Project Server Blogs

Archive for April, 2009

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Project Developer Center Portal redesigned!

Take a look at the new Project Developer Center portal – your one stop shop for all things development around Project and Project Server.  Great work Jim, Verna and the crew!  The Office Developer Center, SharePoint Server have already had the makeover and other office applications will be following.

Project Server 2007: Service pack 2 (SP2) Webcasts

 *** Update *** Now available – http://blogs.msdn.com/brismith/archive/2009/04/28/project-server-2007-service-pack-2-sp2-is-now-available.aspx  

Next week, on April 28th,  Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Microsoft Office System – including Project and Project Server 2007 will be released, along with SP2 for all the other office applications, including Office SharePoint Server and also WSS.  We have a couple of webcasts organized on the morning of the 29th and the evening of the 30th which hopefully allow us to cover most time zones.  Join Adrian Jenkins and Christophe Fiessinger as they give an overview of this important release, best practices for deployment and also time for questions and answers.  As a reminder the key fixes in this release will be:

Project (desktop)

• The scheduling engine, Active Cache, and Gantt charts all have improvements.
• There is additional reliability with earlier versions of the .mpp format.

Project Server

• Better memory management in the queue service.
• Performance to certain database table indexes is improved.
• Resource plans, build team, cost resources, and the server scheduling engine have improved.

Details of the webcasts follow:

Please note we will deliver the same webcast twice to accommodate different time zones, we will also record these webcast and will make them available on EPMConnect:

• Wednesday April 29, from 8-9 am Pacific Time
• Thursday April 30, from 5-6 pm Pacific Time

Webcast Details

April 29 – 8-9am Pacific Time
April 30 – 5-6pm Pacific Time

Meeting URL
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/lmevents/join?id=OEM042AM&role=attend&pw=ATT5678
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/lmevents/join?id=OEM042PM&role=attend&pw=ATT6789

Event Info
Meeting ID: OEM042AM
Entry Code: ATT5678
Meeting ID: OEM042PM
Entry Code: ATT6789

Back-up Audio
(If you are unable to connect to the audio through the Computer Audio, you can dial in to the audio over a traditional telephony line)
US/Canada: (1) (877) 241-9971
International: (1) (503) 295-8000
Pin: 3616
US/Canada: (1) (877) 241-9971
International: (1) (503) 295-8000
Pin: 3616

Requirements for Attending this Event
We strongly suggest you test your computer’s configuration: https://events.livemeeting.com/LM2007test.htm to ensure you are running the most current version of Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

MSBlogs – Directory covering all different Microsoft technologies

As Project uses an extensive range of Microsoft technologies many of you will often need information on SQL Server, SharePoint, Windows Server and beyond.  A great source of blog sites covering virtually all Microsoft technologies is http://blogs.technet.com/blogms/pages/directory-of-microsoft-team-blogs.aspx.  I’ve also added a link to my site – so if you read this and forget the URL, then go to the links rather than searching for this posting.  Another great resource on this same site is a directory of free downloads and free online services from Microsoft – http://blogs.technet.com/blogms/pages/microsoft-free-software.aspx.  I left the word “free” out of my title to avoid spam filtering of my RSS feed, but have probably used the word too often and this might end up there anyway.

Thanks to Daniel Good for this really excellent resource!

Project Server 2007: Service Pack 2 (SP2) is now available!

Rather than repeat everything – Christophe has a great posting with all the links! http://blogs.msdn.com/chrisfie/archive/2009/04/28/announcing-service-pack-2-sp2-for-microsoft-project-2007-and-microsoft-project-server-2007.aspx. 

I will just remind you of the Webcasts tomorrow (29th) and Thursday (30th) – I  encourage everyone to attend the Project 2007 Service Pack 2 Overview webcast scheduled for April 29 at 8 am Pacific Time, and April 30 at 5 pm Pacific Time (webcast details are posted on EPMConnect). Adrian Jenkins and Christophe Fiessinger will cover the following topics during the webcast: SP2 Overview, April Cumulative Update Overview, Deployment Best Practices, Next Steps, Questions and Answers.

Another part of the SP2 announcement to highlight is around requirements for the next release of SharePoint and Project Server: Windows Server 2008 and 64 bit. We will be publishing guidance on how to upgrade your existing Project Server 2007 farm to Windows Server 2008 64 bit in the coming weeks on TechNet. Expect full system requirements for Project Server 2010 at a latter date.

Project Server 2007: Actual work in My Tasks changes after adding non-work time in My Timesheet

This is an issue you may come across depending on your specific workflow for time reporting and statusing.  The scenario is that you enter time for a project task through My Tasks and save, and then in My Timesheet you add some time to a non-work category of Administrative time such as Sick – or any non-work item – for the same day.  The issue shows up instantly if the category does not need approval and results in a change to the actual work value entered.  There will be a KB article coming shortly and I’ll update this posting once it is available.

