Date:         Mon, 9 Jun 2008 10:25:49 -0400
Reply-To:     SUBSCRIBE SAS-L Tom Smith <tomquin99@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         SUBSCRIBE SAS-L Tom Smith <tomquin99@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: overwrite a dataset when it is occupied

Here is the code I used>
* session1: occupy the data for 5 minutes, then release.;
libname lib1 '/store/card/d0553/';
data _null_;
do i=1 to 5;
  set lib1.mydata;  /* when the data is being read, it is not permitted to
be overwritten */
  call sleep(60,1);
end;
stop;
run;

/* session2: try overwriting the data, should work after 5 minutes. It
succeeded on PC SAS, but failed (it continued looping till timeout) on
UNIX. -- Can anybody confirm this and find any possible reason for me? */

%let counter=0;
%let repeat=1;
libname final "/store/card/d0553/";
%do %while(&repeat=1 and &counter<10);
    /* overwrite the data */
    proc datasets library=work nolist;
             copy out=final move;
             select mydata;
    quit;
    %if &syserr ^=0 %then %do;  /*if overwriting not succeed */
        options replace;
        %put Warning: Mydata is being locked. wait for 60 sec. counter =
&counter ;
    %end;
    %else %let repeat=0;
    %let counter=%eval(&counter+1);
    %let Sleep= %sysfunc(sleep(60,1));
 %end;

Thanks a lot.