EPM, Microsoft Project and You

BY:  Collin Quiring

This is an updated version of the post from February, 2010, when Project Professional 2010 and Project Server weren’t really in the wild yet.  I have now included the 2010 versions and updated the 2007 information.  This information is everything I could find as of January 10, 2012.

I am asked “What release (version) of Project do I have?” and “What is the latest update?” quite often and this is an attempt to help answer those questions.  And, this also answers the question about what the differences are between a hotfix, patch, update and service pack.

Please note – always read the installation instructions on any update for software as there are pre-requisites that sometimes must be installed first or at best the update won’t work and at worst case it could stop your program from working at all.  And, of course, always back up your software and data prior to patching anything!  Also note that it is important that the Server and Client versions of the software stay as close to the same version as possible with updates as problems can occur if they are not equal.

2010 Versions

Note that along with Project Server 2010 you need to update SharePoint Server 2010.  They aren’t just dating like they we in 2007, they are fully married now and almost always both have to be updated for full effect.  (I put some SharePoint 2010 update information at the end of this post.)

To see what version of Project Professional 2010 is on your computer, open Professional, go to File, Help and on the right hand side will be the Version number under the “About Microsoft Project” heading.  This is known as the “Backstage” area and is listed that way in the table below.  There is also a link called “Additional Versions and Copyright Information” which gives a bit more information if you select it.  Or, you can go to your Control Panel and view the version at that location.  The version numbers will look different in the Control Panel or in the Professional.  The list of the Project Professional versions are in the following table.

The information in the tables below for Project 2010 and Project Server 2010 comes from Brian Smith’s blog (http://bit.ly/cHxHPW).

Project Professional 2010

June 2011                 Service Pack 1 – Build 14.0.6106.5000        KB 2460047

August 2011             Build 14.0.6109.5000                                      KB 2584056

October 2011           Build 14.0.6112.5000                                       KB 2596498

December 2011       Build 14.0.6114.5000                                       KB 2597006

For Project Server 2010

Also from Brian Smith’s blog (http://bit.ly/cHxHPW) is this information on how to run a query or use the control panel to get the version.

The version can be different depending where you look, so I will tabulate the version you will see in Control Panel, Programs and Features (binary version) or on the individual binaries – which is also listed in Central Administration under Upgrade and Migration, Check Product and Patch Installation Status – and also the version you will see in the databases. I’ll mention too various other components that might be of interest. I have listed just the Project Server KB for the CU – but the DB Version noted for SharePoint assumes that either a SharePoint Server or Server rollup has also been installed

As a reminder to get the version from the database there is a table in each SharePoint DB, and each Project Server DB called Versions so a query such as the following will return the current version, which will be the highest Version next to the NULL GUID.

USE <PROJECTSERVERNAME>_Published

SELECT * FROM Versions

WHERE VersionId =’00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000′

June 2011                       Service Pack 1 – Build ​​14.0.6029.1000      KB 2460047

August 2011                   Build 14.0.6109.5005                                     KB 2553049

October 2011                 Build 14.0.6112.5000                                      KB 2596506

December 2011             Build 14.0.6114.5000                                      KB 2597015

­2007 Versions

To determine the version of Project that you have, open Project Professional, go to Help and then select About.  (There are other ways to determine the version, but we will only cover this one method.)

A pop-up box will appear and the top line will have the information that answers the question “What version of Project do I have?”  The first part of the line will be descriptive of the version and will say something like “Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003” or “Microsoft Office Project 2007” (or 2000, 2002, 2010) as appropriate.

The next part of that line is the “File Version” or “Build” for that product.  If you have installed a Service Pack then the file version or build of the Service Pack is listed as well.  Here is an example:

“Microsoft Office Project 2007 (12.0.6524.5000) SP2 MSO (12.0.6425.1000)”

This means that this computer is using Project 2007 with the December 15, 2009 hotfix update (found by knowing what the number “12.0.6524.5000” means) and with Service Pack 2 that has been updated with the latest Office Service Pack (that is what “12.0.6425.1000” means).

