Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 12:04:31 -0800
Reply-To: Cassell.David@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV
Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: "David L. Cassell" <Cassell.David@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>
Subject: Re: disk space issue using SAS
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Zhonghe Li <zli@HSPH.HARVARD.EDU> wrote [in part]:
> I know it is because we don't have enough disk space left for the
program to finish. So I have two questions here: (1) can some one
explain to me what is going on behind the
> program when it is running. It seems to me that during the runtime,
the program uses a lot disk space but is not shown anywhere and
therefore can't do anything before closing the
> session. (2) Besides buying more disk space, is there any other way
that can work around the disk space limit?
Dennis already gave you some valuable help [as usual]. Let me
add a couple more points. You haven't said what OS you're using,
but that can have consequences too. Some unix boxes have a small
/tmp partition, and if SAS uses that for its SASWORK directory,
it can fill the thing up and wedge the machine. If so, change where
SASWORK is pointing to a larger partition.
You may want to look up some more tips at the SAS website and the
SAS-L archives. My SUGI 26 paper on sorting vs. indexing contains
some approaches for getting around the problems of large data sets.
http://www2.sas.com/proceedings/sugi26/p121-26.pdf
And there are plenty of other papers from SUGIs past which address
issues of disk space and time savings. I have to go now, so I don't
have time to pull them from my files.
But most often the problem is that one's code needs to be tightened
up or altered, in order to stop wasting space and/or time. That's
probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's an unfortunate reality.
Perhaps if you were more specific about your OS and your code, then
we could provide more-specific advice in future.
HTH,
David
--
David Cassell, CSC
Cassell.David@epa.gov
Senior computing specialist
mathematical statistician
