PWA Content Database Consideration In Project Server

In this article, I will explain

The best practice for PWA Content Database In Project Server.

To provision a new PWA instance, you must have a web application that by default holds the Top-Level Site Collection in a content database.

Note: The web application can hold multiple content databases and each content database can hold multiple site collections.

As the new PWA instance is a new site collection, so it will be created inside the current content database.

Check also, Install and Configure Project Server 2016.

In this case, we have a web application that holds one content database with two site collections

Top-Level Site Collection.
PWA Instance Site Collection.

In Project Server, It’s recommended to isolate each PWA site collection to be stored in an independent content database for the following reasons:

PWA Instance Performance Concern,

Using one content database to holds all site collections inside the main web application will lead to a fast growing for this content database size.

In near term, It might reach quickly to be more than the max recommended content database size that is 200 GB.

Reaching the max recommended content database size (>200 GB) will lead to farm performance issue.

PWA Instance Availability Concern,

Consider the main web application has only one content database that holds all site collections!

If this content database has been dismounted or corrupted, this is will lead to all PWA Instances goes down. (High Risk).

PWA Instance Maintenance Concern,

You should be aware of the backup and restore operation for a big content database size (>200 GB) will take a long time to be completed and are at risk of failure.

Note: Requirements for the backup and restore may not be met by the native SharePoint Server 2013 backup for content databases larger than 200 GB.

PWA Content Database Consideration (Best Practice)

Before creating a new PWA site collection, you should plan to do the following:

Lockdown all the web application content databases.
Create a new independent content database for the PWA Instance.
Create a new PWA instance will be created inside the newly created content database.

Lockdown the Web Application Content Databases

Open Central Administration as farm account.

Run Central Administration as Administrator

Go to Application Management > Databases > Manage Content Database.

Manage content database in SharePoint

Make Sure that you have specified the web application that will hold the PWA instance.

Change web application - Manage content database in SharePoint

Click on the Content Database name that you want to lock it down.
Below Database Capacity Settings > Update the values as shown below.

set databse capacit settings

Note: if the web application contains more than one content database, you will need to lock down all web application content databases.

Create a new PWA Content Database

Go back to “Manage Content Database”.
Click on “Add a new content database“.
Provide an appropriate and unique name like “WSS_Content_PWA”.

Create A PWA content database In Project Server

Provision a new PWA Instance In Project Server

Open Central Administration > Application Management > Manage Service Application.

Application Management - Manage Service Applications

Select your Project Service Application > from the above ribbon, click on Manage.
Click on Create Project Web App Instance.
Provide the required information then click Ok to provision the PWA Instance.

Create / Provision a new PWA Instance In Project Server

After the new PWA instance has been created, you should also lock down its content database to avoid having additional PWA site collections in the future.

Lowdown PWA Content Database