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Using MSP effectively with Clarity

  • 1.  Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Jan 31, 2008 05:49 AM
    From my experience there are a number of customers who have had significant issues with using MSP with Clarity.[left]  [left] I would like to start a thread where MSP best practices and constructive advice  can be shared.[left]  [left] So please send in your  Best Practices, Tips, and Advice  in using MSP with Clarity. To make the data easy to follow please use the following:[left]  [left] Clarity Version:[left] MSP Version:[left] Short Description:[left]  [left] Long Description:[left]  [left]  [left] Thanks,[left] Michael Thibault[left]


  • 2.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 10:16 AM
    We're using Clarity 7.5.2 with MSP 2003 (and Open Workbench).   There are  3 big things we've noticed using MSP with Clarity:[left]  [left] Performance. Opening a decent-sized project into MSP takes a fair bit longer than opening a similar-sized project into OWB. This is to be expected, but has caused the odd complaint from the users. Actual Costs. MSP appears unable to cope with changes in resource charge rates over time.   We were advised by CA support to have a rate-per-period-per-resource(class) in our Rate Matrix to resolve this. This is a little surprising. MSP assumes it knows better than the Project Manager how to manage the project. By this, I mean it moves dates around based on its internal scheduling algorithm (Duration = Work x Availability). This is native MSP functionality which cannot be turned off, but is very frustrating for Project Managers (and of course those who are wed to MSP blame Clarity for the dates moving!) The most frustrating part is that it doesn't say where it's moved the date from.   CA Support have suggested extending the Clarity/MSP interface so that when a plan is opened from Clarity, the Start and Finish dates are saved to (for example) the Start10 and Finish10 fields. That way the PM will at least know where the dates gets moved from. There is a fair bit of information on the Xinify website (http://xinify.com/xinify-university/) that we've pushed our users to view before launching into using Clarity with MSP. There was also a document in the Downloads section of the old (support.niku.com) site which had a pretty comprehensive list of the Do's and Don't's for using MSP with Clarity and we've provided our users with that, and a 1-page Cheat Sheet  to get them on their way.[left]


  • 3.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 04:15 AM
    Dear KiwiAli,[left]  [left] do you mind sharing the "1-page Cheat Sheet" on using MSP with Clarity?[left]  [left] Thanks in advance & Best Regards,
    Karmen[left]


  • 4.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 04:34 PM
    I think I must be missing something, but I can't figure out how to publish a document in the Downloads section of this site! I've asked CA Support to assist so hopefully I will get a response shortly. Can I email the document to you in the meantime?[left]


  • 5.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 08:15 AM
    Hi Alistair,

    Do you mean the Downloads section for CA Clarity page on Support Online? I think those posts are all done internally. However if its size is less than 5 MB you should be able to post it as an attachment to this board.

    Thanks,

    Sam


  • 6.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 11:54 AM
      |   view attached
    Yes, I was referring to the Downloads area of support.ca.com[left]  [left] When this group was at support.niku.com there was a central area where members could upload documents or other items they thought may be useful or interesting to other members.   Embedding interesting or useful documents within a discussion thread will make it more difficult for users to search for or browse them.[left]  [left] However, if that is the only option, I attach herewith the one-page Cheat Sheet I referred to in an earlier post...[left]

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    MSP_Quick_Reference.pdf   30 KB 1 version


  • 7.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 10:03 PM
    Dear KiwiAli,[left]  [left] thanks a lot! To which Clarity version are you referring to in the document?[left] e.g. the statement "multiple baselines are not supported" was true, but I'm not 100% sure whether this has changed for the 8.x versions.[left]  [left] Regards,[left] Karmen[left]


  • 8.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 21, 2008 12:43 PM
    Our environment is 7.5.2 (FP02) with MS Project 2003.   I suspect we'll need to revisit many of our guides and tips&tricks docs when we upgrade to 8.x (hopefully in the near future).[left]


  • 9.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 04:06 PM
    Hi,Sam
     
           can you give us some advices or some files which can help us to configure our clarity system with MSP? This is very difficult for us to configure clarity system when i want to use MSP as our schedule tool! We just need a file and i can configure correctly the clarity system with msp. The file in Clarity install CD can not give me any instructive idea!
     
     
     
    Best regards.
     
