Accessing SAS Files from Multiple SAS Sessions

If you are running multiple SAS sessions, whether on a single machine or across a network, you can have multiple access to the same SAS file when you are reading from it.

If you have SAS/SHARE installed, the VIEWTABLE window and the FSEDIT or FSVIEW windows allow multiple users to edit the same SAS file. When you edit a data set using the VIEWTABLE window, you can set the editing mode to either Table-Level Edit Access or Row-Level Edit Access. When you select Table-Level Edit Access, only you have access to the data set. Row-Level Edit access allows multiple users to access the same SAS file, but only one user can access and make changes to a single record (observation) at a time.

To open a data set in the VIEWTABLE window, from the Explorer window:

To edit the data set, select EditEdit Mode and then select either Table-Level Edit or Row-Level Edit.

When you edit a data set using FSEDIT or FSVIEW, you can set the Update mode to either MEMBER or RECORD. When you select MEMBER mode, only you have access to the data set. When you select RECORD mode, multiple users can write to the same SAS file but only one user can update a single record (observation) at a time.

To open a data set using FSEDIT or FSVIEW:

To edit the data set, select EditUpdate and then select either the MEMBER or RECORD radio button.

The RSASUSER system option, described in RSASUSER System Option: Windows enables you to share the Sasuser data library. If multiple users need Update access to common SAS data sets, use SAS/SHARE software.

For details about rules for multiple user access to the same data set and its members, see the SAS Help and Documentation and SAS/SHARE User’s Guide.