November, 2008

The SQL has just released the following article: Running SQL Server 2008 in a Hyper-V Environment, Best Practices and Performance Considerations

Summary:

Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 is a powerful virtualization technology that can be used by corporate IT to consolidate under-utilized servers, lowering TCO and maintaining or improving Quality of Service. Through a series of test scenarios that are representative of SQL Server application fundamentals, this document provides best practice recommendations on running SQL Server in Windows Hyper-V environment.

Related links:

• SharePoint Server performance and capacity requirements for Hyper-V
• Evaluating Application Performance on Hyper-V
• Project Server Hyper-V and Active Directory Synchronization Documentation
• Project Server Hyper-V Virtualization Support and Licensing

This 490-page white paper covers the essential phases and steps to upgrade existing instances of SQL Server 2000 and 2005 to SQL Server 2008 by using best practices. These include preparation tasks, upgrade tasks, and post-upgrade tasks. It is intended to be a supplement to SQL Server 2008 Books Online.

The categories in the following list correspond to chapters in the white paper.

• General Upgrade Issues
• Relational Engine Components
• Business Intelligence Components
• Other Microsoft Applications and Platforms

Other related links:

• SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Technical Reference Guide
• Resources for Upgrading to SQL Server 2008
• UE Team blog
• How to configure Project Server 2007 Cube Building Service with SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services

Check out the following article from TechNet Magazine (December 2008 edition) from Pav Cherny on how to deploy Project Server 2007 on top on Windows Server 2008 and SQL 2005: Inside SharePoint Enterprise Project Management with SharePoint.

Sections include:

• Project Server Architecture
• SharePoint Integration
• Server Farm Deployments
• Welcome to IIS 7
• Session Database Permissions
• Shared Services Permissions
• Windows Firewall
• MOPS Services and Services Accounts
• Analysis Services Integration

Save the date: May 11-15 2009 in Los Angeles, California. We are back to single week covering both Developer and IT Professional communities.

Expect to see some great Enterprise Project Management sessions.

http://www.microsoft.com/events/teched2008/default.mspx

and in case you missed I also expect to see you at the next Project Conference in September 2009 in Phoenix Arizona.

• Watch this: Up to speed with Project 2007  This six-part video series is designed to help you ramp up on project management and Microsoft Office Project 2007.
• How your project fits into the big picture  This article describes how a project relates to other organizational terms, such as phases, processes, portfolios, and products. It also covers a project’s deliverables, including products, results, and services.
• Ten Things You Can Learn about Project Management from Britney Spears  This podcast is a light-hearted explanation of basic project management concepts, using Britney Spears career as an example.
• Video: Connect to Project Server from Project Professional  This video explains how to connect to Project Server from within Project Professional, and helps to demystify the ambiguities in the process.
• Every Project Plan is a triangle  This article explains at a very high level the underlying premise of project management—that every successful project needs to weigh three critical things.
• Up to speed with Project [This is a few months old, but has continually been updated, and is now complete with all new videos]  Take a tour across Project with videos about core concepts.

