view of certain data. This can allow Executives, Project Managers, and Team Members to easily manage projects on an exception basis, rather than unnecessarily spending large amounts of time analyzing detailed project data.The following technique displays a column of Graphical Indicators in your MS Project schedule which provides a quick view of how the tasks are tracking against the baselined s...(truncated)...
Quick Trick -- Align Task Rows with Gantt Bars More Easily
(Indexed 2008-11-25):
Body: If you're like me and you like to look at Gantt charts in MS Project to see where the tasks fall on the timeline (rather than staring at the data in a task table), yet you sometimes find it difficult to align the task rows with their associated Gantt bars, try this quick trick...1. Select Format > Gridlines...:[Image]2. In the Gridlines dialog box, select the following options, then click the OK button:Line to change: Gantt RowsType: select a dashed or dotted line styleColor: select a colo...(truncated)...
S-Curve Macro - Part 3
(Indexed 2008-10-07):
Body: Welcome to part 3 of the S-Curve macro. Part 2 ended with code that copied all time phased data to Excel. Now we want to make sure the data starts with a zero value so the line on the graph starts at zero work. Then the macro will create the S-Curve charts in Excel. Here is the code: 'move xlr down a row at a time until all 4 columns have a zero start point Index = 0 Set xlRzero = xlR Do Until Index >= 4 If IsEmpty(xlRzero.Range("B1")) And xlRzero.Range("B2") > 0 Then xlRzero.Range("B1") =...(truncated)...
Avoid Confusion -- Rename the 'Tasks' and 'Calendar' Lists in the Project Workspace
(Indexed 2008-10-02):
Body: Among the many tasty features served up by SharePoint within each and every Project Workspace (unless you've updated the Project Workspace template) are two areas... 'Tasks' and 'Calendar'... but don't be fooled! These two areas have absolutely no connection whatsoever with the project schedule which is stored back in Project Server.Imagine yourself as a project Team Member, visiting the Project Workspace for one of your projects, clicking on the 'Tasks' link in the left-hand Quick Launch ...(truncated)...
Update Issues and Risks Category Choices in Four Easy Steps
(Indexed 2008-09-25):
Body: If you're using Project Server 2007 and have also been utilizing the collaborative features of the Project Workspaces such as 'Issues' and 'Risks', then you've probably found that each of those lists contains a 'Category' field ('column', in SharePoint terminology); this metadata allows us flexibility in grouping, filtering, and reporting on the issues and risks which have been logged for each project. However, the provided category choices are virtually useless: Category1 Category2 Catego...(truncated)...
S-Curve Macro - Part 2
(Indexed 2008-09-25):
Body: Welcome to part 2 of the S-Curve macro. Part 1 ended with code that gave access to Excel and added a new Workbook to Excel. Finally a variable xlr was setup to point to cell A1 in the new Workbook. Rather than use xlApp.range(A1), xlr can now be used instead. This makes code more compact, easier to read (and understand) and quicker to code.In this blog we will read all time scaled data from the active project into Excel and leave the next blog to create the graphs. Time scaled data is the ...(truncated)...
Illustrated Guide to Updating the Project Server 2007 Workspace Template
(Indexed 2008-09-23):
Body: So you've implemented Project Server 2007, and you've started using the Project Workspaces to allow your project teams to collaborate on risks, issues, documents, deliverables, and so forth... but you've noticed some aspects of the workspaces that you'd like to modify:You'd like to force documents to be checked out of the 'Project Documents' library when they're being edited.You'd like to enable version control on the 'Project Documents' library to track the history of documents stored the...(truncated)...
MOPS and MOSS; Better Together and Apart
(Indexed 2008-09-22):
Body: Microsoft marketing is very fond of better together stories these days, particularly when it comes to pairing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) with everything imaginable. Im quite certain that even breakfast is better with MOSS but I havent yet gotten to that point with our internal deployment. All kidding aside, there is no question that MOSS is a mighty enhancement to an EPM deployment with Microsoft Office Project Server (MOPS), but there are some limits you might want to think...(truncated)...
