What Is SAS?

SAS is a modular, integrated, hardware-independent system of software for enterprise-wide information delivery. What distinguishes the software is its ability to

• make enterprise data a generalized resource available to any user or application that requires it, regardless of the source of the data.

• transform enterprise data into meaningful information for a broad range of applications.

• deliver critical information through a variety of interfaces that are tailored to the needs and experience of the individual user.

• perform consistently across a broad range of hardware environments while exploiting the particular advantages of each environment.

SAS integrates all of these elements into a powerful software system. SAS views virtually any application as a collection of data-driven tasks or processes that can be generally classified as described in the following sections.

Data access is the process of accessing the data required by the application. SAS treats enterprise data as an available resource by providing transparent access to

• popular database management systems such as DB2, IMS, INGRES, SYBASE, ORACLE, and DEC Rdb.

• flat files, system-specific files, and other historical or "legacy" data types

• SAS' own relational data structure.

Through SAS' Multiple Engine Architecture (MEA), these data sources can be combined to provide an enterprise Data Warehouse that gives end users the information they need to do their jobs without jeopardizing the security and integrity of data assets or negatively affecting the performance of production databases.

Data management is the process of shaping data into a form required by the application. You can manage your data by entering, editing, retrieving, formatting, and converting your data.

Data analysis is the process of transforming raw data into meaningful and useful information. You can analyze your data using descriptive statistics, multivariate techniques, forecasting and modeling, and linear programming.

Data presentation is the process of communicating information in ways that clearly demonstrate its significance. You can present your data by using reports, business and analytical graphics, and business correspondence.

Copyright © 2007 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.