Using OnePager Pro Desktop with Server Resident Project Plans for Version 6.1

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Revision as of 16:07, 29 October 2021 by Sblack (Talk | contribs) (Logging-in to Your Project Server Account)

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About Using Server Resident Project Plans

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

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

3) 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.

4) Please see the referenced articles on Pull Operations listed in the Related Links section at 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), caution is recommended when mixing 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.

Getting Started

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

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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:

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Logging-in to Your Project Server Account

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

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2) The function of three (3) of the five (5) 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 encrypts 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 on a trusted device that is connected to a trusted network.
ii) The information is used to automatically connect to the same Microsoft Project Server account in the future if you make reference to its projects.
iii) If the Save Password checkbox is not checked, you need to fill in the password form each time you want access one of its projects.
iv) If you previously logged into a Microsoft Project Server account via Microsoft Project Professional and gave Windows permission to remember your credentials, OnePager does not even need to know your user name and password. It can login using the Windows credentials stored on your computer for that URL. For more information go to the Windows Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\Credential Manager.
v) 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.
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.
c) Account Nickname. The Account Nickname can be anything you want. It starts out as something constructed from the URL, but that is just a suggested default value for the nickname. You should choose an Account Nickname makes it easy to tell different accounts apart.

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 accesses the Choose what to import form shown below:

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2) The form above allows you to establish Microsoft Project Server account connections, perform edits on the account log-in information, and delete accounts. Once connected, the form provides a scrollable space to display the projects in the account and a filtering mechanism to assist in searches.

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

Using the Automatically Connect Checkbox

1) If you plan to ultimately select several projects 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 automatically logs in to the selected account every time you open the form.

Connecting to your Project Server Account Projects

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

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

a) Select Account. The left-most field contains the Account Nickname you gave the account and has a dropdown menu so that, if you have several accounts available, you can select among them.
i) Clicking the Add button accesses the Account Information for Data Source form allowing you to enter another set containing a URL, User name, Password, and Account Nickname.
ii) Clicking the Edit button accesses the Account Information for Data Source form containing the information for the Account Nickname 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 deletes the account information for the Account Nickname 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 appears to the right with a tag stating Connected. If the attempt to connect fails, a red dot with the tag of Not Connected appears. Additionally, one of the following error messages appears in red in the Connect to Source group of the form:
Message Meaning

Need login account

Cannot login because user has not created a login account.  Press the Add button to create an account.   If the Add button is not showing, press the Change button first.

Unable to connect

OnePager could not connect to the server using the specified account.

ii) Clicking the Disconnect button immediately disconnects Microsoft Project Server and OPP from the account. The form does not close and a red dot with the tag Disconnected appears.
iii) If you do not click the Disconnect button before exiting OPP desktop, the connection is terminated OPP Desktop is closed.
iv) As mentioned above, in the Save Password group, OPP remembers your login information in encrypted form if the Save Password check box is checked for the account.
v) Checking the Automatically connect checkbox tells OPP to keep the connection to the URL displayed in the Select Account window active until 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 projects to import:
i) Scroll-Down the List. Scroll down the list until you find the project or projects to import. Select the project or projects desired by clicking on them. Click the OK button at the bottom of the form.
P60-8 5 1-60-(4A1)-02082017.png
ii) Use the Filter. You can filter through the projects by placing filter text in the window to the immediate right of the Filter button. When the Filter button is clicked, OnePager displays those files that meet the filter criteria as shown here: You can then select the desired project or projects.
P60-8 5 1-60-(4B)-02082017.png
iii) Show All. Clicking the Show All button displays all the projects available for selection. Use the scroll bar at the right to search down the project names.

Creating NEW Project Views

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

P60-8 5 1-60-(5)-02082017.png

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, in turn, accesses the Choose what to import form shown at the left below, thereby populating the Data source selection form:

P60-8 5 1-60-(6)-02082017.png

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 and push updates from Microsoft Project Server or Project Online source plans.

Updates to Project Views from Microsoft Project Server Projects

You can perform any update from Microsoft Project Server source plans using either the pull or push operations available for OPP version 6.0.

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 can be stored for convenience 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) if there is a need to update the shared project view.

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)

Troubleshooting

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

Updating OnePager with a Project Online or Project Server 2016/2019 plan

Can't Connect to Project Online/Project Server 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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