Recently, I shared a summary of Brian Varney’s SESUG presentation on How to document your SAS environment. One important step was determining where files that control overall processing, such as autoexec.sas files, are deployed. For installations on a single server or platform, Varney suggested using the OPTIONS procedure, which lists a number of important pieces of information. He noted that finding these files on planned installations is more complex.
In her recent blog post So many autoexecs; three tips for BI administrators, Angela Hall dispels some of the mystery around finding and understanding autoexec files in a multi-server installation, such as SAS Enterprise Business Intelligence. These installations are more complex, partly because there are multiple autoexec_usermods.sas files as well as autoexec.sas files, and their interactions are governed by a set of precedence rules. You’ll want to bookmark the cool table that lists the directory location and filenames for a dozen different autoexec files and clarifies what each one controls.
Here are other recent notes about the location and processing of autoexec.sas files:
- You asked for it: the Autoexec process flow
- Where SAS® software searches for an AUTOEXEC.SAS file on Microsoft Windows operating systems
