Project Server fails to create Sharepoint Workspace site

[Matt Evans]

Hi

I've just installed Project Server 2003 onto our SBS 2003 Server. Everything
seems to be fine, except that when I publish a project from Project Pro 2003,
it fails to create the sharepoint site for the project.

I have installed SP1 for Project Server, and I have also managed to
successfully create a site in WSS Central Admin (on the SBS server, logged in
as the user that Project Server uses to access central admin), set the
template to Project Server, and then attach that site to the project from
within PWA Admin. This works fine. I just can't get Project Server to create
the site automatically.

If I select the project from the manage wss sites area in PWA admin, and
press create site, it shows the creating screen, then pops up a dialog saying
that it cant create the site. the site doesn't exist.

I have done some searching on the error and have made sure that:
1) The site owner details are all filled in (including the email addresses)
(I created the site manually in WSS Central admin with the exact same details)
2) The site name (well the project name anyway) does not contain ampersands.
I assume that it tries to create the site with the same name as the project?

I haven't got anything left to try now.... any pointers or tips would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Matt

 

[Kelvin Kirby]

Hi Matt,

Most likely your project name contains non-alphanumeric characters. Project
Server doesn't like this. If you save a Project as "Sales & Marketing
Project" for example your workspace won't get created. If you save it as
"Sales And Marketing" it will.

Hope that helps !

Regards

Kelvin Kirby
Technology Associates International
www.techassoc.com

 

[Matt Evans]

Hi Kelvin

Yeah I'd seen that issue in my searches on the net for a solution. the
project file name is test1.mpp so I'm assuming that the project name is test1
(that's what appears in the title bar anyway!)

I still haven't had any luck in getting it to work at the moment... i'll
keep trying. Thanks for your suggestion.

Matt

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Matt:

If your plan is, indeed, as you say "test.mpp" with the mpp extension, then
you've created a non enterprise project for which Project Server will not
create a WSS site. If your plan *is* and enterprise plan and you know what
that means, then I'd suggest looking at the WSS admin account, making
certain it's not disabled and make certain that its identity is set
correctly in com+.

--

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

-

 

[Matt Evans]

Hi Gary

I'm new to Project/Project Server and WSS, so my questions might be a bit
noobie!

I used project pro 2003 to make a new project and follow the tasks that
appear in the left pane. In preparing the project it asks if I want to
publish it, and i say yes and enter the project server details. It connects
up ok, and then says i can add documents to the project, at this point I get
a screen saying that the site takes a while to build and I should come back
later. It's at this point that the project is created in proj server, but the
site is not created.

The project server is installed as a non-enterprise install on my SBS 2k3
machine, so I won't be using the enterprise features. The thing is it does
not say that it won't create the site anywhere, it just doesn't do it. Even
if I select the project in site management and press create site it fails,
but I can create it manually, and attach it to the project manually by
entering the site url.

I'll check the WSS admin account, how can I tell what account it's using as
its admin user?

Thanks

Matt

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Matt:

It truly sounds like you're creating non-enterprise plans. First, open
Project and go to Tools > Enterprise Options > Project Server Accounts and
create a Project Server account using Windows authentication. Then exit
Project and restart it, this time connecting to Project Server. Then Select
Tools > Enterprise Options > Import Project to Enterprise. Point to the mpp
file you created and follow the prompts.

In the future, if you want to create an enterprise project, make sure you're
connected to Project Server when you create it. Using save, not save as,
creates an enterprise project at that point. You can always use the import
wizard to import non enterprise projects to the enterprise.

Before you import your plan, delete the version you've already published.

--

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

-

 

[Matt Evans]

Hi Gary

I tried what you suggested and it came up with an error when I connected to
the project server saying that I hadn't got enterprise features turned on,
amongst other things. I turned them on in PWA admin and then project pro
connects successfully to server, i then did the first task in the task list
with an empty project, it set the start date of the project then asked me to
save the project, i saved it as 'test project' and this seemed to work ok.
(It says 'test project.published' in the title bar)

It still showed the document area as not available and I should go back
later as it takes time to build the site.

I check PWA admin under WSS site admin, and the project is there, but no
site. I select create site and it comes up with the same error:

Error when creating site. Site does not seem to exist.

The only thing I can think is that the user that project server is using for
wss admin is somehow not allowed to create the sites. But I have logged onto
the WSS server as that user and used WSS central admin to create a new top
level site with the same site owner options as I put in the project server
setup details, and the site is created ok.

Grrr... I know I'm new to this, but all I've done so far is follow the
installation instructions....

Thanks for your patience with me on this one.

Matt

 

[Kelvin Kirby]

Hi Matt,

For what its worth I concur with Gary...

Regards

Kelvin Kirby
Technology Associates International

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Matt:

Now that we got the Enterprise thing settled, the next step is to verify
whether the account has sufficient permissions and is properly set as the
identity for the Com+ object.

--

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

-

 

[Matt Evans]

Hi Gary

Thanks for all the help!

I've checked in component services applet on the sbs/project server and the
user that I set up for project server to use is set as the logon identity for
the WSS admin package.

I have also logged onto the project server as that user and successfully
used central admin to create a site... not sure what else I can check. Is
there any log files that might shed some light on what they problem is when
project server tries to create the web site?

Thanks again

Matt

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Matt:

At this point I'd need to put my hands on your keyboard to figure this out.
I'm not familiar with installing Project Server on SBS, and there are quirks
to it. Some months back, there was substantial discussion among a few folks
who were struggling through it as well. You might try hitting Google groups
and search through the last 6 to 8 months on this board.

--

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

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