Master Plan - Sharepoint

[Eric]

Is it possible to create a master plan in sharepoint and link to other plans
in sharepoint? When I try to insert a project into the master plan, it will
only allow me enter a path that points to a location on my computer or on the
network, and will not allow me to use the internet address to access the
sharepoint site. Is there any way around this?

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Eric --

Are you using Project Server? If so, why aren't you creating and saving the
master project in the Project Server database? Let us know.

 

[Frank]

Hi Eric,

I am looking for a similar solution and I see you have posted your query in
at least three newsgroups. Did you ever get a sensible answer?

Just to mention my situation, I have several project managers working on
parallel streams with dependencies between them. On my local drive I inserted
all 5 ‘sub-plans’ into my overall plan. So far so good.

But when I load it into SharePoint, people who look at the overall plan
cannot see the detail. Instead they get an error message saying that they can
access the file on my hard drive.

I then loaded the sub-plans into SharePoint and tried to insert the
sub-plans from there but Project won’t accept internet addresses i.e. http://
but only address starting with c:/ etc.

BTW I am not running Project Server.

Does anyone have an answer to this?

Thanks

Frank

 

[Jim Erwin]

Hi Eric,

I am looking for a similar solution and I see you have posted your query in
at least three newsgroups. Did you ever get a sensible answer?

Just to mention my situation, I have several project managers working on
parallel streams with dependencies between them. On my local drive I inserted
all 5 'sub-plans' into my overall plan. So far so good.

But when I load it into SharePoint, people who look at the overall plan
cannot see the detail. Instead they get an error message saying that they can
access the file on my hard drive.

I then loaded the sub-plans into SharePoint and tried to insert the
sub-plans from there but Project won't accept internet addresses i.e. http://
but only address starting with c:/ etc.

BTW I am not running Project Server.

Does anyone have an answer to this?

Thanks

Frank





- Show quoted text -

Hopefully someone else can give a more definitive answer, as I don't
know that this is the real answer, but it makes sense to me...

So, in my experience, when I create a project and insert another
project into it (thus the master/sub project setup), I can make some
changes to the sub project from within the master project - noting
that the sub project file (outside the master plan) also gets updated
by this. Note that even though the project detail is displayed within
the master project and can be edited there, the master project is only
pulling the data and writing it back to the sub project file (i.e. the
data isn't stored within the master plan, it's more of a link to the
data, if that makes sense).

Within Project Server, all the project files are contained within the
server, and thus they are always available when you try to open the
master plan, which essentially opens the sub project and grabs the
detail (real-time upon opening the master project). Since they're
both in the server, then it all works fine, as the references to the
sub projects are still good (the files don't go anywhere). But when
you move the master file into SharePoint, the file is still
referencing the "sub" files that reside on your desktop (presumably).
So that's why you would be getting the error. I would have to test
what would happen if you moved all the files into Sharepoint - my
guess is they would still reference your desktop for the files, so you
would have to update the links once all the projects are within
sharePoint.

Anyway, like I said, I am not positive about this, but it seems to
make sense...

 

[Frank]

Hi Jim,

That is esentially right I think.

I have put the sub files on SharePoint but the master plan still references
my PC. I cannot insert the sub-plans from SharePoint as Project will only
accept a local or network drive location, not a web address.

Even when I map the SharePoint workspace as a network drive, Project is not
fooled and knows the network drive is a web server.

On a different tack, once I insert a sub project, is it possible to break
the links so that the data in the master is static and won't change and won't
reference a external sub plan?

Thanks

Frank

 

[Chak]

Hi Jim,

That is esentially right I think.

I have put the sub files on SharePoint but the master plan still references
my PC. I cannot insert the sub-plans from SharePoint as Project will only
accept a local or network drive location, not a web address.

Even when I map the SharePoint workspace as a network drive, Project is not
fooled and knows the network drive is a web server.

On a different tack, once I insert a sub project, is it possible to break
the links so that the data in the master is static and won't change and won't
reference a external sub plan?

Thanks

Frank









- Show quoted text -

Hi Frank,

Remove External Links:

Open Master
On Tool menu -> Links Between Projects
Click the External Predecessors or External Successor tab
Click the link you want to remove
Click on "Delete Link"

One more option, do you have MS Project installed on SharePoint
server? If so, you can have projects in one of the folder on the
server machine, may be you can build Master here by inserting
subprojects from folder. So, you will have the references to folder on
SharePoint server, you may be open the master without link errors. I
am not sure it's an good approach for you or not, but just thought.

Thanks
Chak
http://www.epmcentral.com

 

[Chak]

Hi Jim,

That is esentially right I think.

I have put the sub files on SharePoint but the master plan still references
my PC. I cannot insert the sub-plans from SharePoint as Project will only
accept a local or network drive location, not a web address.

Even when I map the SharePoint workspace as a network drive, Project is not
fooled and knows the network drive is a web server.

On a different tack, once I insert a sub project, is it possible to break
the links so that the data in the master is static and won't change and won't
reference a external sub plan?

Thanks

Frank









- Show quoted text -

Frank,

Sorry, I misunderstood your question. I realized that you are looking
for remove the subproject link from source.

Steps:

Remove the subproject link:

Open the master

Display Gantt Chart view

click the summary task that contains the name of the subprojects

Right click -> Task information

In the Inserted project information dialog box, click on Advanced tab

Remove the Link to project (uncheck the Link to Project link)


Thanks
Chak
http://www.epmcentral.com

 

[Frank]

Hi Chak,

That worked a treat!

Thanks very much.

Just as a matter of interest, can you reverse this if you wanted to i.e.
reconnect the link to the sub-project. It looks like you can't as once you
break the link, the dialogue box changes so that option is not there anymore.

Regards

Frank

 

[Chak]

Hi Chak,

That worked a treat!

Thanks very much.

Just as a matter of interest, can you reverse this if you wanted to i.e.
reconnect the link to the sub-project. It looks like you can't as once you
break the link, the dialogue box changes so that option is not there anymore.

Regards

Frank












- Show quoted text -

Hi Frank,

Thanks and I am glad it helps.

Once you break the link, entire project schedules remains as local
tasks on master. There will be no visibility of updates going on
source file and vice versa.

To workaround on your scenario, whenever you know there were major
updates on source file, please insert project again and delete the
existing local tasks. Again do the same as above to break the link.

Thanks
Chak
http://www.epmcentral.com