    Peardong


  • 10.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 04:45 PM
    I've just noticed on the xinify.com site (http://xinify.com/xinify-university/library/) an item called "How MicroSoft Project Works with CA Clarity" which is well worth being familiar with, if you're going to choose MSP over the more powerful and feature-rich Open Workbench.[left]


  • 11.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Feb 03, 2009 10:39 AM
      |   view attached
    One things that we must remember is that we do not configure Clarity to work with MSP, we configure and understand how MSP works with Clarity. Clarity owns the schedule, MSP is just a tool that maintains the WBS. By keeping this in mind and the MSP magic formula (Work = Duration x Units) we can start to understand how to use MSP. (We also need to know how track modes work.) First: A little track mode info:  Track Modes Explained:   0 = None : Can modify time values in OWB and MSP. Values from OWB and MSP will get populated into the time slice curves when the 'Time Slicing' job is run. These entries are not posted to the project through timesheets and the posting job. And that they can only be found in the prassignment table, where as posting with timesheets populates prtimeentry and prassignment. OWB or MSP becomes your time tracking mechanism. This is how you use MSP or OWB to enter your time into Clarity. Timesheets will not update the ETC if this is set.    1 = Other : Traditionally used in NPM for API-based custom interfaces. This feature has been replaced with XOG which uses trackmode Clarity.    2 = Clarity : Clarity Timesheets and XOG entries updated in the time slice curves and are posted to the project. If you have external system for tracking time and want the entries to show on the project, then set the Track Mode to Clarity.     If Track Mode is NOT set to Clarity (2), nothing is processed on the Post Timesheets job; the project is not updated with the values as described above.        --------------- Next ----------------     Everyone has had the probelm of updating the schedule in MSP and Clarity screws it up. Well Every time you open a schedule in MSP it (MSP) reschedules..no matter what. The assumption in MSP is that you always want to know the proper schedule after it is updated, so MSP updates your schedule. I have attached a portion of a thread that discusses this. The thread is not Clarity related, but it is the same issue and helps explain the MSP behaviour.  

    Attachment(s)



  • 12.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity - more info

    Posted Feb 03, 2009 10:53 AM
    Here are a few pointers about MSP and Clarity:  Clarity supports all three MSP task types: Fixed Duration, Fixed Units, and Fixed Work - the behavior of projects launched in MSP from Clarity are controlled by MSP and not Clarity (but there are some dependencies on work contour and slight differences between Clarity work contours and MSP work contours. MSP always works under the following equation Work = Units * Duration. Actuals applied to a task in MSP can drive what appears to be odd behavior in a plan.      Clarity owns the resources, thus resources must exist in Clarity for a plan to be saved into Clarity.     Clarity controls calendars and these calendars are at a resource level (different paradigms of Project Management between Clarity and MSP)     Clarity parses the data from each .MPP file into the database records BUT also saves the entire .MPP file. Data is rebuilt in MSP when the .MPP file is launched     When MSP is used as a scheduling tool with Clarity, there are rules and one of them is that Clarity "rules": Clarity owns everything, including the schedule. It just allows you to temporarily "borrow" the schedule by downloading it into MSP so that you can make the necessary changes and hand it back; all of this via a Clarity-MSP interface that neither Clarity nor Microsoft are proud of.     Interface installation – Follow the interface installation instructions from top to bottom without missing anything. You want to do it right the first time so that you can continue to the "MSP configuration"     MSP configuration – Ensure MSP is configured to work with Clarity as per the installation instructions provided by Clarity’s manufacturer. Clarity limits the functionality of MSP. This means that you cannot use MSPs functionality to their full extent when it works in conjunction with Clarity     Password protection – Don’t password protect the project in MSP, Clarity does not support it     Project save - Don’t use the MSPs File/Save or the File/Save As functions because they don’t save to Clarity     Copy/cut and paste – In MSP, we are all used to copy or cut and paste a whole row. Clarity doesn’t like it because each row of the schedule is provided with a unique Clarity ID that cannot be duplicated     Resource assignment – Only assign resources to a task in MSP that are already allocated to the project in Clarity first. If you create resources directly into MSP that are not in the Clarity project the project will not be saved back to Clarity     Blank task names - Blank task names are not supported in Clarity. They will acquire their Clarity internal ID as the task name upon the save to Clarity     Split tasks – Clarity does not support the split task functionality of MSP     Terminology – Get the terminology straight. For example, allocation in MSP is always used loosely when talking about both allocation and assignment, however, in Clarity, allocation is when a resource has been added to a project, and assignment is when that resource has been assigned to at least a task in that project     Field names – Be aware that some fields in MSP do not share the same name in Clarity. For example, Remaining Work in MSP is called Estimate To Complete (or ETC) in Clarity. You can always rename the MSP column name (a nice feature of MSP)     Clarity reserved fields – Clarity has reserved some fields for its exclusive use: Text1 through Text5, Flag1, Resource Name, Initials, Email, Number1, and Number2. Bad things will happen if you use them, for example, Text3 holds Clarity’s unique ID for each task and you can imaging what will happen if this is changed     Calendars – Clarity is the source of calendars. Changes made to the calendars in MSP will not be saved to Clarity and will only persist until you close MSP     Resource leveling – There is no resource leveling functionality in Clarity similar to MSPs. Continue to perform a manual leveling in MSP for each project; you can try the automatic leveling if you are comfortable with the unexpected results it always give you (in any case, always save a copy of the schedule before trying it)     Baseline – Do not baseline in MSP. Clarity owns the project baseline and this is done in Clarity     Actuals – Do not manipulate project actuals in MSP. Actuals are entered via Clarity’s timesheet functionality. Otherwise set Track Mode to "None" to change actuals via MSP. It is not recommend to toggle back and forth. Pick on and stick with it.     Task completion – If you use MSP to mark tasks as "Complete" remember to change the Remaining Work (ETC in Clarity) to zero. If a task’s Remaining Work Hours or Remaining Work is zero in MSP and the completion is 100%, the complete task must be changed to 100% and the status changed to Complete  Save frequently – Frequently, save your plan to Clarity. The more often you save it, the easier it will be to recover if you do something you want to back out of.


