SAS IT Resource Management: Glossary
specialized software
that loads raw IT performance data from diverse data sources into
staged tables that can then be input to other processes. Adapters
that are supported by SAS IT Resource Management consist of template
tables, transformations, and staging code.
in a table, a unit
of time that describes how long existing data is to be kept in an
aggregation table of an IT data mart when new data is processed.
another term for summarize.
the process of grouping
data by means of a statistic such as a sum, average, minimum, or maximum.
a numeric variable
that is used to calculate statistics or to display values. Usually
an analysis variable contains quantitative or continuous values, but
this is not required.
a property of an object,
component, or other entity. Examples of attributes include name, size,
or color.
a file that contains
SAS statements that are executed automatically when SAS is invoked.
The autoexec file can be used to specify some of the SAS system options,
as well as to assign librefs and filerefs to data sources that are
used frequently.
the percentage of time
that a system is available to respond to the requests of its users.
a one-dimensional line
that represents the scale that is used for plotting the values of
x, y, or z coordinates.
to load into a staged
table data that is older than the most recently processed data.
a unit of work that
is submitted to an operating system for batch processing. For example,
under UNIX, a batch job is a background process; under Windows, a
batch job is a task; and under z/OS, a batch job is a set of JCL statements.
a method of executing
SAS programs in which a file that contains SAS statements plus any
necessary operating environment commands is submitted to the computer's
batch queue. After you submit the program, control returns to your
computer, and you can perform other tasks. Batch mode is sometimes
referred to as running in the background. The program output can be
written to files or printed on an output device.
a variable that is
named in a BY statement and whose values define groups of observations
to process.
the process of measuring
performance, availability, and workload volume in a particular computing
environment and comparing these measurements over time to baseline
values. The object of capacity planning is to predict when resources
will need to be upgraded.
a graph in which graphical
elements such as bars or pie slices show the magnitude of data values.
The graphical elements can represent one data value or a range of
data values.
See classification
variable.
a variable whose values
are used to group (or classify) the observations in a data set into
different groups that are meaningful for analysis. A classification
variable can have either character or numeric values. Classification
variables include group, subgroup, category, and BY variables. Short
form: class variable.
the portion of a distributed
application that requests services from the server tier. The client
tier typically uses a small amount of disk space, includes a graphical
user interface, and is relatively easy to develop and maintain.
another term for data
collector.
values of a variable
that theoretically could indicate an uncountable number of possible
values. For example, a variable that measures the temperature of water
in degrees Celsius under normal conditions is continuous because it
can have any value from 0 to 100, even though the thermometer that
is used is not able to measure temperatures beyond a particular level
of decimal precision.
one of the data sets
that the duplicate-data-checking macros maintain and use to determine
whether data from a log has already been processed.
the act or process
of taking CPU usage values that have been collected on CPUs that operate
at different speeds and multiplying those values by normalization
factors so that the charges assessed for CPU usage are equitable no
matter what type of CPU is used. The normalization factors are based
on comparisons to one particular type of CPU that has been specified
as the standard for a particular site. CPU normalization is sometimes
referred to as processor normalization.
a UNIX utility for
executing batch jobs on a periodic basis.
software that collects
logged performance data that is related to IT services. The data collector
could be a facility of the operating system, a product that is provided
by a third-party vendor, or software that is written by consultants
or by SAS IT Resource Management customers.
in SAS software, the
instructions that tell SAS how to write numeric values as date values.
in SAS software, the
instructions that tell SAS how to write numeric values as datetime
values.
a character that serves
as a boundary that separates the elements of a character string, a
program statement, a data line, or a list of arguments.
1) observations that
have identical values in all of the BY or CLASS variables. 2) observations
that come from the same log. The meaning that is intended is explained
when the term is used.
duplicate-data-checking macros
the set of macros that
controls whether data from a log can be processed again in either
a performance data warehouse or the tables of an IT data mart.
1) in records that
represent interval data but which do not contain a value for the length
of the interval, a value in seconds that represents the length of
time between records. 2) in records that represent interval data and
which do contain a value for the length of the interval, that value
in seconds. 3) in observations for interval-type tables, the variable
that contains the length of the interval in seconds.
