Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Projects Connector Latest update: 2006-03-31 Go back to the Projects Connector Index Are there any do's and don'ts about updating projects (in Microsoft® Project) after they've been imported? Are there things that should not be modified in the project plan after an initial import? First, you should try to avoid deleting tasks in Microsoft® Project. This is especially true for tasks that are already used in OpenAir in any transactions (timesheets, invoices, etc.). The corresponding tasks will not delete in OpenAir, even if they are deleted in Microsoft® Project, which can certainly cause consistency issues down the road.     Second, you should also always keep both the .mdb and .mpp files together in the same directory; if you lose the .mdb file, you will have to switch to maintaining the project in OpenAir. Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index I tried to import a file and nothing happened when I clicked on the dialogue box to create the mapping file. Why can't I do this? This could happen if you do not have the privilege to create files at a location where the .mpp file is. Or you may be pointing to this file somewhere on a shared drive, which would not work. Please try bringing the file onto your local machine and importing from there.     Another possible cause might be a corrupted MDAC (Microsoft® Data Access Components) installation, in which case you can update it with a free download from Microsoft which you can access at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/data/downloads/updates/ default.aspx#MDACDownloads     If it is a problem with the MDAC, and re-installing doesn't help, you may want to try installing Microsoft® Access (any version). Although this is not required to run the OpenAir Projects Connector, it sometimes fixes problems with the MDAC.     Finally, you should check to see if you have administrative privileges for your Windows login. If you do have administrative privileges, and the Projects Connector is still not working, please follow the procedure described in "Troubleshooting." Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index I installed Microsoft® Project, but did not activate it. I then downloaded the Open Air Connector. I installed and launched it successfully; however, when I try to import a project, it gives me an error saying OpenAir has encountered a problem and must close. I removed the program and reinstalled, with the same results. Any ideas? Microsoft® Project will fail to load a project that has been locked in OpenAir if Microsoft® Project hasn’t been activated yet. You will need to activate Microsoft® Project and then import again. Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index I am trying to use the Projects Connector to import a project from Microsoft® Project. I used it before when we were using a demo account, but cannot get it to work with our "real" account. What should I do? To use the OpenAir Projects Connector with your real account, change the server to https://www.openair.com. Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index I created a project initially in Microsoft® Project, then imported it into OpenAir. I renamed the project in Microsoft® Project and tried to re-import it into OpenAir, but it didn't work. What is going on here? The OpenAir Projects Connector identifies projects by name and keeps the mapping file with the same name as the .mpp file. Renaming the file in Microsoft® Project broke the integration. Try changing the name of the Microsoft® Project file back to its original name and then re-import it into OpenAir. If this doesn't work, then please contact OpenAir support. Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index Why can't I make changes to the same project plan in both Microsoft® Project and the OpenAir Projects module (using the Projects Connector)? You can only make changes to the Microsoft® Project file plan OR to the OpenAir Project file plan because the system would have no way to reconcile changes made to the same data set in both files. You end up choosing a "master"--either Microsoft® Project or OpenAir--to control the project plan.     Choosing (most often referred to as "locking the project") is usually done during the import process. The last screen instructions are "Would you like to be able to update this project in the future from the changes you make to the Microsoft Project file? If, so click Yes. Please note that if you click Yes, the Project will be locked in OpenAir and you will not be able to modify it online."    In essence, clicking "Yes" makes your Microsoft® Project plan the master, and clicking "No" makes your online OpenAir Project the master. If you say "Yes" at the end of the import process, you can't make changes to the project plan in OpenAir (even though transactional data such as timesheet hours are still recorded in OpenAir). If you say "No," you can make changes in OpenAir, but you can't re-import from Microsoft® Project. Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index I keep getting the same error, "Driver's ConfigDSN, ConfigDriver, or ConfigTranslator failed" when I run the Projects Connector. Why? There are two possibilities for why you are getting this message: First, you may not be running the Projects Connector as a user with administrator rights, and so it’s possible your account is not allowed to create a DSN connection or files in the given folder. You will need to check with your account administrator to make sure you have the appropriate level of access and privileges.     Second, if you do have administrator rights, try placing the .mpp file into a directory with a short, simple file path such as "c:\projectest." The DSN database drivers sometimes have problems with files stored in directories with very long paths. Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index If I do the initial import of a Microsoft® Project plan into OpenAir, and lock the project, will a different user be able to update the project later? Yes, so long as (1) the user has the appropriate administrator privileges and access; (2) you send that user the .mdb file with the same name as the .mpp file (after the update); and (3) the other user store that .mdb file in the same directory as the .mpp file. (If both files are stored in the same directory, all authorized users should be able to launch the OpenAir Projects Connector, select "import to an existing OpenAir project" and proceed with the update.) Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index We imported several projects which have worked hours reported in Microsoft® Project. OpenAir obviously received this data since it shows that some tasks are XX% complete. Can I use the "worked hours" in Microsoft® Project to generate an invoice, or do I have to re-enter all the time in OpenAir timesheets? The OpenAir Projects Connector does not import the worked hours from Microsoft® Project. If you have entered a percentage of completion on a particular task in Microsoft® Project, the Projects Connector will bring in that figure.    If you want to generate an invoice for hours worked in the past, you could, as you suggest, re-enter the time in your OpenAir timesheets. Another option would be for our professional services department to import the historical data for you. A third option would be to manually enter charges by going to Invoices > Charges and create hourly or other charges for time that was worked before you started recording time in OpenAir. These charges would then be available to put on OpenAir invoices. Go back to Projects Connector FAQ Index Go back to the Projects Connector Index