  • 13.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity - How actuals are lost during import

    Posted Feb 03, 2009 10:57 AM
      |   view attached
    Here is an interesting diagram of how actuals are lost during import to Clarity from MSP (note: track mode is not set to none).


  • 14.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity - Importing legacy projects

    Posted Feb 03, 2009 11:02 AM
      |   view attached
    Here is a document I created a year ago to help a client to understand how to import a legacy MSP project into Clarity. I hope this helps a few others out. Regards,Michael Thibault Note: If a get some extra time, I'll post more.

    Attachment(s)



  • 15.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Aug 13, 2009 08:31 PM
      |   view attached
    Clarity Version: Any (up to 12.x at least)
    MSP Version: Any (up to 2003 at least, probably beyond)Short Description: How to identify the cause of schedule changesin brief:
    1. add Start10/Finish10 into your Clarity/MSP mapping - see attachment
    2. set Interim Baseline 1 before each save to Clarity
    3. educate MSP users (impact on actuals, how to use filters, filtering by Finish1 Finish10 and Finish10 Finish etc.)
     
     
    Long Description:In my experience the introduction of Clarity to MSP users almost invariably results in complaints that “Clarity has changed my scheduleâ€?. Often the truth is quite different and the cause of most schedule changes is a combination of:1.  Sending ‘actuals’ into MSP, and
    2.  The effect of recalculations undertaken by MSP that the user is unaware of.‘Actuals’ do affect schedules. If you plan a task to finish last Monday, but it is actually only worked on last Friday then there is a 4 day ‘impact’. When Clarity sends actuals to MSP of this type the effect will be seen by the schedule owner as ‘changes’ to the schedule.The additional effect of actuals is that MSP will also add “the scheduling algorithmâ€? and subsequent CPM calculations on top of the detailed changes that arise from actual events.Take the example of the task planned to finish last Monday, but actually only worked on last Friday. Immediately this task has a 4 day ‘impact’. On top of this we might only have 6 hours ‘actuals’ with 2 hours now remaining â€" here the MSP “scheduling algorithmâ€? is likely to extend duration to include next Monday for the remaining 2 hours.
    In addition: This task is likely to be a predecessor to several other tasks and MSP will automatically also shift these successor tasks, and then shift their successors, and then shift their successors (and this keeps happening). All of this started because of one 6 hour ‘actuals’ but its impact ripples through the entire schedule like wildfire â€" all conducted by MSP (NOT Clarity). Even worse all these calculations are being done before the users ‘sees’ the schedule at all so they cannot determine where all those changes come from (because they didn't type in the actuals).
    Please note here that in MSP “the scheduling algorithmâ€? CANNOT be turned OFF.   You can influence how MSP behaves through its extensive options capability â€" but you cannot turn OFF the core business rules known as “the scheduling algorithmâ€?. This algorithm is usually explained as: duration = work/units.
    Here’s the scenario in summary:Last week: ‘Task-in-focus’ Start & Finish = ‘Last Monday’ > save to Clarity
    Timesheet: ‘task-in-focus’ 6 hours ‘Last Friday’ > posted actuals
    This Week: Open Schedule in MSP, ‘task-in-focus’ Start=’Last Friday’ Finish = ‘Today’, all successors (could be many) shifted.  So: What can we do about this?
