What's New in SAS/SHARE 9.0 and 9.1

Overview

The following new and enhanced features for SAS/SHARE ensure information privacy and improve ease of use:

The network security protocol Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypts connections between client and server.
TCP/IP users can specify a port number explicitly, instead of specifying an already defined server ID.
Any form of a password option in a SAS/SHARE statement can be specified as an encoded password.
The SERVER= option in the LIBNAME statement specifies a CONNECT server definition that has been defined in a SAS Metadata Repository.
The HOSTNAME= option in the LIBNAME statement specifies the name of the node on which the SAS/SHARE server runs.
The CLIENTID= option in the PROC SERVER statement enables you to select whether the log identifies clients by their session names or their secured names.
The THREADEDTCP option in the PROC SERVER statement invokes the threaded version of the TCP/IP access method and associated threaded infrastructure when the TCP/IP access method is specified. (This option is experimental.)
Specifying an automatic log rollover by using the LOGPARM option is a preferred log management strategy for a SAS/SHARE server.
Revised procedures are available for creating the SAS/SHARE server environment under the UNIX and Windows operating environments.
If the SAS/SHARE server log is not available, error messages are written to the SAS console log.
The documentation includes new information about server log messages and SAS system options that are used with SAS/SHARE. For details, see Interpreting Server Log Messages; SAS/SHARE General SAS System Options; SAS/SECURE and SAS Proprietary System Options; and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Options.

Note:

This section describes the features of SAS/SHARE 9.1 that are new or enhanced since SAS 8.2.
z/OS is the successor to the OS/390 operating system. SAS/SHARE is supported on both OS/390 and z/OS operating systems and, throughout this document, any reference to z/OS also applies to OS/390, unless otherwise stated.

Details

Security

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a protocol that provides network security and protects the privacy of information by encrypting SAS/SHARE client/server transfers under the UNIX and Windows operating environments. SSL is implemented by means of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Options.
Using encoded passwords promotes security and enables you to store SAS programs that do not contain clear-text passwords. The syntax for each of the following statements in SAS/SHARE enables you to specify encoded passwords.
- PROC SERVER
  - OAPW=password
  - UAPW=password;
  - PT2DBPW=password;
- LIBNAME
  - PASSWORD=password;
  - SAPW=password;
- PROC OPERATE
  - SAPW=password;
  - PASSWORD=password;
  - DISPLAY SERVER (SAPW=password);
  - QUIESCE SERVER (SAPW=password);
  - START SERVER (SAPW=password);
  - STOP SERVER (SAPW=password);
- PROC SQL;
  - CONNECT TO REMOTE (SAPW=password);
  - SELECT...FROM CONNECTION TO (PASSWORD=password);
  - SELECT...FROM CONNECTION TO (PT2DBPW=password);

Compatibility

SAS 9.1 does not permit a client or a server to connect to a Version 6 server or client. For details, see SAS/SHARE Cross-Version Issues, SAS 9.1.

Explicit Port Specification

If a SAS/SHARE client uses the TCP/IP access method to access a SAS/SHARE server by using an explicit port specification instead of the server ID, you can now use two consecutive underscores (_ _) with a port number in the syntax, in place of a server ID that has been defined in the client TCP/IP SERVICES file. An explicit port can be specified in the SERVER= option in

the LIBNAME statement
the SERVER procedure
the OPERATE procedure
the Remote SQL Pass-Through (RSPT) facility.

Note: Specifying a server using a port number is not supported for ODBC clients.

Enhanced Use of the LOGPARM System Option

Specifying an automatic log rollover is a preferred strategy for managing a SAS/SHARE server session. Setting the "ROLLOVER=AUTO" value for the LOGPARM option closes the current log and opens a new log file if the value of the LOG= option changes. Rollover is triggered by a change in the value of the LOG= option. For examples of configuring automatic log rollover in the server environment, see UNIX and Windows.

New LIBNAME Options and Values

The SERVER= option in the LIBNAME statement specifies a CONNECT server definition that has been defined in a SAS Metadata Repository.
The HOSTNAME= option in the LIBNAME statement specifies the name of the node on which the SAS/SHARE server runs.

New PROC SERVER Options

The CLIENTID= option in the PROC SERVER statement enables you to select whether the log identifies clients by their session names or their secured names. Your choice determines the search order that is used to locate the appropriate client ID.
The THREADEDTCP option in the PROC SERVER statement invokes the threaded version of the TCP/IP access method and associated threaded infrastructure when the TCP/IP access method is specified.

CAUTION:
THREADEDTCP is an experimental option that is available in SAS 9.1
Do not use this option in production jobs.

Using the SAS Console Log to Analyze Server Errors

If the SAS/SHARE server encounters problems at SAS initialization or at SAS termination, the server log might not be available to receive error messages. If the server log is not available, error messages are written to the SAS console log. For details about the SAS console log, see the companion documentation that is appropriate for the operating environment that you are using.

Resources