Creating a "consolidated views" page without using WSS

[NYC PMO]

Hello.

Our config: Win2000 Server, Project Server 2003, SQLServer 2000 on one
machine

Trying to evaluate Project Server 03 for our organization (I am not a
programmer). Our objective is to create a custom PWA "consolidated" view
that shows the "stoplight" chart with custom cost fields along with resource
allocation table view or more simply, demonstrating the dashboard concept.

I've combed through most of the documentation and it usually alludes to
using WSS to create custom web pages with OWC's. My question is, how do I go
about customizing PWA using OWCs without WSS? Is there a "how-to" reference
someone can point me to? I know in concept, you can create an ASP page with
objects that you could like as a custom menu. But other than that, I'm
flying in the dark. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[Earl Lewis]

From what you've described I don't see any reason you can't do what you want with a project center view, which has nothing to do with WSS customization per se. Project Center is the place in project web access that shows all the projects that have been saved and stored in your project server databse - your project portfolio if you will.

An administrator of project server can create custom views and enterprise custom fields that should satisfy your desire. If you're the administrator of this evaluation installation then start by learning about PWA views to make sure you can do what you want and then invest in the enterprise custom field definitions required to display what you want. Once those enterprise fields are available you can shove them into your views. Hope that helps.

Earl
Hello.

Our config: Win2000 Server, Project Server 2003, SQLServer 2000 on one
machine

Trying to evaluate Project Server 03 for our organization (I am not a
programmer). Our objective is to create a custom PWA "consolidated" view
that shows the "stoplight" chart with custom cost fields along with resource
allocation table view or more simply, demonstrating the dashboard concept.

I've combed through most of the documentation and it usually alludes to
using WSS to create custom web pages with OWC's. My question is, how do I go
about customizing PWA using OWCs without WSS? Is there a "how-to" reference
someone can point me to? I know in concept, you can create an ASP page with
objects that you could like as a custom menu. But other than that, I'm
flying in the dark. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[NYC PMO]

Thanks Earl for the response. But I want to create a "dashboard" that
includes both a stoplight chart and a grid object populated with "assignment
info" together on one page. Which would require modification of the ASP
page. But where do I start?

 

[Earl Lewis]

I wouldn't be so hasty to jump to the conclusion that you need to "modify the asp page". Have you looked at the portfolio analyzer views? They are all about resource allocation across the entire project portfolio. Unfortunately, right now our OALP cube happens to be out of service for unknown reasons so I can't point you to specific views but this is worth looking into before you jump headlong into an ASP development effort.

Earl
Thanks Earl for the response. But I want to create a "dashboard" that
includes both a stoplight chart and a grid object populated with "assignment
info" together on one page. Which would require modification of the ASP
page. But where do I start?

 

[NYC PMO]

Thanks Earl for the reply. I agree. Would love to have the Portfolio
Analyzer (OLAP) functionality available, but the organization is somewhat
small in size and doesn't want to invest in the Enterprise version of SQL
Server or WSS which limits me to what I can build. Perhaps down the road,
just not right now. Currently we are doing a pilot to show the functionality,
and of course they want to see an example of customizing a "dashboard" since
that was one of the selling points of the system. Now I have to reproduce
it, or Project is out.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

NYC PMO:

You don't need Enterprise edition to use Analysis Services which ships with
SQL standard edition. Further, WSS is a free download for Windows Server
2003. So much for the expense excuse.