differences between PDS(2003) and PSI(2006)

[kishore bondada]

hi all,

can anybody give details of, in what way Project Server Interface(PSI) being
introduced in MS Project Server 2006 will be different from Project Data
Services(PDS) of MS Project Server 2003.

Thanks & Regards,
kishore

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

PSI is completely different and vastly more powerful and flexible. For
example Project Server itself uses PSI to communicate and there is no need
to write PDS extensions anymore!!

Essentially for every PDS call there are PSI replacements, though sometimes
one PSI call will replace several PDS calls.

Dieter's Blog gives some ideas:

http://blogs.msdn.com/dieterz/ and
http://blogs.msdn.com/dieterz/archive/2005/09/16/469576.aspx

 

[kishore bondada]

hi,
thanks fro the reply...

where can i find the exact API reference for PSI...can you please suggest me.

thanks & regards,
kishore

 

[John Sitka]

Dieter's blog claims full server side scheduling engine. That's huge. But "PSI doesn't expose levelling."
Well WTH does that mean. If I delete the Task3 a resource has to do this week. His previous
Task4 does get moved up or does it?

For instance with the deleted Task3, it's now gone and I take the Task4 and change the work value.
Task 5 on up get new dates. That's great but they are wrong dates. I still have to go and open Project Pro.
Level, so it's the same old same old.

Or a resource reports remaining work as zero ahead of schedule. Successor tasks move up to an earlier start but is
now possibly in an overallocated situation because "levelling isn't exposed". So what value is that because what is generated
is a recalculated schedule that is unworkable because of overallocation?
If leveling isn't exposed and active then PS is still a replicated publisher subscriber situation.
Or put another way. It isn't "Live, Multi User" and exists as it always has as a desktop application with some peep
holes to the enterprise. "Not that there is anything wrong with that"

 

[Rod Gill]

Developing a full multi-user scheduling, web based engine would be creating
an entirely new product!! Yes major rescheduling requires opening the
schedule in Project Professional still, but PSI lets you do far more far
more quickly than PDS. In fact it's so fast, Project Server and Professional
use it themselves internally.

So it's not a multi-user scheduling tool but it is a very powerful and fast
reporting and management tool, a generation ahead of PDS. With the server
side events and Project server's new local caching performance over slow
corporate WANS should now be much faster and useable, without needing
Terminal Services or Citrix.

It allows access to all data without needing to do any PDS type extensions,
plus it provides comprehensive access to the new reporting database.

 

[John Sitka]

I'm waiting for that product, under the Project logo or other is irrelevant.
An entirely new product could still be called Project since it would serve the same need.
Obviously Microsoft thinks present limitations are important considerations too or they
wouldn't take so much effort making incremental steps towards getting rid of them.

 

[kishore bondada]

hi,
i just wanted to know from where can i have a look at the new API for
Project Server Interface

 

[John Sitka]

I just thought your question had been answered by Rod,

http://blogs.msdn.com/user/Profile.aspx?UserID=17917

If you find more current info let us know.