Running SAS in a Foreground or Background Process

UNIX is a multitasking system, so you can run multiple processes at the same time. For example, you can have one process running in the foreground and three in the background. A foreground process executes while you wait for the prompt; that is, you cannot execute additional commands while the current command is being executed. After you enter a command, the shell starts a process to execute the command. After the system executes the command, the shell displays the prompt and you can enter additional commands. A background process executes independently of the shell. After you enter a command, the shell starts a process to execute the command and then issues the system prompt. You can enter other commands or start other background tasks without waiting for your initial command to execute. You can run SAS in the foreground or in the background.

Note  

Both the C shell and the Korn shell include commands that enable you to move jobs among three possible states: running in the foreground, running in the background, and suspended .