PPT EU FAQ

A: If you have never used the CERN AIS login page before then you should log in with your CERN NICE credentials. However, if you have already used this AIS login, you should continue to use the AIS username & password.

Q: I have not received yet my credentials to login into the PPT. Whom should I contact?

A: The Registration Office proper for your project.

Q: I have forgotten my password to access the PPT application. Who can reset it?

A: Please, send an e-mail to ais.support@cern.ch.

Q: I have found I am not registered as a project member although I should be. Who can rectify this?

A: Please, check it with the Registration Office proper for your project. They are responsible for registering new members' data in the PPT database.

Q: After the login page, instead of being redirected to the "Successful login" screen, I got a completely empty page.

A: The most likely reason for this is that you have the "Block cookies" option set somewhere in your browser. For Mozilla and Netscape users, please go to Edit->Preferences->Privacy&Security->Cookies and check the settings there. For Internet Explorer users you can verify the settings for the cookies management in Tools->Internet Options->Privacy ->Advanced tab.

Q: After the successful login, when trying to follow the link "http://pptevm.cern.ch/____/ui/main.do", I am circularly redirected back to the AIS login screen with the following message: "Login valid. You do not need to login again. You may proceed to: http://pptevm.cern.ch/___/ui/main.do".

A: This might happen in case you are using a very specific PROXY server configuration at your institute. Replacing the "http" by "https" in the web address of the PPT application should normally solve the problem.

Q: I can not access the PPT, I got the following error message: "404 Not Found Resource /____/ui/main.do not found on this server".

A: The problem you have encountered might be linked to some old cookies stored on your machine. The best way is to clean all the cookies and then retry to login into the PPT.

Q: I can not access the PPT during this weekend, I got the following error message: "Sorry, a problem occurred during the execution of your request. You may try to refresh this frame (click here) and if it doesn't work, please reload the application (click here).(...)". However, reloading does not help.

A: It can happen that during late weekend hours the PPT application might not be available due to some unnecessary weekly maintenance (database backup, restart, system patching, etc.). Normally, you should be able to access the application without any problem as of Monday morning. If it is not the case, please, contact ais.support@cern.ch.

Q: I can not find the "Logout" button.

A: Most probably you can not spot the "Logout" button because the size of your browser window is too small. The "Logout" link is located as the last item on the dark blue strip (at the top of the window) after the "Project > User: XXXX YYYY > Help > Any problems? Contact our Support >" information. If you resize the browser (make it wider) the "Logout" link should appear immediately.

Q: Is there any tutorial available teaching the basis of the PPT application?

A: Yes, you can launch it by going to the following URL: http://ais.web.cern.ch/ais/apps/ppt/eu_projects/tutorial_Timesheets.html

Q: Who should I contact in case of technical problems with the PPT application?

A: The AIS Support: ais.support@cern.ch.

Q: Who should I contact for the registration and timesheets (deadlines, etc.) issues?

A: The Registration Office proper for your project.

Q: How should I interpret the status of a timesheet?

A: You can find description of the timesheet status here.

Q: What is the official deadline to submit a timesheet?

A: The deadline for submission is specific for your project.

Q: What is the official deadline to validate a timesheet?

A: The deadline for validation is specific for your project.

Q: I was not able to submit/validate a timesheet on time. What can I do about it?

A: The deadline for submission and the deadline for validation are specific for your project. After the deadline has been passed, the timesheet is automatically locked by the system for further processing. In some exceptional cases, however, the Registration Office (proper for your project) can grant the user additional time to submit the timesheet and the supervisor to validate it.

Q: Can I still modify a timesheet after submission? Do I need to submit it again after correction?

A: A submitted timesheet can be modified (the "Edit" button remains active) as long as it does not get validated by your supervisor. Please note, that you do not need to resubmit the updated timesheet since the status of such a timesheet (even after your modification) is still "Submitted" (two green lights). Your supervisor will always have access to the most recent version of the timesheet.

Q: I made a mistake when filling a timesheet and, in the meantime, it was already validated by my supervisor. Can I still correct it?

