Pre and post tasks for Maintenance Releases?

[dgower2]

I'm about to install M5 for SAS.  When installing hotfixes using the hotfix tool, an HTML report is generated where I can click on the individual hotfixes to see pre and post hotfix tasks.  How do I find the pre and post tasks when updating to M5 (from M3)?

[JuanS_OCS]

Hello @dgower2,

good question, never bored to answer, the more it is shared publicly, the higher chances people will find the information.

The answer is in the Guide to SAS Software updates at http://documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=whatsdiff&docsetTarget=n0s8eybnxwtw1vn10omodyg3ah76.htm&docse...

Complete any post-configuration steps for the products at your site. You determine these post-configuration steps when you assess the impact of the software update at your site. To determine the post-configuration steps, see the “Product Details and Requirements” section

Which is at http://documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=whatsdiff&docsetTarget=n0mel9czdk7v7tn1vjy4fp8fzb69.htm&docse...

[dgower2]

I read that and did that, for every component that applies to our site.  Nowhere in the details did I find anything similar to the SAS Hotfix Report that designates certain documentation with A "D" if there are pre/post hotfix tasks.  Maybe/hopefully that is not needed for maintenance release updates?

[JuanS_OCS · Accepted solution]

Hello @dgower2,

exactly, they are nor needed. In 99% of the cases (I have seen a few exceptions). But with upgrade in place it is not meant that you take too many pre or post-configuration steps.

The changes might decrease in few cases when the Software depot has hotfixes in the hotfix folder.

If you have any doubts, you can do what I often do: to  see the hotfixes at the hotfix download folder and google each of them. From those SAS HF pages you can see if they require any special post configuration step. As said,~ 99% of the cases they should not. Based on that and the fact that the documentation do not mention special steps, I would trust on that high chance and the SAS documentation.

1. Learn about the availability of new product releases or maintenance releases from your SAS account representative, from the SAS website, or from this document.
2. Run a deployment registry report to determine what products you currently have installed at your site. For more information, see How to Run the Deployment Registry Report.
3. Assess the impact of upgrading the software at your site.

   After running the deployment registry report, you know the release numbers for the products at your site. Compare these release numbers to the release numbers of the products in this document. A difference in release numbers helps you identify what products at your site have updates.

   By reviewing the product-specific information in this document, you can determine how upgrading your software could affect your site. For example, you learn about any new features that are available and how those features might affect your existing SAS content. You also learn any post-configuration steps that you need to complete before you start using the product.
4. Contact your SAS account representative to request a new product release or maintenance release. To request a maintenance release, the SAS installation representative at your site can also use the self-service application that is available from the Maintenance Release Announcement. See the “Request a Maintenance Release” topic at the bottom of the Maintenance Release Announcement.
5. Review your software order. After you request a maintenance release, a product upgrade, or a new SAS product, you receive a Software Order E-mail (SOE), which lists the product bundle that you ordered and the software revision number (for example, SAS 9.4, Rev. 940_13w26).
6. Prepare your site for the software updates. These preparations include downloading the order to a SAS 9.4 Software Depot, creating backups, determining how long the upgrade takes, and notifying users about the scheduled update. You also perform any pre-installation steps for the products at your site. You determined these pre-installation steps when you assessed the impact of the software update at your site.
7. Install and configure any software updates. When you run the SAS Deployment Wizard, SAS automatically detects any files on your system that are older than the files in your order. If there are software updates to be installed for products already in your deployment, the SAS Deployment Wizard goes into Update mode. If no software updates need to be installed, the SAS Deployment Wizard does not go into Update mode, and you can exit the SAS Deployment Wizard.

   Depending on your order, you might have new products to add to your deployment. Adding these products might require that you run the SAS Deployment Wizard a second time. For more information, see Adding a New Product.
8. Complete any post-configuration steps for the products at your site. You determine these post-configuration steps when you assess the impact of the software update at your site. To determine the post-configuration steps, see the “Product Details and Requirements” section.