A user ID identifies a specific user or a specific connection to a server. A user ID can be specified as a number, an identifying connection, or a case-sensitive name. A user ID name must meet the criteria for a valid SAS name, but the ID can also include the following special characters: dollar sign ($), at sign (@), and pound sign (#). The operating environment on which the client runs can also impose user-naming criteria. For details, see Communications Access Methods for SAS/CONNECT and SAS/SHARE. The following are examples of user IDs:

Each time a user accesses a SAS/SHARE server, the new connection is assigned a number. A user is identified in the server SAS log and in PROC OPERATE output by a combination of that number and the applicable user ID in the form user-ID(nnnn).

A USER command in which you specify a user connection number is restricted to that user's specific connection. For example, if Maria accesses the same server three times, she is identified by the server as MARIA(3). To display information about that connection only, you issue the following command:

display user 3;

A USER command in which you specify a user ID operates on all current connections for that user. In addition, the QUIESCE, STOP, and START commands act on that user's future connections. For example, if Maria connects to the same server three times and accesses the server a fifth time, the following command provides information about both MARIA(3) and MARIA(5):

display user MARIA;

The following command terminates the maria(3) and maria(5) connections to the server and prevents Maria from reconnecting to the server.

stop user maria;