I have included a list below of the Project 2007 release numbers as of today, with the Microsoft KB article explaining the modifications:

I don’t have a full listing for Project 2003 like I provided above for 2007, but here are the original release values for Project 2003:

How do you determine what version of Project Server are you running?  If you go to the Project Server itself, to the currently installed program list it will have a line for Project Server.  In the 2007 version, that is called “Microsoft Office Project Server 2007”.  When you select that line, there is a “Click here for support information” option.  Selecting that will bring up a pop-up with the server version of the product that you are using.

As a rule, the file version of the Server should be the same as the file version on the Client.  When the client says this:  “Microsoft Office Project 2007 (12.0.6524.5000) SP2 MSO (12.0.6425.1000)” the Server version should also be “12.0.6425.1000” – demonstrating that they are on the same Service Pack.

Here are the Project Server 2007 release numbers as of today:

Finally, here are the definitions and differences of the various update types (as taken directly from Microsoft’s TechNet Project information):

Hotfix:

A hotfix is a single cumulative package composed of one or more files used to address a problem in a product. A hotfix addresses a specific customer situation and is distributed by Microsoft Customer Service and Support. Customers may not redistribute hotfixes without written, legal consent from Microsoft.  Individual hotfix releases are no longer available. Hotfixes are released to customers by Microsoft Customer Service and Support through cumulative updates.

Cumulative Update:

A Cumulative update is a method of providing hotfix releases on a scheduled delivery basis for Office Server products, including Office Project Server 2007. Through this model, Office hotfixes are released every two months in the form of a downloadable package of current and previous hotfixes. The primary goal is to deliver high-quality fixes on a predictable schedule.

Service Pack:

A service pack is a tested, cumulative set of all hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and updates. Service packs may also contain additional fixes for problems that are found internally since the release of the product and a limited number of customer-requested design changes or features. Microsoft service packs are public updates that are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center.

Infrastructure Updates:

The Infrastructure Update for Microsoft Office Servers is a set of public updates to improve platform performance and also contains several customer-driven fixes.

The SharePoint updates also are important.  I ran across this blog posting from Technet’s Joe’s SharePoint Blog (sorry, I don’t know the author’s name).  (http://blogs.technet.com/b/sharepointjoe/archive/2011/02/01/sp2010-sharepoint-2010-build-level-and-version-numbers.aspx)

I removed non-SharePoint information and the download and revisions columns.

​October   2010 CU​SharePoint Foundation​ 2010KB2394323​14.0.5128.5000​October   2010 CU​SharePoint Server 2010​KB2394320​​​​​14.0.5130.5002​​December 2010 CUSharePoint Foundation 2010

​KB2459125   ​14.0.5130.5002​

​December 2010 CU​SharePoint Server 2010​KB2459257​​​​​14.0.5136.5002​February 2011 CU​SharePoint Foundation 2010

​KB2475880​14.0.5136.5002​February 2011 CU​SharePoint Server 2010​KB2475878​​​​14.0.5138.5000​April 2011 CU​SharePoint Foundation 2010​KB2512804​14.0.5138.5000​April 2011 CUSharePoint Server 2010​​KB2512800​14.0.6029.1000​Service Pack 1​SharePoint Server 2010​KB2460045​14.0.6029.1000​Service Pack 1​Office Web AppsKB2460073​14.0.6029.1000​Service Pack 1​SharePoint Foundation 2010KB2460058​​​​​14.0.6105.5000​June 2011 CU Version 1​​SharePoint Server 2010​KB2536599​14.0.6105.5000​June 2011 CU Version 1​SharePoint Foundation 2010KB2536601​​​​​14.0.6106.5002​​June 2011 CU Version 2​​​SharePoint Server 2010​KB2536599​14.0.6106.5002​​June 2011 CU Version 2​SharePoint Foundation 2010KB2536601​14.0.6105.5000​June 2011 CU​Office Web AppsKB2553919​​​​14.0.6109.5002​August 2011 CU​SharePoint Server 2010KB255304814.0.6109.5000​August 2011 CU​​SharePoint Foundation 2010KB255311714.6112.5000​October 2011 CU​SharePoint Server 2010KB259650514.6112.5000​​October 2011 CU​​​SharePoint Foundation 2010KB259650814.6112.5000​​October 2011 CU​​Project Server 2010KB2596506

BY Collin Quiring

In our book, “Mastering Resource Management Using Microsoft Project and Project Server 2010” we concentrate on the tool itself and on Work Resources.  This document is an addendum of sorts to that and is designed to better define specifically the Budget Resource Type and the Cost Resource Type that are available in Project.

