Best Practices for SAS Software Depots

For customers who download SAS, their SAS Software Depot is the only copy of their SAS order. The depot contains the files from which SAS is initially installed. For this reason, it is important to use these best practices when managing your depot:

Keep your depot.

When you keep your SAS 9.3 depot, applying maintenance and upgrades becomes easier because you need only to download the changed depot files instead of having to download an entire SAS order.
Locate in an empty directory.

Create or downloaded your depot into an empty directory that will not be the future location of the SAS installation directory (SASHOME).
Perform routine backups.

As with your SAS production system, it is important to routinely back up your SAS Software Depot and verify the integrity of these backups.

Note: Another important reason for securing and backing up your SAS Software Depot is that there are limits on the number of times that you can download your order from SAS.
Secure the depot location.

Problems such as data loss, virus infection, and file corruption can compromise your investment in SAS. It is thus imperative that you have a comprehensive security policy in place to protect your depot.
Store SAS installation data files with your depot.

The SAS installation data file for your orders contains information that is integral to successfully deploying SAS. As you get these renewal data files from SAS—such as the file that contains your permanent SAS license key—it is important that you store them with your depot in the sid_files directory.

CAUTION:

Be careful to use the correct installation data file that contains the SAS products that you are planning to install. Using an incorrect file can cause installation failure for SAS add-on products or other errors later when attempting to run SAS.
Create a depot administrator.

Consider designating one or a few users to serve as SAS Software Depot administrators. Persons needing to deploy SAS software or to apply future SAS software maintenance require depot Read and Execute privileges. Depot administration tasks such as initially creating the depot, storing SAS installation data files, and updating order details require depot Write privileges. Separating depot administration from routine depot usage is a best practice that will further protect your SAS Software Depot.