Using Cloud Storage for Team Data
Many cloud storage providers - such as OneDrive, Dropbox, Google
Drive, and others - offer desktop sync clients that copy files from
your computer to the cloud, and vice versa. The dashboard can use
these cloud storage providers to support team collaboration. The
tradeoffs of this approach are:
PRO: |
Cloud service providers offer secure, backed-up storage that is
compatible with zero-trust architectures. |
PRO: |
Team Dashboard performance is not significantly affected by the
speed of your network. Startup and shutdown should be relatively
fast, even over a slow VPN. |
PRO: |
Existing team project data (from past and current projects) can be
migrated into cloud storage (but cooperation
from active team members will be required). |
PRO: |
Team Dashboard setup steps are less complex/error-prone than the
network fileserver approach,
especially when team members are connecting from a mix of operating
systems and/or diverse networks. |
CON: |
Team Dashboard setup steps are still more complex than the
Enterprise Server, and action is
required from every team member. If a team forgets to perform these
steps in advance, their initial project launch may be needlessly
delayed while the entire team waits for these tasks to
finish. |
CON: |
All team members must be proactive about running their cloud sync
client and making sure it remains active. If file synchronization
stops on a team member's computer for a longer period of time, their
data will become out of sync with the rest of the team. This can lead
to out-of-date info in team reports, and WBS edit conflicts when the
individual finally comes back online. |
CON: |
The dashboard cannot force the sync client to immediately publish
or retrieve files. This means a Save or Export operation won't be
fully finished until the sync client gets around to publishing the new
files. Similarly, Refresh, Sync, and Import operations won't truly
retrieve the latest data unless the sync client has copied that data
from the cloud first. If your sync client operates quickly, these
differences may not be noticeable. But if the sync client has a
longer lag time, these discrepancies may confuse individuals who are
trying to collaborate in real-time, or frustrate individuals who
publish data and hope to see changes immediately. |
Cloud Storage Team Dashboard
Creation
To create a new Team Dashboard in cloud storage, follow these
steps:
- Obtain an account with a cloud storage provider, if you
don't already have one.
- If you already have a Microsoft 365 or Google account, it
comes with cloud storage included. If you don't have one,
it's easy to create a free account.
- All team members will need accounts and sync clients from the
cloud storage provider you choose, so make sure to select a
provider that will work for everyone. In particular, make
sure your provider offers a desktop sync client for all of the
operating systems (e.g., Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) that team
members are using. (If you cannot find a provider that works
for everyone, you may need to consider using the
Enterprise Server
instead.)
- Log in to the website for
your cloud storage provider, and create a new, empty directory for
team data.
- Depending on the cloud storage provider, you may wish to
create this directory within a team area, rather than your
personal space. For example, this might be important to
ensure the team data isn't lost if you leave the
organization.
- If you choose to create the directory in a shared team space,
create a "shortcut" or "link" to include it in your personal
drive as well. See the section below
for more information on this step.
- Download and install the desktop sync client offered by
your cloud storage provider. Configure the sync client to start
automatically each time you log in to your computer.
- Find the dedicated folder on your computer that your
sync client is managing. (This folder typically has a name like
"OneDrive," "My Drive," etc.)
- Look underneath that managed folder to find the
locally synced copy of the team data directory you created earlier.
If you can't find it, make sure your sync client has copied all files
down from the cloud.
- Run the installer for
Process Dashboard 2.7 or higher, and choose the "Tools for Team
Leaders" option. When the installer asks for the location of team
configuration data, enter the path to the team directory you found in
the previous step.
- The installer will create a Team Dashboard icon. Use
that icon to launch the Team Dashboard. On initial startup, the Team
Dashboard will ask if the directory is using cloud storage; click Yes.
- If you do not see this prompt from the Team Dashboard, follow
the steps below to register your
cloud storage sync directory. Then restart the Team
Dashboard, and watch for the cloud storage prompt during
startup.
- Ensure your sync client is running, and wait for it to
publish the team data directory to the cloud.
- Log in to the website for your
cloud storage provider, and share this team data folder with the team
members, leaders, and coaches who will be collaborating within this Team
Dashboard.
Cloud Storage Team Member Setup
To collaborate with the team, all team members and coaches will
need to take the following steps:
- Upgrade to Process Dashboard 2.7 or higher.
- Obtain an account with the cloud storage provider that
is being used to host the Team Dashboard.
- Download and install the desktop sync client offered by
this cloud storage provider. Configure the sync client to start
automatically each time you log in to your computer.
- Log in to the website for your cloud storage provider,
and look in the "Shared with me" area to find the team data directory.
If you cannot find it, contact your team leader and make sure they have
shared the team data directory with you.
- Add this shared team data
directory to your personal drive via a "shortcut" or "link." (This
step lets your sync client know the directory should by synchronized
down to your local computer.) Exact instructions vary by cloud
service; here are some examples:
- OneDrive: Log into OneDrive in your web browser, and
find the team data folder in the "Shared" list. Right-click
on the folder and choose "Add shortcut to My files" from the
popup menu. (More
details here.)
