Permissions in a "Master" Project

[pataconi]

Hi,

I was wondering if there is a way in project server to set permissions
for specific tasks in a "master" project file in project server 2003.
Basically, we have one enterprise project file uploaded, and I have a
few resources in project server. I wanted to take specific tasks (or
groups of tasks), and assign specific resources with specific access
to either edit or just read parts of the one enterprise project we
have (which I deem a "master" project, but I know it is not...we used
to have a master project when we were just using project professional
2003).

If this is not possible, I would appreciate any suggestions on making
this work any other way, like what would be the best practice?

TIA,
David

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

David --

There is no combination of permissions you can set in Project Server 2003 to
grant edit access to only certain tasks in a project. If a user has
Read-Write access to a project, the user can edit anything in the project.
Therefore, you need to make this a training and performance issue with the
people who need to edit a project. Hope this helps.

 

[pataconi]

Dale,

Thanks so much for your quick response. We are using project pro 2003
with a master project and a resource pool. The master project is built
up entirely of links from separate project files, and I know I would
have to sever the links in order to upload them all to project server.
Is assigning tasks in project server the same thing as setting
permissions for a user to be able to edit just those tasks? Mainly it
is just the tasks that I want locked down per user. If that can't be
done, then is it possible to upload all of the separated projects and
link them all together again as a "master" project? That would make it
easier to set read/write permissions for users. The only reason we are
using project server is that with project pro, and a master project,
all the permissions are set, but there is not a way to have the same
documents opened at the same time, ie: if the master project is
opened, then users cannot open their sub-project files as read/write.
What do you think would be the best way to have read/write access
simultaneously based on user permissions? The last question I have is
that I was looking into getting one of your books, but read there is
no index. What book could you suggest on how to use project server for
someone who has very little experience on using?

Thanks again for your help.

David

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

David --

If you are using Project Server, then why have you created a master project
outside the system with a separate shared resource pool file? Perhaps this
is a legacy project created before you began using Project Server. If so,
you need to do the following steps to bring it into the Project Server
database:

1. Open the shared resource pool file Read-Only.
2. Open the master project and expand all subprojects.
3. Click the Window menu and select the shared resource pool file.
4. Click Tools - Resource Sharing - Share Resources.
5. Select all of the links in the Share Resources dialog and then click the
Break Link button.
6. Save and close the shared resource pool file.
7. Return to the master project and create a log (such as in Excel)
containing all of the cross-project links.
8. Remove all cross-project links, then save the master project, and then
save each subproject as well.
9. Close the master project and all subprojects.

From this point, your project managers will need to import each of their own
projects into the Project Server database using Tools - Enterprise Options -
Import Project to Enterprise. Pay special attention to the page in the
Wizard dealing with resources, and make sure you map each local resources to
an enterprise resource in the Enterprise Resource Pool. Make sure that you
have the PM's import their own projects into the database. Doing so will
set each PM as the Owner and Manager of the project. After your PM's import
each of their projects, you will need to manually recreate the master
project, using each of the original subprojects now in Project Server, and
manually recreate the cross-project links. You can save this master project
in the Project Server database if you enable the permission to do so, but
you should NEVER publish a master project (it doubles resource assignments
on each team member's View My Tasks page).

Now, let me try and address your issues. First of all, assigning resources
to tasks is not the same as permissions to edit the project. That is why
the PM needs to import the project, as the system will set him/her as the
Owner and Manager and give him/her Read-Write access to the project.
Assigning resources to tasks concerns who does the work on each task, as
reported on the team member's View My Tasks page in PWA.

Secondly, it doesn't matter whether you use Project Professional in
standalone mode or with Project Server: if a user has a project open
Read/Write, then no other users can open that project Read/Write until the
first user saves and closes the project. There is no way to change this in
Project Server, either via permissions or otherwise. It's the way the
system works. This means that you should not open the master project
regularly and leave it open all day long. Your PM's should open and edit
only their own individual projects. When you reopen the master project, the
system updates all changes into the master project.

Lastly, if you are interested in our Administering an Enterprise PMO using
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003, we have just sent our 2nd edition to
the publisher. The second edition is vastly expanded, with 134 pages of new
content, including the following:

Detailed explanation of EVERY global and Category permission in Project
Server
Documentation on how to use every Project Server utility available from
Microsoft
A thorough topical Index

If you can wait for the 2nd edition, I think you will be pleased. Hope this
helps.