Glossary: Glossary

Glossary

attribute: a characteristic that is part of the standard metadata for an object. Examples of attributes include the object's name, creation date, and modification date.
authentication: the process of verifying the identity of a person or process within the guidelines of a specific authorization policy.
authentication domain: a SAS internal category that pairs logins with the servers for which they are valid. For example, an Oracle server and the SAS copies of Oracle credentials might all be classified as belonging to an OracleAuth authentication domain.
cluster: a group of machines that participate in load balancing. Each machine in the cluster runs an object spawner that handles client requests for connections.
component: a self-contained, reusable programming object that provides some type of service to other components in an object-oriented programming environment.
connection profile: a client-side definition of where a metadata server is located. The definition includes a computer name and a port number. In addition, the connection profile can also contain user connection information.
credentials: the user ID and password for an account that exists in some authentication provider.
daemon: a process that starts and waits either for a request to perform work or for an occurrence of a particular event. After the daemon receives the request or detects the occurrence, it performs the appropriate action. If nothing else is in its queue, the daemon then returns to its wait state.
data warehouse: a collection of data that is extracted from one or more sources for the purpose of query, reporting, and analysis. In contrast to a data mart, a data warehouse is better suited for storing large amounts of data that originates in other corporate applications or which is extracted from external data sources such as public databases.
database management system: a software application that enables you to create and manipulate data that is stored in the form of databases. Short form: DBMS.
database server: a server that provides relational database services to a client. Oracle, DB/2 and Teradata are examples of relational databases.
DBMS: See database management system.
deploy: to install an instance of operational SAS software and related components. The deployment process often includes configuration and testing as well. See also migrate.
deployment plan: information about what software should be installed and configured on each machine in a SAS deployment. A deployment plan is an XML file that is used as input to the SAS Deployment Wizard. There are two types of deployment plans: standard and custom. A standard deployment plan describes a common configuration. Standard plans are stored by default in the SAS Software Depot. A custom deployment plan is created by a SAS representative specifically for a site.
domain: a database of users that has been set up by an administrator by using a specific authentication provider such as LDAP or the host operating system. The domain name should be unique within your enterprise. For example, you should not have a Windows domain and a UNIX domain that are both named "SALES". See also authentication domain.
encryption: the act or process of converting data to a form that only the intended recipient can read or use.
Extensible Markup Language: a markup language that structures information by tagging it for content, meaning, or use. Structured information contains both content (for example, words or numbers) and an indication of what role the content plays. For example, content in a section heading has a different meaning from content in a database table. Short form: XML.
Integrated Windows authentication: a Microsoft technology that facilitates use of authentication protocols such as Kerberos. In the SAS implementation, all participating components must be in the same Windows domain or in domains that trust each other.
Internet Protocol Version 6: a protocol that specifies the format for network addresses for all computers that are connected to the Internet. This protocol, which is the successor of Internet Protocol Version 4, uses hexadecimal notation to represent 128-bit address spaces. The format can consist of up to eight groups of four hexadecimal characters, delimited by colons, as in FE80:0000:0000:0000:0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329. As an alternative, a group of consecutive zeros could be replaced with two colons, as in FE80::0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329. Short form: IPv6 See also IP address and Internet Protocol Version 4.
IPv6: See Internet Protocol Version 6.
IWA: See Integrated Windows authentication.
JAR file: a Java Archive file. The JAR file format is used for aggregating many files into one file. JAR files have the file extension .jar.
Java: a set of technologies for creating software programs in both stand-alone environments and networked environments, and for running those programs safely. Java is a Sun Microsystems trademark.
Java Database Connectivity: a standard interface for accessing SQL databases. JDBC provides uniform access to a wide range of relational databases. It also provides a common base on which higher-level tools and interfaces can be built. Short form: JDBC.
Java Development Kit: a software development environment that is available from Sun Microsystems, Inc. The JDK includes a Java Runtime Environment (JRE), a compiler, a debugger, and other tools for developing Java applets and applications. Short form: JDK.
JDBC: See Java Database Connectivity.
