What's New in System Administration for the SAS 9.3 Intelligence
Platform
Overview
The SAS Intelligence
Platform includes the following enhancements and changes for SAS 9.3:
Changes to SAS Server Operation, Monitoring, and Logging
SAS 9.3 includes the
following changes to operation, monitoring, and logging for SAS servers:
-
The new SAS Framework Data Server
is the default location for middle-tier data such as alerts, comments,
and workflows, as well as data for the SAS Content Server and SAS
Service Parts Optimization. The server is provided as an alternative
to using a third-party DBMS. (The server cannot be used as a general-purpose
data store.)
-
Audit.Meta.Updates is a new logging
category for the SAS Metadata Server that enables you to capture events
that are performed on metadata objects. The logged events include
adding, updating, deleting, checking out, checking in, and fetching
objects, as well as undoing checkouts.
-
Alternative logging configuration
files called logconfig.apm.xml are provided for use with the SAS Enterprise
BI Audit and Performance Measurement package. This package is available
for download from
http://support.sas.com/rnd/emi
. The logging
configuration files are customized for your deployment.
-
In SAS Management Console, you
can now use the Server Manager
Options tab
to dynamically update the JNLLINEMAX and JNLSTRMAX object server parameters.
These parameters pertain to the SAS Metadata Server, SAS OLAP Server,
and SAS object spawner, as well as to processes on SAS Workspace Servers,
SAS Pooled Workspace Servers, and SAS Stored Process Servers. This
feature enables you to capture generated XML entries in the metadata
server log without stopping the server.
New Backup and Recovery Facility for the SAS Metadata Server
The SAS 9.3 Metadata
Server includes a new server-based facility that performs metadata
server backups automatically on a scheduled basis. This facility can
also be used to perform ad hoc backups and to perform roll-forward
recovery. The facility replaces the %OMABAKUP macro, which was available
in SAS 9.1 and 9.2, and the Backup and Restore Wizard in SAS Management
Console, which was available in SAS 9.2.
The backup and recovery
facility provides the following features:
-
A schedule of daily backups is
configured by the SAS Deployment Wizard. Therefore, daily backups
are taken without the need for administrator intervention. In addition,
unscheduled backups are launched automatically in certain situations,
such as after the SAS Deployment Wizard configures the SAS Metadata
Server.
-
Administrators can use SAS Management
Console to change the schedule and the configuration options, including
the backup directory location and the backup retention policy. Backups
can also be run on an ad hoc (unscheduled) basis from SAS Management
Console, from the operating system command line, from SAS, or through
third-party scheduling software.
-
When repositories are restored
in the event of a metadata server failure, transactions recorded
in the journal file can be used to perform roll-forward recovery to
a specified point in time after the last backup was taken.
-
SAS Management Console displays
detailed backup and recovery history. The history includes all backups
that are run using the server’s backup facility, regardless
of how the backup was invoked (from the server’s own scheduling
facility, from SAS Management Console, from the command line, from
SAS, or from third-party scheduling software). Status icons indicate
which backups are active and which backups have been deleted based
on the retention policy. When you view the properties of a backup,
the backup files are validated, and the status icon is updated to
indicate whether the backup is usable.
-
The backup process is a “hot”
backup that executes in a separate thread while the metadata server
is up and running. Therefore, the server does not need to be paused
during the backup and all transactions, including updates, continue
to be processed.
If journaling has been
disabled or if the Reorganize Repositories backup option has been
selected, the server is paused for read-only use, so that queries
(but not updates) can continue to be processed.
-
The metadata server runs its own
backup and recovery processes. These processes do not rely on any
other servers, such as workspace servers, DATA step batch servers,
or scheduling servers. Because the metadata server has permission
to access all of the needed files, there is no need to set up a host
account with special operating system rights and permissions.
Changes to SAS Metadata Server Administration
The following changes
have been made to administration for the SAS Metadata Server:
-
In the Metadata Manager in SAS
Management Console, the
Active Server Properties dialog box includes a new
Statistics tab
that displays metadata server statistics including CPU seconds, memory
utilization, thread utilization, and I/O activity.