    Answer: Extend the mapping to export Start as Start10 and Finish as Finish10When Clarity interacts with MSP it uses a “mappingâ€? to determine which Clarity attributes go into which MSP field and vice-versa. Some of this mapping cannot be changed (e.g. the relationship of Clarity ‘Start’ and MSP ‘Start’ cannot be changed). However Clarity does permit some mapping changes and the mapping may be ‘extended’ for additional needs you might have (e.g. a ‘custom attribute’ may be read into Clarity from MSP).By extending the mapping used by Clarity we can assist project managers identify changes in their schedule. If we send the Clarity ‘Start’ to ‘Start10’ in MSP and the Clarity ‘Finish’ to ‘Finish10’ in MSP then the MSP user can filter for tasks where Start does not equal Start10 â€"and/or- where Finish does not equal Finish10. Please read the attachment for more on how to do this.
    So how does this help?The BIG difference here is that MSP’s automatic calculations do NOT affect Start10 or Finish10. So, if we send Clarity.Start to MSP.Start & MSP.Start10 plus Clarity.Finish to MSP.Finish & MSP.Finish10 we can reliably begin to detect which changes Clarity may have introduced and the changes that MSP has added on top of these.A. Before:If Clarity sends Finish=‘Last Friday’
    & MSP displays Finish=‘This Monday’
    (We may not even know there is a change and have no idea why even if we do detect the change.)B. After:If Clarity sends Finish=‘Last Friday’ and Finish10=’Last Friday’
    & MSP displays Finish=‘This Monday’ and Finish10=’Last Friday’
    (We can see a difference does exist and that this difference derived from an internal MSP calculation.)Can it be refined further? Can we distinguish between changes sent by Clarity and those computed by MSP?The ability to detect schedule change CAN be even more potent IF the schedule also has a baseline (and what project plan isn’t better without a baseline anyway?).   Now setting the formal baseline can be scary to some, so let’s continue to use MSP’s “Interim Baselineâ€? feature a bit more. Let’s use the “interim baselineâ€? number 1 and always set this in MSP for the whole schedule just BEFORE saving back into Clarity. Now, when the schedule is opened from Clarity we might get:Clarity sends: Finish=’Last Friday’, Finish10=’Last Friday’ & (the unchanged Finish1 sent via .mpp file)
    & MSP displays: Finish=‘This Monday’, Finish10=’Last Friday’ and Finish1=’Last Monday’Now:
    Finish10 Finish1 = Change stemming from Clarity (e.g. Actuals)
    Finish Finish10 = Additional calculation by MSP (e.g. the scheduling algorithm)So, the suggestion is:1. extend the mapping used to send Start/Finish from Clarity into MSP's Start10/Finish10 (export only from Clarity!) - see attachment
    2. always set the interim baseline 1 before saving the schedule to Clarity
    3. empower the MSP users by helping them understand why schedules are impacted by actuals and how to use filtering to focus on the causes. In this case differences between interim baselin 1 and interim baseline 10 will indicate change stemming from Clarity (usually actuals, but maybe because of edits made directly in Clarity and so on). Differences between interim baseline 10 (Start10/Finish10) and the current schedule will identify what MSP has ADDITIONALLY calculated. Re-planning gets simpler and user adoption is improved.Hope this helps.  [please note this paper was originally prepared for a User Group and is not a directive, just recommendations.]    

    Attachment(s)



  • 16.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity (mapping Clarity/MSP fields)

    Posted Aug 13, 2009 08:57 PM
    As I have just introduced the topic of configuring how Clarity interacts with MSP (the "mapping") it is worth noting these things about it:   The mapping table is MSPFIELD There is no user interface to make changes to this table, it has to be done via SQL (hence only a few authorised staff can do it at all) If you do introduce changes into this table they are only effective if you restart the Clarity services You cannot have different mappings for different organization units (there is only ONE mapping) Do NOT delete any existing rows in this table - NEVER EVER!   Please, oh please, read the document and test test testLastly: Don't go crazy with this power. Each additional entry in the mapping table will have some impact on performance, use it wisely.  


