Converting from a pooled workspace server to a standard workspace server in a SAS® Business Intelligence deployment


Overview

By default, a pooled workspace server is used by SAS® Information Map Studio and web applications such as SAS® Web Report Studio. The primary purpose of pooling is to enhance performance by avoiding the time penalty that is associated with launching all workspace servers on demand. In pooling, a set of workspace servers are made available to process certain types of query requests. In general, pooling is used when a relational information map is queried, processed, opened, or used indirectly (through a report).

About the Pooled Workspace Server Versus a Standard Workspace Server

For a pooled workspace server, the object spawner launches process instances under a designated service account. That account is called a launch credential and is specified as part of the server's metadata definition. Typically, the login for the General Servers group (sassrv) is used as the launch credential.

If you prefer to launch processes under the requesting user's ID, then you must use a standard workspace server. The only way to convert to a standard workspace server is to block access to the pooled workspace server. If the pooled workspace server is not accessible, then the standard workspace server is used.

About Hiding Servers

For information about why you might want to prevent use of a particular server, see the topic on hiding server definitions in the SAS Intelligence Platform: Security Administration Guide. You can find a link to the guide on the SAS® Intelligence Platform Product Documentation page. Click the tab for your release of SAS.

Performance Impact of Using a Standard Workspace Server

Performance will likely be adversely affected when pooling is disabled. Before making any changes, review the topic "Server Configuration, Data Retrieval, and Risk" in the SAS Intelligence Platform: Security Administration Guide for your release of SAS.

Restricting Access to the Pooled Workspace Server

To restrict access to the pooled workspace server, perform these tasks in SAS® Management Console.

Note: If explicitly denying access to PUBLIC does not prevent users from accessing the pooled workspace server, then make sure you have not explicitly granted access to SASUSERS or any other user or group.

  1. Log on as an unrestricted user such as sasadm@saspw.
  2. Navigate to Server Manager ► SASApp - Logical Pooled Workspace Server.

Note: Your server context might have a different name.

  1. Right-click and select Properties.
  2. On the Authorization tab, make sure that SAS Administrator has an explicit grant for all permissions, and then add an explicit denial on all permissions for PUBLIC.