DocuPoint

I've Moved

2010-08-12T13:05:00.002+10:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. I'm going to start again (hopefully on a more consistent basis) but won't be posting here.

Please find me at http://docupoint.wordpress.com instead.

I'll see you on the other-site.

Requirement Gathering

2009-03-19T09:14:00.005+11:00

Requirements gathering can be challenging at times. Sometimes discussions just go of tangent. Here are a few of the things I have found helpful.

Pre-requirement Gathering - Prior to engaging users for requirement gathering sessions:

Overview of the solution that they're looking at - applicable if you're pitching a solution and are gathering requirements for it. Give a good overview of what it is capable of and as much as possible, relate to generic challenges faced by most organisations.
Give out an agenda, describing what the requirement gathering sessions are for, how long it will take, any preparation that might be required (current processes, forms, etc.).

Requirement Gathering Agenda - When conducting a session, I find that this is a good guideline:

Introduction - Get the users to give an overview of the company (if you haven't already) and where they fit into the organisation, what their department/business unit does and what their role is within that.
Current state – what their day to day activity might look like, what are the things/processes that they are/business unit is involved in. Sometimes you get some valuable information or can derive certain things, i.e. users are disciplined, quick to learn, tech savy, etc. Not everything that they're doing today is evil or bad! Somethings may require minor tweaks, others revamp/overhaul.
Current problems/issues faced with the lack of process/systems - favourite time where you listen to all the challenges, be careful not to go into solution mode (both you and the user). Just document the issues and problems.
Requirements - What they want in the solution. Gather both functional and non-functional requirements. Try to ensure that users can distinct between 'must haves' and 'nice to haves'. Always validate with users.
Wrap it up - let them know what the next steps are. Whether it'd be a follow on workshop, deliverable document, follow up calls to validate items.

Some of the items here have been incorporated from the Microsoft BVPS engagement model.

Opening the Enterprise Resource Pool from Ms Pro

2008-06-01T17:03:00.002+10:00

Really good forum answer that addresses a "mystical" problem I had been facing.

Thanks to Chak from www.epmcentral.com.

Error
"Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 is required for this action. ensure that your copy of Project Professional 2007 can connect to this server. If both of these conditions are true and you still get this message, contact your system administrator for assistance"

Solution
FYI, reason beyond the error: MPP file extensions are setup to open with default application MS Project. You have both the versions of MS Project Pro installed on your machine. In your case, your MPP file was setup to open with default application MS Project Pro 2003. (You can verify it by opening the any MPP file from your local machine. You will see the MS Project Pro 2003 will launch by default. But now you may see 2007 as you already fixed the issue.) When you are trying to open resource info from PWA, your machine is trying to invoke MS Project 2003. So, you are seeing the error ""Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 is required for this action. ensure that your copy of Project Professional 2007 can connect to this server" When you ran the Diagnostics, it re-register the Project Pro 2007 application and sets as the default application as MS Project Pro 2007 to open MPP files. So, now you able to open the MS project 2007 by invoking it from PWA.

For the full thread. Click here.

Project Server 2007 Help

2008-02-20T00:25:00.004+11:00

Recently I've been looking around for some references, guides and helps for Project Server 2007. Found some of the following resources and they seem quite helpful.

Learn about available roles in Project Web Access

Project management quick reference guide for Project 2007 (note: this is for Project 2007 and does not include working with Project Server 2007)

The quick reference looks neat, if I've got time I'll update it to reflect working on Project 2007 in a server environment.

The Archive Database in Project Server 2007

2007-12-28T16:08:00.000+11:00

The archive database in project server 2007 isn't really a database that facilitates a functionality of archiving projects. The archive database is the database used to backup projects to and restore projects from.

The projects will still exists in the Draft and Published Databases.Looks like archiving of projects will still need to be done in a way as described in this link.

Another interesting information on the backup of databases is the backup is an all or nothing process but the restoring of a project can be done on an individual basis.

Project Server 2007 Pre-migration Checklist

2007-12-28T15:52:00.000+11:00

I've recently been involved in our in house project server 2003 - 2007 migration. Below is a useful list in helping build a checklist and identifying possible issues with migration.

Checking for check-out projects
Checking for Projects that have been externally edited
Checking for projects with pending status updates
Checking for duplicate Enterprise Resources
Checking for duplicate Enterprise Resource used in projects
Project Version should be at least ‘Project Server 2003 SP2A’
Enterprise Global should not be externally edited
Checking if the Enterprise Global is checked out
Checking of the Enterprise Global is locked
Checking if the default language on the Web tables database and Project tables database and Project tables database should match
Checking if Resources have comma in their names
Checking if required enterprise resource custom fields do not have values
Checking if a resource custom field has a value which is not in the lookup table definition
Checking if Enterprise resources are externally edited
Checking if there are Enterprise Resource Duration custom fields with value lists
Checking if Enterprise Resource Duration custom fields contain valid values
Checking if Enterprise Custom Field names do not contain leading or trailing spaces
Checking if the Migration Administrator Account exists in Project Server 2003

More information at the link: http://technet2.microsoft.com/Office/en-us/library/9d828b0a-8361-4580-aa67-fe931281803c1033.mspx?mfr=true

Working with Outlook and Project Server

2007-08-29T10:00:00.000+10:00

If you didn't know, you can sync your task in Project Server to your Outlook. The Project Server 2007 Outlook Sync works with Outlook 2003/2007.

So what is new in the Outlook Sync in Project Server 2007.

Outlook Sync for Project Server 2003:

Outlook Sync for Project Server 2007:

So now you can have your tasks sit the the Outlook Tasks instead of cluttering up your calendar! The rest of the options are the same. You can create a task from Outlook and have that created in Project Server, it's still a one way creation of task and you can sync updates and progress of the task back.

Project 2007 Certifications

2007-08-28T10:08:00.000+10:00

Recently I attended a Live Meeting on the latest Project Certification offerings from Microsoft based on the new EPM 2007 solution stack.