The reason this happens is that the non-working time entered in the timesheet is entered into the resources calendar as a calendar exception – making them unavailable for work for a period of the day, resulting in a change in the entered actual work for the same day.  If the admin time is entered first, or the timesheet data is imported into my tasks then this behavior can be avoided.  The problem is that the data goes in just for the day and not in a specific time-span, meaning you may get an overlap of your time entered and your non-working time – even if the total is still within the number of hours you normally work.  You can also see this in Project Professional if you add a calendar exception where there is already actual work entered, but in Pro it is a little more obvious what is going on and easier to correct.

Sorry if this unusual behavior causes you some issues – but hopefully the workarounds and understanding of why it does what it does will make things easier for you.

Project Server 2007 Service Pack 2 Version

Following the webcast this morning I would like to confirm the following versions after successfully installing Project Server 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) on your farm:

Microsoft Office Project Server	12.0.6425.100
Database Versions Table (Reporting database for instance)	12.0.6422.100
Project Desktop	12.0.6425.100

More information in this TechNet article: Deploy Service Pack 2 for Office Project Server 2007 (TechNet article contains slight error on the db version, will be fix soon)

How to check Project 2007 version using VBA?

A great question we heard this morning during the Project 2007 SP2 webcast and every time we release a server and desktop software update for Project 2007 and Project Server 2007, is how do I ensure the desktop contains the proper software updates? For instance how I do ensure that ALL desktop version for Project that connect to Project Server have Service Pack 2 installed?

I try to save a plan and I will get the following warning: and WinProj will automatically be closed!

In this first approach change MIN_PROJ_VERSION to the latest SP2 version number: 6425 

Feel free to customize the Warning message at will!

Declare Function RegCloseKey& Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey&)
Declare Function RegOpenKeyExA& Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey&, ByVal lpszSubKey$, dwOptions&, ByVal samDesired&, lpHKey&)
Declare Function RegQueryValueExA& Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey&, ByVal lpszValueName$, ByVal lpdwRes&, lpdwType&, ByVal lpDataBuff$, nSize&)
Declare Function RegQueryValueEx& Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey&, ByVal lpszValueName$, ByVal lpdwRes&, lpdwType&, lpDataBuff&, nSize&)

Const MIN_PROJ_VERSION = 6330

Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Const HKEY_USERS = &H80000003

Const ERROR_SUCCESS = 0&
Const REG_SZ = 1&                          ' Unicode nul terminated string
Const REG_DWORD = 4&                       ' 32-bit number

Const KEY_QUERY_VALUE = &H1&
Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2&
Const KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY = &H4&
Const KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS = &H8&
Const KEY_NOTIFY = &H10&
Const KEY_CREATE_LINK = &H20&
Const READ_CONTROL = &H20000
Const WRITE_DAC = &H40000
Const WRITE_OWNER = &H80000
Const SYNCHRONIZE = &H100000
Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED = &HF0000
Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ = READ_CONTROL
Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE = READ_CONTROL
Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_EXECUTE = READ_CONTROL
Const KEY_READ = STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ Or KEY_QUERY_VALUE Or KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS Or KEY_NOTIFY
Const KEY_WRITE = STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE Or KEY_SET_VALUE Or KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY
Const KEY_EXECUTE = KEY_READ

Sub ProjectVer()

    Dim projVersion As String
    Dim version As String

    projVersion = RegGetValue$(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\00002109B30000000000000000F01FEC\InstallProperties", "DisplayVersion")
    version = Mid(projVersion, 6, 4)
    If (CInt(version) < MIN_PROJ_VERSION) Then

        MsgBox "Your version of Winproj.exe is not valid and may cause problems." & Chr(13) & Chr(13) & _
        "The installation of new version of Microsoft Project is required!" & Chr(13) & Chr(13) & _
        "Required Version: " & Left(projVersion, 5) & MIN_PROJ_VERSION & ".XXXX" & (Chr(13)) & _
        "Found Version:     " & projVersion & Chr(13) & Chr(13) & _
        "Microsoft Project will now Exit." _
        , vbExclamation, "Program Version Check"

        Application.FileExit pjDoNotSave

    End If

End Sub

Function RegGetValue$(MainKey&, SubKey$, value$)
   ' MainKey must be one of the Publicly declared HKEY constants.
   Dim sKeyType&       'to return the key type.  This function expects REG_SZ or REG_DWORD
   Dim ret&            'returned by registry functions, should be 0&
   Dim lpHKey&         'return handle to opened key
   Dim lpcbData&       'length of data in returned string
   Dim ReturnedString$ 'returned string value
   Dim ReturnedLong&   'returned long value
   If MainKey >= &H80000000 And MainKey <= &H80000006 Then
      ' Open key
      ret = RegOpenKeyExA(MainKey, SubKey, 0&, KEY_READ, lpHKey)
      If ret <> ERROR_SUCCESS Then
         RegGetValue = ""
         Exit Function     'No key open, so leave
      End If

      ' Set up buffer for data to be returned in.
      ' Adjust next value for larger buffers.
      lpcbData = 255
      ReturnedString = Space$(lpcbData)