From Chapter 5 of the book:

A Resource can be defined as a Work, Material or Cost Type.  Material Resources are consumable items like concrete or paint.  Cost Type Resources are meant for controlling or reporting costs such as airfare or lodging.  Work Resources are people or equipment and can be generic or actual (sometimes called named).  A Generic Resource is a resource identified by the skill set or type of resource and an actual resource is a person.

For example, a Generic Resource might be called something like Carpenter, Painter, System Administrator, DBA or Project Manager.  The Generic Resource is then replaced by an actual resource with the appropriate skill set at a later time

To more deeply define the Cost and Budget Resources I have come up with this:

A Cost Resource is a specific cost that occurs that is usually related to a specific task.  For example, to accomplish a specific task you may incur some airfare.  But, throughout the life of the Project, there may be numerous times where airfare expenses are incurred – each one based on the deliverable for a specific task.  (Yes, if you want to, you can be more advanced and spread a cost across multiple tasks but that requires a bit more effort on your part and we are going to stay simple in this document.)

And, each time you assign the Resource to a task, you can put in the amount of the cost as it pertains to that specific task.  For example, I have created the Cost Resource named Airfare and on these two tasks have two different cost amounts for each ticket – the first one being $750 and the second being $250.  I assign the same Resource (Airfare) but with different costing.  When you enter the information into the Resources tab of the Task Information box the amount of the cost will appear in the Resource Name field.

For the rest of this post, view the full document:  http://pmpspecialists.com/WhitePapers/PMP_Specialists_Resource_Types.pdf

BY: Collin Quiring

Our book has been published!  It is titled “Mastering Resource Management: Using Microsoft Project and Project Server 2010″ and was written by Tanya Foster and Collin Quiring.  It was written to be an effective tool for Project Managers and Resource Managers who use Microsoft Project (whether Standard or Professional) and for the Project Managers and Resource Managers that use Microsoft Project Server.

It can be found at www.Amazon.com, www.BN.com (Barnes and Noble), www.jrosspub.com (J Ross Publishing) and other book selling sites.

Here is the high level summary about the book:

In the new economy, organizations in a myriad of sizes and industries are now more than ever seeking a better understanding of how to best utilize and manage the scarce resources devoted to their project portfolios. Microsoft® Project and Project Server are the most widely used and one of the top-rated enterprise project management software packages in the marketplace today and understanding how to properly use it allows an organization to cut costs, share information, and increase efficiency and effectiveness. However, due to the size and complexity of the software, covering all the numerous features, within a single text, may not meet the needs of those specifically involved with resource management.

Mastering Resource Management Using Microsoft® Project and Project Server 2010 provides the guidance needed to master resource management and exploit the full potential of Microsoft® Project and Project Server as it pertains to this critical function. It will also serve as a great companion to practical guides demonstrating the breadth of features and functionality available in this software.

Key Features:

• Presents step-by-step illustrated instructions on using Microsoft Project with Project Server 2010 as well as stand-alone Project Professional to best utilize and manage scarce resources devoted to project portfolios
• Explains the philosophy and methodology the software tool uses “behind the scenes” which will enable you to use it with confidence and clarity, become an expert user, and better manage your project portfolios and business
• Provides practical insights into how to maximize the resource management capabilities of Microsoft Project to obtain better information on resource usage, costs, and future needs, and in turn, gain better planning, scheduling, awareness and control of your scarce resources
• Highlights the things a manager must remember to do daily, weekly, monthly and annually to keep the system in place and working as expected

BY: Collin Quiring

Well, it used to be the “Magic Quadrant” but I guess like everything else it had to be renamed.  Gartner renamed the “Magic Quadrant for IT Project and Portfolio Management” this year to “MarketScope for Project and Portfolio Management Applications.”  A link to the full report is below but the high level summary is the Microsoft’s Project and Portfolio Management software was rated as “Strong Positive” (the highest possible rating).

