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Hot Fix FAQ

General Hot Fix Questions:
 
 What is a hot fix?
 What is a container hot fix?
 Which hot fixes should I apply?
 How can I receive automatic notification when a new hot fix becomes available?
 How can I determine which hot fixes have been applied to my SAS installation?
 Should hot fixes be installed in a specific order?
 Will installing one hot fix over-write another fix?
 Is a "silent" installer or "batch mode" installer available for hot fixes?
 How can I tell which release of SAS a hot fix can be applied to?
 Why are some issues addressed in hot fixes labeled "ALERT"?
 How do I cancel a hot fix installation?
 Is it possible to apply a hot fix multiple times on the same SAS image?
 How do I know if my hot fix installation was successful?
 What is SASHFADD?


9.1.3 Hot Fix Bundles:
 
 What is a hot fix bundle?
 What is the significance of the IMPORTANT! message and hot fix list displayed before I am able to download a bundle?  How does this list compare to the hot fixes listed on the Hot Fixes not included in bundle report?


SAS 9.1.3 (9.1 TS1M3) Service Packs:
 
 What is a Service Pack?
 Are Service Packs Cumulative?
 Why are previously available hot fixes no longer available for download?
 The SASNote I am reading says there is a 9.1.3 Fix available. I clicked on the link and it takes me to a table that says "SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack *". What does this mean?
 Can I apply new 9.1.3 hot fixes without having the latest SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack on my system?

 
 
qa.gif (1572 bytes)    What is a hot fix?

The answer can vary. To some it is a quick fix to an immediate problem or an essential fix to a commonly recurring problem. To others, it is system maintenance.

Technical Support's hot fix focus is on the need to solve critical and frequently recurring problems. These alert priority defects will be evaluated for hot fix consideration. If the fix can be created with a reasonable impact to the source code and testing coverage can confirm accurate results, the hot fix will be pursued. Fixes that require a significant code update, impose a great potential for regressions in the software, are considered enhancements to the existing software, or are considered to have a minor impact on customers will be deferred to a subsequent SAS release. This will help us to ensure the reliability of hot fixes.

Hot fixes have been tested and are fully supported. Most hot fixes are incorporated into the next scheduled release.

Developing a viable work around to a problem is still the preferred approach over providing a hot fix, and hot fixing every problem that customers encounter is not practical. However, we do want to provide fixes that allow customers to “maintain” their installed production SAS System until they are reasonably able to upgrade to the latest SAS release.

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    What is a container hot fix?

A "CONTAINER" hot fix delivers one or more "MEMBER" hot fixes in one downloadable unit. A CONTAINER hot fix is only an outer shell. It is the MEMBER hot fixes inside it that update the SAS software components.

General rules about CONTAINER hot fixes:

1) The hot fix installation instructions will indicate if a hot fix is a CONTAINER. The installation instructions will also list the SAS software components that will be updated by the MEMBER hot fixes. Special attention should be given for any pre/post installation steps outlined in the instructions.

2) A CONTAINER hot fix must be applied separately to each machine. The installation process will apply only those MEMBER hot fixes which are applicable based on the SAS Deployment Registry for each specific machine.

3) The following table lists where you will see CONTAINER and MEMBER hot fix id's:
 CONTAINER Hot Fix IDMEMBER Hot Fix ID
SAS Hot Fix Download SiteYESNO
Hot Fix Installation InstructionsYESYES
SAS Deployment Manager ScreensNOYES
SAS Deployment RegistryNOYES
SAS DeploymentRegistry.txt/.htmlNOYES
SASHFADD* Analysis ReportYESNO
SASHFADD* DEPLOY_ DirectoryYESNO

* The SAS Hot Fix Analysis, Download and Deployment Tool (SASHFADD) will correctly identify CONTAINER hot fixes which have MEMBERS that can be applied to your SAS deployment.

4) SAS 9.4 and SAS 9.3 CONTAINER hot fixes may contain MEMBER hot fixes for multiple operating systems. The SAS Deployment Manager will apply only those MEMBER hot fixes which are applicable for the operating system on each specific machine.

5) SAS 9.2 CONTAINER hot fixes will contain individual MEMBER hot fixes specific to an operating system. If the SAS components are installed across multiple operating systems, the relevant SAS 9.2 hot fix CONTAINER for each operating system should be downloaded and applied to the applicable machine(s).

