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L2Fly
Pyrite | Level 9

Hello - recently we have installed SAS and Visual Analytics 7.3.  Soon we are going to deploy SAS to our users to use but at the same time there is a new version of VA 7.4 available.  Want to know from any SAS admin out there if is worth going through the upgrade and also how hard/easy it was to move into a new version of VA?

 

Thanks for your input

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SASKiwi
PROC Star

@L2Fly, my preference these days is to use SAS install specialists for all SAS server installs and upgrades apart from trivial stuff like client installs, adding a new product or doing a minor configuration. They can do it quicker and know how to navigate the tricky stuff.

 

If your installation is not yet being seriously used then DIY is worth considering. I wouldn't do this with our business-critical SAS installations though.

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SASKiwi
PROC Star

I suggest you check out this post, in particular the new features of 7.4:

 

https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Visual-Analytics/SAS-Visual-Analytics-7-4-and-8-1-Release-Details...

 

Only you can decide whether these features are worth you upgrading or not.

 

We recently upgraded from 7.3 to 7.4 ourselves and it took around 2 days with a simple VA architecture - 1 metadata, 1 app server, 1 web server. If your environment is more complicated it is likely to take longer.

L2Fly
Pyrite | Level 9

Thank you @SASKiwi for your info.  I have an option using SAS consultant or just do it my self.  Did you have to modify many or any configuration files?  Since we have not exposed SAS to anyone in company yet, I think this is a good time to upgrade.  Thanks again

SASKiwi
PROC Star

@L2Fly, my preference these days is to use SAS install specialists for all SAS server installs and upgrades apart from trivial stuff like client installs, adding a new product or doing a minor configuration. They can do it quicker and know how to navigate the tricky stuff.

 

If your installation is not yet being seriously used then DIY is worth considering. I wouldn't do this with our business-critical SAS installations though.

L2Fly
Pyrite | Level 9

Thank you.

JuanS_OCS
Amethyst | Level 16

Hello @L2Fly,

 

in short, the worthiness will depend on the vision for the future, from your user, meaning and highlighting:

 

  • Besides including some specific new features, a new maintenance/version will include all the hotfixes for the previous one. Also, taking that opportunity, you can also download/install all the hotfixes for the new version with only a bit more effort.
  • If your users are considering moving to SAS Viya (the new platform) sooner or later, you should go to 7.4, where SAS includes more features that will enable an easier transition, as moving the data more transparently, and reports.
  • Also, if your users are considering to stop using Flash and use reports on HTML5, more reponsive, they should move to 7.4 as well, where HTML5 is much more improved (and, still, possibility to keep using the old Flash reports). Still, not completely as on Viya (full HTML5), but better.

Hope it helps,

 

Kind regards,

Juan

 

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