Taking Advantage of the SAS System on the Windows Platform

The Windows operating system is a key environment for a majority of SAS users. Windows and related Microsoft products are undergoing significant changes and enhancements. The introduction of Windows 2000 Professional, Server, Advanced Server and Datacenter Server editions, 64-bit Windows, the upcoming “Whistler” release, the announcement of the Microsoft.NET framework, Digital Dashboards and improved performance for terminal services enables business and ebusiness applications to more fully utilize the Windows platform. Combined with new hardware systems from leading manufacturers including Unisys, Compaq, HP and Dell, Windows-based systems are now delivering previously unattainable levels of scalability and reliability. How do these new products benefit SAS users? This paper presents a discussion of the state of the Windows platform and future direction, including operating system updates and new features and how the SAS system inter-operates with Windows. New SAS features that take advantage of new Intel hardware advances are also reviewed.