We have been struggling with a prototype install of Project Server
2007 for about 30 days now and cannot imagine putting the current
version into production mode. Everything from bugs to usability /
logical design issues (especailly with the timesheet/progress
reporting "duo").
The rumor mill seems to be saying that Project Server 2007 SP1 may not
be coming out until Feb 2008 (if that soon). Because of that, is
there anything wrong with going with Project Server 2003 for now with
the most recent patches, then reconsidering Project Server 2007 down
the line (perhaps post SP1 or even SP2)?
Does anyone know how long Microsoft will support Project Server 2003?
Thanks,
Andy Novak
UNT
There was a recent discussion of this titled "Is Project Server 2007
ready for Primetime?" I stand by my opinion expressed there: In most
scenarios, I believe a new install done today should be completed with
Project Server 2007. If you know your use cases really well and don't
want task level reporting via analysis services, you have a small
number of PMs that are fine without multiple undo or change
highlighting and won't need project level restores, then Project
Server 2003 might be an option.
Project Server 2003 has its issues as well. I think a full PS 2003
install is as complicated as 2007, but there is more documentation and
help available. For example, setting up analysis services is slightly
more complicated in 2003 than it is in 2007.
Training task owners on PS 2003 will undoubtedly be simpler, but
you'll probably need to train them twice in the next year or two, as
you move to 2007.
Advanced development is much easier with the PSI (2007) then PDS
(2003.) PSI approaches opening the full functionality of Project up to
developers. PDS doesn't begin to.
Advanced reporting is easier on 2003, but partly because some of the
features aren't as mature. For example: in 2003, a task owner enters
time on a task. They then submit that task update. They enter more
time on the task. intending to not submit that time yet. Bzzt! Project
Server 2003 treats all time entries on that task from that user as
submitted. 2007 deals with it as expected: only the first task updates
will be submitted.
The 2003 version of the queue, the viewdrop folder, fails much more
rarely than the 2007 queue, but it still fails, and it takes longer to
trouble shoot the failure and figure out why. (It also requires more
permissions on the server.)
The migration process from 2003 to 2007 is not too painful, but it is
a migration, not an in-place upgrade. It is not as simple as running
the 2007 installer on top of the 2003 instance.
my summary:
Deciding on 2003 might be an appropriate decision for your particular
case, but if I had to make a general recommendation for a near future
install, I would say go with 2007. The pain and the features might
balance out, but then the effort saved in not needing to have two
separate installs and a migration tilts the scale toward installing
2007 today.
James Fraser
