Prepare the Primavera Schedule
Use the information in this topic to prepare the Primavera schedule before exporting it to Cobra.
File Format
There are two methods for integrating with Primavera:
- Use Cobra to read the Primavera database
- Use the Primavera API
You must set up a data source name (DSN) to connect to the database regardless of the selected connection method for importing data. When using the API, the DSN connection allows you to select the fields in the Integration Wizard.
Using the database is much faster than using the API; however, the resource data is spread linearly across the activity dates. Using the API to connect to Primavera provides daily time-phased data and thus, the resources imported into Cobra closely match the resource spread in Primavera.
After confirming that the demonstration applications are operational, click the New button on the Connection Selection page of the Integration Wizard. On the New Connection dialog box, complete the following steps:
- Select the Load daily time-phased data check box.
- Enter the user name, password and location of the API.
This location must be accessible to the application tier where the application is usually installed.
Identifying the Link
Before importing data into Cobra, you must define how you want to link activities to control accounts and work packages. For example, you can use the Work Breakdown Structure field to identify the control account in Cobra and the activity ID to identify the work package. Alternatively, you can use a code on the activity to represent a work package in Cobra and use the activity ID as the milestone, or use one of the codes or user text fields of Primavera to identify the link.
- Task Code
- Work Breakdown Structure
- Resp.Discipline
- Activity codes – Global
- User Defined Text fields
- Resource Cost Account
- The data type should be Text .
- The user defined fields should be under Activities.
- The user defined field must have values assigned in the Primavera project selected in the Integration Wizard.
Resources and Rates
In the import of resource rates, Cobra imports the escalated rates from the Primavera resource rates table. The fields imported are Resource Name, Start Date, and Cost Per Quantity.
Load Resource Codes as non-significant
Under most circumstances, you must import the data into a non-significant structure so that you can indicate parent codes such as Labor and Material. Do not select this check box if you use periods in your resource codes to identify parent information.
Use template for resource calculations
If you indicate to create a new resource file or rate when importing from the schedule, you can use a template for resource calculations. This option is located on the Resources and Rates page of the Integration Wizard. If you select this option, you can select a resource file in Cobra that is used to define how resources being imported from the schedule are burdened or have multiple results in the calculation.
If a resource in the template resource file matches a resource name in the schedule, that resource is copied from the template file to the new resource file being created; otherwise, the resource type is used to determine what resource in the template is used to obtain the calculation.
To define the calculations for a resource, create a resource in the template file with the same name as the resource type. Examples are Labor or Nonlabor. Cobra creates the calculations for these resources using these units with the same calculation as in the template file.
Resource Assignments
- Budgeted Quantity: Values stored in the budgeted units (Target_qty) field are imported when importing a budget. Values stored in the Pending Remaining Units (Remain_qty) field are imported when importing forecast data.
- Budgeted Cost: Values stored in the budget cost are imported when selecting to import from a budget. Values stored in the remaining cost are imported when you select a forecast.
Resource Definitions
If the rate for a resource is greater than one and a calculation template is not used, Cobra creates resources with the result of HOURS and DIRECT where the direct rate comes from the rate defined in the schedule. If the rate for the resource is equal to 0 or 1, Cobra creates the resource with a single result of DIRECT.