PS install under SBS 2003

[Gregg]

I have struggled for several days to install Project
Server under Small Business Server 2003. The
documentation between the two platforms just doesn't match
up. Plenty of information on both sides, just not enough
in common.

I've gotten to the point where both the Project SharePoint
Wizard and the Project Server install run fine. They just
don't seem to connect. When I select "Configure MOPS"
(Microsoft Office Project Server)," I get a 404 error
at "http://localhost/ProjectServer/Admin/Admin.asp."

If I replace "localhost" with "companyweb," then I get the
error message "The following file(s) have been blocked by
the administrator: /ProjectServer/Admin/Admin.asp."

Following the troubleshooter from that point, I find the
following:

"Note By default, the ISAPI filter for Windows SharePoint
Services blocks the use of any ASP pages that are not part
of the Windows SharePoint Services installation. If you
want to use custom ASP pages with your SharePoint sites,
you must put the ASP pages in a separate virtual
directory, and create an excluded path for the directory
in Windows SharePoint Services. This allows IIS to control
the directory, rather than Windows SharePoint Services,
and allows the ASP pages to run."

Any suggestion on how to proceed from here? How do I get
the ASP pages where both SPS and MOPS are happy with them?

I read Bryce Milton's reply on Jan 16 to Mike Koos (Jan
15) on this same subject in the SBS 2003 NG, and managed
to puzzle out most of his suggestions, but will admit that
I didn't always understand exactly what he did or, more
significantly, why he was doing some of them. I've been
hoping for a follow-up but none has been forthcoming.

As I'm rather new to all this, I apologize if I'm
overlooking something obvious to you experts, but after
reading what seems like thousands of pages of
documentation that never quite addresses my questions, my
head is spinning.

Thanks in advance,
Gregg

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Gregg:

This is an IIS 6 issue. IIS needs to be configured correctly and the
instructions for doing this are included in the installation guide for
Project Server. You can also ask IIS configuration questions in the IIS news
groups.

 

[Gregg]

Gary:
Thank you for the reply. Yes, there are copious
instructions in the PS installaton guide. I have pored
over them in the last week.

However, they assume a different set of tools than are
available in SBS 03, and I'm sure my main difficulty is
translating the instructions to the resources available to
me. They also address SharePoint Team Services, which is
somewhat different from SharePoint Server. I was hoping
someone on this NG might have had some experience that
they would be willing to share.

Excuse me for finding some irony in the fact that I posted
this question here based on a suggestion in another
newsgroup, to which I had been pointed by a previous one.

Continuing the odyssey,
Gregg

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Gregg:

You can't use Project Server 2003 with SharePoint Team Services. You must
use Windows SharePoint Services. AFAIK, the tool set is the same. The one
issue you face is that your SBS may also be your domain controller. One
thing is for sure, the error indicates that either the ASP service isn't
running, or you haven't configured IIS to allow ASP and ISAPI applications.
There are instructions included with Project Server on how to do this, but
all of the instructions assume that you have Windows Server, IIS and SQL
Server knowledge.

 

[Gregg]

SBS does not use STS. It's not installed. Sorry I
mentioned it.

SBS is by definition the Domain Controller. It won't
support any other configuration. Also, the version of SQL
Server distributed on it needs to run on the same server.
If you *know* either of these issues to be a show stopper,
other than PS being a resource pig, I would like to hear
about it.

I have been told that PS can be installed in this
configuration and would support a small workgroup with
minimal activity. The word is that "someone" got it to
work, but no one seems to know how they did it...

The installation instructions are very clear and detailed
but assume you are using WS, and the interfaces are
different in many areas. I have puzzled my way through
most of it. As a trivial example, instructions that
begin "Open Computer Management and Click Groups" need to
be translated into "Open Server Management and Click
Security Groups." No big deal, but it's not cookbook
computing either. My suspicion is that I'm tripping over
a terminology difference at some critical juncture.

The web site is working fine except that PS is looking in
the wrong place for it. If I navigate to it from outside
PS, everything is there except the connection to PS. PS
is installed (and re-re-re-installed) and seems fine
otherwise.