As an organization that helps companies with their Project Management needs AND their Project and Portfolio Management tools we are always watching to see what happens in the marketplace with software technologies.  We are highly biased towards Microsoft Project and Microsoft Project Server and have felt for some time that this is the technology that is the best in the marketplace.  We also think that in the 2010 release, Microsoft moved even further away from its competitors by adding functionality and abilities that make life easier for its clients.  And, the ability to integrate the Microsoft Project tool with other software like Dynamics AX or even competing products we continue to think this is the best software on the market for Enterprise Project and Portfolio Management.

As an organization, we want to always be careful to watch what the market is doing because we don’t want to have blinders on and be recommending, implementing and consulting with clients on a software package that isn’t the best available.  While we believe that Microsoft’s tool is the best one on the market it is good to get confirmation that the market agrees with us. That is one reason we are happy to let you know about the report that just came out by Gartner.  It is also interesting to us to note how many of the other tools being rated are based upon Microsoft Project or can be considered as “add-ons” or “variations” of Microsoft Project Server (like a web-enabled only version).  We think this is another proof in the market that Microsoft Project and Project Server are valued tools.

For a summary, here is the Gartner Rating Chart:

Get all the gory details about the entire report here:

http://www.gartner.com/technology/media-products/reprints/microsoft/vol14/article21/article21.html

BY: Collin Quiring

When talking with customers one of the observations that I often make is something like “by using Project Server you have one version of the truth”.  By that I mean that there is a central location where you can obtain information about your Projects, Resources, specific tasks and whatever else you want to track from a centralized location.  There is ONE PLACE to get that information – and the version of that information will be the same for everybody accessing it.  If a task is late and that is causing the entire schedule for a project to be late, then all those using Project Web Access (with the right security permissions) can see that the schedule is late.

But, my statement is inferring one very important detail.  That detail is that the data in Project Server is correct, or stated differently, that it is TRUE.  While surfing the internet this morning I ran across a small post by Mark K title “What is Truth?”  In that post, he asks if “…project management software tools…reflect truth?”   (http://blog.teaminteractions.com/ep/2011/04/what-is-truth.html) I posted a quick response to his post but have decided to expand on it here.

When I tell customers that having a centralized repository of information allows for one version of the truth I am thinking about all those times when I have seen two different people come to a meeting and they both have their own report based on their own data collection system.  And, invariably, the reports do not match.  That is one of the great values of using Project Server.  The information is in one place and so the underlying data is going to be the same to start with.  And, depending on how you set up your server and reporting capabilities, there can be agreed upon template reports so that everybody has the same end report – in both data and format.  Or, reports and views can be customized so that each person has their own format and their own way to view the data – but since the data is the same then the ending values will be the same (and if they aren’t then it is relatively easy to see if somebody is modifying their data in an interesting way).

But, the reports only show what that data is on the server and it doesn’t address whether or not that data is truth. The tool can’t force people to always accurately record their information.  However, it can provide the ability to check and confirm that information once it is recorded.  For example, if I have a task that is due today and I mark it as “complete” the person that approves my update can decide to accept or reject that update.  If I have to provide some sort of document and post it when that task is complete, the system easily shows whether or not a document is posted.  There are other checks-and-balances that the Project Server can provide to us in all sorts of reports and data exports.  One client I work with has some Timesheet updates flow through to their payroll and billing systems.  This makes the incentive for both management and each individual to have truthful entries into the system.  If they aren’t truthful in Project Server, customers will notice that they are being billed for work not done.  Or, the Human Resources department will discover a payroll issue if the information in Project Server isn’t correct.

We have posted before about getting to the truth from the business perspective (http://pmpspecialists.com/Blog/2010/09/getting-the-truth/).  As that post describes, if we shoot our messengers then we are telling them to always tell us happy thoughts and to avoid anything negative.  Sometimes the truth is negative and we need to deal with it when it happens and not when the results are finally shown.  If an individual knows that their assigned task is going late, but they know that they have weeks or months before others will discover this fact and they don’t want to update anybody because they fear retribution then we have failed as an organization to demonstrate that we want the truth.

