topic Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG) in SAS Procedures

Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

DrBoogie — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 13:09:27 GMT

Hi all,

I have the following problem. I'm trying to export some data to my local folder (in the example here to a text-file, but the same happens if trying to export to excel or access).

Here is the program:

proc export data = sashelp.class

outfile = 'c:\dokus\class.txt'

dbms = dlm replace;

delimiter = '09'x;

run;

I obtain this error:

ERROR: Insufficient authorization to access /sas/config/Lev1/SASApp/c:\dokus\class.txt

So, SAS don't unterstand that I want to export to a local folder and tries to export to some location on the remote server (I use SAS which is installed only on this remote server but not locally on my computer). My question - how can I tell SAS that I want to export to a local folder? It must be possible, I think, since I can very well export data to my local folders using SAS EG export wizards. (But this version of export is not sufficient for me because I cannot use macro variables through it).

Thanks in advance,

Denis

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

Vince28_Statcan — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:25:56 GMT

Typically, this means your SAS EG session is hosted remotely. That is, EG is a natural interface to work on a server and thus, a path like 'c:\dokus\class.txt' is local to that server and then obviously, you don't have C drive priviledges on that remote server.

If your data resides on the server, you would need to find the full network path to your computer's C drive. Otherwise, you could just change the server in EG to "local" and run everything locally so it would recognize C:\ paths as local.

So if you have a shared drive user (typically not C:\), that you can read/write to, you can use properties of a folder on that shared drive to retrieve full path and use that to export. Similarly, you should be able to open network, find the network name of your PC on there and use a relative path like \\pcname\users\yourusername\subfolder path\ as an export path.

I'm not a programmer and only use EG on occasion but this is how I run around this problem with local libname statements.

You can also look at EG export wizard's automatically generated code for a dummy export to your path above and reuse that code. It will probably retrieve and write the appropriate full path for you.

Vincent

Editor's note:

See also this approach that uses PROC EXPORT to create a file in your SAS session, then the Copy Files task in SAS Enterprise Guide to download the file to a local folder. Use this approach when your SAS session and local desktop cannot access a common network share location.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

DrBoogie — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 14:44:23 GMT

Thank you Vincent.

I have no local server because SAS is not installed on my PC. I can only use the remote server.

But the EG export wizard can somehow "find" my local folders.

Unfortunately I don't see how I can obtain the code behind the export wizard. I can only automatically generate code for queries but not for export steps.

And I don't understand how would the full network path to my computer's C drive help me. The problem is that SAS add automatically to my path the following:

"/sas/config/Lev1/SASApp/", no matter what my path is. How I can tell SAS not to do this? That's actually my question.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

SASKiwi — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 19:18:41 GMT

As explained by Vince if you wish to reference your own PC drive you need to specify your OUTFILE like so:

outfile = '\\pcname\mycdrivefolder\subfolder\class.txt'

If you do this then "/sas/config/Lev1/SASApp/" will not appear in your path. It is because you don't have access to the C: drive mapping that you get this error.

You will need to talk to your IT support people to confirm if your SAS server can 'see' your C drive across the network and if so how you would reference it.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

steven_taylor_gmfinancial_com — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:06:06 GMT

Put double quotes around your outfile name ("c:\dokus\class.txt") instead of singles.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

MohammadFayaz — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:25:26 GMT

as steven.taylor@gmfinancial.com said before , double quotes may work !

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

Cynthia_sas — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 15:24:30 GMT

Hi:

If the server has no visibility of the C: drive, then the quotes are irrelevant. The automatic usage of /sas/config/Lev1/SASApp/ with a file location/name in EG indicates these possibilities:

1) a client/server install -- usually the Lev1/SASApp directory indicates a BI Platform install -- Usually, you talk to your administrators to get a writeable directory allocated to you on the server and you write your files to that location instead of your C drive.

2) usage of SAS OnDemand license -- which is also a client/server install, but instead of the server being your company's server, the SAS server is located in North Carolina and the client (EG) is on your PC -- this client has a few extra limitations than a company client/server install. For SAS OnDemand for Professionals or SAS OnDemand for Academics, there is a user directory allocated to each account (xxxxxxxx) and you can write to that location. The location will be something like what is shown here for an ODS HTML step:
ODS HTML FILE='/home/xxxxxxxx/user/myreport.html';

proc print data=sashelp.class;

run;

ODS HTML CLOSE;

Using the UNC name, \\pcname\directory\subdir\ method of pointing to a file should work for method #1, with a company client/server install assuming that the SAS server has visibility of \\pcname but will not work in the #2 method because the SAS server does not have visibility of your local machine for reading data files. There is only visibility of the connection between the two machines for running code.

cynthia

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

jakarman — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 19:51:24 GMT

The error is coming form EGuide using to a UNIX server.

As the home directory $HOME and ~ in Unix/Linux is as important as the %appdata% and "my documents", it is a little painfull the default settings by the SAS installation are wrong and ignoring the common Unix guidelines. With BI/DI usage the current dir is used relative and left at an unhappy location.

There is a SAS-note on that: 50345 - Changing the current working directory for the SAS® Workspace Server

I have seen an other correlated mistake in this area. That is the sasautos is also used as relative.path for SASenvironment (Config-files).

It is not an absolute one as other sasautos definitions using the Unix environment variables with a !. Get this to your platform-admin (unix) guy....

Do not use a fully qualified Windows path. Use a single name file.

This will work on every type of server as long as the current directory is set to common conventions.

With Eguide you will find the file (txt) in your Unix home-dir. drag drop download as you like.

This is accessible in the file-tab of the server. The Lev1-location will be normally invisible ....

