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1. XER, XML, and life in
between
Alexander Vos
Session #204810

2. Disclaimer
- Contractor Perspective
- R8.2

3. XER, XML, and life in between
- Overview
- Importing and Exporting Options in Primavera
- Pros and Cons of XER and XML
- XML in the greater context
- Solutions for importing
- Takeaways

5. Background
Alexander Vos, P.S.P.
- Oak Ridge, NC
- Masters in Engineering from Arizona State
- Maintained Schedules from Mines, roadways, oil
sands, treatment plants
- IT and Functional Lead for Primavera at Kiewit

6. Alexander Vos, P.S.P.
- Scheduling Process Owner at Kiewit
- Implementation of Primavera R8
- Transition from scattered landscape to enterprise
environment
- Developments of Corporate Scheduling Standards
- R8 System Build
- Cost Integration

7. Kiewit
- Contracting Organization
- Schedule is a Contract Document and is revised at
least monthly
- Primavera version 7.0 and up
- XER file format is currently the norm

8. Kiewit
- Multiple clients ($5M - $4B)
- Various industries/standards
- Required by contract to follow Clients’ specifications
- Schedule is a binding document used in litigation and
to show ownership of delays
- “Average” Schedule is roughly 3,500 activities

9. Kiewit
- Multiple Joint Ventures (internal and external)
- Various parties needing access to the schedule
- Specialized discipline schedules “feed” the Master
Schedule
- Different types/versions of software
Did I mention….we also have internal reporting
needs and standards for our 1,600 Primavera
users.

10. What does all of this
mean?

11. Data Movement
Information from:
1. Multiple sources
2. Multiple formats
3. Different systems
4. Various requirements
5. Access
6. Version control
7. Collaboration/Revisions

12. There is no single solution/software that can provide
100% of the needs for a construction company. A
suite of solutions, some “out of the box” and some
“home grown”.
As we integrate these solutions more and more,
standards are necessary.

13. - Manual/Communication
- Import/Export
- Integration (API/WS)
How is this information
shared?

14. What are the importing
options in Primavera?

15. 1. Primavera “Optional” Client
2. Primavera Web

16. Importing and exporting options?
- R8 “Optional” Client
- XER
- XML
- Excel
- P3
- MS Project
- XML
- MPX

17. XER
- eXport Eagle Ray
- Proprietary format
- Imports all data
- Most contracts in the Construction industry specify
- Supports multiple projects in a single file (EPC)

18. XML
- Extensible Markup Language
- Applies security upon import
- Different limitations than standard XER
- Not currently the “norm”

19. Excel
- Microsoft Product
- Limited to mostly project data
- Can set up templates for importing processes
- Be aware of defined User Preferences used in the
Export/Import process

20. P3
- PRX files
- Prior to Primavera database configuration
- Composed of multiple separate files
- PRX is the XER predecessor
- Have to have P3 on Computer to import

21. MS Project (XML)
- MS Project 2003 and newer
- File is exported to standard XML language

22. MS Project (MPX)
- MS Project 2000 format
- Primavera P3 utility to convert MPP to MPX

23. Microsoft Project
MSP Save versions
MSP2000 can save to MPX, MPP
MSP2003 can save to MPP, XML
MSP2007 can save to MPP, XML
Primavera will
Import XML without restriction
Import MPP 2003 when MSP 2003 is present
NOT import MPP 2007

24. Importing and exporting options?
- R8.2 Web
- XML
- Excel
Hidden message?.?.?.?
XER?

25. Use XML

26. Why transition to
XML?

27. Proprietary Formatting

28. What’s Wrong with the XER?
- Proprietary
- XER imports global fields with no control
- Databases get “flooded” with this global data
- Not all systems can read an XER
- Snowball effect on Analytics and reporting

29. What’s Wrong with the XER?
Global Fields
- OBS Assignments
- Global Activity Codes
- Resources
- User Defined Fields
- Calendars

30. When will the XER become
extinct?

31. Did you say….P3?

32. Data Movement
Information from:
1. Multiple sources
2. Multiple formats
3. Different systems
4. Various requirements
5. Access
6. Version control
7. Collaboration/Revisions
XER does not support
this integrated
environment

33. Features of the XML
- Applies security upon Import
- If the user does not have the permissions, it will not
import the data.
- Can bring Project layouts with the export/import
- User is not required to have All Resources access
- Allows for managing importing
- R8.3 additional features

34. Considerations
- XML Import/Export wizard does not support multiple projects.
- XML files are larger – zip it!
- XML Import does not support Replace Existing or Add into Project
import actions
- XML doesn't have a separate import option for external relationships
and does not support the Constrain External Relationships feature
that XER has.
- XML merges the holidays and exceptions that are in the file and
doesn't remove any that are in the database. XER replaces calendar
data on import when selecting Update.

