Field Not Retaining Value

[chicagohunter]

Project Server 2007 w/Dec. CU - Project Pro 2007.

We have an enterprise task field of type flag. When a project plan is opened
from Project Server and saved to the local machine w/enterprise fields
everything appears fine. However, when the user opens the project plan from
the local machine, changes the value of this field from yes to no or
vice-versa and saves the value is retained only until the next time the
project plan is opened. It resets to its original value effectively
disallowing the user to make modifications outside of the current session.
Any ideas what could be causing this? Other enterprise fields appear to
retain the settings and there are no macros that are causing a conflict.

The settings on the field are:

Custom Attributes: None
Calcuation for Summary Rows: None
Calcuation for Assignment Rows: None
Values to Display: Data
Required: No

 

[chicagohunter]

Some more information - apparently this field is included in the formula for
several other enterprise fields - could this be causing this behavior?

 

[Mark Everett | PMP]

Project Server 2007 w/Dec. CU - Project Pro 2007.

We have an enterprise task field of type flag. When a project plan is opened
from Project Server and saved to the local machine w/enterprise fields
everything appears fine. However, when the user opens the project plan from
the local machine, changes the value of this field from yes to no or
vice-versa and saves the value is retained only until the next time the
project plan is opened. It resets to its original value effectively
disallowing the user to make modifications outside of the current session..
Any ideas what could be causing this? Other enterprise fields appear to
retain the settings and there are no macros that are causing a conflict.

The settings on the field are:

Custom Attributes: None
Calcuation for Summary Rows: None
Calcuation for Assignment Rows: None
Values to Display: Data
Required: No

I want to be sure I have this right:

1. Project schedule with custom field on Project Server 2007 performs
as expected when logging into Project Server and making changes.
2. When a PM saves the project schedule to the local machine, then
makes changes, those changes "stick"
3. When the PM logs back into Project Server 2007, the flag field
settings revert to whatever was on the Enterprise project schedule.

Is that essentially correct? When your PM's do this, I assume that
they are following the process to "work offline" because if they are
not, then the steps above are pretty much expected behavior. There
is a defined, multi-step process for working offline in Project Server
2007 and if it's not followed, then you can lose work. If that's the
case, and you need to know how to do this, you can email me and I will
provide a job aid that tells your users how to do this.

Also, are all the Project Professional client machines patched to the
same level as Project Server?

Hope this helps,

Mark Everett |PMP|MCITP
www.catapultsystems.com

 

[chicagohunter]

1. When working on the server with the server copy of the project schedule
the field can be modified, saved & published and the value is retained the
next time the project plan is opened from the server. Everything works as
expected.

2. If the user saves a local copy to their PC and manipulates the values
they change as expected and you can save, etc. the timeline. Unfortunately
however the next time the same project schedule is opened from their PC the
values have reverted back to their original state. There is no way to
permanently change the value of this particular field once the schedule has
been pulled out of Project Server.

3. See #1 & #2 above. Its the local project schedule that is not retaining
the settings so it could be related to how they save it to their machine -
not really sure.

Thanks for the response Mark. I will email you for the job aid and see if
that resolves the problem.

 

[chicagohunter]

Forgot to add - our Project Pro 2007 client also has the Dec CU.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

chicagohunter:

The way your users are saving the plans locally is the problem. As Mark
stated, there is a process for saving projects offline, if that's what
they're trying to accomplish. First, stop the bad behavior, because saving
locally is not something that is supported by the system and may ultimately
lead to much bigger problems.

The proper way to work offline is outlined here:

http://www.projectserverexperts.com/ProjectServerFAQKnowledgeBase/offlineprojects.aspx

--
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Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
Project Server Training: http://www.projectservertraining.com
Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com
Project Server Help Blog: http://www.projectserverhelp.com