SAS Companion for the OS/390 Environment

Introduction

Under OS/390, a SAS data library can be a specially formatted operating environment data set that contains only SAS files. This data set may exist on disk, tape, or in a hiperspace.

Note: For the sake of clarity, please recall that a SAS data library is an operating environment data set and that a SAS file (also known as a SAS data set) is a member of a SAS data library. [cautionend]

Only SAS can directly list, copy, rename, read, or modify the members of a SAS data library.

For sites using OS/390 UNIX System Services in full-function mode, a SAS data library can also be a directory in an hierarchical file system (HFS). Any HFS directory can be used as a SAS data library, even if that directory contains files that are not managed by the SAS System. The SAS files in an HFS directory can be listed, copied, or renamed using operating environment facilities. However, due to their special structure, only SAS can properly read or modify the contents of a SAS file in an HFS directory. Filename extensions (the part of a filename that follows the final period) are specific to SAS and should not be modified. Information on HFS file name extensions is provided in SAS Data Sets in HFS Libraries. Additional HFS information is discussed throughout this chapter and elsewhere whenever HFS syntax or behavior differs from standard OS/390.

Allocating an existing SAS data library simply makes it available to SAS and assigns it a logical name for the duration of your SAS session. Allocating a new SAS data library also creates the data library (except for external allocations of UNIX System Services directories). Therefore, in addition to assigning a logical name, you may also need to specify parameters such as block size, disposition, and space allocation. If you do not specify these additional parameters, SAS uses default values that are derived from SAS system options.

The logical name that you assign to your SAS data library is called a libref if you use the SAS LIBNAME statement, LIBNAME function, or SAS Explorer Library Assignment dialog box to allocate the library, or a DDname if you use the JCL DD statement or the TSO ALLOCATE command to allocate the library. Thereafter, you can use the libref or DDname as a convenient way of referring to the library.

Ways of Allocating SAS Data Libraries

Under OS/390, you can allocate a new or existing SAS data library in the following ways:

internally (within a SAS session), using a LIBNAME statement, LIBNAME function, SAS Explorer New Library Assignment dialog box, or implicit reference to members using quoted name syntax (see Accessing SAS Data Sets Without a Libref Using Quoted References).
externally, using a JCL DD statement or a TSO ALLOCATE command.

See Allocating SAS Data Libraries Internally and Allocating SAS Data Libraries Externally for more information about these methods.

SAS Library Engines

SAS provides different engines that enable you to access and, in most cases, to update files of different types and different formats. See SAS Language Reference: Dictionary for a complete discussion of the SAS System's multiple engine architecture and the different types of engines that are provided on all host operating environments.

When you allocate a SAS data library internally, you use the engine parameter of the LIBNAME statement, LIBNAME function, or New Library Assignment window to specify the appropriate engine for each SAS data library that you want to access. (See LIBNAME Statement Syntax.) Or SAS can determine which engine to use, based on the procedures described in How SAS Assigns an Engine When No Engine Is Specified.

When you allocate a SAS data library externally, SAS assigns an engine to the library the first time it is accessed by a SAS application. You can override the default by explicitly associating a different engine with the library. See Using the LIBNAME Statement or LIBNAME Function with Externally Allocated SAS Data Libraries.

SAS Library Engines for OS/390 lists the library engines that have OS/390 and tells you where to look for more information about them.

SAS Library Engines for OS/390
Engine Description Where Documented

V8 accesses SAS files in Version 8 disk format. You can also use the alias BASE to specify this engine. Using V8 Engines

V8TAPE accesses SAS files in Version 8 sequential format, including sequential format on tape and sequential format on disk. You can also use the alias TAPE to specify this engine. Using the V8TAPE Engine

V6 accesses SAS files in Version 6 disk format Using V8 Engines

V6TAPE accesses SAS files in Version 6 sequential format, including sequential format on tape and sequential format on disk. Using the V8TAPE Engine

V5 provides read-only access to SAS files in Version 5 disk format Appendix 1 of SAS Companion for the MVS Environment, Version 6, Second Edition

V5TAPE provides read-only access to SAS files in Version 5 sequential format, including sequential format on tape and sequential format on disk Appendix 1 of SAS Companion for the MVS Environment, Version 6, Second Edition

BMDP provide read-only access to BMDP, OSIRIS, and SPSS (including SPSS-X) files, respectively Introduction

OSIRIS

SPSS

REMOTE is used by SAS/CONNECT and SAS/SHARE software to access remote files SAS/CONNECT User's Guide and SAS/SHARE User's Guide

XPORT converts some SAS files to a format suitable for transporting from one operating environment to another Moving and Accessing SAS Files across Operating Environments

***SAS Library Engines for OS/390***
Engine	Description	Where Documented
V8	accesses SAS files in Version 8 disk format. You can also use the alias BASE to specify this engine.	Using V8 Engines
V8TAPE	accesses SAS files in Version 8 sequential format, including sequential format on tape and sequential format on disk. You can also use the alias TAPE to specify this engine.	Using the V8TAPE Engine
V6	accesses SAS files in Version 6 disk format	Using V8 Engines
V6TAPE	accesses SAS files in Version 6 sequential format, including sequential format on tape and sequential format on disk.	Using the V8TAPE Engine
V5	provides read-only access to SAS files in Version 5 disk format	Appendix 1 of SAS Companion for the MVS Environment, Version 6, Second Edition
V5TAPE	provides read-only access to SAS files in Version 5 sequential format, including sequential format on tape and sequential format on disk	Appendix 1 of SAS Companion for the MVS Environment, Version 6, Second Edition
BMDP	provide read-only access to BMDP, OSIRIS, and SPSS (including SPSS-X) files, respectively	Introduction
OSIRIS
SPSS
REMOTE	is used by SAS/CONNECT and SAS/SHARE software to access remote files	SAS/CONNECT User's Guide and SAS/SHARE User's Guide
XPORT	converts some SAS files to a format suitable for transporting from one operating environment to another	Moving and Accessing SAS Files across Operating Environments

Note: The V7 engine is identical to the V8 engine. In SAS Version 8, V7 libraries and the members thereof are identified as having the V8 engine format. Members created in V7 can coexist in the same library with members created in V8. All of this information also applies to the V7TAPE and V8TAPE engines. [cautionend]

SAS View Engines

SAS view engines enable the SAS System to read SAS data views and DATA step views that are described by the DATA step, SQL procedure, or by SAS/ACCESS software. These engines support the SAS data set model only and

Under OS/390, the following view engines are supported. These engines support the SAS data set model only and are not specified in the LIBNAME statement or LIBNAME function:

ADB: accesses ADABAS database files.
DB2: accesses DB2 database files.
DDB: accesses CA-DATACOM/DB database files.
IDMS: accesses CA-IDMS database files.
IMS: accesses IMS-DL/I database files.
DATASTEP: accesses data sets that are described by a SAS DATA step.

These engines support the SAS data view and are also specified in the LIBNAME statement and the LIBNAME function:

ORACLE: accesses ORACLE database files.
SQL: accesses data sets that are described by the SQL procedure.

For more information about the SQL view engine, see SAS Guide to the SQL Procedure: Usage and Reference. For information about the other view engines, see the appropriate SAS/ACCESS software documentation.

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