topic Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping in SAS Procedures

SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

wcpatton — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:12:53 GMT

Program's running, I decide I want to cancel it so I ctrl-break and cancel submitted statements. After doing that a few times (twice or so), I no longer get updates in my SAS log. Any way to prevent that from happening or to reenable the log?

Base SAS 9.2

Thanks.

SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

Ksharp — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 03:21:44 GMT

Did your code contain some statements such as ' ods listing close; ' ?

If it were true. Use ' ods listing; ' to open listing destination again.

Ksharp

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

wcpatton — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:30:33 GMT

Sometimes, but this one does not. I'll try that next time this happens and see if it works.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

OS2Rules — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:31:28 GMT

You should try using the "!" icon to stop a running program:

(Second from the right).

Sometimes it takes a bit to recognize you pressed if the program is really busy at the time.

It seems to stop a running program al litle more cleanly.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

wcpatton — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:32:59 GMT

Is the ! really different than ctrl-break? I always thought they were the same.

SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

OS2Rules — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:35:07 GMT

I really don't know if it is different, but I use the "!" and I don't seem to have any problems with my log.

The only time my log is an issue is when there are upwards of 1 million lines in it. I tend not to close

my SAS session and sometimes I forget to clear the log between programs.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

wcpatton — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:01:55 GMT

ods listing; did not work to resolve this.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

wcpatton — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:27:14 GMT

This is still not answered and still happens too often.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

ballardw — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:59:07 GMT

One would suggest that if you are using ctrl-break a lot, that determining why that is needed so frequently might be the issue. If it is accidentally (re)running code that you don't want, then highlight only the code wanted and run that. If the program is believed to be running incorrectly or taking "too long" is cause for the interruption then perhaps testing the code using options to limit the number of observations would help on testing.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:22:06 GMT

I'm quite interested in seeing this solved too! Unfortunately, I end up needing to interrupt code a lot, even though I agree that it's not the best way to structure one's workflow.

Just for reference, I'm using Base SAS 9.2 on Windows Server 2008, and the submitted statements that I am cancelling are (most often) CREATE TABLE statements in PROC SQL.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

ballardw — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:30:33 GMT

Examples of the code generating the problem might allow some additional hints for fixes.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

zak6482 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:29:48 GMT

I found this discussion because I recently started having the same problem and have not been able to resolve it. I often work with large files and frequently stop execution but I have always used the ! button. It has happened with a variety of coding so I can't pinpoint any particular pattern. I have used SAS for a number of years and only recently experienced this problem so I don't think it's inherent to SAS. The only change recently has been our conversion to Windows 7. I am running SAS 9.2 on a Win7 32-bit laptop. The recent code I ran that appears to have created a problem was a very basic SQL query on one table. I plan to email the SAS tech folks since I've had some good success with them in the past but any ideas would be helpful.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

devnand — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:26:02 GMT

Can some one post the log file after the process of ctrl-break? I would appreciate.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

JJ1 — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 09:40:25 GMT

hello

i found these steps

1) Realise the Log has died on your week old session forcing you to migrate the session or pull out all your hair in frustration

2) Proc export to xls a random dataset

3) Interupt execution before complete

4) Presto, Log is back to normal on the next step

here http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1201d&L=sas-l&m=5339&P=3657

As far as I am concerned I have launch any code and stop it before the end and i got back the log.

It seems that the problem arise when proc sql is stopped. So may be another procedure should be launched to get back the code.

I had a hard time with this problem. Hope it works for you.

Good luck

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

jakarman — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 10:05:15 GMT

What is happening.....
Ctrl-brk, task manager stop || kill or other OS commands are instructions to the operatings system to stop something.

If you are having bad luck that can happen in a bad moment an by that losing consistency.

The stop ! etc commands are instructions to SAS to stop processing. SAS will stop the processing at a seatible moment.

Some instructions to stop processing should be handled with care as they can cause inconsistency of your data.

Suppose the process is wirting data, caching a lot and you stop that without any option to complete something to consistency

You will left with corrupted data. The log file is also cached. A crache of a SAS process may leave that without having all information.

Sometimes you can find some actions to recover something of the bad luck as the link described with some weird actions.

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

bpowell555 — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 15:23:10 GMT

I just used the method suggested by me on the listserv link above and it worked. It remains the only solution to this bug. I hope its fixed in 9.3!

Regards

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

Peter_C — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 22:36:58 GMT

Add options at sas session start

-ALTLOG 'relevant server file.log'

-logparm rollover=session write=immediate

then you get a copy of the complete log and as it is unbuffered (imnediate) you get the final lines written with nothing lost in cache

You could add #directives like date and time, to the log file name if you change the rollover option from the default rollover=NONE

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

martha_sas — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:20:58 GMT

Using altlog is a good idea. The addition of the logparm option with write=immediate bypasses the default buffering of the log on Windows so you should get everything, even if the SAS session terminates in an abnormal manner.

The rollover=session parameter isn't needed unless you add some directives to the log file name, in which case the default rollover=none would not resolve the directives. If you use more than one parameter with logparm, the correct syntax would be to enclose all the parameters in quotes, E.G.

-logparm "rollover=session write=immediate"

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

Peter_C — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:50:03 GMT

Martha

if the sas session fails (syntax check mode or worse) will the TERMSTMT option be ignored?

It just looks like a "final chance" to collect session information.

peterC

Re: SAS Log doesn't update after ctrl-break stopping

jakarman — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 06:45:06 GMT

The altlog is with buffering disabled could be a good for debugging purposes.
As buffering is disabled this can be in turn having the effect of very slow behavior.

The termstmt is something that would be SAS-code only run when SAS is coming to an end. And what when the problem is: there is no end.

It will not help.

In an EIP environment there is already a lot of logging done and that can be extended.

The ARM feature is one that is designed to do Application Resource Measurement. This is standard available in SAS, just coding for usage.