JDK: See Java Development Kit.
job: a metadata object that specifies processes that create output.
load balancing: for IOM bridge connections, a program that runs in the object spawner and that uses an algorithm to distribute work across object server processes on the same or separate machines in a cluster.
localhost: a keyword that is used to specify the machine on which a program is executing. If a client specifies localhost as the server address, the client connects to a server that runs on the same machine.
login: a SAS copy of information about an external account. Each login includes a user ID and belongs to one SAS user or group. Most logins do not include a password.
metadata identity: a metadata object that represents an individual user or a group of users in a SAS metadata environment. Each individual and group that accesses secured resources on a SAS Metadata Server should have a unique metadata identity within that server.
metadata object: a set of attributes that describe a table, a server, a user, or another resource on a network. The specific attributes that a metadata object includes vary depending on which metadata model is being used.
middle tier: in a SAS business intelligence system, the architectural layer in which Web applications and related services execute. The middle tier receives user requests, applies business logic and business rules, interacts with processing servers and data servers, and returns information to users.
migrate: to populate a new deployment of SAS software with the content, data, or metadata (or a combination of these) from an existing deployment. Migrating might include upgrading to a new software release, converting data or metadata, or other changes to ensure compatibility.
object: in object-oriented programming, an instantiation or specific representation of a class.
object spawner: a program that instantiates object servers that are using an IOM bridge connection. The object spawner listens for incoming client requests for IOM services. When the spawner receives a request from a new client, it launches an instance of an IOM server to fulfill the request. Depending on which incoming TCP/IP port the request was made on, the spawner either invokes the administrator interface or processes a request for a UUID (Universal Unique Identifier).
OLAP: See online analytical processing.
online analytical processing: a software technology that enables users to dynamically analyze data that is stored in cubes. Short form: OLAP.
planned deployment: a method of installing and configuring a SAS business intelligence system. This method requires a deployment plan that contains information about the different hosts that are included in the system and the software and SAS servers that are to be deployed on each host. The deployment plan then serves as input to an installation and configuration tool called the SAS Deployment Wizard.
pre-installation checklist: a checklist that enumerates the tasks a customer must perform before installing the business intelligence platform. The primary task is to create a set of operating system user accounts on the metadata server host. See also metadata server.
resource: any object that is registered in a metadata repository. For example, a resource can be an application, a data store, a dimension in an OLAP cube, a metadata item, an access control template, or a password.
SAS Application Server: in the SAS Intelligence Platform, a logical entity that represents the SAS server tier. This logical entity contains specific servers (for example, a SAS Workspace Server and a SAS Stored Process Server) that execute SAS code. A SAS Application Server has relationships with other metadata objects. For example, a SAS library can be assigned to a SAS Application Server. When a client application needs to access that library, the client submits code to the SAS Application Server to which the library is assigned.
SAS authentication: a form of authentication in which the target SAS server is responsible for requesting or performing the authentication check. SAS servers usually meet this responsibility by asking another component (such as the server's host operating system, an LDAP provider, or the SAS Metadata Server) to perform the check. In a few cases (such as SAS internal authentication to the metadata server), the SAS server performs the check for itself. A configuration in which a SAS server trusts that another component has pre-authenticated users (for example, Web authentication) is not part of SAS authentication.
SAS configuration directory: the location where configuration information for a SAS deployment is stored. The configuration directory contains configuration files, logs, scripts, repository files, and other items for the SAS software that is installed on the machine.
SAS data set: a file whose contents are in one of the native SAS file formats. There are two types of SAS data sets: SAS data files and SAS data views. SAS data files contain data values in addition to descriptor information that is associated with the data. SAS data views contain only the descriptor information plus other information that is required for retrieving data values from other SAS data sets or from files that are stored in other software vendors' file formats.
SAS Deployment Manager: a cross-platform utility that manages SAS deployments. The SAS Deployment Manager supports functions such as updating passwords for your SAS deployment, rebuilding SAS Web applications, and removing configurations.
SAS Deployment Wizard: a cross-platform utility that installs and initially configures many SAS products. Using a SAS installation data file and, when appropriate, a deployment plan for its initial input, the wizard is designed to prompt the customer for all the remaining input at the start of the session so that the customer does not have to monitor an entire deployment.
SAS Foundation Services: a set of core infrastructure services that programmers can use in developing distributed applications that are integrated with the SAS platform. These services provide basic underlying functions that are common to many applications. These functions include making client connections to SAS application servers, dynamic service discovery, user authentication, profile management, session context management, metadata and content repository access, activity logging, event management, information publishing, and stored process execution. See also service.
SAS installation data file: a control file containing license information that is required in order to install SAS.
SAS installation directory: the location where your SAS software is installed. This location is the parent directory to the installation directories of all SAS products. The SAS installation directory is also referred to as SAS Home in the SAS Deployment Wizard.
SAS Management Console: a Java application that provides a single user interface for performing SAS administrative tasks.
SAS Metadata Server: a multi-user server that enables users to read metadata from or write metadata to one or more SAS Metadata Repositories. The SAS Metadata Server uses the Integrated Object Model (IOM), which is provided with SAS Integration Technologies, to communicate with clients and with other servers.
SAS OLAP Server: a SAS server that provides access to multidimensional data. The data is queried using the multidimensional expressions (MDX) language.