  • 17.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity (mapping Clarity/MSP fields)

    Posted Mar 18, 2010 07:08 AM
    Hi, we implemented Clarity V12 the beginning of this year and are attempting to use MSP as our scheduling tool.    We have followed the instructions to  map the Clarity Start and Finish dates to Start10  and Finish10 fields  to compare changes in the schedule when we open our projects in MSP.   This has been very  beneficial when analyzing our project schedules once opened within MSP.  Depending on the way our tasks  are set up we also have changes to ETCs when  the plans are opened within MSP.   We would like to bring the Clarity value over in a separate field in order to do the same  side by side comparison as we do with the start and finish dates.   Our DBA has tried to map this field, in our test environment, using the same instructions followed for the dates, but has been unsuccessful so far.   Can you provide instructions to map this field as well or is it not possible to map this particular field?  Thank you for your assistance.Kathie Adams


  • 18.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity (mapping Clarity/MSP fields)

    Posted Mar 18, 2010 10:22 AM
    Kathy,  The details for MSP Field mapping provided in v12 Using_CA_Clarity_PPM_ withOWBandMSP guide.And also our beloved members had enclosed valuable docs in this post itself (paul's CA document - Recommended_Clarity_MSP_Mapping_Standard) you can download that and have a look.   I believe that you have created an custom field in Task or Assignment and trying to map it.Then go through the guide where it is clearly explained.  Regards,sundar[left][left]


  • 19.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity (mapping Clarity/MSP fields)

    Posted Mar 22, 2010 05:12 AM
    Hello,     I am working with Kathie in trying to map the ETC's exporting from clarity into MSP field. I have successfully mapped the start and finish dates to start10 and finish10 for comparisons. Both of those dates are pulled from the prtask table. I can map different fields coming out of the prtask table, but unfortunately the field prEstSum doesn't exist within prtask table to export. It resides within the prassignment table. Unfortunately i have tried pull dates, along with prEstSum from the prassignment table to map without any success. The MSP field is "remaining work" that we are trying to run a comparison with original etc(prestsum) coming from Clarity. I have tried to update the table to export into MSP fields number10, duration10, and text10. All values show as zero's. Please provide any additional insight you can. Thanks,   Bob


  • 20.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity (mapping Clarity/MSP fields)

    Posted Mar 23, 2010 04:46 PM
    Bob, I'm not sure if this is the bests (or the only, or even a good) way to accomplish what you want, but it will likely work (although I haven't tested it).  Add a new Text Subobject at the task level.   Clarity uses Text1 - Text5, so they are reserved - I would suggest calling it Text6 as MSP has Text1 - Text10 attributes for a Task.  Map the new Text6 Subobject to MSP Task Text6 in the MSPMapping Table  Use the new "hook" described by Paul Maxwell (see his post of 3:30AM on 61 September 2009, in this thread) and create VBA Code to copy the Task Remaining Work field to the new Text6 attribute.   It won't give you ETC at the Resource level, but will give you a point of comparison with ETCs that come back down from Clarity.  Oh and BTW, for anyone still following this thread, in addition to the recommendations made by Paul Maxwell (adding Start10 and Finish10), I would also advocate adding the Task Open for Time Entry attribute to the MSP Mapping, so the PM can control (from within MSP) to which tasks the Project Team can book time.


  • 21.  RE: Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity (mapping Clarity/MSP fields)

    Posted May 23, 2011 11:23 PM
    Hi, Sundar
    Do you know by chance, where Clarity storing the default internal mapping fields with MSP which MSP fields? Say for example, if Clarity using Start1 of MSP to display project start date, then we can't use that field to display our custom fields. So, we have to use different "Start" fields and have to create an entry in "MSPField" table. I'm looking for where Clarity storing this internal mapping about "Start1" field?


  • 22.  RE: Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity (mapping Clarity/MSP fields)

    Posted Jun 02, 2011 02:18 PM
    Jack,

    I have reverted back to your post.

    18815258

    cheers,
    sundar


  • 23.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity  [ Only Export Current Baseline ]

    Posted Aug 17, 2009 05:36 PM
    Clarity Version: any
    [left] MSP Version: any
    [left] Short Description: Only Export Current Baselines When Opening Projects in a Scheduler
    [left]  [left] Long Description:[left]  [left] A performance tip for opening schedules (in MSP, also OWB) is to set this option "Only Export Current Baselines When Opening Projects in a Scheduler" ON.[left]  [left] This option in found in the Administration menu > Project Management > Settings (lower left)[left] If this is ON it will limit the volume of baseline data sent by Clarity to MSP.[left]  [left]


  • 24.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity  [ custom logic for opening or savi

