Using Project Server 2007’s Reporting Database and SQL Server Reporting Services 2005

Hi folks

I really love gong back to programming if I could manage to get the chance to do so

Today I was completely impressed by this article I read from Project Programmability blog

if you have time you can read it

http://blogs.msdn.com/project_programmability/archive/2008/01/03/implementing-my-tasks-read-only-custom-fields.aspx

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

MS Project 2007: Why and How to split a Task

let me answer the first question: why to split a Task, the answer for this is

• Either you want to interrupt some work with an other (By You)
• Or by leveling the resource to maintain the work balance (By the system)

For the second question How??

To split a Task do the following

1. Open the project using Project Professional 2007 (you need to give the user the following permission "Log on to Project Server from Project Professional" from the Global Permission )
2. Open Gantt view, click on Split Task
3. On the bar, click on the place where you want the split to be applied
4. Drag and drop the second portion of the bar to the new location in the chart (new date) 

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

 

MS Project 2007 :: The first 4 Steps to start using Cubes

In this post I will explain the steps required to make your Database Server (I am talking about SQL 2000) ready for MS Project 2007 Cube Building

1) Verifying and Installing Analysis Services SP4

• From Control Panel ==> Add Remove Programs ==> Microsoft Sql 2000 Analysis Services ==> Click here for support information, make sure that the SP version is 8.00.2039
• If the SP4 is not installed proceed with next step, otherwise you can leave now :)
• Go to the Microsoft (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=86989).
• Download the Analysis Services Components (download file: SQL2000.AS-KB884525-SP4-x86.EXE).
• When you run the download, you are prompted to select a location for saving the file. After specifying the location, click Next. The files will be extracted to this location.
• Click Finished.
• Browse to the location you specified on the server and run \msolap\install\Setup.exe.
• Follow the directions that appear to complete the installation of the service pack.

2) Adding the Queue service account to the OLAP Administrators group

• From the Start menu, click Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
• In Computer Management, expand Local Users and Groups and then click the Groups folder.
• Double-click the OLAP Administrators group to open the properties page.
• In the properties page, click Add.
• On the Select Users, Computers, or Groups page, in the Enter Object Names to select box, enter the Windows user account under which the Queue Service is running. Click OK.
• In the OLAP Administrators property page, click OK

3) Granting the OLAP Administrators group permissions to the SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services components

• Using windows Explorer, browse to "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Analysis Services\Bin" or what is ever you installation folder for Microsoft Analysis Services
• Right click on bin folder
• Select "Properties"
• Select Security tap
• Click on Add to add the OLAP Administrators and give this group a Full Control permissions
• Click on Apply, then Ok

4) Grant permissions to the SQL Server Analysis Services service account to access the Project Server Reporting database

• From the Start menu, select Programs, select Microsoft SQL Server, and then click Enterprise Manager.
• In Enterprise Manager, expand Microsoft SQL Servers, SQL Server group, and the server.
• Expand the Security folder, right-click Logins, and then click New Login.
• On the properties page, in the General tab, enter the Windows Authenticated account for the user running the SQL Server Analysis Services service.
• Click the Database Access tab.
• Enable Permit for the Project Server Reporting database(s).
• In the Permit in Database Role section, enable db_datareader permissions for the Project Server Reporting database(s).
• Click OK

 

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

New SQL 2005 Reporting Service Report Pack for Project Server 2007

Hi

New SQL 2005 Reporting Service Report Pack for Project Server 2007 has been released

Follow this link to download

http://blogs.msdn.com/project/archive/2007/01/30/sql-server-reporting-services-report-pack-for-project-server-2007.aspx

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

MS Project 2007: Editions Comparison

 

Hi

If you are asking about the differences between different editions of MS Projects 2007 then I can till you that there are three different editions

1. Microsoft Project 2007 Standard
2. Microsoft Project 2007 Professional (connected to Microsoft Project 2007)
3. Microsoft Project Web Access 2007 (PWA)

If you are interest in knowing the different features each is providing then I recommend you to read this article from Microsoft

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/FX101757931033.aspx

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

For Project Managers: 2007 Link Mish Mash

Another great post for leaders and managers

http://ravenyoung.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!17376F4C11A91E0E!4030.entry

 

Enjoy!!

Bilal Okour

ProjectSteps: Leading Geeks

ProjectSteps: Leading Geeks

MS Project 2007: Group By, It's Great!

