Hot Topics
- Updates for SAS 9.2 (March 2008)
See the compatibility calculator to determine whether you need to migrate your libraries to SAS 9.2. Use the PROC MIGRATE calculator to find the right example code for your migration.
- Get a Smarter COMPARE
Validation tools for the MIGRATE procedure now work with CEDA and provide additional details about catalogs, indexes, and integrity constraints.
- Start Planning
See Getting Started for the most efficient pathway through all of the SASŪ9 migration documentation.
- Coexistence
Many SAS®9 products can install side-by-side with SAS 8.2 with very good compatibility. See Peaceful Coexistence: SAS®9 and SAS 8.2 for details.
- Sample Validation SOP
See an example SOP: SAS Installation Qualification / Operational Qualification (PDF) (updated 19 May 2008) for the pharmaceutical industry.
Related Links
SAS®9 Compatibility
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Migration
Are My Files Foreign in SAS®9?
This topic sums up the operating environment families where a file is native or foreign in a SAS®9 session:
A native file is entirely compatible with the current environment. However, even foreign files have very good compatibility, and many customers do not need to migrate files to SAS®9 format to get the processing they need. For a quick answer to all of your questions, use the interactive Compatibility Calculator instead of this page. If the compatibility is not sufficient, use the PROC MIGRATE Calculator to learn how to migrate a SAS data library.
Note that if you change character encoding, then your existing files are foreign in SAS®9. The majority of SAS customers are not affected by character encoding. See more information at the bottom of the page. Also be aware of a few new file features in SAS®9 that are not supported if you do not migrate the file.
Files Created in a SAS®9 Session
- AIX, HP-UX, or Solaris (SPARC):
If you stay on this operating environment, your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to Solaris for x64, or any other operating environment, your files are foreign.
(For AIX, SAS®9 can run on a 32-bit or 64-bit kernel.
However, SAS®9 data files are 64-bit under AIX,
regardless of whether the kernel is 32-bit or 64-bit.
As with the general rule, if you move files between 32-bit SAS and 64-bit SAS, your files are foreign.)
- Solaris for x64:
If you stay on this operating environment or change to Linux for x64,
your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to Solaris for SPARC, or any other operating environment, your files are foreign.
- Windows:
In SAS®9, both 32- and 64-bit architectures are supported.
If you were on a 32-bit environment and you stay on a 32-bit environment, your
existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you were on a 64-bit environment and you stay on a 64-bit environment (including Itanium-based systems and x64), your
existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change between 32-bit and 64-bit SAS for Windows, or any other operating environment, your files are
foreign. (Note that
you can run either 32-bit SAS or 64-bit SAS on Windows for x64. As with the general rule,
if you move files between 32-bit SAS and 64-bit SAS, your files are foreign.)
- Linux for 32-bit Intel architecture:
If you stay on this operating environment, your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to any other operating environment, your files are
foreign.
- Linux for Itanium-based systems:
If you change to Solaris for x64 for Linux for x64, your data sets are native (CEDA is not invoked)
but catalogs are not supported (use PROC MIGRATE to migrate the catalogs to SAS®9 format).
If you stay on this operating environment* or change to Tru64 UNIX*,
your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to any other operating environment, your files are
foreign.
This platform is supported in SAS 9.1.3 only.
- OpenVMS Alpha:
If you stay on this operating environment* or change to OpenVMS for HP Integrity servers,
your existing files are native in SAS®9
(for Version 7 or 8 catalogs, see the next section).
If you change to any other operating environment, your files are
foreign.
OpenVMS Alpha is not supported in SAS 9.2.
- Tru64 UNIX:
If you change to Solaris for x64 or Linux for x64, your data sets are native (CEDA is not invoked)
but catalogs are not supported (use PROC MIGRATE to migrate the catalogs to SAS®9 format).
If you stay on this operating environment*, your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to Linux for Itanium-based systems*, your files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to any other operating environment, your files are foreign.
This platform is not supported in SAS 9.2.
- z/OS: If you stay on this operating environment, your existing files are native in SAS®9. If you change to any other operating environment, your files are foreign.
* Linux for Itanium-based systems, OpenVMS Alpha, and Tru64 UNIX are supported in SAS 9.1.3, but not in SAS 9.2.
Files Created in a SAS 7 or 8 Session
- AIX, HP-UX, or Solaris (SPARC):
In Release 8.2, these operating environments were supported in both 32- and 64-bit architectures.
