project server 2002 implementation lessons learned

10/14/2003 1

Project Server 2002 Implementation

Lessons Learned(This is a work in progress)

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Topics to be covered Implementation Team Overview of the Goals Architecture Phased Implementation Plan Available Documentation Access to Microsoft Technical Support Services Project Server Administrator Role Lessons Learned (several gottcha’s to avoid) Undocumented “Features” Screen Captures of some of the problems Summary

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Implementation Team Project Sponsors:

Kay Somers (PMP), my immediate supervisor &Teri Mordica (PMP), BTI Division Manager

Project Lead: Dan Ross (PMP), Business System Analyst

Installation and Desktop GURU: Ben Parada, Server Host Operations

Creator of End Users Training Guide: Tarina Williams, Business Systems Analyst

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Overview of Goals To have one common resource tracking all ITT projects and

support To track 100% of ITT’s work hours in Project Server To better allocate ITT resources

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Solution Architecture

AE-INTRA01•Project Server 2002

•SQL Server 2002

Project Web Access Components

Project Professional

StaffProject Managers

Executives

Project Web Access Components

Create & Publish Project PlansAccess, assign, & manage resourcesTrack progressReview & report status

Analyze Project PerformanceAnalyze Resource Utilization

Create & Update TasksWrite Status ReportsIssues TrackingDocument Sharing

SQL Server Database

Note that we have Project Server and SQL Server Database on one physical server which can handle 100 users and 10 Project Managers. Two machines can take you to 2000 users and 50 Project Managers.

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Phase I – BTI Project Server2002 Implementation

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Phase II – ITT Project Server2002 Implementation

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Available Documentation 53 Lessons from Microsoft…printed and put into 2 Binders Microsoft Project Version 2002, Step by Step Microsoft Project Version 2002, Inside Out Implementing Enterprise Portfolio Management with

Microsoft Project Server 2002Implementing Enterprise Portfolio Management with Microsoft Project Server 2002. Author Gary Chefetz

I recommend if you can only buy one book this

year…buy this one!

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Access to Microsoft Technical Support Services Fortunately during the Installation and Debug phases we had

access to Microsoft Premier Support “Unlimited” access to Microsoft Technical Support Services

Microsoft Technical Support Services walked us through installation of SharePoint Team Services and Portfolio Analyzer cube generation service

Unfortunately our access to Premier Support has gone away

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Project Server Administrator Role The Project Server Administrator role is complex

There are a lot of settings that can be made by Administrator (see screen captures on following slides)

Difficult to find cost effective training for the Administrator role

Most vendors want to come on site…cost big $$

Microsoft’s approach seems to be hire a third party vendor to help you implement the product

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Project Server Admin Role

7 “Activities” in admin role. Each “activity” has multiple sub-tasks to be accomplished

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Modify User

8 Permissions available to be set for each selected category

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Set Global Permissions

52 Global Permissions available to be set.

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Lessons Learned (Gotchas) Desktop Considerations:

Need MDAC 2.7 or Windows XP (certain level of XML support required) Active X controls which can be automatically downloadable from the

server; however, you need to have admin rights to your desktop (In Austin Energy, only PC techs have admin rights)

Users need modify access to Project Server install location: D:\Program Files\Microsoft Project Server\IIS Virtual Root Security considerations/concerns from Server Host operations personnel

granting modify access Bogus users created if allow Unlimited publishing to server

Can’t delete them, but can make them inactive Do not rename Virtual Directories

Have to reinstall, if you do

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Other Undocumented “Features”

Web access goes to sleep if left unused for some amount of time. Ctrl-Alt-Delete will wake it back up, but then you have to exit the

browser and come back in

Can’t delete rejected tasks (need an oops button) Have to accept the submitted task and then it can be deleted

Occasional Spooler errors Not sure what causes this or what to do about it

Problems when a user changes his Windows Log-in name Could not create his new account without having DBA delete old

account on Server

Project Manager can’t accept updated tasks if Project opened to work offline

Portfolio Modeler Error We are just getting started with this feature…stay tuned

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“Loading Data”

Appears to hang…Ctrl+Alt+Del gets cursor back

Note there is an error

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“Loading Data” Cont’d

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Can’t accept updated tasks

This was caused by having Project Professional opened to work offline!

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Summary

In spite of the problems encountered, I think that Project Server 2002 is a fantastic tool. I wish this tool had been available several years ago when I was doing large scale systems development.

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Questions

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