Date:         Mon, 18 Mar 2002 08:50:26 -0500
Reply-To:     Michael Raithel <RAITHEM@WESTAT.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Michael Raithel <RAITHEM@WESTAT.COM>
Subject:      (MAR) RE: Transferring VAX data set to the PC when a VAX is unava
              ilable
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Dear SAS-L-ers,

Charlie Schwartz posted the following:


>A friend has a VAX SAS dataset which she would like to read in SAS on
>the PC. She does not have access to a VAX in order to make a transport
>data set. Is there a way or a tool that will allow her to do this?
>

Charlie; if your friend is lucky enough, she just might be able to
accomplish this task with very little effort through SAS's Cross-Environment
Data Access (CEDA).  CEDA is relatively "new" and allows Version 7 and later
SAS data sets CREATED ON OTHER PLATFORMS to be read by Version 7 and later
SAS software.  There are a couple of caveats, such as a degradation in
computer performance when processing SAS data sets through CEDA, but, what
the heck?  At least she will be able to read the darn thing!

CEDA is included in BASE SAS software, and you do not have to invoke any
special options or procedures to use it.  Your friend should simply execute
a CONTENTS Procedure against the SAS data set and see if the CONTENTS
Procedure works.  If it does, cool; if not, oh well!

If the CONTENTS Procedure works, she should see something like "VAX" or
"VMS" or whatever in the HOST CREATED field.

One thing that I would heartily recommend is that she have MSGLEVEL=I set in
a SAS OPTIONS statement.  Once done, she will get the following type of
message every time she processes a SAS data set through CEDA:

        INFO: Data set SASLIB.Charlie.DATA is in a foreign host format.
Cross Environment Data
        Access will be used, which may require additional CPU resources and
reduce performance.

The message, above, is important because it reminds one that he/she is
processing a SAS data set from a foreign platform and that there _IS_ a
performance penalty.  I, personally, do not want to lose sight of which data
sets came from where.

Charlie, best of luck to your friend as she attempts to crunch a VAX SAS
data set on her PC!


I hope that this suggestion proves helpful now, and in the future!

Of course, all of these opinions and insights are my own, and do not reflect
those of my organization or my associates.  All SAS code and/or
methodologies specified in this posting are for illustrative purposes only
and no warranty is stated or implied as to their accuracy or applicability.
People deciding to use information in this posting do so at their own risk.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Michael A. Raithel
"The man who wrote the book on performance"
E-mail: MichaelRaithel@westat.com
Author: Tuning SAS Applications in the MVS Environment
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
...in violent times, you shouldn't have to sell your soul... -- Tears for
Fears
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++