Software License Renewal Instructions

SAS(R) 9.3 Foundation for Microsoft(R) Windows(R)

Note: In this document, references to Microsoft Windows or Windows include Microsoft Windows for x64. 

SAS software is licensed on a calendar basis. In order to run your licensed software, you must supply the SAS installation data file (SID file) to renew your software.

Software Renewal Made Simple

These instructions explain the process of renewing your SAS 9.3 software license:

• A. Obtain your SAS installation data file.
• B. Run the Renew SAS Software utility. (For a video that demonstrates how the utility works, please see the SAS Note link in this section below.)
• C. Restart all SAS servers, if applicable.
• D. Update the SID file in metadata for SAS on the mid-tier, if applicable.

A. Obtain Your SAS Installation Data File

A SAS installation data file must be updated when the license period has expired, and/or there has been a change in the SAS software products covered by the license.

• If you have added products, you must perform an add-on installation of those products using the new SAS installation data file.
• If you have no product changes or you have dropped products, you just need to renew the license.

The SID file name is in the format SAS93_order-number_site-number_host-platform.txt. For example, SAS93_111ABC_70111111_Win_x64_wrkstn.txt (Note: for 2023 the files were renamed to SAS_93_64bit.txt and SAS_93_32bit.txt)

You should add the SAS installation data file to the sid_files directory of the SAS Software Depot, rather than replacing the SID file that was delivered with the original order.

The information below is an overview of the software renewal process and the part that the SAS installation data file plays in it. For all the documentation needed for your installation, please visit Install Center, http://support.sas.com/installcenter

SAS Installation Data File in the Software Order E-Mail

When it is time to renew your SAS software license, or if additional SAS software products have been ordered, your designated installation representative receives an e-mail from SAS. This e-mail includes a single text file attachment which is your SAS installation data file (SID file). Use the instructions provided in the e-mail to save the file to disk. It is recommended that you save this e-mail and file attachment to your SAS Software Depot\sid_files directory or to your local hard drive. It is important that your SAS installation data be stored in a location where regular backups occur. Without the data in the SAS Installation Data File, you will not be able to renew your license or add new products to your existing SAS 9.3 installation.

Requesting a Temporary SAS Installation Data File (SID File)

For emergency situations, you can download a temporary SID file that will extend the use of your licensed SAS software products for six days. Please visit SAS Support's License Assistance page, http://support.sas.com/techsup/license/ and click Request a temporary license extension for all SAS releases. For security purposes, you will be prompted for your SAS Profile credentials. If you do not have a SAS Profile, you can create one from the License Assistance page.

B. Run the Renew SAS Software Utility

If you already have SAS software installed, the Renew SAS Software utility applies the SAS installation data file. From the Start menu, select Programs (or All Programs on Windows XP) -> SAS -> Utilities -> Renew SAS Software. Continue by navigating through the SAS renewal dialog boxes described below.

To view a video demonstration of the Renew SAS Software utility, please see "SAS Note 43617: License file renewal instructions for SAS(R) 9.3 personal installations on Microsoft Windows operating environments" at http://support.sas.com/kb/43/617.html

If You Renew Your Software on Windows Vista or Windows 7

To start the Renew SAS Software utility on Windows Vista or Windows 7, follow these steps:

1. Select All Programs -> SAS -> Utilities.
2. Right-click Renew SAS Software.
3. Select Run As Administrator.
4. If the User Account Control dialog box is displayed, select Allow.
5. If prompted for a userid and password, enter a userid that has administrator rights.
6. Continue by navigating through the SAS renewal dialog boxes described below.

Note: Do not attempt to renew your SAS 9.3 license on a personal installation of SAS on Windows Vista or Windows 7 with the same method used for other Windows platforms. The renewal utility will appear to run successfully, but the license will not be updated.

If You Need to Run the Tool from Your Hard Drive

If the Renew SAS Software tool cannot be reached from the Start menu, the tool can be located on your hard drive. Open Windows Explorer (Click on the Start button, select run from the menu and type Explorer). Go to the following directory: 

     C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASRenewalUtility\9.3\

If you have SAS 9.3 software on a Windows x64 machine, you may have a 32-bit or a 64-bit SAS software installation, or both types of software installed at the same time. The 32-bit SAS software installation is in the following directory:

     C:\Program Files\SASHome\x86\SASRenewalUtility\9.3

Double-click on sasrenew.exe to start the Renew SAS Software tool.

Two Steps to Renew SAS 9.3

As the text at the top of the Renew SAS Software window indicates, there are two steps in renewing your SAS software:

1. Select a SAS installation data file.
2. Specify product location.

To proceed, select the SAS installation data file, click Next, review and click OK.

If only one copy of SAS 9.3 is installed on the machine, then click Renew to complete the steps.

If you have SAS 9.3 software on a Windows x64 machine, you may have a 32-bit or a 64-bit SAS software installation, or both types of software installed at the same time. These are the default installation locations:

• 32bit:  C:\Program Files\SASHome\x86\SASFoundation\9.3
• x64:    C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASFoundation\9.3

If both are installed then you have the option of making the following changes in the Step 2, "Specify product location" dialog:

1. Make sure the Same as above check box is selected.
2. In the "Folder where SAS was installed" field, verify the location for the version you want to update. If you need to change it, type the pathname or browse to the software location where sas.exe is located, as noted above.

Note: Typically, the "Folder for SAS config file" field defaults to the correct path.

3. Click Renew to complete the steps.

Renewing SAS Software in Quiet Mode

The Renew SAS Software utility can run in Quiet Mode. This allows you to renew your SAS software license without user input or the display of dialog windows.

To renew your SAS software in Quiet Mode, locate the SASRENEW.EXE utility file on your hard drive. The default directory is  

     C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASRenewalUtility\9.3\SASRenew.exe

Run the following command from a command prompt:

     "[full path to sasrenew.exe]" -s "datafile:[full path to your SAS Installation Data file]"

For example:

     "C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASRenewalUtility\9.3\SASRenew.exe" -s "datafile:c:\SAS93_order-number_site-number_host-platform.txt"

Note: The userid logged into the machine must have administrator rights. The files and folders in the directory where SAS is installed cannot be set to read-only.

If you are using the SYSTEM account on Windows 7, make sure the Documents folder exists. Typically, it would be found in

     c:\windows\system32\config\systemprofile\.

One way to determine if the SID file was applied successfully is to search the setinit.log file for the text: "Siteinfo data have been updated," along with the new expiration date. The default directory for the setinit.log file is

     c:\Program Files\SASHOME\SASFoundation\9.3.

C. Restart all SAS Servers, if Applicable

After you renew your software, restart all SAS Servers and SAS Spawners. 
To use any newly licensed products that are included in a new SAS 
installation data file, you must perform an add-on installation to add 
those products, apply the new SAS installation data file, and then restart 
all SAS Servers. New expiration dates take effect after you perform the 
appropriate renewal or add-on steps.

D. Update the SID file in Metadata for SAS on the Mid-Tier, if Applicable

If you have a SAS solution with software on the SAS mid-tier, the renewal process may require some extra steps. That process and the conditions for its use are described in the "About Renewing Your Software License for SAS Solutions" section of the SAS 9.3 Intelligence Platform: Installation and Configuration Guide, located at

     http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/biig/62611/HTML/default/viewer.htm#n09019intelplatform00install.htm

SAS and all other SAS Institute product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.

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Copyright (c)2011 SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.

31 August 2011