INDEXPATH= LIBNAME Statement Option

Specifies a path or list of paths in which to store the two types of index component files (.hbx and .idx) associated with an SPD Engine data set.

Default: The primary path specified in the LIBNAME statement
Engine: SPD Engine only

Syntax

INDEXPATH=('path1' <'path2'...>)

Required Argument

'path'

is a complete pathname, in single or double quotation marks within parentheses. Separate multiple arguments with spaces.

Note: The pathnames specified in the INDEXPATH= option must be unique for each library. Librefs that are different but reference the same pathnames can result in lost data.

Details

Unlike metadata component files, index component files do not have to be in the primary path. For more information, see Storage of the Index Component Files.
The INDEXPATH= option enables index I/O to be moved to another physical path or device. This enhances performance. For more information, see Features That Enhance I/O Performance.
The SPD Engine creates two index component files in the locations specified. If there are multiple paths specified with the INDEXPATH= option, the first path is randomly selected. If multiple paths are specified, index component files are created in the first path, and then they overflow to the next path when the first path is filled.
Note: If you are planning to store data in locally mounted drives and access the data from a remote computer, use the remote pathname when you specify the LIBNAME. For example, if /data01 and /data02 are locally mounted drives on the localA computer, use the pathnames /nfs/localA/data01 and /nfs/localA/data02 in the LIBNAME statement.

Example: Creating Index Component Files

The following example creates index component files that span the paths /disk1/idxflow1, /disk2/idxflow2, and /disk3/idxflow3.
libname mylib spde '/metadisk/metadata'
                  datapath= ('/disk1/dataflow1' '/disk2/dataflow2' 
                              '/disk3/dataflow3')
                  indexpath=('/disk1/idxflow1' '/disk2/idxflow2' 
                              '/disk3/idxflow3' );
The path for the first index component files is randomly selected. SAS puts the index component files in the first location until that location is full, and then continues in a cyclical fashion. For example, if /disk2/idxflow2 is randomly selected, the first index component files are located there. When that location is full, the index component files overflow to /disk3/idxflow3, and then to /disk1/idxflow1.