Moving and Accessing SAS Files across Operating Environments

Requirements of a Typical Client/Server SAS Session

In order to establish a pathway between a local SAS/SHARE client and a remote SAS/SHARE server, operations must be performed at both the client and the server hosts.

Note: We use the terms client and server to refer strictly to SAS/SHARE clients and SAS/SHARE servers. Other types of clients such as an htmSQL client, a Java applet, or application client are not discussed here. [cautionend]

Server Host

Here are the basic tasks that a server administrator performs to start a server:

Specify a communications access method that a client uses to access the server.
Note: Do not confuse the communications access method that is used with SAS/SHARE and SAS/CONNECT with the access method that is used as an argument to the SAS FILENAME statement.
Start a server.

Tasks that you must perform vary by host and access method. Examples of such tasks are setting SAS system options to maximize server performance and to configure security features. For complete details, see Communications Access Methods for SAS/CONNECT and SAS/SHARE Software.

Here is a simple example of how to start a server on a UNIX host:

options comamid=tcp;
libname records '/hist101/term1';
proc server id=shr1 authenticate=optional;
run;

This example declares the TCP/IP communications access method as the pathway between server SHR1 and an accessing client. A pre-defined server library is made available to clients for subsequent access. Server SHR1 must also be declared in the UNIX /etc/services file.

Client Host

Here are the basic tasks that an end-user or an applications programmer performs to access data through a server:

Specify a communications access method that a client uses to access the server.
Specify a library for access by means of the server.

Like the server session, the client session also requires the user to perform tasks that vary by host and access method. Examples of such tasks are setting a SAS system option to maximize server performance and to configure security features.

Here is a simple example of how USER1 might access data by means of SHR1:

options comamid=tcp;
libname records server=rmtnode.shr1;

This example declares the TCP/IP communications access method as the pathway between the server SHR1 and an accessing client. The pre-defined server library RECORDS is accessed by means of the server SHR1 that is located on UNIX host RMTNODE.

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