The largest file that can be created on UNIX is dependent on the block size of the file system where the file is located. A block size that is too small can limit the maximum file size, which can lead to unexpected errors when running SAS^® programs.

For example, a PROC SQL step could generate the following error:

ERROR: Sort execution failure. 

When you check the location where utility files are written (either the SAS Work library or the location specified by the UTILLOC system option), you might find that the file system has a large amount of free space, but a utility file write fails when attempting to create a file larger than 16GB. This is the file size limit with a block size of 1KB on some file system types; other block sizes and file system types impose other maximum file sizes. Refer to the UNIX man pages to determine the specific limits for your system.

Other errors might point to a "possible disk full condition", or state that a "file is full" when you attempt to create large data sets, even though ample free space remains.

For information about Windows file size limits, see SAS Note 13334.