The response returns a 8 byte (64 bit) capability which is an opaque field generated by the server and used by the client as an access token in all subsequent procedure requests to the SAS.

procedure status RESPONSE - failure procedure status which is non zero indicates the cause of the failure.

1 user authentication error 2 server already in use procedure status

XDR Specification

procedure   Authorise (id, pass, mode)   return(reply)
            user   id;
            password   pass;
            unsigned   mode;

            union switch (stat, status)  {
               OK:
               capability   cap;
               default:
               struct   {}
            }  reply;

Requests authorisation for the client to access the spectrum server.
For off-line spectrum servers (ie for disc-based spectra) a User Identifier must be supplied. If the procedure is called with Null authentication an appropriate password must also be supplied to authenicate the user. If the procedure is called with Unix authentication and the request comes from a machine listed in one of the files .rhosts.sas in the user's home directory, /etc/hosts.equiv or /etc/hosts.sas, all on the server machine, a password need not be supplied.
The User Identifier is then used to define a 'home' disc directory. Pseudo users may be used for access to shared spectrum databases.
For on-line spectrum servers the User Identifier and password may be null length strings.