How identify and synch differences between test dev and prod

[bob_the_builder]

Good morning all,

We have Project Server 2007 / WSS 3.0 / SQL 2005 install in our test, dev
and prod environments. Over time, changes have been made to some but not all
3 environments and now these are completely different to each other.

I was wondering, is there an easy method or a set of tools that will help me
identify the differences between these environments? My manager wants to
initially identify these differences so that we can make a decision on which
environment stays and which ones are blown away.

Also, if someone can point me to a guide on how to restore test from prod
that would be excellent (I am a complete newbie).

All help and comments much appreciated.

Regards,
Bob

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

It really depends on the level of changes that were made. Are you talking
changes to the SharePoint sites, farm configuration, custom code, hotfixes,
or just Project Server configuration?

I haven't tried looking for deltas between environments, but you could try
playing with the Playbooks tool (free download as part of the Project Server
resource kit - or SDK, I can't remember). That will suck most of the
configuration of the Project Server bit down into an XML file, which if
you're clever, can then be compared to a similar XML file from a different
environment. Note that the Playbooks tool can be unreliable in some
circumstances.

To move environments from PROD to Test, which is generally not recommended
behavior IMHO, but sometimes required, the best recommendation is to do a
full SharePoint farm backup and restore to the target environment - making
sure that both environments are patched to exactly the same level. Search
for SharePoint Farm Restore and Backup and you'll find plenty of material.

Depending on the size of your company, going forward, you'll probably want
to implement stricter release management and QA standards - including
documenting the testing procedures, and documenting how changes will get
implemented and promoted across the environments.

You may also wish to consider engaging the services of a consultant to
review your environment and develop recommendations - or find a training
provider offering Project Server implementation training. There's a lot of
moving parts to a Project Server/SharePoint deployment - especially with
multiple environments in the mix. It helps to have some guidance if you're
just starting out.

 

[bob_the_builder]

Hi Andrew,

Thank you very much for the response, i'll check out play books, sounds like
a good starting point..

As for your second point about restoring Test from Prod, I understand that
its not the best idea, but unfortunately, the decision has been made a few
levels above me...

Regarding going down the Farm backup and restore path, if there are site
customisations that have been made to the Project sites, will these come
across when the DB is restored in Test? Or will these need to be reapplied?

Regards,
Bob

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

It all depends on the level of customization. I'd recommend you try it out
in a virtual PC environment first if that's a concern of yours.

Tony Zink has some excellent instructions on how to do so here:

http://www.pptspaces.com/msprojectr...st=cea5da16-0c29-40a7-845e-4eea7cbc844d&ID=31


-A

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Thinking faster than I could type. I should've said, Tony Zink has some
excellent instructions on how to create a VPC here:

http://www.pptspaces.com/msprojectr...st=cea5da16-0c29-40a7-845e-4eea7cbc844d&ID=31

Then you can do the farm backup/restore - which is not in the instructions
above.

-A