Glossary

adapter

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.

aged data

data that is deleted from a level of a table because the data exceeds the age limit.

aggregation

the act or process of grouping data by using an operation that produces a statistic such as a sum, average, minimum, or maximum.

analysis variable

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.

attribute

a property of an object, component, or other entity. Examples of attributes include name, size, or color.

autoexec file

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.

availability

See system availability

axis

a line that represents the midpoints (for a discrete axis) or the scale (for a continuous or interval axis) for graphing variable or data values. An axis typically consists of an axis line with tick marks, tick values (or midpoint values), and a label.

backload

to load into a staged table data that is older than the most recently processed data.

batch job

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.

batch mode

a noninteractive method of running SAS programs by which a file (containing SAS statements along with any necessary operating system commands) is submitted to the batch queue of the operating environment for execution.

browser

See Web browser

BY group variable

See BY variable

BY variable

a variable that is named in a BY statement and whose values define groups of observations to process.

capacity planning

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.

catalog

See SAS catalog

catalog entry

See SAS catalog entry

chart

a graph in which elements, such as bars or pie slices, represent a view of the data.

class variable

See classification variable

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.

client

an application that requests either resources or services from a server, possibly over a network.

client tier

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.

collector

software that collects raw 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. Short form: collector.

continuous values

values of a variable that theoretically could indicate an uncountable number of possible values. For example, a variable for measuring the temperature of water in degrees Celsius can have any value from 0 to 100, even though the thermometer cannot measure temperatures beyond a particular level of decimal precision.

control data set

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.

CPU normalization

the act or process of taking CPU usage values for 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.

cron

a UNIX utility for executing batch jobs on a periodic basis.

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 collector

software that collects raw 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. Short form: collector.

data type

an attribute of every column in a table or database. The data type tells the operating system how much physical storage to set aside for the column, and specifies what type of data the column will contain. It is similar to the type attribute of SAS variables.

data view

See SAS data view

date and time format

instructions that tell SAS how to write numeric values as dates, times, and datetimes.

date format

in SAS software, the instructions that tell SAS how to write numeric values as date values.

datetime format

in SAS software, the instructions that tell SAS how to write numeric values as datetime values.

datetime value

See SAS datetime value

delimiter

a character that serves as a boundary that separates the elements of a text string.

duplicate data

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.

ETL

See extract, transform, load

event-type table

a table in which each observation represents an event. The timestamp on the observation represents the date and time of the event.

exit point

a point in the supplied software where additional code runs (if additional code is provided).

external file

a file that is created and maintained by a host operating system or by another vendor's software application. An external file can read both data and stored SAS statements.

extract, transform, load

a data warehousing process in which data is extracted from outside sources, transformed according to operational and quality needs, and loaded into a target database.

foundation services

See SAS Foundation Services

gallery

a group of reports that are stored on the SAS Content Server and that can be filtered and managed by the Gallery Manager application.

global macro variable

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.

graphical user interface

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.

GUI

See graphical user interface

host

See host operating environment

host operating environment

the operating environment (computer, operating system, and other software and hardware) that is identified by an IP address or by a domain name and that provides centralized control for software applications.

HTML

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.

ID variable

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.

index

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.

informat

See SAS informat

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.

IT data mart

a logical collection of the jobs, data, information maps, tables, and other elements that support the extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) of IT data.

job

a collection of SAS tasks that can create output.

keep status

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.

keyword parameter

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.

KPI

See key performance indicator

library reference

See libref

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.

local macro variable

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.

machine

any type of data processing hardware that is recognized as a single unit. Examples include a physical unit (such as a computer, router, or telephone switch), a logical entity (such as a partition in an IBM z Series system), or a set of CPUs that share the same memory.

macro

a SAS catalog entry that contains a group of compiled program statements and stored text.

macro call

a statement that invokes a stored compiled macro program.

macro variable

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.

master data dictionary

the master data definitions of tables and their associated variables, as well as override control statements, if any. Master copies of user-written definitions can be installed in the data dictionary, too.

mean

the arithmetic average, which is calculated by adding the values of a sample variable and dividing this sum by the number of observations.

measure data item

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.

metadata

descriptive data about data that is stored and managed in a database, in order to facilitate access to captured and archived data for further use.

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.

method

in object-oriented methodology, an operation that is defined for a class and which can be executed by an object that is created from that class.

MIB

See management information base

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.

missing value

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.

multi-tier architecture

a distributed architecture in which multiple components interact with each other in multiple configurations.

MXG software

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.

n-tier architecture

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.

navigate

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.

network

an interconnected group of computers.

object

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 (e.g. int=10), objects are complex and must be constructed.

operating environment

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.

