PC324 - Partner: Corporate Project Solutions - The key focus of this session is to understand three popular approaches to implementing SharePoint and Project Server together and the key benefits to each method.

1. Integrating Project Server & SharePoint
2010
Deployment Approaches, Integration Options
& making the most of the SharePoint Enterprise Features

2.  After attending this session you will understand the different
approaches to implementing SharePoint and Project Server together
and the key benefits to each method.
 In addition you will also takeaway:
 Understanding how SharePoint and Project Server work together
 Using the enterprise features of SharePoint to leverage Project Server data
 How SharePoint and Project Server techniques differ and can cause issues
with implementation

4.  Brief history of Microsoft Project / Project Server
 Deployment approaches
 Integration and consistency
 Breaking the rules
 Questions

5. 1991 – Project for Windows 1991 – Project 2000 – Project Central
1992 – Project 3.0 1993 – Project 4.0 2002 – Project Server 2002 (STS 1.0)
1993 – Project 4.0
1995 – Project 4.1a
2003 – Project Server 2003 (WSS 2.0)
1998 – Project 98 (9.0) 2007 – Project Server 2007 (WSS 3.0)
2000 – Project 2000 (10.0) 1984 – Project 1.0 2010 – Project Server 2010 (SPS 2010)
2002 – Project 2002 (11.0) 1985 – Project 2.0
2003 – Project 2003 (12.0) 1986 – Project 3.0
2007 – Project 2007 (13.0) 1986 – Project 4.0
2010 – Project 2010 (14.0)

7.  Standard Project Web App (PWA)
 Project Sites in the PWA Site Collection
 Risk, Issue, Deliverable lists
 Project Documents library

8.  Project Team Sites created on plan  List data BI is limited to cube data
publish  Risk / Issue roll ups including custom
 Integration with Project Professional fields not easy without customisation
client  Changes made to future project site
templates not added retrospectively
 Site Content Types can be used but
w/o SharePoint Designer Workflows

9.  Standard Project Web App (PWA)
 Project Sites under a separate Site Collection
 No coding required to user new site collection

10.  Project Team Sites created on plan  Integration features break if custom
publish content types used in standard
 Standard master page can be PS2010 lists
changed to allow for custom design  Changes made to future project site
 Roll ups via Content Query Web Part templates are not added
 Site Content Types can be used with retrospectively
SharePoint Designer Workflows

11.  Centralized soft data libraries and filtered dashboards for “Project
Sites”
 Using the enterprise features to connect to Project Server via the BDC and ensure the plan
GUID and associated metadata is tagged against all items
 All list items tagged with:
 Project
 Programme
 Division
 Standard Project Web App (PWA)
 Project Sites disabled
 More development required
 Flexible approach but requires PM maturity
 Ideal if requirements cannot be defined up front

12.  Cross project, Programme & Division  Integration features break because standard
based reporting becomes easier using content types cannot be used*
standard features:  For customers mature in PM practices
 List Views where standard project sites are limiting.
 Requires customisation to provide
 Filters
consistent look and feel
 Chart Web Part etc…  Standard SharePoint functionality
 Changes made to lists and dashboard problematic
pages are across all projects /  alerts, personal views, project /
programmes new and old. programme based permissions.

13.  EPM and SharePoint  Requirements for EPM  Requirements for EPM are
capability is new to the include workflow around high level but project
business soft data to support the management maturity is
business high
 You can transition to
 Custom look and feel  Dashboards need to be
separate site collections
required for corporate style created dynamically and
once maturity has been guidelines used across all projects
gained

15.  Project Server Interface (PSI) Caution
 Project  Not all functions in Project Server
 Resource and Project Professional are
 Timesheet available
+ others  In particular baselines
 Project Server Event Handlers (run on save and publish events)
 http://www.nintex.com/en-US/Products/Pages/NintexWorkflowForProjectServer2010.aspx
 Project Server Workflows (Nintex & UMT offer WYSIWYG options)
 http://www.umt.com/products.aspx
 Examples…

16.  Resource pool synchronization
ERP CPS Resource Resource PSI
(Dynamics / Sync (Project Server
SAP) (Scheduled) Interface)
Project Server

17.  Timesheet population (contracted hours)
JavaScript interacting with
Resource PSI
JSGrid Control
Contracted Hours
& Status Bar

