Example Usage Scenario for Export SAS Package and Import SAS Package Wizards

Description of Scenario

In this example, a set of objects has been developed in Environment 1 and will be promoted to a different metadata server in Environment 2. The objects to be promoted are as follows:

two reports: Sales by Customer Type and Sales by Product Type
a stored process called Sales Analysis
two information maps: Customer Orders and Product Sales
a library called Orion Star
three SAS tables: CUSTOMER_DIM, PRODUCT_DIM, and ORDERS_FACT

The metadata for the library, the tables, and the information maps is stored in

/Shared
                     Data/Orion Star Data

, as shown here:

SAS Management Console with sample data objects displayed

The metadata for the reports and the stored process is stored in

Shared
                     Reports/Orion Star Reports

, as shown here:

SAS Management Console with report and stored process objects displayed

Note: This example scenario uses SAS Management Console to perform the promotion. If you use SAS Data Integration Studio or SAS OLAP Cube Studio, the procedure is the same except where noted.

Before promoting these objects, it is important to understand their associations with one another, as well as their associations with other objects and entities that do not appear in the tree. The following table describes the associations that are involved in the example scenario, as well as the actions that must be taken to ensure that the objects will function properly in the target environment.

Example Scenario: Objects to Be Promoted and Their Associations

Metadata Object or Folder Name	Associated Objects or Content in the Source Environment	Action Needed
Orion Star Reports and Orient Star Data folders	Reports_ A ACT (associated with the `/Shared Reports/Orion Star Reports` folder) and Data_A ACT (associated with the `/Shared Reports/Orion Star Reports` folder)	If you want to include access controls in the import: Promote the ACTs and the user groups to which they refer (or create them in the target environment) before you promote the affected objects. Make sure that the ACTs and groups have the same names in both environments.
Sales by Customer Type report	Sales by Customer Type.srx file (on SAS Content Server)	Before the promotion, ensure that a SAS Content Server exists on the target system.
Sales by Customer Type report	Customer Orders information map	Promote the information map and its associated tables with the report.
Sales by Product Group report	Sales by Product Group.srx file (on SAS Content Server)	Ensure that a SAS Content Server exists on the target system.
	Product Sales information map	Promote the information map and its associated tables with the report.
	Sales Analysis stored process	Promote the stored process with the report.
Sales Analysis stored process	Analysis.sas source file	Before the promotion, set up a source code directory in the file system of the target system and apply appropriate permissions.
	Source file repository definition	Before the promotion, ensure that a workspace server exists on the target system.
	Stored process server	Before the promotion, ensure that a stored process server exists on the target system.
Orion Star library	CUSTOMER_DIM, PRODUCT_DIM, and ORDER_FACT tables	Before the promotion, identify a physical location for the library on the target system.
CUSTOMER_DIM, PRODUCT_DIM, and ORDER_FACT tables	Physical tables	Import the physical tables with the table objects.

Step 1: Export the Folders and Objects

For the scenario that is described in the previous topics, you would follow these steps to export the folders and objects from the source environment:

Make sure that you have prepared the source environment as described in Preparing to Use the Promotion Tools.
Open SAS Management Console, and connect to the source metadata server (that is, the metadata server from which you want to promote the folders and objects).
Select the Folders tab. (This step is not necessary in SAS Data Integration Studio or SAS OLAP Cube Studio.)
Right-click the SAS Folders node, and click Export SAS Package. (In SAS Data Integration Studio or SAS OLAP Cube Studio, you would right-click the folder that contains the objects that are to be exported.)
On the first Export SAS Package page, complete the following steps:
1. Enter a name for the SPK file that will contain the exported objects (the default name is Package1.spk).
  
  Or you can click Browse, navigate to the location on the file system where you want the SPK file to be saved, and specify a name for the file. For convenience, you might want to choose a location that will be accessible from the target environment.
2. Select Include dependent objects when retrieving initial collection of objects, as shown in the following example. This option helps ensure that all objects on which the exported objects depend are included in the export operation.
  
  Note: On this page, you can click Filter to select objects based on the object name, the object type, or the time period during which the object was created or last modified. You can also use the Advanced Filter Options to select objects based on keywords, notes, extended attributes, and responsibilities fields. (This scenario does not use the filter features.)
3. Click Next.
On the next Export SAS Package page, do the following:
1. Select or clear the appropriate check boxes to specify which folders and objects are to be exported, as shown here. Be sure to select the folders whose access controls you want to promote.
2. Highlight each information map, report, and library object that you have selected. As you highlight each object, view the Dependencies tab to ensure that you have included the objects that the highlighted object depends on.
  
  In the preceding example, the report Sales by Product Group is highlighted. The Dependencies tab lists the Product Sales information map and the Sales Analysis stored process, which are used by this report. Both objects have been selected to export.
  
  You can also display the Used By tab to identify objects that make use of the objects that you have selected.
  
  Note:
  
  The Include dependent objects when retrieving initial collection of objects option (selected on the first wizard page) identifies dependencies only for the objects that are initially selected on this wizard page. If you click Next to go to the next wizard page, and you then click Back to return to this page and select additional objects, you must use the Dependencies tab to identify dependencies for the additional objects.
  
  If you press the CTRL key and highlight multiple objects, the Dependencies tab displays dependencies for all of the highlighted objects.
  
