Creating SAS Software Depots

Overview of Creating SAS Software Depots

The following topics are contained in this section:
There are two ways that you can create a SAS software depot:
Before you create your depot, it can be helpful to understand exactly what a depot is, as well as a depot’s benefits and the best practices for creating and maintaining a depot. For more information, see the following topics:

About SAS Software Depots

A SAS Software Depot is a file system that consists of a collection of SAS installation files that represents one or more orders. The depot is organized in a specific format that is meaningful to the SAS Deployment Wizard, which is the tool that is used to install and configure SAS. The depot contains the SAS Deployment Wizard executable, one or more deployment plans, SAS installation data files, order data, and product data.
SAS Software Depot File Structure
SAS Software Depot File Structure
Before you can install SAS, you must first have a software depot to install from. During a SAS software download, the SAS Download Manager downloads your order, verifies it, and automatically creates a SAS Software Depot. If you receive your SAS order in the form of physical media, then you create a depot using the SAS Deployment Wizard.
Methods for SAS Software Depot Creation
Methods for SAS Software Depot Creation

Benefits of a SAS Software Depot

The main advantage of a SAS Software Depot is that it resides on the network at a location that you can share access to. Thus, it provides a faster and more reliable means of installation compared to traditional removable media (cartridges, CDs, DVDs, and so on).
Shared SAS Software Depot Model
Shared SAS Software Depot Model
If you have remote sites running SAS without access to the network on which your depot resides, you can use the SAS Deployment Wizard to create your own SAS media image to write to the removable media of your choice.
For more information, see Create a Disc Image of Your Order in SAS Intelligence Platform: Installation and Configuration Guide.
Here are some other benefits of a SAS Software Depot:
  • centralizes SAS orders.
    The depot enables you to place multiple SAS orders in one location to simplify initial SAS deployment and future maintenance.
  • makes applying maintenance and upgrades easier.
    You only need to download the changed depot files instead of having to download an entire SAS order.
  • saves disk space.
    Storing multiple orders in a single depot saves disk space, as any content shared between orders is not duplicated, but rather shared, in the depot.
    A single depot in SAS 9.3 can store SAS software installation files for more than one operating system, making the single, multi-system SAS 9.3 depot cumulatively smaller than the multiple, single-system depots in earlier SAS versions.
  • saves download time.
    Because there is a shared copy of common files, the SAS 9.3 single, multi-operating system depot requires smaller amounts to download.
  • organizes license keys (also known as SAS installation data files).
    The depot enables you to place SAS installation data files in a standard location to better associate license keys with their corresponding orders. (These files are stored in the sid_files directory, directly under the depot’s root.)
  • identifies multiple orders.
    The depot supports the SAS Deployment Wizard’s feature that enables you to customize order descriptions and enter notes to better identify multiple orders residing in a single depot.
Because depots contain your personal SAS software order, it is important to use best practices around securing and backing up your depot.

Best Practices for SAS Software Depots

For customers who download SAS, their SAS Software Depot is the only copy of their SAS order. The depot contains the files from which SAS is initially installed. For this reason, it is important to use these best practices when managing your depot:
  • Keep your depot.
    When you keep your SAS 9.3 depot, applying maintenance and upgrades becomes easier because you only need to download the changed depot files instead of having to download an entire SAS order.
  • Perform routine backups.
    As with your SAS production system, it is important to routinely back up your SAS Software Depot and verify the integrity of these backups.
    Note: Another important reason for securing and backing up your SAS Software Depot is that there are limits on the number of times that you can download your order from SAS.
  • Secure the depot location.
    Problems such as data loss, virus infection, and file corruption can compromise your investment in SAS. It is thus imperative that you have a comprehensive security policy in place to protect your depot.
  • Store SAS installation data files with your depot.
    The SAS installation data file for your orders contains information that is integral to successfully deploying SAS and applying future SAS hotfixes. As you get these data files from SAS—such as the file that contains your permanent SAS license key—it is important that you store them with your depot in the sid_files directory.
    CAUTION:
    Be careful to use the correct installation data file that contains the SAS products that you are planning to install. Using an incorrect file can cause installation failure for SAS add-on products or other errors later when attempting to run SAS.
  • Create a depot administrator.
    Consider designating one or a few users to serve as SAS Software Depot administrators. Persons needing to deploy SAS software or to apply future SAS software maintenance require depot Read and Execute privileges. Depot administration tasks such as initially creating the depot, storing SAS installation data files, and updating order details require depot Write privileges. Separating depot administration from routine depot usage is a best practice that will further protect your SAS Software Depot.
Before creating a depot, make sure that you have met the necessary requirements described in Prerequisites for Creating a SAS Software Depot.

