Performance Benchmark with SAS 8.2, 9.1.3, and 9.2 on UNIX SPARC Architectures

In the rapidly growing pace of information technology advancement, making the right decisions about software upgrades and hardware purchases becomes an important factor in maximizing one‟s SAS investment. With a wide range of SAS products and infrastructure platforms available, one challenge faced by SAS administrators is choosing the optimal bundle in software selection and hardware configuration. The case study presented in this paper evaluates the performance level of Base SAS product versions, SAS® 8.2, SAS® 9.1.3, and SAS® 9.2, on selected UNIX SPARC server architectures. In a controlled environment, a series of performance simulations were executed to quantify input/output time, CPU time, and other process statistics among various SAS versions and UNIX configurations. The benchmark measurement provides first-hand tangible insights for administrators and managers in making informed SAS purchases and upgrade decisions to meet specific needs.