Locating a circular reference

[Andrew K]

What is the best way to locate a circular reference? I have a master project
with 24 large inserted files.

 

[John]

What is the best way to locate a circular reference? I have a master project
with 24 large inserted files.

Andrew,
The most likely cause for a circular reference is due to a link on a
Summary line. I'd start there. If that's not it, then it may be a
painstaking process but I'd try creating a new master and selectively
insert small groups of the 24 large projects.

If it's all locked up and you can't open anything then you may have to
go back to your last backup of each file and look carefully at the
cross-project links.

John
Project MVP

 

[Andrew K]

Thanks, John. I'll first isolate the file(s) as you suggested, and then look
for links to summary tasks in those files.

 

[John]

Thanks, John. I'll first isolate the file(s) as you suggested, and then look
for links to summary tasks in those files.

Andrew,
You're welcome. If the problem only occurs at the master level, it might
be that someone attempted to link summary lines of subprojects that are
created when the master is created.

John
Project MVP

 

[Andrew K]

The problem occurs only at the master level. The error comes up
intermittently -- why is that?

 

[John]

The problem occurs only at the master level. The error comes up
intermittently -- why is that?

Andrew,
The only reason I can think of for an intermittent circular reference is
if calculation is set to manual. The error will only show when the
schedule attempts to calculate.

Did you try the interative build of the master? If so, how did it go?

John
Project MVP

 

[Andrew K]

Yes, and I isolated a problem file pair. I removed several x-project links
to summary tasks, and a link that contained both a current path and an
invalid (leftover) path. I then did the iteration again, and a different
file gave the error message. I'm cleaning up that one now. I'll keep you
posted.

 

[John]

Yes, and I isolated a problem file pair. I removed several x-project links
to summary tasks, and a link that contained both a current path and an
invalid (leftover) path. I then did the iteration again, and a different
file gave the error message. I'm cleaning up that one now. I'll keep you
posted.

Andrew,
Wow, it sounds like you've got a real mess. You might want to go to our
MVP website at: http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm
and take a look at FAQ - Summary Task Linking. I forgot to reference it
in my original response.

John
Project MVP

 

[Andrew K]

John, have you any experience with QuantumPM Schedule Auditor for identifying
circular relationships?

 

[John]

John, have you any experience with QuantumPM Schedule Auditor for identifying
circular relationships?

Andrew,
No, I never heard of it until yesterday when I was checking another
message. I though you were working on eliminating summary line links? Is
that not doing the trick?

John

 

[Andrew K]

John, thank you for looking after this with me.
I identified two suspect files by iteratively building a master, and I've
removed summary line links in those files and in files they're linked to.
Btw, after every insertion I had to save and re-open the master to check for
the error message; setting calculation on manual and hitting F9 didn't have
the same effect. The error is now gone from new masters I've built and also
from the masters that originally produced the error.

(According to tech service at Quantum PM, the Schedule Auditor does not
identify causes of circularity either in masters or in stand-alone files.)

 

[John]

John, thank you for looking after this with me.
I identified two suspect files by iteratively building a master, and I've
removed summary line links in those files and in files they're linked to.
Btw, after every insertion I had to save and re-open the master to check for
the error message; setting calculation on manual and hitting F9 didn't have
the same effect. The error is now gone from new masters I've built and also
from the masters that originally produced the error.

(According to tech service at Quantum PM, the Schedule Auditor does not
identify causes of circularity either in masters or in stand-alone files.)

Andrew,
So it sounds like you resolved the problem - great!

If QuantumPM Schedule Auditor doesn't help identify circular
relationship then I wonder what it does do, anything useful?

John

 

[Andrew K]

John, the below description of reports out of QSA is on quantumpm.com. The
company had no further information and would not send a functional
description.

Regards,
Andrew

Check Tasks for...
Any tasks with no predecessors or successors?
Any tasks with fixed costs?
Any tasks with no resources assigned?
Are task constraint dates represented correctly?
Are tasks the appropriate size?
Check Resources for...
Are there duplicate resources?
Are there generic resources?
Are any resources over allocated?
Are any resources scheduled for overtime?
Check Schedule for...
Timeliness.
Is the schedule up to date?
Is the schedule the appropriate size?
Is the schedule baselined?
Milestones entered correctly?
Do specified tasks exist in the schedule?
Check Calendar for...
Are holidays and vacations specified in calendars?
Is the length of working day set correctly?

 

[John]

John, the below description of reports out of QSA is on quantumpm.com. The
company had no further information and would not send a functional
description.

Regards,
Andrew

Andrew,
Wow, that's interesting. It is basically nothing more than a group of
general checks I have performed many times on files with filters,
macros, etc. And quite honestly, I don't see anything here that has
anything to do with finding circular references.

John
Project MVP

 

[Donald]

I have had a lot of success by turning off calc. and then collapsing all but
two schedules in the master. You can then re-calculate and see if those two
generate the error. The collapsed files won't calculate.