A: No. When the timesheet gets validated, only your supervisor can continue to access it in the Edit mode providing that the deadline for validation has not yet expired. Once this deadline is passed the timesheet is locked automatically by the system for any further user actions.

In some exceptional cases, however, the Registration Office can grant the supervisor the right to modify the validated timesheet even if the deadline for validation has already expired (or they might even correct the timesheet directly for you). The status of the timesheet changes then to "Reopened by PO" and the supervisor can edit the timesheet as long as the Registration Office does not revoke this particular right. When the right is revoked the status of the timesheet becomes again "Validated" and no further user actions are allowed. Please note, that your supervisor does not need to revalidate the updated timesheet.

Q: In the "Welcome" page I can not find timesheet from a particular month for a person I am supposed to supervise.

A: 1. First, check (in the search screen of the "Members" tab) whether the person is registered as a project member. You can only declare timesheets for collaborators that personal details have been properly entered in the PPT database.
2. Otherwise, probably either:

you are not defined as a supervisor of this person (or a deputy of the supervisor of this person), or
that person is not allowed to work on the project for this particular month with regard to the "Start Date" and "End Date".

In case you think the member information is not correct, please discuss it with your partner supervisor (or eventually the Registration Office proper for your project); they are responsible for maintaining member data in the PPT database.

Q: I am taking over the supervisor responsibility from another person. Who can give me the access to edit and submit timesheets for the people currently supervised by this person?

A: Please ask your partner supervisor (or eventually the Registration Office proper for your project) to set you up as a supervisor for these persons (this is done in the "Members" tab, Edit a member concerned, fill the field "Supervisor" and Save at the end). Please note, that editing members details is reserved for the partner supervisors and the Registration Office.

Q: In the "Welcome" page my timesheet list is empty. / In the "Welcome" page I can not find my timesheet from a particular month.

A: 1. First, check (in the search screen of the "Members" tab) whether you are registered as a project member. You can only declare timesheets if your personal details have been properly entered in the PPT database.
2. Otherwise, probably your are not allowed to work on the project for this particular month with regard to the "Start Date" and "End Date".

Q: In the pop up window with the list of tasks I can not find a task I am supposed to work on. What should I do?

A: 1. First, check whether the task is not already declared on your timesheet. You can not add a task that already appears on the Web form.
2. Otherwise, most likely either:

the task is already finished (its end date is in the past), or
the task is not yet started (its start date is in the future), or
the task does not belong to the activities you are supposed to work on, or
your partner is not declared to work on it, or
the task has not been yet declared in the PPT database.

You can easily check this in the PPT application by browsing the WBS tree under the "Tasks" tab and choosing the "Long" format to display the task data.

In case you think the task information is not correct, please discuss it with the your regional Activity Supervisor (or eventually the Registration Office proper for your project); they are responsible for maintaining task data in the PPT database.

Q: Is it possible to create multiple entries of the same task but with different descriptions?

A: Unfortunately, you can not create multiple entries for the same task. However, in practice you do not really need this functionality; if you have worked on different activities for a particular task, you will be able to describe all of these in one "Description of the Work Performed" field.
Please note, that the description of the work performed should be kept rather short and concise (hence the 255 characters limitation). Instead, you are free to give as much details as you wish in the "Comments" field, which accepts up to 2000 characters.

Q: The Excel file does not show all the tasks I am supposed to work on. What should I do?

A: Such a situation can happen if, either

the "missing" task is already finished (its end date is in the past), or
the "missing" task is not yet started (its start date is in the future), or
the "missing" task does not belong to the activities you are supposed to work on, or
your partner is not declared to work on it, or
the "missing" task has not been yet declared in the PPT database.

You can easily check it in the PPT application by browsing the WBS tree under the "Tasks" tab and choosing the "Long" format to display the task data.

In case you think the task information is not correct, please discuss it with your regional Activity Supervisor (or eventually the Registration Office proper for your project); they are responsible for maintaining task data in the PPT database.