More information on installing hot fixes is available.

SAS 9.4: SAS Deployment Wizard and SAS Deployment Manager 9.4: User’s Guide
SAS 9.3: SAS Deployment Wizard and SAS Deployment Manager 9.3: User’s Guide
SAS 9.2: Using the Maintenance Installation Tool to Install SAS® Hot Fixes - Usage and Troubleshooting Guide

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Which hot fixes should I apply?

There are two philosophies which can be followed when determining which hot fixes should be applied.

Philosophy 1: ”Install only what is needed”

Some sites are interested in fixing only those problems that they encounter. They do not see the necessity of installing fixes for problems that do not affect them. They want to install just the fixes that are needed to keep their existing jobs running successfully. This minimizes the number of changes and regression testing to their SAS installations and the time spent installing hot fixes. These sites should download hot fixes only on an as-needed basis.

Philosophy 2: “Install every fix that is available”

Other sites want to be proactive by keeping their SAS installation updated with all of the latest fixes. These are typically larger sites that use many different components of the software. There are also users who are more comfortable with always running the "latest and greatest". For these sites, downloading the available product hot fixes at set intervals of time is the best and most efficient approach.

Neither philosophy is better or more correct than the other; they are just two different ways of thinking. It is up to each site to determine which philosophy best meets its business needs.

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    How can I receive automatic notification when a new hot fix becomes available?

When new hot fixes become available, announcements are posted to tsnews-l. If you are not subscribed to this listserv, you can do so from:

http://support.sas.com/techsup/news/tsnews.html

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    How can I determine which hot fixes have been applied to my SAS installation?

For SAS 9.2, Phase 2 (TS2M0) and SAS 9.3, the installation of hot fixes is logged in the SAS Deployment Registry. A reporting utility named ViewRegistry (available in sas.tools.viewregistry.jar) processes the deployment registry and generates a report file named DeploymentRegistry.html. This report identifies all SAS 9.2 software that is installed in the current SASHOME location, including hot fixes.

For more information about the ViewRegistry utility, including details about how to access and execute the utility, see SAS Note 35968, "Using the ViewRegistry Report and other methods to determine the SAS 9.2 software releases and hot fixes that are installed."

For SAS 9.1.3, an audit file is installed with every SAS Foundation hot fix. This text file contains hot fix specific information such as the hot fix name, product involved, files included in the hot fix, port date, SAS Note numbers and comments. Audit files have the same name as the hot fix (i.e. e9ba01wn.aud) and are installed in a location specific to each host.

Do not delete installed audit files. These files may be used by Technical Support to troubleshoot problems.

OS/390 9.1.3 audit files are installed in a location (&prefix) specified by the person who installed the hot fix; there is not a default installation location for these files on OS/390.

The dataset where audit files are installed is &prefix.HF<hot-fix-number>.AUDIT
where &prefix is the prefix of your SAS Installation data sets.

Example: SASTSD.SAS91.HFE9BD34.AUDIT

UNIX 9.1.3 audit files are installed in !SASROOT/install/admin/hotfix.

Review the file !SASROOT/install/admin/history.hotfix to see a list of all hot fixes that have been applied to your system.

Windows 9.1.3 audit files are installed in !SASROOT\core\sasinst\hotfix.

In this directory, an audit file will exist for every hot fix that has been installed. The filenames are in the format of <hot-fix-name><platform-code>.aud.

Example: SASROOT\core\sasinst\hotfix\e9bd34wn.aud.

OpenVMS Alpha 9.1.3 audit files are installed in SAS$ROOT:[TOOLS.SUPPORT.HOTFIX].

In this directory, an audit file will exist for every hot fix that has been installed. The filenames are in the format of <hot-fix-name><platform-code>.aud.

Example: SAS$ROOT:[TOOLS.SUPPORT.HOTFIX]E9BD34AV.AUD

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Should hot fixes be installed in a specific order?
qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Will installing one hot fix over-write another fix?