-
A new feature has been added to
the Metadata Manager in SAS Management Console that enables you to
test alert e-mails without stopping the metadata server.
-
Configuration options are available
to enable authentication to the e-mail server. These options can be
specified in the SAS Deployment Wizard if the custom installation
option is selected. They can also be specified in the metadata server
invocation command.
-
A new option, -optimizeIMDB, has
been added for the metadata server command. This option helps optimize
the memory usage of the metadata server by analyzing the handling
of character variables. It replaces the %OMARUNAN macro and the RUNANALYSIS
option of %OMABAKUP, which were available in previous releases.
-
A new configuration option, OMA
JOURNALTYPE=, has been added for the metadata server. This option
specifies the type of journal file that is created. The SAS Deployment
Wizard sets this option to ROLL_FORWARD during installation or during
migration from SAS 9.1.3 or 9.2. The ROLL_FORWARD setting creates
a linear journal file that permanently stores all transactions that
have occurred since the most recent backup. The journal file is written
to the same location as the associated backup files. Transactions
recorded in the journal file can be used to perform roll-forward recovery
to a specified point in time after the last backup was taken.
-
For Metadata Manager functions
such as creating a new repository and registering a repository, the
Browse button is now enabled for navigation to the directory
path for metadata repositories.
Enhancements to SAS Folders
The following enhancements
have been implemented for the SAS Folders tree in SAS Management Console:
-
On the new
Search tab, you can search for metadata objects that meet specified search
criteria. You can search based on object names, locations, descriptions,
object types, creation or modification dates, keywords, and responsibilities.
You can save any search to a Search folder. The search is rerun whenever
the folder is opened.
-
You can create a Favorites folder
in which to save references to often-used metadata definitions. Within
the Favorites folder, you can create favorites groups to organize
these references.
-
The name of the parent folder that
contains users’ home folders has been changed from Users to
User Folders. If you use the SAS Migration Utility to migrate to SAS
9.3 from a previous version, then the folder name Users is retained.
-
Virtual folders called Servers
and Security are displayed under the System folder in the SAS Folders
tree for use in promoting server and security objects.
Enhancements to Promotion Tools
The following enhancements
have been added to the promotion tools. These tools include the Export
SAS Package and Import SAS Package wizards in SAS Management Console,
SAS Data Integration Studio, and SAS OLAP Cube Studio, as well as
the batch import and export tools.
-
In SAS Management Console, support
has been added for promoting additional object types including security
objects (users, user groups, roles, and access control templates)
and server objects (SAS Application Servers and their component servers,
SAS object spawners, and
SAS/CONNECT spawners).
-
Advanced filtering options enable
you to identify objects for export based on their keywords, notes,
extended attributes, and responsibilities fields.
-
As part of the promotion process,
you can reorganize content by specifying new folder locations for
individual objects that you are importing. The connections among objects
are maintained.
-
When tables or external files are
overwritten during an import, you can use the Change Analysis feature
to identify and resolve differences in column metadata. (This feature is not available in the batch import tool.)
SAS 9.3 to SAS 9.3 Migration
You can use the SAS
Migration Utility along with the SAS Deployment Wizard to create a
second SAS 9.3 deployment that contains the same SAS content and the
same configuration as an existing SAS 9.3 deployment.
Deprecated Features
The following features
have been removed:
-
The following options for the metadata
server configuration file (omaconfig.xml) have been deprecated: OMA
ALERTEMAILATTACHMENT and OMA JNLPRE. Attachments to alert e-mails
for the metadata server are no longer supported.
-
The %OMARUNAN macro has been deprecated.
It has been replaced by the
-optimizeIMDB option of the metadata server command.
-
Documentation Enhancements
The following enhancements
have been made to the
SAS Intelligence Platform: System Administration Guide:
-
A new chapter about using the Deployment
Tester plug-in for SAS Management Console has been added.
-
A new topic about using the Metadata
Analyze and Repair utility in SAS Management Console has been added.
-
The documentation for promotion
tools has been expanded and reorganized into four separate chapters.
Copyright © SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.