Reading SAS datasets located on Unix-server

[#1]

Hi,

I just got involved in a project where we have to read a lot of SAS datasets for our QlikView solution. The SAS-data is located on a Unix Solaris 64-bit server. On another machine we have the QlikView-server. I am trying to figure out how to read the data directly from QV. The only information I have found involves installing an ODBC driver for SAS on the QlikView-server as well as installing a local SAS server on the QV-machine. This is the document someone at QlikTech gave me regarding this: http://community.qlik.com/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadBody/1998-102-1-1993/How%20to%20Setup%20ODBC%2....

However, we are not allowed to install a SAS server on the QV-server. And the document seems based on the assumption that the SAS server is Windows based and not Unix.

I am not at all experienced in matters involving connectivity between different environments, so any advice would be appreciated. How can I read SAS datasets from an Unix server directly from QlikView installed on another server?

Thanks,

David

[raajeshn]

Hi David,

I guess - you can help me out. I am also facing an issue, something on your similar lines. Apart from connectivity, just wanted to check - if QlikView can consume the data directly from SAS Datasets - my client is somehow being convinced that there is an additional SAS SHARE License needed (which is approximatley around 84 K USD + 30% maintenance). Do we actually need this? Are you having this in your SAS environment? Appreciate your response.

Ralf - Not sure, but if you can throw some light on this, that will be great.

Thanks & Regards,

Raajesh N

[rbecher]

Hi Raajesh,

sorry, but I don't know anything about SAS licensing..

- Ralf

[#4]

Hi Raajesh,

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think it's possible to read SAS datasets directly. You need some kind of SAS server/base engine.

There are a lot of different SAS modules that can read the data sets and integrate with other systems. We do run a SAS Share server at my client. I have no idea about the licensing fee. But you don't need that just to be able to read SAS datasets. If you have the datasets locally the cheapest local client SAS Base engine would suffice.

Best regards David

[raajeshn]

Hi David,

Thanks for the quick turn around.

I am looking at a QlikView Document where it suggests about a ODBC Connector and I am trying to understand the cost / process involved behind this. Two issues - 1) I dont have SAS connectivity for now test 2) My knowledge on SAS is below 0? Any thoughts around this will be absolutely great.

Also, do you have any idea on how much does it cost for a SAS Base Engine.

Thanks & Regards,

Raajesh N

[#6]

Hi Raajesh,

I guess you are referring to the document "How to Setup ODBC Connection to SAS Datasets" which can be found at different places on the forum and is also provided by QlikTech. There is nothing wrong with that guide but the step-for-step instructions are only applicable if you have your datasets locally and also have a local SAS Base engine. I have no idea about the cost for SAS BASE. Here is a link to SAS and their BASE Engine page:http://www.sas.com/technologies/bi/appdev/base/#section=1. Give them a ring and ask if there is any possible way to read datasets without a SAS service running (and report it back here if there are). But according to the SAS ODBC Driver User Guide there is not.

The only other thing I've seen about reading SAS datasets without a SAS engine is something I found on another forum. If it's just a matter of you having some SAS datasets that you want to convert to another format this might work. But if you continuously need to read datasets in your production environment this is probably not the right solution. Anyway, this is copied from the other forum:

I have never tried http://www.oview.co.uk/dsread/, but it might be what you're looking for: "a simple command-line utility for working with datasets in the SAS7BDAT file format." But do note "This software should be considered experimental and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Sincerely,

David

[thanstad]

Hi, we are today using QlikView for all kind of data collection into a set of core apps and forther userwritten apps based on these. We also provide true QlikView a set of core information to SAS analysis and today we go from QlikView via putty and Oracle database to produce SAS data. I am a former SAS user and I have read about the connector from SAS datasets, but I wonder if I could send data from QlikView via a connector to SAS datasets directly. Then we coulkd save a lot of work.

Tormod Hanstad

[rbecher]

Hi Tormod,

the JDBC connector supports to connect to SAS IOM. This can be used during QlikView LOAD script to SELECT data from a SAS source, although it has some limitations. Perhaps, you can pass an INSERT statement thru the connection, but I don't know if it work for now. However, I think it is not possible to bulk upload data with it.

- Ralf

[thanstad]

Hi Ralph, thanks for your explanation. Yea it seems to make sens what you saying. I think we stick to the solution we have so far. If I should make the workflow with fewer steps, I could give the SAS people the csv file directly. SAS and QlikView are both capable to read 15 mill records in a relative short time. Well infact, QlikView is faster in our case.

/Tormod