The SERVER procedure is the core of SAS/SHARE. It is the component that enables two or more clients to write concurrently to the same SAS file. To start a SAS/SHARE server, invoke the SERVER procedure. Specify an ID for that server with a set of optional parameters that define the server behavior.

You can use any SAS method of processing to invoke PROC SERVER: non-interactive mode, interactive line mode, batch mode, or the SAS windowing environments. For production, SAS/SHARE servers are usually run in batch mode; for interactive testing, they are usually run in interactive line mode.

The SERVER procedure is interactive, which means that the parser processes statements (that are called commands in PROC SERVER) as they are encountered. For details about how to invoke the SERVER procedure and for an example of a SAS log, see Managing a SAS/SHARE Server (Server Administrators).