SAS Pooled Workspace Server: a SAS Workspace Server that is configured to use server-side pooling. In this configuration, the SAS object spawner maintains a collection of workspace server processes that are available for clients.
SAS Software Depot: a file system that consists of a collection of SAS installation files that represents one or more orders. The depot is organized in a specific format that is meaningful to the SAS Deployment Wizard, which is the tool that is used to install and initially configure SAS. The depot contains the SAS Deployment Wizard executable, one or more deployment plans, a SAS installation data file, order data, and product data.
SAS Stored Process Server: a SAS IOM server that is launched in order to fulfill client requests for SAS Stored Processes.
SAS Workspace Server: a SAS IOM server that is launched in order to fulfill client requests for IOM workspaces.
SAS/CONNECT server: a server that provides SAS/CONNECT services to a client. When SAS Data Integration Studio generates code for a job, it uses SAS/CONNECT software to submit code to remote computers. SAS Data Integration Studio can also use SAS/CONNECT software for interactive access to remote libraries.
SAS/SHARE server: the result of an execution of the SERVER procedure, which is part of SAS/SHARE software. A server runs in a separate SAS session that services users' SAS sessions by controlling and executing input and output requests to one or more SAS libraries.
server context: a SAS IOM server concept that describes how SAS Application Servers manage client requests. A SAS Application Server has an awareness (or context) of how it is being used and makes decisions based on that awareness. For example, when a SAS Data Integration Studio client submits code to its SAS Application Server, the server determines what type of code is submitted and directs it to the correct physical server for processing (in this case, a SAS Workspace Server).
service: one or more application components that an authorized user or application can call at any time to provide results that conform to a published specification. For example, network services transmit data or provide conversion of data in a network, database services provide for the storage and retrieval of data in a database, and Web services interact with each other on the World Wide Web. See also SAS Foundation Services.
servlet: a Java program that runs on a Web server. Servlets can be considered a complementary technology to applets, which run in Web browsers. Unlike applet code, servlet code does not have to be downloaded to a Web browser. Instead, servlets send HTML or other appropriate content back to a browser or to another type of Web-based client application.
servlet container: an execution environment for Java servlets that contains a Java Virtual Machine. The servlet container also provides other services for servlets and for the Web applications that those servlets are part of. For example, the servlet container converts HTTP requests that are sent by clients to Java objects that servlets can work with, and it converts the output of servlets to HTTP responses. An example of a popular servlet container is the JBoss server.
single sign-on: an authentication model that enables users to access a variety of computing resources without being repeatedly prompted for their user IDs and passwords. For example, single sign-on can enable a user to access SAS servers that run on different platforms without interactively providing the user's ID and password for each platform. Single sign-on can also enable someone who is using one application to launch other applications based on the authentication that was performed when the user initially logged on.
spawner: See object spawner.
SSO: See single sign-on.
trusted user: a privileged service account that can act on behalf of other users on a connection to the metadata server.
unrestricted user: a special user of a metadata server who can access all metadata on the server (except for passwords, which an unrestricted user can overwrite but cannot read). An unrestricted user can also perform administrative tasks such as starting, stopping, pausing, and refreshing the metadata server. You are an unrestricted user if your user ID is listed in the adminUsers.txt file and is preceded by an asterisk.
update mode: an operating state of the SAS Deployment Wizard in which users are required to install software updates before they can perform any other deployment tasks. The SAS Deployment Wizard automatically goes into update mode when it determines that the current SAS order contains new versions or maintenance updates to the deployed products in a given SAS installation directory.
Web application: an application that is accessed via a Web browser over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. SAS Web applications are Java Enterprise Edition (JEE) applications that are delivered via Web application archive (WAR) files. The applications can depend on Java and non-Java Web technologies.
Web authentication: a configuration in which users of Web applications and Web services are verified at the Web perimeter and the metadata server trusts that verification.
Web browser: a software application that is used to present Web content. To accomplish this task, the browser submits URL (Uniform Resource Locator) requests to a Web server and handles any results that the request generates.
Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning: a set of extensions to the HTTP protocol that enables users to collaboratively edit and manage files on remote Web servers. Short form: WebDAV.
WebDAV: See Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning.
WebDAV server: an HTTP server that supports the collaborative authoring of documents that are located on the server. The server supports the locking of documents, so that multiple authors cannot make changes to a document at the same time. It also associates metadata with documents in order to facilitate searching. The SAS business intelligence applications use this type of server primarily as a report repository. Common WebDAV servers include the Apache HTTP Server (with its WebDAV modules enabled), Xythos Software's WebFile Server, and Microsoft Corporation's Internet Information Server (IIS).
workspace: in the IOM object hierarchy for a SAS Workspace Server, an object that represents a single session in SAS.
XML: See Extensible Markup Language.

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