There's a total of 3 exams to take in becoming a MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional. In short you need to do an exam on Project Professional 2007 and a Project Server 2007 one before doing the final one which is a combination of both on an enterprise level. Below are the links to the recorded webcast and datasheet on the certifications.

Recorded Webcast (about 45minutes)
Microsoft Office Project 2007 Certification Datasheet

Project Professional 2007: Saving to Project Server, "save job 0% complete"

2007-08-27T13:43:00.000+10:00

If you're using Project Server 2007 and when you try to save a project and you get, "save job 0% complete". You can do 2 things:

Check your Queue under "Personal Settings > My Queued Jobs" and see what the issue is. If there isn't any error. You can then ask the administrator to check in the Global Queue, which is "Server Setttings > Manage Queue" to try to retry the jobs.
If all else fails, try restarting the Queue Service. It's called Microsoft Project Server Queue Service. Restart that and you should be on your way!

Project Server 2007 Overview Presentation

2007-08-24T10:56:00.000+10:00

Thank you for those who came to MOSSIG and stayed on for my session, I know we were running out of time and your presence was very much appreciated by myself and the MOSSIG board.

You can retrieve my presentation slide deck at the MOSSIG Site or you can click here to get to the slide straight away.

There were a few interesting questions that were raised during the session. One of them was since Project Server 2007 is built on SharePoint, how does search work. From a logical perspective and mind you I've not tested this yet; I think:

All Project Workspace information (Risk, Issues, Deliverables) will be searchable if it has been included in the search settings.
I'm quite sure project plans and tasks may not be searchable as they sit in seperate databases unless the Business Data Catalog was configured to go get the information from the Project Server database, but why would you do that? Wouldn't it be better to built reports around this information? Resources can search for their task within their own "My Tasks".
Although Project Server is built on top of SharePoint it does not store the data of Project Server in it's Content DB's, perhaps the configuration of project server on sharepoint but not the actual project information (i.e. project plan, tasks, assignments, actuals, updates, resource information).

I'll probably do a role based presentation (business focused) the next time at MOSSIG on how the different roles (Executives, PM, Resources) would interact with each other on the an EPM solution! I just need a faster machine!

MOSSIG: Project Server 2007 Overview

2007-08-14T09:49:00.000+10:00

Finally decided that I will do a brief overview of Project Server 2007. So in this overview session I hope to talk about the new features and capabilities of Microsoft Office Project 2007, including the new system architecture, new server side API, improved timesheet capabilities, new project and program management functionality, and sophisticated reporting capabilities that will enable your organization to capture and understand work more effectively.

Depending on the response from the audience, I'll arrange and see if we can get other prominant people out there to come and share their experiences and gotchas when dealing with this technology.

Will all you Project Server Gurus please stand up?!

Want to know about Microsoft's Internal Intranet Implementation?

2007-08-03T15:58:00.000+10:00

Jonathan Lewis is the IT Manager for Microsoft Australia. This month Jonathan will be taking some time from his very busy schedule to come down to Melbourne and tell us all about Microsoft's internal Intranet implementation which used SharePoint.

When: 22nd August 2007
Where: Microsoft Innovation Centre, Level 5, 4 Freshwater Place, Southbank

For more information please go to this link: http://www.mossig.net/default.aspx

I'm also scheduled to present on Project Server 2007, so if you want to hear more on the latest offering in Project Server 2007, do come!

I'll provide more information on the topic when closer to time.

Project Server 2007: "You must have the valid Analysis Services database name and cube name."

2007-06-26T17:23:00.000+10:00

I know how long you took to setup analysis services (if you did a server farm environment deployment with App and Web Server on a separate box and SQL on another) and now you run into this error when you try to create a new view and connect to the cube.

You get the fallowing error: "You must have the valid Analysis Services database name and cube name." It's not the best feeling in the world.

I took a look at this link, they said that it's all about enabling "Access data across domains" in Internet Explorer (Tools > Internet Options > Security > Trusted Sites > Custom Level). I just say add the PWA URL to your Trusted Sites.

I tried that and it didn't work. I'm quite sure the full working solution would be:

Ensure Office Web Components are installed.
Install Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0
Install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services 9.0 OLE DB Provider
Ensure that PWA URL is added to your Trusted Sites

The MSXML and OLE DB can be downloaded from here.

Talking about Microsoft's oPhone

2007-05-20T13:38:00.000+10:00

Very amusing video I stumbled across on.

Too good not to share!

Video: Microsoft's oPhone

Microsoft EPM 2007 Evaluation 180 days

2007-05-03T19:27:00.000+10:00

Microsoft Project Server 2007 and Microsoft Project Professional 2007 180 day trials are now available for download.

You'll just need to register and then you'd be able to download it.

Once you've downloaded the software you can get some good resources on planning and deploying Project Server 2007 from Microsoft Technet.

Appreciation - 2007 Microsoft Office System Technical Beta Tester

2007-04-30T22:13:00.000+10:00

I got this Certificate of Appreciation in my mail last week. The cert is signed by Bill Gates (more like printed). Was involved in some beta testing on the 2007 Microsoft Office System.

It's kinda of cool. I only have a few issues (not to be ungrateful):

The paper and printing quality is quite shocking (I could scan and print for you, probably one which is of better quality than the one I received!)
I believe it's not that hard to do a little personalization, like address me instead of "Valued Beta Tester". I thought Microsoft Word had a mail merge feature.

MOSS 2007 Beta Experience

2007-04-30T21:39:00.000+10:00

I've been wanting to post about my experience in implementing and deploying MOSS 2007 Beta. This wasn't the easiest of things to do really. Today, that implementation has gone out as successfuly case study and we're looking into deploying MOSS 2007 for production in the near future.

