Glossary: Glossary

Glossary

access control template: a reusable named authorization pattern that you can apply to multiple resources. An access control template consists of a list of users and groups and indicates, for each user or group, whether permissions are granted or denied. Short form: ACT.
ACT: See access control template.
aggregation: a summary of detail data that is stored with or referred to by a cube.
ancestor logger: a logger that is at a higher level in relation to other loggers in the logger hierarchy. For example, the Audit logger is an ancestor logger of Audit.Meta and Audit.Authentication.
appender: a named entity that represents a specific output destination for messages. Destinations include fixed files, rolling files, operating system facilities, and client applications.
Application Response Measurement: the name of an application programming interface that was developed by an industry partnership and which is used to monitor the availability and performance of software applications. ARM monitors the application tasks that are important to a particular business. Short form: ARM.
archive path: in the Publishing Framework, the complete path of the location to which a user or program can publish an archive package.
ARM: See Application Response Measurement.
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.
authorization: the process of determining which users have which permissions for which resources. The outcome of the authorization process is an authorization decision that either permits or denies a specific action on a specific resource, based on the requesting user's identity and group memberships.
autocall macro: a macro whose uncompiled source code and text are stored in an autocall macro library. Unlike a stored compiled macro, an autocall macro is compiled before execution the first time it is called.
base path: the location, relative to a WebDAV server's URL, in which packages are published and files are stored.
batch mode: a method of running SAS programs in which you prepare a file that contains SAS statements plus any necessary operating system control statements and submit the file to the operating system. Execution is completely separate from other operations at your terminal. Batch mode is sometimes referred to as running in the background.
buffer: a portion of computer memory that is used for special holding purposes or processes. For example, a buffer might simply store information before sending that information to main memory for processing, or it might hold data after the data is read or before the data is written.
cache: a small, fast memory area that holds recently accessed data. The cache is designed to speed up subsequent access to the same data.
catalog: See SAS catalog.
channel: a virtual communication path for distributing information. In SAS, a channel is identified with a particular topic. Using the features of the Publishing Framework, authorized users or applications can publish digital content to the channel, and authorized users and applications can subscribe to the channel in order to receive the content.
client application: an application that runs on a client machine.
client-side pooling: a configuration in which the client application maintains a collection of reusable workspace server processes.
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.
conversion pattern: an expression that specifies an appender definition's pattern layout. A conversion pattern consists of a combination of user-supplied literal text and conversion specifiers.
credentials: the user ID and password for an account that exists in some authentication provider.
cube: a logical set of data that is organized and structured in a hierarchical, multidimensional arrangement. A cube is a directory structure, not a single file. A cube includes measures, and it can have numerous dimensions and levels of data.
custom repository: an optional metadata store for a SAS Metadata Server that can be configured in addition to the foundation repository. Custom repositories are useful for physically segregating metadata for storage or security purposes.
DATA step: in a SAS program, a group of statements that begins with a DATA statement and that ends with either a RUN statement, another DATA statement, a PROC statement, the end of the job, or the semicolon that immediately follows lines of data. The DATA step enables you to read raw data or other SAS data sets and to use programming logic to create a SAS data set, to write a report, or to write to an external file.
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.
DBMS: See database management system.
default access control template: the access control template (ACT) that controls access to a particular repository and to resources for which definitive access controls are not specified. You can designate one default ACT for each metadata repository. The default ACT is also called the repository ACT.
default ACT: See default access control template.
descendant logger: a logger that is at a lower level in relation to other loggers in the logger hierarchy. For example, Audit.Meta and Audit.Authentication are descendant loggers of the Audit logger.
development environment: a computing environment in which application developers use software tools to write, compile, and debug programs.
diagnostic level: the degree of severity of a log event that can occur during SAS program processing. Examples of levels are trace, debug, informational, warning, error, and fatal. Short form: level.
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".
encryption: the act of transforming intelligible data (plaintext) into an unintelligible form (ciphertext) by means of a mathematical process.
external file: a file that is created and maintained by a host operating system or by another vendor's software application. SAS can read data from and route output to external files. External files can contain raw data, SAS programming statements, procedure output, or output that was created by the PUT statement. A SAS data set is not an external file.
fileref: a name that is temporarily assigned to an external file or to an aggregate storage location such as a directory or a folder. The fileref identifies the file or the storage location to SAS.
format: See SAS format.
foundation repository: the required metadata store for a SAS Metadata Server. Each SAS Metadata Server has one foundation repository that is created by default when the metadata server is configured.
foundation services: See SAS Foundation Services.
generated transformation: in SAS Data Integration Studio, a transformation that is created with the Transformation Generator wizard, which helps you specify SAS code for the transformation.
grid computing: a type of computing in which large computing tasks are distributed among multiple computers on a network.
home directory: the directory in which a user is placed after logging in. The home directory is also called the login directory.
identity: See metadata identity.
information map: a collection of data items and filters that provides a user-friendly view of a data source. When you use an information map to query data for business needs, you do not have to understand the structure of the underlying data source or know how to program in a query language.