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

DrBoogie — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 08:29:33 GMT

Thank You Jaap,

now I see that I can't avoid this: "get this to your platform-admin (unix) guy....".

I wished I could because this guy sits 3000 miles away from me and usually don't respond to my emails (so I have to ask my boss to take influence...).

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

jakarman — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:18:39 GMT

@Drboogie, See some fun in this thread/reply. Ik know some people in this community altough they are often using unclear names. The not that amazing point is they are comming from all over the world.

You can find me very easy on linkedin. I gues the distance will be the same ammount statue miles. The Maximum of 10800nm/20000km is sometimes approached. Distance should be no limitation.

The platform role is a more difficult one. It is sometimes positioned as IT only sometimes as busines only the promotion of SAS (some blogs etc) they should fill the gap between them. Looks some expectations on that has not been fulfilled at your site/service.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

janetts — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 18:11:57 GMT

Cynthia:

Thank you! This worked for me right away. And I was able to download the resulting file to my C:\ drive as well.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

janetts — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 18:12:59 GMT

I had that problem too, until I read the solution provided by Cynthia@SAS below.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

kconnors — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:19:48 GMT

Did you ever find a way to accomplish this? I can easily get SAS EG to export the contents of a dataset from a library on a remote UNIX server to an Excel file on my local Windows hard drive using the Export task, but I haven't been able to find a way to get EG to expose the code that it uses to accomplish this. The closest I have seen requires the use of the Copy Files task created by Chris Hemedinger; its use to accomplish this is described here: http://proc-x.com/2013/05/export-and-download-any-file-from-sas-enterprise-guide/. It would be nice to be able to accomplish this all in code.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

SASKiwi — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:45:35 GMT

EG can do it because it handles the download of the file from the SAS server to your PC. For it to work in code, which runs on the SAS server, the server must be able to reterence your PC and hard drive. As explained above by Cynthia this is done via a UNC: \\pcname\directory\subdir\

If you can get your Unix admin folks to make this happen then yes it will work in code. In summary this is a network access problem not a coding issue.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

kconnors — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:59:12 GMT

Thanks, SASKiwi. I was missing the fact that code can run only on one server. An EG (custom) task can handle the download of the file from the SAS server to the PC in this because it is running locally on the PC, not on the server; Chris H's example uses the task to download the exported file after the exported file has been created on the server. EG's Export task is likely taking the same approach.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

jakarman — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 19:08:40 GMT

kconnors you are more likeIy to find a way that integrates Windows/Unix better. These options:

1/ Client Server install using a SAS-server with connect is an option (most functionality).

As the SAS windows server will need to get across Servers in your domain not being isolated to his own local machine, there are still security challenges to solve.

The license cost could be a hurdle with the need of staff capable supporting that.

2/ Client Server install using a SAS PC- fileserver. This one comes with the SAS/access to pcfiles on Unix license.

Still needing an additional Windows server install for that. http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/pcfsicg/67728/PDF/default/pcfsicg.pdf

3/ Other tools like SFTP or NFS.

The usage of EGuide as operational processing tool should be avoided. It is developers tool.

When there is a SFTP server active in the Windows domain you can create a file on Unix and send it by sftp.

NFS (Samba) is only an option with non sensitive data and not really professional managed services.

There as security pitfalls with those and by those not easy accepted with reviews. wizards

By the way why are you using import wizards with Eguide. The process is data is converted by Eguide (VB processes) into a SAS datastep the datastep is uploaded and processed at the server.

The alternative is drag and drop files from the windows explorer to a files-tab of the server connected visiable in Eguide. I am supposing XCEED-dll-s are behind those binary uploads.

Having the data at Unix it can processed there with optimized code for that.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

AndrewHowell — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:47:30 GMT

The code you are submitting is run on the server, which means it will try to export it to a file-system on your server (i.e, NOT on the client where you are running Enterprise Guide).

Code only works where there is a SAS session running - in this case, the server. Enterprise Guide does not in itself execute code - it can store code, even prepare code from various task, but it then submits the code to a SAS session somewhere, and it is that SAS session which executes the code, returning logs, etc back to EG. Unless there is a local SAS session on the workstation, a "code only" solution is unlikely.

If you wish to save files on a local filesystem where there is no local SAS, you should use the client-based capabilities of Enterprise Guide - right-click on a table, and Export (or Export as a Step if you want a repeatable process.)

As an aside, it is possible for your SAS Administrator to set up user roles which can prevent uploading/downloading local files to/from a SAS server. This is NOT your issue (your code clarifies this), although it was the first thing I thought when I read your message subject.

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

AndrewHowell — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:50:55 GMT

Also, given where it tried to save your text file (in the Application Context configuration folder), I'm actually very glad it failed with in Insufficient Authorisation error - you might suggest to your SAS Admins that the default folder be redefined elsewhere. (SAS Management Console - SASApp Workspace Server - Properties - File Navigation)

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

AndrewHowell — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:56:33 GMT

Hmm - didn't see all of the previous responses before posting.. Mea culpa..

Re: Unable to export data to local folders (PROC EXPORT in SAS EG)

Babloo — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 09:22:55 GMT

When I tried the below code to export a dataset to a CSV in local C drive, I got the error as 'Insufficient authorization to access /data/rawdata/SAS_93/biserver/Lev1/SASApp/\\NBRD-DT-VS3034\C\Downloads\class.csv'

proc export data=sashelp.class outfile = '\\NBR-DT-VS303\C\Downloads\class.csv' dbms=csv; /*to export a file in downloads folder in C:\ */

run;

My SAS is installed in server and I ran this code in EG 7.1. Am I doing anything wrong?

Do I need to specify the full computer name or computer name in outfile statement?