10 of the valuable things I've learnt while implementing MOSS 2007 software in the beta stage and this could be quite a standard thing with most beta products (Microsoft Office 14?):

We definately need to set the users expectations right and let them know of the risks that are involved in deploying and implementing a beta software.
It's a learning curve for all parties involved and time spent on certain things which would normally take less time could take more than expected.
The users will need to identify certain areas they are keen to explore and try to focus on a particular area so that there is value at the end of the implementation.
I believe it's not so much a best practice or optimizing performance but trying to get a certain concept or idea correct at this stage.
Very important is to foster a close relationship with the client and keeping them updated on what's going on even of the bugs and faults the software is causing. Some of them love seeing this!
Keeping up to date with the beta newsgroups, blogs and other sources of information do help.
Lots and lots of testing and finding alternative ways and methods to achieve the same end result!
Using the software in it's beta stage for some aspect of the project (used it as repository for project documents) helped the users get familiar and helped the team learn! Of course we also kept the documents in some other repository just in case.
We musn't be afraid to break the software as it's in it's beta stage and we need to discover the "breakability" of it so that we can;
Report bugs!

Those were some of things I've learnt and I believe the most annoying thing was when the software wasn't behaving as it was suppose to it was always a matter of... "was the software mucking up because it's in beta or was I mucking up that the software wasn't doing what it was suppose to..."

It was a good experience at the end of the day!

be a friend to your customer

2007-04-24T17:58:00.000+10:00

Of recent when working with clients I've realized to focus on customer relationship building where the process begins with having an emotional (in a good way) element when you establish a connection with your clients.

So what is good relationship building?
Developing and maintaining a win-win partnership where both parties gain, is the essence of a good customer or client relationship. When you have a good and trustworthy relationship with your clients, you're on the path to growth and profitability. Why do I say that? Well, your customer serves as an important reference for new prospects. Their happiness and level of satisfaction serves as a marketing tool (I've seen this happen). Also, the time taken to attract a new client is shortened which might lead to lower costs for repeat business.

The ability to build good customer relationships depends on three things:

product knowledge
people skills; and
your attitude

Building the relationship
To engage a customer, you need to have good product knowledge, so read all the material you can possibly get on your product, and I think using it is definately a plus! By having the right information and tools on the product, you will feel empowered to handle most questions.

Your soft skills or people skills, and your positive attidude help you in connecting with the customer. Show your sincerity in identifying what your customers value.

I hear this term quite often where "listen to your customer as opposed to merely hearing him". Where you seek to understand them from their frame of reference. Listen carefully to what they say and notice hints they about their interest.

Maintaining the relationship
To maintain good customer relationship, we need to store some data on customers' interest in order to target them selectively. I also believe that simple gestures like sending a greeting card or a thank you card do help strengthen the relationship. Also attending to their complains and attending to them punctually also do help.

Relative links in WSS 3.0 Quick Launch

2007-03-09T09:22:00.000+11:00

Been working on WSS 3.0 recently and discovered the not so MOSSY part of it. I created a subsite within the site collection and noticed something about the Quick Launch. Adding links into the quick launch is not a problem. The problem was when you wanted to save it as a site template and reuse it somewhere else.

E.g. I have a site http://servername/division/departmentA. I've done that site and have links within the site to point to specific lists. e.g. "/division/departmentA/lists/Issues."

The problem was if I saved this template and tried to create a new site. The Quick Launch links would be persistent which is "/division/departmentA/lists/Issues". So how do I get it to point to my new site I created.

As pointed out by Rai Umair (the legend!), remove the starting slash! The working link entered in the link textbox should be "lists/Issues" (Note: no slash and link pointing from site only, without the inverted commas). Now after you press OK and come back to the page you will see that the link will change to look like the original one but it still works in new sites based of the Site’s Site Template.

One of the many things that drive you insane till midnight and someone fixes it at 1am! Try it!

Backup Script for SharePoint 2007

2007-02-28T11:55:00.000+11:00

Thanks (Muchos Gracias) to a posting on MSD2D by Herman Vargas and my colleague, Mario Barajas for translating all the comments that were in Spanish. I've managed to modify the script for a SharePoint 2007 backup. Not the best out there, but it's something.

I have not tested the script fully and assume that it would work. The script keeps the 5 latest backup copies. You can modify the following to suit what you need:

C_BackupPath : The path where the backup resides
C_NamePrefix : Prefix of the filename of the "backup prefix". Example: SharePoint_20070228
C_SiteURL : The URL of the SharePoint Site to be backed up
C_SharePointBin: Path to the Bin directory of Sharepoint installation
C_MaxBackupPerFolder: Number of XML Manifest per C_BackupPath folder.

Below is the .vbs script:

' Description:
' Tool for planning and automating files/entries
' Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007
'
' Will generate file entry names with the following style: MOSS_YYYYMMDD
' E.g.: SharePoint_20070228
' If there are more than 5 entries in the directory, then it will choose the one with the oldest date and will delete it

Option Explicit

Const C_BackupPath = "C:\Backup"
Const C_SiteURL = http://sharepointserver/site
Const C_NamePrefix = "SharePoint_"
Const C_SharePointBin = "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\Bin"
Const C_MaxBackupPerFolder = 5

Dim fso, folder, filedate, f, file
Dim sBackupPrefix
Dim CntXml
Dim DeletedBackup

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

if Not fso.FolderExists(C_BackupPath) then
WScript.Echo "The folder " & C_BackupPath & " does not exist!"
WScript.Quit
end if

Set folder = fso.GetFolder(C_BackupPath)
filedate = now
Set f = Nothing

' Counts the number of XML manifests that are in the directory
CntXml=0
for each file in folder.files
if lCase(right(file.name,4)) = ".xml" then
CntXml=CntXml+1
end if
next

'WScript.Echo "CntXml... " & CntXml

DeletedBackup=""
' If it is greater than the maximum
if CntXml > C_MaxBackupPerFolder then

