Managing Indirect Access in Oracle Primavera P6

Named User

Per-user licensing — no concurrent or floating

Direct = Indirect

Oracle treats both identically

~22%

Annual support on licence fees

$100K+

Typical audit true-up exposure

What Is Indirect Access?

In Oracle's terms, indirect access means any user accessing Primavera P6's data or functionality via another application instead of logging into P6 itself. If Primavera's information is consumed through a secondary interface — a BI dashboard, an ERP screen, a custom web portal, or an automated report — those users are indirectly using Primavera P6.

🔴 Critical Risk Alert

Oracle's licensing rules make no distinction between direct and indirect use. Indirect use is treated the same as direct use. Every individual who benefits from Primavera P6 data — even through a third-party system — must hold a named user licence. There is no free pass for read-only access, infrequent use, or viewing data through another system.

How Indirect Access Occurs

Scenario 1

BI Dashboards (Power BI, Tableau)

A business intelligence tool displays Primavera P6 project data to managers. Those managers never sign into P6, but they are still leveraging P6 data through live dashboard queries.

⚠ Every manager viewing the dashboard needs a P6 licence

Scenario 2

ERP or Finance System Integration

Primavera P6 is integrated with an ERP or finance system, allowing ERP users to view or update project schedules and resource data from the ERP interface without opening P6.

⚠ All ERP users accessing P6 data need P6 licences

Scenario 3

Custom Portals or Mobile Apps

An internal web portal or mobile app retrieves P6 schedule information via APIs or database links, enabling team members to view progress or submit updates without the P6 client.

⚠ Every user of the portal/app needs a P6 licence

Scenario 4

Automated Reports & Bots

Scripts or bots query the P6 database and send project status reports to a broad audience by email or SharePoint. Recipients interact with P6 data without knowing the source.

⚠ All recipients receiving live P6 data need licences

Oracle's Fundamental Principle

If users benefit from Primavera P6 data — even indirectly — they must be licensed for P6

Why Indirect Access Is a Hidden Risk

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Unnoticed User Expansion

An organisation may have 50 named P6 users, but an integration to a reporting portal can expose P6 data to 200+ additional employees — all "untracked" users unless properly licensed.

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Audit Surprise

Oracle LMS auditors actively look for indirect access. They request details of applications connected to P6, including Web Services API usage, database links, and third-party integrations. 150 unlicensed users can surface overnight.

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Significant Financial Impact

True-up costs can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars in back-dated support and new licences. These unbudgeted costs harm financial planning and sour the vendor relationship.

Risk Factor	How It Manifests	Typical Exposure
Untracked user expansion	Integration exposes P6 data to users who never log into P6 directly	50 licensed users → 200+ actual users accessing data
Oracle's strict policy	Contracts explicitly require licensing for indirect use — no exceptions for read-only or infrequent access	Every indirect viewer counted as a licensable user
LMS audit discovery	Auditors request comprehensive integration maps, API usage logs, and connected system inventories	Retroactive licence purchases at list price + back-support
Service account misconception	Organisations assume only the technical service account needs a licence, not the end users behind it	All users benefiting from data extracted by service accounts require licences
Compliance & reputation	Non-compliance findings weaken negotiating position in renewals and trigger management scrutiny	Governance lapses, strained vendor relationship

⚠️ Common Misconception

Using a single "service account" to extract P6 data does not limit your licensing obligation. If a generic account pulls P6 data nightly and populates a report viewed by 50 managers, all 50 managers should have Primavera licences — even if they never log into P6 directly. Oracle requires licensing for every user who benefits from the data, not just the account that extracts it.

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Mitigation Strategies & Best Practices

1. Inventory All Integrations and Data Flows

Map out every integration point to Primavera P6. Identify all systems, reports, and interfaces — both internal and third-party — that pull data from or push data into P6. This inventory reveals where indirect access is occurring and lays the groundwork for controlling it.