35. Under the Hood
XML Format (626 KB)
XER Format (128 KB)

36. XML In the Greater Context

37. Can you find the .XER
XER

38. XML is everywhere

39. Why XML
- Uses human Language not Binary and ASCII
- Endorsed by Software Market Leaders
- Contains machine-readable context information
- Facilitates the comparison and aggregation of data
- Can embed multiple data types
- Can embed existing data
- Provides a “one-server view” for distributed data

40. The age of XML
- The XML format itself can be read by any XML parser:
- Business documents can be stored in various locations.
XML can be used to integrate this parsed out data.
Companies like General Motors and Jet Blue are finding
solutions in XML for their problems with data in distributed
environments.
- XML Language is maintained by an independent standards
committee.

41. The age of XML
- If you double-click an icon on your computer desktop
chances are that an XML message is sent from one
component of the desktop to another.
- If you take your car to be repaired, the engine's computer
sends XML to the mechanic's diagnostic systems.

42. XML is used by many companies for many different
reasons.
•Golfing: GolfML
•Aerospace: Spacecraft Markup Language
•Music: Music Markup Language
•Banking: Bank Internet Payment System
•Advertising: AdXML
•Engineering: LandXML
•Oil: PetroXML
•eBooks: FictionBook

43. API
- API writes to XML
XML
XML to
you too!

44. Microsoft Office 2007
- Moved from proprietary binary format to XML
- xlsX, docX, pptX

45. What are some options to handle importing?

46. Possible Solutions
1. Importing specialist/group
2. Conversion Utility
3. “Staging” Environment
4. XENA for XER control
5. Increased XML functionality

47. Importing Specialist
- Understands effects of XER import
- Can modify the data in notebook
- Understands parsing
- Could be a group of people “Shared Service
- Potential Process Bottle Neck
- Peaks and Ebbs with update cycles

48. Conversion Utility
- Converting the XER to XML to utilize XML features
- No utility currently exists
- Extra Step in the process
- Construction Industry is still XER driven
- Difficult to enforce usage
- Could import XER through optional client and then
export XML

49. “Staging” Environment
- Import into a staging environment
- Clean up data and then export “cleansed” file
- Labor intensive
- Another environment to maintain
- Low Software Cost
- Difficult to enforce usage

50. XENA for XER control

51. XENA for XER control
- Allows you to strip out unwanted data from an XER
file
- “Mapping” to existing standards
- Adding prefixes etc.
- Systematic solution to Staging and Specialist
- Only XER
- Keeps environment clean
- Template functionality
- Difficult to enforce usage

52. General

57. Increased XML functionality
- Oracle will improve XML import
- Only option in Web for Primavera Files
- “Cleansing” Component
- Only XML
- Multiple Projects, external relationship

59. XML Import / Export (P6r8.3)
• Multi project XML
• global data integrity
• Codes
• UDFs
• Calendars
• Resources
• Import templates

60. Importing

61. Global Data

62. Project Data

63. Activity Codes

64. Project Codes

65. Calendars

66. Resources

68. Possible Solutions
1. Importing specialist/group
2. Conversion Utility
3. “Staging” Environment
4. XENA for XER control
5. Increased XML functionality

69. As a contractor, we are in limbo between
technology and clients specification.

70. Conclusion
- XML and XER both have limitations
- XML allows for “cleaner” imports and is a standard
language, read by any software
- Due to XML only Web Functionality, it is difficult for a
Large Contractor to make the Web jump until the
Industry makes the XML jump

71. Takeaways
- Use the XML format
- Solution ID 907653.1
- Feedback is important
- Review Specifications for XER requirements
- April 30th Webinar