' Looks for the older entry/file
for each file in folder.files
if lCase(right(file.name,4)) = ".xml" then
if file.DateLastModified < deletedbackup =" lcase(Mid(file.name,1,Instr(1,file.name," filedate =" file.DateLastModified">"" then
for each file in folder.files
if lcase(mid(file.name, 1, len(DeletedBackup)))=DeletedBackup then
Set f = file
f.delete
' WScript.Echo "Deleting..." & file.name
Set f = Nothing
end if
next
end if

end if

Set folder=nothing
Set fso=nothing

' Assigns a name of the new file
sBackupPrefix = C_NamePrefix & year(now) & right("00" & Month(now),2) & right("00" & day(now),2)

Dim objShell
Dim strcmd

Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

strcmd = C_SharePointBin & "\stsadm.exe -o backup -url " & C_SiteURL & " -filename " & C_BackupPath & "\" & sBackupPrefix & ".bak -overwrite"

objShell.Exec(strCmd)

WScript.Echo ""& C_SharePointBin & "\stsadm.exe -o backup -url " & C_SiteURL & " -filename " & C_BackupPath & "\" & sBackupPrefix & ".bak -overwrite"

WScript.Echo "Backup of site collection successful"

Set objshell = nothing

The 'Wow' Starts Now!

2007-02-15T17:12:00.000+11:00

I think this ad by Microsoft on the the new Vista is quite inspiring.

Video: Windows Vista "Wow" ad

Prescan has encountered sites or lists that were not updated...

2007-02-14T16:50:00.000+11:00

I've been in the midst of trying to upgrade my Project Server 2003 instance to 2007. I encountered an error as below when trying to upgrade WSS2.0 (where all the Project Workspace is kept) to WSS3.0:

Prescan has encountered sites or lists that were not updated because they cannot be accessed using the SharePoint Products and Technologies object model. The most likely reasons for Prescan to skip a list are covered in the Knowledge Base article at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=69958&clcid=0x409.

I searched high and low, tried everything as suggested in the Knowledge Base article above. Which I then referred to another Knowledge Base article 923904. I did method 1, it returned no orphaned items and I made sure that root has explicit inclusion on the WSS 2.0 site.

So what do you need to do to get prescan.exe to finish SUCCESSFULLY?

Get in touch with your local Microsoft Support and obtain fix KB918743. This is not downloadable, Microsoft will send you an email pointing you to a link that last 7 days.
Run database repair for WSS:

stsadm.exe -o databaserepair -url http://server/BadSite -databasename ContentDBname -deletecorruption
Detach the Content DB.
Run iisreset.
Reattach the Content DB.
If PreScan still fails than drop and renew a config database. How to recreate the configuration database in Sharepoint 2003.

The reason for all this as explained to me by Ada Pan (Microsoft Online Partner Support) that this problem also may be caused by inconsistence of SharePoint databases (Config- and Content-Database). Prescan is checking Sites, which are listed in the config database This process runs without issues. Later Prescan checks the sites which are defined in the content database(s). Prescan is trying to access these sites via SharePoint Object Model. This step fails, because the site is not in the config database.

Update: Content Types, Document Information Panel and Quick Parts

2007-01-19T09:45:00.000+11:00

My previous post probably didn't explain it too well. Here's a link to a better one!

I've been tagged - 5 things you never knew about me

2007-01-17T18:53:00.000+11:00

I've seen this post going around on some blogs. I never imagined it would reach me. Thanks to Eddie, I now have to tell you five things you never knew about me. Here it goes -

I wasn't a very bright student in my last few years in high school, I used to score single digits in exam papers. e.g. 1/100. If I'm not mistaken 9/100.
On the contrary, I bounced back somewhere during my uni days and manage to make it into the top 80% of the faculty and was awarded a Golden Key International Honor Society.
I've crossed dressed on a few occasions for a friend's birthday and an event. Believe me, the thoughts and occasional reminders not to forget pictures that do pop up every now and then gives me the cringe.
If I didn't do IT, I think I would have pursued a career in Culinary Arts. I have a strong interest in it and I'm not sure if I've rubbed off too much onto my younger brother who is becoming one in French Culinary!
Fresh out of uni, I submitted my resume to Microsoft and they got back to me 3 months later and enquired if I had a job, they were going to hire me as an intern until they realised I was working with a Microsoft Partner and it was their policy not to 'pinch'.

I think I've completed my duties in contributing to this "blog post phenomenon" that is taking the blogging world by storm! I wonder what's next?

The fun part is, tagging 5 other people.

Rai Umair
Rainier Bryce - It's time to blog!
Wan Azwan
Lor Ai Ai
Lim Say Leong - Do you have a blog?

This is also officially my first blog for the year!

Item Security: Unique and Inherited Permissions

2006-12-19T14:00:00.000+11:00

Fuji Xerox and Microsoft

2006-12-19T13:22:00.000+11:00

The company I used to work for which is Fuji Xerox will be collaborating with Microsoft in the Document Management Solutions Field. All these are happening in Japan. We're looking at possible end to end solutions that include input and output!

Read more about it here!

Content Types, Document Information Panel and Quick Parts

2006-12-08T16:36:00.000+11:00

Sometimes document metadata exists inside the document. So how can we update the Document Information Panel and also at the same time update certain fields within the document? By using a combination of content types, the document information panel and quick parts!

You'd probably want to create some Site Columns. Then create a Site Content Type where the Parent Content Type comes from: Document Content Types and Parent Content Type: Document.

Next, add the created Site Columns to the Site Content Type. Then select Document Information Panel settings. Click on Create a new custom template. When the prompt comes up, click Finish. Save the InfoPath 2007 Form Template. Then go back and upload the saved template.

Then click on Advance Settings. Upload a new document template for the document content type. Be sure to upload a .docx. You can just upload a blank document at this point. Then go to a site and create document library. As soon as you've created the document library, enable management of content types in the Advance Settings for the document library.