Prerequisites for Creating a SAS Software Depot

Before you start creating a SAS Software Depot, make sure that you have met the following prerequisites:
  • Choose a machine that has the following:
    • Internet access.
      If you are downloading your SAS order, you will need a machine that can access the secure SAS download Web site. Also, ideally this machine should be networked so that you can perform deployments directly from the machine, without having to physically relocate the depot to another machine.
    • Java SDK for z/OS installed (z/OS only).
      For more information, go to http://support.sas.com/resources/thirdpartysupport/index.html.
    • a Windowing environment.
      If you will be creating the depot on a UNIX or a z/OS system, make sure that a windowing environment (such as the Common Desktop Environment or X11) is installed.
      Starting with the March 2012 release of SAS 9.3, the SAS Deployment Wizard and the SAS Download Manager can be run on operating systems that do not have windowing systems. For more information, see the SAS Deployment Wizard and SAS Deployment Manager User's Guide, available at http://support.sas.com/documentation/installcenter/en/ikdeploywizug/64204/PDF/default/user.pdf.
      Note: You have the option of creating a SAS Software Depot on a UNIX or Windows machine and transferring the depot to a z/OS environment using the SAS Software Depot Copy Utility. For more information, see the Configuration Guide for SAS 9.3 Foundation for z/OS, available at http://support.sas.com/documentation/installcenter/en/ikfdtnmvscg/64313/PDF/default/config.pdf.
  • Designate a target directory.
    Decide where you will create the SAS Software Depot. It is helpful if this directory can be shared on a network and accessible to all of the machines on which you will be installing software from the depot.
    Note: SAS recommends that you not copy a depot from one location to another. Choose a permanent location before you create the depot.
  • Grant required access permissions.
    The SAS installer user must have Write access on the depot target directory.
    Windows Vista and later requires that you run the SAS Download Manager installation program using administrator privileges.
  • Check disk space requirements.
    Make sure you have enough free disk space available on the target directory.
Finally, just before creating a depot, the SAS Deployment Wizard and the SAS Download Manager both present you with an estimate for required disk space.

