I Don't have SAS Metadata Server. What Do I Do?

[NacNick]

Dear SAS Community,

In my company, we have installed on our server SAS 9.4 version TS1M0.
We now want to upgrade from version TS1M0 to version TS1M8 on new server.
Unfortunatelly, our current version - SAS 9.4 TS1M0 was installed a long time ago in in a very vague and incomprehensible way, and we still try out best to understand how it was installed and where are the right paths to every thing in the installation.

Anyway, For the upgrading process, we need to migrate two things:
1. Metadata

2. Data

Now, for the data part, we simply going to copy all the files from the old software to the new one.
For the metadata part, it seems that the location of the metadata on the server is ambiguous, and we don't really know where it's at.
The problem is that we don't have a metadata server, and probably all out metadata is stored locally.
We tried to look up for the metadata in all of our SAS installation folders, and unfortunatelly didn't find any.
it was suggested to use the SAS Management Console to export the metadata in .spk files to the new server.
after logging in to the SAS Mangement Console, we were asked to create a connection profile which will be connected to the metadata server of our SAS software.
Unfortunatelly, as mentioned, we probably don't have metadata server.

We tried to connect the connection profile to the local machine (we tried to put in the host field the local host IP - 127.0.0.1 or even the IP of the server) with port 8561, but all the time we get the following error: "Connection refused: connect.
The application could not log to the server "XXX.XXX.XXX.XX:8561. No server is available at that port on that machine."

Therefore, dear SAS community, we have couple of questions that we hope you guys can answer:
1. Where can the metadata be stored locally?
2. Is there a way to check if we have a metadata server, which our software is connected to?
3. Is it possible to solve the error of the SAS Management Console conncetion profile that was mentioned above?
4. Is it possible that we don't even have metadata stored anywhere, and that our software uses other ways to function?
5. Are there any other ways besides SAS Management Console to transfer metadata from an old version to a new one?
6. If you have any other suggestions, and things to say - it is welcome!

Thank you very much!

[LinusH]

By locally, do you suggest a user PC/VDI?

That would make sense only if this is a single user environment.

Not sure how I could help you to find your metadata server.

What servers do you have?

Where are your data stored?

Are you sure that you have/had a metadata server?

What kind of SAS artifacts do you have/use apart from datasets and programs?

Even if you find a metadata server, not sure if that would be much of use since you don't seem to use it now, and it would be outdated.

[ChrisHemedinger]

It sounds like you have a simple install of SAS on a server environment, no metadata tier or configuration. If that's the case then SAS Metadata Server, spk files, and other assets like Stored Processes do not apply. Sounds like you mainly have SAS data set files and SAS programs.

You didn't say whether this is Windows or UNIX/Linux, but either way this sounds like a simple install of SAS on the new hardware -- no "configuration wizard" work needed. You may need to transcribe SAS config files and autoexec processes, plus database providers (if any) and environment variables/shell scripts to the new setup to get it all working as you had it before.

[Quentin]

It's definitely possible that you have a SAS 9 server, without having a SAS 9 BI server with metadata server etc.  Do you have access to your SAS contract, that would help you see what exactly you have licensed.  Do you use any stored processes, data integration studio, web reports, or anything where users log in to SAS via a web interface?  

Basically if you have just a basic SAS 9 server (linux? windows?) users probably just connect to the SAS server, write code, and submit code.

All that said, you should probably call SAS support and/or your SAS account rep.  They will be able to help you consider options for upgrading, and as part of that can help you assess your current enviroment.

[Kurt_Bremser]

How do you access your server to get a SAS session?

[Sajid01]

Hello @NacNick 
With the questions you have posted on the forum in mind, I would agree with what @Quentin has said - Approach SAS Tech Support.

If I am in the situation you are in, I would seek help from SAS Tech Support / SAS Partners or possibly request the management to hire a competent  SAS Administrator for the project. SAS Adminstrators, in my experience,  typically handle this type of  situation with ease.

[SASKiwi]

The best way to figure out how your SAS compute server works, given you don't seem to have any documentation on how it is architected, is to remotely login to it and have a look at the SAS configuration files. If you do have a metadata server then there will be evidence in the configuration files and SAS services that are running. For example a SAS object spawner will be running if you are using SAS metadata anywhere.

If you are keen to follow best practice with your new SAS 9.4M8 installation, then I highly recommend you engage expert help via SAS. SAS offer a free sizing service to ensure you fully scope your new installation properly. You would then start off getting a detailed design done of your new architecture, prior to getting SAS installation specialists to build the new SAS platform for you - this isn't a job for newbies. You then end up with documentation explaining how your SAS installations works so you wont repeat the mistake made on your current SAS platform of zero documentation. 

Edit: I see you have already installed your new SAS platform so I hope you have done a detailed design for this.

[Anand_V]

SAS Software Depot should be the first place to check on which components are part of your order and then other questions will follow.

[MarcoGhiglieri]

I migrated a (**bleep** old) TS1M0 that was installed like a V8, so no MetadataServer, just a sort-of Connect Spawner to get remote sessions.

It can be tricky to move from that to M8. I'd follow @SASKiwi  advice and reach out SAS TCS or a Partner.