Difference between revisions of "Creating Project Views from Server Resident Project Plans for OnePager Pro Desktop for Version 6.0"

Latest revision as of 16:14, 29 October 2021

About Using Server Resident Project Plans

OnePager Pro (OPP) provides expanded cloud access capabilities by supporting access to Microsoft Project Server or Project Online accounts.

OPP can connect to cloud resident databases so that project views and snapshots can be created directly from these source plans.

Additionally, OPP supports access to multiple accounts, searches of online databases for specific Gantt chart source plans, and online security protocols. With this access, you are able to pull Microsoft Project source plans from the cloud and use the OPP Add-in and Desktop applications to create, update, and open project views.

Please see the referenced articles on Pull Operations listed in the Related Links section of this article: Related Links.

General Cautions

1) OPP Desktop supports accessing cloud resident source plans without the assistance of Microsoft Project Professional. Additionally, OPP Desktop can create, update, and open multi-project project views from source packages consisting of more than one Microsoft Project source plan. See the article at: Creating Various Multi-Project Views with OnePager Pro and Express (Portal) .

2) However, due to technical differences between Microsoft Project source plans resident on your computer and those that are cloud resident (i.e., Microsoft Project Server or Project Online), it is NOT possible to mix source plans from different media (i.e., your computer and the cloud).

3) As a protection, OPP Desktop prohibit, to the extent possible, the combination of source plans from differing media from being incorporated into a single source package for the purpose of creating a NEW project view or for UPDATING an existing project view.

4) Please keep these cautions in mind when constructing source packages for OPP Desktop.

Getting Started

1) Launch the OPP Desktop application. Then, click the NEW button on the OnePager Pro Start form as shown below:

2) When the OnePager choices (OPC) form appears, click the Select button which reveals a dropdown menu. Then, click the BROWSE Project Server… option as shown below:

Logging-in to Your Project Server Account

1) The previous action will bring up the Account Information for Data Source form, shown below. Use the form to connect to your Microsoft Project Server account.

2) The function of the four (4) fill-in windows and the checkbox are mostly self-explanatory, however, more details are provided below:

a) Save Password A few comments are in order related to the Save Password checkbox.

i) When this checkbox is checked, OnePager will encrypt and remember the password you provide. Essentially, checking this checkbox gives OnePager permission to store your credentials. As with any stored credentials, you should only save your password when your device and network are both trusted and secure.

ii) The information is used to automatically connect to the same Microsoft Project Server account in the future if the Automatically connect checkbox in the Choose what to import form, discussed below, is checked.

iii) Since multiple Microsoft Project Server accounts can be established, the Save password checkbox applies individually to each.

iv) If the Save Password checkbox is not checked, you may need to fill in the password form each time you want access.

v) If you previously logged into a Microsoft Project Server account via Microsoft Project Professional and given Windows permission to remember your credentials, OnePager may not even need to know your user name and password. It can login using the Windows credentials stored on your computer. For more information go to the Windows Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\Credential Manager.

b) For login actions to get to Enterprise Custom Fields see the article at link: Using Enterprise Custom Fields from Microsoft Project for OnePager Pro .

3) Once the fields are filled in, click the OK button to go to the next form where you click the Connect button.

Selecting a Project or Projects from Your Project Server Account

1) Clicking the OK button on the form above will bring up the Choose what to import form shown below:

2) The form above allows you to establish a single or multiple Microsoft Project Server account connection, perform edits on the account log-in information, and delete accounts. The form lets you establish and terminate the connections to the selected account. Finally, once connected, the form provides a scrollable space to display the files in the account and a filtering mechanism to assist in searches.

3) The OPP Desktop application will not let you mix ordinary files (e.g., non-Project Server files) with server-based project files. The OPP Desktop application will never give you the option to add a server object to the ordinary files that are already in your source packet. If, however, you delete all the files from the source packet, the OPP desktop application will give you the option to add either type of file (i.e., ordinary or server-based) to the empty source packet.

Using the Automatically Connect Checkbox

1) If you plan to ultimately select several files to create a multi-project graph, we recommend that you check the Automatically connect checkbox before clicking on the Connect button as described below. As a warning, be advised that once the Automatically connect checkbox is checked, this checkbox must be unchecked in order to disconnect from your Microsoft Project Server account with the Disconnect button.

2) Checking the Automatically connect checkbox will automatically login to the selected account every time you open the form.

