Data Transfer Services Tips

Tips for Using PROC DOWNLOAD and PROC UPLOAD

To execute the DOWNLOAD and UPLOAD procedures in the server session, you must use the RSUBMIT command.
The rate at which files are transferred varies according to these factors:
- the size and number of files that are being transferred
- the processing load on the server
- the communication access method that is being used
- the network configuration
The Transfer Status window keeps you informed of the progress of the transfer. For details, see Transfer Status Window.
You cannot transfer a SAS data set to an external file by using the DATA= or the INLIB= option.
You cannot transfer an external file to a SAS data set by using the OUT= option.
To transfer a text file whose record length is greater than 132 bytes, you must specify the LRECL= option in the FILENAME statement at both the client and the server. If you omit the LRECL= option, a data truncation error is reported. For details about the LRECL= option, see the FILENAME statement Statements under z/OS in SAS Companion for z/OS.
If PROC DOWNLOAD or PROC UPLOAD successfully completes the file transfer, the macro variable SYSINFO is set to 0. If the file transfer is not successfully completed, the macro variable SYSINFO is set to a value greater than 0. You can pass the value of the SYSINFO macro variable back to the client by using the %SYSRPUT statement. For details, see %SYSRPUT Statement.
Statements that define librefs and filerefs in the client session must be executed in the client session by using the SUBMIT command.
Statements that define librefs or filerefs in the server session must be executed in the server session by using the RSUBMIT command or the RSUBMIT statement. Therefore, if librefs or filerefs are defined before the PROC statement, these statements can be executed along with PROC DOWNLOAD or PROC UPLOAD.

Tips for Using PROC DOWNLOAD Only

When downloading variable block records to a client from a server that is running under the z/OS environment, you must specify RECFM=U in the server FILENAME statement that points to the variable block record. For details about options in the FILENAME statement, see FILENAME Statement: z/OS in SAS Companion for z/OS.
For example, if the file you are downloading is called MYFILE, you would use:
```
rsubmit;
   filename 
      myfile 'vb.block.record' recfm=u;
   proc download infile=myfile 
      outfile='c:\vb.rec' binary;
   run;
endrsubmit;
```
After the client's Log window shows the number of bytes that are transferred, you would issue the following client FILENAME statement by using the RECFM= and LRECL= options, where the value of LRECL= is the number of bytes that were transferred:
```
filename myfile 'c:\vb.rec' recfm=s370vb 
   lrecl=xxxx;
```
The MYFILE fileref would then be used for subsequent access to the file.

Tips for UPLOAD Only

If you upload an external file to a server file that is defined with a fixed (F) record format, all records in the file are padded with blanks to the logical record length.