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  • 1.  Benefit from new SAS features by staying reasonably current

    Posted Aug 04, 2015 11:31 AM

    SAS INSTITUTE has delivered significant new-function with recent releases (and even maintenance updates), so it would be worthwhile for CA MICS clients who depend on SAS feature/function capabilities to encourage the SAS z/OS software admin to make an effort to keep reasonably up-to-date with SAS software upgrades...

     

    And by doing so, these SAS reporting-capabilities and operational improvements can be leveraged as soon as CA MICS software is ready to take advantage as well, and even without waiting for CA to react.

     

    Here are a few items:

     

    1) SAS 9.4 TS1M2 delivers full-support for SAS tape-directed data libraries and LBI (Large Block Interface) support / CONFIG option DLLBI | NODLLBI -- significant performance gain observed with tape-related MICS operational jobs, much like IBM / ISV utilities have also seen similar performance gains (e.g., z/OS V2R1 and IDCAMS REPRO support for LBI).

    2) SAS 9.2 delivers external/sequential dataset support for LBI, as CONFIG option FILELBI | NOFILELBI.

    3) SAS 9.2 delivers SG* GRAPHICS PROCs, however as part of SAS/Graph (optional licensed).

    4) SAS 9.3 re-assigns SG* GRAPHICS PROCs to SAS BASE (i.e., SAS/Graph not required).

     

    And as you upgrade SAS software, it's worthwhile to check-in with CA MICS SUPPORT to determine how MICS interacts with a given enhancement, or at least to let CA know clients are interested in seeing CA MICS leverage / support these new features for all the right reasons.

     

    Also, with recent CA MICS BASE maintenance (post r12.9), sites will need to setup a true MICS test complex in order to properly test / exercise a new SAS distribution/install environment.

     

    Scott Barry

    SBBWorks, Inc.



  • 2.  Re: Benefit from new SAS features by staying reasonably current

    Posted Nov 11, 2015 11:03 AM

    MICS sites concerned about management reporting / charting using SAS BASE will want to seriously consider upgrading to at least SAS 9.3, which is when the SAS ODS GRAPHICS and the associated SG* PROCs are re-assigned from SAS/Graph to SAS BASE ownership.  That means you can take advantage of web-based charting -- that does not require SAS/Graph.  As an aside, there are additional enhancements added with SAS 9.4 TS1M2 to consider - that's another topic for discussion.

     

    And I encourage all MICS clients to let CA know about this interest, when it comes to MICS development priority setting -- appears the CA MICS team is struggling with staff-shortage and as a result they are "waiting for clients to ask for support" more often than taking the lead on improving MICS functionality in non-critical "data source"  (technology support) areas for some MICS components.

     

    Scott Barry

    SBBWorks, Inc.

     

    SAS(R) 9.3 ODS Graphics: Procedures Guide, Third Edition

     

    https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/76822_ODSGraph2011.pdf  - presentation: An Overview of ODS Statistical Graphics in SAS 9.3