Connecting to your Project Server Account Files

1) When you click the Connect button in the Connect to Source group, the form will display the file information available at the site and looks something like this:

2) There are three groups of controls in the Choose what to import form:

a) Select Account. The left-most field contains the URL for the Microsoft Project Server account and has a dropdown menu so that, if you have several accounts available, you may select between them.

i) Clicking the Add button will again bring up the Account Information for Data Source form allowing you to enter another set containing a URL, User name, and Password.

ii) Clicking the Edit button will bring up the Account Information for Data Source form containing the information for the URL displayed in the window at the left. With this form available, you can edit the data and save it when you click the OK button.

iii) Clicking the Delete button will delete the account information for the account URL displayed in the window to the left.

b) Connect to Source. The Connect and Disconnect buttons allow you to make the connection or break it.

i) When the Connect button is clicked, OnePager displays a message providing you with the status of the connect operation. When the connection is made a green dot will appear to the right with a tag stating Connected. If the attempt to connect fails, a red dot with the tag of Not Connected will appear. Additionally, one of the following error messages will appear in red in the Connect to Source group of the form:

ii) Clicking the Disconnect button will immediately disconnect Microsoft Project Server and OPP from the account. The form will not close and a red dot with the tag Disconnected will appear.

iii) If you do not click the Disconnect button before exiting OPP desktop, the connection will be terminated when Microsoft Project is closed.

iv) As mentioned above, in the Save Password group, OPP will remember your login information in encrypted form if the Save Password check box is checked for the account.

v) Checking the Automatically connect checkbox will tell OPP to keep the connection to the URL displayed in the Select Account window active until the checkbox is unchecked and the Disconnect button is clicked.

c) Choose Projects to Import. This group on the form displays the list of files available for import from the designated Microsoft Project Server account. You have some options available when searching the files to import:

i) Scroll-Down the List. Scroll down the list until you find the project or projects to import. Select the file or files desired by mouse clicking on them and when ready to import. Click the OK button at the bottom of the form.

ii) Use the Filter. You can filter through the files by placing filter text in the window to the immediate right of the Filter button. When the Filter button is clicked, OnePager will display those files that meet the filter criteria as shown here: You can then select the desired file or files.

iii) Show All. Clicking the Show All button will display all the files available for selection. Use the scroll bar at the right to search down the file names.

Creating NEW Project Views

1) Upon completing the file selection process, click the OK button at the bottom of the Choose what to import form and the OPC form will be updated to show the files selected as shown below:

2) As with any set of projects, you can examine and manipulate them by clicking on the Add/Remove button shown above which brings up the Data source selection form shown at the right below. Clicking the Add button there will, in turn, bring up the Choose what to import form shown at the left below, thereby populating the Data source selection form:

3) Once you make the necessary entries and confirm the settings in the OPC form you can proceed to create your project view through the normal process.

UPDATING Project Views from Project Server

Updating project views created from cloud source plans is explained below.

Updates to Project Views from Microsoft Project Server or Online Sources

The OPP Desktop application supports pull updates from Microsoft Project Server source plans. The application does not support pull updates when the source plans are from Microsoft Project Server or Online. In these cases, you need to initiate an update using the OnePager Add-in from inside Microsoft Project.

Updates to Project Views from Microsoft Project Server Projects

1) You may perform any update from Microsoft Project Server source plans using either the pull or push operations available for OPP version 6.0. Please use the following article links for further information:

REPLACING a Snapshot via Pull Operation - OnePager Pro

ADDING a Snapshot via Pull Operation - OnePager Pro

Custom Update (Replacing) of a Snapshot via Pull Operation - OnePager Pro

2) When using the reference links above, please keep in mind that when performing a pull operation to update project views, the sequence is:

a) First, launch the OPP Desktop application and click the OPEN button on the OnePager Pro Start form.

b) This action provides you the opportunity to select the project view (.TAM) file either by BROWSING Files… or choosing a RECENT file from the dropdown list.

c) Once you’ve selected the .TAM file, OPP will know where the source packet is located, retrieves it, and uses it to update the selected project view (add or replace snapshot).

3) The above sequence is a slight deviation to the sequence specified in the articles at the links above.

OPENING Project Views with OnePager Pro Desktop

1) From OPP Desktop either while connected to cloud resident Microsoft Project source plans or not, you can always use OPP Desktop in OPEN mode to access and display project views from any location where they are stored and you have access.

2) To operate in OPEN mode please refer to this article: Opening an EXISTING Project View - OnePager Pro Desktop

Sharing Project Views Created from the Cloud

1) OPP Desktop is able to update project views from cloud source plans because it has access to the credentials. These credentials are stored locally in the OPP database or in the Windows Credential vault.

2) Sharing project views created in the cloud is, therefore, a bit more involved because the recipient needs access to the same cloud data sources (i.e., Microsoft Project Server account).

a) Your internal procedures for giving various team members cloud access credentials should govern these considerations.

b) More information is available on sharing project views at these links:

Managing Project View Data

Sharing Project Views (Portal)

3) At the present time, whenever you upgrade your version of OPP on your local computer, the OPP database is purged of all data associated with Microsoft Project Server or Project Online credentials.

Troubleshooting

Please refer to these two Frequently Asked Questions if you are having problems:

Updating OnePager with a Project Online/Project Server 2016 plan

Can't Connect to Project Online/Project Server 2016 to Update a OnePager Report

Related Links

Using Enterprise Custom Fields from Microsoft Project for OnePager Pro

Creating a NEW Project View via Pull Operation - OnePager Pro

REPLACING a Snapshot via Pull Operation - OnePager Pro

ADDING a Snapshot via Pull Operation - OnePager Pro

Custom Update (Replacing) of a Snapshot via Pull Operation - OnePager Pro

Using the OnePager "Data" Tab's "Selected file(s)" Button

Opening an EXISTING Project View - OnePager Pro Desktop

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