2. Identify All Indirect Users

For each integration or report, determine who the end users are. This could be managers viewing a dashboard, a group of ERP users, external partners receiving data, or recipients of automated email reports. Build a comprehensive list of every individual interacting with P6 data through external systems.

3. Licence Appropriately — Close the Gap

Reconcile indirect users with your licence counts. Every individual identified should either have a Primavera P6 named user licence or be covered under an appropriate licence programme (such as the Primavera Web Services user licence, if applicable). If gaps exist, address them before Oracle does — purchase additional licences or restrict access so only licensed users receive the data.

4. Apply Least-Privilege Data Sharing

Expose Primavera data externally only when necessary. Rather than giving dozens of executives live access to schedule data via integration, consider having a smaller number of licensed planners compile reports. For large audiences needing only periodic information, distribute static reports (PDFs or snapshots) instead of interactive live links to P6 — this may reduce the number of indirect users requiring licences.

5. Implement Integration Governance

Create an internal approval process for new integrations or data extracts from Primavera. Require project teams to justify why data is needed and confirm that licensing for target users will be addressed. This prevents unauthorised or overlooked indirect use from cropping up as the environment evolves.

6. Negotiate Indirect Usage Terms

When renewing or negotiating your Oracle agreement, explicitly address indirect usage. Ensure contract terms are clear on what constitutes use. While Oracle typically enforces standard policy, you may negotiate a discount or package deal for a large group of casual users — for example, Oracle may bundle read-only licences at a lower rate or allow a specific number of viewers. Get any special agreements in writing to avoid ambiguity.

7. Implement Controls and Educate Staff

Update internal processes to ensure that any new usage of Primavera data is evaluated for licensing requirements. Communicate the policy to all relevant staff. Make it part of project kickoff checklists to consider software licensing when integrating systems.

💡 Expert Insight

Static vs. live data makes a difference. Distributing pre-exported PDFs or snapshot reports to executives is generally a safer approach than giving them live dashboard access to P6 data. While Oracle takes a strict stance on any data consumption, static reports distributed by licensed users represent a lower-risk architecture. Always document your approach and be prepared to explain it during an audit.

How Oracle Detects Indirect Usage in Audits

Audit Method	What Oracle Looks For
Questionnaires	Detailed questions about Primavera integrations: "Do you interface P6 with other systems (ERP, BI, etc.)? List users who view P6 data from those systems." Standard question in every P6 audit.
Technical scripts	SQL queries run on the P6 schema to identify user counts, last login dates, and connected applications. Scripts reveal the actual scope of deployment.
Integration mapping	Requests for lists of applications connected via P6 Web Services API, database links, or data warehouse feeds. Every connection point is examined.
Interviews	Scheduled interviews with IT and project control teams to understand how Primavera data flows through the organisation. Indirect usage often comes to light here.
User account analysis	Comparison of P6 user accounts vs. purchased licences. Every named account — active or inactive — is counted against entitlements. Frequency of use is irrelevant.

🔴 Audit Readiness Warning

Oracle LMS auditors have become highly sophisticated in identifying indirect access. Standard audit questions now include "Do you use any business intelligence or data warehouse with Primavera?" Organisations not properly licensing indirect users face additional fees, penalties, and audit findings. The only reliable defence is proactive internal compliance.

Recommendations

#	Recommendation	Priority
1	Discover all P6 access points — Conduct thorough discovery of every integration, API, reporting solution, and data flow involving Primavera P6.	🔴 Critical
2	Align licensing with actual usage — If 150 people view P6 reports but you have 50 licences, address the gap proactively. Right-size now, not during an audit.	🔴 Critical
3	Implement integration governance — Require approval and licensing review for any new system connecting to P6. Make it part of project kickoff checklists.	🔴 Critical
4	Restrict unnecessary data exposure — Limit live P6 access to essential users. Use static reports (PDFs/snapshots) for broader audiences where possible.	🟡 High
5	Address service account misconceptions — Ensure all users behind service accounts extracting P6 data are individually licensed, not just the account itself.	🟡 High
6	Negotiate indirect usage terms — Explicitly address indirect access in Oracle contract negotiations. Seek read-only licence bundles or viewer allowances in writing.	🟡 High
7	Educate project and IT teams — Train staff to recognise that every integration can multiply licence obligations. Awareness prevents "rogue" integrations.	🟢 Moderate
8	Schedule regular compliance reviews — Quarterly or biannual reviews repeating the discovery and alignment steps, ensuring continuous compliance as environments change.	🟢 Moderate
9	Engage expert advisory — Consult with Oracle licensing specialists for objective compliance assessments, especially in complex multi-integration environments.	🟢 Moderate

