Mistakes in defining the file characteristics of the transport file to the operating system at the time of creation on the originating machine is the most common area of difficulty. A transport file for moving SAS data sets can be created by any of the following methods: PROC COPY or a DATA step creating a transport file with the XPORT engine declared on the LIBNAME statement (Release 6.06 and higher) and PROC XCOPY (Version 5 method supported still under Version 6) on MVS, CMS, and VSE. These methods can move a SAS data set created in a lower release to a higher release or vice versa. Another methodology to create a transport file to move SAS data sets, SAS catalogs, or both is PROC CPORT. This methodology can only move from LOWER releases to HIGHER releases. Regardless of which method you chose, the DCB characteristics are the same. However, the internal structure of a transport file made by the CPORT procedure is different than that made with the COPY procedure or DATA step with the XPORT engine and the XCOPY procedure.

   LRECL=80 BLKSIZE=8000 RECFM=FB DSORG=P

A transport file DCB characteristics can be defined by the following methods for the three procedures that can create a transport file.

  ===============================================================================
  Definition Method          Used by
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  ISPF/SPF screen 3.2        PROC COPY with XPORT engine
                             DATA step with XPORT engine
                             PROC XCOPY
                             PROC CPORT
 *******************************************************************************
  ===============================================================================
  Definition Method          Used by
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  tso allocate               PROC COPY with XPORT engine
                             DATA step with XPORT engine
                             PROC XCOPY
                             PROC CPORT
   ******************************************************************************
   tso allocate command template
   ALLOC F(ddname) DA(physical_name) SPACE(primary,secondary) VOLUME(volser)
      RECFM(F,B) LRECL(80) BLKSIZE(8000)
   tso allocate command for a transport file on disk example
   ALLOC F(outfile) DA('userid.outfile.out') SPACE(5,1) CYLINDERS RECFM(F,B)
      LRECL(80) BLKSIZE(8000)
    =================================================================================
   Definition Method          Used by
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   JCL (Job Control Language) PROC COPY with XPORT engine
   and SAS LIBNAME statement  DATA step with XPORT engine
   or
   SAS LIBNAME STATEMENT alone
  *********************************************************************************
   JCL DISK ALLOCATION and Libname Combination Template 1
   //ddname2  DD DSN=physical_name_tranfile,DISP=(disp),UNIT=unit,
   //     SPACE=(unit-size,(primary secondary),RLSE),
   //     DCB=(LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=8000,RECFM=FB)
   //SYSIN   DD *
   LIBNAME ddname2 XPORT;
   JCL DISK ALLOCATION and Libname Combination Example 1
   //TRANFILE  DD DSN=USERID.TRANFILE.OUT,DCB=(LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=8000,RECFM=FB),
   //      DISP=(NEW,CATLG),SPACE=(TRK,(3,3),RLSE),UNIT=SYSDA
   //SYSIN DD *
   libname tranfile xport;
   SAS LIBNAME STATEMENT Alone Template 1
   LIBNAME ddname2 XPORT 'physical_location_desired_transport_file'
     DISP= disp UNIT=unit SPACE=(unit-size,(primary secondary))
     LRECL=80 BLKSIZE=8000 RECFM=FB ;

SAS LIBNAME Statement Alone Example 1 (can be used in batch or interactive  SAS)
   libname tranfile xport 'userid.tranfile.out' space=(trk,(3,3)) unit=sysda
               disp=(new,catlg) lrecl=80 blksize=8000 recfm=fb;

SAS LIBNAME Statement Alone Example 2 (can only be used in interactive SAS)
   libname tranfile xport 'userid.tranfile.out' lrecl=80 blksize=8000 recfm=fb;

 ===============================================================================
   Definition Method          Used by
   JCL (Job Control Language) PROC XCOPY
   or                         PROC CPORT
   SAS FILENAME STATEMENT
 *********************************************************************************
   JCL DISK ALLOCATION Template
   //ddname2  DD DSN=physical_name_tranfile,DISP=(disp),UNIT=unit,
   //     SPACE=(unit-size,(primary secondary),RLSE),
   //     DCB=(LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=8000,RECFM=FB)
   JCL DISK ALLOCATION Example
   //TRANFILE  DD DSN=USERID.TRANFILE.OUT,DCB=(LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=8000,RECFM=FB),
   //      DISP=(NEW,CATLG),SPACE=(TRK,(3,3),RLSE),UNIT=SYSDA

SAS FILENAME Statement Template (can be used in batch or interactive SAS)

   FILENAME ddname2 'physical_location_desired_transport_file'
     DISP=disp UNIT=unit SPACE=(unit-size,(primary secondary))
     LRECL=80 BLKSIZE=8000 RECFM=FB;

SAS FILENAME Statement Example  (can be used in batch or interactive SAS)
   filename portfile 'userid.portfile.out' space=(trk,(3,3)) unit=sysda
     disp=(new,catlg) lrecl=80 blksize=8000 recfm=fb; 

SAS FILENAME Statement Example 2 (can only be used in interactive SAS)
   filename portfile 'userid.portfile.out' lrecl=80 blksize=8000 recfm=fb;
  ===============================================================================

Operating System and Release Information