Migration from SAS 9.3 to 9.4: Things to check/do

[iSAS]

We're migrating from SAS 9.3 to 9.4 and we have SAS EM, EG, SMC and stored processes. Our servers from both versions are Unix. May we know what are the things we need to check/do to have a smooth migration? Thanks.

[Kurt_Bremser]

My recommendation would be to not migrate in place, but set up a new server environment to run things in parallel until you can verify the whole process worked.

This takes away any time pressure and prevents a situation where you have to go back to a backed up state, loosing all work done up to that point..

[SASKiwi]

Have you checked out the SAS Upgrade page?

http://support.sas.com/software/updates/index.html

And in particular the SAS Guide to Software Upgrades referenced there?

[JuanS_OCS]

Hello @iSAS,

I see you are not doing an upgrade in place, since I read  you already have a separated server. And I concur with  @SASKiwi. In addition to his advise, I would like to add http://support.sas.com/rnd/migration/index.html  and http://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings17/SAS0698-2017.pdf 

The guide to software updates should be able to give you the pin pointers needed.

A brief explanation of what you can find there:

- Migration can be done with partial promotion (clean new installation and a export/import metadata spk packages) or SMU  http://support.sas.com/rnd/migration/utility/index.html (SAS Migration Utility, which will migrate your metadata "as is" and your configuration, which is not always the best in quality, but surely the easiest). And it seems your products will allow any of those 2 (some solutions only allow 1 method).

- In terms of control and quality of the migration, and if you are used you promotions, my best suggestion is go for the partial promotion, where you can select what to promote to the new environment and how. 

- SAS code: you will need to change the server settings and perhaps directories.

- You will need to migrate your data, macros and formats as well. They can probably just copied as is, but it is also possible that you will need to make adjustments. Please check http://support.sas.com/rnd/migration/planning/files/ 

- For SAS EG, you first do the migration of the server-side, you complete it and validate it. Then, you can migrate EG projects. You can do this with the migration wizard of EG projects, you probably will only need to ensure that they connect to the new server and server parameters. If you change metadata or linux directories, you will need to adjust that part too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy0w9BP4xbs