Where is my WORK library location and how do I change it?

Nico Chart_21517

Short Answer:

You can change the location of the Work library by changing the definition of the WORK system option. Create a file called 'altairslc.cfg' (if it does not already exist) in your C:\Users\<YOUR_USERNAME>\Documents\My WPS Files folder and add a line of the form:

-WORK 'E:\SLCWORK'

You will then need to restart your server or restart the workbench and when you run the following program you should see the new location of your work library:

PROC OPTIONS OPTION=WORK VALUE; RUN;

Long Answer:

n.b. SLC Hub administrators should refer to our separate FAQ How do I configure alternative WORK library locations for SLC Hub users?

The 'temporary working space' is generally defined by the WORK system option in the altairslc.cfg file (formerly called wps.cfg) that you should find in the root of your software installation. It is typically defined to be

-WORK '!TEMP\WPS Temporary Data'

where TEMP is a Windows environmental variable that is typically defined to be a path on the C: drive.

The installation-wide altairslc.cfg file is processed first and changing that will affect all users of that software installation. If you check the Help->Help Contents and enter the search string 'configuration' then you can define a user-specific configuration file that can define the WORK system option to override the installation one without changing the installation. We recommend using altairslc_local.cfg to avoid changing the installation configuration file. We would also recommend that if you do change the WORK location that you still choose a local disc partition. In this way you maintain the performance of Altair SLC by creating temporary data on fast access discs.

As an alternative in the Workbench you can change this startup option called WORK and point to another drive. To do this open the 'Server Explorer' tab in Workbench, select the Local server and right-click 'Properties'. In the 'Properties for Local' dialog box select 'Startup Options'. Click the 'Add...' button. In the resulting Startup Option dialog box click 'Select' and choose the WORK option. This should transfer the option back to the properties window. In the 'Value' field, enter the new path to the drive:\Appdata\WPS Temporary Data and then Apply the form. Click OK to restart the server with the new option.

To test any changes you make simply run a SAS language program that generates a dataset in the 'Work' library, select the 'Work' library from the Server Explorer and view the 'Properties' using the right hand mouse button. Under 'General' information there should be a Physical Name element with a value that says where the temp data is being stored.

Or from inside a SAS language program:

PROC OPTIONS OPTION=WORK VALUE; RUN;

WORK should always be on a fast local SSD or similar disk, with no scanning, auto-backup, auto-compress or other such background activity that slows down the access.

On servers, the WORK entry in altairslc.cfg file should include the username environment variable like this:

/* Windows */
-WORK C:\Temp\!USERNAME

/* Linux */
-WORK /var/tmp/!USER

(otherwise user work library files may clash)

Remember that the Work library is deleted at the end of your Altair SLC session, or when you restart the Altair SLC server in Workbench. (Except when this functionality is overridden by the use of WORKTERM and WORKINIT sas language system options.)

The 'cleanwork' utility is available for regularly removing any 'left behind' work library files.

Notes

Some SAS language programmers refer to the WORK library as 'SASWORK' but there is no predefined entity called SASWORK in the SLC system.

The standard SASUSER library is always made available to the programmer as a convenient location for permanent data sets.

The standard SASHELP library is also provided for the convenience of the programmer. See the Help documentation for details.