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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 SAS®9 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.

Migration

Compatibility of SAS File Features

This information is important only if you need compatibility between different versions of SAS, such as the following situations:

You move existing files to the target installation and don't migrate them to SAS®9 format.
You process a SAS®9 file under a previous version of SAS, for example, if you exchange data with a business client who has not upgraded.

For more information about new SAS®9 features, see the Base Focus Area's SAS®9 Resources page and the "What's New" topics in SAS®9 online documentation.

Best practice

Several language elements provide control over compatibility issues. See Best Practices for Compatibility. See also the SAS online documentation for any obscure behavioral differences in SAS®9 that we might have missed here.

SAS®9 File Features Not Supported for Version 7 or 8

These features are not supported for files not migrated to SAS®9 format or for SAS®9 files used in a previous release.

SAS®9 File Features Not Supported for Version 6

These features are not supported for Version 6 files not migrated to SAS®9 format or for SAS®9 files regressed to the Version 6 format.

Processing SAS®9 Files in a Version 7 or 8 Session

In a Version 7 or 8 session, you can use a SAS®9 data set or catalog (but not a DATA step view or SAS/ACCESS view) if it does not contain any of the unsupported features. For a 64-bit data set with greater than 2 billion observations, see an item at the topic about 64-bit migration issues. Another choice is regressing the file to the data representation of the target SAS 7 or 8 session; see Using a SAS®9 Data File under a Previous Version of SAS.

Processing SAS®9 Files in a Version 6 Session

SAS®9 files are not usable in Version 6. Instead, from SAS®9 session, you can use one of several methods for regressing files to Version 6 format. For more information and instructions, see Using a SAS®9 Data File under a Previous Version of SAS.