What's New in Communications Access Methods for SAS/CONNECT 9.4 and SAS/SHARE 9.4

Overview

SAS/CONNECT and SAS/SHARE Communications Access Methods have the following changes and enhancements:
  • new SAS/CONNECT spawner management interface that is supported on all operating environments (UNIX, Windows, and z/OS) and is accessible through SAS Management Console and PROC IOMOPERATE.
  • enhanced spawner management tools, including the ability to manage and monitor the SAS/CONNECT spawner remotely using SAS Management Console and PROC IOMOPERATE.
  • new SAS/CONNECT spawner start-up options.
  • enhanced logging features, including new loggers and better debugging and traceback features.
  • ability to associate multiple SAS/CONNECT servers with one spawner. In versions prior to SAS 9.4, only one SAS/CONNECT server could be associated with a SAS/CONNECT spawner.
  • increased allowable length for IBM password phrases.

Spawner Enhancements

New Spawner Management Interface

The new SAS/CONNECT spawner interface makes it easier for administrators to monitor and manage spawner and server connections. The following is a list of new features available with the new SAS/CONNECT spawner management interface:
  • tools for better management, monitoring, and troubleshooting of the SAS/CONNECT spawner and server connections.
  • new spawner options and a new spawner start-up command that are consistent across all operating environments.
  • ability to use SAS facility logging to get debug and trace information about what SAS/CONNECT is doing. You can now get the full logging and debugging support of the SAS Logging Facility for the SAS/CONNECT spawner operations.
  • new SAS/CONNECT spawner operator port for administering the spawner using SAS Management Console or PROC IOMOPERATE.
  • ability to associate multiple SAS/CONNECT servers with one spawner that listens on multiple ports.
Here are some of the actions that are available with the new SAS/CONNECT spawner in SAS Management Console and PROC IOMOPERATE:
  • stop, pause, resume, quiesce, and refresh actions available for the new SAS/CONNECT spawner operator port
  • connect, disconnect, stop, pause, quiesce, and refresh actions available for the SAS/CONNECT spawner
  • request information about defined servers and spawned servers
  • configure the SAS/CONNECT spawner to have multiple client connection ports open
  • request the logical server name from the SAS/CONNECT client
  • list clients that are connected to the SAS/CONNECT spawner
  • display graphs that show the spawned server activity
  • display a list of spawned servers and the user name and host that are associated with the spawned server
  • display options and properties that are associated with the SAS/CONNECT spawner
  • list the active, inactive, or terminated sessions
  • display loggers, logging levels, and log events for the SAS/CONNECT spawner
  • display performance counters
For more information about using PROC IOMOPERATE to manage the SAS/CONNECT spawner, see Using PROC IOMOPERATE to Configure the SAS/CONNECT Spawner .
For more information about using SAS Management Console to manage the SAS/CONNECT spawner, see Using SAS Management Console to Administer the SAS/CONNECT Spawner .

New Spawner Name and Start-Up Command

The new cross-platform executable program to start the SAS/CONNECT spawner is now the same across all supported operating systems. The new spawner invocation command is CNTSPAWN.
This new command replaces the Windows SPAWNER command, and the UNIX and z/OS SASTCPD command.

New or Enhanced Spawner Options

The following spawner options are new or enhanced and are supported on UNIX, Windows, and z/OS operating environments:
  • You can now specify the -HELP option on the spawner invocation command to print a help message.
  • The new -MGMTPORT option enables you to specify an operator port for administering the SAS/CONNECT spawner using SAS Management Console or PROC IOMOPERATE.
  • The new -LOG | -LOGFILE option enables you to specify the filename to use for log message output.
  • The new -SERVICEDIRECTORY option replaces the -WORKDIR option as the preferred way to specify the Windows service directory when the spawner is installed as a Windows service.
  • The -UNINSTALL option replaces the -DELETE option.
  • The -LOGCONFIGLOC option replaces the -LOGEVENTS option.
  • The -LOGCONFIGLOC option replaces the -TIMESTAMP option.
  • -SSPI authentication is no longer enabled by default on the SAS/CONNECT spawner.
Beginning in SAS 9.4, the following options are no longer supported:
  • -TIMESTAMP
  • -LOGEVENTS
  • -SECURITY | -NOSECURITY
  • -DELETE
For a complete list of SAS/CONNECTspawner options, see Managing the SAS/CONNECT Spawner.

Spawner Logger Enhancements

In SAS 9.4, enhancements to the SAS/CONNECT logging facility enable you to perform the following tasks:
  • get more detailed spawner log output when the -LOGCONFIGLOC option is specified. In previous releases, only the start and stop output was available.
  • use the SAS Logging Facility to get debug and trace information about spawner activity.
  • get information about what ports are opened.
  • get counters and information set up by the spawner.
  • get information about how many servers are active and who owns them.

Other Communication Access Methods Changes

SAS Support for IBM Password Phrase Length on z/OS

SAS supports passwords that are mixed case, and it supports the IBM standard for password phrases that have a length of up to 100 characters. For more information about mixed-case passwords and password phrases on z/OS, see “Allowing Mixed-Case Passwords (PASSWORD Option)” and “Assigning password phrases” in z/OS V1R12.0 Security Server RACF Security Administrator's Guide (IBM).
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