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Migrating from P3 to P6 FAQ

For details regarding migrating from P3 to P6 please consult the following links.

  1. What is Primavera 6.0 (P6)?
  2. What is the difference between P3 and P6?
  3. Is P6 suitable for a small company and/or a stand-alone installation?
  4. Is Primavera planning to discontinue support for P3?
  5. Can I open P3 and SureTrak projects in P6?
  6. Can I keep both P3 and P6?
  7. My organization requires that we keep historical data for legal reasons. If I migrate to P6, will I be able to use P3 again should I need to access this historical data? Will support be available for this process?
  8. Will my P3 maintenance carry over to P6?
  9. Can P3 and P6 be installed on the same PC?
  10. What are the supported platforms and requirements for running P6?
  11. How do I learn more about Primavera's recommended migration path?

Still have questions? Send an e-mail to maintdept@primavera.com, or call Primavera Systems.
U.S. : +1.800.423.0245
International: +44.0.20.8563.5570

What is Primavera 6.0 (P6)?

Primavera 6.0 is project, cost, and resource management software that enables organizations to make informed decisions and improve their ability to deliver programs and projects on time and on budget through the capture and reuse of best practices. P6 creates a collaborative environment through its set of integrated components with easy-to-use, personalized interfaces for all project stakeholders.

P6 uses standard Windows interfaces, client/server architecture, Web-enabled technology, and scalable, network based (Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server) databases.

 

What is the difference between P3 and P6?

Both P3 and P6 are project management tools that allow users to plan and control projects with a high degree of accuracy, keeping them on time and under budget. However, P6 includes the addition of a number of new features requested by our user-base including the ability to track and unravel multiple float paths, enhanced graphical reporting with features like multiple, formatable curtains, and the long awaited option to UNDO! New features and enhancements will continue to be added to this product with each successive release.

While P3 maintains each project as a separate group of files–each existing completely independently of the others–P6 stores all projects in a single database, allowing greater flexibility to view, manage, and analyze projects singularly, as part of a master project, program, or enterprise. This single database design increases efficiency, consistency and repeatability, saving organizations time and money.

Additionally, while P3 has used the extremely reliable Btrieve database engine since 1985, its 16-bit technology is quickly becoming outdated. Due to technological limitations and other factors, development of P3 has been discontinued. P6 is built using the platform of the future. Project data is stored in a central project database that resides on a server running Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Express, or Oracle. This type of relational database management system offers many advantages over the file structure system used in P3. For one, not all projects are managed separately—because data is stored in a central database, rather than on the user’s PC, P6 enables managers to access project data anywhere, at any time.

 

Is P6 suitable for a small company and/or a stand-alone installation?

Absolutely! While P6 is capable of handling an unlimited number of users and projects, it is also perfectly suited for single-user or small group installations. For smaller implementations, you can use Microsoft SQL Express, which is included with your upgrade at no additional cost. MS SQL Express is a data engine built on SQL Server technology. It supports up to five concurrent users and can have multiple databases, each limited to 2 GB. If your requirements extend beyond these limitations, you can easily migrate to SQL Server.

 

Is Primavera planning to discontinue support for P3?

Given the high demand, we are committed to support P3 through the end of 2010. During this support period, we will continue to implement patches to P3 as necessary, although we have no plans to enhance its functionality and no plans to certify P3 on new versions of Windows operating systems beyond XP.

Our goal is to do whatever is commercially reasonable to keep Primavera customers satisfied with and loyal to Primavera products. It is our hope that over the next year, existing P3 users will migrate to a future version of Primavera as we continue to add functionality.

 

Can I open P3 and SureTrak projects in P6?

Yes. P3 and SureTrak projects (saved in Concentric P3 format) can be imported into a P6 database. Because the applications are built on different platforms and some of the data structures and features within P6 are new, there are a number of options to consider before importing P3 projects into P6. For complete instructions on how convert data from P3 to P6, please reference the manual Migrating from P3 to P6 - (3.33 mb). This document can also be found on the documentation CD shipped with your upgrade.

 

Can I keep both P3 and P6?

As part of the upgrade offer, you have 90 days to test P6 and decide if you are ready to permanently convert your existing P3 licenses. During this trial period, you can use both applications and you will have access to all Primavera resources including Technical Support and the on-line knowledgebase for BOTH products. At the end of 90 days, we ask that you make a decision about which application is best suited for your organization, and then contact our Maintenance Sales department at 1.800.423.0245 or maintdept@primavera.com. At that time, Technical Support, free updates, and other resources will be limited to the application you have chosen to continue using.

 

My organization requires that we keep historical data for legal reasons. If I migrate to P6, will I be able to use P3 again should I need to access this historical data? Will support be available for this process?

At the conclusion of the 90 day trial period, if you choose to continue with P6, general support for P3 will be discontinued and replaced with P6 support for the duration of your maintenance contract. However, even after the 90 day trial period, you are permitted to keep the P3 software, should the need arise to refer back to historical information. In special circumstances such as legal claims, etc., Primavera will do their due diligence to provide support for products no longer under current maintenance.

 

Will my P3 maintenance carry over to P6?

Yes. Your maintenance renewal date will carry over and you will be required to purchase an additional year of maintenance at the time of migration.

 

Can P3 and P6 be installed on the same PC?

Yes. Because P3 and P6 run on entirely different platforms, there is no conflict when installing and/or running both applications on the same machine.

 

What are the supported platforms and requirements for running P6?

Primavera can be deployed to support both small and large organizations. Hardware requirements vary significantly depending upon a variety of factors including the size of the organization, deployment methods, modules being used and platform selection. The following is a technical overview. For detailed hardware guidelines, please contact a Primavera representative for your specific needs.

Application Server Support

Apache Tomcat
BEA Weblogic
IBM WebSphere
RedHat Jboss

Database Support

Oracle 9i or 10g
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and 2005
Microsoft SQL Express 2005 (<=8 users)

Client Operating System

Microsoft XP Professional
Microsoft Windows Vista Business Edition
Citrix
Internet Explorer 6 or 7

 

How do I learn more about Primavera's recommended migration path?

Primavera's recommended migration path

 

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