No, hot fixes do not have to be installed in any specific order ...
and
No, installing one hot fix will not overwrite a previously installed fix ...

for three reasons:

  1. All of the updated files (i.e. modules, catalogs, message files, etc) necessary for a fix are included in the one hot fix.
  2. No two production hot fixes contain the same updated files.
  3. Hot fixes are cumulative. When an existing hot fix is replaced with a newer version which contains additional fixes, all previous fixes are also included.
There are two exceptions:
  1. For 9.1.3, once a hot fix bundle has been installed, do not re-install any of the individual hot fixes that are included in that bundle.
  2. Many hot fixes have been replaced with newer versions which contain additional fixes. Once a current hot fix has been applied, do not install a previous version (i.e. replaced version) of that hot fix.
Neither scenarios #1 nor #2 should be necessary; however, if you believe they are, please contact Technical Support before executing either of these exceptions.
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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Is a "silent" installer or "batch mode" installer available for hot fixes?

For SAS 9.3, see the 'Using the Hot Fix Launcher Script' section in SAS Deployment Wizard and SAS Deployment Manager 9.3: User's Guide.

For SAS 9.2 (TS2M0), see the 'Silent Installation' section in Maint_Install_Tool.pdf.

For SAS 9.1.3 (9.1 TS1M3) hot fixes, see SAS Note SN-21020
For SAS 9.1.3 Service Packs, see SAS Note SN-13752

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    How can I tell which release of SAS a hot fix can be applied to?

Unless otherwise noted on the hot fix download page, individual hot fixes are designed for specific releases of SAS. A hot fix should NOT be applied to a SAS release or to an Additional SAS Product or Solution other than the one for which it was intended.

An easy way to know if a hot fix is designed for a specific release of SAS is to look at the characters of the hot fix ID and reference the following table:

SAS releaseHot Fix naming convention:
9.2 (9.2 TS2M0) and 9.3 Example: A01005wn
A01005wn = a unique code that identifies the SAS product and version to receive the hot fix
A01005wn = an incremental value for each hot fix that applies to the above code
A01005wn = the operating system for the hot fix (in this example, Windows)

See SAS Note SN-35960 for more information on the hot fix naming convention for SAS 9.2 and SAS 9.3.
9.2 (9.2 TS1M0)hot fix name begins with F9
9.1.3 (9.1 TS1M3 - Service Pack 4)hot fix name begins with E9

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Why are some issues addressed in hot fixes labeled "ALERT"?

ALERT issues are problems that you need to be aware of before you install or use the software. These may include, but are not limited to, security, data integrity and incorrect output. The Hot Fix download site includes the following features to help you quickly identify hot fixes for ALERT issues:

Hot Fix announcements made to the TSNEWS-L listserv also include special notification when a hot fix is released for an ALERT issue.

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    How do I cancel a hot fix installation?

For SAS 9.2, Phase 2 (TS2M0) and SAS 9.3, use the Cancel button to cancel an installation. If the installation is cancelled through an acceptable means (for example, by clicking the Cancel button) rather than by terminating the process, you might receive the following message:

Installation could not be completed. No changes have been made to your system.
The installer then restores the original content before any changes are made.
 
 
qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Is it possible to apply a hot fix multiple times on the same SAS image?

Once you have applied a hot fix, it cannot be reapplied. If you attempt to reapply a hot fix, the installer will fail.

For SAS 9.2, Phase 2 (TS2M0), see SAS Note SN-35780, "Attempts to re-apply SAS 9.2 hot fixes will fail."

 
 
qa.gif (1572 bytes)    How do I know if my hot fix installation was successful?

For SAS 9.2, Phase 2 (TS2M0) and SAS 9.3, the final dialog box of the installation (the Installation Complete dialog box), provides information about the files that were successfully updated during an installation.

An installation log file for each hot fix installation is stored in the following location:

SAS 9.3:  !SASHOME\InstallMisc\InstallLogs\*_hot-fix-name_*.log
SAS 9.2, Phase 2 (TS2M0):  !SASHOME\InstallMisc\InstallLogs\Maintenance\*_hot-fix-name_*.log
The *preexec.log file provides detailed information about the installation process before the install has executed; the *postexec.log file provides detailed information after it has executed.
 
 
qa.gif (1572 bytes)    What is SASHFADD?

The SAS Hot Fix Analysis, Download and Deployment Tool (SASHFADD) creates a customized hot fix report listing hot fixes available for any SAS 9.2 or SAS 9.3 deployment and generates scripts that will automate the download and installation of hot fixes.

For more details, see the HFADD Usage Guide and the HFADD download page.

 
 
qa.gif (1572 bytes)    What is a hot fix bundle?

