Migrating 32-Bit SAS Files to 64-Bit in UNIX Environments

Compatibility of Existing SAS Files with SAS 9.1

Starting in SAS 9, SAS for the AIX, HP-UX, and Solaris operating environments is 64-bit only. Consequently, some SAS files (such as your SAS catalogs) that were created in 32-bit releases of SAS cannot be read by the V9 engine. SAS automatically tries to use Cross-Environment Data Access (CEDA) to process these files. The following table lists the supported processing for each SAS file.

For the supported SAS files, CEDA provides only read and write access. You cannot update these files. To update these files, you will need to convert them to 64-bit. You can use the MIGRATE procedure to convert all of your SAS files (both supported and unsupported) to 64-bit.

Note  

See SAS/CONNECT User's Guide for information about accessing Version 6 SAS files if you use Remote Library Services to access SAS files on a server.

Migrating Supported SAS Files

Benefits of Converting Supported SAS Files

If you need to access 32-bit SAS data sets, SAS/ACCESS views from Oracle or SYBASE, SQL views, or MDDB files from a 64-bit SAS session, then you can access these files using CEDA. (If you are trying to access Version 6 data sets, then you will need to use the V6 or V6TAPE read-only engines.) CEDA provides read and write access to these files. However, CEDA does not support update processing. CEDA also consumes additional resources each time that you read or write to these files.

Converting your data files enables you to

• have update access to these data files

• avoid the overhead of reading or writing to 32-bit data files in a 64-bit SAS session.

How to Convert Supported SAS Files

To convert these SAS files, use the MIGRATE procedure. Using PROC MIGRATE to convert your data files enables you to preserve any integrity constraints or indexes that are associated with the data file.

Note  

You do not need access to a 32-bit release of Version 8 to convert these files.

Migrating Unsupported SAS Files

Why You Need to Convert Your Unsupported SAS Files

Catalogs and other SAS files (not including SAS data sets) contain data structures that are only known to the application that created them. These files might contain data objects other than character or numeric objects, and therefore, these files cannot be shared between 64-bit SAS and earlier 32-bit releases of SAS. The MIGRATE procedure will automatically convert these files to the 64-bit version.

How to Convert Unsupported File Types

To convert an unsupported SAS file (see Table 4.2 on page 107 for a list of the supported file types), you can use the MIGRATE procedure. However, you must have access to a 32-bit release of Version 8 and a license for SAS/SHARE or SAS/CONNECT.

Table 4.2: Supported Processing for SAS Files

File Type	Support
SAS data files	input processing [1] , output processing [2]
MDDB file	input processing
PROC SQL view	input processing
SAS/ACCESS view for Oracle or SYBASE	input processing
SAS/ACCESS view other than for Oracle or SYBASE	no support
SAS catalog	no support
stored compiled DATA step program	no support
DATA step view	no support
item store	no support
[1] To read data sets created in Version 6, use the V6 or V6TAPE read-only engines. [2] In SAS 9 if you create a new data file from the 32-bit file, the new file will be 64-bit.

If you do not have SAS/SHARE or SAS/CONNECT, then you will need to use the CPORT and CIMPORT procedures and have access to a 32-bit release of Version 8 to convert your files. For more information, see "CPORT Procedure" on page 275 and "CIMPORT Procedure" on page 270.

Additional Resources

• For more information about the MIGRATE procedure, see the Migration Community at support.sas.com/rnd/migration .

• For more information about reading Version 6 data sets, see "Reading Version 6 Data Sets" on page 111.

• For more information about CEDA, see SAS Language Reference: Concepts .