Overview of SAS Application Server Components and Their Initial Configuration

About the SAS Application Server Hierarchy

The SAS Deployment Wizard creates metadata definitions and configuration files for a set of SAS servers that are referred to collectively as a SAS Application Server. The server hierarchy includes the following levels:

SAS Application Server

a logical framework (or server context) under which SAS applications execute. This framework enables you to specify metadata that applies to all of the logical servers and servers that the SAS Application Server contains. You can also attach libraries, schemas, directories, and other resources that are available to SAS servers, regardless of the type of server. As a result, you can deploy applications in several modes while ensuring that applications will execute properly in each mode.

The default name of the initial SAS Application Server is SASApp. However, the SAS Deployment Wizard enables you to provide a different name during installation. (In single-machine installations that are migrated from SAS 9.1.3, the SAS Application Server is typically called SASMain).

Your installation also includes a SAS Application Server called SASMeta, which is reserved for specialized uses.

logical servers

a logical framework within SAS Application Server metadata that contains definitions for one or more similar servers. A logical server is referenced when an application requests a specific launch mode, such as interactive or batch.

servers

specific process instances that perform the requested work. A server definition contains the server metadata that is required to connect to a SAS server on a particular machine. The definition includes details about where the process is executing and how a client should contact the server, as well as options that describe how the server should behave.

Note: In the SAS Intelligence Platform, the term server refers to a program or programs that wait for and fulfill requests from client programs for data or services. The term server does not necessarily refer to a specific computer, since a single computer can host one or more servers of various types.

The SAS Application Server hierarchy appears in SAS Management Console in the Server Manager plug-in, as in the following example:

Hierarchy of SAS Application Server components in SAS Management Console (Server Manager plug-in)

About the SAS Application Server Components

The most common components of a SAS Application Server are SAS Workspace Servers, SAS Pooled Workspace Servers, and SAS Stored Process Servers. An application server can also contain SAS/CONNECT servers, SAS OLAP Servers, SAS DATA step batch servers, and SAS Grid Servers. The purpose of each server component is described in the following table.

SAS Application Server Components

Server Name	Server Description
SAS Workspace Server	SAS Workspace Servers fulfill client requests for SAS sessions. When these servers are configured as standard workspace servers (without workspace pooling), each client establishes a connection to a single-user server process, uses the server, and then disconnects. For details, see the SAS Intelligence Platform: Application Server Administration Guide.
SAS Pooled Workspace Server	SAS Pooled Workspace Servers are workspace servers that use server-side pooling. The SAS object spawner maintains a pool of reusable workspace server processes called a pool, thus avoiding the overhead that is associated with creating a new process for each connection. Workspace server load balancing is built in to server-side pooling. Pooled workspace servers are intended for use by query and reporting tools such as SAS Web Report Studio and SAS Information Delivery Portal when accessing relational information maps. For details, see the SAS Intelligence Platform: Application Server Administration Guide.
SAS Stored Process Servers	SAS Stored Process Servers fulfill client requests to execute SAS stored processes. A stored process is a SAS program that is stored on a server and can be executed as required by requesting applications. Stored process servers are configured to be load balanced. By default, the object spawner balances workloads across three stored process server processes. For details, see the SAS Intelligence Platform: Application Server Administration Guide.
SAS/CONNECT server	SAS/CONNECT servers enable clients to execute code on a remote host, or to move data between client and server machines. For details, see SAS/CONNECT User's Guide.
SAS OLAP Server	SAS OLAP Servers provide access to multidimensional data. For details, see the SAS Intelligence Platform: Application Server Administration Guide.
SAS batch server	SAS batch servers are part of the configuration for SAS scheduling. They are metadata objects that store information about an executable that the scheduling server can use to run scheduled tasks. For details, see Scheduling in SAS.
SAS Grid Server	A SAS Grid Server is configured if you have the SAS Grid Manager software application. SAS Grid Servers are metadata objects that store information about an executable that the scheduling server can use to start SAS/CONNECT on grid nodes. For details, see Grid Computing in SAS.