• Requirements for using SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services with the Project Server 2007 Cube Building Service  This article provides instructions and guidance to use the Project Server 2007 Cube Building Service with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services. It describes configuration requirements, procedures, best practices, and error messages that you might encounter.
• Resource Management  This is the newest article in the "From the Trenches - Deploying the EPM Solution in the Real World" column by Chris Vandersluis. Additional articles by Chris Vandersluis can also be found at the Project Server TechCenter (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=134762&clcid=0x409).
• Deploy cumulative updates (Project Server 2007)  This article describes how to install Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 cumulative updates.
• Office Project Server 2007 Technical Library in Compiled Help format (Updated for November)  The entire library for Office Project Server 2007 is now available as a downloadable .chm file. This download includes all content in the library as of November 6, 2008. This download will be updated monthly.
• TechNet Virtual Lab: Enterprise Project Management and Data Visualization using Microsoft BI Tools and Solutions  This lab shows you how to leverage the portfolio of Microsoft business intelligence tools and solutions applied—but not limited to—Enterprise Project Management (EPM) data. This lab will also help you discover how to leverage Excel Services in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Office Project Server 2007, SQL Reporting Services 2005, Microsoft Office Visio 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Dashboard, and Project KPIs to provide full-feature solutions to solve customer requirements for Office Project Server 2007.
• Plan for disaster recovery in Project Server 2007  This series of articles describes best practices for planning a disaster recovery solution for Project Server 2007.
• Planning for fault tolerance and availability in Project Server 2007  This topic provides planning guidance for fault tolerance and availability in a Project Server 2007 deployment.
• Enterprise disaster recovery for Project Server 2007  This series of topics describes procedures and best practices for backing up and restoring Project Server 2007 using SQL Server tools.
• On-Demand Webcasts
  • TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007: Solution Overview and System Elements (Level 300)
  • TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007: Solution Elements and Data Flow (Level 300)
  • TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007: Workload Scenarios and Reference Architecture (Level 300)
• Live Webcast
  • TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007: Network Communication (Level 300)
    • December 3, 2008, 11am Pacific Time
  • TechNet Webcast: Performance Management Using Project Server 2007 and PerformancePoint Server 2007 (Level 200)
    • December 4, 2008, 11am Pacific Time

• The Project 2007 Resource Center includes descriptions and links to three videos that were posted in October:
  • Timesheet Customizations for Project Server 2007
  • Working with the Project Server 2007 Reporting Database
  • Visual Studio Team Foundation Server and Project Server 2007

Key Enterprise Project Management Resources

A lot of you have been asking for it, the TechNet team just published it :)

Requirements for using SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services with the Project Server 2007 Cube Building Service

and yes Project Server 2007 is supported on SQL Server 2008 as stated here (bottom of the page): http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc197379.aspx

Office Project Server 2007 supports Microsoft SQL Server 2008. However, you must install Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later as well as Office Project Server 2007 SP1 or later before you install SQL Server 2008.

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Key reasons why consider SQL 2008:

• Performance, by implementing database backup compression.
• Availability, by implementing log stream compression.
• Security, by implementing Transparent Data Encryption (TDE).
• Resource management, by using SQL Server 2008 Resource Governor
• Reporting Services 2008 (much easier to author custom reports and rich rendering using the acquired Dundas control)
• Analysis Services 2008

Check the related TechNet article for more information:

• Determine hardware and software requirements (Project Server)
• Requirements for using SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services with the Project Server 2007 Cube Building Service
• This article describes requirements for using SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services with the Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 Cube Building Service.
• Integration of SQL Server 2008 and Office SharePoint Server 2007
• This article provides prescriptive guidance for implementing some of the new features in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 that enhance the deployment of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.
• SQL Server TechCenter

FYI we have released an update to the desktop help files for the following Office products (including Project !): Microsoft Office Access 2007, Excel 2007, InfoPath 2007, OneNote 2007, Outlook 2007, PowerPoint 2007, Project 2007, Publisher 2007, SharePoint Designer 2007, Visio 2007, Word 2007

Install updates for Microsoft Office 2007 Help

Project 2007 help file can be downloaded here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=08232883-5E2D-4E11-83A2-17B6231E21CB&displaylang=en

Microsoft has released updated Help (HxS) files for Microsoft Office Project 2007. This update contains the latest revisions and additions to Project Help and Project Developer Help.

We announced today the launch of our Online Services for Exchange and SharePoint, check out the official press release here:

Exchange Online and SharePoint Online Out of Beta and Ready for Purchase

SharePoint Online Services: http://www.microsoft.com/online/sharepoint-online.mspx

Last week the URL Rewrite Module for IIS 7 was released, this could be useful for your Project Server and SharePoint Server deployment:

URL Rewriter for IIS 7.0 enables Web administrators to create powerful rules to implement URLs that are easier for users to remember and easier for search engines to find. By using rule templates, rewrite maps and other functionality integrated into IIS Manager, administrators can easily set up rules to define URL rewriting behavior based on HTTP headers and server variables, or to perform redirects, send custom responses, or stop HTTP requests based on the logic expressed in the rewrite rules.

Check the announcement from the Windows Server team: URL Rewriter RTW and More IIS Extension Updates