PDB

See performance data warehouse

PDB data dictionary

in a performance data warehouse (PDB), a SAS library that contains metadata such as definitions of tables and variables and status information for the data that the tables contain. The library's name and libref are DICTLIB.

performance data

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 will 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.

permanent SAS library

a SAS library that is not deleted when a SAS session ends, and which is therefore available to subsequent SAS sessions.

PGMLIB

the libref (library reference name) for a SAS IT Resource Management program library that is on the local server host.

positional parameter

a type of macro parameter that is named (using comma delimiters) in the %MACRO statement at invocation, and is defined in the corresponding position (again using comma delimiters) in the macro execution statement.

PROC

See SAS procedure

procedure

See SAS procedure

process

a functional unit of a program or task.

program library

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

property

any of the characteristics of a component that collectively determine the component's appearance and behavior. Examples of types of properties are attributes and methods.

protocol

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.

publish

to deliver electronic information, such as files 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.

rank

to order observations according to the values of particular variables. When a data item's values are ranked, the values are both sorted and filtered. For example, to rank an organization's top 10 customers based on sales figures, a query would sort the sales figures in descending order and then filter the results to show the 10 customers who have the highest sales figures.

ranking

the process of ordering observations according to values of particular variables.

raw data file

an external file whose records contain data values in fields. A DATA step can read a raw data file by using the INFILE and INPUT statements.

remote server profile

a stored set of values that are used for connecting to a remote server host.

report definition

a specification that is used for generating a report. A report definition includes information such as the table, the names of the variables, the report style, and other attributes.

report gallery

another term for gallery.

repository

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.

response time

the amount of time to service a request.

restore

to recover the contents of a backup copy.

return code

a numeric value that indicates whether a request was successful. A return code can also indicate a specific error or warning.

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 catalog entry

a separate storage unit within a SAS catalog. Each entry has an entry type that identifies its purpose to SAS.

SAS data view

a type of SAS data set that retrieves data values from other files. A SAS data view contains only descriptor information such as the data types and lengths of the variables (columns) 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. Short form: data view.

SAS datetime value

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.

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 informat

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 data 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.

SAS library

one or more files that are defined, recognized, and accessible by SAS and that are referenced and stored as a unit. Each file is a member of the library.

SAS Metadata Repository

a container for metadata that is managed by the SAS Metadata Server.

SAS Metadata Server

a multi-user server that enables users to read metadata from or write metadata to one or more SAS Metadata Repositories.

SAS procedure

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.

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 variable

a column in a SAS data set or in a SAS data view. The data values for each variable describe a single characteristic for all observations (rows).

scheduled job

in SAS IT Resource Management, one of a set of batch jobs that run at a specified time, typically at night.

schema

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.

server

software that provides either resources or services to requesting clients, possibly over a network.

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.

simple index

an index that uses the values of only one variable to locate observations.

simple index variable

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.

SNMP

See Simple Network Management Protocol

SNMP agent

a software module that performs network management functions.

staged data

raw data that has been read, possibly transformed, and written to a SAS data set.

staged table

a type of table that contains data that has been extracted from an input data store and transformed into a standard form for further transformation. A staged table is defined in metadata from a template table, which, after it is used, exists in physical form.

staging code

SAS statements that read raw data, transform it, and write it to a SAS data set.

stored process

See SAS Stored Process

summarize

to calculate summary statistics in order to represent the values of variables in the detail level of a performance data warehouse (PDB). The summary statistics are stored in the day, week, month, and/or year levels of the PDB.

supplied format

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 software

software that is shipped with SAS IT Resource Management.

supplied table definition

a table definition that is shipped with SAS IT Resource Management.

system availability

the percentage of time that a system is available to respond to the requests of its users.

table definition

the attributes of a table and of its associated variables.

template table

a type of table that represents a model of a staged table for a particular adapter. A template table includes metadata that controls the wizards that are associated with an adapter.

transformation

in data integration, an operation that extracts data, transforms data, or loads data into data stores.

tuning

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.

type

See data type

utilization

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.

variable

See SAS variable

view

a definition of a virtual data set that is named and stored for later use. A view contains no data; it merely describes or defines data that is stored elsewhere.

Web browser

a software application that is used to view Web content, and also to download or upload information. The browser submits URL (Uniform Resource Locator) requests to a Web server and then translates the HTML code into a visual display.

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 access them.

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).

weight

a numerical coefficient that is assigned to an item and which indicates the relative importance of the item in a frequency distribution or population

weighting variable

a variable whose values represent the weights for each observation.

WHERE clause

the keyword WHERE followed by one or more WHERE expressions.

WHERE expression

defines the criteria for selecting observations.

wizard

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.

workload

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.