 

I read this from Microsoft Project 2007 Team blog and would like to share it with you as I found it very useful

here we go

Group By, It's Great!  (http://blogs.msdn.com/project/archive/2007/11/30/group-by-it-s-great.aspx)

 

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

MS Project 2007: Effort Driven Task

 Hi again

As you might noticed that MS Project assumed (by defaulting) all tasks are efforts driven, what does this mean?

It means when MS Project do scheduling then it will maintain the Work value the same. Now you remember my equations in one post, if not I will put them again

 

1. For Fixed Unit: U = W/D. In this case increasing the Work will result in increasing the Duration and visa verse
2. For Fixed Duration: D = W/U. In this case increasing the Work will result in increasing the Unit and visa verse
3. For Fixed Work: W = D * U. In this case increasing the Duration will result in decreasing the Unit and visa verse

Black color indication that MS Project will maintain the value of that field fixed when rescheduling

As per the options 1 and 2 you noticed that we fix either Unit or Duration.

By selecting the Effort Driven option the following should be considered

 

• If the assigned task type is Fixed Units, assigning additional resources shortens the duration of the task.
• If the assigned task type is Fixed Duration, assigning additional resources decreases the individual unit values for resources.
• If the assigned task type is Fixed Work, assigning additional resources shortens the duration of the task.
• Effort-driven scheduling only takes effect when resources are added to or removed from a task. Effort-driven calculation rules are not applied when you change work, duration, and unit values for resources already assigned to a task.
• The effort-driven calculations apply only after the first resources are initially assigned to the task. After the first resources are assigned, the work value doesn't change as new resources are assigned to or removed from the same task.

I hope this will help you

 

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

New Initiative from Arabilla.Net, “Featured Arabic Site, FAS”

 

Dear visitor

As per Arabilla.Net objective, to facilitate the awareness of the latest technology, we will start a new type of news letter called “Featured Arabic Site, FAS”, in each newsletter of this type we will highlight the service that site, blog, or community is providing.

If you are the owner, participant in one of these sites please let us know about your site and accordingly let the others know about your work.

We think we can encourage Arabic initiatives in this field which will lead to effective participation in making and using of the technology around the world.

We will either select those sites by ourselves or you can email us on bilal@arabilla.net tilling us about your contribution

The good candidates’ contributions should follow the following rules

1. The Site, blog, community can be either group work or individual. But it should be focusing on technology not self or personal activities
2. It can be in any technology field
3. It can be in either Arabic or English, the priority will be for Arabic sites
4. It should not include anything other than technology related topics

If you would like to participate please send us the following

1. Your contribution URL (site, blog or community)
2. Your contribution description

We hope that this will bring new benefits to Arabilla.Net subscribers

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

MS Project 2007: Work & Material Resources

 

Till me, what do you call a Camcorder, a material or work resources , ok

another question, what do you call the Video Tapes being used in this Camcorder? a material or work resources?

 

Regardless of what was your answer here is the correct ones

Camcorder is a work resource, are you using this resource for one time only, then it is not a material resource

Video Tape is a material resource, because it will be consumed

 

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

MS Project 2007: Resource Pool

If you are working in multi-projects organization and want to share some resources among projects then the only way to do so is to use Resource Pool.

you can use resources from different projects without using the resource pool but the resource availability can not be controlled for both projects as there is no common information about the resource is shared between them

So, adding the resource to the resource pool will help you in

• Assignment information, as well as cost rates and availability for all resources, reside in one central location
• It is also easier to see resource overallocations (overallocation: The result of assigning more tasks to a resource than the resource can accomplish in the working time available.) caused by conflicting assignments across more than one project

MS Project provide Enterprise Resource Pool as a solution for this issue,  to access the ERP you can open MS Project professional 2007 and go to Tools ==> Enterprise Options ==> Open Enterprise Resource Pool

if you want to add more resources to your ERP then go to Toos ==> Enterprise Options ==> Import Resources to  Enterprise

 

Some notes about ERP

• Using MS Project 2007 professional connected to the server will allow you to see only Enterprise Resource Pool
• If you want to see or use local resources using MS Project 2007 professional then don't connect to the server and just open local project files, but again if you want to save and publish this local project to the server you need to import your local resource into the ERP using the mapping resource tool that will raised up once you start saving the project to the server, you have either to map your local resources to the ERP resources or just import them as new providing that there is no duplication

 

Best Regards

Bilal Okour

MS Project 2007: Difference between Assignment & Resource

Simply

Resources: The people, equipment, and material that are used to complete tasks in a project.

Assignment: When you assign this specific resource to a task then it become an Assignment

 

Best Regards

Bilal Okour