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Configuration

Source: vignettes/configuration.rmd
configuration.rmd

General configuration

sasquatch works by utilizing the SASPy python package, similar to packages like sasr or configSAS. This means everything we do to connect R and SAS, needs to go through SASPy.

Configuration steps for SASPy can vary greatly depending on the SAS client, but all configuration is specified within the sascfg_personal.py file inside of the SASPy package.

Setting up

Use the following function to create a sascfg_personal.py templated file.

sasquatch::configure_saspy()

Note: sasquatch::configure_saspy() will configure reticulate’s current python version. You may have to run reticulate::use_virtualenv("r-saspy") in order to specify that you want to configure that python environment.

This will create a file like the following:

SAS_config_names = ['config_name']

config_name = {
    
}

SAS_config_names should contain a string list of the variable names of all configurations. Configurations are specified as dictionaries, and configuration parameters depend on the access method.

Additionally, some access methods will require an additional authentication file (.authinfo for Linux and Mac, _authinfo for Windows) stored in the user’s home directory, which are constructed as follows:

config_name user {your username} password {your password}

Access methods

From here, you will need to fill out the config_name dictionary with your configuration definition. The required definition fields will depend on the access method required to connect to your SAS client.

The following is a breakdown of the access method by SAS deployment:

  • Stand-alone SAS 9 install
    • On Linux
      • Client Linux
        • STDIO - if on same machine
        • SSH (STDIO over SSH) if not the same machine. This works from Mac OS too.
      • Client Windows
        • SSH (STDIO over SSH)!
    • On Windows
      • Client Linux
        • Can’t get there from here
      • Client Windows
        • IOM or COM - on same machine. Can’t get there if different machines
  • Workspace server (this is SAS 9, and deployment on any platform is fine)
    • Client Linux or Mac OS
      • IOM - local or remote
    • Client Windows
      • IOM or COM - local or remote
    • SAS Viya install
      • On Linux
        • Client Linux
          • HTTP - must have compute service configured and running (Viya V3.5 and V4)
          • STDIO - over SSH if not the same machine (this was for Viya V3 before Compute Service existed, not for V4)
        • Client Windows
          • HTTP - must have compute service configured and running (Viya V3.5 and V4)
      • On Windows
        • HTTP - must have compute service configured and running (Viya V3.5 and V4)

Additional configuration

Not included in the template sascfg_personal.py file above are two additional configuration dictionaries: SAS_config_options and SAS_output_options. Configuration of these options is not necessary, but they are documented within the sascfg.py file found in the same folder as the templated sascfg_personal.py (Or within the source code)

More information

Further documentation and examples for each access type can be found within the SASPy configuration documentation

SAS On Demand for Academics configuration

Registration

SAS On Demand for Academics (ODA) is free SAS client for professors, students, and independent learners. Create an account at https://welcome.oda.sas.com/.

Once you have set up your account, log in and note the ODA server (in the picture below United States 2) and your username (under the email in the profile dropdown). We will need these for later.

Java installation

ODA relies on the IOM access method, which requires Java. Make sure Java is installed on your system. ODA also requires you to install additional encryption jars within the java/iomclient folder inside of your SASPy installation.

Note: Adding your java installation to path will help sasquatch::configure_saspy() find your Java installation path. Otherwise, note the path so that you can manually enter it within your sascfg_personal.py file.

Configuration

Set up for ODA is super easy. Run config_saspy() and follow the prompts.

sasquatch::configure_saspy(template = "oda")

Note: sasquatch::configure_saspy() will configure reticulate’s current python version. You may have to run reticulate::use_virtualenv("r-saspy") in order to specify that you want to configure that python environment.

config_saspy(template = "oda") will:

  • Create a sascfg_personal.py file with all the relevant configuration information. Generally, your sascfg_personal.py will look something like:

    SAS_config_names=['oda']
oda = {
  'java' : 'path_to_java', # replace with your java path
  # Uncomment the one for your region
  #US Home Region 1
  # 'iomhost' : ['odaws01-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws03-usw2.oda.sas.com','odaws04-usw2.oda.sas.com'],
  #US Home Region 2
  #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-usw2-2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-usw2-2.oda.sas.com'],
  #European Home Region 1
  #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-euw1.oda.sas.com','odaws02-euw1.oda.sas.com'], 
  #Asia Pacific Home Region 1
  #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-apse1.oda.sas.com','odaws02-apse1.oda.sas.com'],
  #Asia Pacific Home Region 2
  #'iomhost' : ['odaws01-apse1-2.oda.sas.com','odaws02-apse1-2.oda.sas.com'],
  'iomport' : 8591,
  'authkey' : 'oda',
  'encoding' : 'utf-8'
}

  • Create an authinfo file, which you will be able to write your ODA credentials into. Generally, your authinfo file will look something like:

    oda user {your username} password {your password}

  • Request that you download the SAS ODA encryption jars into the SASPy package’s java/iomclient/ folder.

More information about ODA configuration can be found in the ODA section of SASPy configuration documentation.

Local Windows installation configuration

Configuration of a local installation of a Window installation is relatively simple. First, SASPy requires yout to add the sspiauth.dll file to your PATH (SASPy only recommends listing the path to the directory, not the path to the sspiauth.dll file itself). You can add this directory to your PATH at runtime by adding the following two lines to the sascfg_personal.py file.

import os
os.environ["PATH"] += ";C:\\Program Files\\SASHome\\SASFoundation\\9.4\\core\\sasext"

From there the only other required configuration step is specifying the path of your java installation. An example, sascfg_personal.py file is provided below:

import os

os.environ["PATH"] += ";C:\\Program Files\\SASHome\\SASFoundation\\9.4\\core\\sasext"

SAS_config_names = ["winlocal"]

winlocal = {
    "java": "C:\\Program Files\\SASHome\\SASPrivateJavaRuntimeEnvironment\\9.4\\jre\\bin\\java"
}

Additional information about connecting to a local Windows machine can be found within the local configuration section of the SASPy documentation.