Dynamic links between several projects in Project Server

[Muriel Fournier]

Hello,
Does anybody experimented the use of numerous links (created with the Link
button) such as FS, SS, FF... between 2 milestones in different projects ?
What about of the system performances when the number of this kind of link
is > 1000 ?
What about the access authorizations to create these links and to update
them : they would update automatically but I didn't experiment it. NB : the
diferent projects may have different owners...
Thanks for any feedback,

Muriel

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Muriel

A thousand links in one project? You can do it but don't! The single biggest
issue with liberal usage of cross project dependencies is the inadvertent
creation of circular references between plans. These are a *&^%$ to track
down and can cost you your plan's integrity. Project is incapable of
detecting these and they end up presenting themselves with what I can only
call ring-around-the-rosy date changes. Each time you open a linked plan
with a circular reference caused by linking, the dates will change in your
plan. To the individual project manager, this looks like a natural side
effect of a date change in the linked plan. It takes some serious oversight
to catch and/or prevent these.

To create cross-project links, one must read/write access to both plans. To
effective use the tool once cross-project links are established, project
managers must have at least read access to all plans linked to theirs.

Generally speaking, the need for, or imagined need for these, is often
over-exaggerated because of fundamental flaws in the planning approach. I'd
review this very carefully before going down that path, and when you do
decide to take that route, make sure you have a very careful plan in place
for managing these.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
"We wrote the book on Project Server
http://www.msprojectexperts.com

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[Muriel Fournier]

Hello Gary,
Thanks for the insights. I'm aware of the risk of circular links, but I'll
have to manage may be 100 projects with 10 to 15 links between one projets
and the others projets. I wondered if Project Server is enough powerfull to
support these numerous links.
Thanks

Muriel

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Muriel:

Am I reading you correctly when you say you imagine having a single plan
containing 1000 to 1500 links to 100 other projects? I don't think this is a
good idea, if that's what you mean.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
"We wrote the book on Project Server
http://www.msprojectexperts.com

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