Whilst troubleshooting why LDAP based users couldn’t authenticate against a SAS Metadata Server configured for host authentication, I found this handy resource: SAS Usage Note 39891: Using PROC PERMTEST to diagnose UNIX host authentication issues in SAS® 9.2. The server in question already had correctly functioning LDAP host authentication via PAM, it was just that the SAS Metadata Server wasn’t able to authenticate the LDAP users. The usage note helped me fix the problem by leading me to the SASFoundation/SAS9.2/utilities/bin/sasauth.conf file where I found it had methods=pw instead of methods=pam (must have chosen the wrong options at install time). I actually didn’t need to run PROC PERMTEST this time but the usage note contains clear instructions on how to when required. Interestingly PROC PERMTEST doesn’t seem to appear in the Base SAS® 9.2 Procedures Guide.
Month: February 2011
Spreading the WORK load
I found a handy tip from Rafi in the discussion Allocating SAS WORK Libraries Dynamically in SAS 9.2 in the LinkedIn group SAS Architects/Administrators/Implementation Specialist. It explains how to use a variation on the SAS system option WORK= to spread work libraries over a number of I/O paths using either random or available space methods. This can potentially help you improve I/O performance for work libraries en-masse, and/or get access to more available space, by spreading those work libraries over a number of different devices.
This usage of the WORK= SAS system option is documented in a number of places:
- SAS® 9.2 Companion for UNIX Environments » Host-Specific Features of the SAS Language » System Options under UNIX » WORK System Option: UNIX
- SAS® 9.2 Companion for Windows, Second Edition » Features of the SAS Language for Windows » System Options under Windows » WORK System Option: Windows
- SAS Usage Note 37593: Dynamic allocation of the WORK directory in a Windows operating environment – this usage note provides a Windows oriented example
Interesting SAS notes relating to Portal Promotion
I noticed a couple of recent SAS usage notes relating to the new portal content promotion capability in SAS 9.2:
- SAS Problem Note 42231: The script used to promote SAS® Information Delivery Portal content removes the Portal Application Tree when an incorrect name is passed to the script
- SAS Usage Note 41692: Scripts for promoting SAS® Information Delivery Portal content
SAS Problem Note 42231 discusses a potential problem whereby incorrect letter casing in the specification of a template name could result in the removal of the entire Portal Application Tree. Of course, if you always follow the practice of doing a SAS metadata backup before any metadata promotions it wont be an issue as you will have a backup to restore from. It sounds like there is a hotfix planned.
The problem note also alerted me to SAS Usage Note 41692 which provides a link to download the portal promotion scripts for use with versions prior to 4.3. A quick look through the documentation shows the scripts can be used to go from a source environment of SAS 9.1.3 (or later) to a target environment of SAS 9.2 (or later) – no 9.1.3 to 9.1.3. I’m not entirely sure, but it also sounds like the downloadable scripts might also be of use to Portal 4.3 users who want to avoid the potential problem mentioned in 42231.
I’d be keen to hear of anyone’s experiences with the portal promotion tools if they want to share.