  The Dependencies and Used By tabs are subject to the following limitations:
  
  The Used By tab does not identify reports. For example, it cannot identify reports that use the selected information map.
  
  The Used By tab does not display information for dashboard objects.
  
  The Dependencies and Used By tabs do not display information for roles or for associations between one user group and another.
3. Highlight each of the table objects, and use the Options tab to specify whether the associated physical table is to be exported with the metadata.
  
  In the following example, the CUSTOMER_DIM table is highlighted. On the Options tab, the Include/replace physical table check box has been selected to indicate that the physical table is to be included in the export.
  
  Note:
  
  If you choose the option to export physical tables, you should be aware that large data sets could require lengthy processing times (since data sets are packaged in the SPK file along with the metadata).
  
  If you press the CTRL key and highlight multiple objects of the same type, the Options tab enables you to select options for all of the highlighted objects.
4. After you have selected all of the appropriate metadata objects, dependencies, and options, click Next.
The next Export SAS Package page displays a summary of the objects and folders that you selected. If the list is correct, click Next to begin the export process.
As the export process begins, the wizard might display a prompt asking you to log on to the SAS Application Server. Be sure to log on as a user who has the appropriate credentials. See Requirements for Accessing a Standard Workspace Server. If you are already logged on to SAS Management Console, SAS Data Integration Studio, or SAS OLAP Cube Studio with the correct credentials, then the prompt does not appear.
When the export process finishes, a log with a date-and-time stamp is saved in your user directory and a message like the following is displayed:

If errors or warnings are present, you can click View Log to view explanatory messages. For assistance in resolving errors, see Special Considerations for Promoting Content to SAS 9.3 from an Earlier SAS Version.

Note: For complete step-by-step instructions for using the export wizard, see the product Help for SAS Management Console, SAS Data Integration Studio, or SAS OLAP Cube Studio.

Step 2: Import the SPK File

Follow these steps to import the folders and objects from the SPK file into the target environment. These steps assume that you have completed the export without errors.

Make sure that you have completed all of the necessary actions to prepare the target environment. See Preparing to Use the Promotion Tools and the Action Needed column of Example Scenario: Objects to Be Promoted and Their Associations.
Locate the SPK file that was created by the export wizard. If necessary, copy it, move it, or e-mail it to a location that is accessible from the target environment.
Open SAS Management Console, and connect to the target metadata server (that is, the metadata server to which you want to promote the folders and objects).
Select the folder under which you want to import the folders and objects.
Right-click to display the menu, and click Import SAS Package.
On the first Import SAS Package page, complete the following steps:
1. Click Browse, and navigate to the SPK file that contains the folders and objects.
2. Select Include access controls. This option will retain the associations that have been established between folders and ACTS.
3. Select Preserve source path information for objects in the package. This option places objects and folders in the same path where they were located in the source environment. If the folders that are included in the path do not exist, they are created. (You can select this option only if you are importing to the SAS Folders level.)
4. Select the All Objects radio button. This will cause the imported objects to overwrite any objects of the same name that already exist.
  
  Note: If you do not want to overwrite objects that already exist, then you would select New Objects Only.
5. Click Next.
The next Import SAS Package page displays a tree that shows the objects that are included in the package.

The icons indicate whether each folder or object is new () or already existing () in the target environment.

On this page, you can highlight one or more table objects, and then use the Options tab to indicate whether the physical tables are to be imported along with the metadata. You can also edit the table names. (These options are available only if you exported the physical tables.)

If the tables already exist on the target system, the Options tab also enables you to specify how differences in column metadata are to be handled. You can use the Change Analysis feature to resolve individual column differences.

Then click Next.
The next Import SAS Package page provides advance information about the metadata values that you will need to select on subsequent windows. For this scenario, you will need to select values for an application server, a library directory path, and a source code repository. Click Next.
In the Target column of the next page, select the application server that the imported objects will be associated with in the target environment.

Click Next.
In the Target column of the next page, select the path where the source code file for the stored process should be stored in the target environment. (If the source code repository definition does not yet exist, then click Add to create it.) Then click Next.
In the Target column of the next page, enter (or browse to) the path where the library is to be located in the target environment. Then click Next.
The next page displays a list of the objects that will be imported. The metadata associations for these objects, both in the source environment and the target environment, are also listed. If the information is correct, click Next.
As the import process begins, the import wizard might display a prompt asking you to log on to the SAS Application Server. Be sure to log on as a user who has the appropriate credentials. See Requirements for Accessing a Standard Workspace Server. If you are already logged on to SAS Management Console, SAS Data Integration Studio, or SAS OLAP Cube Studio with the correct credentials, then the prompt does not appear.
When the import process finishes, a log with a date-and-time stamp is saved in your user directory, and a message like the following is displayed:

If errors or warnings are present, you can click View Log to view explanatory messages. For assistance in resolving errors, see Special Considerations for Promoting Content to SAS 9.3 from an Earlier SAS Version.

Note: The preceding steps are for the example scenario. Additional wizard pages might appear, depending on which types of objects you are promoting. For complete step-by-step instructions for using the import wizard, see the product Help for SAS Management Console, SAS Data Integration Studio, or SAS OLAP Cube Studio.