How to access DataSets on local machine?

[jasmeetsasan2012]

Hello,

I have started using SAS on demand academics miner version. I am having trouble in accessing the datasets residing on my local machine and it prompts me with an error. For example, when I am converting SAS dataset to xport format as below, it is giving me error than library(sasfile) doesn't exit.

libname sasfile "c:\data";

data sasfile.test2;

input a b c d;

datalines;

1 26 31 1

1 28 28 2

1 30 31 3

2 32 31 4

2 34 29 5

;

libname sasfile "c:\data";  *this is where the SAS dataset wiil  be created;

libname xptfile xport "c:\test2.xpt";

proc cport data=sasfile.test2 file="c:\test2.xpt";

run;

Que: How can I access datasets from my PC?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[Kurt_Bremser]

With SAS On Demand, the SAS process runs on a server that cannot see your local filesystem(s).

To create SAS tables locally, you need a local SAS installation.

If you want to save data, you have to export it to a local location (.sas7bdat not possible).

Don't know if it's possible to use ssh/ftp to the On Demand server.

[jasmeetsasan2012]

Kurt, to have SAS on local machine, I need its licensed version which is not affordable. Is there any alternative to have SAS on local machine? And what is the use of having this academic Miner version it is not capable to work on the local dataset.

[Kurt_Bremser]

Without local SAS, what good is a local data set anyway?

[ChrisHemedinger]

Even without local SAS, you can use the SAS Local OLE DB provider to read SAS data sets.  See these posts for examples:

Peek at your data using VBScript, OLE DB, and the SAS local data provider - The SAS Dummy

Using Windows PowerShell to view your SAS data dictionary

In the "commercial" version of SAS Enterprise Guide (not the SAS OnDemand version), you can use the Data->Upload SAS Data Sets and Download Data tasks to move SAS data sets from local to SAS and back again, allowing you to keep and share your SAS data results.  In the SAS OnDemand version, this capability is restricted.  The normal path is to have an instructor stage the data you need for lessons (in the Academic version).

Chris

[Cynthia_sas]

And, Chris, to piggy back on your answer -- for EM, specifically, if the SAS OnDemand for Academics server class is also using our Enterprise Miner class, their professor could have had the class data loaded onto the server for the students, too.

cynthia

[Kurt_Bremser]

Chris, I know that, but in the example he/she was _creating_ a local SAS data set. Doing that only so you can then use the SAS Data Provider to use it in a _local_ Windows application would reside quite to the right of the dumbness scale IMO.

[jakarman]

Get into the SAS ondemand academic documentation.
They did a crippled version of SAS not allowing to transfer personal/local data to that environment as student.

Only the trainer (your educational master) is allowed to do that. 
SAS is probably afraid students are abusing or overloading their machines.

Probably the new approach of having a VM version local on your machine could make some difference. 

[jasmeetsasan2012]

Thanks everyone. If this is the case, then for what purpose this software would be used by students if they would not have any freedom to run their studies? It is not good to have instructor for every RUN. I would say, e.g. I want to build a model, YES i can build it but its worthless because I won't be able to run it because my data libraries reside in the local machine. All I can do is build and run my model on the sample datasets available on the server side.

I am so upset with this pathetic feature. Please share some alternative to fix this issue. Its not worth having this academically if I have to ping a professor for every model run.

I am a mediocre SAS programmer (2 year experience only) and want to use this facility in the academic scope and gain some more experience with versatile datasets.

[Reeza]

It may depend on where you are in the world.

SAS typically offers University's and Students a desktop version of SAS at a very low or free rate. Depends on your institution.

[jakarman]

jasmeetsas2012 you did described well your requirements as being a student and going for some research goals (scientific educational related).

Recognizing this and doing something about that is not the most strongest of SAS institute. They stopped with an educational version (also crippled in sizing of the data) but the most recent approach is:
SAS Software for Academia | SAS. As you see the miner part is either "on demand", the being crippled in limiting data-transfer or you must have an institute that is capable to deploy a running version and  wanting to pay for that. 

[jasmeetsasan2012]

End Result: I sent my data files to professor to upload them on the sas library (accessible to her only), to move on with the study.

I would inquire more about the desktop version available in the university, after all its a big University and should/would have this facility.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

[nancy_call_sas]

Hello Jaap and jasmeetsasan2012,

I wanted to provide you with some details regarding SAS OnDemand for Academics that may assist you with some of the issues and questions that you have had with regards to this product. We appreciate feedback and it will be used as we plan for upcoming releases.

First, the offering is designed with an Instructor/Student paradigm right now. Instructors have the ability to
upload their own data that students can then access with the appropriate course
LIBNAME or FILENAME statement. Since it’s for teaching purposes, the instructor
can help by uploading data that he or she thinks that the students might need
for their course. The instructor can upload many data sets or files and then
provide the course LIBNAME or FILENAME to students so that the instructor
wouldn’t have to be involved for every data file that a student wanted to use.
This can be done for EG, EM , and SAS Web Editor.

Second, users can currently use SAS Web Editor (soon to be renamed as SAS Studio with update in July) and upload
local data for use within that offering (there is still a 2GB limit).

Third, if a current user is using EG, they can upload data from their local machine for the current
session. If they modify that data during the session, they can download it
locally before the session ends. They can refer to the ‘Student’ guide
available from http://support.sas.com/ondemand/ for details.

Fourth, in May SAS will launch a new free version called SAS University Edition that will
enable users to access and use their local data. Details can be found at the following site, which offers information and resources for professors and students (soon to include a researcher section). https://communities.sas.com/community/sas-analytics-u

Further details about the new SAS University Edition will be available on this site as the release date approaches.

I do hope this is helpful information.

Nancy Call

SAS

[jakarman]

@nancy, you did probably no background research on my profile. I am posting a lot to help SAS. It is not seeing SAS as the heroes as it also is containing critics.

The  analyticsu approach already has been investigated. A good nice step. I am happy still seeing a lot of mistakes and failures. That will keep my knowledge as a very valuable one to be exploited in some way.

We will see how that will work on the future.