ETL (extract, transform, and load)
the process of extracting
IT performance data from a data source, transforming the data, and
loading it into an IT data mart.
a file that is created
and maintained by a host operating system or by another vendor's software
application. Either data or stored SAS statements can be read from
an external file. Data can be written as output to an external file.
A SAS data set is not an external file.
a repository for objects
that are of the same type.
a group of reports
that are stored on the SAS Content Server that can be filtered and
managed by Gallery Manager.
a macro variable that
can be referenced in either global or local scope in a SAS program,
except where there is a local macro variable that has the same name.
A global macro variable exists until the end of the session or program.
any system that uses
graphical objects such as windows, menus, icons, buttons, and check
boxes to represent the functions of a software application and to
enable the user to interact with the application. By contrast, a command-line
interface requires users to interact with the software application
by entering text. Many graphical user interfaces use visual metaphors
for real-world objects such as file cabinets, folders, rulers, and
scissors. Short form: GUI.
any terminal, printer,
or other output device that is capable of displaying or producing
graphical output.
See graphical user
interface.
an operating environment
that is identified by a name. For example, a domain name or an IP
address can be used to identify a computer or a router.
See HyperText Markup
Language.
HyperText Markup Language
a coding system in
which the codes indicate the layout and style of the text in a text
file. Other HTML codes enable you to embed electronic objects such
as images, sounds, video streams, and applets (small software applications)
into HTML documents. All Web browsers can process HTML documents.
Short form: HTML.
a variable that contains
an alternate identifier for the data in a class variable. For example,
the value of a class variable could be a device address, and the value
of the corresponding ID variable could be the name of the device.
ID variables are useful for identification because their values rarely
change.
a component of a SAS
data set that enables SAS to access observations in the SAS data set
quickly and efficiently. The purpose of SAS indexes is to optimize
WHERE-clause processing and to facilitate BY-group processing.
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.
the proper name of
the super-network that connects many smaller networks around the world
and which enables all the computers on those networks to exchange
information. All of the computers on the Internet use the same set
of communication protocols, called TCP/IP. The World Wide Web uses
the Internet as an electronic highway.
a table in which each
observation represents an interval of time. The timestamp in the observation
typically represents the beginning of the interval, and the duration
in the observation represents the length of the interval.
a private network of
interconnected networks within a single company or organization. These
networks use the same TCP/IP communication protocols that are used
on the public, worldwide Internet, but they are either closed to the
Internet or they are connected to the Internet via a firewall. A firewall
enables internal users to access the Internet, but prevents unauthorized
outsiders from accessing the intranet. In other words, intranets enable
companies or organizations to share information without making that
information available to everyone who has access to the Internet.
a logical collection
of the jobs, data, information maps, tables, and other elements that
support the extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) of IT data.
a collection of SAS
tasks that can create output.
1) for a table, a value
that indicates whether the table is to be used or ignored. 2) for
a variable in a table, a value that indicates whether the variable
is to be used or ignored.
key performance indicator
a measurement that
shows whether an organization is progressing toward its stated goals.
Short form: KPI.
a type of macro parameter
that is identified by its name, followed by an equal sign. Multiple
keyword parameters can be provided in any order, and must follow any
positional parameters.
See key performance
indicator.
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.
a macro variable that
is available only within the macro in which it was created and within
macros that are invoked from within that macro. A local macro variable
ceases to exist when the macro that created it stops executing.
any type of data processing
hardware that can be recognized by SAS IT Resource Management as a
single unit. A machine can be a single physical machine such as a
computer, a router, or a telephone switch. It can also be a logical
entity such as a logical partition of an IBM z Series system or a
domain on the Solaris operating system. A computer in which multiple
CPUs share the same memory could also be regarded as a single machine.
a SAS catalog entry
that contains a group of compiled program statements and stored text.
a variable that is
part of the SAS macro programming language. The value of a macro variable
is a string that remains constant until you change it. Macro variables
are sometimes referred to as symbolic variables.
management information base
a virtual database
for data that is gathered by one or more SNMP agents. Short form:
MIB.
the arithmetic average,
which is calculated by adding the values of a sample variable and
dividing this sum by the number of observations.
a classification of
data items. The values of measure data items are aggregated (unless
otherwise specified) and can be used in computations or analytical
expressions.
