1. Things You Should Know + Usage Tips
SAS on Alpha1
Things You Should Know + Usage Tips

2. Assumptions You know something about SAS
You know something about OpenVMS
Directory structures
Basic commands (DCL)
You want to find out how SAS and OpenVMS mix

3. SAS is SAS SAS procs are platform-neutral Platform-specific aspects
Starting and stopping SAS
Retrieving and storing files
Executing operating system commands

4. Topics Ways to Run SAS on Alpha1 Files and Directories
DCL (VMS) commands within SAS
Ways to Set SAS Options

5. Part 1
Ways to Run SAS on Alpha1

6. Ways to Run SAS OpenVMS interactive session OpenVMS batch job
SAS interactive line mode
SAS display manager mode
SAS “non-interactive” mode
X Windows interface (n/a at UI)
OpenVMS batch job
SAS batch mode
OpenVMS network connection
SAS/Connect

7. OpenVMS Session Types OpenVMS interactive session OpenVMS batch job
PowerTerm at Urban (Start menu, Supported Applications, Alpha Connect)
OpenVMS commands entered singly
OpenVMS batch job
Batch of OpenVMS commands executed in the background (unattended execution)
Launched from an OpenVMS interactive session
OpenVMS network connection
Dialogue between PC & Alpha1

8. “Non-Interactive” Mode
Prepare a SAS program file in a text editor.
Tell SAS to run it.
$ sas myfile.sas
Input: SAS program file
Outputs
SAS procedure output (myfile.lis)
SAS messages (myfile.log)

9. Interrupting SAS While SAS is running: If you exit SAS in this manner:
ctrl-Y
NOTE: Attention signaled. NOTE: Enter “Y” to exit SAS, or “C” to continue.
If you exit SAS in this manner:
$ cleanup

10. Batch Mode Like “non-interactive” mode, but in a VMS batch job
Batch job: unattended execution
You submit the batch job for execution
Your PowerTerm session and your PC are free for other activities

11. Submitting Batch Jobs $ sasbatch myfile.sas
myfile.sas: SAS program file to run
You can list multiple files to run (separated by commas, no intervening spaces)
$ sasbatch file1.sas,file2.sas
Programs run in given sequence, in one batch job
Batch log file: myfile_batch.log
Trouble-shooting
Updated every 60 seconds

12. Submitting Batch Jobs SASBATCH is a shortcut
In general, you can create your own “DCL command procedure” to run SAS as required
Submit the command procedure
$ submit mystuff.com
$ submit mystuff.com /after=18:00
$ help submit

13. Checking Batch Jobs To list your current batch jobs:
$ show entry
Explanation of responses
No such entry: no current batch jobs
Executing: job currently running
Pending: job waiting in line for execution

14. Monitoring a Running Batch Job
Examine batch log file of running job (as it is so far)
$ type/tail batchlogname
List your current VMS processes (including batch jobs)
$ me
Batch jobs marked with “B”
Monitor a running process
$ show process /continuous /id=procid
Ctrl-Z to exit
Check on data set growth
$ dir /size=all filename

15. Killing a Batch Job Why? Steps
The running job is doing the wrong thing
Steps
Find the entry number:
$ show entry
Delete the batch job:
$ delete /entry=(entry-number)
Remove the WORK directory:
$ cleanup

16. SAS/Connect Run SAS on your PC
Have PC SAS send SAS statements to Alpha1
MS Windows interface
Alpha1 computational speeds
Alpha1 disk storage

17. SAS/Connect in a Nutshell
In your SAS program on the PC:
signon;
rsubmit;
SAS statements executed on Alpha
endrsubmit;
signoff;

18. Part 2
Files and Directories

19. SAS Data Libraries Often: SAS data library = VMS directory
libname datain ‘[thisproj.data]’;
Also possible: multiple data libraries, one directory
libname dataout ‘[thisproj.data]’;
Also possible: one data library, multiple directories
$ define mylibs [thisproj.data1999], [thisproj.data2000]
In LOGIN.COM, for example
libname datain ‘mylibs’;

20. Estimating Data Set Size
Calculate observation size
Numeric variables: 8 bytes each
Character variables: 1 byte per character
Multiply observation size by number of observations
Result in bytes
bytes / 512 = VMS disk blocks
This is an underestimate
“Overhead” in the data set

21. Pre-Allocating Space
Performance improvement: minimize time spent “growing” a file
Data inputs.year2000 (alq= deq=5000)
ALQ (allocation quantity): initial file size, in blocks
DEQ (default extension quantity): incremental file growth, in blocks, when file grows
If ALQ or DEQ is too low
Increased I/O
Greater fragmentation
If ALQ or DEQ is too high
Wasted disk space
Greater risk of inadequate disk space

22. Common File Names Something.SAS Something.SASEB$DATA Something.DAT
SAS program
Something.SASEB$DATA
SAS data set
Something.DAT
External data file
Something.LIS
SAS procedure output
Something.LOG
SAS messages
Something.LOCK$SASEB
SAS lock file (data set in use)

23. SAS Work Directories
SAS work directories go to one of two scratch disks
SAS cleans up after itself if it exits normally
SAS does not clean up after itself if it exits abnormally
To clean up after SAS yourself:
$ cleanup

24. VMS Logical Names
Logical name: a name that refers to a disk, directory, and/or file name
Example: "SYS$SCRATCH" = "DISK$UI_SCRATCH1:[UI_SYSDA.MYPROJ]"
Uses
Short-hand notation for a long file specification
“RAW” = “DISK$SPC02:[OURSTUFF.CY1999.RAW]”
Parameterizing file specifications
libname inputs ‘data:’;
Commands
$ define raw disk$spc02:[ourstuff.cy1999.raw]
$ show logical raw
$ deassign raw

25. DCL (VMS) commands within SAS
Part 3
DCL (VMS) commands within SAS

26. DCL Commands from SAS X ‘DCL-command’; Examples: Command output
X ‘dir/size’; to show file sizes
X ‘purge/log’; to get rid of prior file versions
X ‘!Finished DATA step’; to note progress
Command output
VMS interactive session: PowerTerm window
Batch job: batch log file

27. Part 4
Ways to Set SAS Options

28. Ways to Set SAS Options SAS configuration file SAS command line
SAS autoexec file
OPTIONS statement in SAS file
Order of precedence: in order shown above, later settings overrule earlier settings

29. SAS configuration file
Affects all SAS runs, including SAS/Connect
Create a file (e.g. mysas.cfg) containing desired command-line options (e.g. /nocenter)
Description of command-line options
$ help sas
$ define sas$config disk:[dir]mysas.cfg
Add to LOGIN.COM to make it “permanent”

30. SAS Command Line Affects single SAS run $ sas /obs=10 myfile.sas
Note: Some options have different names when used on command line
$ help sas options

31. SAS Autoexec File Affects all SAS runs, including SAS/Connect
Create a file (e.g. autoexec.sas) containing desired OPTIONS statement (e.g. OPTIONS nocenter)
Other SAS statements can be included also
$ define sas$init disk:[dir]autoexec.sas
Add to LOGIN.COM to make it “permanent”

32. The End
Questions?