Setting Up and Customizing Master and Group Profiles

Assigning and Changing the Status of Profile Options

Each option value in the Master/Group Profile window is assigned a status. Type a ? in the Status field to list the possible status values. To change a value, make a new selection from the list or type over the current value. The possible values for the Status field are as follows:

D for default
U for update
R for restrict.

For most option values, the initially assigned value of Status is D (default). Only the Standard catalog and User - library options are set up as restricted options.

The value that you use for the option status depends on how your User, Group, and Master profiles are set up at your site. See Setting Up and Customizing Master and Group Profiles and Creating and Updating Group Profiles for information about creating Master and Group profiles. A site may choose to have a Master profile and one or more Group profiles.

When the status for an option is changed, the change is reflected at lower profile levels only after a user exits and reinvokes SAS/ASSIST software. When a user starts SAS/ASSIST software, Group and User profiles are checked with the Master profile. The results of the comparison vary depending on the status of each option.

Status of D - Default

Option values with D (default) status transfer to lower profile levels automatically when the lower level profile is created. For example, all option values with D status in the Master profile are automatically transferred to new Group profiles as the Group profiles are created. In the absence of Group profiles, and in the case where a user is not defined to a Group, the values are transferred to the User profiles of all new users. When a new user is added to a group, the option values with a status of D in the Group profile are transferred to the user's User profile. If a user is not defined in any User group, the user acquires the value's options with a status of D from the Master profile. Users can change values with a status of D. If values with a status of D are later changed in the Master or Group profiles after a Group or User profile has already been created, the values defined at lower profile levels are not affected.

Status of U - Update

Option values with U (update) status are not transferred to lower profile levels automatically. After values have been changed at the Master or Group level and a user starts SAS/ASSIST software, a window appears and prompts the user to choose between retaining the current option value or allowing the updated value to overwrite the current values. A message appears for each updated option. Once a user chooses not to update a certain value, the user is not prompted about the same update the next time SAS/ASSIST is invoked. When values are changed at the Master level for R or U status options, or the status has been changed to R or U, opening a Group profile for editing causes a prompt for each value. The Group profile is updated accordingly at that time. The affected users do not acquire the changes until the next time they start SAS/ASSIST software.

Status of R - Restrict

Option values with R (restrict) status automatically update lower profile levels. When a user starts SAS/ASSIST software after a higher level profile change is made, a window appears and notifies the user that an option value was overwritten and that the user's profile was updated. Users at lower profile levels cannot change restricted option values.

Defining Exceptions

Although a restricted value applies to all users at lower profile levels, you can use the Define Exceptions window to specify exceptions to the restrictions. In the Master/Group Profile window, type X in the Cmd field next to the restricted option for which you want to define exceptions and press ENTER. The Define Exceptions window appears for that option for the open profile. The following display shows the Define Exceptions window for the Master profile.

Define Exceptions Window for Master Profile

[Define Exceptions Window for Master Profile]

The window shows the name of the profile, the type of option, the option name, and the date the option value was last changed. The left column, All groups, lists all the groups. The right column, Exceptions - Groups, lists the groups to which the current restricted value does not apply. Type an S in the left column Cmd field to select groups that you want to define as exceptions for the current restriction. The selected groups appear in the Exceptions - Groups (unrestricted) column. To remove a group from the Exceptions - Groups (unrestricted) column, type a D in the Cmd field for Exceptions - Groups and press ENTER. When you are defining Group exceptions, the left column in the Define Exceptions window is named All users and the right column is named Exceptions - Users. The following display shows the Define Exceptions window for the ACCOUNT Group profile.

Define Exceptions Window

[Define Exceptions Window]

After you define your exceptions, choose OK to return to the Master/Group Profile window. As shown in the following display, an asterisk (*) appears next to the Status field to indicate that exceptions apply to the restricted value.

Exceptions Shown in the Master/Group Profile Window

[Exceptions Shown in the Master/Group Profile Window]

Top of Page