Then add the newly created content type to the document library. Once that has been added, click on the content type and click on Advanced Settings to edit the document template once again. When editing the document template you will notice the document information panel appear (Be sure to have InfoPath 2007 installed to be able to view the document information panel).

Then in Word 2007, Insert, Quick Parts, Document Property. Select the Property that you created.

Now when you enter a value for the document metadata in the information panel any reference in the document pointing to it via the Document Property added into the document itself will reflect that!

Measuring Customer Readiness for EPM

2006-12-01T14:06:00.000+11:00

You can gage the customers readiness in adopting EPM by asking some fundamental questions:

Does the customer know the benefits to be gained from an EPM Solution?
Does the customer have some preliminary goals and objectives for EPM?
Does the customer understand what EPM is and its core capabilities?
Does the customer know the EPM capabilities currently in place in the organization?

You would then want to determine the customers Project Management Maturity.

Client-Server Compatibility on Microsoft Office Project 2007 platform

2006-11-29T09:51:00.000+11:00

If you had your hopes set on keeping Project Professional 2003 and upgrading to Project Server 2007 that will not be possible.

Project Server 2007 requires Project Professional 2007 as the full-featured desktop client. Project Professional 2003 cannot be used with Project Server 2007 because of the changes in platform architecture.

Changing the stylesheet in Project Web Access

2006-11-28T11:19:00.000+11:00

How do I change the look and feel in PWA? I want to have a corporate feel and change the logo.

You can do that by changing some css files.

Browse to %SystemRoot%\Program Files\Microsoft Office Project Server 2003\IIS Virtual Root\STYLES\1033

Take a look at the PCSTYLES.CSS file.

In the image above I've just made some colour changes to the Navigation bar just to show some of the things you can do with the CSS file.

Determining which Service Pack is installed on Project Server 2003

2006-11-28T10:21:00.000+11:00

As you should know by now, the EPM solution stack includes ProjectServer 2003, Project Professional 2003, SQL Server 2000 and WSS v2.0. To determine the Service Pack applied to each of them:

Project Server 2003
Check the version of the pds.dll
11.2003.0816 (No Service Pack)
11.2004.0.1707 (Service Pack 1)
11.2005.0.3801 (Service Pack 2)
11.2005.0.4110 (Service Pack 2a)

WSS V2.0 Project Template
There has been no changes since Service Pack 1. The latest service pack just reapplied what was fixed in SP1. To determine SP1 browse to \Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\1033\PWAINC.

The date modified of the PWAISSUE.JS should be March 25, 2004.

Project Server 2003 Database
MSP_WEB_ADMIN table and check the values of WADMIN_VERSION_MAJOR and WADMIN_VERSION_MINOR fields.
11,0 (No Service Pack)
11,1 (Service Pack 1)
11,2 (Service Pack 2)
11,2 (Service Pack 2a)

Unable to determine between SP2 and SP2a. If you're really not sure, reapply the SP2a for the database.

Project Professional 2003
Check the version properties of the WINPROJ.exe

11.0.2003.816 (No Service Pack)
11.1.2004.1707 (Service Pack 1)
11.2.2005.1801 (Service Pack 2)

Make sure both Project Server 2003 and Project Professional 2003 are on the latest and same service pack level.

Thanks to Gord Schmidt's post on Service Packs!

Microsoft Office Project 2007 Certification

2006-11-27T09:11:00.000+11:00

The new Microsoft Office Project 2007 user certification program announced at the PMI Congress show will make it easier for organizations to identify skilled project managers.

Click here to read more about it.

MOSS 2007 has landed at Melbourne Airport

2006-11-25T17:47:00.000+11:00

We at Unique World have recently finished a successful Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 implementation at Melbourne Airport!

Read about it here.

Business problems that a document management system can address

2006-11-20T16:05:00.000+11:00

It is taking me too long to find critical business information.
It is costing me too much to handle paper (e.g. storage, archiving, courier, fax, photo copies, loss of information, natural disasters).
I can't track and manage my document-based business processes.
File servers and email servers are growing at an alarming rate thus making it hard to manage.
I need to secure my documents!
I need audit capability (e.g. SOX).

Project Server: Adding fields in the timesheet view

2006-11-15T13:50:00.000+11:00

In Project Server 2003:

What you'll have to do is, before you publish your project to the server:

Log on to PWA with Administrator rights.
Go to Admin-Manage views. Select the Timesheet view and Modify. Add the field which you would like to include in your view.

Now the Project Manager can add the selected field he wish to make available in the timesheet.

Open your .mpp file in Project Professional 2003.
Go to Tools-Customize-Published Fields.
Select the fields (the ones selected in PWA). Select the Assignment Radio Box. Check "Let resource change field" if you require the resource to input for a particular field (e.g. Cost, Actual Start).
Click OK.

Once you've done that, republish your project if you have already done so. You need to republish to make sure the Project File on the server reflect the changes. You can then go and build your view and you'll start to see the information you want.

In Project Server 2007:

Log on with Administrator rights.
Click on Server Settings in the quick launch.
Manage Views, click on the Timesheet view and just add the columns you want.
Save!

Getting Mobile Emulator to run in MOSS 2007 Beta 2 VPC Image

2006-10-02T16:56:00.000+10:00

No so long ago, I posted something about Getting Mobile in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. This configuration works fine if you're trying to set it up on a physical box. What I've come to realize is the steps do not work if you're trying to set it up in a VPC Image that has MOSS 2007 in it.

The installation steps are the same. Make sure you have the 3 setup files which are (you can install them in the order shown below):

1. Microsoft Device Emulator Version 1.0
2. Virtual Machine Network Services Driver
3. Emulator Images for Windows Mobile 5.0 with Messaging and Security Feature Pack

Next, install Microsoft ActiveSync 4.2

Launch the Pocket PC - Coldboot image by going to Start - All Programs - Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 MSFP Emulator Images - PocketPC Coldboot.

Next Cradle the image, by using the Device Emulator Manager. Start - All Programs - Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 MSFP Emulator Images - Device Emulator Manager.

