Moving and Accessing SAS Files across Operating Environments

Verifying Transfer Format and Transport File Attributes

Verify that the communications software that you use to transfer the transport file is in BINARY format. If you use FTP, for example, you would explicitly enter the FTP BINARY command. Here is a sample invocation of FTP:

ftp
> open host
> binary
> get file file
> close
> quit

For details about FTP, see Transferring a Transport File or a CEDA File.

Even if your communications software claims to submit transport files in an appropriate format by default, always be certain of binary format by explicitly specifying it. For details about how to specify the transfer format, consult your communications software documentation.

Also, verify the file attributes of the transport file, which are required in order to restore the file at the target host. Although some target hosts may not need file attributes, the transfer method (tape and network) always does. See Transport File Attributes for a list of hosts that require file attributes. Problems can result when the file attributes that are required by the target host and those applied by the transfer method conflict.

Verify file attributes that are required by the target host. How you list and set file attributes varies by host. See the appropriate host environment chapter for this information.

Also verify the file attributes that the transfer method sets. For example, if using FTP, you set file attributes in an FTP command. Here is a sample invocation of FTP:

ftp
> open host
> binary
> locsite recfm=fb blocksize=8000 lrecl=80
> get file file
> close
> quit

If transferring a transport file across a network, consult your communications software documentation. For information about transferring a file by means of tape, see the appropriate host environment chapter.

If you can correct the problem, re-create the transport file at the source host, transfer it to the target, and restore it again.

If the problem persists, try to reblock the transport file and retry transporting it. See Reblocking a Transport File.

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