Project Workspace Drop-down Defaults

D

David F-H

We are running Project Server 2007 & SQL Server 2005. I would like to know
if there is a way to define a default set of drop-down list values to be used
when Project Workspaces are allocated. For instance, I'd like to define the
same set of values to be used for the Category drop-down list for Issues
whenever a Project Workspace is allocated. I understand how to go into Site
Settings > Site Libraries and Lists and customise these values after a
workspace has been allocated, but is there a way to change the default values
so that I don't have to do this for every project ?
 
J

Jonathan Sofer

You can define a workspace the way you would like it and then save it as the
new project workspace template to be used when provisioning all new project
sites.

However, after a project workspace has been provisioned it becomes
independent. This means any changes to the workspace template subsequently
will not propagate to existing workspaces.

For MSPS 2003, we developed an in house tool that had the ability to push
changes like dropdown list changes, new fields, view changes, etc out to
existing workspaces but it does not work for the 2007 version and it was
never 100% complete.

Jonathan
 
D

David F-H

I have made changes in a project workspace and saved as a site template (Site
Settings > Save site as template), and then created a new project and
published (which creates a project workspace) - but this has not picked up
the changes? I would expect there should be some flag that indicates the
template that I saved should be used as default in provisioning new
workspaces, but I can't see it. Also, I only get the option to view the site
template gallery when I'm actually in the process of saving a template (ie.
at that stage I can click on Site settings and see it under Gallery) - I
can't see it under Site Settings otherwise? And, if I click on a template in
the gallery that I have previously saved, I get the message that it is an
unknown file type, although I can click the edit button and get it's main
properties (name, etc) - all very confusing ???
 
D

David F-H

Further to this, I have just found where the template is set as a default -
on the main site under Server Settings > Operational Policies > Project
Workspace Provisioning settings and then drop down box "Default Project
Workspace Template" - however, it only has one option, namely "Microsoft
Office Project Workspace". I can't see the one I saved ?
 
J

Jonathan Sofer

Dave,

There are specific instructions and steps to convert a local site template
to be the new template of choice for newly provisioned projects in MSPS.
Some of the steps include running the stsadmin.exe on the application server
as an administrator. Once you have followed all the steps, the new template
will become an option in the dropdown menu for you to select as the default
workspace template for newly created project sites. Here are the
instructions:
====================================================================================
1) From the application server, log onto SharePoint Central
Administrator by selecting All Programs>Administrative Tools>SharePoint 3.0
Central Administration.

2) From the Application Management tab, select Create site collection
under SharePoint Site Management.

3) From Create Site Collection, give the site a Title, URL, Owner and
select Microsoft Office Project Workspace from the Collaboration tab under
Select a template. Click OK when done.

4) Once the site is created, another screen will appear. Click on the
URL to go to the new workspace.

5) From the workspace customize the layout and content as it should
appear in the new project workspace template. When complete, select Site
Settings from the Site Actions pull-down.

6) From Site Settings, select "Save site as template" under Look and
Feel.

7) Give the template and file name and template name. Remember the file
name. Select Include Content if required and click OK. (content are any
list items or documents within the site)

8) When Operation complete, click Ok.

9) From Site Settings, select Site templates under Galleries.

10) Right click on the template that you create and select "Save Target
As."

11) Save the file to the directory C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN.

12) Open up a DOS command prompt (Programs>Accessories>Command Prompt).
Change to the directory C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web
server extensions\12\BIN.

13) Run stsadm.exe with the following syntax:

stsadm.exe -o addtemplate -filename [the file you saved] -title [title for
new template]

14) When complete, run IISRESET from the Command Prompt.

Examples to registering the project templates:

stsadm.exe -o addtemplate -filename NewProjectTemplate.stp -title "New
Project Template"

Examples to unregistering the templates:

stsadm.exe -o deletetemplate -title "New Project Template" -lcid 1033

NOTE: an IISRESET command must be issued after each of the above commands

15) When complete, return to Project Server 2007 Server Settings page and
select Project Workspace Provisioning Settings under Operational Policies.

16) Select the site that you just registered from the Default Project
Workspace template pull-down and click Save.

All new Project Workspaces will be created using the new Project Workspace
template.

====================================================================================

Hope this helps,

Jonathan Sofer
 
D

David F-H

Thanks Jonathan & Godrid,

I have now successfully created and registered a new template on our test
server. I think though that this is an excessively complex procedure for
what is basically a standard task to set up some project workspace defaults
!##! Hopefully, Microsoft will add a screen to do this all in the one spot
from within PWA.

Thanks again.


Jonathan Sofer said:
Dave,

There are specific instructions and steps to convert a local site template
to be the new template of choice for newly provisioned projects in MSPS.
Some of the steps include running the stsadmin.exe on the application server
as an administrator. Once you have followed all the steps, the new template
will become an option in the dropdown menu for you to select as the default
workspace template for newly created project sites. Here are the
instructions:
====================================================================================
1) From the application server, log onto SharePoint Central
Administrator by selecting All Programs>Administrative Tools>SharePoint 3.0
Central Administration.

2) From the Application Management tab, select Create site collection
under SharePoint Site Management.

3) From Create Site Collection, give the site a Title, URL, Owner and
select Microsoft Office Project Workspace from the Collaboration tab under
Select a template. Click OK when done.

4) Once the site is created, another screen will appear. Click on the
URL to go to the new workspace.

5) From the workspace customize the layout and content as it should
appear in the new project workspace template. When complete, select Site
Settings from the Site Actions pull-down.

6) From Site Settings, select "Save site as template" under Look and
Feel.

7) Give the template and file name and template name. Remember the file
name. Select Include Content if required and click OK. (content are any
list items or documents within the site)

8) When Operation complete, click Ok.

9) From Site Settings, select Site templates under Galleries.

10) Right click on the template that you create and select "Save Target
As."

11) Save the file to the directory C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN.

12) Open up a DOS command prompt (Programs>Accessories>Command Prompt).
Change to the directory C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web
server extensions\12\BIN.

13) Run stsadm.exe with the following syntax:

stsadm.exe -o addtemplate -filename [the file you saved] -title [title for
new template]

14) When complete, run IISRESET from the Command Prompt.

Examples to registering the project templates:

stsadm.exe -o addtemplate -filename NewProjectTemplate.stp -title "New
Project Template"

Examples to unregistering the templates:

stsadm.exe -o deletetemplate -title "New Project Template" -lcid 1033

NOTE: an IISRESET command must be issued after each of the above commands

15) When complete, return to Project Server 2007 Server Settings page and
select Project Workspace Provisioning Settings under Operational Policies.

16) Select the site that you just registered from the Default Project
Workspace template pull-down and click Save.

All new Project Workspaces will be created using the new Project Workspace
template.

====================================================================================

Hope this helps,

Jonathan Sofer

David F-H said:
Further to this, I have just found where the template is set as a
default -
on the main site under Server Settings > Operational Policies > Project
Workspace Provisioning settings and then drop down box "Default Project
Workspace Template" - however, it only has one option, namely "Microsoft
Office Project Workspace". I can't see the one I saved ?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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