SAS Administration from the Ground Up

SAS Administration from the Ground Up

by Anja Fischer
Released March 2019
Publisher(s): SAS Institute
ISBN: 9781635267273

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Book description

Learn SAS® administration from the ground up!

Those who are new to SAS platform administration may find themselves full of questions. SAS® Administration from the Ground Up: Running the SAS®9 Platform in a Metadata Server Environment will save you time, money and frustration.

This book walks the reader through setting up and maintaining a SAS platform from scratch. The author includes tips on best practices and troubleshooting to show you simple ways to streamline your SAS environment and make your work more manageable.

Written for both new administrators and seasoned professionals, this book covers:

  • SAS® 9.4 architecture
  • SAS administration tools such as SAS® Management Console, SAS® Environment Manager and SAS® Deployment Manager
  • Users, groups, and roles
  • Metadata library administration
  • Security
Also included is a master administration checklist, with helpful resources provided for each task.

Table of contents

  1. About This Book
    1. What Does This Book Cover?
    2. Is This Book for You?
    3. What Should You Know about the Best Practices?
    4. Additional Resources
    5. We Want to Hear from You
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Chapter 1: Congratulations, You’re the SAS Administrator! Now What??
    1. Why a starter-admin book?
    2. What the book will and won’t cover:
  4. Chapter 2: Let the Admin Fun Begin: SAS 9.4 Architecture
    1. Introduction
    2. SAS Configuration Directories
      1. SASHome
      2. Lev1/Levn
      3. SAS Tiers: The three plus one SAS Tiers in a metadata-managed environment
      4. SAS Server Tier
      5. About the Workspace Server, Stored Process Server and all other SAS Servers
      6. SAS Connection Profiles
      7. SAS Web Application Server and SAS Web Server (http server)
      8. Cache Locator
      9. JMS Broker
      10. SAS Environment Manager
      11. Java Runtime Environment
    3. SAS Client Tier
    4. Data Tier
    5. Summary
  5. Chapter 3: Administration Tools
    1. Introduction
    2. The SAS Jedi: SAS Management Console
      1. Introduction
      2. SAS Management Console Connection Profiles
      3. Working in SAS Management Console
    3. SAS Environment Manager
      1. Monitoring your SAS Environment
      2. Best Practices for Monitoring
      3. Users, Groups and SAS Environment Manager
      4. Administration Menu
      5. SAS Management Console or SAS Environment Manager?
    4. SAS Deployment Manager
      1. Update Passwords
      2. Rebuild Web Applications / Deploy Web Applications
      3. Remove Existing Configuration
      4. Renew SAS Software and Update SID File in Metadata
      5. Manage SAS File Types
      6. Update Host Name Reference
      7. Apply Hot Fixes
      8. Update Existing Configuration
      9. Change Passphrase
      10. Locale Setup manager
      11. Uninstalling SAS Software
    5. SAS Web Administration Console
    6. Summary
  6. Chapter 4: Do I Know You? A Quick Review on Users, Groups, and Roles in SAS 9.4
    1. Introduction to User, Group and Role Management
      1. Roles
    2. Users
      1. Example
      2. What if the metadata server cannot find a matching user in metadata (User Manager)?
      3. Groups in SAS (SAS User Groups)
      4. Authentication Domains
    3. Summary
      1. What else?
  7. Chapter 5: Metadata Library Administration in SAS 9.4
    1. Introduction
    2. Libraries in Base SAS
    3. Creating Libraries in SAS Metadata
      1. SAS Folders and Libraries in SAS Metadata
      2. Metadata Library Troubleshooting
      3. Pre-Assigned Libraries
      4. Metadata-Bound Libraries
    4. Summary
  8. Chapter 6: SAS 9.4 Metadata Security
    1. Introduction
    2. Authorization
      1. What Does Authorization Mean?
      2. Interface to Apply Permissions
      3. Permissions in SAS
      4. Color Coding
    3. Best Practice: The Golden Rules for Metadata Security Model Design
      1. Creating Custom Access Control Templates
      2. Rule 1: If Applicable, Use Access Control Templates (ACT) and Avoid Using Access Control Entries (ACE) Whenever Possible
      3. Rule 2: Only Add Groups to Access Control Templates (ACTs)
      4. Rule 3: ACTs Only Grant Access to Explicit Groups, Never Deny
      5. Rule 4: Where Necessary, Apply ACTs to Deny Access to PUBLIC/SASUSERS, in Combination with ACTs to Grant a Reduced set of Permissions to Explicit Groups
      6. Rule 5: Always Apply the SAS Administrators ACT when PUBLIC and SASUSERS Are Denied Access
      7. Rule 6: Design Your Security Model First and Implement It Early
      8. Rule 7: Apply ACTs to Folders where Possible
      9. Rule 8: Name Security Model Objects Clearly and Simply
    4. Security Testing Options
    5. Summary
  9. Chapter 7: Backup and Restore: Should Have, Could Have, Would Have … Famous Last Words
    1. Introduction
    2. Backup, Backup and Backup Again
      1. Why File System Backups are Not Enough
      2. What Must be Backed Up in SAS?
    3. Backup and Restore Tools
      1. Batch Tools
      2. Operating System Commands
      3. Promotion (Export and Import Wizards)
      4. Deployment Backup and Recovery Tool (DBRT)
      5. Comparison of SAS Backup Tools
    4. Summary
  10. Chapter 8: SAS Administration Tasks and Housekeeping
    1. This is it – Finish Line in Sight: SAS Administration Tasks and Housekeeping
    2. Your List of SAS 9.4 Administration Tasks for Starters
      1. Task: Ensure you understand what is installed, how it is installed, the SAS architecture and that you can identify the components of your SAS 9.4 environment
      2. Task: Backup and Restore
      3. Task: Understand Users and Groups in SAS and then Create Users and Groups for Your Environment
      4. Task: Communicate with Your Users
      5. Task: Put a Good SAS Metadata Folders Structure in Place Using SAS Management Console’s Folders Tab
      6. Task: Create Libraries and Register Tables
      7. Task: Implement Permissions for Your Metadata Assets
      8. Task: Administer SAS Servers and Services
      9. Task: Restart Java Web Application Servers in the Mid-Tier Periodically
      10. Task: Check for Long-Running SAS Sessions
      11. Task: Become Familiar with SAS Client Administration
      12. Task: Logging and Troubleshooting
      13. Task: Cleaning up Log File Locations
      14. Task: Clean up SAS WORK and SAS Utility Directories
      15. Task: Use Monitoring to Check on SAS Servers and General Health of Your SAS System
      16. Task/Best Practice: Make Sure You Copy Configuration Files that You Change to Have Backups and Keep Track Of Troubleshooting Steps
      17. Task: Be a Good Communicator
      18. Task: Stay Up-to-Date on Hot Fixes and SAS Maintenance Releases
      19. Task: Update Your SAS License
      20. Task: Know How to Open a Track with SAS Technical Support
      21. Task: Create a Shared Folder that Can Be Accessed by All SAS Administrators (and, if Applicable, DB Admins and IT as Well)
      22. Task: Know Your SAS Representative
      23. Task: Know about the Available Training for SAS Administrators
      24. Task: Subscribe to the SAS Administration and Deployment Community
    3. Now What?
    4. Summary

Product information

  • Title: SAS Administration from the Ground Up
  • Author(s): Anja Fischer
  • Release date: March 2019
  • Publisher(s): SAS Institute
  • ISBN: 9781635267273