topic Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine in SAS Enterprise Guide

Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 16:56:29 GMT

I'm new to EG and have the following question: I have a windows PC with SAS EG and no local SAS.

And I have a linux machine with SAS 9.4.

Is it possible to use SAS EG as a client to the remote SAS on the linux machine?

How can I do that connection?

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 17:16:12 GMT

Typically,

EG (Client App) would connect to Server Side SAS via SAS Metadata Server instance running of a Server.

If you and your Organization don't have SAS Metadata Server licensed, then you can connect via SAS/CONNECT if that module is licensed on the Server, and you have a SAS Connect Spawner instance running on the Linux Server.

Hope this helps,

Ahmed

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

Patrick — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 19:19:15 GMT

SAS EG is a client. You can use SAS installed locally as your server but normally SAS is installed on a remote machine.

The SAS Metadata server is part of the foundation package and you will always have it licensed. And it will always be up and running on a Server instance. That's what you need to connect to SAS even if using SAS/Connect (which allows to connect SAS/Servers not Client/Server).

You just need to be set-up on the SAS Server (SAS Metadata identity and OS account) and then as a one time setup in your EG client add the connection details (SAS Metadata Server name and port, user and credentials).

Under Tools/Connection

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 20:34:16 GMT

Ahmed I have no spawner running. I could start it but I have not root rights and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to start programs listening on a port. I would prefer to start SAS by connecting with ssh.

If it works with the spawner, what is the next step? Specify target ip&port in EG?

What if it is not possible to use a spawner, will it work with ssh?

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 21:13:55 GMT

@JMS

Couple of things to keep in mind

As far as I know, ssh will not work!
Only SAS/CONNECT Spawner and/or SAS Object Spawner are your options to connect to Remote SAS server in Enterprise Guide.

One other alternative, which depends on your Linux SAS Installation, Check if your organization has SAS Studio Basic installed. This would be your best choice.

Ahmed

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 09:39:20 GMT

Hi Patrick,
Minor correction regarding your statement
"The SAS Metadata server is part of the foundation package and you will always have it licensed. And it will always be up and running on a Server instance. That's what you need to connect to SAS even if using SAS/Connect (which allows to connect SAS/Servers not Client/Server)."

That might be true for your software bundle, but it is not true at the organization I work for. My team is responsible for Installing and Configuring SAS software on Linux & Windows Servers, and the SAS Foundation bundle we install does not contain Metadata Server component!
SAS Metadata Server is part of the SAS® 9.x Intelligence Platform, rather than SAS Foundation. I think it's all depends on how the SAS software bundle and license were contracted/forged between SAS Institute and the customer.

Something to keep in mind, thanks,
Ahmed

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 10:07:30 GMT

@JMS

If and when you get the SAS/connect spawner running, then in EG you would do something like this in a program entry

%let server = &p_linuxSrvr 7541;  *<---- Replace the Port (7541) if different value being used by the Connect spawner;
options comamid=tcp;
signon server user="&p_user" password="&p_PASSWORD";

LIBNAME r_work slibref=work server=server;

Rsubmit;
   /* SAS statement(s) */
EndRsubmit;

/* When you are done */
signoff;

You'll need to replace &p_xxxx place holder variables with your actual values.

Hope this helps,

Ahmed

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 10:48:21 GMT

Ahmed, I think your program only works if there is a local SAS, which I don't have.

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 11:08:48 GMT

In this case, it looks like your only option is using connection profile from within EG, similar to what @Patrick had illustrated with his attached screenshot.

You'll need to contact your SAS Administrator and

Request to be added/Registered in the SAS Metadata Server
Request to be setup with the required authorizations to Folders, Data, Apps, and App Servers within the Metadata Server
Get the connection details (Server Name, Port)

Ahmed

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

SASKiwi — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 20:03:17 GMT

@AhmedAl_Attar - AFAIK, it is the customer's choice to "metadata server-enable" SAS or not. SAS's product bundles don't explicitly specify this one way or the other although this option is really only available for Foundation SAS. Most non-Foundation SAS products require a metadata server.

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 21:18:22 GMT

I started the spawner with "cntspawn -service 9999 -cleartext -debug".

In EG, I defined a server pointing to the spawner at port 9999. When I log in from EG, it does not work. The spawner logs the login request, but brings strange errors like "connection reset by peer".

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 01:00:01 GMT

@JMS

As it was mentioned before, without local SAS instance, your EG can only connect via SAS Metadata server. Getting the Spawner started is not enough.

Check these two, somewhat dated, papers to give you a good understanding on what's we have been trying to elaborate about the SAS Intelligence Platform.

https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings11/363-2011.pdf

https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings/pdfs/sgf2008/051-2008.pdf

Hope this helps,

Ahmed

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 01:09:52 GMT

Here is yet another paper
https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings13/406-2013.pdf

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 10:44:51 GMT

@AhmedAl_Attar wrote:
Here is yet another paper
https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings13/406-2013.pdf

Thank you Ahmed, this one is very good!

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

SASKiwi — Sat, 27 Jun 2020 22:55:57 GMT

@JMS - EG 8.2 has the option to avoid using a SAS metadata server and directly logon to a SAS Workspace server. I suspect this is the functionality you need.

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 08:26:48 GMT

@SASKiwi This sounds good. How do I start a workspace server?

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 09:10:00 GMT

We don't have a management console installed. Is there a proc xy to start to get the workspace server running?

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

AhmedAl_Attar — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 13:20:11 GMT

Hi @JMS

So here is my personal take on this

- If you are a user, then it's really the responsibility of your organization/department/branch/team designated SAS Administrator to provide users with a

Functional SAS environment (Properly set-up and running)
On-Boarding detailed steps (such as, How to create Connection Profile in EG)
Users should not take matter in their hands and try to operate server(s) and services! There should be clear separation of duties.

I think you would be better served by finding out,

How your company manages their SAS environment?
Who is responsible for the up keeping of SAS --> Once you find out, ask them for the correct way to connect!

Anything beyond this, you'll need to contact SAS Technical Support

Good luck,

Ahmed

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

JMS — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 13:58:58 GMT

@AhmedAl_Attar the SAS-Admin only knows how to install Base-SAS.

Re: Connecting a SAS EG with a SAS on a linux machine

SASKiwi — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 20:12:21 GMT

Here is a screenshot of how you configure EG. A workspace server is just another fancy name for a SAS session. You will also need to have the SAS object spawner running on your SAS server to 'listen' for the the connections being requested by EG.