MS Project

New data storage tables are defined from the NEW button on the My Data area of the home or Nodal Display section of the Metamation screen. Alternativlly, existing table definitions can be amended by selecting an existing table from the My Data using he mouse pointer, or selecting the properties icon against the table. Once the table properties screen is displayed, new tables can be defined or selected parts of existing tables can be amended.

Tables can be defined to allow data to be entered directly within the Metamation database, or can be set to import (pull) information in from a number of different data sources including ODBC connection, Excel spread sheets or Microsoft Project Plans.

When an MS Project connection is made for a table, the columns returned from the specified project plan can be linked to the defined table columns. The project plan can be held either within the Metamation document repository (as a checked in document), or held somewhere on the network.

As records are returned (pulled) from the project plan, records are created or updated in the linked tables, with the map between the imported fields and the defined named areas of the spreadsheet. The definition of the Excel connection details exactly how the import will work.

Tables linked to Project plans can also be linked to users (by project tasks). As long as there is a known relationship between the resource in the project plan, and the Metamation user ID or email address, these tasks can also appear in the users alerts area.

To define a Project connection for a table, once the table properties are on screen, use the selection list on the External Data Connection to set the connection type to Project connection, and then use the Define Connection button to define the links to the named Microsoft project plan.

Table External Link Definition - MS Project - Connections

An Microsoft Project connection for a table is set through the table properties window. Using the selection list on the External Data Connection to set the connection type to Project connection, and then use the Project Admin button, the Project connection properties window is then displayed.

On the Project connections screen, connections are set in two parts:

Specify the data source
You have the option to use two different sources for the data source. Once is the imported documents - select the imported project plan from the list of imported documents. Alternativly, you can specify an external project plan somewhere on the network. Once this selection has been made, either type in the name directly, or use the browse button to find the file.

Note: It is highly recommended that any connected project plan is located on a network path which is ALWAYS available (i.e, not a client PC). Also, the path should ALWAYS be a now mapped path (i.e, it should be a URL in the format \\myserver\dir\myplan.xls.

Refresh Type
The refresh type drop down indicates what should happen with the imported data. The options available are:

Refresh Entire Table - Before the Project connection is made, the current contents of the table will be cleared and the Project import will re-create the contents.

Add new Items only - The Project import will look for new records and where the records do not exist, they will be created. Existing records will not be amended, and records missing from the Project source will not be deleted within Metamation

Add new Items and Amend Changed - The Project import will look for new records and where the records do not exist, they will be created. Existing records will also be updated to reflect the Project data source. However, any records missing from the Project source will not be deleted within Metamation

Add new Items, amend changed and mark deleted - The Project import will look for new records and where the records do not exist, they will be created. Existing records will also be updated to reflect the Project data source. Where records (tasks) are missing from the Project source, these will be marked as deleted (making them unusable, but not actually deleting them) within Metamation

Refresh Time
The refresh time is how long in minutes, between every data refresh. This entry will only accept a numeric. 60 will be a refresh once an hour, 1440 will be a refresh once a day, 10080 will be once a week, and 40320 will be once a month. Any numeric is valid.

Below the selected refresh time, the last date and time of refresh will be displayed.