Project Server Set-up

[Doug]

Rod,

Your first sentence is a little astonishing. Nowhere in reading all of the
info on the MS website was it indicated that Win 2003 Server was a MUST have
OS. In fact it clearly states that Win 2000 Server is supported:

To use Project Server 2003 you need
Microsoft Windows® 2000 Server with Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later, Windows
2000 Advanced Server with SP3 or later, or Microsoft Windows ServerT 2003
Standard or Enterprise Edition

Also, MSDE could be used though with the loss of some of functionality,
mainly web access and project collaboration.

If the fact that I am running a 2000 Server and MSDE makes my Project Server
pointless, then I have no choice but to return it. I have no budget to
upgrade to Server 2003 and full SQL database engine.

Please confirm if the above statement is true or if I can use my set-up and
obtain a decent amount of usefulness with Proj Server. Right now, I want to
be able to work interactively within my small workgroup, that is so multiple
people involved on a project can work the project database simultaneously.

I don't have a dedicated IT person so trying to fit all this in while
overseeing the engineering group is a bit trying. Any help on what the right
direction is here will be helpful

Doug





--------------------------------
Hi,

You can't do a full install with Win2K you must have win 2003 to get full
functionality (and SQL Server with Analysis Server, instead of MSDE).
Actually installing the software is often 10% or less of the work required
for a successful Project Server installation. There is a lot of
configuration required and it all needs driving from a set of requirements.
You might get the software working this week, but you are still a long way
from a successful implementation (deriving added value that makes the time
and effort of setting up and maintaining Project Server worthwhile). There
is some material on implementing Project Server in MSDN, but if you can't
setup one or two separate servers running Win 2003 server Project Server is
probably not the best solution for you.

--
For VBA posts, please use the public.project.developer group.
For any version of Project use public.project
For any version of Project Server use public. project.server

Rod Gill
Project MVP
For Microsoft Project companion projects, best practices and Project VBA
development services
visit www.projectlearning.com/

 

[Rob Schneider]

Doug,

It may well be that you don't need Project Server. I don't know what
you mean by "small", but your group may be just as well served by
putting the project plans into a shared space on the LAN server and
working on them from there.

Since cost is an issue, multiple copies of Project Standard is surely a
viable option and is considerably less expensive than all the stuff
required for Project Server.

I did a very quick search and I can't find any Microsoft documentation
about using MSDE vs. SQL Server, but you say that "MSDE could be used
with lost of some functionality mainly web access and project
collaboration". Well, that's pretty much the whole point of Project
Server, in my opinion.

Think through your work processes and how and *what* you will do with
Server and why you need it. What is that you want that will be
different after you get Server going? This thinking, understanding,
planning, is essential.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

(PS. best to reply in this newsgroup to the same thread ... else there
is no continuity).

 

[Doug]

Ok, well I have already purchased Proj Server 2003 w/ 2 additional Cal's and
3 Cal's for Proj Pro 2003 on the Open License program. That is the extent of
my group at the moment. Going forward, I may very well expand outside this
group.

My current set-up included Win 2000 Server (one server) which obviously does
not provide sharepoint services, MSDE SQL (See
http://www.teratrax.com/articles/msde_vs_sql_server.html for a brief review
of the differences between MSDE and SQL)

What I do expect to be able to do is to use Project within this group, have
multiple users accessing a given project at any point in time, have project
set up to send reminders via email, set tasks in users' Outlook, and obtain
general reports on project status.

If I can't do this, it seems I pretty well wasted some money until I can
budget the additional for the upgrades to Win Server 2003 and SQL Server. A
shame it wasn't spelled out a little clearer on the MS website.

If I can do this, I truly need some guidance on the install and
configuration procedure for the versions of the software I am running.

Doug

 

[support]

I am from the MS Project / Project Server 2002/2003 support department at http://www.enterpriseprojectconsulting.com and we would be happy to assist you in resolving your issue

Thank you

Enterprise Project Consulting

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Support --

If you can help this person, then why don't you post the answer in the
newsgroup so that everyone can benefit? This newsgroup is a forum where we
all help one another publicly. I would suggest you start posting some real
answers instead of merely advertising your services.

I am from the MS Project / Project Server 2002/2003 support department at

http://www.enterpriseprojectconsulting.com and we would be happy to assist
you in resolving your issue.

 

[Doug]

Does this mean no one can help me ?

