The SAS Middle Tier is all new for SAS 9.4, and you might not recognize it. Gone are the third-party web application servers. Gone is the third-party Java development kit. Missing major components like those may cause you to ask yourself, “Does SAS still have a middle tier?”  With the introduction of the all new SAS Environment Manager the answer is an emphatic, “YES!” The third-party products are not needed because every component is 100 percent SAS homegrown.

The new SAS Middle Tier Architecture looks like this:

No need to worry. We understand that even though you see some familiar applications, much of this diagram is likely new to you. To help you navigate the new SAS 9.4 Middle Tier we introduce to you the new SAS Platform Administration: Middle Tier Administration course.

A highlight of the course is the SAS Environment Manager, a web-based administration tool for the SAS environment. The following screen shot shows how the SAS Environment Manager displays the status of your entire environment in one dashboard:

The availability column is refreshed every minute indicating the health of the resource in question.

While more functionality will be added to the SAS Environment Manager over the SAS 9.4 lifecycle, it is not yet a replacement for its older brother, SAS Management Console. SAS Management Console still rules when it comes to managing metadata access.

You can learn more by checking out the SAS 9.4 Intelligence Platform: Middle-Tier Administration Guide. Or view the administration curriculum path to see what else is offered.