SPSS Client-Server

Note: At the time of this writing (Jaunuary 26, 2006), you can only use SPSS 13 for Windows to make use of the facilities described on this page. SPSS 13 may be obtained via free download. If desired, SPSS 13 may be installed on your PC along with another version of SPSS - just be sure each version is installed in a different folder and be sure not to run the different versions simultaneously.

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Overview

Very large data files may be impractical to process on your PC, depending on your PC's speed, disk space, and memory.

An alternate way to process such data is available. It makes use of SPSS 13's ability to "connect" to a VCU UNIX server that also runs SPSS. You store your data on the server and then use SPSS on your PC to access that data. All the processing is done on the server, but the SPSS session on your PC looks just as if the data were on your own PC.

SPSS has made using the client-server facility very easy. You need to establish an account on VCU's Hubert UNIX server and copy your data files to that account. Then you are ready to use the client-server facility.

Instructions for performing these steps are provided below. However, if you need assistance, please contact the Technology Services Help Desk by phone at 828-2227 or by e-mail at help@vcu.edu.

Establishing A Server Account

To create an account on our Hubert UNIX server, go to the account creation page and follow the directions for creating an account on the Hubert computer.

Note that your account will have a username and a password. Also note that the web address of the Hubert computer is hubert.vcu.edu. You will need to know this information when you copy your files to the server (see next step).

Copying Your Files To The Server

To copy your data files from your PC to your Hubert account, you must use the SFTP program, which is available free to the VCU community. You may download it at the VCU SSH Secure Shell / SFTP website. Follow the directions presented there to download and install the program.

That website also contains basic instructions for using the program. Note, in particular, that you will have to create a "profile" for the Hubert computer, with a hostname of hubert.vcu.edu and the username of your Hubert account.

After creating your Hubert profile, connect to your account by following the instructions at SSH Secure Shell / SFTP for making an FTP connection to Hubert. Once connected, the program window will display your local files (files that are stored on your PC) listed on the left side of the screen, and your remote files (files in your Hubert account) on the right side.

On the right side of the screen (the "remote" side), click the Home icon button. The box to the right of this button should now display the so-called path of the home directory for your Hubert account (an example might be /home/med/jdoe). Write down this path. You will need it later when copying your files to the server and when using SPSS client-server.

To copy your data files from your PC to Hubert, follow the instructions at SSH Secure Shell / SFTP. You will want to copy them to the path of your home directory (as just determined above).

Using SPSS Client-Server

After you have created an account on the Hubert server and copied your data files there, you are ready to use the SPSS client-server facility.

Begin by launching SPSS on your PC, as usual. Or if you are already in SPSS, save any changes you have made in your SPSS windows, as desired.

In the SPSS Data Editor screen, from the menus select File and then Switch Server.

The Server Login dialog box will be displayed, as shown below:

Click the Add button.

In the screen that appears, type the following information:

Server name:	hubert.vcu.edu
Port number:	3013
Description:	Hubert

as shown below:

Then click OK.

In the Server Login dialog box, you should now see an entry for Hubert, as shown below:

Click the check box for the Hubert entry so that a checkmark appears there, and, in the Userid and Password boxes, type the userid (i.e., account name) and password for your Hubert account, as shown below:

Then click OK.

There will be a several second delay, during which it may appear that the SPSS program has stopped running. After this delay, the SPSS Data Editor screen will reappear.

Note: If you receive a warning message in the SPSS Viewer window about an invalid parameter on a LOCALE subcommand, you may safely ignore that message and close the Viewer window. We are working to correct this problem.

In the SPSS Data Entry screen, you may now open one of your Hubert SPSS data files by selecting File and then Open and then Data. (or by clicking the File Open toolbar button)

A dialog screen will appear. In the File name box of this screen, type the path for the home directory of your Hubert account (as you determined above in the section Copying Your Files To The Server In the example screen below, we have typed a fictitious path:

Then click Open.

A list will be displayed of the folders and SPSS data files within your home directory, as shown below:

If needed, you may open any folders displayed here until you find your desired SPSS data file.

Select the desired SPSS data file and click Open.

After a brief pause, the data file should appear in the SPSS Data Entry screen.

You may now perform SPSS operations on this file, just as if it were a data file stored on your PC.

When you finish processing the data, you may save the data file, if desired. The file will be saved in your account on the Hubert server (not on your PC).

When you wish to end your SPSS session, exit SPSS as usual.

 

Your Next SPSS Session

The next time you launch SPSS 13, you will be presented with the Server Login dialog box, as below:

• If you wish to connect to Hubert (and access the SPSS data files stored there), make sure the Hubert entry is checked (as shown above), type your Hubert account password in the Password box, and click OK.
• If you wish to access the data files on your local PC, place a checkmark in the Local Computer checkbox and click OK. You may receive the following error message:

If so, this can be ignored ― just click OK in this box and click OK again in the Server Login screen, if necessary.