MPS03, SQL Server 2000 Standard, OLAP and HTTP

[Jason Wooleendh]

Hi All!

Reference : Microsoft Project Server and the Internet.
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?
url=/technet/prodtechnol/project/project2002/reskit/PRK_ssv
rinternet_3550.asp)

We're planning to install MS Project Server 2003 and SQL
Server Standard 2000 + OLAP. System will be behind
firewall through which customer connects in order to
follow reporting. In the beginning MPS, SQL and OLAP will
all reside on the same server. (Machine is powerfull and
there will be just one huge projectplan with a few hundred
resources so I guess there won't be performance troubles.)

Article above says, that in order to use Portfolio
Analyzer over HTTP you must have SQL Server Enterprise.
Questions below are related to system where MSP03 is
installed with SQL2000 Standard:

1. What feature limitations will there be when using SQL
Standard?

2. Are we able to use portfolio analyzer at all? I assume
network traffic will be plain HTTP or do OWCs use some
other protocol?

3. If not Portfolio Analyzer, then what features will be
available for customer?

4. If administration generates reporting, i.e. builds-up
OLAP-cubes, views, etc., will customer be able to see
reports in PWA?

Thanks for your answers

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

Jason:

Consider the alternative of adding a Terminal Services Server to the mix.
This preserves all functionality and delivers an excellent user experience.
It's a much easier to secure environment.



--

Gary Chefetz [MVP]
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"

*** Remember to look for line breaks in links posted to the news group, use
cut and paste for these.

 

[Wooleendh]

Gary,

Being very fresh to MSP, I have to ask what would I use
Terminal Services for? Would I generate reporting,
administer OLAP or what?

What about customers, could they follow project progress
in Web Access ?

Jason

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

Jason:

You can use it to deliver whatever components of the EPM environment you
want. For your internal staff this means real-time access to Project
maintenance and analysis from the road or at home. For your trading partners
this might mean access to project task pages in Project Web Access, and for
clients this might mean access to some Project Views.

Terminal Services gives you a the means to deliver fat client functionality
over low-bandwidth connections. Gracefully.

If you need to access Analysis Services via the Internet, and you want to
expose Project Web Access directly across public transports, you need SQL
Enterprise Edition and you'll want to run over SSL. Comparing the costs of
both approaches might lead you to conclude, as I have, that the enormous
flexibility and security advantage that Terminal Services adds to the mix,
makes it a much better choice.

--

Gary Chefetz [MVP]
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"

*** Remember to look for line breaks in links posted to the news group, use
cut and paste for these.

 

[Jason Wooleendh]

Gary, thanks for your answers. This clears the picture
quite a lot. Terminal Services was in our plans from the
beginning for overall server admin, now we'll just use it
for Analysis Services as well.

-Jason-

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

Jason:

Make sure it's on its own box.

--

Gary Chefetz [MVP]
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"

*** Remember to look for line breaks in links posted to the news group, use
cut and paste for these.

 

[Jason]

Make sure it's on its own box.

OS, WIN2000 Server, is allready installed with Terminal
Service. Do you mean we can't use this one and we need to
setup dedicated Terminal Server?

-Jason-

 

[Gary L. Chefetz]

Jason:

You can run Terminal services in remote administration mode or application
mode, but not both. You need an additional box sized according to the
traffic you anticipate.

--

Gary Chefetz [MVP]
http://www.msprojectexperts.com
"We wrote the book on Project Server"

*** Remember to look for line breaks in links posted to the news group, use
cut and paste for these.

 

[Lars Hammarberg]

In addition to Gary's reply - you also have to take into consideration the
access licenses - you can't just set up a server as a Terminal Server in
Application Mode without purchasing licenses and register them.
I think there's a 30 days evaluation period, though - could be more, could
be less.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...rver2003/proddocs/entserver/ts_lice_c_080.asp

/Lars Hammarberg
www.camako.se