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.
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.
See management information
base.
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.
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.
a type of value for
a variable that contains no data for a particular row or column. By
default, SAS writes a missing numeric value as a single period and
a missing character value as a blank space.
a distributed architecture
in which multiple components interact with each other in multiple
configurations.
the software from Merrill
Consultants that processes IT performance data records that are generated
by the System Management Facility (SMF) under the z/OS operating system,
the OS/400 operating system, and their subsystems. MXG software reads
the raw IT performance data records and writes them to SAS data sets
for further analysis. Examples of analysis are the measurement and
management of IT resource capacity, resource utilization, measurement
of service objectives, system tuning, and accounting and cost recovery.
to purposefully move
from one view of the data in a table (or in some other data structure,
such as a cube) to another. Drilling down and drilling up are two
examples of navigation.
a configuration of
data processing devices and software that are connected for the purpose
of information exchange.
a type of network architecture
that is used in the development of relational business applications.
N-tier architecture separates an application's interface, its business
logic, and its databases into components, or tiers. This approach
enables the tiers to interact with each other in multiple configurations.
The tiers can easily be used and reused in new combinations in order
to meet dynamic business requirements.
an entity that can
be manipulated by the commands of a programming language. In object-oriented
programming, an object is a compilation of attributes (object elements)
and behaviors (methods) that describe an entity. Unlike simple data
types that are single pieces of information (for example, int=10),
objects are complex and must be constructed.
a computer, or a logical
partition of a computer, and the resources (such as an operating system
and other software and hardware) that are available to the computer
or partition.
a stored set of SAS
and SAS/GRAPH options, such as colors and patterns, that can be associated
with one or more report definitions.
See performance data
warehouse.
information about how
your IT system is doing its work. You use this information to determine
whether your system is doing work efficiently and to determine how
to change its load or its tunable parameters so that it can perform
more efficiently.
performance data warehouse
logically, a data warehouse
that contains detailed and summarized performance data, as well as
information (metadata) that is needed for managing the data. Physically,
each PDB consists of a coordinated set of nine SAS libraries that
contain performance data plus other information that is related to
one or more IT services. Short form: PDB.
a SAS library that
is not deleted when a SAS session ends, and which is therefore available
to subsequent SAS sessions.
the libref (library
reference name) for a SAS IT Resource Management program library that
is on the local server host.
a functional unit of
a program or task.
the SAS library in
which most of the SAS IT Resource Management software resides. For
example, the master data dictionary resides in the program library.
any of the characteristics
of a component that collectively determine the component's appearance
and behavior. Both attributes and methods are types of properties.
a set of rules that
govern data communications between computers, between computers and
peripheral devices, and between software applications. TCP/IP, FTP,
and HTTP are examples of protocols.
an information repository
that has been established using the SAS Publishing Framework and that
can be used to publish information to users and applications.
to deliver electronic
information to interested users in a timely manner.
the process of ordering
observations according to values of particular variables.
data that has not been
read into a SAS data set.
a stored set of values
that are used for connecting to a remote server host.
a specification that
is used for generating a report. A report definition includes information
such as the table, the names of the variables, and the report style.
another term for gallery.
a storage location
for data, metadata, or programs.
repository access control template
the access control
template (ACT) that controls access to a particular repository and
to resources for which access controls are not specified. You can
designate one repository ACT for each metadata repository. The repository
ACT is also called the default ACT.
the amount of time
to service a request.
to recover the contents
of a backup copy.
a numeric value that
indicates whether a request was successful. A return code can also
indicate a specific error or warning.
a SAS file that stores
many different types of information in smaller units called catalog
entries. A single SAS catalog can contain different types of catalog
entries.
a separate storage
unit within a SAS catalog. Each entry has an entry type that identifies
its purpose to SAS.