Create a Depot By Using the SAS Download Manager

A SAS Software Depot contains SAS order data, initial SAS installation data files, order data, and product data. The depot also contains the SAS Deployment Wizard executable—the tool required to install and initially configure SAS.
Note: There is no expiration date for downloading your SAS order. However, if the time period for your initial SAS installation data file has expired, you will have to obtain a current SAS installation data file before you can run the SAS Deployment Wizard.
Before you can create a depot by using the SAS Download Manager, you must first download and install the manager itself. The installer automatically launches the SAS Download Manager after installing it. Therefore, the following procedure actually consists of three logical sections:
  1. downloading the SAS Download Manager
  2. installing the SAS Download Manager
For z/OS, see Installation Instructions for SAS 9.3 Electronic Software Delivery for Planning Installations on z/OS, available at http://support.sas.com/documentation/installcenter/en/ikinstallesdplanningii/64436/PDF/default/install_esd_planning.pdf.
Although these sections flow one after the other, at the end of each section, you can stop and resume the process later.
Follow these steps to download a SAS software order and automatically create a depot by using the SAS Download Manager:
  1. Locate your software order e-mail sent by SAS. In this e-mail, find the URL for the secure SAS Web site from where you will download the SAS Download Manager.
    Note: It is very important that you locate your original software order e-mail for the correct order and SAS installation key to download the software. You cannot use a renewal order number. The renewal order is a license update and it cannot be used to download software. If you cannot locate your original software order e-mail, contact your SAS Installation Representative or SAS Contracts at the following URLs:
  2. Ensure that you have fulfilled the necessary requirements described in Prerequisites for Creating a SAS Software Depot.
  3. Log on to the machine as a SAS Software Depot administrator or a user with depot Read, Write, and Execute privileges.
    Note: Consider designating one or a few users to serve as SAS Software Depot administrators. Persons needing to deploy SAS software or to apply future SAS software maintenance require depot Read and Execute privileges. Depot administration tasks such as initially creating the depot, storing SAS installation data files, and updating order details require depot Write privileges. Windows Vista and later requires that you run the SAS Download Manager installation program using administrator privileges.
  4. Launch a Web browser and navigate to the secure URL specified in your software order e-mail.
  5. At the prompt in the dialog box, select the option that enables you to save the file to disk.
  6. Choose a path accessible to the machine to save the download and save the file.
    Your download begins.
  7. When your browser has finished downloading the SAS Download Manager, run it and choose the language in which the SAS Deployment Wizard will display messages and prompts.
    Choose Language dialog box
  8. At some sites, you might see the page that prompts for proxy information. If so, supply the necessary proxy server settings for the SAS Download Manager to access the Internet. If needed, contact your site’s system administrator for help with these settings.
    Proxy server page
  9. When prompted, enter your order number and SAS installation key.
    SAS Download Manager order page
  10. Confirm the list of SAS offerings contained in your order. If you want, you can update the description for your order and include any notes to distinguish it from other SAS orders. The SAS Deployment Wizard will display this order information during the SAS installation.
    SAS Download Manager specify details page
    Note: At any time after the download, you can run the SAS Deployment Wizard to add or modify SAS order information details. For more information, see Change Order Details in SAS Intelligence Platform: Installation and Configuration Guide.
  11. Select Include complete order contents if you do not want to subset your order. This selection will cause the SAS Deployment Wizard to include all the software in the order. For more information, see Subsetting SAS Software Orders in SAS Intelligence Platform: Installation and Configuration Guide.
    Specify Order Options page
  12. Specify a location where you want to download SAS and build the SAS Software Depot.
    For more information, see Prerequisites for Creating a SAS Software Depot.
    Specify SAS Download Manager depot directory page
  13. If the directory you specify does not exist, the wizard prompts you. If you want it to create the directory for you, click Yes.
    Select an Option alert box
  14. The SAS Download Manager has finished collecting order input. This is your last opportunity to change any information before downloading the SAS order and writing files to the target directory.
    Make one of the following choices:
    • Click Download to begin downloading the SAS order and writing files in the target directory.
    • Click Back to navigate to earlier pages to change order information previously entered.
    • Click Cancel to terminate the SAS Download Manager session. Note that you will lose the information previously entered.
      Note: SAS tracks downloads and counts only a complete download toward your download limit.
    Final Review page
    The SAS Download Manager begins downloading, uncompressing, and creating a depot of your SAS order.
    Download in Progress page
    When you see a page similar to the following with the progress indicator at 100%, the SAS Download Manager is finished:
    Download Complete page
  15. Click Next to go to the final page, which describes post-download instructions.
    Download Complete page
  16. Click Finish to close the SAS Download Manager.
    After you finish your SAS 9.3 deployment, be sure to keep your depot, as this will make applying maintenance and future upgrades easier.