You should be able to see the instance of the PocketPC listed. Right click on the instance and select Cradle.

ActiveSync will then come to live. It will prompt you to setup an ActiveSync partnership. You can click Cancel or just set it up if you wish to.

You're then ready to hit the SharePoint 2007 via the mobile device. Within the mobile device, Start - Internet Explorer. Type http://hostname/m. It will prompt you for credentials. Key in the username, password and domain.

You should then see...

Enabling Workflows for Site Content Type - Form

2006-09-27T16:27:00.000+10:00

The default installation of the MOSS 2007 does not allow a user to associate a workflow with a form content type in a form library.

If you notice when you add a form to a form library and click on the drop down, the workflows option will not be available. If you add a document to a document library, the workflows option is available.

How can we then associate an individual workflow to a content type accross the site. Below are the steps:

Go to the Top Level Site. Site Actions - Modify Settings - Modify All Site Settings.
Under Galleries, click on Site Content Types.
Under Document Content Types, click on Form.
Click on Workflow settings.
click on Add a workflow. Build your workflow by selecting one of the built-in workflows available.
Give the workflow a name.
Click Next.
In the Default Workflow Start Values, if you want the user to define the Approvers manually upon the initiation of the workflow make sure the "Allow changes to the participant list when this workflow is started" is checked.
Complete the rest of the settings and click OK.
When the page has reloaded, click on "Update all content types that inherit from this type with these workflow settings".
If you go back to the form library and click on an individual form, you'll notice that workflows option now appears. If you click on Workflows, you should be able to see the worklfow you've just configured and select on it.

The benefits of this is if you have a single content type that you want to have a workflow associated with it or an option of associating a workflow with it, this should be the ideal way to do it.

If not you can Go to an individual Form Library and click on Settings - Form Library Settings. Then follow steps 4-9. With this the workflow is only associated to that individual library.

Upgrading the Microsoft VPC MOSS 2007 B2 Image on Tech DVD to B2 TR

2006-09-24T13:41:00.000+10:00

Uninstalling Microsoft Office Mondo 2007 and Installing Microsoft Office 2007 (Beta)

Step1: Uninstall Office Mondo 2007 (Beta)

1. Go to Control Panel - Add and Remove Programs.

2. Select Microsoft Office Mondo 2007 (Beta), click Remove.

3. Click Yes when the dialog box pops up to remove Microsoft Mondo 2007.

Note: If you’re prompted to restart. Restart.

Step 2: Install Microsoft Office Professional 2007 (Beta)

1. Run the Microsoft Office product DVD

2. Select Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 (Beta)

3. Enter the VL Product Key when prompted.

4. Accept the License Agreement.

Note: Steps 5a and 6a optional if you’re after .NET Programmability Support for InfoPath.

5a. Click on Customize.

6a. Select “Run from Computer” for Visual Studio Tools for Applications.

7. Click on Install Now.

Step 3: Install Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 (Beta)

1. Run the Microsoft Office product DVD

2. Select Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 (Beta)

3. Enter the VL Product Key when prompted.

4. Accept the License Agreement.

5. Click on Install Now.

Note: Install all other Microsoft Office 2007 Beta Products before performing the upgrade. E.g. Microsoft Office Groove 2007, Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007, etc.

Updating MOSS 2007 Beta 2 to Beta 2 Technical Refresh

Step 1: Confirm the Version of MOSS 2007

1. Go to SharePoint Central Administration

2. Click on Site Actions, select Site Settings.

3. Ensure the Version is 12.0.0.4017

Note: This can be checked under the Site Settings of any site.

Step 2: Uninstall Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation Runtime Components Beta 2.2 (Build 3807.7)

1. Go to Control Panel – Add and Remove Programs.

2. Select Windows Workflow Foundation, click Remove.

3. Click Yes when the dialog box pops up.

Step 3: Install Microsoft .Net Framework 3.0

Note: This installs Windows Workflow Foundation version 4203.2.

1. Accept the terms, click on Install.

2. Click Exit to finish installation.

Step 4: Turn Off the Office SharePoint Server Search service

1. Go to Start - Programs - Administrator Tools - Services. / Control Panel – Services.

2. Select Office SharePoint Server Search and click on Stop.

Step 5: Turn Off the Windows SharePoint Services Search service

1. Go to SharePoint Central Administration.

2. Click Operations, and then select Services on Server from the Topology and Services section.

3. Find Windows SharePoint Services Search, and click Stop.

4. Click OK when the dialog box pops up.

Step 6: Run the WSS Technical Refresh Update

1. Start the update installation by double-clicking the update file.

2. Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA), and then click Continue.

3. After you accept the EULA, a confirmation dialog box is displayed. Click Yes.

4. Clicking Yes will start installation, beginning with the extraction of the update files.

5. After the update installation has finished, a dialog box will be displayed advising that additional components will require updating.

6. Click OK.

7. Another dialog box will pop up informing that the installation of the Beta 2 Technical Refresh for Windows SharePoint Services is complete.

8. Click OK.

Step 7: Run the MOSS Beta 2 Technical Refresh Update

1. Start the update installation by double-clicking the update file.

2. Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA), and then click Continue.

3. After you accept the EULA, a confirmation dialog box is displayed. Click Yes.

4. Clicking Yes will start installation, beginning with the extraction of the update files.

5. After the update installation has finished, a dialog box will be displayed advising that additional components will require updating.

6. Click OK.

7. Another dialog box will pop up informing that the installation of the Beta 2 Technical Refresh for Windows SharePoint Services is complete.

8. Click OK.

Step 8: Upgrade Configuration and Sites

1. Go to All Programs on the Start menu, click Microsoft Office Server, and then click SharePoint Products and Technologies Configuration Wizard.

2. A dialog box will pop up, click Yes.

3. Click Next to continue.

4. A dialog box will pop up informing that the following services will be reset during the configuration. Click Yes.

5. Click Next to continue.

6. A message is displayed asking you to run Setup on the remaining servers in the farm. Ignore this; click OK to continue.

