Understanding External Names of Staged Tables and Columns

About External Names of Staged Tables and Columns

Staged tables and the columns in a staged table can each have an external name. These external names are the means by which the staging code maps the SAS IT Resource Management staged tables and columns to the tables and variables in the raw data. For example, a staged table that is named NTPHDSK in SAS IT Resource Management has an external name of PhysicalDisk. The staging code uses this information to determine that the PhysicalDisk data in the raw data file belongs in the NTPHDSK staged table. The same is true for columns and the external names for their corresponding variables.

Note: The SAR adapter is the only supported adapter that does not require external names.

You can view the external names that are associated with a staged table and its columns from the Properties dialog box of the staged table.

CAUTION:

For best results, do not modify the external names of a staged table or column that is associated with an adapter that uses external names.

Changing the external names that are associated with adapters that use external names can cause errors when the raw data is staged. The staging code for these adapters relies on external names to associate the raw data file with the appropriate staged tables and columns. However, you can modify the external names of staged tables and columns that are associated with the SAR adapter, because this adapter does not use external names. The SAR adapter ignores the values for external names, so there is no danger of corrupting the staging metadata.

Change the External Name of a Table or a Variable

CAUTION:

Do not change the external name that is prepopulated for a staged table or variable unless instructed to do so by a SAS representative.

You should change a table external name or variable external name only if the data source has changed the table or variable name that is output in the raw data, and if the SAS IT Resource Management table or variable external name has not been updated to reflect that change.

For most adapters, SAS IT Resource Management uses the external names in order to map the tables and variables in the raw data to the SAS IT Resource Management table and column names. For example, previous versions of the Demand Technologies Performance Sentry collector wrote an object to the log file as SQLServer-Locks. However, in later versions, this object name changed to SQLServer:Locks. In order to process data for the new object, the external name value for the SAS IT Resource Management table NTSLCKS should be changed from SQLServer-Locks to SQLServer:Locks. In the preceding example, the mapping could not take place and the updated table or variable could not be processed.

If you expect to process log files that will contain only the new table or variable external names, then you can resolve the situation by opening the table properties and replacing the existing table or variable external name with the new table or variable external name. (This is a rare situation and you should change external names only when this particular condition occurs.)

View the External Names of Tables

To view the external name for a staged table, perform the following steps:

Right-click a staged table in the tree view or in a process flow diagram.
Click Properties to open the Properties dialog box.
Select the Extended Attributes tab. The ExternalName field shows the external name that is assigned to the staged table.

Note: Do not change the external name for a staged table unless instructed to do so by a SAS representative.

View the External Names of Columns

To view the external name for a column in a staged table, perform the following steps:

Right-click a staged table in the process flow diagram.
Click Properties to open the Properties dialog box.
Select the Columns tab. The External Name field provides the external names of the variables that are associated with the columns in a staged table. Not all columns have an external name that is predetermined. You can add a value in the External Name field for these columns.

Note: Do not change an external name that is prepopulated for a column unless instructed to do so by a SAS representative.

External Names for MXG Adapters

For MXG adapters, the external table name is the name of the SAS data set that MXG creates. The external column names are the variable names that MXG uses within those data sets. There is no benefit to changing the external names of the tables or columns for MXG adapters.

CAUTION:

Do not change the external names of the columns or the tables for MXG adapters.

If you do change these external names, your data could be corrupted and errors could occur in the processing of that data.

For more information about working with MXG data and adapters, see Data Sources Supported by SAS IT Resource Management Adapters.