Don't Delete Columns from Issues and Risks Lists
(Indexed 2008-09-12):
Body: As many of you may already know, Project Server 2007 allows the owner of each project schedule to easily create a Project Workspace collaboration website, which can be used for tracking and sharing the issues, risks, deliverables, and documents for that project. This Project Workspace website is powered by the latest SharePoint technology, and allows the project owner to manipulate the website and its associated lists in many of the same ways that someone can manipulate a stand-alone Share...(truncated)...
Project Server Experts New August FAQs
(Indexed 2008-09-04):
Body: August was a busy month at Project Server Experts for FAQ updates. Be sure to review these seven additions:How to detach a resource plan from an enterprise projectHow to convert a Project Server proposal using the tasks in an enterprise projectHow to disable the My Timesheet functionalityHow to publish a Project Workspace for a Master Project (Program) with subproject workspaces below itCommon Errors: My Task page displays incorrectly after applying the Infrastructure UpdateCommon Errors: ...(truncated)...
Setting Up Managed Time Periods in Project Server 2007, Part 1 of 2
(Indexed 2008-08-26):
Body: Background Information Project Server 2007 still offers the Managed Time Periods functionality found previously in Project Server 2003, however, the process to set up Managed Time Periods is different. Microsoft offers you two options for using Managed Time Periods in Project Server 2007, which are: For organizations that do not want to use the My Timesheet functionality, you can only use Managed Time Periods to prevent project managers from manually entering actual progress in their enter...(truncated)...
Setting Up Managed Time Periods in Project Server 2007, Part 2 of 2
(Indexed 2008-08-26):
Body: Background Information As I stated in my blog post yesterday, Project Server 2007 still offers the Managed Time Periods functionality found previously in Project Server 2003, however, the process to set up Managed Time Periods is different. Yesterday's post documented how to set up Managed Time Periods if your organization does not intend to use the My Timesheet functionality. Today I show you how to set up Managed Time Periods if your organization does intend to use the My Timesheet funct...(truncated)...
Create Navigation Tabs for Sub-Workspaces of a Master Project's Workspace
(Indexed 2008-08-21):
Body: Many organizations like to use master projects (also known as consolidated projects) to manage a program of projects. It is possible to publish a master project in Project Server 2007 so that the system creates a workspace for the master project, plus a sub-workspace for each of the subprojects. To confirm that you correctly published the master project and its subprojects, please refer to the following FAQ: Publish a Workspace for a Master Project with Sub-Workspaces for the Subprojects A...(truncated)...
S-Curve VBA Macro
(Indexed 2008-08-14):
Body: This is part one of a multi-part blog that describes a VBA macro in Project that creates S-Curve graphs in Excel. So firstly, what is an S-Curve? Below is an S-Curve of cumulative work against cumulative baseline work for a small project.[Image]As you can see the red line starts behind the baseline curve, goes on for longer and for a higher total of work. The flat part of the line shows no work took place (the steeper the curve the higher the burn rate).For the Red Work line, any part of t...(truncated)...
YAPH -- Disabling Start and Finish Editing on the My Tasks Page
(Indexed 2008-08-11):
Body: For those of you who aren't quite happy with the PWA interface provided in Project Server 2007, here's Yet Another PWA Hack (YAPH)... how to disable the ability to edit Start and Finish dates on the PWA 'My Tasks' page. I'd like to thank Mr. Dale Howard ('eDale') for giving me the idea for this excellent hack! But Why Not Edit Start and Finish Dates? Straight out of the box, the PWA 'My Tasks' page allows Team Members to not only update progress on each of their listed tasks, but it also a...(truncated)...
More Project Server 2007 Timesheet Hacks -- Manipulating Columns
(Indexed 2008-08-02):
Body: Do you use MS Project Server 2007 timesheets, and hate having to scroll horizontally to see the rightmost columns on your 'My Timesheet' page? Worse yet, do you hate having to scroll down to the bottom of the 'My Timesheet' page in order to get to the horizontal scrollbar... then having to scroll horizontally to get to those columns on the right? What if you could make one of the columns narrower (or collapsed altogether) so that everything in the timesheet fits on the page horizontally? ....(truncated)...