Doug

Support --

If you can help this person, then why don't you post the answer in the
newsgroup so that everyone can benefit? This newsgroup is a forum where we
all help one another publicly. I would suggest you start posting some real
answers instead of merely advertising your services.




at
http://www.enterpriseprojectconsulting.com and we would be happy to assist
you in resolving your issue.

 

[Ellen]

Doug
I am also working with a small engineering organization that is implementing Project Server 2003. I read through the Project Server Technical Library to get started
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/office/proj2003/reskit/default.msp
These online books were a big help to me. The Installation guide contains detailed instructions on installing the software. Please let us know how using MSDE works out for you. The installation guide does not cover using it with PS2003, only SQL Server2000

Ellen

 

[Steve House]

FYI - I am not a server guru so I may be wrong, but it is my understanding
that the Win 2003 Server recommendation is in order to have access to the
full Sharepoint capabilities from inside Project Server. It's not Project
Server per se that requires it but rather the Sharepoint Server.

 

[carlos18]

Hi,

I have been reading this thread and I see some frustration here.. wa
under the impression that in order to use Outlook to automaticall
import assigme
nts (into Outlook), you need to have Project Server. Does anyone kno
if this is true.

I have several copies of Project Pro 2003 and access to a network. Ca
I acc
omplish my goal without Project Server?

Thanks,
Carlos

*Ok, well I have already purchased Proj Server 2003 w/ 2 additiona
Cal's and
3 Cal's for Proj Pro 2003 on the Open License program. That is th
extent of
my group at the moment. Going forward, I may very well expand outsid
this
group.

My current set-up included Win 2000 Server (one server) whic
obviously does
not provide sharepoint services, MSDE SQL (See
http://www.teratrax.com/articles/msde_vs_sql_server.html for a brie
review
of the differences between MSDE and SQL)

What I do expect to be able to do is to use Project within thi
group, have
multiple users accessing a given project at any point in time, hav
project
set up to send reminders via email, set tasks in users' Outlook, an
obtain
general reports on project status.

If I can't do this, it seems I pretty well wasted some money until
can
budget the additional for the upgrades to Win Server 2003 and SQ
Server. A
shame it wasn't spelled out a little clearer on the MS website.

If I can do this, I truly need some guidance on the install and
configuration procedure for the versions of the software I a
running.

Doug


message

Doug,

It may well be that you don't need Project Server. I don't kno what
you mean by "small", but your group may be just as well served by
putting the project plans into a shared space on the LAN serve and
working on them from there.

Since cost is an issue, multiple copies of Project Standard i surely a
viable option and is considerably less expensive than all th stuff
required for Project Server.

I did a very quick search and I can't find any Microsof documentation
about using MSDE vs. SQL Server, but you say that "MSDE could b used
with lost of some functionality mainly web access and project
collaboration". Well, that's pretty much the whole point o Project
Server, in my opinion.

Think through your work processes and how and *what* you will d with
Server and why you need it. What is that you want that will be
different after you get Server going? This thinking understanding,
planning, is essential.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

(PS. best to reply in this newsgroup to the same thread ... els there
is no continuity).


Doug wrote:

the[vbcol=seagreen]
have[vbcol=seagreen]
Windows[vbcol=seagreen]
2003[vbcol=seagreen]
Server[vbcol=seagreen]
and[vbcol=seagreen]
to[vbcol=seagreen]
multiple[vbcol=seagreen]
simultaneously.[vbcol=seagreen]
right[vbcol=seagreen]
full[vbcol=seagreen]
required[vbcol=seagreen]
requirements.[vbcol=seagreen]
way[vbcol=seagreen]
time[vbcol=seagreen]
There[vbcol=seagreen]
can't[vbcol=seagreen]
is[vbcol=seagreen]
in[vbcol=seagreen]
(ie.[vbcol=seagreen]
install.[vbcol=seagreen]

-
carlos1

 

[Rob Schneider]

Read in "help" about how you can use MAPI-based email for this. Easy to
find the article is to type the word "workgroup" into the Answer
wizard, and see the article "About using a MAPI-based e-mail system for
team communication"

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

Hi,

I have been reading this thread and I see some frustration here.. was
under the impression that in order to use Outlook to automatically
import assigme
nts (into Outlook), you need to have Project Server. Does anyone know
if this is true.

I have several copies of Project Pro 2003 and access to a network. Can
I acc
omplish my goal without Project Server?

