THOUSANDS of extra Resources added

[Randy]

We are running MSP 2003 Pro and are having a problem with extra resources
somehow being added to the plans. These additional resources are local
generic resources and when this happens the number of resources jumps to 40 -
50,000!! At this point we cannot make any changes to the plan until we take
it offline, delete the resources, save and then bring it back online. Anyone
know what is causing this?

Randy

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Randy --

In the pre-Project Server days when organizations used a shared resource
pool, the behavior your describe indicated database corruption.

 

[Randy]

Dale,

Can you clarify what a shared resource pool means? These plans were all
created offline with generic local resources and then brought online. When
the replication of resources happens, it is always a generic (local) resource
that replicates.

Randy

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Randy --

When you say "created offline with generic local resources and then brought
online", are you importing the project using Tools - Enterprise Options -
Import Project to Enterprise and then replacing the local generic resources
with enterprise resources?

 

[Randy]

Dale,

The plans were opened from file and then saved online. Then the generic
resources were replaced with enterprise resources. Someone has told me that
the plans may be corrupt. If that's the case, how do we fix them?

Randy

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Randy --

You did not answer my last question. Did you use Tools - Enterprise
Options - Import Project to Enterprise to import the projects into Project
Server? Or did you merely open the .mpp file and click File - Save As. If
you did the latter, this might be the source of your problem, as this is not
the correct procedure for brining a non-enterprise project into Project
Server.

In addition, why in the world are your PM's creating .mpp files in the first
place? Why don't they log into Project Server, create a new project, and
then populate the project team with enterprise generic or human resources?

 

[Randy]

Dale,

No, we did not use the import option. When the file is not on the PS we
were taught to open the file and then use the Save Online option to get the
project on the server. These plans were originally built offline using MSP
2003 Pro because we did not have the PS built and online before they needed
to get the plans created. We have now opened a case with MS regarding this
so we will see what they come up with.

Randy

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Randy --

In the future, I would strongly recommend that you import non-enterprise
projects using the Import Wizard. Without looking at your database, I
cannot be certain what is happening, and whether you have database
corruption. However, when you receive a solution from Microsoft, would you
be kind enough to share the results with the rest of the group? Thanks in
advance.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz \(MVP\)]

Randy:

The advice you were given is inaccurate. Listen to Dale and use the Import
wizard.

--

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

-

 

[Randy]

Thanks guys! Will let you know what MS comes up with.

 

[Tricia R.]

For the record, I also had this problem. We have just implemented Project
Server so the reason we are importing .mpp files is that the projects started
well before Project Server implementation. I did use the "import" feature as
we were taught and we only had a problem with 1 of probably 10 projects.
That project was imported and initially had all local resources. I then
built the team and replaced the local resources with enterprise resources for
all incomplete tasks. At some point later when I opened the file I had
several thousand entries for several of my local resources. I tried deleting
them and then saving the project and publishing new & changed assignments and
next time the number jumped to a 3000 or so, then next time 5000 or so. At
some point, the number was so big that I could no longer save the project. I
ended up saving it out as an .mpp file, deleting the extra resources,
importing it as a new project and deleting the old project. Hope it never
happens again!

 

[Randy]

All,

Looks like we had two problems: 1) we had a couple of corrupted plans do to
user error and 2) we needed to apply the hotfix that is available.
I would like to say our problems are fixed BUT considering the fact that
there are Users involved there will always be something that comes up!

Thanks for the help.

Randy

 

[Karen]

Randy,

What hotfix did you apply?

Thanks,
Karen

 

[Randy]

Karen,

Here is the link to the hotfix:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;838882

Randy