So, it is important to realize that the project management tool that we use is usually only as good as the culture we operate it in.  If we shoot the messenger then those messengers will figure out how to go around any system.  However, if we provide the right incentive to individuals to tell us the truth then our systems will reflect that as well.

It is important to note that the truth is not always negative.  On occasion, tasks are completed early or issues or risks appear that can benefit a task or a schedule.  And, sometimes individuals know that something is coming up but perhaps nobody else sees it or is thinking about it yet.  What if I know that we are going to miss a deadline due to an upcoming event that we have no control over?  For example, if I know that a critical vendor is almost assuredly going to miss a ship date 3 months from now there is a value to my organization if I bring this up as a probable risk to the project.

If the organization were to reward me for bringing this up early, rather than waiting for it to happen, I would be much more prone to bring that up as soon as I discovered it.  If bad news is met by blaming me and by “shooting” me than I will just cross my fingers and hope it doesn’t happen.  And, when it does happen, and we are suddenly forced into trying to figure out how to mitigate the problem, how much more pain and cost does that cost my organization than if I had brought it up early and we had a mitigation plan already in place?

My answer to whether or not we know that our project management tool is reflecting the truth is the “both/and” answer.  If we have a culture that expects (and both rewards and holds accountable) truth and a tool that centralizes the data then we expect it to be truthful.  And, to me one of the other benefits of having the tool is that we have an archived history so we can begin to look at information about “how long did this take last time” and we can have better and better (more truthful) schedules, expectations and timelines in the future.

BY: Collin Quiring

The February Cumulative Update was recently released for Project Professional 2010.  As with most updates, this brings a few questions to mind.

How do I know which version, or build, of Project Professional 2010 is on my computer?

How do I know which version, or build, is the latest one available?

From the Project Server perspective, how do I restrict the Project Professional version my users are using to access the server?

Why does that matter?

When Project Professional and Project Server are released to the world and it begins to get a large installation base and is in everyday use all sorts of scenarios and usage variations are implemented by the people using the tools.  In so doing, some unintended consequences occur, some bugs are found and some “business realities” or “business logic issues” are discovered that aren’t part of the current version of Project.  As other integrated tools, like SharePoint, are modified in some way then Project also needs to be modified.  Therefore, updates are released for the software.

As software updates are released, these issues are resolved.  And, so it is important that all the users have the most recent version of Project Professional installed on their computers.  While most organizations have a process to update software, it isn’t always easy to know if everybody accessing your server has the most recent version.  Even if you don’t use Project Server, it is still important for everybody to be using the same version of Project.  What if a user has two copies or Project Professional – one on a desktop computer that is definitely part of the routine update process and a company issued notebook that they don’t always get updated?

And, again, why does this matter?  Why do I care if they all have the same version of Project Professional?  Let’s have a made-up example where there is a bug in Project where every time a Task Name has the letter “R” in it the system changes that to a “3”.  Well, that would be fixed in an update.  And, everybody that updates their version of Project to the latest version would no longer experience that problem.  However, if somebody does NOT update their version, opens a previously fine file and makes a change and then saves it, their version might affect all the “R” characters and make them “3’s” again.  This causes increased frustration as users have to determine if there is a new bug or if somebody has an older version – and, they have to figure out who has that version.  All of that work is in addition to having to correct all the project files that are affected.

So, how do I know which version of Project Professional 2010 is on my computer?

With most things Microsoft, there are many ways to determine this but the easiest way is to open Project, go to File and then Help.  On the right hand side of the screen is the “About Microsoft Project”.  There is also a link that says “Additional Version and Copyright Information”.  This is an important link.

In my case, BEFORE THE FEBRUARY UPDATE, the screen looks like this:

And, the important piece is when I click on the link:

The important piece of information here is the Build Number, the first number in the top row of the About information box.

In this case, before installing the February update, I am using build 14.0.4751.1000.  So, if you are not using Project Server, or if you just want to know, you can ask everybody to go to their computer, open Project Professional and look at this to determine which version they are using.

If you are using Project Server 2010, there is a setting that allows you to restrict the Project Professional build that people are using to access the Server.  In the Server Settings, Additional Server Settings, Project Professional Versions text box you can enter the version that you want users to have.  This will be the “oldest” version that you allow users to have when connecting.

