Custom Fields In Project Server 2003

[g3m]

Hi Everyone, just wanted to ask if anyone had experienced problems
with custom fields in Server 2003. To elaborate further, is there a
limit or a recommendation as to how many custom fields are recommened
before the system becomes slow.

An additional question to this is how does project calculate custom
fields, does every task get updated when a change is made to any
single task or is it only updated when that specific task is changed.

Thanks

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

g3m --

Excellent questions, my friend! There's no official limit to the number of
custom fields you can use, but the more Project and Resource outline codes
you use, the longer it takes for the OLAP cube to rebuild. In addition, if
you use the RBS outline code and build a lookup table that is "deep and
wide" (lots of levels of indenture with lots of rows), this will really slow
down the OLAP cube rebuilding.

Regarding how the system recalculates custom enterprise Task or Project
fields and outline codes, when a user has a project open, has recalculation
set to Automatic, and then makes a schedule change to the project (such as
changing Duration), the software automatically recalculates the entire
project. This means that the custom enterprise Task and Project fields and
outline codes are recalculated. If you create a new custom enterprise
Project field with a formula after users already have projects in the
Project Server database, your PMs will need to open each project, press the
F9 function key to force a recalculation, and then save and publish their
projects in order for the custom enterprise Project field information to
show up correctly in the Project Center page in PWA. Hope this helps.