What are common mistakes creating transport files on VM? How can I specify the correct file characteristics when creating a transport file on VM/CMS?

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 in 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 to 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 choose, the file 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.

If you are creating a transport file on disk, it must have the following file characteristics: LRECL=80 and RECFM=F. In most situations you will not need to specify these characteristics; the transport file will have these characteristics by default. However, if after creating a transport file you check the file characteristics with the FILELIST command and they are not correct, you can code the request for correct file characteristics.

The correct TAPE file characteristics are as follows:
LRECL=80 BLKSIZE=8000 RECFM=FB.

A transport file's characteristics can be defined by the following methods for the three procedures that can create a transport file:

===============================================================================
Definition Method         Used by
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEDEF COMMAND           PROC COPY with XPORT engine
                          PROC XCOPY
                          PROC CPORT
******************************************************************************
FILEDEF COMMAND TEMPLATE
FILEDEF ddname device fn ft fm  (RECFM F LRECL 80

FILEDEF Command Example
  filedef tranfile disk tranfile cport a (recfm f lrecl 80
  filedef tranfile tap1 nl (recfm fb lrecl 80 blksize 8000
===============================================================================
Definition Method          Used by
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEDEF COMMAND and        PROC COPY with XPORT engine
SAS LIBNAME statement
or
SAS LIBNAME STATEMENT alone
*********************************************************************************
FILEDEF COMMAND and SAS LIBNAME Template
FILEDEF ddname device fn ft fm (RECFM F LRECL 80
LIBNAME ft XPORT 'fm' ;
FILEDEF Command and SAS LIBNAME Example
filedef tranfile disk tranfile cport a (recfm f lrecl 80
libname sas6user xport 'a' ;
SAS LIBNAME Statement Alone, Template 1
  LIBNAME libref XPORT 'fn ft fm';
SAS LIBNAME Statement alone, Example 1
  libname out xport 'tranfile dat a';
===============================================================================
Definition Method          Used by
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAS FILENAME STATEMENT     PROC XCOPY
                           PROC CPORT
*********************************************************************************
SAS FILENAME Statement template
  FILENAME fileref 'fn ft fm' LRECL=80 RECFM=F;
SAS FILENAME Statement example
  filename outfile 'portfile dat a' lrecl=80 recfm=f;
===============================================================================

Operating System and Release Information