In this example, BEFORE the update, I am requiring version 14.0.2215.1000.

But, now that the February CU is available, I want everybody to have that version.  So, all I have to do is modify this field to the latest version.  After modifying and clicking Save this is the new requirement. NOTE – it takes effect immediately, so don’t make this change until you have either warned your users this change is coming or you are fairly confident that everybody is on the new version.  And, it would be nice to notify your Help Desk about the error messages that will be produced by Project (shown below).

Since I want to use the February CU, I will change this field to say 14.0.5315.5000 since that is the new build number.  How did I know that?  I explain that a bit later as well.

Now, if a Project Professional client attempts to get to my server with a version that is not at least 14.0.5315.5000 they will get an error.  And, this is why it is nice to warn the users and your Help Desk that this is coming – the error message is a bit cryptic.  When the user tries to sign into Project Server, they will get this error message.  Error ID 12015(0x2EEF) with Error Description “An internal error occurred.”  These do not just jump out at you and tell you that it is an error that came from the version change.  It looks like this:

However, if you click on More Info, you do get a bit more information.  Notice that in the message it says that this is an UnsupportedProjectProfessionalVersion – which is what we would expect.

And, just to be thorough, if the user clicks on More Info or not, they get a second error box that says that the Enterprise Global template could not be retrieved and that there might be a database error.  While we know that is not the case, it sounds like a very bad thing and may cause widespread panic.  Ok, maybe just a lack of trust in the database.

However, once the Project Professional client is updated to the February CU, then no errors will appear.

What does Project Professional look like AFTER the February CU is applied?  Well, the first screen looks the same.  It still shows version 14.0.5128.5000:

However, when clicking on the Additional Version link, I get a different result, showing the new build number 14.0.5135.5000:

That answers the version questions and the compliance issue.  But, how did I know which version to use for Project Server?  I guess one way would be to implement the update and just look at the version.  But, that isn’t always precise because there might be a difference between 32-bit and 64-bit versions or there might be some other modification to the system that you are looking at that gives you a different version number.

The best way to know the correct version number is to look at the KB article that Microsoft provides.  For the February CU, the article is located at:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2496946.  That article also gives information about what the update includes but it also gives the version information.  That is copied here:

x86

Download information

Collapse this tableExpand this table

Microsoft Windows Installer .msp file information

Collapse this tableExpand this table

After the hotfix is installed, the global version of this hotfix has the file attributes, or a later version of the file attributes, that are listed in the following table:

Project-x-none.msp information

Collapse this tableExpand this table

x64

Download information

Collapse this tableExpand this table

Microsoft Windows Installer .msp file information

Collapse this tableExpand this table

After the hotfix is installed, the global version of this hotfix has the file attributes, or a later version of the file attributes, that are listed in the following table:

Project-x-none.msp information

Collapse this tableExpand this table

Since we were using the 64-bit version for this example and since I was looking at the Project Professional information in File, Help, the pertinent information to me is the File Version for Winproj.exe.

By:  Collin Quiring

 One of the changes that Project Server 2010 brings is that it requires SharePoint Server 2010 to operate.  While this is great from the perspective of functionality it does mean that companies may have to invest more in software and licensing than they would prefer to do and it means that an administrator that understands how Project Server works will need to learn SharePoint Server as well. 

 In my opinion, if you are going to be an effective Project Server 2010 administrator, I believe that you need to have more than just a casual knowledge of how SharePoint Server 2010 is administered.  I am sure that there are some folks that would disagree but with the level of integration between Project and SharePoint it is going to be increasingly difficult to know where one ends and the other begins.  Without knowing how the two relate with each other, I think that an administrator is going to be frustrated very often!

 I am sure that some Project Server administrators won’t want to take this on as it will be perceived mostly as a case of “more to learn and do” and they will have the hope that there is already somebody else that is the SharePoint administrator that can “do that stuff”.  At first I fell into that camp myself – thinking that learning more about SharePoint would distract me from my real goal of administering Project Server.  However, I have learned in the last few months a lot about SharePoint Server and have become one of the proponents about its capabilities.  The functionality that it will bring to Project Server is highly beneficial.  From an administrators perspective I think that the 2010 version is going to be easier to manage than 2007 – but it still has a number of inter-dependencies upon itself and with Project which cause interesting issues to pop up every now and then.

