Glossary

activity

See workflow process activity

analytical model

a statistical model that is designed to perform a specific task or to predict the probability of a specific event.

attribute

See variable attribute

baseline

the initial performance prediction against which the output data from later tasks are compared.

bin

a grouping of predictor variable values that is used for frequency analysis.

candidate model

a predictive model that evaluates a model's predictive power as compared with the champion model's predictive power.

challenger model

a model that is compared and assessed against a champion model for the purpose of replacing the champion model in a production scoring environment.

champion model

the best predictive model that is chosen from a pool of candidate models in a data mining environment.

classification model

a predictive model that has a categorical, ordinal, or binary target.

clustering model

a model in which data sets are divided into mutually exclusive groups in such a way that the observations for each group are as close as possible to one another, and different groups are as far as possible from one another.

component files

the files that define a predictive model. Component files can be SAS programs or data sets, XML files, log files, SPK files, or CSV files.

data model training

the process of building a predictive model from data.

data set

See SAS data set

data source

a table, view, or file from which you will extract information. Sources can be in any format that SAS can access, on any supported hardware platform. The metadata for a source is typically an input to a job.

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, or the end of the job. The DATA step enables you to read raw data or other SAS data sets and to create SAS data sets.

DATA step fragment

a block of SAS code that does not begin with a DATA statement. In SAS Model Manager, all SAS Enterprise Miner models use DATA step fragments in their score code.

diagram

See process flow diagram

file reference

See fileref

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

Gini coefficient

a benchmark statistic that is a measure of the inequality of distribution, and that can be used to summarize the predictive accuracy of a model.

hold-out data

a portion of the historical data that is set aside during model development. Hold-out data can be used as test data to benchmark the fit and accuracy of the emerging predictive model.

informat

See SAS informat

input variable

a variable that is used in a data mining process to predict the value of one or more target variables.

instance

See workflow process instance

Kolmogorov-Smirnov chart

a chart that shows the measurement of the maximum vertical separation, or deviation between the cumulative distributions of events and non-events.

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.

life cycle phase

a collection of milestones that complete a major step in the process of selecting and monitoring a champion model. Typical life cycle phases include development, test, production, and retire.

logistic regression

a form of regression analysis in which the target variable (response variable) represents a binary-level, categorical, or ordinal-level response.

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.

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.

milestone

a collection of tasks that complete a significant event. The significant event can occur either in the process of selecting a champion model, or in the process of monitoring a champion model that is in a production environment.

model assessment

the process of determining how well a model predicts an outcome.

model function

the type of statistical model, such as classification, prediction, or segmentation.

model scoring

the process of applying a model to new data in order to compute outputs.

neural networks

a class of flexible nonlinear regression models, discriminant models, data reduction models, and nonlinear dynamic systems that often consist of a large number of neurons. These neurons are usually interconnected in complex ways and are often organized into layers.

observation

a row in a SAS data set. All of the data values in an observation are associated with a single entity such as a customer or a state. Each observation contains either one data value or a missing-value indicator for each variable.

organizational folder

a folder in the SAS Model Manager Project Tree that is used to organize project and document resources. An organizational folder can contain zero or more organizational folders in addition to other objects.

output variable

in a data mining process, a variable that is computed from the input variables as a prediction of the value of a target variable.

package

See SAS package file

package file

See SAS package file

participant

See workflow participant

performance table

a table that contains response data that is collected over a period of time. Performance tables are used to monitor the performance of a champion model that is in production.

PFD

See process flow diagram

PMML

See Predictive Modeling Markup Language

prediction model

a model that predicts the outcome of an interval target.

Predictive Modeling Markup Language

an XML based standard for representing data mining results for scoring purposes. PMML enables the sharing and deployment of data mining results between applications and across data management systems. Short form: PMML.

process

See workflow process

process definition

See workflow process definition

process flow diagram

a graphical sequence of interconnected symbols that represent an ordered set of steps or tasks that, when combined, form a process designed to yield an analytical result.

profile data

information that consists of the model name, type, length, label, format, level, and role.

project

a collection of models, SAS programs, data tables, scoring tasks, life cycle data, and reporting documents.

Project Tree

a hierarchical structure made up of folders and nodes that are related to a single folder or node one level above it and to zero, one, or more folders or nodes one level below it.

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.

publication channel

an information repository that has been established using the SAS Publishing Framework and that can be used to publish information to users and applications.

Receiver Operating Characteristic chart

a chart that plots the specificity of binary data values against 1 specificity of binary data values. A ROC chart is used to assess a model's predictive performance. Short form: ROC

ROC

See Receiver Operating Characteristic chart

SAS code model

a SAS program or a DATA step fragment that computes output values from input values. An example of a SAS code model is the LOGISTIC procedure.

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 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 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 Metadata Repository

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

SAS package file

a container for data that has been generated or collected for delivery to consumers by the SAS Publishing Framework. Packages can contain SAS files, binary files, HTML files, URLs, text files, viewer files, and metadata.

SAS publication channel

See publication channel

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).

scoring

See model scoring

scoring function

a user-defined function that is created by the SAS Scoring Accelerator from a scoring model and that is deployed inside the database.

scoring task

a process that executes a model's score code.

scoring task input table

a table that contains the variables and data that are used as input in a SAS Model Manager scoring task.

scoring task output table

a table that contains the output variables and data that result from performing a SAS Model Manager scoring task. Before executing a scoring task, the scoring task output table defines the variables to keep as the scoring results.

segmentation model

a model that identifies and forms segments, or clusters, of individual observations that are associated with an attribute of interest.

source

See data source

SPK

See SAS package file

target event value

for binary models, the value of a target variable that a model attempts to predict. In SAS Model Manager, the target event value is a property of a model.

target variable

a variable whose values are known in one or more data sets that are available (in training data, for example) but whose values are unknown in one or more future data sets (in a score data set, for example). Data mining models use data from known variables to predict the values of target variables.

test table

a SAS data set that is used as input to a model that tests the accuracy of a model's output.

training data

data that contains input values and target values that are used to train and build predictive models.

universal unique identifier

a number that is used to uniquely identify information in distributed systems without significant central coordination. There are 32 hexadecimal digits in a UUID, and these are divided into five groups with hyphens between them as follows: 8-4-4-4-12. Altogether the 16-byte (128 bit) canonical UUID has 32 digits and 4 hyphens, or 36 characters.

UUID

See universal unique identifier

variable

See SAS variable

variable attribute

any of the following characteristics that are associated with a particular variable: name, label, format, informat, data type, and length.

version folder

a folder in the Project Tree that typically represents a time phase and that contains models, scoring tasks, life cycle data, reports, documents, resources, and model performance output.

view

a particular representation of a model’s data.

workflow

a model for a sequence of activities, declared as work of a person, a group, an organization, or one or more mechanisms. Workflows are generally designed to enable a work process that can be documented and learned.

workflow participant

a user, group, or role that is assigned to an activity of a workflow instance.

workflow process

a set of one or more linked activities which collectively realize a business objective or policy goal, normally within the context of an organizational structure defining functional roles and relationships.

workflow process activity

a task or step in a workflow process.

workflow process definition

an activated process template that is available in the SAS Workflow Engine for use. Process definitions contain the set of activities, participants, policies, statuses, and operands that comprise a business task.

workflow process instance

a running process in the SAS Workflow Engine or a working version of a process definition.