7. The process will upgrade and update all the sites to Beta 2 Technical Refresh. Upon completion of the process, there will be a confirmation.

8. Click on Finish.

Verify that upgrade is completed by reviewing the upgrade log.

The upgrade.log file, located at %windir%\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\LOGS, contains information about your update.

When the update is complete, the log file will finish with the string "upgrade session has finished". The log will also report if there are any errors or warnings. If errors or warnings have occurred, determine your next action based on information in the log file.

Step 9: Upgrade InfoPath Forms Services and workflow forms

1. Run the following from the command line

%windir%\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\Bin\stsadm.exe –o reconvertallformtemplates

Step 10: Starting the WSS Search Service

1. Go to SharePoint Central Administration.

2. Click Operations, and select Services on Server from the Topology and Services section.

3. Find Windows SharePoint Services Search, and then click Start.

4. Fill in the required fields, and click Start. You should choose a different default search database name to start this service.

5. Click Start.

Step 11: Run the Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh Update

1. Start the update installation by double-clicking the update file.

2. Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA), and then click Continue.

3. After you accept the EULA, a confirmation dialog box is displayed. Click Yes.

4. Clicking Yes will start installation, beginning with the extraction of the update files.

5. After the update installation has finished, a dialog box will be displayed advising that additional components will require updating.

6. Click OK.

7. Another dialog box will pop up informing that a reboot needs to be done to complete the installation of the Beta 2 Technical Refresh for Microsoft Office 2007.

8. Click Yes.

Step 12: Run the SharePoint Designer 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh Update

1. Start the update installation by double-clicking the update file.

2. Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA), and then click Continue.

3. After you accept the EULA, a confirmation dialog box is displayed. Click Yes.

4. Clicking Yes will start installation, beginning with the extraction of the update files.

5. After the update installation has finished, dialog box will pop up informing that a reboot needs to be done to complete the installation of the Beta 2 Technical Refresh for Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007.

6. Click OK.

To download the steps above accompanied with screenshots, click here.

"Wait for value to equal value" action in SharePoint Designer 2007

2006-09-15T11:26:00.000+10:00

Some of the experiences I've had with building a workflow in SharePoint Designer 2007. If you're working with the "Wait for value to equal value" action and then "Send an email" action, take note of these:

Make sure outgoing email settings are enabled on the server.
If the server goes down (or iisreset) while the workflow is paused, then the email will never be sent.
If using on-edit, subsequent edits to the same list item will not start the workflow again until the first one has finish - there is no queuing attempts to start the same workflow on the same list item, they will be ignored.

Getting Mobile in Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007

2006-09-09T14:22:00.000+10:00

To get working on the mobile part of MOSS, what you'll need to do is download the Microsoft Windows Mobile Emulator. Follow steps for downloading the emulator, there are three download files. It's best that you install the emulator on the server hosting MOSS. Don't have to worry too much about the networking.

The emulator will allow you to emulate a PDA or Smartphone. I'm more interested in the PDA for now. So below are the steps to get the emulator working and having your first peek at MOSS on a mobile device.

To setup the emulator- install the Virtual Machine Network Services Driver, Emulator Images for Windows Mobile 5.0 with Messaging and Security Feature Pack, Microsoft Device Emulator 1.0 .
Start the PocketPC-ColdBoot from the Start menu.
Map your physical network card to the device [File > Configure > Network Tab > Enable ‘NE2000 PCMCIA adapter and bind to’ and click ‘OK’].
In the Windows Mobile interface [Start > Settings > Connections > Network Cards].
Choose 'The Internet' on the 'My netword card connects to' drown down list.
Click on 'NE2000 Compatible Adapter'
Configure the IP Address and Name Servers to be in the same network environment as the MOSS server (ensure that the subnet mask is the same).
Click on 'OK' till you're all completed and back at the home screen.
On the Emulator application, disable and enable the network card mapping [ File > Configure > Network Tab > Enable ‘NE2000 PCMCIA adapter and bind to’] , the icon will change briefly on the mobile device screen.
Once you've been reconnected, launch Internet Explorer from the Start menu in the mobile device.
Type your portal url with a /m at the end. E.g. http://moss2007/m
Enter your login credentials and the mobile home of the portal will appear!

Determining the version of SPS 2001 / WSS / SPS 2003

2006-08-01T15:39:00.000+10:00

To determine the version of SharePoint Portal Server that is installed on the server, compare the version of the Mssrch.dll file on each server. To do this, follow these steps:

Start Microsoft Windows Explorer, and then use one of the following methods:

•If you are running SharePoint Portal Server 2001, locate the following folder:
Drive:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSSearch\Bin
•If you are running SharePoint Portal Server 2003, locate the following folder:
Drive:\Program Files\SharePoint Portal Server\Bin
Right-click the Mssrch.dll file, and then click Properties.
Click the Version tab, and then click File Version under Item name.Make a note of the version number of the Mssrch.dll file. The version numbers of the Mssrch.dll file and the corresponding versions and service pack levels of SharePoint Portal Server are listed as follows.

SharePoint Portal Server 2001

•If the version of the Mssrch.dll file is 10.145.3914.3, the original release version of SharePoint Portal Server 2001 is installed on the server.
•If the version of the Mssrch.dll file is 10.145.4629, SharePoint Portal Server 2001 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is installed on the server.
•If the version of the Mssrch.dll file is 10.0145.6011.0, SharePoint Portal Server 2001 Service Pack 2 (SP2) is installed on the server.
•If the version of the Mssrch.dll file is 10.0145.6011.5, SharePoint Portal Server 2001 Service Pack 2a (SP2a) is installed on the server.
•If the version of the Mssrch.dll file is 10.0145.7329, SharePoint Portal Server 2001 Service Pack 3 (SP3) is installed on the server.