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.
an integer that represents
a date and a time in SAS software. The integer represents the number
of seconds between midnight, January 1, 1960, and another specified
date and time. For example, the SAS datetime value for 9:30 a.m.,
June 5, 2000, is 1275816600.
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.
a type of SAS language
element that applies a pattern to or executes instructions for a data
value to be read as input. Types of informats correspond to the data's
type: numeric, character, date, time, or timestamp. The ability to
create user-defined informats is also supported. Examples of SAS informats
are BINARY and DATE. Short form: informat.
SAS IT Resource Management client
a computer on which
SAS IT Resource Management software is installed with a client license.
The client accesses IT data marts on servers through a telecommunications
protocol such as TCP/IP.
SAS IT Resource Management server
a computer on which
SAS IT Resource Management software is installed with a server license.
The server has 'write' access to the IT performance data in IT data
marts and is used for processing data through the host operating environment's
file system. In addition, the server is used for administering IT
data marts.
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.
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.
a program that provides
specific functionality and that is accessed with a PROC statement.
For example, SAS procedures can be used to produce reports, to manage
files, or to analyze data. Many procedures are included in SAS software.
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.
in SAS IT Resource
Management, one of a set of batch jobs that typically run at night.
a map or model of the
overall data structure of a database. A schema consists of schema
records that are organized in a hierarchical tree structure. Schema
records contain schema items.
software that provides
either resources or services to requesting clients, possibly over
a network.
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.
a variable for which
an index is built. The index contains information about the values
of the variable and about the observations that contain those values.
Simple Network Management Protocol
a protocol or standard
that is used for exchanging network management information, which
is information that enables the network to be managed. Short form:
SNMP.
slowly changing dimensions
a technique for tracking
changes to dimension table values in order to analyze trends. For
example, a dimension table named Customers might have columns for
Customer ID, Home Address, Age, and Income. Each time the address
or income changes for a customer, a new row could be created for that
customer in the dimension table, and the old row could be retained.
This historical record of changes could be combined with purchasing
information to forecast buying trends and to direct customer marketing
campaigns.
See Simple Network
Management Protocol.
a software module that
performs network management functions.
raw data that has been
read, possibly transformed, and written to a SAS data set.
SAS statements that
read raw data, transform it, and write it to a SAS data set.
in aggregations, to
accumulate data into tables according to specifications that are defined
by the user.
a format that is shipped
with SAS IT Resource Management.
supplied report definition
a report definition
that is shipped with SAS IT Resource Management.
supplied table definition
a table definition
that is shipped with SAS IT Resource Management.
1) the attributes of
a particular table. 2) the attributes of a table and the attributes
of its associated variables. 3) the attributes of a table and of its
associated variables, plus the status information about the data that
is associated with the table and its variables. The meaning that is
intended is explained where the term is used.
the rate at which requests
for work are serviced by a computer system.
in SAS software, the
instructions that tell SAS how to write numeric values as time values.
in data integration,
an operation that extracts data, transforms data, or loads data into
data stores.
the process of tracking
the performance of an IT service, comparing the performance to service
objectives in order to identify bottlenecks and hardware problems,
and then adjusting the service to eliminate the problems. Tuning also
involves distributing work equitably to the available computer hardware
in order to optimize the use of resources.
1) for resources that
can be partially occupied (for example, memory), the fractional usage
of a resource. 2) for resources that cannot be partially busy (for
example, a CPU), the ratio of time that a resource is being used to
the total elapsed time.
a software application
such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator that provides
access to information that is on the Internet or on your company's
intranet.
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.
See Web Distributed
Authoring and Versioning.
a numerical coefficient
that is assigned to an item and which indicates the relative importance
of the item in a frequency distribution or population.
a variable whose values
represent the weights for each observation.
one or more WHERE expressions
used in a WHERE statement, a WHERE function, or a WHERE= data set
option.
defines the criteria
for selecting observations.
an interactive utility
program that consists of a series of dialog boxes, windows, or pages.
Users supply information in each dialog box, window, or page, and
the wizard uses that information to perform a task.
the amount of work
a system is experiencing. Workload can be measured in terms such as
characters per second, processes per second, or transactions per second.
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