Can I use the UNIT=AFF= within my libname statements, a la:

LIBNAME DATA1 TAPE 'XXXX.XXXX1' DISP=(NEW,CATLG,CATLG) UNIT=TAPE BLKSIZE=27468; DATA DATA1.STEP1; SET SOMEDATA.FROMAN.SQLVIEW; RUN;

LIBNAME DATA2 TAPE 'XXXX.XXXX2' DISP=(NEW,CATLG,CATLG) UNIT=AFF=DATA1 BLKSIZE=27468; PROC SORT DATA=DATA1.STEP1 OUT=DATA2.STEP2; BY VAR1 VAR2 VAR3; RUN;

LIBNAME DATA1 CLEAR;

LIBNAME DATA3 'XXXX.XXXX3' DISP=(NEW,CATLG,CATLG) <MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DASD>; DATA3.STEP3; SET DATA2.STEP2; BY VAR1 VAR2; <SOME SIMPLE MATH MAKING NEW VARS>; <A ROLLUP>; <A KEEP>; RUN;

LIBNAME DATA41 TAPE 'XXXX.XXXX41' DISP=(NEW,CATLG,CATLG) UNIT=AFF=DATA2 BLKSIZE=27468; DATA DATA3.SUBSET1; SET DATA3.STEP3; <AN IF>; RUN; PROC RANK ... OUT=DATA41.SUBSET1; RUN;

LIBNAME DATA2 CLEAR;

LIBNAME DATA42 TAPE 'XXXX.XXXX42' DISP=(NEW,CATLG,CATLG) UNIT=AFF=DATA41 BLKSIZE=27468; DATA DATA3.SUBSET2; SET DATA3.STEP3; <AN IF>; RUN; PROC RANK ... OUT=DATA42.SUBSET2; RUN;

LIBNAME DATA41 CLEAR;

<MORE SUBSETTING AS ABOVE>

First, can I use UNIT=AFF in my libname statements the way I have above? Second, can I "daisy chain" the referbacks the way I have?

Obviously, I want to avoid using JCL to do this. My goal is to use as little JCL as possible, and get into the comfortable realm of SAS quickly to do what I need to do. I don't care how long it take for this program to run (clearly). My only concern is that I tie up just one tape unit at a time, maybe two. Please take a look at the above code and let me know if it will work.

The help everyone has given me recently has been invaluable, by the way, and I am trying to keep my posts to a minimum. Thanks, Chris