Factors Affecting Access to SAS Files

SAS files (data and applications) that were created by using SAS releases later than SAS 6 are interchangeable in a SAS/CONNECT client/server environment because their file formats are identical.

However, because the SAS file formats of the newer SAS releases (after SAS 6) are dramatically different from older SAS releases (SAS 6 and earlier), the ability to access older SAS files from newer SAS releases (or newer SAS files from older SAS releases) in a SAS/CONNECT client/server environment is limited. Access is determined by the following factors:

SAS version
SAS member type
- Data set
- Catalog
- View
SAS/CONNECT service
- Remote Library Services (RLS)
  
  CAUTION:
  
  RLS in SAS/CONNECT 9 and later is not backward compatible with SAS 6 files.
  
  SAS/CONNECT 9 clients cannot use RLS with SAS 6 SAS/CONNECT servers. SAS 6 SAS/CONNECT clients cannot use RLS with SAS/CONNECT 9 servers.
- Compute Services
- File Transfer Services

For SAS release information that relates to single-user SAS mode, see the SAS Language Reference: Concepts. For information that relates to SAS/SHARE software, see the SAS/SHARE User's Guide.