- Google Drive: Log into Google Drive in your web
browser, and find the team data folder in the "Shared with me"
list. Right-click on the folder and choose "Add shortcut to
Drive" from the popup menu. (More
details here.)
- Dropbox: Log into Dropbox in your web browser, and find
the team data folder in the "Shared" list. Depending on
settings, the folder may have been added to your Dropbox account
automatically; if not, hover over the folder, then click the "Add
to Dropbox" button that appears. (More
details here.)
- The previous step will add the team data shortcut to
your drive at the top level. But you can move the shortcut elsewhere in
your drive if you prefer to keep your top-level directory organized.
Cloud Storage Team Dashboard Sharing
The Team Dashboard reports are useful to many people, including
team leaders, coaches, and planning/quality managers. Other people
can create a Team Dashboard shortcut on their computer by following
these steps:
- Perform the team member
setup steps listed above.
- Make sure your sync client is running and all synced
files are up-to-date. Find the location on your hard drive where the
team data directory has been copied down from the cloud.
- Run the installer for
Process Dashboard 2.7 or higher, and choose the "Tools for Team
Leaders" option. When the installer asks for the location of team
configuration data, enter the path to the directory you found in the
previous step.
- The installer will create a Team Dashboard shortcut
icon. If you expect to access more than one Team Dashboard as part of
your work, give that newly created icon a unique name.
Migrating Existing Team Data to Cloud
Storage
Historical data is extremely valuable for team planning, tracking,
and postmortem analysis. If you've already been using the Team
Dashboard, it's possible to migrate your existing data into cloud
storage. The general steps for migration are:
- Make sure all team leaders and active team members
have:
- Upgraded to Process Dashboard 2.7 or higher.
- Obtained an account with your selected cloud storage
provider.
- Installed the desktop sync client on their computer, and
configured it to start automatically when they log in.
- Log in to the website for your cloud storage
provider, and create a new, empty directory for team data, following
the general guidance above.
- In the website for your cloud storage provider,
share this team data folder with the team members, leaders, and
coaches who will be collaborating within this Team Dashboard.
- Instruct team members to perform all of the
team member setup steps above. Give them
time and assistance to finish.
- Choose a non-project-critical time to perform the
following steps, in case any team members require assistance after the
migration.
- Contact team members and advise them to close any
open WBS Editor windows until migration is complete.
- Install the desktop sync client on a computer where
the Team Dashboard is already installed. Wait for the sync client to
copy all files from the cloud, including the new empty team data
directory you created. Find the locally synced copy of this team data
directory on your computer.
- Open the Team Dashboard. Choose "Tools → Migrate
Data to Cloud Storage," then follow the prompts from the migration
wizard.
- When it asks for the new location of team data, enter the path
to the locally synced copy of the team data directory.
- If the wizard complains that the new location does not appear
to be in cloud storage, follow the
steps below to register your
top-level cloud storage sync directory. Then try the
migration operation again.
- Ensure your sync client is running, and wait for it to
publish the new team data directory to the cloud.
- If team members have completed the steps above,
their personal dashboards will detect the migration within ten
minutes, and begin using the new cloud storage directory
automatically.
- Individuals can verify connectivity by performing a "Sync to
WBS" and an "Export My Data Now" operation. They can also
open the "Project Parameters and Settings" page and verify the
value in the "Team Project Network Directory" field.
- In the Team Dashboard, you can open "Team Project Tools →
Show Status of Team Member Metrics" and watch to see that
individuals are able to successfully export data after the
migration.
- If any team member encounters problems, it's likely they
missed one of the setup steps. Work with them to resolve the
problem as quickly as possible.
Manual Registration of Less Common
Cloud Storage Providers
The dashboard can automatically recognize sync folders for many
common cloud storage providers. But if you're using a less-well-known
provider or a home-grown solution, you may need to tell the dashboard
where the synced files are stored on your computer:
- Open the dashboard and choose "Preferences" from the
"Tools" menu.
- In the Preferences dialog, choose "Shared
Folders."
- If the table already contains an entry for the
directory where your cloud sync client stores synced files, no changes
are needed. Otherwise, click the Add button to register a new shared
folder.
- Give the entry a short user-friendly key that describes
the cloud storage service.
- As an example, the standard providers use keys like "OneDrive"
or "Dropbox".
- To streamline collaboration, everyone on your team should use
the same key to describe this cloud storage service.
- For the shared folder location, choose the top-level
folder your sync client is managing. Then click OK.
The top-level folder you chose will now be recognized as a folder
that is being synced/shared across devices. To streamline team
collaboration, other team members are encouraged to perform this extra
configuration step as well. (This is not strictly required, but it
will make it easier for them to join
team projects.)
Note: while the instructions in this help topic consistently refer
to cloud storage, the instructions apply equally well to any mechanism
that can automatically synchronize files between a group of computers.
Older-style solutions like rsync and Offline Folders are possible
examples. You'll need to follow the steps in this section to flag the
folder as "shared," and you'll need to ensure synchronization happens
frequently to avoid data consistency issues.