Import Settings

The import template has two groups of settings that determine how data is imported.

Import Action on the Basic Tab of the Import Template

The Import Action on the Basic tab of the import template determines how to handle the import of each type of data when a match is found between data in the import file and data in the database. P6 EPPM looks for a match on the basis of a single field (usually the ID but sometimes the name).

For example, you can specify that you do not want to import any Resources or Roles, but you do want to import Calendars and Codes.

For each data type listed, you can choose from the following import actions:

Insert New leaves matching data in your database unchanged and adds all the data of the associated data type from the import file to your database as new data items.
Use the Insert New action if you do not want to change your existing data of the associated type, but you still want to import the matching data from the import file. When you use this import action, the existing data in your database will remain unchanged, but new data items will be created for each data item of the selected type in the import file, even if the items in the data file have an exact match in your database.
Keep Existing leaves matching data items in your database unchanged. If there is data in the import file that does not have a match in your database, that data will be added to your database.
Use the Keep Existing import action if you don't want the data of the associated type in your database to be changed but you want to make sure that you add new data items of that type to your database from the import file.
Update Existing overwrites matching data of the associated data type in your database with data from the import file.
Use the Update Existing action if it is important that your data conforms to the data in the originating database.
Do Not Import leaves matching data of the associated data type in your database unchanged and does not import new data from the import file.
Use the Do Not Import import action for a data type if you do not want to change that type of data in your database at all as a result of importing.

Action on the Advanced Tab of the Import Template

The Action on the Advanced tab of the import template allows you to limit exactly which Codes, User Defined Fields (UDFs), and Calendars are imported from a file. For example, here you can specify that you do not want to import any global activity codes and their values, you want to update existing EPS specific activity codes and their values, and that you want to import assignments and values of the Phase activity code, but not the Status activity code.

For each Code, UDF, and Calendar, you can choose from the following actions:

Do Not Import leaves matching data of the associated item in your database unchanged and does not import new data from the import file. This option overrides the import action for that data type selected on the Basic tab of the import template.
Keep will import the data of the associated item according to the import action for that data type selected on the Basic tab of the import template.
Note: For secure codes, this action applies only to the security status of the code (that is, whether the code is secure or unsecured). Do Not Import is used to prevent a code being upgraded to a secure code if the matching code is secure in the import file. Keep is used to allow the code to be upgraded to secure if the matching code in the import file is secure. Importing a file will never change a secure code into an unsecured code.

Last Published Tuesday, April 1, 2025