SAS Companion for the Microsoft Windows Environment

Creating a Scaled-Down Version of the SAS System for Distribution

Version 8 of the SAS System for Windows provides a file resource tracking facility that allows you to keep track of which files the SAS System uses during a particular SAS session. This information can be valuable for several reasons:

You can create and distribute a subset of the SAS System to licensed users at your site who run a particular SAS application. These users might not need all of the SAS System resources that are installed by default.
You can create scaled-down versions of the SAS System for use on portable or notebook computers for which disk space is scarce.
You can customize the global installation of the SAS System at your site to optimize use of disk space on individual machines.

To generate a list of files that the SAS System opens and closes during a particular session:

Specify the RTRACE and RTRACELOC system options when starting the SAS System. You can specify these options in the command line defined in the SAS program item in Windows, in the SAS configuration file, or as part of a SAS command that you specify. (For more information about specifying options when starting the SAS System, see Syntax for System Options in the SAS Invocation or SAS Configuration File.)
The syntax of the options is:
```
-rtrace all -rtraceloc c:\sas\filename.ext
```
where filename.ext is the name of the file to which the SAS System will write the list of opened files.
During the SAS session, perform the actions that a user who will be working with the subset of SAS files will perform. For example, if a user will use a particular SAS/AF application, run that application during this session.

CAUTION:
If you do not include all of the necessary files in your scaled-down version of the SAS System, you might get unexpected results from your SAS application. To ensure that all of the necessary file resources are recorded, you must traverse every path in your SAS session that an end user of the scaled-down version could traverse. (If you are running a SAS/AF application, exercise every possible path, including error conditions.) Otherwise, you might fail to include a necessary file in your run-time version of the SAS System. If you do not include all of the necessary files in your scaled-down version of the SAS System, you might get unexpected results from your SAS application.
When you are finished with the SAS session, exit the SAS System. Be sure to remove the RTRACE and RTRACELOC option specifications from wherever you put them (for example, the SAS program item or SAS configuration file).

This procedure leaves you with a list of the files (located in filename.ext) that the SAS System opened and closed during your SAS session.

You can use the COPYSAS autocall macro to create a batch program to copy this subset of files. This makes the task of distribution automated and simple.

To use the COPYSAS macro to create a copy script for a scaled-down version of the SAS System, submit a statement of the form

%COPYSAS (copydir,rtracelog, cpcmd, scriptloc, mkcmd)

where:

copydir is the destination SAS root directory for the scaled-down version. You can specify copydir as a local directory (for example, c:\mysas) or as a network path (for example \\server\share\pubsas).

rtracelog is the log file created using the RTRACE and RTRACELOC system options.

cpcmd is the DOS copy command, with options, that you want to use in the copy script. The default is copy /v.

scriptloc is the location of the resulting batch file containing the copy commands. The default is COPYSAS.BAT in your SASUSER subdirectory.

mkcmd is the DOS make directory command, with options, that you want to use in the copy script. The default is mkdir.

For complete information about the COPYSAS macro, see COPYSAS Autocall Macro.

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copydir	is the destination SAS root directory for the scaled-down version. You can specify copydir as a local directory (for example, `c:\mysas`) or as a network path (for example `\\server\share\pubsas`).
rtracelog	is the log file created using the RTRACE and RTRACELOC system options.
cpcmd	is the DOS copy command, with options, that you want to use in the copy script. The default is `copy /v`.
scriptloc	is the location of the resulting batch file containing the copy commands. The default is COPYSAS.BAT in your SASUSER subdirectory.
mkcmd	is the DOS make directory command, with options, that you want to use in the copy script. The default is `mkdir`.