Admittedly, I am somewhat new to this, but am learning
quickly. The ASP service is certainly running, and I have
spent a lot of time configuring IIS. It seems to be the
ISAPI filter that's blocking the ASP pages, so one assumes
that ISAPI must be running as well.

I think this dialogue might be more productive if we got
by the RTFM issues.

Gregg

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Greg:

The web site is working fine except that PS is looking in
the wrong place for it. If I navigate to it from outside
PS, everything is there except the connection to PS. PS
is installed (and re-re-re-installed) and seems fine
otherwise.

What do you mean by "except that PS is looking in the wrong place for it." I
think I may be more confused by our conversation than you are about Project
Server.<g> Are you installing Project Server 2003?

If the server is working, then you're good to go. The fact that the
Configure Project Server link from the programs menu is pointing to the
wrong address has absolutely no affect on the system at all. In fact, this
link is, at best, gratuitous. All it does it take you to the Administration
home page in Project Web Access. You don't need a shortcut for this, but you
can fix the short cut by right clicking on the menu item and changing its
properties. If you mean you can get to the site from another machine but not
on the server, than you need to look at the browser settings on the server.
Make sure enhanced security is disabled for starters.

Be aware that there are manual cleanup steps that you need to take after
uninstalling Project Server, otherwise your database gets a four-digit
number appended to it. So, if your Project Server database is
ProjectServer0000 or 0001, or 00002, it's a result of not performing the
manual cleanup. Your broken menu item is likely a result of the reinstalls.

 

[Gregg]

Gary:
Thanks for the prompt and informative reply.

Sorry if I'm confusing you. No question but that I'm
confused. Good point about doing the manual clean-up.
I've been ignoring that the last few times and will get
back to a clean reinstall. And yes, it's 2003 that I'm
installing.

To attempt to clarify, when I say that the site is working
properly, I mean that if I navigate to it in IE, it's
titled "Project workspace" and all the links work. I can
get to it either from the server or a workstation.
However, it won't update from Project Server. Nothing in
this has changed from the first install.

I created "ProjectServer" as a top level web site
under "Companyweb" which is the standard SBS site for WSS
collaboration. The wizard populated it nicely, and the
server install went without a hitch.

I can't run .../ProjectServer/admin/admin.asp although the
folder and file exist in the website. All I get is an
error message that the administrator has blocked these
files. Since I can't configure it, I can't get past this
point.

Thanks,
Gregg

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Gregg:

If you install Project Server on a website running WSS, rather than it's own
top-level website, then you have to exclude it from WSS managed paths.

 

[Gregg]

Gary:
You'll be pleased to know that I got it running with this
AM's reinstall. A few rough edges, but working fine.

Thank you for your patience with my frustration. Your
advice was of considerable value.

The root of the evil was the PS installation documentation
which assumes one is using the SharePoint Services Setup
program. The steps it outlines require finding the
various SBS Wizards that perform each particular task.
Finally got the ducks lined up and it proceeded fine.

Anyway, thanks. Now that I'm at the point where the
documentation matches the platform, I expect any new
questions I might have will be both less confused and less
confusing. <g>

Gregg

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Glad you made it through!

Gary:
You'll be pleased to know that I got it running with this
AM's reinstall. A few rough edges, but working fine.

Thank you for your patience with my frustration. Your
advice was of considerable value.

The root of the evil was the PS installation documentation
which assumes one is using the SharePoint Services Setup
program. The steps it outlines require finding the
various SBS Wizards that perform each particular task.
Finally got the ducks lined up and it proceeded fine.

Anyway, thanks. Now that I'm at the point where the
documentation matches the platform, I expect any new
questions I might have will be both less confused and less
confusing. <g>

Gregg

 

[Eric Schyberg]

Wait! Wait! Come back!

HOW did you do it! I need to know this also!

Pointers appreciated!

Eric

 

[Gregg]

Eric:
ROFL!!! And here I thought I was a lonely voice crying in
the wilderness. Give me a bit of time to stop my head
spinning and I'll walk through the install directions and
what they really mean for us peasants in SBS land. Will
post back this weekend.
Gregg