 In an effort to become better acquainted I was looking for an opportunity to learn the tool better in a real production environment.  To that end, I have recently had the opportunity to manage a large SharePoint Server 2007 Farm with over 600,000 users.  Yes, 600,000.  In fact, we will be installing SharePoint Server 2010 in the next couple of weeks and then migrating over to 2010. 

While I don’t recommend trying to administer a SharePoint Server with that many users, I do recommend that if you are Project Server administrator you start to learn how SharePoint works.  It can only make your job with Project easier and your end users will notice the increased functionality and integration.

BY: Collin Quiring

I know that I haven’t blogged as much lately.  The reason is simple – I have been busy getting ready for a few different large presetnations.  One of them is for Microsoft Project User Group – MPUG – that is a public event on April 28.  Just go to www.mpug.com and look for the “Upcoming MPUG WebNLearns” section on the right hand side.  Here are the details about the upcoming presentation.

BY: Collin Quiring

I am asked “What release (version) of Project do I have?” and “What is the latest update?” quite often and this is an attempt to help answer those questions.  And, this also answers the question about what the differences are between a hotfix, patch, update and service pack.

Please note – always read the installation instructions on any update for software as there are pre-requisites that sometimes must be installed first or at best the update won’t work and at worst case it could stop your program from working at all.  And, of course, always back up your software and data prior to patching anything!

ALSO NOTE that it is very important that the Server and Client versions of the software stay matched with updates as problems can occur if they are not equal.

To determine the version of Project that you have, open Project, go to Help and then select About.  (There are other ways to determine the version, but we will only cover this one method.)

A pop-up box will appear and the top line will have the information that answers the question “What version of Project do I have?”  The first part of the line will be descriptive of the version and will say something like “Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003” or “Microsoft Office Project 2007” (or 2000, 2002, 2010) as appropriate. 

The next part of that line is the “File Version” or “Build” for that product.  If you have installed a Service Pack then the file version or build of the Service Pack is listed as well.  Here is an example:

“Microsoft Office Project 2007 (12.0.6524.5000) SP2 MSO (12.0.6425.1000)”

This means that this computer is using Project 2007 with the December 15, 2009 hotfix update (found by knowing what the number “12.0.6524.5000” means) and with Service Pack 2 that has been updated with the latest Office Service Pack (that is what “12.0.6425.1000” means).

I have included a list below of the Project 2007 release numbers as of today, with the Microsoft KB article explaining the modifications:

I don’t have a full listing for Project 2003 like I provided above for 2007, but here are the original release values for Project 2003:

Project 2010 and Project Server 2010 haven’t been officially released as of the writing of this article so I won’t try to put in values for those here at this time.

How do you determine what version of Project Server are you running?  If you go to the Project Server itself, to the currently installed program list it will have a line for Project Server.  In the 2007 version, that is called “Microsoft Office Project Server 2007”.  When you select that line, there is a “Click here for support information” option.  Selecting that will bring up a pop-up with the server version of the product that you are using.

As a rule, the file version of the Server should be the same as the file version on the Client.  When the client says this:  “Microsoft Office Project 2007 (12.0.6524.5000) SP2 MSO (12.0.6425.1000)” the Server version should also be “12.0.6425.1000” – demonstrating that they are on the same Service Pack.

Here are the Project Server 2007 release numbers as of today:

Finally, here are the definitions and differences of the various update types (as taken directly from Microsoft’s TechNet Project information):

Hotfix:

A hotfix is a single cumulative package composed of one or more files used to address a problem in a product. A hotfix addresses a specific customer situation and is distributed by Microsoft Customer Service and Support. Customers may not redistribute hotfixes without written, legal consent from Microsoft.  Individual hotfix releases are no longer available. Hotfixes are released to customers by Microsoft Customer Service and Support through cumulative updates.

