SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Service Applications.

Question

I need to know which service apps are required in SharePoint Server Subscription Edition to run Project Server Subscription Edition? Which are mandatory and which are optional?

Answer 1

Hi @McKenna. John (Contractor - Version 1)

Based on your query, I understand that you are looking to deploy Project Server Subscription Edition (SE) within your SharePoint Server Subscription Edition farm. Specifically, you want to know which SharePoint service applications are required, separating them into mandatory and optional components.

In SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, Project Server is natively built into the SharePoint architecture. It is included in the SharePoint Server SE Enterprise installation but licensed separately. Rather than being a separate product installation like older legacy versions, Project Server runs entirely as a service application within the SharePoint farm environment.

To run Project Server SE and ensure Project Web App (PWA) sites render and function properly, the following service applications are mandatory:

-Project Server Service Application: This is the core service application that you must provision through SharePoint Central Administration or via PowerShell before you can create any PWA sites. It provisions the hidden architectural services that Project Server relies on to process project data:

+Project Server Application Service

+Project Server Calculation Service (Hidden)

+Project Server Events Service (Hidden)

+Project Server Queuing Service (Hidden)

-State Service: You must ensure that the SharePoint State Service is provisioned and running in your farm before configuring Project Server. The State Service is required to track session states across HTTP requests, and it is specifically used to render graphs and charts in the browser correctly (especially within the Portfolio Analysis features). If the State Service is missing, PWA pages and reporting dashboards will fail to render.

While not strictly required to boot up a basic PWA site, these service applications are highly recommended depending on your business requirements:

-Managed Metadata Service Application: Optional, but required if you want to use Enterprise Custom Fields across projects, portfolios, and resource management to standardize taxonomy.

-Secure Store Service & Excel Services: Required if you intend to use advanced business intelligence (BI) reporting, Excel-based data connections, and secure automated data refreshes for project portfolios.

-User Profile Service Application (UPA): Project Server relies heavily on the UPA to identify project resources. It is required to map Active Directory accounts to the Enterprise Resource Pool, manage user metadata, and handle resource scheduling/permissions within PWA.

I hope this information helps you successfully architect your SharePoint and Project Server SE environment! Please let me know if you need anything else.

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Answer 2

Project Server Subscription Edition runs as a Project Server Application Service within a SharePoint Server Subscription Edition farm and relies on the standard SharePoint service application framework plus specific Project-related services.

From the provided context, the following are required or relevant:

Mandatory (for Project Server Subscription Edition to function)

1. Project Server Application Service
   • This is the core Project Server service application that must be provisioned in the farm.
   • It runs under SharePoint Server Subscription Edition as a service application.
2. Microsoft Project Server Calculation Service (hidden service)
   • Listed as a hidden service associated with MinRole front-end and application roles.
   • Implements the Project scheduling engine within Project Server via the Project Calculation Service.
3. Microsoft Project Server Events Service (hidden service)
   • Supports the Project Server Eventing System, which handles local event handlers and remote event receivers.
4. Microsoft Project Server Queuing Service (hidden service)
   • Handles background processing and queued jobs for Project Server operations.
5. SharePoint configuration and content databases
   • Project Web App components use the SharePoint configuration database for project site setup and the content database for all other information; there is no separate Project Server database.
6. State Service (SharePoint service application)
   • Required for Portfolio Analysis charts to render correctly in Project Server Subscription Edition.
   • Must be running in the SharePoint farm.

Optional / Scenario-dependent

1. SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) and related components
   • Required only if using the Cube Building Service in Project Server Subscription Edition.
   • Needs SQL Server 2019 Analysis Services on the SQL Server and the SQL Server Analysis Services AMO 2019 Client.
2. Workflow-related services
   • Declarative workflows are offloaded to Workflow Manager (which can run on a separate server, in Azure, or on the same server for test/demo).
   • Coded workflows use the SharePoint workflow runtime.
   • These are required only if Project workflows are used.
3. Other SharePoint service applications (Managed Metadata, User Profile, etc.)
   • Not explicitly listed as mandatory for Project Server itself in the provided context, but commonly used for broader SharePoint/Project scenarios (e.g., My Sites, metadata, social features). Their requirement depends on the overall SharePoint solution design rather than Project Server core operation.

MinRole considerations

On Front-end and Application MinRole servers, the following hidden Project services are associated and must be present for Project Server:

• Microsoft Project Server Calculation Service
• Microsoft Project Server Events Service
• Microsoft Project Server Queuing Service

These are automatically associated with the appropriate MinRole server roles and support the Project Server Application Service.

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References:

• Project Server Subscription Edition architecture
• Software requirements for Project Server Subscription Edition
• What's new for IT pros in Project Server Subscription Edition
• Install and configure Project Servers Subscription Edition, 2019, or 2016
• Description of MinRole and associated services in SharePoint Servers 2016, 2019, and Subscription Edition