topic Re: How to find if SAS/AF is still being used in Mainframe? in SAS Programming

How to find if SAS/AF is still being used in Mainframe?

vasanthz — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:57:44 GMT

Hi,

I have a suspicion that no one in our Mainframe shop uses SAS/AF. How to determine if someone is using SAS/AF or not?

When we use interactive SAS, a file called USERID.XX.SASUSER gets created.

Is scanning the whole system for presence of SASUSER datasets and finding the files an indicator for SAS/AF usage?

Any pointers please. Thank you.

Re: How to find if SAS/AF is still being used in Mainframe?

vasanthz — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:34:46 GMT

Unfortunately we don't have SAS SMF turned on.. 😞

Re: How to find if SAS/AF is still being used in Mainframe?

SASKiwi — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 23:06:09 GMT

An alternative approach might be to locate any SAS/AF catalogs and to move them to an inaccessible location. Are these likely to be user-maintained or official production applications?

Another thought: Ask SAS if they can provide a temporary licence that excludes SAS/AF. Apply it for 2 or 3 months and if no one complains then you can be sure it is not being used.

Re: How to find if SAS/AF is still being used in Mainframe?

vasanthz — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:26:00 GMT

SASKiwi, Thank you for your response.

Could you please let me know more about - SAS/AF catalogs.

Is it like a dataset that gets created when someone uses SAS/AF?

Does it have a naming convention?

When we access SAS/FSP the .SASUSER dataset gets created by default, similarly does catalog gets created?

SAS is licensed on a non-production system, and it processes only non-production data.

I cannot go to SAS licensing and ask them to give a license without SAS/AF because I need to provide some evidence/data before SAS Licensing team could be contacted. Thanks again.

Re: How to find if SAS/AF is still being used in Mainframe?

LinusH — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:36:11 GMT

You don't need SAS/AF to run AF applications, but you need it to edit them.

I don't think you can rely on that running/editing an AF application will be visible in the users SASUSER library.

If there's a cost, there should be business responsible for the applications, and you should together be able to verify the requirements of the system.

Re: How to find if SAS/AF is still being used in Mainframe?

SASKiwi — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 21:17:38 GMT

You can read up about SAS catalogs here: https://documentation.sas.com/doc/en/pgmsascdc/9.4_3.5/engsas7bdat/n1j9umzjnkwzoyn1pwmgsnp35jm2.htm

SAS/AF applications are built in SAS catalogs using entry types like FRAME and SCL. SAS catalogs have a file type of .sas7bcat. You could do a search of your system for files of this type, then use PROC CATALOG to view catalog contents. The most common use of catalogs in SAS is for storing formats and macros, so you will need to check catalog contents to be sure what they are used for.