Thanks,
Carlos

*Ok, well I have already purchased Proj Server 2003 w/ 2 additional
Cal's and
3 Cal's for Proj Pro 2003 on the Open License program. That is the
extent of
my group at the moment. Going forward, I may very well expand outside
this
group.

My current set-up included Win 2000 Server (one server) which
obviously does
not provide sharepoint services, MSDE SQL (See
http://www.teratrax.com/articles/msde_vs_sql_server.html for a brief
review
of the differences between MSDE and SQL)

What I do expect to be able to do is to use Project within this
group, have
multiple users accessing a given project at any point in time, have
project
set up to send reminders via email, set tasks in users' Outlook, and
obtain
general reports on project status.

If I can't do this, it seems I pretty well wasted some money until I
can
budget the additional for the upgrades to Win Server 2003 and SQL
Server. A
shame it wasn't spelled out a little clearer on the MS website.

If I can do this, I truly need some guidance on the install and
configuration procedure for the versions of the software I am
running.

Doug


message
news:[email protected]...[vbcol=seagreen]

Doug,

It may well be that you don't need Project Server. I don't know
what

you mean by "small", but your group may be just as well served by
putting the project plans into a shared space on the LAN server
and

working on them from there.

Since cost is an issue, multiple copies of Project Standard is

surely a

viable option and is considerably less expensive than all the
stuff

required for Project Server.

I did a very quick search and I can't find any Microsoft
documentation

about using MSDE vs. SQL Server, but you say that "MSDE could be
used

with lost of some functionality mainly web access and project
collaboration". Well, that's pretty much the whole point of
Project

Server, in my opinion.

Think through your work processes and how and *what* you will do
with

Server and why you need it. What is that you want that will be
different after you get Server going? This thinking,
understanding,

planning, is essential.

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

(PS. best to reply in this newsgroup to the same thread ... else
there

is no continuity).


Doug wrote:

the[vbcol=seagreen]
have[vbcol=seagreen]
Windows[vbcol=seagreen]
2003[vbcol=seagreen]
Server[vbcol=seagreen]
and[vbcol=seagreen]
to[vbcol=seagreen]
multiple[vbcol=seagreen]
simultaneously.[vbcol=seagreen]
right[vbcol=seagreen]
full[vbcol=seagreen]
required[vbcol=seagreen]
requirements.[vbcol=seagreen]
way[vbcol=seagreen]
time[vbcol=seagreen]
There[vbcol=seagreen]
can't[vbcol=seagreen]
is[vbcol=seagreen]
in[vbcol=seagreen]
(ie.[vbcol=seagreen]
install.[vbcol=seagreen] *

 

[Steve House]

I don't see how you could have missed the fact that SQL Server (also some
version of Windows Server and IIS, though you didn't mention them) are
necessary system components to Project Server. The Project product
information pages on www.microsoft.com/project are very clear as to what
components are required for minimal functionality and what additional
components and/or versions of those components (such as Sharepoint to enable
the project collaboration features, which in turn requires Windows 2003
Server) are required for full functionality.

Also, you don't need to to fork out $1000 per user, as you put it, at least
not for all your users. Projects are prepared and modified by the project
managers using Project 2003 Professional and then posted to Server to
communicate that information to other people such as resources or functional
managers who need to know about the plan, and perhaps update portions of it,
but are not actively involved in managing it. But the number of people who
actually need project manager priviledges (and should be allowed to have
them are relatively few. Yes, you do need to license for Project Pro for
each person who needs to create, edit, manage, and publish the plan but that
is usually far from the same thing as a license for all users who will
access it through the server and once again that fact is clearly spelled out
in Microsoft's product information pages.

If you didn't thoroughly research the decision, study MS's project white
papers on their web site and prepare a feasibility study and business case,
at least an informal one, before committing to the purchase you really can't
blame anyone but yourself. Our friends at Microsoft definitely make their
share of mistakes, but IMO this is one you have to own.

And by the way, Project Central also required SQL Server, etc (or at a
minimum the MSDE version of SQL Server - but the MSDE license clearly states
it is a development and test platform only and is not licensed for a
production environment such as hosting Project Central's database for your
company's real world projects would constitute).

Just my $0.02.....
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer/Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

 

[Rob Schneider]

and worth much more than $0.02...

