Collaborate Publish Error - Non-published Version (HELP)

[Brent99Admin]

We have a Project Server 2003 instance running and I'm using Project Professional 2003. I've been working with a project plan successfully for the past couple of weeks. I recently created a new version on the server called 'Working'. I'm now attempting to publish the project plan and resource assignments to the Project Server but I am getting the standard 'Cannot publish assignments from a non-published version' error message

I'm very confused by this message as I have already performed the following steps
1) Saved the project plan to Project Serve
2) Opened the project plan from Project Server via File-->Ope
3) Published the project plan using Collaborate-->Project Plan and selecting project plan with summary (which was succesful

However, when I try to publish 'All Information' or 'New and Changed Assignments' the system just keeps telling me that I need to open the published version from the server using File-->Open. I have closed out of Project Pro and opened the app again hoping there was a transaction that was open...no luck. Finally it should be noted that there are not entries in the Project Server Spooler on my desktop and the file is saved to the DB as the 'Save Offline' option is available in the File drop-down menu

Any help/insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Brent99Admin --

You can only publish the assignments for the Published version of the
project, which is the default version of every project. The Published
version of the project is meant to be the "production" or "working" version
of your project. Other versions of the project are meant to be "snapshots"
of particular states of the project. Therefore, I don't believe you are
using the Versions feature of Project Server correctly, which is what the
system is also trying to tell you. Hope this helps.

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
Denver, Colorado
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"

We have a Project Server 2003 instance running and I'm using Project

Professional 2003. I've been working with a project plan successfully for
the past couple of weeks. I recently created a new version on the server
called 'Working'. I'm now attempting to publish the project plan and
resource assignments to the Project Server but I am getting the standard
'Cannot publish assignments from a non-published version' error message.

I'm very confused by this message as I have already performed the following steps:
1) Saved the project plan to Project Server
2) Opened the project plan from Project Server via File-->Open
3) Published the project plan using Collaborate-->Project Plan and

selecting project plan with summary (which was succesful)

However, when I try to publish 'All Information' or 'New and Changed

Assignments' the system just keeps telling me that I need to open the
published version from the server using File-->Open. I have closed out of
Project Pro and opened the app again hoping there was a transaction that was
open...no luck. Finally it should be noted that there are not entries in
the Project Server Spooler on my desktop and the file is saved to the DB as
the 'Save Offline' option is available in the File drop-down menu.

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Brent99Admin --

As I stated in my original reply, versioning is used to capture "snapshots"
of your project at certain poins in the life of the project. For example, a
company might use versions like Pre-Appoval, Target, Change Control, etc.
All saved versions of a project are visible in both the Project Center and
detailed Project views. You can only published the ASSIGNMENTS for the
Published version, however. Because of this, the Published version must be
your working or production copy of the project.

As you plan a project, you can use only the Published version for
collaboration with your team. How would you use versions, therefore? If I
wanted to use the sample Versions detailed above, I would use the following
process:

1. Plan the initial project and save it (this will save it as the Published
version)
2. Click File - Save As and save it also as the Pre-Approval version
3. Click File - Close and reopen the Published version
4. Make modifications as deemed by our senior management, baseline the
project, and then save the Published version
5. Click File - Save As and save the latest copy of the project as the
Target version
6. Click File - Close and reopen the Published version
7. Publish both the project plan and the assignments
8. As work progresses, all updates are processed into the Published version
of the project
9. After a major change control procedure to the project, save the
Published version of the project
10. Click File - Save As and save it also as the Change Control version
11. Click File - Close and reopen the Published version
12. Continue making progress updates to the Published version

Do you see what I am doing in the process? I am taking a "snapshot"
versions of the project at key points along the project life cycle,
including my intial draft of the plan, the approved or "target" version, and
the project after a major change control. However, all along the way, I
continue to work with only the Published or "working" copy of the project.
This is the best path I recommend you follow with the use of Versions. Hope
this helps.

--
Dale A. Howard [MVP]
Enterprise Project Trainer/Consultant
Denver, Colorado
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"

Thanks for the reply Dale.

I just have two small follow-up questions then. First, what is the

purpose of versioning if I cannot publish multiple versions? In order
words, just because the .Published version is the production version I may
want resources to collaborate and build a project plan using PWA prior to
the version being the official Production [.Published] version. Second, how
do I easily then move from one version to the .Published version? The way
the system currently functions I cannot save over the .Published version nor
would it make sense to me to open the .Published version and replace all
tasks/assignments with the tasks/assignments from another version.

I understand the need/ability to have check-in/check-out and version

control and I am very pleased that MSFT has incorporated this functionality
into Project Server, but it seems like the idea was laid out but all
necessary functionality wasn't built accordingly. Any comments or
additional direction you can give me would be great. Thanks again!

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Brent:

You can substitute another versioned for the published one, but it's a
little ugly. What you need to do is save both the published version and new
version as mpp files. (Make sure you preserve task-level custom enterprise
field values to local fields - these can be lost in this process) Then
delete all versions from the server, deleting the published one last. Don't
select the checkbox that deletes the SharePoint site. Next import the new
version using Tools > Enterprise Options > Import Project to Enterprise.
Your new version will now be your published version. You'll need to
republish all the assignments and map your new project to the old Sharepoint
site.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
"We wrote the book on Project Server
http://www.msprojectexperts

Thanks for the reply Dale.

I just have two small follow-up questions then. First, what is the

purpose of versioning if I cannot publish multiple versions? In order
words, just because the .Published version is the production version I may
want resources to collaborate and build a project plan using PWA prior to
the version being the official Production [.Published] version. Second, how
do I easily then move from one version to the .Published version? The way
the system currently functions I cannot save over the .Published version nor
would it make sense to me to open the .Published version and replace all
tasks/assignments with the tasks/assignments from another version.

I understand the need/ability to have check-in/check-out and version

control and I am very pleased that MSFT has incorporated this functionality
into Project Server, but it seems like the idea was laid out but all
necessary functionality wasn't built accordingly. Any comments or
additional direction you can give me would be great. Thanks again!