A hot fix bundle is simply an accumulation of one or more individual hot fixes. Hot fix bundles are currently available for Base SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack 4. New Base SAS hot fixes t that are released after a bundle is created must be downloaded and installed individually or installed with the next bundle. Hot fixes for other products must also still be downloaded individually.

Since Base SAS has a number of fixes in different components of the software, the bundle allows customers to download and install multiple Base SAS hot fixes at one time instead of downloading and installing hot fixes individually.

These bundles are available by platform. Fix lists are provided to document which hot fixes are included in a bundle. Audit files will also be installed with each bundle. These files may be used by Technical Support to troubleshoot problems, so please do not remove them.

The frequency at which these bundles are updated and released is based on the number of hot fixes released since the last bundle and on the number and nature of hot fixes under development at a given time.

While neither the SAS release number nor the tslevel are incremented when a bundle in installed, a new message is written to the log at invocation time:
For SAS 9.1.3 (9.1 TS1M3) Service Pack 4:
NOTE: (E9BX05) SAS 9.1.3 SP 4

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    What is the significance of the IMPORTANT! message and hot fix list displayed before I am able to download a bundle?
qa.gif (1572 bytes)    How does this list compare to the hot fixes listed on the Hot Fixes not included in Hot Fix Bundle report?

When the download of a bundle is initiated, you may see the following:

IMPORTANT!
If you have applied the following hot fix(es) to your system,
these hot fix(es) must be reapplied AFTER installing E9BX01:

The hot fixes listed on this intermediate download page are ones which were released after the hot fix bundle was released, but which contain updated versions of modules that are included in the bundle. If any of these recent hot fixes have been applied to your system, and the hot fix bundle is installed afterward, the recent fixes will be lost (overwritten). This synchronization problem can be avoided by reapplying any hot fixes to your system that are listed on the IMPORTANT! message page. It is critical that you review this page carefully and reinstall any hot fixes that appear on the list!

The hot fixes listed on the IMPORTANT! message page are only a subset of the fixes listed on Hot Fixes NOT included in bundle report, which shows all hot fixes that are not included in the bundle. These hot fixes were either intentionallly excluded from the bundle, or they are new hot fixes that have been released since the bundle was produced. Most of the hot fixes on this report will be included in the next iteration of the bundle.

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    What is a Service Pack?

A Service Pack is a software update containing system enhancements and bug fixes in one installable package. Service Packs are available only for SAS 9.1.3 (9.1 TS1M3).

Service Packs contain all previously released SAS 9.1.3 hot fixes. The individual hot fixes contained in a Service Pack are no longer available for separate download.

The latest Service Pack can be downloaded from the SAS Hot Fix web site, and must be applied to your system before installing any currently available hot fixes.
Note - Service Pack download is not available for all operating systems.

The content of Service Packs varies by operating system. Click on an operating system link below to view the list of fixes and enhancements included in the latest Service Pack:

MAINFRAME: z/OS_(OS/390)
PC: Windows,   Windows for IPF (64bit)
VMS: OpenVMS_Alpha
UNIX: HPUX,   Solaris,   AIX,   Tru_64,   Linux,   HPUX_for_Itanium,   Linux_f or_Itanium

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Are Service Packs Cumulative?

Yes. The fixes and enhancements (including hot fixes) that were in previous service packs are included in the latest service pack.

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Why are previously available hot fixes no longer available for download?

All 9.1.3 hot fixes released prior to the current service pack have been removed from the hot fix download site. These hot fixes are all contained within the current service pack and will no longer be available for individual download.

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)   The SASNote I am reading says there is a 9.1.3 Fix available. I clicked on the link and it takes me to a table that says "SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack * ". What does this mean?

It means that the fix you are looking for is contained in the latest service pack. This can be verified on a fix-by-fix basis by clicking on the Service Pack Fix List link that is included in the service pack download table.

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qa.gif (1572 bytes)    Can I apply new 9.1.3 hot fixes without having the latest SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack on my system?

In most cases, the latest service pack is required for all new 9.1.3 hot fixes. For Foundation software, changes have been made to the hot fix installers to specifically check for the presence of the latest service pack. If the service pack is not found, then the hot fix installers will fail with a clearly stated error message. For mid-tier and client java applications, the hot fix installation will not check for the latest service pack. You should confirm that the latest service pack is installed before applying these hot fixes.

 

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