Base SAS license on Virtual Machine

[FMFabila]

Hi folks,

I'm curious to know if SAS allows Base SAS Desktop version to be installed on a Virtual Machine running a non server version of Windows or is SAS Server version required?

Thanks,

  FMF

[jakarman]

A Citrix server environment offering windows desktops is showing a Windows client/desktop (MS license).

A VMware Virtual machine showing you a Windows desktop licensed system is another similar one.

With those you can run a SAS-bases desktop license.  (having/getting enough of the system resources as bare iron is shaed).

Alle the Windows code and SAS code is very similar whether it runs on a Windows desktop licensed or a Windows server licensed  environment.

The question is getting those license environments correctly aligned and doing some license optimization.

Wanting all the bare-iron capacity you could think on having it installed on that and using terminal services or remote access using things like Eguide or Studio (web base).

[FMFabila]

Thanks for your reply Jaap.  There are three potential options in front of me:

1. Base SAS on a physical desktop machine

2. Base SAS on an virtual host on an Enterprise Server

3. Server SAS on a virtual host on an Enterprise Server

My preference is option 2, because it costs less from the SAS licensing perspective and I have access to the resources and security of the Enterprise Server.  I just want to ensure that Desktop SAS license will allow this, I know in the past it was an issue.

Fred

[jakarman]

Fred, It will be an issue when running SAS in a VM as running a Windows-Server. That is the normal approach for delivering a server service.

The Windows-Server (MS -license) has the tools included for running as a server.   This will result in the requirement of having a SAS server license.  (expensive I know).

The DAAS (dekstop as a service) approach is delivering a vritual desktop (Citrix VMware and more).  The idea is sharing the reources of machines in a datacenter.

With the DAAS you wil not be happy as optimizing those hardware resource will give you very small machines. Think on blown 4Gb memory 1 processor.  It will run not fast that is it. The communication line is fast near to servers when in the same datacenter.

A nice physical desktop machine  will come with 8 cores SSD 8Gb (or more)  memory.  That is more capable than a limited part on a Enterprise Server. The communication line is Slow.  

I understand your preference but I don not expect that as an real option.  Remember Base SAS is still bases SAS whether it runs as server licensed or as desktop licensed. There is no dedicated product program like a server SAS.  It will be Either server license (1) in a datacenter or a desktop license (3). 

[FMFabila]

Jaap, I'm the only one using it, the same as with a dedicated physical desktop. I need a fast, secure and reliable connection to database housed in the same Enterprise Server. I also need the host to be physically secured, which the Enterprise Server is. Why only 4Gb memory and 1 processor?  If the virtual host is an 4 core, 16 Gb machine, won't I have access to its full capability with a SAS Desktop license?

Fred

[Reeza]

You need to install SAS Base on a 'machine' with a Desktop license, can't be a server license. It can be a virtual machine or actual hardware, if it's a VM you can spec it out to whatever rules your site allows, I think Jaap's restrictions are generally how VM's are built by enterprise but you don't have to follow that.

[FMFabila]

Thanks for your help Reeza and Jaap, I think I have enough to proceed with having the VM built with Windows Desktop and SAS Desktop.  I'm actually waiting for someone at SAS to confirm but I haven't hear from anyone yet so I took a chance here.  Glad I did.

Fred

[jakarman]

Fred, you are thinking with too much common business sense. Of course technical you could solve it that way.

ICT people however are thinking like managers of a fast-food restaurant. Only delivering things than can deliver fast and cheap and wanting the billing and image of a first class high society one.  It is the swing tree cartoon.

Have a look wat is placed in datacenters as rack-mounted machines they have quite different specs as seen wit desktops. The organization with that is server based no desktop installations being allowed.as it will creak the datacenter operations strategy. The bare Iron can have 32 processors and 300 Gb (even more as that). As the goal is cost optimization the deliver some 60 desktop out of that sharing that same hardware. Having several of those being installed in racks you can serve a lot of virtual desktops. I do not know the exact values but this the approach. That is your virtualized desktop. 

The 4 core 16Gb is more the figure of a virtualized Windows Server needing with that is a Windows Server license and a SAS server license (It is a licensing issue).

These values are based on what is commonly seen as being sufficient for server processes. That is normally not sufficient with analytics eg SAS.

These two options is what is commonly offered by the ICT datacenter (Cloud or internal).

Everyone asking for something different as of these choices is an obstructive item. Does not fit into the system.