A Hot fix is an individual quick fix to an immediate critical problem, an essential fix to a commonly recurring problem or a fix for necessary system maintenance.

A Hot fix bundle is simply an accumulation of one or more individual hot fixes.

A Defect is a description of a bug in the SAS software.

An Alert Note lists problems or defects that users need to be aware of before installing or while using The SAS System. You can receive them by subscribing to the TSNEWS-L listserv. For information on how the TSNEWS-L listserv works and how to subscribe to it please visit:
www.sas.com/service/techsup/news/tsnews.html

A Service Pack is a complete software update containing system enhancements and bug fixes in one installable package.

A hot fix is usually created for a priority alert defect, while alert and commonly encountered defects remain the primary focus for hot fixes, the hot fix process has branched out to provide fixes for less critical and less widespread defects. Hot fixes are also helping customers to maintain older SAS Systems until they are ready to upgrade to the latest production release.

This evolving fix process has resulted in several commonly asked questions.

Q: Do I need to apply every available hot fix to my SAS installation?
A: SAS users are encouraged to keep their SAS System as up-to-date as possible, yet there is no reason to feel obligated to install all SAS hot fixes at every SAS site. Applying only the hot fixes that impact the way an individual site uses SAS is an acceptable approach.

Q: Is it ok to apply hot fixes only on an "as-needed" basis?
A: Yes. Many SAS customers apply a hot fix only if someone at their site runs across a specific problem that a hot fix addresses.

Q: Are there certain critical hot fixes that I should apply to my SAS installation?
A: SAS Technical Support identifies issues that are critical to customers. These issues are indicated on the hot fix download site with the word ALERT. If you think a specific ALERT issue could impact your site, you should install the appropriate hot fix.

Q: Other than ALERT issues, how do I know which hot fixes I really need?
A: The answer will vary based on how your site uses SAS. You may want to apply hot fixes for specific SAS procedures, products or solutions which are critical to your site. You should also install hot fixes which are referenced in SAS documentation or which are recommended to you by SAS Technical Support consultants.

Q: Are hot fixes safe to apply to my SAS installation?
A: We make every effort to ensure that hot fixes are safe. Hot fixes are tested to confirm that they not only address the issues at hand, but also to make sure no regressions (i.e. new problems) are introduced. SAS hot fixes are fully supported.

Q: Is it ok to not install any SAS hot fixes?
A: If you are not experiencing a problem addressed by a hot fix, do not feel obligated to install the hot fix. However, you should monitor ALERT issues on the hot fix download site and consider the potential impact of these issues based on your use of SAS.
More FAQ on using SAS hot fixes can be found at the following site:
http://ftp.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/faq.html

Please visit the following site to download the latest SAS Hot fixes and Service packs:
http://ftp.sas.com/techsup/download/hotfix/hotfix.html