How do I creating a Master MPP in Project Server

[woodytopdog]

I'm trying to create a "Master" MPP file from multiple projects on Project Server. The caviot to this is that I need to be able to send this "Master" MPP to a user who does not have Project server and they still need to be able to open it and see the details on each project (offline).

I've tried:
1 - creating a "Master" MPP file from the server by inserting the work plans and then saving as a MPP offline and that doesn't seem to work.
2 - saving each work plan as a seperate MPP file offline and then consolidating the individual MPP files into a "Master" MPP file offline and that doesnt' seem to work
** With this option (#2), I can open the individual files (offline) but I can not open the "Master" file.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PDQBach]

2" should have worked.

Try this sequence and let me know.

1. Extract all the files from ProjServer and save them on your machine.

2. Exit MS Project.

3. Start MS Project and click on "Work Offline".

4. Open a blank project (your Master project).

5. For each inserted project:
5a. Click on Insert | Project
5b. In the "Open from Microsoft Office Project Server" dialog, click on "Insert from file".
5c. In the "Insert Project" dialog, make certain the "Link to Project" box is unchecked.

6. Report back.

 

[woodytopdog]

PDQBach - Thanks a TON for your quick reply. The steps you mentioned were included in the first attempt I made to pull the plans together. Unfortunately, once saved and re-opened (when not connected to the Server) Project asks for the source of the data. It will allow me to hit "Cancel" for each work plan I have included, however, it will not allow me to see any of the individual work plan details. Each time I try to expand the individual work plan details, Project asks for the source data again. Without identifing the source data, the individual work plan will not open.

Any thoughts or work arounds you might know of would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[PDQBach]

I fired up Project and connected to Project Server.

1. File | Open displays the "Open from Microsoft Office Project Server" dialog.
2. Select a project entry
3. Click on the radio button "Read only to view"
4. Click on the Open button

Now you have opened and displayed a project from Project Server.

5. File | Save as... displays the "Save to Project Server dialog.
6. Clicking on the "Save as file..." button displays the "Save As File" dialog asking about global items.
7. I clicked on the "Global items except enterprise outline codes" radio button and clicked on OK. This displays the "Save As" dialog box.
8. I navigated to the folder I was using for this test. I entered a file name and clicked on "Save".
9. I repeated those steps for a second file.
10. I exited Project.
11. I restarted Project.
12. I chose "Work Offline"
and I followed the other steps I described in my earlier message.

It worked for me. I think the critical items are

(i) making certain you open the ProjServer projects as "Read only" [step 3 in my message above];

(ii) making certain that you actually save the projects as files (*NOT* as Project Server entries) [steps 5, 6, 7, 8 in this message];

(iii) making certain that, when you create the master project, the "Link to project" box is cleared [step 5c in my message above].


If these two messages don't give you the result you want then I'm afraid you will need someone else's help.

 

[woodytopdog]

PDQBack - Thanks a ton.

I believe there may still be one item that this does not address and I inadvertently left out. That is when you have multiple work plans and you have links between them in the Server environment, those links are not modified when you save the work plan(s) offline.

The predessessors and successors are shown as database paths so once you open any of the work plans (individually or in a Master view) they instantly look for the data source. The very intersting thing is that when you open them individually, you can open fairly painlessly. However, when you try to open the "Master" MPP file, it will not allow you to see any of the details for any of the inserted work plans.

I'm somewhat lost with this as I have yet to find a way to bring the work plans into a single (Master) MPP file and not have a TON of manual work to do in order to present to the client.

 

[PDQBach]

Um, yeah, that is kind of important. Sorry, I don't know how to handle that (ProjServ isn't my area of expertise).