ITAM Action Checklist

Oracle Primavera P6 — 5-Step Indirect Access Compliance Plan

Inventory Integrations and Data Flows — Map every integration point, API usage, database link, BI connection, and reporting solution that pulls from or pushes to Primavera P6. Document all systems and their user bases.
Identify All Indirect Users — For each integration, determine the end users: dashboard viewers, ERP users accessing P6 data, portal users, report recipients. Build a comprehensive list with user counts.
Assess the Licence Gap — Compare identified indirect users against current P6 licence entitlements. Address shortfalls by acquiring additional licences, considering specialised integration licences, or restricting access to licensed users only.
Implement Controls and Education — Update internal processes so that any new usage of Primavera data is evaluated for licensing. Communicate the policy to all relevant staff. Add licence review to project kickoff checklists.
Review Regularly — Schedule quarterly or biannual reviews to repeat steps 1–4. As environments change — new integrations, new users, organisational changes — maintain continuous compliance rather than scrambling during an Oracle audit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Indirect access means any user accessing Primavera P6's data or functionality via another application instead of logging into P6 itself. This includes viewing P6 data through BI dashboards (Power BI, Tableau), accessing project schedules via an ERP interface, using a custom web portal or mobile app that retrieves P6 data through APIs, or receiving automated reports generated from P6 data. Oracle makes no distinction between direct and indirect use — both require individual named-user licences.

Yes. Under Oracle's rules, even read-only viewing of Primavera P6 information via an external report or dashboard requires that the viewer be licensed for P6. Oracle's position is that if you benefit from the output of the software, you are using the software. There are no free "read-only" user allowances in standard P6 licensing unless you have a special agreement or a specific limited-use licence. The safest approach is to distribute pre-exported static reports (PDFs) to unlicensed users rather than giving them live dashboard access.

Oracle auditors typically request comprehensive information about Primavera integrations. They may provide questionnaires asking whether you interface P6 with other systems, run SQL scripts on the P6 schema to identify user counts and connected applications, request lists of applications connected via the P6 Web Services API, and conduct interviews with IT and project control teams. Oracle LMS has become increasingly sophisticated at identifying indirect access — it is now a standard line of inquiry in every Primavera audit.

Yes, through several strategies: (1) Limit live P6 data exposure to only essential, licensed users. (2) Distribute static reports (PDFs, snapshots) to broader audiences instead of interactive dashboards. (3) Architect integrations to minimise the number of individuals directly consuming P6 data. (4) Negotiate with Oracle for read-only licence bundles or viewer allowances. (5) Implement governance requiring licensing review before any new integration is deployed. The key is to control data flow architecturally while ensuring all remaining indirect users are properly licensed.

Oracle will typically demand licences for each unlicensed user, often retroactively. This means purchasing new named-user licences at list price plus back-dated support fees (typically ~22% per year for the period of non-compliance). For example, if an audit reveals 150 unlicensed users accessing P6 data via a web service, the true-up can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. Non-compliance findings also weaken your negotiating position in future renewals and put your organisation on Oracle's radar for follow-up audits.

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How Redress Compliance Can Help

As a fully independent advisory firm with former Oracle insiders on staff, Redress Compliance provides objective guidance on Oracle Primavera licensing, indirect access risk assessment, audit defence, and contract negotiation — with no commercial relationship with Oracle.

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