Steven Haden's Blog

Key Microsoft Project Resources

Here is a list of Key Microsoft resources to know about Project Server. Enjoy !!

Twitter http://twitter.com/MSFTProject

Facebook Microsoft Project

Videos www.youtube.com/MSFTProject

New Project Server 2010 documents available for download

Two new documents are now available:

Project Server 2010 Upgrade Paths: that describes the options for upgrading from Project Server 2003 or 2007 to Project Server 2010

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=dd993c57-3829-438b-a09d-3e19cbb93e23

Project Portfolio Server 2007 to Project Server 2010 Paths and Considerations: that describes Project Portfolio Server 2007 migration to Project Server 2010

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=12e25e2b-fda6-4fda-9f1b-fa39134e26ee

Updated Service pack 2 of Office Server 2007 released

Welcome back, I will try to keep my posts more frequent and sorry for the long delay :-)

I just wanted to inform you that the Office Server 2007 Service pack 2 has been updated to remove the incorrect expiration date activation problem (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971620/en-us) .

It can be downloaded here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B7816D90-5FC6-4347-89B0-A80DEB27A082&displaylang=en

December Cumulative update: Database schema version and server Versions

This table updates this post: http://blogs.msdn.com/shaden/archive/2008/01/10/migrated-to-sp1-checking-your-database-schema-version.aspx

With the latest database schema version after applying the December Cumulative update of Office server (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=960011)

The Server Version as it can be seen from the Central Administration

12.0.0.6335

Check out this Tech Talk: Deploying Project Server 2007 in an existing SharePoint 2007 Farm

We recorded last week with Christophe a Tech Talk at Tech-ED EMEA IT Professionals in Barcelona on our presentation Deploying Project Server 2007 in an Existing SharePoint Server 2007 Farm.

Check it out !

Blog to announce new EPM Content Publishing on Technet and Office Online

A new blog has just been created to announce new EPM Content publishing on Technet and Office Online.

Check it here: http://blogs.technet.com/epmcontent/

Happy reading !

Some Links to know

Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 SP1:

• WSS 3.0 SP1:
• Microsoft Office Server 2007 SP1:
• For the Client :Microsoft Office Project 2007 SP1

Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 Infrastructure Update:

• WSS 3.0 Infrastructure Update
• Microsoft Office Server Infrastructure Update
• For the client : Microsoft Office Project 2007

Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 SDK December 2007:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2672f6f9-7028-4b30-99a2-18cb1eed1abe&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 Resource Kit:

 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a33d253c-6424-48e4-b87e-0861d1977bb7&DisplayLang=en

Infrastructure Update

On July 15th, 2008 Microsoft announced the availability of the Infrastructure Update for Office Servers. The Infrastructure Update for Office Servers is a set of updates to improve platform performance and contain several customer driven fixes.  The updates are applicable to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Microsoft Search Server 2008 & Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Project 2007.

See the official project blog for all the information:

http://blogs.msdn.com/project/archive/2008/07/15/announcing-the-infrastructure-update-for-office-servers.aspx

Estimate the Bandwidth used by EPM 2007 (part 1)

I recently did a study to evaluate the bandwidth requirements for an outsourced EPM 2007 deployment.

The Tool Fiddler was used to measure the http traffic (http://www.fiddlertool.com).

The bandwidth is hard to estimate with EPM because the amount of data transferred depends of the customization done with the default product:

• Data displayed is dynamic and depends on the profile of the user
• The security of the user changes the amount of data shown, a typical user only sees the data he has permission to see
• The amount of data displayed in views depends of the selected fields

The measures were done with an administrator account, so that it gives a maximum value.

Typical usage and measure:

Project Web Access operations:

• With an empty IE cache
• Then using the cache

Project Professional:

• Initial opening with an empty cache
• Full Save
• Incremental Save (10 % of full size)

Reporting (using Reporting Services)

• Reports displayed in HTML

The users are distributed around the world

Results
This is just an example of measure, and it cannot be generalized. It depends on the size of projects and the reports.

