There are a few things you can do to help an upgrade go smoothly. If migrating to a KMS environment, please visit the following for additional info: Preps Best Practices and Limitations - KMS.

Learn about what you will do differently in the new version

Reading the release notes for the new version can help you prepare for change.

If you are upgrading from a version that uses static marks, recreate them as SmartMarks before the upgrade

Preps versions earlier than 5.3 do not include SmartMark functionality. If you are using a version of Preps earlier than 5.3, you must create SmartMarks after the migration to Preps 9.

Before the upgrade, while you are still using the version of Preps that has static marks, recreate your static marks as SmartMarks.

• To learn about SmartMarks, see the Marks chapter in the KODAK Preps Imposition Software User Guide. 
• To learn how to create a SmartMark, see Adding a new resource to the Marks list.

If you recreate the static marks as SmartMarks in your current version of Preps, the SmartMarks will be migrated to Preps 9 and you can use them in the new version with no further setup required.

If you do not create the SmarkMarks before the migration, any migrated static marks are automatically converted to SmartMarks when you open a migrated template or job in Preps 9. However, the conversion works only in that Preps template or job—the converted marks are not saved in the Resources library. Before you can create new jobs or build new templates in Preps 9, you must set up SmartMarks. 

If you are upgrading from a version earlier than Version 7, be prepared for these changes:

• Come and Go templates are handled differently.
  Preps now automatically divides sections based on the total page count and logically orders book sections on press runs according to the Come and Go standard. Book section placements cannot be modified in relation to press runs (Signature Information). 
• Collation mark limitations (new jobs)
  Smart Collation marks are now automatically anchored to low, high, or mid folio pages of Product sections. Static collation marks are no longer supported. 
• Job Notes custom fields are reset to default values after migration.
  
  The defaults.ppd file that can contain custom content entries for data that corresponds to custom or variable text marks must be manually copied 
  to the new version.