Cumulative Update:

A Cumulative update is a method of providing hotfix releases on a scheduled delivery basis for Office Server products, including Office Project Server 2007. Through this model, Office hotfixes are released every two months in the form of a downloadable package of current and previous hotfixes. The primary goal is to deliver high-quality fixes on a predictable schedule.

Service Pack:

A service pack is a tested, cumulative set of all hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and updates. Service packs may also contain additional fixes for problems that are found internally since the release of the product and a limited number of customer-requested design changes or features. Microsoft service packs are public updates that are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center.

Infrastructure Updates:

The Infrastructure Update for Microsoft Office Servers is a set of public updates to improve platform performance and also contains several customer-driven fixes.

BY:  Collin Quiring

Now that the “non-disclosure” agreement that I have with Microsoft about 2010 is basically over, I will be going into more details about some of these in future posts.  In the meantime, here are some of the highlights about Project Professional 2010 and Project Server 2010.  Note: since the product isn’t released into the wild yet, it is possible that some of these may change.

Microsoft worked on Project with some goals in mind that set the framework for 2010.  The framework that Microsoft worked under for Project 2010 was:

·         Unified Project and Portfolio Management

·         Enhanced Collaboration and Reporting

·         Simple and Intuitive User Experience

·         Scalable and Connected Platform

Even though I tried to separate Professional from Server for this list, many features and capabilities are now available on Server that we would traditionally think are Professional only.

Highlights of Project Professional 2010:

·         The Ribbon – currently used in Office 2007 and 2010

o   Known as “Fluent” user interface

o   Makes for a highly customizable interface

o   Organizes common tasks together

·         Runs on Windows 7, Vista and XP

·         Office Backstage

o   Puts printing options in one place – gives a WYSIWYG preview

o   Replaces the “file” view

·         Text Wrapping

·         Filter Improvements

·         Auto-Complete

·         Copy and Paste

o   Indentions stay in place when copying in or out of Project

o   Can copy and paste between many Office applications

·         User-Controlled Scheduling

o   Manually versus Automatic scheduling

o   You can now put notes in columns that used to be data (date/number) only

o   Adding placeholder tasks is easy

·         Inactive Tasks

·         Team Planner

o   Quickly view assignments across resources

o   Easily manage assignments

·         Task Inspector

o   An improvement over the Task Driver in 2007

·         Report Improvements

·         Timeline View

o   Report on selected tasks in timeline format

o   Format online

o   Shares easily

·         Synchronize with SharePoint lists

·         Two versions of the Product

o   Project Standard 2010

o   Project Professional 2010

·         Incremental Leveling

·         Versioning

·         Supports Total Work and Percent Complete tracking

·         Zoom slider

o   Zoom in and out rather than clicking “+” or “-“

·         Resource Selection

o   Select multiple resources from the drop down at one time

·         Add new columns easily

·         Office Suite integration

o   Able to use items like WordArt

Highlights of Project Server 2010:

·         The name – it is no longer “Office” Project Server

·         Web based Project editing

o   Ability to do a lot of work on the server that used to be client only

·         Portfolio Server is now part of Project Server

o   No longer a separate product makes integration and use easier

·         Requires SharePoint Server to work

o   Project Server now is “SharePoint centric”

·         NO ACTIVE X CONTROLS

o   Grids are now Ajax or JavaScript

·         No Office Web Components (OWC)

·         Resource Updating

o   Multiple places for resources to update their tasks now

·         SharePoint synchronization

·         Exchange Server integration

o   No Outlook add-in

o   Easily update tasks from Outlook

o   Allows for mobile updates

·         Custom Fields enhancements

o   Can create fields by “Department”

·         Have I already mentioned NO ACTIVE X CONTROLS!?!?

·         Excel Services

o   Reporting engine allows for more functionality

·         Multiple level Undo

·         Delegation

o   Allows resources to “request” delegation

o   Lessens load on the Admins

·          The PSI (Project Server Interface) is enhanced

o   It doesn’t replace the old version, so custom PSI should still work

·         Improved Programmability

·         Timesheet Enhancements

·         Workflow Capabilities

o   Enterprise Project Types (EPT) that help define types of workflow

·         Improved Reporting

·         Increased collaboration

·         Did I mention NO ACTIVE X controls?!?!