MxLoader and MAS 9: Use, Limits and Alternatives
Updated on · VAGANET EAM
In short. MxLoader remains the most widespread tool for loading Maximo data from Excel, and it works with MAS 9. It reaches its limits on large volumes, team work, multiple environments and traceability. Keep your sheets: an industrialized tool can take them over as they are.
Almost every Maximo consultant has loaded data with MxLoader at some point. With the move to MAS 9 and larger data migration projects, the question comes back: should you keep using MxLoader, and if not, what should you complement it with?
What MxLoader does
MxLoader is an Excel workbook equipped with macros. Each sheet describes a load: the target object structure, the action (create, update, sync, delete, read) and a header row listing the attributes. The workbook sends the rows to the Maximo API and writes the result of each row back into the sheet. Its strengths are real:
- free, and known to the whole Maximo community;
- reads and writes in the same tool, convenient for extracting then correcting;
- no server-side installation.
Using MxLoader with MAS 9
On MAS 9, connect MxLoader to the Manage URL with an API key (see the REST API guide). Points to watch:
- use a recent version, compatible with API key authentication;
- check that the target object structures include the attributes of the columns;
- if Manage is reachable only from the internal network or a VPN, the workstation running Excel must stay connected to it for the whole load.
The limits on a real data migration project
| Need | With MxLoader |
|---|---|
| Large volumes (hundreds of thousands of rows) | Excel slows down, long load on a workstation that must stay on and connected |
| Resume after interruption | Manual: identify rows already loaded and restart |
| Multiple environments (DEV, UAT, PROD) | One workbook and one connection per environment, no overview |
| Pre-load validation | Errors appear during sending, row by row |
| Team work and audit | Files on workstations, keys stored locally, no central log |
| Proof of arrival | Status returned by the API, without systematic read-back from Maximo |
None of these limits is a flaw for the intended use: MxLoader is an excellent workstation tool. They become blocking when data migration is a project in its own right, with a cutover to secure.
Alternatives and complements
- MIF data import: native, no third-party tool, suited to flat or XML files processed through a queue (see the MIF guide).
- Scripts on the REST API: flexible and fast with bulk calls, but to be developed, tested and maintained.
- An ETL or integration platform: relevant for permanent flows, often disproportionate for a data init.
- A load tool dedicated to Maximo such as MAS9: it accepts MxLoader files as they are, validates them against each environment's configuration before sending, loads server-side with resume and no duplicates, tracks progress per environment and reads back from Maximo to prove the arrival of every row.
How to choose
A few hundred rows to fix on a single environment: MxLoader is enough. A full data init, several environments, a fixed-date cutover and a customer expecting proof: you need tooling that validates beforehand, resumes after an interruption and traces everything. The most effective approach is often to combine both: prepare and adjust in Excel, load and prove with an industrialized tool.
Frequently asked questions
Does MxLoader work with MAS 9?
Yes, recent versions of MxLoader call the Maximo REST API and support the API key authentication used by MAS. Make sure you use an up-to-date version and that the key's user has rights on the target object structures.
What is MxLoader's volume limit?
MxLoader imposes no hard limit, but it runs in Excel on a workstation: beyond a few tens of thousands of rows, durations, Excel memory and the risk of interruption mid-load become a handicap. Large volumes are split across several workbooks or go through a server-side tool.
Can you reuse your MxLoader sheets with another tool?
That is desirable: MxLoader sheets already describe the object structure, the action and the columns. MAS9, for example, accepts MxLoader files as they are, which avoids redoing the preparation work.
Is MxLoader an IBM product?
No. MxLoader is a free community tool, created by Bruno Portaluri and distributed by the Maximo community. It is not supported by IBM.
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