ProjectServerExperts July new and updated FAQs
(Indexed 2008-08-01):
Body: Updated:Forward a combined team Status Report by email added solution for Project Server 2007Check-in Enterprise Projects and Resources added solution for Project Server 2007New:Project Server Infrastructure Update released on July 14, 2008Recover from removing all members of the Administrators group in Project Server 2007Category: Project Server Usage;Project Server AdministrationPublished: 8/1/2008 9:17 AM
Hacking PWA with Web Parts
(Indexed 2008-07-31):
Body: One of my favorite aspects of working with Project Server is the flexibility of its web interface (PWA), largely due to the fact that it's built on top of SharePoint technology. Even a hacker like myself can twist, mold, and shape PWA pages any number of ways... without writing, compiling, and installing a single line of .NET code! In this webisode, we'll look at just a few ways that you can quickly and easily manipulate the PWA interface, such as re-arranging the information that's displa...(truncated)...
Hacking Project Server 2007 Timesheets -- Hiding Planned Work Rows
(Indexed 2008-07-31):
Body: I'd like to start by thanking Marc Stoester for pointing out that the planned work rows on Project Server 2007 timesheets can be hidden with a little CSS (Cascading StyleSheets) trickery: http://marcsoester.blogspot.com/2008/06/make-planned-work-di...(truncated)... However, I'd now like to demonstrate an even easier way to accomplish the same result... by simply adding a little SharePoint web part to the 'My Timesheet' page in PWA. If you're not familiar with manipulating SharePoint pages ...(truncated)...
Improving the Timesheet View
(Indexed 2008-07-16):
Body: If like me you find the Timesheet View too verbose, then a fellow MVP for Project Marc Soester has written a great blog on how to remove the Planned Work rows from your timesheets to make them simpler and more compact.http://marcsoester.blogspot.com/2008/06/make-planned...(truncated)... Marc!Category: Project Server AdministrationPublished: 7/16/2008 7:15 PM
Write a Great Post When You Look for Help in the Microsoft Communities Newsgroups
(Indexed 2008-06-26):
Body: My participation in on-line communities began during the bad old days of dial-up BBS and continued through participating in UseNet groups since the very early days of Compuserve, and I have a deep appreciation for the wealth of information and support these forums provide. Through the years, Ive often wished that I could point people to a good how-to for effective newsgroup posting. With the introduction of this blog, I thought it was high time to whip one up!The first thing you should do ...(truncated)...
New FAQs Added to ProjectServerExperts.com
(Indexed 2008-06-24):
Body: I added a bunch o' FAQs to our Project Server Experts site yesterday including:How to prevent Project Managers from opening and editing projects in which they are a team member only. 2007How to create Project Server Accounts on multiple workstations. 2002,2003,2007How to understand how custom fields work in Analysis Services for Project Server 2007.How to customize Project menus using VBA code in the Enterprise Global. 2002,2003,2007How to solve the "Project Center cannot access the projec...(truncated)...
Project Development Intro
(Indexed 2008-06-22):
Body: Hi all,My name is Rod Gill and my focus in this shared blog is on Project VBA development. Specifically I will aim to provide information on using VBA to extend Project's functionality and to read data directly from the Reporting Database in SQL Server (sometimes using Excel VBA).My VBA credentials are the regular posts I make as a Microsoft MVP for Project on the Microsoft Newsgroups and the book I wrote called VBA Programming for Microsoft Office Project Versions 98 through 2007 (publish...(truncated)...
Welcome to our Blog
(Indexed 2008-06-20):
Body: As a first post I offer the obligatory 411. This is a cooperative blog brought to you by the extended team of authorsat MSProjectExperts including Gary Chefetz, Dale Howard, Tony Zink, Steve Sanderlin and Rod Gill.Given that we're all focused on providing education and professional services for Project and Project Server, and giventhe blog URL name, you have probably surmised that we intend to fill this site with great information on Project and Project Server as well as Project Management...(truncated)...