SAS Program Compilation/Execution

[dhana]

When we write a SAS program and submit it in windows environment who is executing the program . Does compilation of SAS program requires any server.
If we dont require any server, then what is the purpose of SAS Foundation Server.
In general which are the components are involved when we compile/execute SAS program. Can someone please explain.

Thanks in advance

Dhanasekaran R

[Peter_C]

perhaps the SAS Foundation server is dealing with the SAS program you "submit in windows environment"
In what "windows environment" do you submit SAS programs?

[dhana]

Hi Peter,

Thank you very much for you reply.

The windows environment I referred in my question was SAS installed on a stand alone machine (local mode) and we write program in Display Manager.

In this scenario, If i understand correctly from Cynthia's explanation there will not be any server involved. The servers come into picture only when we execute program remotely or client/server environment.

[Peter_C]

when you submit code in SAS Display Manager it is processed by the same SAS.EXE that servers use. Only parameters and your program make a difference.

[Cynthia_sas]

Hi:
Compilation of a SAS program, followed by execution of the compiled code requires an instance of SAS (or conceptually, a SAS.EXE file or an installation of SAS).

SAS can be installed in several modes:
1) local mode -- a local SAS.EXE instance exists on one machine and you use either Display Manager, or SAS Enterprise Guide to submit programs to SAS on the local machine;
or
2) server mode -- a server copy of SAS exists on one (or more than one) server machine and you use either SAS/CONNECT or SAS Enterprise Guide or a TELNET session to access SAS on the server machine
or
3) SAS Platform servers (also called BI or Enterprise BI servers) -- SAS is installed in the context of the BI Platform and all the client applications on the BI Platform (including SAS Enterprise Guide, Web Report Studio, etc) can submit code to the appropriate instance of SAS, depending on whether they are running tasks, using Information Maps or running stored processes (In this scenario -- the available servers used with the Metadata Server are the Workspace Server and the Stored Process Server)
or
4) using other technologies, such as SAS/IntrNet in which an application broker sits on a web server and sends a request for a SAS program to run using an Application Dispatcher program that uses either a DATA server or a COMPUTE server to handle the request, as just one example.

So, your question requires a bit more clarfication. You could have Enterprise Guide in a Windows environment. That copy of Enterprise Guide might be submitting code to SAS on the same machine; or submitting the code to SAS on a server machine (could be a Unix server, a Windows server or a z/OS server); or submitting code to a Workspace Server or Stored Process server in the context of the BI Platform.

The explanation of how code is compiled/executed depends on the configuration scenario that you are using. For more information about how SAS Foundation Servers could be configured in the context of the BI Platform, refer to the topology scenarios in this paper:
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi30/217-30.pdf

cynthia

[dhana]

Hi Cynthia,

Thank you very much for your detailed and clear explanation.

Till now I was assuming that SAS Foundation Server is one server and this will be used in client/server environment for executing SAS programs.

But from this article http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi30/217-30.pdf, I came to know SAS Foundation is not one single server, it is collection of servers(Workspace, OLAP, Stored Process). Does it include some more servers or only these three. ? Please correct me if my understanding is wrong.

Thank you

Dhanasekaran R

[Cynthia_sas]

Hi:
You could have only 1 SAS Foundation Server (singular) -- which is only 1 instance of a SAS.EXE program compiling and executing your programs. More often, in a complex BI Platform configuration, you will have a group of servers (plural) that are collectively referred to as SAS Foundation Servers. What you have and what you use, will depend on the type of software you license. For example, an installation might or might not have an OLAP server; probably will have one or more Workspace servers and probably will have one or more Stored Process Servers. All the servers and server information and user access information in this scenario will be managed by the Metadata Server.

Peter is correct that the servers compiling and executing your programs will all have an instance (or in a pooled scenario) could have more than one instance of a SAS.EXE session running. That is what a local copy of SAS has in common with a client/server configuration or a BI Platform install. Somewhere, on some computer, there is an instance of SAS.EXE responsible for compiling and executing code. The difference between a local copy of SAS and a client/server configuration or a BI Platform install is the scope of the management, how the management happens, how communication happens between the instance of SAS.EXE and how the program was executed and how results are returned.

When you install a local copy of SAS, I believe part of the possible confusion comes into play because the term "SAS Foundation" -- on a local install scenario -- can be confused with the "SAS Foundation Servers" that are part of a BI Platform installation. So, you see, I can't just answer yes or no to your question because it is entirely possible that you are doing a local install of SAS and you DO need the "SAS Foundation" collection of software that comes with a local install and that part of the local install process should NOT be confused with the other term "SAS Foundation Servers" when used in the context of the BI Platform.

If you need clarification about your particular installation and how or what software needs to be installed and configured, your best resource will be Tech Support -- they can look at your license information and direct you about the particulars of your installation/configuration scenario.

cynthia

[Ksharp]

If your company has sas in every personal computer for every people.
Then you do not need SAS Foundation Server.
SAS Foundation Server is designed for that lots of people who has not SAS in local PC are convenient to use sas .Of course SAS Foundation Server has some other advantages
e.g saving PC resource , processing large table by using Server , Secure ....

But I prefer to use SAS in local PC .

"compile/execute SAS program" - sas will call other Model throught SAS/Base , So sas code will compile and execute in SAS/Base.

Ksharp