Database Maintenance for Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies

Database maintenance is essential for the health and the performance of your SharePoint^® Products and Technologies applications (EPM and/or MOSS).

Check these white papers:

Database Maintenance for Microsoft^® SharePoint^® Products and Technologies

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=111531&clcid=0x409

Planning and Monitoring SQL Server Storage for SharePoint: Performance Recommendations and Best Practices

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=105623&clcid=0x409

and this KB article

How to defragment Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 databases and SharePoint Server 2007 databases (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110843&clcid=0x409)

Enjoy..

Migrated to MOSS 2007 SP1 or EPM 2007 SP1 .. checking your database schema version

Updated with Infrastructure update Information (July 15th, 2008)

You have decided to migrate to the SP1 of EPM 2007 and/or MOSS 2007.

During the upgrade (done by the configuration wizard), the databases are upgraded also.

If you want to check the schema version of the databases, you can use this query in any of your farm database:

SELECT * FROM Versions

The very last version that maps to the GUID {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} with the highest ID should equal the current version of the product

Here is a table showing the different database versions

(Thanks Brian http://blogs.msdn.com/brismith)

Updated with Infrastructure Update Information

WSS: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/95165

Office Server http://support.microsoft.com/kb/951297

If you attach a RTM content database or if you provision a new project server site with four RTM databases on a SP1 installation, the RTM databases are upgraded to SP1 during the provisioning.

You may have less lines in your databases, if they were created after applying the SP1 a Rollup or the infrastructure update.

Trial versions of Project Professional and Server 2007 are live (updated)

The Office Project Server 2007 & Office Project Professional 2007 Trials are now live. You can begin the experience at:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/eval/default.mspx

Upon completion of this experience, you will have downloaded CD images and received product keys for each product.  You will need to expand the images using the CD burning software of your choice before installing.  The trial period for both apps 180 days from the date of installation. 

Office Project Portfolio Server 2007 is now also available as a trial at the same address.

MOSS: White paper: Data protection and recovery for Office SharePoint Server in small to medium deployments

A very good white paper has just been updated on Office Technet for MOSS:

 Data protection and recovery for Office SharePoint Server in small to medium deployments

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=102839&clcid=0x409

 See also Brian's blog article

http://blogs.msdn.com/brismith/archive/2007/10/24/backup-and-restore-what-are-the-options.aspx

Updated in June 2008: Now covers Farms of any size.

How to programmatically create a project server account (or profile) for Microsoft Office Project Professional (2003 or 2007)

If you don't want to manually create your project server account for Microsoft Office Project Professional (2003 or 2007) , you can use the following VBscript code.

You need to run this script in the context of the user:

Option Explicit

Dim ProjObj

Set ProjObj = CreateObject("msproject.application")

if ProjObj.Profiles.Count = 1 Then

  ProjObj.Profiles.add "Production EPM", "http://www.contoso.com/projectserver"

  ProjObj.Profiles.DefaultProfile = ProjObj.Profiles.item(2)

End IF

ProjObj.Quit

Set ProjObj=Nothing

Moving the SharePoint Databases to a new SQL server instance

(Updated 20071004)

Well, you just have a brand new database server and you need to move all the databases from your old SQL server to the new SQL server.

This is what I did to change the SQL server instance of an existing EPM farm.

You cannot just backup and restore (or detach it) the databases. This is because the configuration database of your farm cannot be restored to a new SQL server. You have to use the backup/restore tools described here for EPM : http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/8aee655b-1f87-4729-bf30-e79ad0debeec1033.mspx?mfr=true 

This farm is configured with two separate servers: one web/application server and one sql server..

1. Using the SharePoint Central Admin, make a full backup the whole farm.
2. Start the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard and disconnect the web server from the farm
3. Using the SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard define a new farm in the SQL server, that creates a new configuration database
4. (Updated) Using the SharePoint Central Admin restore the full backup in your new farm, running it twice. Select New configuration to be able to change the Database name.
1. Restore first the content database
2. Restore the SSP and its content

Enjoy your new SQL server !

In a next post, I will detail what you need to manually redo in your restored envirornment, depending on your original configuration.