About SAS Software Depots

A SAS Software Depot is a file system that consists of a collection of SAS installation files that represents one or more orders. The depot is organized in a specific format that is meaningful to the SAS Deployment Wizard, which is the tool that is used to install and initially configure SAS. The depot contains the SAS Deployment Wizard executable, one or more deployment plans, a SAS installation data file per order, order data, and product data.

Before you can install SAS, you must first have a software depot to install from. During a SAS software download, the SAS Download Manager downloads your order, verifies it, and automatically creates a SAS Software Depot. If you receive your SAS order in the form of physical media, then you create a depot using the SAS Deployment Wizard.