Mastering the Microsoft Project Central 2000 RDCSite Tool

The RDCSite Tool (Remote Data Component Site Utility) is a legacy command-line deployment and configuration utility used for Microsoft Project Central 2000. It is primarily responsible for establishing, reconfiguring, or repairing the connection between the Project Central IIS web server and its backend SQL Server or Oracle database.

Because Project Central 2000 relies heavily on localized Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) and classic Internet Information Services (IIS) architectures, troubleshooting the RDCSite tool typically revolves around database permissions, connection strings, and registry overrides. Common Issues & Troubleshooting Steps 1. “Access Denied” or Failed Registry Writes

The RDCSite tool must write connection properties directly to the system registry of the hosting IIS server.

The Cause: The administrator executing the command-line utility does not have sufficient local machine privileges, or a modern server security policy is blocking deep registry edits.

The Fix: You must open the command prompt using Run as Administrator. If working on an older architecture (like Windows Server ⁄₂₀₀₃ or legacy VMs), ensure the active account belongs explicitly to the local Administrators group. 2. MDAC / OLE DB Provider Mismatches

RDCSite relies on OLE DB providers to test database handshakes. If Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) are corrupted or missing, the tool will throw provider execution errors.

The Cause: Missing or mismatched SQLOLEDB (for Microsoft SQL Server) or Oracle client providers on the web server host.

The Fix: Verify your database client drivers. If connecting to a legacy SQL Server, explicitly test the connection outside of Project Central using a standard .udl (Universal Data Link) file to determine if the issue lies with the OLE DB layer or the RDCSite utility itself. 3. Database Connection Timing Out

When initializing or updating the site parameters via RDCSite, the utility may time out before connecting to the central repository database.

The Cause: Incorrect server names, blocked network ports (such as TCP port 1433 for SQL Server), or strict authentication protocols.

The Fix: Ensure that you are using SQL Server Authentication if Windows NT Integrated Security is failing across untrusted domains. Double-check that your command parameters explicitly pass the correct -S (Server), -U (Username), and -P (Password) arguments. 4. Corrupted Views or Tables Error

If the backend database scheme has been modified outside of Project Central, running RDCSite to refresh the configuration might throw relational errors.

The Cause: Out-of-sync database schemas or orphaned connection IDs stored within the Project Central metadata tables.

The Fix: Re-run the core database initialization scripts included with the Project Central 2000 installation media to rebuild underlying views before applying changes through the RDCSite utility. Typical Syntax Reference

When troubleshooting, it is often best to clear the existing configuration parameters and force a clean write. The basic structure typically requires targeting the primary script execution pathway:

rdcsite.exe -f -s -d Use code with caution.

Ensure that no spaces exist between the flags and their arguments if using strict legacy versions of the tool.

To provide more specific guidance, could you share the exact error code or message you are seeing? Additionally, knowing your operating system version and if you are using SQL Server or Oracle would help narrow down a direct fix. Microsoft Project Central – ProjectManagement.com