18.  Timesheet population (contracted hours)

19.  1. Out of the box
 The Master Page cannot be edited (not supported by Microsoft)
 SharePoint Designer 2010 will not connect to Project Web App
 2. Separate site collection
 Site collection master page editable in project sites
 Project site owners can change the theme of project sites
 3. Centralized lists
 Site collection master page editable in project sites Feature
 Look and feel controlled by Administrator / Developer Add jQuery / CSS to
AdditionalPageHead
 So what can we do? placeholder

20.  Project Server has been built with BI in mind
 Reporting Database
 Data from plans and standard project sites are available on the publish of
plans
 Almost real-time reporting of Plan, Resource and Timesheet data
 Chart Web Part, Reporting Services, Excel Services, PowerPivot, Visio
Services and list views can all be used to surface the data

21. Reporting with Project Server 2010 Whitepaper: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215299

22. Reporting with Project Server 2010 Whitepaper: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215299

23.  Analysis Service Cube
 Built to a schedule (Typically daily over night)
 Provides time phased reporting without any customisation
 Perfect for PerformancePoint (now included as standard as part of
SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise), Chart Web Part and Analysis Services
Filters

24. Reporting with Project Server 2010 Whitepaper: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215299

25.  I/O on the WFE server is a lot more intense than SharePoint
 Memory usage due to PSI calls, Project & Timesheet queues
 All on top of SharePoint standard functionality
 Disk I/O on SQL Server due to Save, Publish, Reporting Database BI
 Imagine hundreds of Project Managers hitting publish at once
 For each plan 3 databases are being saved to.
 Tens of thousands of rows

26.  If this sounds like an unlikely scenario…
 Imagine timesheets linked to plans (Single Entry Mode).
 Timesheets entered and approved on a weekly basis.
 Plans should be up to date for Team Members to assign actuals against
planned work.
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27.  To combat this:
 Physical hardware or dedicated virtual hosts are recommended
 Virtualisation should not have stepped performance based on demand.
 Ensure network performance between WFE and DB is fast
 Ensure I/O performance on SAN’s are optimum
 Ensure RAM and Processor is suitable for the task
 Follow Microsoft Best Practice on Project Server capacity planning:
 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff686784.aspx

29.  Resource Pool
 Users are not part of the User Profile service or even Active Directory
 Display name must be unique and is used through out Project Server
 Active Directory users are linked to a user resource
 An AD username can only be linked to a single resource
 NB: The AD username must exist to validate after June 2010 Cumulative Update
 Forms Based Authentication can be used but is known to have issues with
certain web parts and is not recommended within PWA

30.  Permission Model
 Completely separate to the SharePoint permission model
 Special Project Server SharePoint groups are synchronised within the Project
Site on every plan publish
 If a user is on the project team (Build Team within the client), they are
automatically assigned Team Member rights to the project site
 Team Member is typically a Contribute user within the Project Site
 The owner of the plan is considered the Project Manager
 Project Managers have Owner access to the Project Site
 Synchronisation process deletes and recreates rather than handling delta’s

31.  Browser Compatibility (Project Web App)
 Officially IE7, IE8 only support at RTM
 SP1 introduced:
 IE9 support
 Standard SharePoint browser support (Firefox 3.6+, Safari 4.0+, Chrome) for team member
functionality (My Reminders, My Risks & Issues, Task Updates & Timesheet Entry)
 NB: This includes exporting out the web parts and placing them into a standard SharePoint
site collection
 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff631137.aspx
 Project Web App cannot be customised using SharePoint Designer
 Changing the Master Page (although possible) is not supported in Project
Server
Feature
Add jQuery / CSS to AdditionalPageHead placeholder

32.  Plan integration with Team Sites
 Feature stapled upon project site creation
 Feature creates:
 Risk, Issue and Deliverable list
 My Risks and Issues & My Reminders web part dependant on list content type, list name
and column names
 NB: If names are changed within the list, functionality breaks
 Project Documents library
 Applies event handlers code to lists update the Draft database with deliverable details
 Project Web App quick launch
 Managed by custom Project Server admin interface with changes applied by a
timer job upon save.

34.  Deployment approach 3 in practice Further Reading
 8 Billion reasons why ARM chose Project  Project Server Capacity Planning:
Server 2010 (Twitter: #PC301)  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/ff686784.aspx
 Each approach is valid but maturity  Plan Browser Compatibility:
assessments are required before  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-
implementation us/library/ff631137.aspx
 Project Management & Technology  Reporting with Project Server 2010:
 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkI
d=215299
 Reporting is the key to a successful
implementation with user adoption