Project Server 2010 JUN CU Issue to Multi-Lingual Deployments

For those who are working with the Project Server 2010 multi-lingual implementations, please be aware of a recently discovered issue after the June CU and SP1 have been installed.  It would appear that we have a bug whereas all column headers in the Project Center and Resource Center grids appear in English, regardless of the selected UI language.  The issue appears to be related to the June CU, as an SP1 / SP1 language pack environment (without the June CU) does not display the problem.

Resolution:

Since there is no solution to avoid this so far, you can opt for one of the listed options below. This is basically to bring the importance of the issue to MS notice, because usually the MS time to resolve such issues based on its severity and wide impact to the users.

1. There is a thread already posted on official Project Server forums, you can go and leave your feedback here.
2. You can log your issue at support@microsoft.com 
3. You can leave the comment on this blog post, OR send me an email through my blog "send me an email" option and i will forward your feedback to the related MS person. 

All the credit goes to the Quint Mouthaan to notifying the users about this issue on Project Server Forums, and also allowing me to post this on my blog to spread the word as much as possible.

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Project Server 2010 - Project Read-Only BUG

I want to share the details of the recently discovered Project Server bug, thanks to the Project forums, later verified in my environment and draw MS attention towards it. It's now been acknowledged by the Microsoft as a bug.

Details:
If you try to open the project to edit using the project icon displays besides the Project name in project center, the project will be open in READ-ONLY mode for you. Although it meant to open in edit mode so that user can update the project, but due to the issue it opens in read-only state and thus not to let the user to edit the Project.

System Requirement:
Following environment detail only state the target server/client software and not the detail such as pre-requisites required to run the mentioned software.

Server	Client	Patch Level
Project Server 2010	Project Professional 2010	Dec CU
	Project Professional 2007

  Steps to produce the Bug:

1. Login to the PWA as a Project Manager
   
2. Go to the Project Center
   
3. Click the project icon available along with the Project name
   
4. Make sure the Project is not already checked-out
   

Project Center View

     5. The project will open in Project professional client in read-only mode

Project Professional

    6. Further if you try to save the project after edit, the pop-up will display with the deny message.

Deny Message

Effected users:

The business user or end user, mostly Project Manager or the Team leads, will get effected due to this issue. It certainly is not a showstopper but the issue can became headache, or led to another issue, to the administrator due to the repetitive queries from the users if not notified proactively. Also If not aware, the administrator of the system can also lost in troubleshoot the exact issue.

Solution:
The formal solution or patch by the Microsoft is yet to release, and we may expect the fix in the coming Project Server CU. However, there are few alternatives to accomplish the objective:

First Alternative – Open/Edit Project In Project Web App

1. Login to the PWA as a Project Manager
2. Go to the Project Center
   
3. Click the project
   
4. Select the Schedule project detail page
   

Schedule PDP

   
    5. Click on Edit available on the PWA ribbon, and select the In Project Web App option from drop down

Edit in Project Web App

Second Alternative – Open/Edit Project in Project Professional

1. Open Project Professional, and select the Profile to connect with the server
   
2. Select File, and click on Open
   

Project Professional

      3. Retrieve the project list from the server

Select Project

      4. Select and open the project to edit/update

Project Professional

 

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Project Server 2010 - Team Member Group Permissions Bug

In my blog, i would like to highlight one of the issue been fixed after applying the December CU of Project Server 2010. Few weeks back i come across this issue while i was trying accessing Projects as Team Member group user. Initially i thought it was me who forgot to check an appropriate category permission but after confirming few times all the settings, my doubt became concrete when i browse through a techNet site - where more than a few users have registered a similar incident as an Issue.

To make my self more meaningful, below is the scenario:

Scenario:

• Resource is a member of Team Member group.
• Resource is only allowed to view the Project plan
• Resource is not allowed to edit any Project custom field information
• Resource is not allowed to edit Project Schedule

Following is the screen shot of the Team member group permission following the above scenario:

Result:

When user of the above mentioned group try to access the project detail from the Project Center, the user will end up with the following error.

When access project, Error.

First Solution:
For the sake of work around, if you only allow user to Edit Project Custom fields (which ideally shouldn't be allowed), it will work.

The user is now able to edit the Project summary fields, but not able to change the Project schedule.

Second Solution:

If you deny the Edit Project Summary fields and allow user to Save project to project server and publish project (ideally this shouldn't be allowed to team members) it will work: The user will not be able to edit the Project custom fields, but enable to update the Project Schedule :)

The fact of the matter is, both the above solutions are not acceptable for customers. It does not make sense that the user of the Team Member group can update Project custom field or Project Schedule or both. I have also found a comment of one of the senior moderator at techNet, and he wasnt agreed of calling it an issue and rather explained it as design behavior of new Project Server 2010. But on a contrary, i stick to my opinion of calling it a Issue, as to me no design is good if its unable to fulfill customers basic requirement.

Although the Microsoft has released a hot fix ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2459112/) to fix the above issue. The more good news is that MS has also released December CU for Project Server 2010 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2459258/) which contains this fix along with the other fixes. Applying this CU will enable Team member users to access the Project detail only by allowing them to Open Project group permission.

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