Chapter 20: Installing and Administering Microsoft Project Server

Overview

In the real world, project managers don’t usually have exclusive control over their resources. Most companies share their human resources (and their material resources for that matter) across many projects. In Chapter 14, you learned how to set up a resource pool, or use an existing pool to share resources. In Chapter 15, you learned how to communicate with team members using Project 2002’s e-mail communication features. But these features, valuable as they are, really don’t expand project management across the entire enterprise.

That’s where Microsoft Project Server 2002 comes in.

Project Server is a database of Project files and fields that is located on a company’s network server, with detailed security to control who can access the database and what they see when they do. Installing Project Server on your company’s network enables true enterprise-wide project management with all team members tied in via the network, and with multiple projects sharing company-wide resources. You need Project Server if you’re managing large, sophisticated projects—and if you want to access all the enterprise features of Project Professional.

Setting up, configuring, and administering Project Server requires a bit of time and patience. (In fact, it’s best if the installation is done by a true network administrator.) But after it’s running, users—including project managers—should find it fairly easy to use.

This chapter covers the following topics:

• Introducing Project Server

• Installing Project Server

• Logging on to Project Server

• Configuring and administering