What creates the pcfserver.log file?

[lrudolphi]

Could someone tell me why and how the pcfserver.log is created? I am using PC SAS 9.4. This file seems to show up in random places where code has been run, and I'm wondering if it has to do with opening .sas extension programs by right clicking and selecting open with SAS 9.4 for Windows.

These files are more of a nuisance than anything, looking to figure out why they are created and what I can do to make it stop. Also, they are empty files, of 0KB in size.

Thanks!

[Kurt_Bremser]

Since the PC Files Server executable is pcfserver.exe, I strongly suspect the log comes from there. When both the SAS session and the pcfserver run on the same Windows machine, the pcfserver is spawned on demand, and that can explain the different directories (most probably the current working directory of the SAS session when it starts the pcfserver).

[michele_sas · Accepted solution]

Hi lrudolphi, 

The pcfserver.log is created by the SAS PC Files Server.  By default the service first tries to write the log to the current working directory. If the service can't write to that location there is logic to search in order list of other possible locations. The log will be written to the first of those locations found as writable.  Starting with SAS 9.4 TS1M5 the location of the pcfserver.log file can be controlled by setting a Windows SYSTEM environment variable SAS_PCFSERVER_LOGFILE.

For more information about this take a look at the SAS 9.4 PC Files Server Installation and Configuration Guide.

If that direct link doesn't work you can find the section in the document that talks about this by browsing to SAS PC Files Server Administration -> SAS PC Files Server Configuration and then "Setting the Location of the Log File". 

I hope this helps.