anyone know "database alias" function and merit?

Ronald:



Thanks for the clarification.

I must admit I have not read the license agreement and I feel embarrassed. I will need to go and read it.



I thought I was doing the right thing because in order to come up with the arrangement of databases I described, I got help for several days from Primavera until I got everything up and running. They never mentioned anything about the implications with my license.



I understand I still have the obligation to comply with the license agreement.



Also currently, I am only using one production database and will have to make sure it stays that way.



Tomas Rivera

Thomas,



I do not mean to ‘rain on your parade,’ but I could not let your statement about the right to have as many P6 databases as desired go unchallenged. If you check your software license, you will find that you are allowed only one “production” database and one “testing” database. I quote from the old Primavera Knowledgebase as follows,



---------------



Solution ID: prim58972



Can a license be applied to multiple production databases?



Status: Reviewed



Version(s): 4.1, 5.0, 6.0



Problem: Can a license be applied to multiple production databases?



Fix: No. License files are to be applied to only one production database. Consult the license agreement for more information.



The only exception to this is for users who travel and have obtained expressed written consent from Primavera Systems, Inc.



NOTE: When absolutely necessary, licenses can be merged or split by Primavera.



Contact Primavera Sales for more information ([email protected]).



Fix: SEE ALSO: prim30557 - "Does Primavera allow a testing and production database using the same license file?"



----------------



Solution ID: prim30557



Does Primavera allow a testing and production database using the same license file?



Status: Reviewed



Version(s): 4.0, 4.1, 5.0



Problem: Does Primavera allow a testing and production database using the same license file?



Fix: Yes, having the same license file on both a testing and production database is allowed under the license agreement. A unique serial number license must be used for each production database.



------------



Seeing as the SQL Express license from Microsoft actually allows you to have up to 5 databases per license, this limit of only one production database seems overly restrictive to me but that is what Primavera is demanding.

Has this changed for P6 v7?





"If you are using a Stand-Alone installation (which means your database is on your local machine) Primavera creates a default system admin password:

Login: sa

Password: prima (P5) or Prima123Vera (P6)"

Thanks Thomas much appreciated seems to have done the trick.

Ed:



Ali and David gave an explanation about a database and its alias.

Now, about your question about licenses. You can create any number of databases but you can open just one at a time with one license. Therefore, you can have one database for each client or project, or one database for all of them (provided you do not exceed the limit of 4G for each database if using Microsoft SQL Server Express, installed on a standalone setup), and work with all of them with just one license.

I have one named license and have 4 databases. One for old projects, two databases for one big project each, and another for small projects. I just created two more databases for two projects I am bidding on. One database for each project, one of them is a big project and the other a medium size project. I just work with one database at a time.

I hope this helps.



Tomas Rivera

An "Alias" is simply a link to a database and can be named whatever you choose.



You might have a situation where your production database is sitting on a server somewhere but you have a stand-alone database running on your local machine that you use as a "sandbox" to test things out before you try them on the production database.



You can create new databases using a tool on CD1.



Browse the CD and go to:

Install\Database\



On P5 - P6.1 run the program called "ConfigAsst.exe"

On P6.2 run the program called "dbsetup.bat"



This utility allows you to create new databases or upgrade existing databases to a new version.



If you are using a Stand-Alone installation (which means your database is on your local machine) Primavera creates a default system admin password:

Login: sa

Password: prima (P5) or Prima123Vera (P6)



The server name defaults to yourcomputername\PRIMAVERA or alternately you can use localhost\primavera



NOTE: You will need your license.txt file to create a new database.



Once you create the new database, you will have to go and create a new Alias to point to it.





David T Smith

TEPCO

www.tepco.us

Guys, to make it easier for myself to understand this, i consider the alias as the connection name between the database and primavera.

What Jaegon did is created two different connections to the SAME database...so it obvious that your test project will appear with the two alias.

I am not aware if having multiple databases is allowed...but it can be done in primavera.

all you have to do is to backup your database and restore it in another name using SQL manager. in order to access the new database you have to create another alias that connects to you second database.

Now every change you make to the new database will not appear in the first one.

Tomas,



Does one license cover as many database alias as possible? I am trying to set up a shared database for circa 10 users and want to have two databases or databases alias (not sure I understand the terminology) one for all live projects across the group & one for transfering migrated programmes for checking before importing in live database.



Does each user only require the one license & what sort of license would it be



Thanks Ed

Jaegon,



I don’y quite follow you nor have I used alias but what is useful to you is that I backup my database daily and sometimes transfer this to my laptop. In my case the database name never changes (pmdb) but potentially I could install anyone one of the 30 backups I have. This proves you can have multiple databases!



There is plenty of documentation on backing up the database and restoring either via PP or Point.



Mark

Jaegon:



One more thing.

You can have as many databases as you want with one license.

I currently use 3 databases.



Tomas Rivera

Jaegon:



I think there is a confusion between "database" and "database alias".

"Database" is the name of your database file that resides in your hard disk. If you are using a standalone configuration, then this database is located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$PRIMAVERA\Data.

The alias is a name you can use for your database to have more meaning for you. For example, your database can be PMDB and your alias could be "ABC company" or "Current projects" (I do not remember if you can use 2 words). You can even create another database diferent than the deafult PMDB with its respective alias and store or manage diferent projects. The alias can even be the same as the database, for example PMDB. So, it does not make any sense to me to define or configure more than one alias for the same database.

I hope this helps.



Tomas Rivera

Well Jaegon, each database is showing its projects only.

There is no way of showing the exact same project onto 2 database unless u made an import/export.

Maybe the Alias "test" that u created is hosted on the same location as of "PMDB" and that’s why u’r seeing the same projects ?



Karim.

Hi Jaegon,

’test’ is a new project or database?, because u stated that ’test’ project there was.

Each database will show its own projects, u can only show the same project in other database only if u imported/exported the project into it.

Karim

Jaegon, may I ask how do u switch this database?