Workspace Project Custom Field Web Part on different Site Collection?

Question

Hello experts,
I'm working on a project site template in a SharePoint 2010 environment. My client wants project custom fields to be displayed on the Project Site homepage.
To accomplish this, I'm using the Solution Starter's Workspace Project Custom Field Web Part.
It works fine, as long as we create the project sites under the PWA site collection.
However, due to administrative reasons, we've decided to provision all project sites under a separate Site Collection, in a separate content database. In this case, we manage to add the webpart to the page, but as soon as we try to edit it, to configure
the visible Custom Fields, we get this error:
Server Error in '/' Application.
Unhandled Communication Fault occurred
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.
Exception Details: System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Unhandled Communication Fault occurred
Source Error:
An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
Stack Trace:
[SoapException: Unhandled Communication Fault occurred]
System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall) +413241
System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.Invoke(String methodName, Object[] parameters) +300
WorkspaceProjectCFWP.WebSvcCustomFields.CustomFields.ReadCustomFieldsByEntity2(Guid entityUid) +181
WorkspaceProjectCFWP.Services.<>c__DisplayClass12.<GetCustomFields>b__11() +158
Microsoft.SharePoint.<>c__DisplayClass4.<RunWithElevatedPrivileges>b__2() +729
Microsoft.SharePoint.Utilities.SecurityContext.RunAsProcess(CodeToRunElevated secureCode) [phone]
Microsoft.SharePoint.SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges(WaitCallback secureCode, Object param) [phone]
Microsoft.SharePoint.SPSecurity.RunWithElevatedPrivileges(CodeToRunElevated secureCode) +93
WorkspaceProjectCFWP.Services.CustomFieldsService.GetCustomFields() +208
WorkspaceProjectCFWP.Services.CustomFieldsService.GetAllProjectFields() +173
WorkspaceProjectCFWP.ProjectCFEditorPart.SyncChanges() +325
Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.ToolPane.OnSelectedWebPartChanged(Object sender, WebPartEventArgs e) +283
System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPartEventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, WebPartEventArgs e) +0
Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.SPWebPartManager.BeginWebPartEditing(WebPart webPart) +96
Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.SPWebPartManager.ShowToolPaneIfNecessary() +579
Microsoft.SharePoint.WebPartPages.SPWebPartManager.OnPageInitComplete(Object sender, EventArgs e) +296
System.EventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, EventArgs e) +0
System.Web.UI.Page.OnInitComplete(EventArgs e) [phone]
System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +1674
Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.5472; ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.5474 
Now, I've activated every possible feature, both on the Site Collection and Site level (or SPSite, SPWeb). Alas, no succes. Which brings me to these questions:
What might be causing this error? Can this be solved?
Are there any cases of working webparts of this kind in site collections other than PWA?
If this is a technical limitation, what are alternative options for me to display custom fields on a project site?
Link to the Solution Starters: http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/P2010SolutionStarter

Answer 1

Hi
I did not use this solution starter, but it might be that the webpart just looks for a Project Server instance in the current site collection - and there is none.
You could use a SQL Reporting Services Report to show on the site to accomplish this. Either you would have to set the project as a parameter manually once for each site, or you could try to determine the project automatically using the URL.
Kind regards
Christoph
Christoph Muelder | Senior Consultant, MCTS, MCSE, MCT | SOLVIN information management GmbH, Germany