Integrated Object Model: the set of distributed object interfaces that make SAS software features available to client applications when SAS is executed as an object server. Short form: IOM.
Integrated Object Model server: a SAS object server that is launched in order to fulfill client requests for IOM services. Short form: IOM server.
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.
internal account: a SAS account that you can create as part of a user definition. Internal accounts are intended for metadata administrators and some service identities; these accounts are not intended for regular users.
IOM: See Integrated Object Model.
IOM server: See Integrated Object Model server.
Java application: a stand-alone program that is written in the Java programming language.
job: a collection of SAS tasks that can create output.
libref: a SAS name that is associated with the location of a SAS library. For example, in the name MYLIB.MYFILE, MYLIB is the libref, and MYFILE is a file in the SAS library.
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.
locale: a value that reflects the language, local conventions, and culture for a geographic region. Local conventions can include specific formatting rules for dates, times, and numbers, and a currency symbol for the country or region. Collating sequences, paper sizes, and conventions for postal addresses and telephone numbers are also typically specified for each locale. Some examples of locale values are French_Canada, Portuguese_Brazil, and English_USA.
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.
logger: a named entity that identifies a message category. Logger names have a hierarchical format that enables you to configure logging at a broad or a fine-grained level.
logging configuration: an XML file or a set of SAS program statements that determines how log events are processed. You use the logging configuration to assign thresholds to loggers, to configure appenders, and to specify which categories and levels of log events are written to each appender.
logical server: in the SAS Metadata Server, the second-level object in the metadata for SAS servers. A logical server specifies one or more of a particular type of server component, such as one or more SAS Workspace Servers.
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: data about data. For example, metadata typically describes resources that are shared by multiple applications within an organization. These resources can include software, servers, data sources, network connections, and so on. Metadata can also be used to define application users and to manage users' access to resources. Maintaining metadata in a central location is more efficient than specifying and maintaining the same information separately for each application.
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 model: a definition of the metadata for a set of objects. The model describes the attributes for each object, as well as the relationships between objects within the model. The SAS Metadata Model is an example.
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.
metadata repository: a collection of related metadata objects, such as the metadata for a set of tables and columns that are maintained by an application. A SAS Metadata Repository is an example.
metadata server: a server that provides metadata management services to one or more client applications. A SAS Metadata Server is an example.
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.
migration: the process of moving data to a different server or storage device, converting the data for use in a different operating environment, or both. In a broader sense, the migration process can also include installing the newer software and converting applications for use with that software.
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.
OLAP schema: a group of cubes. A cube is assigned to an OLAP schema when it is created, and an OLAP schema is assigned to a SAS OLAP Server when the server is defined in the metadata. A SAS OLAP Server can access only the cubes that are in its assigned OLAP schema.
online analytical processing: a software technology that enables users to dynamically analyze data that is stored in multidimensional database (MDDB) tables. 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.
plug-in: a file that modifies, enhances, or extends the capabilities of an application program. The application program must be designed to accept plug-ins, and the plug-ins must meet design criteria specified by the developers of the application program. In SAS Management Console, a plug-in is a JAR file that is installed in the SAS Management Console directory to provide a specific administrative function. The plug-ins enable users to customize SAS Management Console to include only the functions that are needed.
pool: a group of server connections that can be shared and reused by multiple client applications. A client-side pool consists of one or more puddles.
pooling: the act or process of creating a pool.
portlet: a Web component that is managed by a Web application and that is aggregated with other portlets to form a page within the application. Portlets can process requests from the user and generate dynamic content.
production environment: a computing environment in which previously tested and validated software is used (typically on a daily basis) by its intended consumers.
project repository: a metadata repository that serves as an individual work area or playpen. Project repositories are available for SAS Data Integration Studio only. In general, each user who participates in change management has his or her own project repository.
promote: to copy selected metadata and associated content within or between planned deployments of SAS software. This promotion process is repeatable for a particular deployment.
promotion: the process of copying selected metadata and associated content within or between planned deployments of SAS software. This process is repeatable for a particular deployment.
publish: to deliver electronic information, such as SAS files (including SAS data sets, SAS catalogs, and SAS data views), other digital content, and system-generated events to one or more destinations. These destinations can include e-mail addresses, message queues, publication channels and subscribers, WebDAV-compliant servers, and archive locations.
puddle: a group of servers that are started and run using the same login credentials. Each puddle can also allow a group of clients to access the servers.
resource template: an XML file that specifies the information that is needed for creating a metadata definition for a SAS resource.
root logger: the highest-level logger in the logger hierarchy. In a logging configuration, all other loggers inherit the root logger's attributes.
