Great Reporting Certification Series session today – if you missed it check out the recording at mpug.com.
Here is a list of the Questions and Answers from the session:
Resource Link on Reporting Templates: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg597682.aspx
Question: Are we using MS Pro client only today, or EPM environment?
Answer: Alan - we are looking at PS2010 (Business Intelligence) - last session was with Project Pro client only.
Recording Link about 24 hours at http://www.mpug.com
Question: What version of Excel is supported for these functions? We are using MSP 2010 and Office 2003. This has caused issues with other functions.
Answer: 2007 or later
Question: We have implemented Project Server 2010 at my office and I noted that we are not able to see the custom fields in the sample reports available in the Business Intelligence area. What will we need to do in order to have the custom fields appear in the reports? I look forward to your thoughts.
Answer: the relational templates require the ODC file to be update. the ODC file is basically a sql statement that harvests the data from the database tables.
Question: Do you really need Sharepoint 2010 Enterprise, as my install docs indicate?
Answer: yes
Question: Is it necessary to Use SQL server only? Is it portable on some other database like Oracle?
Answer: sql server only.
Question: Is there a performance consideration when using the Reporting DB?
Answer: yes. Querying on large volumes of data can cause performance degradation
Question: Is there are location where I can find informaiton on the tables that the we can write the appropriate SQL statements
Answer: the Project Server 2010 sdk will have this information and can be found on Microsoft.com
Question: I'm not a db person. Is the help good enough to lead me thru the changes I would need to do to make a change?
Answer: for the most part, yes. I posted to our blog a couple exercises from our business intelligence course that walk folks through teh process
Question: Do users or Admins update the ODC file?
Answer: great question. I am actually not sure of this answer but will check.
Question: How is this integrated with TFS - Requirements, Defects
Answer: TFS does directly integrate with PS2010. There are videos on Microsoft Showcase to help demonstrate
Question: From my participation on the previous weblearn I did not see nor receive a link to the recording of the first, where can it be found? Where can a link to today's weblearn be found later?
Private Answer: Hello Glenda. You can access the recording by going to http://www.mpug.com/Docs/Lists/WebNLearn/AllItems.aspx.
Question: If you apply one of the "This Month" filters, and save that as a template, will the report update automatically, or will you need to re-apply the filter each time you run the report?
Answer: once you save the reports current state it will always open in the same state, with the exception the data may be more current.
Question: Where did he get the Project_Project ... I am not seeing that in my field list.
Answer: it is toward the lower part of the pivot table field list. you need to use a template that is able to show project level data though. are you using the same template?
Question: this is straight up Excel, not Excel Services - until he views this on the web! you do not save as a wewb part! you save an excel file and view in an Excel viewer web part. he needs to get his terms right
Answer: understood. folks very regularly misuse Excel/Excel Services. I attribute this to the incorrect terms being used so widely in the industry that folks think it's the reality.
Question: If you add a chart (created in Excel) as a web part on a page, how does the data refresh since the “file” is not being opened?
Answer: the data is typically updated each time the webpart is accessed. This is via the "refresh on open" configuration setting.
Question: Do OLAP cubes contain custom fields?
Answer: by default they do not. They need to be added via Olap Data Administration in Server Settings.
Question: This is a great presentation. I look forward to downloading the recording. Will we be able to bring in custom fields in the OLAP Analyser? Will this be easier that modifying SQL Statements?
Answer: yes, you can. Lookup table based as well as numeric and currency. Yes, it's easier.
Question: if you change the template does it change for all server users? Or just for me?
Answer: if you change the template, then it's changed for all users. This is why I would recommend not updating the template unless you want to change it for all users, but save your report as an excel file under a different name.
Question: Suggestions for using Fiscal Years? (period 1 = July). We do not currently have this turned on. PS2007
Answer: please clarify? PS2010 does allow for financial periods. You merely need to understand what you need and configure it in the tool.
Question: Can you select multiple departments?
Answer: Only with NON-OLAP templates.
Question: If you setup a cube for only IT projects, is it only available to report viewers/authors who are IT department? If not, is there a way to restrict that olap to only IT department report viewers?
Answer: Security can be set to read data on the OLAP cube and see BI Center. Dept filtering is not recommended for security rather a filter.
Question: Do you need Sharepoint 2010 ?
Answer: Yes SharePoint 2010 Server for Project Server 2010
Question: Can OLAP and/or SSRS pull in data from a seperate DB that is used for archiving completed projects? In other words, we want to maximize DB performance by keeping only active projects on the primary DB and 'merge' past projects into the OLAP and/or SSRS DB.
Answer: Yes can pull from other sources. One Best practice is creating a separate instance to leverage the OLAP cube/reports for all archived projects.
Question: How large is the database the cube was just built against?
Answer: Andy - th
