How to change the directory in which the QE temporary file is created by DataDirect Drivers


The DataDirect drivers, used by some SAS/ACCESS® software products, might need to create temporary files for larger results sets. If the directory in which this file is being created does not have enough space, an error like the following might appear in the SAS log:

ERROR: CLI open cursor error: [DataDirect][ODBC SQL Server Wire Protocol driver]Error (616) on input or output to a file.

To redirect this file to a different location, use the following information.

In a Windows operating environment, the ODBC driver uses the GetTempPath() function to get the directory for the file.

The GetTempPath function checks for the existence of environment variables in the following order and uses the first path found:

  1. The path specified by the TMP environment variable
  2. The path specified by the TEMP environment variable
  3. The path specified by the USERPROFILE environment variable
  4. The Windows directory

GetTempFileName is used to create a filename that contains the prefix "qe."

In a UNIX operating environment, the ODBC driver uses tempnam() to create a temporary file that contains the prefix "qe."

If the environment variable QE_TMPDIR is set, the file is created in this directory (if appropriate). Otherwise, the function chooses where to put the file.