SharePoint Portal Server 2003

•If the version of the Mssrch.dll file is 11.0.5704.0, the original release version of SharePoint Portal Server 2003 is installed on the server.
•If the version of the Mssrch.dll file is 11.0.6715.0, SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is installed on the server.

Alternatively for Windows Sharepoint Services 2.0...

On the server, go to 'Add or Remove Programs'
For WSS, click Click Here for Support Information. Note the version numbers below

11.0.5608.0 (Unserviced Pack)
11.0.6361.0 (Service Pack 1)
11.0.7969.0 (Service Pack 2)

EPM Best Practices

2006-07-26T10:37:00.000+10:00

Excellent article. Worth the read!

http://www.clsassociates.com/EPMBestPracs.pdf

Document Concerns

2006-07-19T12:06:00.000+10:00

Some of the concerns organizations might have regarding their document. Probably some key areas to focus on and analyse. How, when and by whom your documents are accessed?

Confidentiality - Control who has access to the document.

Authorization - Control what someone can do with the document.

Accountability - Track what someone does with the document.

Integrity - Show whether a document has been altered.

Authenticity - Verify the source of the document.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 SP1 (full version software) is Free

2006-07-14T10:47:00.000+10:00

I've used the Microsoft VPC 2004 through all my presentations, demos and simulations. It's an absolute piece of software that saves you time and it gives you the liberty to learn from trial and errors while deploying or testing a particular software / product.

Click here to download.

Xerox DocuShare 5.0

2006-07-08T03:21:00.000+10:00

Interested in DocuShare 5.0 ? There hasn't been much of an upgrade from 4.0 to 5.0. I did install v5.0 and just noticed the change in the UI. In terms of functionality it's the same. If I'm not mistaken another plus point is that it supports SQL 2005 for the storage of metadata.

Just head on down to DocuShare User Group (DOUG), create an account there (it's free). Download the executable files, install and get the license string from Xerox and you'll be able to use it for 30 days.

Click here to access the DocuShare 5.0 download at the DOUG site.

Microsoft E-Learning: Microsoft SharePoint Services 3.0 (Beta)

2006-07-08T03:11:00.000+10:00

Microsoft E-Learning is offering a free online course for 90 days to get to know Microsoft SharePoint Services 3.0 (Beta).

Click here to get it! A good introductory to SharePoint Services 3.0 (Beta). There's also a Hands On Lab to further enhance the learning experience.

I've gone through it. Gives a good overall understanding of Sharepoint Services 3.0 (Beta) and you can easily see the difference with v2.0.

Keys to a Successful ECM Solution

2006-06-26T11:12:00.000+10:00

An ECM solution could be the answer to your organizational needs in terms of archiving, auditing and collaborating but there are challenges that hinder a successful ECM solution rollout.

User acceptance is very important as the ECM solution is for the end user. They need to buy into the idea, therefore the ECM needs to be something simple for them. The ECM is to improve the way they work and to help with their daily tasks and shouldn't burden them even further. The learning curve and training should also be very minimal. User acceptance will be fastest if users actually recognize the ECM solution as making their personal work life more efficient and streamlined.

Unified solution will tip the scale on the success of the ECM solution. The ECM solution should provide for many of the functionalities that are required within the requirement. Most of the time multiple applications which are not standardized put the users off. The organization will definately have diversified needs as each departments / individuals focus could be different but working towards a common goal. Therefore the ECM solution needs to be able to meet these needs with robust and customizable ECM solution.

Users should have the power to manage their own solutions. Therefore this will minimize the involvement and burden of IT on the ECM. This is essential to involve the IT administrators as little as possible as they already have much at hand. The ECM solution needs to cater for different users to be able to manage their own areas. The only involvement of IT is to manage the ECM solution in a centralized manner and the granular details can be handled by users.

Questions for Document Management Analysis

2006-06-14T23:55:00.000+10:00

Sometimes I find it hard to actually get a conversation started with clients. So I remember 5 simple and easy questions to help myself gage some of the problems customers face with document management.

What are the hardcopy / manual process that are currently in place?
In these processes, what are the top 3/4/5 pain issues that you face?
How many people are involved and how do they communicate with one another?
How are the documents distributed and are there remote locations, what is the cost incurred?
Once the process has been completed, what are the plans on storing or preserving the document?

Some questions to get the conversation started and to build a foundation for further analysis.

Components of ECM

2006-06-12T10:24:00.000+10:00

Gartner defines 6 core components for an Enterprise Content Management system.

Document Management
Web Content Management
Records Management
Document Capture
Document Imaging
Document Centric Collaboration & Workflow

Ubiquitous Computing

2006-06-09T11:52:00.000+10:00

"... many enterprise employees are disconnected from the company information systems for long periods of time. They cannot communicate business-critical information promptly, or react to changing business priorities quickly"

reference: Gartner, 2002

Microsoft Office 2007 suite of products, especially with Groove and SharePoint 2007 we'll see more collaboration and communication between information / knowledge workers.

VMware Free Download

2006-06-09T11:50:00.000+10:00

I'm a firm supporter of virtual machines. I've been using Microsoft's Virtual PC. It's been working well for me.

Apparently VMware, who has a similar product to the Microsoft one offers a free download. Below is the link. Honestly, I haven't tested it yet.

http://www.vmware.com/download/server/

Solving the ECM Puzzle

2006-06-09T11:48:00.000+10:00

Recently I've dived into the world of documents/content which led me to an interest in Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions. Through my findings and discovery, a little insight into ECM and if ECM is for you and your organization. five key components of the ECM.

Capture - How would you move documents (hardcopy/softcopy) into the repository for reuse, distribution and storage?
Manage - What are the tools and techniques for moving content around an organization and monitoring this tools' performance?
Store - Where do you put the content and how'd you find it again?
Deliver - How do you get the right content to the right audience on the right device?
Preserve - What are the options for long term archival and storage of your company's essential content?

references: AIIM