Communications Access Methods for SAS/CONNECT and SAS/SHARE Software

SAS/CONNECT

Local Host Tasks

User or Applications Programmer

To connect a Windows local host to a remote host, perform these tasks at the local host:

Optionally, set a userid and a password to ensure security at the remote host, as necessary.
Specify the communications access method.
Specify a remote host name.
Sign on to the remote host.

Setting Security for Local Hosts

If the PC spawner program is running in secure mode, you must also set the remote host userid and password at the local host. Setting the -PROTECTION option in the PC spawner invocation command secures the spawner. This is valid for Windows 95 and Windows 98 only.

See PC Spawner Program for information about starting the spawner on the remote host.

Specifying the SPX Communications Access Method

You must specify the SPX communications access method to make a remote host connection. Use the following syntax:

OPTIONS COMAMID=access-method-id;

where COMAMID is an acronym for Communications Access Method Identification. access-method-id identifies the method used by the local host to communicate with the remote host.

SPX (an abbreviation for Sequenced Packet Exchange) is an example of an access-method-id.

Example:

options comamid=spx;

Alternatively, you may specify this option at a SAS invocation or in a SAS configuration file.

Specifying the Remote Host Name

To make a connection from a Windows NT or a Windows 95 local host to a remote host, use the following syntax:

OPTIONS REMOTE=network-name;

where network-name is the -NETNAME option in the PC spawner program that you start on the remote host. See PC Spawner Program for more information.

Example:

options remote=mynet;

Alternatively, you may specify this option at a SAS invocation or in a SAS configuration file.

Signing On to the Remote Host

To complete your sign on to the remote host, enter the SIGNON statement, as follows:

signon;

Note: Sign-on script files are not needed with the SPX access method because the PC spawner program directly invokes the remote SAS session and replaces the need for a script file. [cautionend]

Although no errors are produced if you specify a script file, you do waste processing time. If you defined the RLINK fileref before establishing a connection, when you sign on, SAS/CONNECT processes and loads the script file identified by the fileref, but the SPX access method will ignore the script.

If you do not want to omit the RLINK fileref but want to prevent wasted processing time, use the NOSCRIPT option in the SIGNON and SIGNOFF statements, as shown here:

signon noscript;
.
.
.
signoff noscript;

Local Host Example

The following example illustrates the statements that you specify in a Windows NT, or Windows 95 local host SAS session to connect to a remote host with the SPX access method:

options set=sasuser userid set=saspass password;
options set=spxmsgsize 4202;
options comamid=spx remote=sasrem;
signon;

This example assumes a connection to a PC spawner that is running in secure mode. The SAS options SASUSER and SASPASS allow the userid and the password to be passed to the remote PC spawner, which permits a connection. SPXMSGSIZE is set (see Setting SAS Options and Variables for details). The SPX communications access method is declared with a connection to the remote host SASREM, which is the name that is specified in the -SPXNAME option at the PC spawner invocation. The SIGNON statement performs the sign-on process.

Remote Host Tasks

System Administrator

To allow a connection from a local host perform these tasks at the remote host:

Start the PC spawner program.
Set several remote host options, as necessary.

Starting the PC Spawner Program

You must invoke the PC spawner program on the Windows remote host to enable local hosts to connect to it. The spawner program resides on a remote host, listening for SAS/CONNECT client requests for connection to the remote host. After the spawner program receives a request, it invokes the remote SAS session.

Optionally, you may set password protection through the -PROTECTION option in the PC spawner invocation command.

Note: For Windows NT only, setting the -SECURITY option in the PC spawner invocation command also secures the spawner. [cautionend]

The spawner then verifies the userid and the password that are assigned to the SASUSER and SASPASS options. For information about setting security, see SAS/CONNECT SASUSER and SASPASS Options.

See PC Spawner Program for information about starting the spawner on the remote host.

Setting Options at the Remote Host

Although sign-on script files are not used for the SPX access method, you may set remote host options at the remote host. It is recommended that you set these options:

NO$SYNTAXCHECK

allows the continuation of statement processing at the remote host regardless of syntax error conditions.

This option is valid as part of a configuration file, at SAS invocation, or in an OPTIONS statement.

NOTERMINAL

specifies whether a terminal is attached at SAS invocation. If NOTERMINAL is specified, requestor windows are not displayed.

Setting NOTERMINAL at the remote host is advisable so that no terminal is associated with the remote session. This option prevents SAS from displaying error messages and dialog boxes on the remote host, which requires user intervention.

This option is valid as part of a configuration file or at SAS invocation.

See SAS Language Reference: Dictionary for details about this option.

NOXWAIT

applies to OS/2 or Windows remote hosts only.

specifies whether you have to type EXIT at the DOS prompt before the DOS shell closes. Setting NOXWAIT at the remote host is recommended to prevent SAS from displaying a dialog box on the remote host. Such a display requires that you explicitly type EXIT at the remote host and gives the appearance that the REMOTE SUBMIT command is hung.

This option is valid as part of a configuration file, at SAS invocation, or in an OPTIONS statement.

See SAS Companion for the Microsoft Windows Environment for details about this option.

Remote Host Example

The following example illustrates the statements that you specify in a Windows NT or a Windows 95 remote host configuration file to prepare for a connection from a supported local host with the SPX access method:

-dmr
-comamid spx
-no$syntaxcheck
-noterminal
-noxwait

The following example shows how to invoke the PC spawner on a Windows NT remote host:

c:\sas\connect\sasexe\spawner -comamid spx -protection 
                              -spxname sasrem -file mysas.cmd

The PC spawner is invoked, and the SPX access method is specified. The -PROTECTION option verifies the userids and the passwords of connecting clients. The -SPXNAME option specifies the name that the PC spawner program uses to communicate with the local host. The -FILE option executes the MYSAS.CMD file, which invokes a SAS session.

See PC Spawner Program for information about the contents of a command file and executing the PC spawner. Options that are set by means of the spawner may override options that are set in a remote host configuration file.

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