Create the Migration Package

These packages contain all of the current SAS content—data and configuration—residing on a machine. Later in the migration process, the uses these migration packages to populate your SAS 9.4 deployment.

In addition to creating migration analysis reports, the SAS Migration Utility creates migration packages. A migration package contains all of the current SAS content from your deployment. Migration utility output (see Sample Migration Utility Directory Structure) consists of data and configuration that reside on each machine in your deployment. In a multi-machine environment, each time you run the migration utility, the utility adds the local machine’s SAS content to build one, multi-machine migration package. Later in the migration process, the SAS Deployment Wizard uses the migration package to populate your SAS 9.4 deployment.

Note: If you downloaded the SAS Migration Utility before receiving your SAS 9.4 order, you should now use the migration utility that is provided in your order. The version of the SAS Migration Utility that is included with your SAS 9.4 order is guaranteed to be compatible with the versions of the SAS products that you have ordered.

To create a migration package, follow these steps:

CAUTION

The migration utility pauses the SAS Metadata Server when it creates a migration package, so any attempts to use your current SAS system during this period will be unsuccessful. Therefore, you should plan accordingly.

Review the migration utility requirements. (See SAS Migration Utility Requirements.)
Make sure that you have backed up your current SAS Metadata Repository.

For more information, see Back Up Your Current SAS System.
If you have not already, complete a migration utility checklist. (See Complete a Migration Utility Checklist.)
Make sure that you have prepared your metadata repositories before you create a migration package on the metadata tier. (See Prepare Your Metadata Repositories.)
Verify that the current is running.
If you have multiple machines in your SAS deployment, then you have to run the migration utility once on each machine. (Always run the migration utility on the metadata server first.)
If you are creating a migration package on a machine, verify that all data servers in your SAS environment, including the SAS Web Infrastructure Platform database, are running on SAS 9.4.
All SAS Web Application Servers must be stopped.
Log on to the current SAS machine (the source machine) whose SAS content you want to .

Note: On SAS multiple machine deployments, run the migration utility first on the machine hosting the SAS Metadata Server.
If the version of the migration utility that you are using has changed from the one that you have used previously, then be sure to delete the migration utility's output directory.
Change to the SAS Migration Utility executable directory. By default, this is the smu-version subdirectory under the utilities directory in your .
Review the section, smu Command Notes.
Use the common migration utility properties file and the common that you have developed, unless the source machine requires any special modifications.

(For example, SAS is installed on a nonstandard path.)

For more information, see Develop a Common SAS Migration Utility Properties File.
Add any necessary product-specific migration utility properties to your properties file. (See Review Product-Specific SAS Migration Utility Properties.)
If you have migration packages from any earlier migration utility invocations, delete or move these packages before rerunning the migration utility.
Invoke the migration utility on the machine with the metadata server using the following command from an operating system prompt or command line that is appropriate for your version of SAS and your operating system.

Note: On UNIX and z/OS, if you have not already, remember to assign file Execute permissions to smu.94 and smu.zos before attempting to run the migration utility. For more information, refer to your UNIX or z/OS documentation.

If you have a multi-tier SAS deployment, you need to run the migration utility once on each machine. (Do not run the migration utility on middle-tier cluster machines and machines that contain only SAS clients.) There are specific migration utility options, depending on the tier. For more information, see SAS Migration Utility Overview.

Note: You cannot run the migration utility on more than one machine simultaneously because the migration schema might be updated by more than one process at the same time.

Use the -REPLACE option if the migration utility writes to the output directory used in earlier invocations.

SAS 9.4 on Windows 32-bit

smu94_32.exe -properties absolute pathname to property file -replace

SAS 9.4 on Windows 64-bit

smu94_x64.exe -properties absolute pathname to property file -replace

SAS 9.4 on UNIX

./smu94 -- -properties absolute pathname to property file -replace

SAS 9.4 on z/OS

./smu94.zos -- -properties absolute pathname to property file -replace
- For more information about migration utility commands, see SAS Migration Utility Overview.
  
  For more information about migration utility properties files, see Develop a Common SAS Migration Utility Properties File.
Review the migration analysis report to ensure that the migration package was properly created. Point a web browser to FullReport.html in the AnalysisReport subdirectory under the output directory that you specified in the migration utility properties file.

Note: Address any issues identified in your migration analysis report. Any errors or warnings might mean that your SAS deployment is unsuitable for migration. Consult SAS Notes about any specific warnings.
After you have created the migration package, make a backup of the package. Backups are especially recommended in multi-tier deployments. If the package creation fails for one tier, you can restore the package to the last successful version, without having to rerun the migration utility on every tier again.
If you have a multi-tier SAS deployment, you need to run the migration utility on each machine. (Do not run the migration utility on middle-tier horizontal cluster machines and machines that contain only SAS clients.) There are specific migration utility options, depending on the tier. For more information, see SAS Migration Utility Overview.

Note: You cannot run the migration utility on more than one machine simultaneously because the migration schema might be updated by more than one process at the same time.

Note: Later, the user ID under which the SAS Deployment Wizard runs must have Write permission for the SAS Content Server directories in the migration package on UNIX. For more information, see Installer Permissions on the Content Server Migration Package on UNIX or Linux.

Last updated: March 16, 2026