      ' Read key
      ret& = RegQueryValueExA(lpHKey, value, ByVal 0&, sKeyType, ReturnedString, lpcbData)
      If ret <> ERROR_SUCCESS Then
         RegGetValue = ""   'Value probably doesn't exist
      Else
        If sKeyType = REG_DWORD Then
            ret = RegQueryValueEx(lpHKey, value, ByVal 0&, sKeyType, ReturnedLong, 4)
            If ret = ERROR_SUCCESS Then RegGetValue = CStr(ReturnedLong)
        Else
            RegGetValue = Left$(ReturnedString, lpcbData - 1)
        End If
    End If
      ' Always close opened keys.
      ret = RegCloseKey(lpHKey)
   End If
End Function

Another way to validate the desktop version, uses the file system. The only challenge with this approach is determining the location of the Program Files directory.

Sub projVersion()
    Dim MainFolderName As String
    Dim LastMod As String
    Dim Created As String
    Dim Size As String
    Dim projVersion As String

    Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")

    MainFolderName = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12"

    Set FSO = CreateObject("scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Set oFolder = FSO.GetFolder(MainFolderName)
     'error handling to stop the obscure error that occurs at time when retrieving DateLastAccessed
    On Error Resume Next
    For Each fil In oFolder.Files

        Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace(oFolder.Path)
        Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName(fil.Name)

        Select Case UCase(fil.Name)
            Case Is = "WINPROJ.EXE"
                LastMod = fil.DateLastModified
                Created = fil.DateCreated
                Size = fil.Size
                MsgBox ("File: " + fil.Name + " Last Modified: " + LastMod + " Created: " + Created + " Size: " + Size)
                'do all of the normal tests here to determine which version you need and which you have. See above.
        End Select

    Next

End Sub

Microsoft Project 2007 Service Pack (SP2) Webcast

Service Pack 2 (SP2) for the 2007 Microsoft Office System is due to ship April 28^th. Please join Adrian Jenkins and myself to get an overview of Project 2007 and Project Server 2007 updates in SP2, recommended best practices to deploy SP2 in your environment, and answer your questions about SP2.  

Please note we will deliver the same webcast twice to accommodate different time zones, we will also record these webcast and will make them available on EPMConnect:

• Wednesday April 29, from 8-9 am Pacific Time
• Thursday April 30, from 5-6 pm Pacific Time

bcast Details

Requirements for Attending this Event
We strongly suggest you test your computer’s configuration: https://events.livemeeting.com/LM2007test.htm to ensure you are running the most current version of Microsoft Office Live Meeting.

Announcing Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Microsoft Project 2007 and Microsoft Project Server 2007

We are happy to announce that Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Office Project  2007 and Office Project Server 2007 has been released to the Microsoft Download Center.  It includes all the fixes prior to SP2 (including the February 2009 Cumulative Update), and also several enhancements to Project Standard and Professional, Project Server, SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

Before you install this service pack there are some very important things to understand.  In this mail I’ll try to provide you with the resources you need to be successful in your updates.  It is essential that you understand the appropriate links, and thoroughly read the guidance and test out the patch in a separate environment prior to a production rollout.

I also encourage everyone to attend the Project 2007 Service Pack 2 Overview webcast scheduled for April 29 at 8 am Pacific Time, and April 30 at 5 pm Pacific Time (webcast details are posted on EPMConnect). Adrian Jenkins and myself  will cover the following topics during the webcast: SP2 Overview, April Cumulative Update Overview, Deployment Best Practices, Next Steps, Questions and Answers.

Service Pack 2 (SP2) Description

Service Pack 2 (SP2) Download Center Page

Service Pack 2 (SP2) Deployment Resources

Service Pack 2 (SP2) Related Technical Resources

Project Service Pack 2 High Level Benefits Project Standard and Project Professional

• The scheduling engine, Active Cache, and Gantt charts all have improvements.
• There is additional reliability with earlier versions of the .mpp format.

rver

• Better memory management in the queue service.
• Performance to certain database table indexes is improved.
• Resource plans, build team, cost resources, and the server scheduling engine have improved.

has been properly updated the new SP2 product version will be: 12.0.0.6422.1000 (database) and 12.0.0.6425.1000 (dll).

Getting Ready for Project Server 2010

As part of the SP2 release we announced the following requirements for the next release of SharePoint and Project Server: Windows Server 2008 and 64 bit. We will be publishing guidance on how to upgrade your existing Project Server 2007 farm to Windows Server 2008 64 bit in the coming weeks on TechNet. Expect full system requirements for Project Server 2010 at a latter date.

Please note we will release a Service Pack 2 for Project Portfolio Server 2007 within the next two months, I will send an email once it has been released.

Office Outlook 2007 Service Pack 2 Rocks!

In case you missed it and since I’m sure many of you spend a significant amount of time in Outlook every day, it was just released today!

I’ve seen major performance improvements so far.

Key links below:

• The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 2 (SP2) (download)
• 953195 (description)

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