Migrating to SAS Grid into a new operating environment is a complex and challenging task. Especially, when it is across platform (different OS level), different OS Bit sizes and across SAS versions. But with careful planning and use of simple toolset it can be managed with little pain. Some of the key challenges and solution listed in this paper can help towards better understanding of things to consider when working on SAS Grid migration. Finally, do not underestimate the training requirement of your team of programmers on expected changes towards transition on to the SAS Grid.

1. Introduction :
Everyone is dealing with large amount of data now, but how that big data impacts your business depends on what you are trying to do with it. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies are faced with tight deadlines, complex analyses with long run-time. To solve that
issue and reduce overall run-time and increase system availability, one option is the SAS Grid. The SAS Grid Manager uses the power of distributed computing across a cluster of server nodes that provide redundancy, scalability, and parallel
(asynchronous) processing resulting in increased reliability, easy expansion, and reduction in overall run-time. Migrating towards this power of distributed computing does pose some challenges, but with careful planning and use of simple tools, the hurdles will quickly
become a distant memory. We will address some of the key challenges we faced and its solutions while working on multiple SAS Grid implementations.
Learning :
Migrating to SAS grid into a new operating environment is a complex and challenging task. Especially, when it is across platform (different OS level), different OS Bit sizes and across SAS versions. But with careful planning and use of simple toolset it can be managed with
little pain. Some of the key challenges and solution listed in this paper can help towards better understanding of things to consider when working on SAS Grid migration. Finally, do not underestimate the training requirement of your team of programmers
on expected changes towards transition on to the SAS Grid.
Across
Platforms
Acrossplatforms
FILE/DIRECTORY STRUCTURE
SYSTEM/ ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
OS PLATFORM UTILITIES
ADHOCH BUILD OS SCRIPT
32Bit/64Bit changes
VALIDVARNAME
VALIDFMTNAME
SAS CATALOGS
CodeHandling
DDE (DYNAMIC DATA EXCHANGE) FUNCTIONALITY
SAS STATEMENTS THAT SPECIFY A FILE OR DIRECTORY PATH
BACK SLASH AND FORWARD SLASH
CALLING OS OR EXTERNAL COMMANDS
SYSTEM MACRO NAMES AND ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
DBMS = EXCEL OPTION FOREXCEL
POP-UP WINDOW OR DISPLAY STATEMENTS
SASversion changes
EXTENDOBSCOUNTER
VALIDMEMNAME
VALIDFMTNAME
V6CREATEUPDATE
Data Handling
INCOMPATIBLE DATA SET ENCODING
SAS CATALGS
CodeModification
DM STATEMENTS
ENDSAS AND ABORT STATEMENTS
VALIDVARNAME
MACRO CATALOG NAMING
FORMAT CATALOG
MACRO NAME CASE CHANGE
OLE DB API
Businessprocess changes
SECURITY
AUTHENTICATION
PERMISSIONS &PRIVACY
Operationprocess changes
JOB SCHEDULING
JOB MONITORING
PERFORMANCE MONITORING
REGIONAL OVERLAP DURING JOB PROCESSING
INTERFACE WITH REMOTE FILE SYSTEM AND SERVERS OUTSIDE GRID
PhUSE 2016Barcelona
SASGrid Migration - Challenges,Solutionsand Learnings
by Amol Waykar and Eric Brinsfield
32Bit/
64Bit
Change
Across
SAS
Version
Data
Handling
Code
Handling
Business
Process
Code
Modification
Operation
Process
Won’t work on SAS Grid and across
platform
Require changes to work on SAS
Grid and across platform
May not be required, since SAS Grid
comes with this feature to manage
it better