Understanding the SAS license and different SAS server licenses

[Saugata]

Hi All,

I am very new to SAS platform administration. I am a SAS programmer thrust into this, so please bear with me.

It is time to renew our SAS license. I was checking the old licenses to figure out whether we can reduce the licensing cost by removing some unused components. While checking the present license, I have found some components which are beyond my limited undestanding. They are: SAS Workspace Server for Local Access, SAS Workspace Server for Enterprise Access, SAS Framework Data Server, SAS Integration Technologies.

Some idea about our SAS usage:

1. We have a JAVA frontend interface. Which is hosted in a web server.
2. The users submit a request through this frontend.
3. JAVA connect to a SAS which is hosted in the data server (different physical box than the web server) with sasadm user credentials. Here JAVA is using some API to call SAS as a procedure!!
4. SAS executes base SAS codes and procedures over the data (residiing in SQL server or SAS datasets in the data server)and an output (Excel/Txt reports or SAS/SQL tables or SAS created JPG/GIF graphs) is created.
5. These outputs are picked up by JAVA frontend and presented to the user (either as downloadable Excel reports or Graph pictures or displayed in the interface in a tabular format).

We are only using SAS base and Macros to do data manipulations or report generations. We are not using any BI capability as of now.

After a bit of googling and reading, I think we can drop off SAS Integration Technologies from the license ( Though I can be wrong and anymore information here will be highly appreciated). Can any body help me with more information about SAS Workspace Server for Local Access, SAS Workspace Server for Enterprise Access, SAS Framework Data Server components (suggestion, reading materials arre more than welcome). I am mainly concerned about how they interact within SAS system, what is the use of these components and is it going to adversely affect our system if we do not renew them.

Note: We use SMC to provide authorization (and some other metadata activities) and JAVA seems to connect to workspace server ( which is probably common knowledge, but being a rookie just wanted to mention) with sasadm to submit a request. If we drop these components while renewing license, will that hamper these activities.

Thanks in advance for your help. If you point me towards some reading materials to improve my understanding, that will also be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Saugata Mukherjee. 

[LinusH]

The key here to understand what components you are using is to understand how your java programs are calling SAS, since there are some options. Is Java executing on the same server as SAS?

Another aspect here is the development potential, perhaps you limiting yourself by dropping a license now? Usually, the renewal is quite cheaper then to buy anew module.

Either way, i would suggest that this juggling with your license is done i n cooperation with SAS. So that you don't drop stuff that you are using, or perhaps will use soon.

[Haikuo]

This will be huge topic, and I second @LinusH, the best option for you is getting touch with SAS tech support as well as SAS sales reps. Now, just to give you some bolts and nuts:

Before SAS 9, SAS mainly is a standalone software, we call it Base SAS regardless where it runs (PC/Server/mainframe), user initiate SAS.exe to run it. After SAS 9, client-server components have been largely integrated into SAS, now Base SAS is called "SAS foundation". Here is a typical post SAS 9 senario:

SAS enterprise guide (EG, the client) submit a request, after authenticated by SAS metadata server, the request is passed on to SAS application server, received by object spawner who is listening all the time, then initiated a SAS process called 'workspace server' (now, this is when Base SAS/Foundation SAS is called, eg. SAS.exe get to work. if it is running locally on your pc, it is SAS Workspace Server for Local Access, otherwise it is SAS Workspace Server for Enterprise Access).

SAS Framework Data Server is use to store logs, alarms etc for mid tier application, such Web report studio.

If you have mid tier applictions or use Java APIs, mostly likely you will need SAS Integration Technologies .

You will find all of the information on SAS website, but the easiest way to start is to take SAS admin fast track training.

[Saugata]

Thanks @LinusH and @Haikuo for your help.

@LinusH JAVA is executing in a different server. There is one implementation though, where JAVA is executing in the same server as SAS.

Just couple of follow up questions, 

1. We do not use any conventional mid-tier application. Will JAVA-API be treated as mid-tier application? and more importantly, will JAVA APIs use SAS Framework Data Server
2.  We are planning to only use SAS on servers and not going to take desktop licences. So following your explanation, 

   ---

   @Haikuo wrote:
   

   if it is running locally on your pc, it is SAS Workspace Server for Local Access, otherwise it is SAS Workspace Server for Enterprise Access).

   ---

   should we opt for SAS Workspace Server for Enterprise Access?
   

And @Haikuo definitely I will take SAS platform admin trainings. But it will be great if in the mena time you can point me towards some links for reading materials.

Regards,

Saugata Mukherjee. 

[LinusH]

"JAVA-API" is too vague for me to understand how your Java application and SAS interacts.

it seems that you are lacking of documentation. You probably need someone to do on-site analysis of your application, before you can jump to any licensing conclusions.

Again, SAS Sales and/or professional representative is your best starting point.

[Haikuo · Accepted solution]

Again, it is really the time for you to contact SAS sale reps or tech support directly. Like @LinusH suggested, without a in-depth onsite analysis, there is no way to tell for sure which license you will really need. Also, keep one thing in mind, saving too much right now may cost you more down the road, you will need to factor in the the future growth of your institution in the big equation.

Here is my impression and wild assumptions:

1. Most likely you will  need SAS integration technology regardless your Java implementation. From my past deployment experience, without it, many clients will be stop working, sometimes include EG. I am not sure about Framework data server without the knowledge of your system, but often when they are listed separately in term of license, they are actually bundled in term of functionality.

2. "should we opt for SAS Workspace Server for Enterprise Access".  That was what we did in the past to save cost. It would be a double investment if you have the server license and pc license at the same time. However, we still keep couple of pc license running for the following reason: 1. The data is highly sensitive that you don't want it processed on a remote server. 2. You pc SAS has more product licence than your server version, but only a few people will use the additional license (in our case it is the SAS/OR and some). 3. In the case of catastrophic event (network/server down), you still maintain certain analytic capacity.