The second step of a typical Oracle | Primavera Risk (Pertmaster) Monte Carlo analysis is to validate the import for differences between the original schedule file and the Pertmaster CPM schedule calculations.  The Import logs shows the project manager any information that was changed upon import.

Video Walkthrough of the Oracle | Primavera Risk (Pertmaster) Import Log (Duration: 3 min: 40 sec)

Import Log

Certain information such as actual finishes in the future or remaining durations on activities in the past must be fixed before import.  If schedulers do not fix the issues before import, then Primavera Risk will make assumptions on how to fix the them.  The import log will list everything that Pertmaster changed.  Some items may be less important than others.  Some flags may require the user to fix the schedule and re-import the file.

The import log can be accessed two ways:

• Follow the path File | Review Import Log…
• Follow the path Reports | Import Log…

The Microsoft Project import log is in a web-based format.

The Primavera P3 and Primavera P6 logs are in a .txt file.  The P6 log file will list the settings found in Primavera P6.  The log file lists more than just the warnings found.  The warnings are the most critical issue in the log file.  The data should be fixed in the main scheduling tool.  The warnings show items where Pertmaster actually changed the data because it did not match with the Primavera Risk CPM scheduling engine.  For example, Pertmaster does not allow impossible logic such as actual finish dates that are in the future.  The warnings are listed with a prefix, “WARNING,”  similar format to the example below:

• WARNING: 1010 Duration changed from 6.25 days to 6.00 days

Some of the common warning that are found in the log file are:

• A link was removed that caused a loop.  Pertmaster may find interpret loops differently than other scheduling tools.  This isn’t a common error compared to others.
• An activity has a remaining duration in past.  If an activity is truly in the past, then it cannot have a remaining duration before the time now line.
• An activity has an actual date set in the future.  Pertmaster will not schedule actual dates that are after the time now line.
• A resource curve may be removed.  Primavera can handle complex resources curves that Pertmaster cannot.  The resources will be imported although the curve may be removed.
• A cross-project link has not been imported.  If the project containing the link is not imported, then Pertmaster uses a constraint to hold the dates as the actual cross-project logic is not available.