SAS catalog: a SAS file that stores many different kinds of information in smaller units called catalog entries. A single SAS catalog can contain different types of catalog entries.
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 Content Server: a server that stores digital content (such as documents, reports, and images) that is created and used by SAS client applications. To interact with the server, clients use WebDAV-based protocols for access, versioning, collaboration, security, and searching.
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 whose contents are 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 format: a type of SAS language element that applies a pattern to or executes instructions for a data value to be displayed or written as output. Types of formats correspond to the data's type: numeric, character, date, time, or timestamp. The ability to create user-defined formats is also supported. Examples of SAS formats are BINARY and DATE. Short form: format.
SAS Foundation: the superset of all SAS software that is installable with the Base SAS installation. For a particular customer, the SAS Foundation is a collection of software consisting of the members of that superset required to support the deployment that the customer desires.
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.
SAS library: a collection of one or more files that are recognized by SAS and that are referenced and stored as a unit. Each file is a member of the library.
SAS log: a file that contains a record of the SAS statements that you enter, as well as messages about the execution of your program.
SAS Management Console: a Java application that provides a single user interface for performing SAS administrative tasks.
SAS Metadata Model: a collection of metadata types that are used for saving information about application elements.
SAS Metadata Repository: one or more files that store metadata about application elements. Users connect to a SAS Metadata Server and use the SAS Open Metadata Interface to read metadata from or write metadata to one or more SAS Metadata Repositories. The metadata types in a SAS Metadata Repository are defined by the SAS Metadata Model.
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 Cube Studio: a Java interface for defining and building OLAP cubes in SAS System 9 or later. Its main feature is the Cube Designer wizard, which guides you through the process of registering and creating cubes.
SAS OLAP Server: a SAS server that provides access to multidimensional data. The data is queried using the multidimensional expressions (MDX) language.
SAS Open Metadata Architecture: a general-purpose metadata management facility that provides metadata services to SAS applications. The SAS Open Metadata Architecture enables applications to exchange metadata, which makes it easier for these applications to work together.
SAS Open Metadata Interface: a set of methods that enable users to read metadata from or write metadata to the SAS Metadata Server.
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 Stored Process: a SAS program that is stored on a server and defined in metadata, and which can be executed by client applications. Short form: stored process.
SAS Stored Process Server: a SAS IOM server that is launched in order to fulfill client requests for SAS Stored Processes.
SAS system option: an option that affects the processing of an entire SAS program or interactive SAS session from the time the option is specified until it is changed. Examples of items that are controlled by SAS system options include the appearance of SAS output, the handling of some files that are used by SAS, the use of system variables, the processing of observations in SAS data sets, features of SAS initialization, and the way SAS interacts with your host operating environment.
SAS table: another term for SAS data set.
SAS Table Server: a data access server that supports the capabilities provided by SAS Shared Services for the SAS BI Dashboard, SAS Web Report Studio, and other SAS solutions.
SAS token authentication: a process in which the metadata server generates and verifies SAS identity tokens to provide single sign-on to other SAS servers. Each token is a single-use, proprietary software representation of an identity.
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/CONNECT spawner: a program that runs on a remote computer and that listens for SAS/CONNECT client requests for connection to the remote computer. When the spawner program receives a request, it invokes a SAS session on the remote computer.
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 tier: in a SAS business intelligence system, the tier in which the SAS servers execute. Examples of such servers are the SAS Metadata Server, the SAS Workspace Server, the SAS Pooled Workspace Server, the SAS Stored Process Server, and the SAS OLAP Server. These servers are typically accessed either by clients or by Web applications that are running in the middle tier.
server-side pooling: a configuration in which a SAS object spawner maintains a collection of reusable workspace server processes that are available for clients. The usage of servers in this pool is governed by the authorization rules that are set on the servers in the SAS metadata.
source metadata server: the metadata server from which metadata is promoted.
spawner: See object spawner.
stored process: See SAS Stored Process.
subscribe: to sign up to receive electronic content that is published to a SAS publication channel.
target metadata server: the metadata server to which metadata is promoted.
thread: a single path of execution of a process that runs on a core on a CPU.
threshold: the lowest event level that is processed. Log events whose levels are below the threshold are ignored.
transformation: in data integration, an operation that extracts data, transforms data, or loads data into data stores.
trusted user: a privileged service account that can act on behalf of other users on a connection to the metadata server.
UNC: See Universal Naming Convention.
Universal Naming Convention: a naming standard that is used to specify the file or directory path for networked computing resources such as servers, databases, and peripheral devices. UNC uses the format \\server-name\shared-resource-pathname. Short form: UNC.
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.
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 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 repository: a collection of files that are stored on a Web server so that authorized users can read and edit them.
workspace: in the IOM object hierarchy for a SAS Workspace Server, an object that represents a single session in SAS.

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