 

[carlos18]

*Rod,

Your first sentence is a little astonishing. Nowhere in reading al
of the
info on the MS website was it indicated that Win 2003 Server was
MUST have
OS. In fact it clearly states that Win 2000 Server is supported:

To use Project Server 2003 you need
Microsoft Windows® 2000 Server with Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later
Windows
2000 Advanced Server with SP3 or later, or Microsoft Windows Server
2003
Standard or Enterprise Edition

Also, MSDE could be used though with the loss of some o
functionality,
mainly web access and project collaboration.

If the fact that I am running a 2000 Server and MSDE makes my Projec
Server
pointless, then I have no choice but to return it. I have no budge
to
upgrade to Server 2003 and full SQL database engine.

Please confirm if the above statement is true or if I can use m
set-up and
obtain a decent amount of usefulness with Proj Server. Right now,
want to
be able to work interactively within my small workgroup, that is s
multiple
people involved on a project can work the project databas
simultaneously.

I don't have a dedicated IT person so trying to fit all this i
while
overseeing the engineering group is a bit trying. Any help on wha
the right
direction is here will be helpful

Doug





--------------------------------
Hi,

You can't do a full install with Win2K you must have win 2003 to ge
full
functionality (and SQL Server with Analysis Server, instead o
MSDE).
Actually installing the software is often 10% or less of the wor
required
for a successful Project Server installation. There is a lot of
configuration required and it all needs driving from a set o
requirements.
You might get the software working this week, but you are still
long way
from a successful implementation (deriving added value that makes th
time
and effort of setting up and maintaining Project Server worthwhile)
There
is some material on implementing Project Server in MSDN, but if yo
can't
setup one or two separate servers running Win 2003 server Projec
Server is
probably not the best solution for you.

--
For VBA posts, please use the public.project.developer group.
For any version of Project use public.project
For any version of Project Server use public. project.server

Rod Gill
Project MVP
For Microsoft Project companion projects, best practices and Projec
VBA
development services
visit www.projectlearning.com/

-
carlos1

 

[carlos18]

If the desire is to have team collaboration, then here are the req I go
from MS (I'm still researching my options - just wanted to post this):

About requirements for team collaboration

Using Project Server 2003 for team collaboration requires installatio
of the following systems and programs, licenses, and network access.

Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003

Project Professional 2003 must be installed on the project manager'
computer; this computer must be running Microsoft Windows 200
Professional SP3, Windows XP Home, or Windows XP Professional.
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003

Project Server 2003 must be installed on a server computer wit
Internet Information Server (IIS) 5.0 or later and Microsoft Window
2000 Server or later already installed. Then team members can connec
to project information on an intranet (intranet: Any network tha
provides similar services within an organization to those provided b
the Internet. An organization's intranet may or may not be connected t
the Internet; its information might be distributed only within th
company.) or the World Wide Web (WWW: A subset of the Internet tha
uses a graphical user interface as opposed to a text-based use
interface. The pages or Web sites that display are formatted using b
HTML. Web browsers make it possible for users to view Web sites.).
For example, if your organization maintains a Web server, a
administrator (administrator: Sets up and manages user accounts
assigns permissions, and helps users with network or server acces
issues. This person can also manage and customize various elements i
Project Professional and in Project Server.) can install Project Serve
and provide you with the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) (URL: Unifor
Resource Locator, which is a standard for naming and locating an objec
on the Internet, such as a file or newsgroup. URLs are used extensivel
on the World Wide Web. They are used in HTML documents to specify th
target of a hyperlink.).

If you want to use Project Server for document, issues, and ris
management, you also need to install Microsoft Windows Server 2003 an
Windows SharePoint Services.

To have complete access to Project Server, its URL should be made int
a trusted site in Internet Explorer.

Note Instructions for installing Project Server can be found in th
file Pjsvr.chm on the Project Server CD.

Microsoft Office Project Web Access 2003

Using Project Web Access 2003, team members can access information o
Project Server. To view information in Project Web Access, team member
need Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 (5.5 recommended) or later.
Project Server licenses

For details about licensing for Project Server, see the Microsof
end-user license agreement for the product.
Network access and a network identification

Your organization may use an intranet (intranet: Any network tha
provides similar services within an organization to those provided b
the Internet. An organization's intranet may or may not be connected t
the Internet; its information might be distributed only within th
company.) for team communication. A system administrato
(administrator: Sets up and manages user accounts, assigns permissions
and helps users with network or server access issues. This person ca
also manage and customize various elements in Project Professional an
in Project Server.) can provide you with the network identificatio
required to access Project Server on the intranet


-
carlos1