PWA Users need Administrator Rights?

[Steve Lundwall]

Okay, after much consternation and following the best instructions I can
find I think we have Project Server set up. We have SQL Server 2000 and
Analysis Server on one box and then we have Project Server 2003 along with
Windows Sharepoint Services on a Windows Server 2003 (web server) box. I
followed the Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Installation Guide to the
letter.

I believe I set everything up as Mix Authentication. We are finding however
that when a PWA user logs in and then goes to the Public Documents area it
prompts them for a Windows Log In. After more testing we determined that
only those with Administrative rights to the Project Server box were not
prompted for this. I looked at the Default and the SharePoint Sites in IIS.
Anonymous Log in is turned on for both of these with a Guest User account.

So, I guess I have two questions. First, all PWA users don't need
Administrator rights, do they? Second, how do I check my Authentication mode
and adjust this so PWA users can get to documents? Should I be looking at
WSS or Project Server or IIS or what? Thanks.

Steve

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Steve --

Only users with Windows Authentication can access the Risks, Issues, and
Documents areas of PWA. Are the users you are describing using Project
Server authentication to log into PWA, by chance? Let us know.

 

[Steve Lundwall]

Dale,

Thanks for the answer but I must be missing something and I feel stupid that
I'm not picking this up quick. The only way that our PWA users are getting
rights to the shared documents is if they have a login on the WSS box with
full administrator rights. We have Anonymous turned on but that doesn't seem
to matter. I know I have something wrong here, I just can't figure it out.

I had hoped that a user signing on to PWA with proper rights set up would
have access to the documents and that his would be the only administration
needed but I guess I'm wrong on that and can't find a clear answer (we are
on an intranet completely behind a firewall). Any help would be most
appreciated. Thanks.

So, two questions: 1.) Is there any way that PWA users with Project Server
Authentication don't have to also have a Windows Login on the WSS box to see
shared documents?
2.) If they do have to have this login I assume they don't have to be
Administrators on the box for this function. Am I right?

Thanks.

Steve

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Steve:

There's no way for Project to automatically manage this. Your question
relates mostly to server-level security modifications to work around the
Windows security model. This discussion can be complex and is subject to
knowing more a out the environment than we do.

 

[RickD]

I don't think you should feel stupid. Microsoft Project Server is arguably
one of the most complex, integrated installation and implementation.

You have developed a "back-door" process for giving your users rights to see
documents (and issues and risks). I'm not sure if this is by design or
accident. I suspect the latter.

For your users to access documents, issues and risks, as Dale identified,
they have to have Windows logins and not Project Server logins. The obvious
benefit of a Windows login is that there is a single signon, plus users can
use all the benefits offered by PWA. Your PWA users do not have to have Admin
rights is you go the Windows route.

 

[Steve Lundwall]

I truly do appreciate everyone's help. I know you all have to be getting
frustrated with me as I suspect you think you are answering my questions
clearly yet I'm not achieving any headway. I apologize for that. Let me see
if I can approach this from a different angle. Please keep in mind that we
are not using Active Directory.

Let's say on my computer at my desk I have a - Username: CI01163 with a
Password: 123WALL
Let's say I set up a PWA User account for me to login to the Project Server
of - Username: Steven Lundwall and Password: letmein1
So, in order to use the Risks, Issues and Documents area of PWA (and WSS) I
have to have a Windows Login on the Project Server/WSS Box with the
Username: CI01163 and a Password: 123WALL and it has to have full
Administrator rights. (Because right now that is the only way it works
here.)

Is this correct?

Thanks.

Steve

 

[RickD]

No; that's not right.

We are suggesting you change your logon in PWA (through Admin) to be a
Windos Logon, so you would have a PWA user with, using your example, [domain
name]\CI01163. You don't use the password in PWA because it uses your
original Windows logon as the validation.

You set the User name to Lundwall Steve (or Steve Lundwall if you don't care
about sort sequence by name).

The rest is based upon the Security Categories in PWA. The ability to see
documents, risks and issues must be set.

You don't need to set up WSS with Admin rights. The users just sign on to
PWA and go to the Documents, Issue or Risks tab.