Installation SAS9

SAS Deployment: Silent Installation and Infrastructure Challenges

Simon 13/05/2016 7 views

In the world of SAS© system administration, security constraints often dictate the deployment method. A classic scenario, frequently encountered by administrators or statisticians promoted to architects, is installing the platform (like SAS© BI Server or Fraud Framework) on secure Linux servers (e.g., RHEL) where the graphical interface (X11) is prohibited.

This article summarizes best practices for managing a "silent" (headless) installation and discusses crucial hardware considerations to avoid bottlenecks.

1. The Challenge of Installing Without a GUI

The main obstacle during a deployment on a secure server is the inability to launch the graphical installation assistant (SAS© Deployment Wizard). Although SAS© 9.3 introduced native "headless" modes for UNIX, the most reliable method for planned deployments remains the use of a response file.

The Solution: "Quiet" Mode and the Response File

To perform a silent installation, the deployment wizard needs a file containing all the answers to the questions it would normally ask (installation paths, components to install, ports, etc.).

How to generate this file? There are two main approaches:

  1. Prior Recording (Recommended): This method requires temporary collaboration with system administrators.

    • Obtain a temporary exception to enable X11 display.

    • Launch the deployment wizard with the recording options: ./setup.sh -record -responsefile /path/to/response.txt

    • This command allows you to go through the configuration screens without installing the software. It simply generates the response.txt file.

  2. Professional Assistance: Call on SAS© professional services to create this custom file if enabling X11 is impossible, even temporarily.

Once the file is obtained, you can launch the actual installation in silent mode on the target server, without a graphical interface.

Useful Resource: For more details on the -record and -responsefile options, refer to the SAS© Deployment Wizard and Manager's Usage Guide.

2. Beyond Installation: Architecture and Hardware

Successfully completing the binary installation is only the first step. As much feedback highlights, a poorly sized architecture can turn a powerful platform into a slow and unusable system.

The Pitfalls of Virtualization and I/O

When setting up a 3-tier architecture (Metadata Server, Application Server, Web Server), the hardware configuration is critical.

  • The VM Problem: A deployment on poorly configured virtual machines (especially regarding disk access) can lead to degraded performance.

  • The Importance of I/O (Input/Output): SAS© is extremely read/write intensive. I/O throughput is often the main bottleneck. You should not just look at storage capacity, but the speed at which data can be processed.

Key Points for Sizing

If you are deploying complex solutions like the Fraud Framework, it is imperative to validate the following points before going into production:

  • CPU and Memory: Adequate sizing for each tier.

  • Disk Architecture: Favor systems capable of supporting a high I/O load.

  • Communication: Define security protocols between tiers (SSL/TLS) from the design phase.

Deploying SAS© in an enterprise requires a dual skill set: mastery of automated installation tools (response files) to bypass graphical restrictions, and a deep understanding of hardware prerequisites. While official documentation remains the installer's bible, experience shows that infrastructure preparation (I/O, network) is what determines the final success of the project.

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References & Docs
SAS Deployment Wizard Metadata Server Fraud Framework SAS BI Server SAS 9
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