Q: When trying to upload an Excel timesheet I got the following error: "Sorry, a problem occurred during the execution of your request. ...Uploaded File Format is not recognized..."

A: Most probably, you are trying to upload an old timesheet (the one you have sent by e-mail to the EGEE Project Office for July or August 2004). In the meantime, the format of the Excel file has evolved and if you wish continue working with Excel you need first to download the timesheet for a month concerned (as it is explained in the tutorial).

Q: I found there are some missing or incorrect task definitions in the Work Breakdown Structure. Who is responsible of maintaining this information?

A: The Activity Supervisors and the Registration Office proper for your project.

Q: While trying to remove a task and/or a resource from a task the following error message appears: "Please reset or delete all related timesheet entries for all members before deleting this resource."

A: Such an error message appears every time you are attempting to delete a task although there are already timesheets associated with it. For data integrity reasons such an action is not allowed in the system.

In case you really need to delete this task (i.e. it should not exist in the project), please discuss the issue directly with the Project Office proper for your project. However, please note that you can prevent users from using this task in the future; simply change the Planned Finish Date for both the task and its deliverable/output to any date in the past. Once it is done, users will not be able to choose this task any more.

Q: I discovered that my personal data (like funded/unfunded ratio, e-mail, name, supervisor, etc.) are wrong. Who can correct them?

A: Your partner supervisor (or eventually the Registration Office proper for your project).

Q: A person from my team was registered as a project member by a mistake. Who can delete her/him from the PPT?

A: The Registration Office proper for you project.

Q: Is it possible to specify multiple start/end dates, different funded/unfunded ratios, various partners for a given member?

A: Unfortunately, the PPT does not support the multiple start/end dates, different funded/unfunded ratios, various partners for a given member. Please, discuss your issue with the Registration Office proper for your project, they will advise you on what should be done in every particular case.

Q: I can not see the "Cost Claim" tab although I am declared as supervisor (I have rights to fill and validate timesheets of people from my team).

A: Only members with the "Partner Supervisor" role (this can be checked in the "Members" screen in the field "Groups") are granted access to the "Cost Claim" tab. Should you be defined as partner supervisor, please, discuss it with the Registration Office proper for your project.

Q: When uploading an ICC Excel file I am getting the following error message: "Sorry, a problem occurred during the execution of your request. System Error…. java.lang.IndexOutOfBoundsException: Index: 3, Size: 2…”.

A: This is because the structure of the Excel ICC file (that you are trying to upload) got “corrupted” with some invalid “Excel names” (these Excel names make the file impossible to process by the loading procedure). Most probably they got automatically copied when you were pasting numbers from the “old” format of the ICC Excel file (the one you have been providing by e-mail to the EGEE Project Office).
We are aware of the problem and it should be fixed in the next release of the PPT. On the other hand, there exists a simple workaround for this problem that we recommend to follow:
- download a new ICC Excel file;
- fill it with the numbers again. You can, of course, copy the numbers from the file that can not be uploaded, however, you should use the function "Paste special" (from the Edit menu) and select "Values" (otherwise, if you use the simple “Paste”, the file will get corrupted again);
- save the file and upload it again.

Q: It is not possible to upload an ICC Excel file because of the following error: "Sorry, a problem occurred during the execution of your request. System Error.... javax.xml.transform.TransformerConfigurationException: XSL-1000: (Fatal Error) Error while parsing XSL file..."

A: You get this error message when trying to upload the “old” format of the ICC Excel file (the one you have been providing by e-mail to the EGEE Project Office). This will, unfortunately, not work (since the structure of the Excel had changed). You can upload only an ICC file that you had first downloaded from the “ICC” tab (you need to click on the Excel icon). Then, if you copy numbers from the old Excel file, please always use the function “Paste Special” (from the Edit menu) and select “Values”. Otherwise, you might get an error as described in the previous FAQ.

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PPT for EU Projects - Frequently Asked Questions

**PPT for EU Projects *- Frequently Asked Questions***