This video will help you discover the reason for an import error: Invalid Upload. Multiple schedules found in your file in an .XER file, please separate the projects into individual files.
Overview: When uploading P6 schedules to SmartPM, it's crucial to ensure that the .xer file contains only one schedule per update. This error typically occurs when there are multiple schedules within the same .xer file, causing confusion in the analysis process. SmartPM does not support XERs with multiple schedules currently. Below, you will find reasons for these errors and how to resolve them depending on the reason for error.
Reasons for Multiple Schedules in XER Files:
1. Multiple Individual Schedules Exported into One File:
- Sometimes, multiple schedules are exported into a single .xer file, similar to a zip file. While this may be convenient, SmartPM does not support this format. Each schedule must be exported individually for analysis.
Solution: Import the file with multiple schedules into P6. In P6, select File>Import and on the Import Project Options section, you will see that P6 shows two different schedules in the .XER file. Click Next and Finish and Primavera will import the file as two separate schedules into P6. Open each schedule up individually and export out the single .XER file for each one. Now you are ready to load them as separate files into SmartPM.
2. External Dependencies with Logic Ties to Separate Schedules: If two schedules are logically tied together in P6, external dependencies may be created, causing SmartPM to interpret the file as containing multiple schedules.
3. Previous Schedule Used as a Template with Residual References: When a previous schedule is copied as a template for a new project, residual references to external schedules may remain, causing SmartPM to detect multiple schedules.
4. Same Name for Activity Code, Calendar, WBS Structure for Two Active Schedules in P6: If two active schedules in P6 share identical names for activity codes, calendars, or WBS structures, exporting one schedule may inadvertently include elements from the other, resulting in multiple schedules detected by SmartPM.
****For Reasons 2-4, the following steps can be used as solutions****
Solution 1 - Import the file into P6 and then export it: Import the file with multiple schedules into P6. In P6, select File>Import and on the Import Project Options section, you will see that P6 shows only one schedule file. Click Next and Finish and Primavera will import the file into P6. Open up the schedule and export out an .XER file for each one. This should remove the external dependencies. Now you are ready to load the file into SmartPM.
Solution 2: Use NotePad++
- Right click on the schedule file and select, “Edit with Notepad++” which will open your .XER file in the Notepad
- Press CTRL+F and type in “proj_id” and click on the “Find Next” button. This will take you to the project section of the .XER file. This is the section where the .XER file will list all of the reference schedules with the data underneath including WBS references or any schedule or an activity code pointing to a different schedule with that external dependency.
- Once you find the first proj_id reference row, you will see the multiple schedules referenced in the rows below.
- Highlight the row with the schedule which is not your LIVE schedule and delete it.
- Select file>save and now you have a file you can import into SmartPM.
- Import the schedule file into SmartPM and double check that the dates are correct
Context from SmartPM:
Having differing data dates or inconsistencies in schedules would lead to unexpected results and inaccurate analyses. Therefore, multiple schedules in an XER are not currently supported. Multiple Schedules typically occur in larger projects, where violations of the aforementioned parameters are more likely to occur.
For further assistance on resolving multiple project errors in XER files, please contact our Support team at - support@smartpmtech.com