Create a Depot by Using the SAS Deployment Wizard

You can use the SAS Deployment Wizard to create a copy of your SAS Software Depot in another directory. If the new depot location is a remote directory on another machine, the directory must be on a shared network drive accessible from the machine running the wizard.
To create a depot on a machine that does not have shared network storage, you must use another mechanism such as SFTP or SCP to copy the depot. (For more information about these programs, refer to your operating system documentation.)
To create a SAS Software Depot by using the SAS Deployment Wizard, follow these steps:
  1. Log on to the machine that will contain the depot as a SAS Software Depot administrator or a user with depot Read, Write, and Execute privileges.
    Note: Consider designating one or a few users to serve as SAS Software Depot administrators. Persons needing to deploy SAS or to apply future SAS maintenance require depot Read and Execute privileges. Depot administration tasks such as initially creating the depot, storing SAS installation data files, and updating order details require depot Write privileges. Windows Vista and later requires that you run the SAS Download Manager installation program using administrator privileges.
  2. Ensure that you have fulfilled the necessary requirements described in Prerequisites for Creating a SAS Software Depot.
  3. Start the SAS Deployment Wizard, using one of two methods:
    • If you are starting the wizard from removable media, proceed as follows, depending on your operating system:
      • Windows:
        The setup.exe program starts automatically when the media is inserted into the drive.
        Note: If the SAS Deployment Wizard does not start automatically, open Windows Explorer, navigate to the root of the DVD, and double-click setup.exe.
      • UNIX:
        Navigate to the media’s root directory, and type ./setup.sh at a command prompt.
      • z/OS:
        Navigate to the media’s root directory, and type ./setup.rexx at a command prompt.
    • If you are starting the wizard from an existing SAS Software Depot, proceed as follows, depending on your operating system:
      Navigate to the depot’s root directory and on:
      • Windows:
        Double-click setup.exe.
      • UNIX:
        Type ./setup.sh at a command prompt.
      • z/OS:
        Type ./setup.rexx at a command prompt.
  4. Choose the language in which the SAS Deployment Wizard will display messages and prompts.
  5. Select Create or Add to a New SAS Software Depot. Do not Install SAS Software.
    Select Deployment Task page
  6. Confirm the list of SAS offerings contained in your order.
    If you want, you can update the description for your order and include any notes to distinguish it from other SAS orders. The SAS Deployment Wizard will display this order information during the SAS installation.
    Specify Order Details page
    Note: At any time after the download, you can run the SAS Deployment Wizard to add or modify SAS order information details. For more information, see Change Order Details in SAS Intelligence Platform: Installation and Configuration Guide.
  7. If you have multiple orders in your depot, you must select the order for which you want to create a new depot.
  8. Select Include complete order contents if you do not want to subset your order. This selection will cause the SAS Deployment Wizard to include all the software in the order. For more information, see Subsetting SAS Software Orders in SAS Intelligence Platform: Installation and Configuration Guide.
    Specify Order Options page
  9. Specify a location where you want to download SAS and build the software depot. (This location can be shared storage that physically resides on another machine.)
    For more information, see Prerequisites for Creating a SAS Software Depot.
    SAS Deployment Wizard depot directory page
  10. If the directory you specify does not exist, the wizard prompts you. If you want it to create the directory for you, click Yes.
    Select an Option alert box
  11. The SAS Deployment Wizard has finished collecting order input. This is your last opportunity to change any information you have provided before the wizard begins writing files to the target directory.
    Make one of the following choices:
    • Click Start to begin creating the depot in the target directory.
    • Click Back to navigate to earlier wizard pages to change order information previously entered.
    • Click Cancel to terminate the wizard session. Note that you will lose order information previously entered.
    SAS Deployment Wizard final review page
  12. If you are running the SAS Deployment Wizard from removable media the SAS Deployment Wizard prompts you for a DVD. Continue to supply discs as prompted.
    Note: If you are working on a UNIX system without an automounter, mount the DVD drive. For information about the privileges required to mount a device and the syntax of the mount command for your system, see the SAS Deployment Wizard and SAS Deployment Manager User’s Guide, available at http://support.sas.com/documentation/installcenter/en/ikdeploywizug/64204/PDF/default/user.pdf.
    The SAS Deployment Wizard begins creating a depot of your SAS order.
    SAS Deployment Wizard progress indicator
  13. When you see a page similar to the following with the progress indicator at 100%, the SAS Deployment Wizard is finished:
    SAS Deployment Wizard depot progress indicator complete page
  14. Click Next to go to the final page, which contains instructions for what to do after creation of the software depot.
  15. Click the depotsummary.html link on the page to review the SAS QuickStart Guide.
    SAS Deployment Wizard finished page
  16. Click Finish to close the SAS Deployment Wizard.
  17. If you are using removable media on a UNIX system where an automounter is being used, use the eject command to remove the DVD. On a UNIX system without an automounter, you must unmount the drive by using the umount command and then manually opening the drive. For information about the umount command that is needed to unmount a device on your system, see the SAS Deployment Wizard and SAS Deployment Manager User’s Guide, available at http://support.sas.com/documentation/installcenter/en/ikdeploywizug/64204/PDF/default/user.pdf.
    After you finish your SAS 9.3 deployment, be sure to keep your depot, as this will make applying maintenance and future upgrades easier.
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