Efficient backup procedure for a P6 database:

Rafael,
There are 3 standard procedures of Backups in P6 that we used. It depends on what purpose and intentions but these procedures are needs to be in placed.

1) Backup for keeping the Projects in Database.
-> EPS are created for different Status of Projects and move the projects on each status for easy access. (i.e. Planned, What if, Active and Inactive)
-> Active Projects are on there respective EPS and have security access within the users. Once the project is completed, status needs to change to Inactive and move to Inactive EPS. Users will still have access to their respective projects even Inactive or Active as long as the OBS designated to the Project is not change.

2) External Backup (XER)
A network dedicated folder for all archive projects are created with restrictions and dated. Users can have their own personal backup on their hard drives for personal use if required (optional)

3) Database maintenance Backup
This backup is run using SQL Server Management Studio Express. Two types of standard backup can be done. A) Update of master database backup (database are synchronise the changes and update the backup run daily). B) Full backup (weekly)

AS GENERAL and not only for P6
Last for the whole network as company SOP-> Full backup of network running daily after office hours on backup tapes (label Monday to Saturday and used routines) and Full backup of network running Weekly on backup tapes and achieve for safe keeping.

Best Regards,
Rodel

Rodel,

Item 1: It is merely a write protection feature or perhaps a general administrator access control.

Item 2: It is merely an export utility equivalent to a “save as” but to a different format, you will have to convert in order to get access to it. Perhaps it is good for a single or a few individual jobs but not to administer selective backups of the database.

Item 3: Obviously item 3b) is not what I am looking. Item 3a seems more like what I am looking for but still do not get it clear. What do you mean by “database are synchronise the changes and update the backup daily”? Do you mean only changed records in any table are updated to the respective table on the backup database substantially faster than if a full backup? If this is it then this is what I am looking for and your answer is very welcomed. It would fit my needs as a single computer administrator for a stand alone installation very well.

Best Regards,
Rafael

Rafael,
For Standalone item 1 have is no restriction or protection feature. It is up to the user to organize his/her Projects and status it.

Item 3 A) When creating a backup there is an option of Full Backup or Differential backup. Differential will update only those tables with changes in the same backup. You can also write backup on top of previous backup or overwrite the old backups for Full backups. You can also check the content of the backup and logs are created with time & date stamp.

Best Regards,
Rodel

Rodel,

Does a differential backup means I would be able to fully recover the database to what it was before the last differential backup? Therefore if a job is deleted all related data such as resources specific to this job, reports specific for this job, layouts specific for this job and the like will also be deleted leaving no junk data?

Best Regards,
Rafael

Rafael,
Yes and it depends on the options selected. You can have an option to overwrite existing, on top of existing or create a new one. Like what I have said it will synchronizes the old and new data.

Best Regards,
Rodel

Rodel,

If I want to restore a single job to a previous status from an old database backup, how is it done?

Best Regards,
Rafael

Rafael,

It depends on how you backup your database and also how you made a copy of your Projects before backup.

In P6 you have two choices on how to make a copy of your Project before backup. One is called reflections and another is plain copy. Both of them have an option to include baseline by user choice.

If you used create reflection it allows you to merge the reflections to the source projects and select only the changes that you want to update.
If you used create a copy it needs to export to XER first and select update existing Project or just open the copy and work from there.

Restoring backup is depends as follows:
1) Backup keeps on the same database.
As I mention above you can restore the Project status using merge the reflections to the source project if backup is created as reflection or update existing if backup is a copy.

2) External Backup (XER).
I’m not sure why you said XER is another format. XER is the standard format for Primavera P6. You can double click the XER and it will automatically prompt you to update existing or create a new project so what is wrong of using external backup (XER)? It is very useful especially if the system crash or the database is corrupt or accidentally delete, modify the projects. You can restore all backup XER to have the project on going. It is also the standard use of exchanging of update from standalone machine to another system if network is not available. Again depends on the XER if reflection or copy process on restoring backup.

3) Database maintenance Backup
This backup is normally used for restoring corrupt database, system failure or format hard drive. You can restore the old database on selected session time and date of partial but not per projects.
If there is no other backup and needs to restore partial update user need to backup the current database first before restoring the old database. After backup of current database, user can restore back the old database and work from there or get the project he want by creating reflection or copy then export to XER. After getting data wanted restore the database to original and use the created XER to update the Project.

Best Regards,
Rodel

Rodel,

My question was assuming I had no xer backup so your answer about the “reflections” method is what I was looking. Your answers have been so clear that even without a license of P6 I can follow them.

Although P6 by no means my favorite maybe at some point I will have to deal with it therefore I appreciate very much your sharing of knowledge of P6.

Best Regards,
Rafael

Hi to all,

I have one question with me regarding Primavera P6 Project Management, Release 7.0.0 that i have that software on some other machine (computer) as well and it is corrupted means unable to open. Now, i want to shift all backup files from that machine to my other machine.

 

But i dnt know how can i pick the files from C: drive and paste it in my machine and which ways to be followed to run that programmes in my machine. Do you have any answer for that?

Pl. let me know?

Hi Guys,

Its horeb from abu dhabi, i have one question with me if you have any idea please let me know,

Q: I am using Primavera P6 Project Management, Release 7.0.0 i want to know where primavera stores files in any system/ machine and how can i pick and run these files on any other machines

Concern: if i copy paste these files in other machines, would it work or no? to run that programmes in my machine.

 

XER. import, export is very clear with me, i just want to know where primavera stores its backup file and how can we copy paste these files in any other machine and run the same programmes which were copied form any other machine.

 

Is it possible or no?

please anybody who have a clear picture on it?