Automatic disconnection from WRDS every two hours using SAS 9.4

[rachard11]

I'm using SAS 9.4 to run SAS remotely on the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) server.  Ever since I've moved to my new institution, I find my connection to the remote server disconnects automatically after two hours without fail.  My internal IT guy doesn't seem to know what the problem is.  It's apparently something other users at this institution experience as well, though I've never encountered it elsewhere.  Any ideas as to what may be going on?

[SASKiwi]

Have a look at a very similar problem I've responded to:

https://communities.sas.com/t5/Administration-and-Deployment/How-Where-do-I-set-the-keepalive-parame...

I've listed the options available to fix this. In your case it is probably a client-side TCP/IP network problem. Using a PC stay-alive utility could be the easiest way to fix this assuming you are using local PC SAS to connect to WRDS and not remote server SAS.

[rachard11]

Thank you for your response.  So my timeout issue occurs while SAS is running in the background and I'm still actively working on the computer, so I know the computer isn't going to sleep.  Can the PC stay-alive utility still solve the problem in this case?

[SASKiwi]

The stay-alive utility sends data packets to the SAS server you are connected to at regular intervals to stop your connection dropping through inactivity. There is no guarantee it will fix your problem but is certainly worth trying.

It is possible that WRDS has a built-in timeout of 2 hours. You would need to check with them about that. 

[rachard11]

WRDS indicates they don't have a 2-hour cutoff, so it's an issue on my institution's end.  I've passed your suggestion on to my institution's IT people, and I will post the outcome when I learn it.

[mrlcpa]

I am experiencing this same problem of a cut off after 2 hours, even when computer is active. How was this resolved?

[rachard11]

I tried a lot of different solutions with my tech support guy and never
resolved it. So I always type a proc upload or proc download into my code
at necessary intervals to keep the connection alive, and code around it.

[mkeintz]

WRDS never, during my employment there, disconnected a sas/connect client while it waited on a long process running on the sas/connect server.  Some node/router at the client institution or between the client and WRDS decided your session has been abandoned and should be disconnected.

A possible workaround:  If you are running a multi-step program all contained in a single rsubmit/endrsubmit block you can reduce the risk of disconnect.  Just make several such blocks, each containing one complete data or proc step.   All these blocks can be sent together to the server, so you don't have to babysit the client.  The benefit is that the server will send notes, etc. to the client-side log and client-side listing at shorter intervals, signaling that the connection has not been abandoned.

Also make sure your local tech support is checking the treatment of port 4016.  That's the port the sas/connect server on WRDS uses.