    Posted Sep 15, 2009 11:31 PM
    Clarity Version:  12.0 SP3  (Project Management)[left] MSP Version: any supported by 12.0 SP3
    [left] Short Description: Custom logic is allowed   for conditions allowing a project to be opened in MSP from Clarity or Saved back to Clarity [left]  [left] Long Description:[left]  [left] In the release literature with Clarity 12.0 SP3 the following is noteworthy:  [left][left]  [left] CLRT-37642 (S3) - Add a hook into the MSP MPP so you custom code can be added to do best practice/error checking Synopsis:
    Provide an API into the MPP file so custom logic can be added via VBA to be able to do best practice/error checking.  
    The enhancement is ONLY for the API, not the custom logic itself.  This is an enhancement to the existing MSP Interface Macro that will allow the end user to determine what conditions will allow a project to be opened in MSP from Clarity or Saved back to Clarity from MSP. Meaning the customer can put code in place, for example, to abort a save for something as simple as having the letter I in the task name.  CA recommend Services be engaged to implement any VBA code in the new functions on the macro that the customer requires to meet their own Open/Save conditions.   [There is another reason for posting this - to remind readers that the MSP Interface is not static and that old literature may not be relevant to your current version.] [left]


  • 25.  Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity  [ custom logic for opening or savi

    Posted Jan 17, 2010 05:58 PM
    "Meaning the customer can put code in place, for example," Save the interim baseline before saving to Clarity perhaps?
     


  • 26.  RE: Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity  [ Only Export Current Baseline

    Posted Dec 12, 2011 11:37 AM
    option "Only Export Current Baselines When Opening Projects in a Scheduler" ON

    Just wanting to know... I would assume that this change would include a full stop/restart of all services please?

    Thanks,
    Keri


  • 27.  RE: Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity  [ Only Export Current Baseline

    Posted Dec 12, 2011 12:03 PM
    Just tested with v12.1. SP1 and OWB : Just click save and Yes no service restart required.
    Tested first one way and then reversed it.
    Both worked as expected.

    Martti K.


  • 28.  RE: Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity  [ Only Export Current Baseline

    Posted Dec 12, 2011 12:13 PM

    another_martink wrote:

    Just tested with v12.1. SP1 and OWB : Just click save and Yes no service restart required.
    Tested first one way and then reversed it.
    Both worked as expected.

    Martti K.
    Thanks Martti... however i did get a nice Alert message...
    Do not change this setting if any Clarity projects are checked out to either Open Workbench or Microsoft Project. Changing this setting if a project is checked out can result in the loss of baseline data. Lost baseline data is not recoverable. Only change this setting when all projects have been saved back to Clarity. Do you want to change this setting now?
    So I might want to do this at an "off" time. I don't want to mess anyones schedule up. I have about 27 project locks right now...

    K


  • 29.  RE: Re: Using MSP effectively with Clarity  [ Only Export Current Baseline

    Posted Dec 12, 2011 01:28 PM
    That is where I answered
    Yes
    .
    On my test VM that is not a problem because I am the only user and can close all projects.
    The point is that if you have it set to export all and change it to current only that happens: you only see the current in the scheduler.
    But when you change is back to export all and open the project in the scheduler you can see all again.
    However, between the change of setting no fooling around with baselines was done. In that respect the system/db was intact.

    As you point out in your case baseline data is likely to be corrupted or lost if you change the setting while users are working on the projects.

    Martti K.


  • 30.  RE: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted Jan 07, 2011 04:54 PM
    The page you are viewing when you save the project may have a dramatic impact the next time you open the project.

    I was working with a customer recently that transfers very large projects between Clarity and MSP. The customer was complaining about very long load time, varying between 90 minutes to several hours. Looking at their logs, it did not seem that the data transfer was taking longer than expected, but the workstation would pause for long periods of time and CPU utilization would approach 95% making the workstation unusable during the download. After some review, and a lot to testing, we discovered that the normal page the PM saved the projects represented a complex customer page with many calculated fields. As a test, we time the save and load displaying the complex custom page, then ran a second test, but this time displaying a standard Gantt chart page. Behold, the load time drop from 90 minutes to several hours down to just under 20 minutes. The key is to save and open showing a simple default page. It makes a difference.


  • 31.  RE: Using MSP effectively with Clarity

    Posted May 15, 2012 03:25 PM
    Now that Clarity version 13 is being used and Microsoft Project 2010 is getting wider adoption, lets start putting our findings in this thread.

    Thanks everyone in advance! :lol:

    Michael Thibault