Project Tables

A project input table is an optional SAS data set that contains the champion model input variables and their attributes. It is a prototype table that can be used to define the project input variables and the variable attributes such as data type and length. A project can have numerous candidate models that use different predictor variables as input. Because the project input table must contain all champion model input variables, the variables in the project input table are a super set of all input variables that any candidate model in the project might use.

A project input table can have one or more observations. Data that is in a project input table is not used by SAS Model Manager.

If you use a prototype table to define the project input variables, either create the table and register the table using SAS Management Console or create a libref to access the table on a local SAS Workspace Server or network drive. You take either of those actions before you create the project. In SAS Model Manager, you can view project input tables in the Data Sources category view.

A project output table is an optional SAS data set or database table that defines project output variables and variable attributes such as data type and length. It is a prototype table that contains a subset of the output variables that any model in the project might create.

A project output table can have one or more observations. Data that is in a project output table is not used by SAS Model Manager.

If you use a prototype table to define the project output variables, either create the table and register the table using SAS Management Console or create a libref to access the table on a local or network drive. You take either of those actions before you create the project. In SAS Model Manager, you can view project output tables in the Data Sources category view.

A scoring task input table is a SAS data set that contains the input data that is used in a scoring task.

Before you can create a scoring task, you must create a scoring task input table and register it in the SAS Metadata Repository using SAS Management Console or create a libref to access the table on a local or network drive. In SAS Model Manager, you can view scoring task input tables in the Data Sources category view.

A scoring task output table is used by a scoring task to define the variables for the scoring results table.

Depending on the mode in which a scoring task is run, the scoring task output table can be a prototype table or a physical data table. A SAS Model Manager scoring task can run in test mode, which is the default mode, or it can run in production mode. In both test mode and production mode, a scoring task output table is used by the scoring task to define the structure of the scoring results table. When the scoring task runs, it creates a scoring results table. In test mode, the scoring results table is stored in the SAS Model Manager model repository or on a local or network drive. You can view the scoring results table under the scoring task node in the Score folder. The scoring task output table in the SAS Metadata Repository or on a local or network drive is not updated in test mode. In production mode, the contents of the scoring task output table in the SAS Metadata Repository or the local or network drive are replaced by the contents of the scoring results table. The scoring results table is not stored in the SAS Model Manager model repository or on a local or network drive.

Before you can create a scoring task, the scoring task output table must be added and accessible from the Data Sources category view. To add the scoring task output table to SAS Model Manager, perform one the following actions:

In SAS Model Manager, you can view scoring task output tables in the Data Sources category view.

A train table is used to build predictive models. Whether your predictive models are created using SAS Enterprise Miner or you created SAS code models, you used a train table to build your predictive model. SAS Model Manager uses this same train table. The train table must be registered in the SAS Metadata Repository or a libref must exist for a local or network drive.

You specify a train table as a version-level property. When you define the train table at the version level, the table can be used to build all predictive models that are defined in the version's Models folder.

In SAS Model Manager, train tables are used for information purposes only with one exception. SAS Model Manager uses train tables to validate scoring results immediately after you publish a scoring function or model scoring files, and if the Validate scoring results box is selected when you publish scoring functions or model scoring files to a database.

For information about registering train tables using SAS Management Console, see the SAS Model Manager: Administrator's Guide.

A test table is used to create the Dynamic Lift report and the Interval Target Variable report that can be used to identify the champion model. Test tables are typically a subset of a train table, and they are identical in table structure to the corresponding train table. Update test tables by creating a new subset of the corresponding train table.

To view test tables in SAS Model Manager, the tables must be registered in the SAS Metadata Repository or a libref must be defined for a local or network drive. In SAS Model Manager, you can view test tables in the Data Sources category view.

After a test table is added to SAS Model Manager, you can specify the table in the Default Test Table field in the project properties.

For information about registering test tables using SAS Management Console, see the SAS Model Manager: Administrator's Guide.

A performance table is a SAS data set that is used as the input table for each SAS Model Manager performance task. A performance task monitors a champion model's performance by comparing the observed target variable values with the predicted target variable values. A performance table is a sampling of operational data that is taken at a single point in time. Each time you run a performance task, you use a new performance table to take a new sampling of the operational data. For example, a champion model is deployed to a production environment for the first time in March 2012. You might want to take a new sampling of the operational data in June 2012, September 2012, and January 2013. These new tables are performance tables in the context of SAS Model Manager.

To view a performance table in SAS Model Manager, you must register the tables in the SAS Metadata Repository using SAS Management Console or you must define a libref for a local or network drive. You can view performance tables in the Data Sources category view. After a performance table is registered or a libref is defined, you can specify the table in the Default Performance Table field in the project properties. The default performance table value at the project level is the default value for the Performance data source field in the Define Performance Task wizard.