In SAS®9, only 64-bit architecture is supported for these environments.
If your files were created under 64-bit SAS and you stay in this
operating environment family, the files are native in SAS®9.
If the files were created under 32-bit SAS for these
environments, the files are foreign in SAS®9.
If you change to Solaris for x64, or any other environment, your files are foreign.
- Windows:
In Versions 7 and 8, Windows was supported in 32-bit architecture.
In SAS®9, both 32- and 64-bit architectures are supported.
If you stay on a 32-bit Windows platform, your
existing files are native in SAS®9. If you change to
a 64-bit Windows operating environment, or any other environment, your files are
foreign.
(Note that
you can run either 32-bit SAS or 64-bit SAS on Windows for x64. As with the general rule,
if you move files between 32-bit SAS and 64-bit SAS, your files are foreign.)
- Linux for 32-bit Intel architecture:
If you stay on this platform, your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to any other operating environment, your files are
foreign. (Note that SAS 9.1.3 and SAS 9.2 support additional Linux operating environments
that are not compatible with Linux for 32-bit Intel.)
- OpenVMS Alpha:
If you stay on this operating environment* or change to OpenVMS for HP Integrity servers,
your existing files are native in SAS®9 with one exception:
SAS catalogs created under OpenVMS Alpha in Version 7 or 8 are not supported in SAS®9; you must
use PROC MIGRATE to migrate the catalogs to SAS®9 format.
If you change to any other operating environment, your files are foreign.
OpenVMS Alpha is not supported in SAS 9.2.
- Tru64 UNIX:
If you change to Solaris for x64 or Linux for x64, your data sets are native (CEDA is not invoked)
but catalogs are not supported (use PROC MIGRATE to migrate the catalogs to SAS®9 format).
If you stay on this operating environment* or change to Linux for Itanium-based systems*,
your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to any other platform, your files are foreign.
This operating environment is not supported in SAS 9.2.
- z/OS:
If you stay on this operating environment, your existing files are native in SAS®9.
If you change to any other operating environment, your files are foreign.
- CMS, OpenVMS VAX, or OS/2: These operating environments are dropped for SAS®9. Your existing files are foreign in SAS®9.
* Linux for Itanium-based systems, OpenVMS Alpha, and Tru64 UNIX are supported in SAS 9.1.3, but not in SAS 9.2.
Files Created in a SAS 6 Session
- AIX, HP-UX, or Solaris (SPARC):
If you stay on this operating environment, your existing data sets have read-only foreign processing
in SAS®9.
- Windows:
In Version 6, Windows was supported in 32-bit architecture.
In SAS®9, both 32- and 64-bit architectures are supported.
If you stay on a 32-bit Windows operating environment, your
existing files are native
in SAS®9. If you change to a 64-bit Windows operating environment,
your existing data sets have read-only foreign processing
in SAS®9.
- z/OS:
If you stay on this operating environment, your existing files are native in SAS®9.
- OpenVMS Alpha:
If you stay on this operating environment* or change to OpenVMS for HP Integrity servers,
your existing data sets have read-only foreign processing
in SAS®9.
- OpenVMS VAX:
This operating environment is dropped for SAS®9. If you change to
OpenVMS Alpha*,
your existing data sets have read-only foreign processing
in SAS®9.
- Digital UNIX:
This operating environment has been replaced by Tru64 UNIX. If you change to Tru64 UNIX*
or to Linux for Itanium-based systems*,
your existing files are native in SAS®9.
- CMS, VSE, OS/2, or Macintosh: These operating environments are dropped for SAS®9. Your existing files must be migrated to SAS®9.
* Linux for Itanium-based systems, OpenVMS Alpha, and Tru64 UNIX are supported in SAS 9.1.3, but not in SAS 9.2.
Technical Definition of Foreign
You probably can ignore this, but it might make the concept clearer. Under any one of the following three circumstances, an existing file is incompatible, or foreign, to your current SAS®9 session. The file was created under a different:
- operating environment family.
For example, a file was created under Windows and you move it
to z/OS.
- bit representation. For example,
a file was created on a 32-bit version of SAS and
you have upgraded to 64-bit SAS.
- character encoding. For example, a file was created in one encoding (e.g., ISO Latin2) but is being read by a SAS session using another encoding (e.g., Windows Latin2). See the SAS National Language Support (NLS): User's Guide in the SAS online documentation for full details.
See also what operating environment are supported for SAS®9.