Glossary

access descriptor

a SAS/ACCESS file that describes data that is managed by SAS, by a database management system, or by a PC-based software application such as Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, or dBASE. After creating an access descriptor, you can use it as the basis for creating one or more view descriptors.

access method

See communications access method.

architecture

the manner in which numeric data and character data are represented internally in a particular operating environment. Architecture encompasses standards or conventions for storing floating-point numbers (IEEE or IBM 390); for character encoding (ASCII or EBCDIC); for the ordering of bytes in memory (big Endian or little Endian); for word alignment (4-byte boundaries or 8-byte boundaries); and for data-type length (16-bit, 32-bit, or 64-bit).

authentication

See client authentication.

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.

catalog

See SAS catalog.

catalog entry

See SAS catalog entry.

client authentication

the process of verifying the identity of a person or process for security purposes.

communications access method

an interface between SAS and the network protocol or interface that is used to connect two operating environments. Depending on the operating environments, SAS/SHARE and SAS/CONNECT use either the TCP/IP or XMS communications access method.

concurrent

pertaining to the simultaneous use of resources by multiple users or applications.

control level

one of the determinants in the kind of lock that a task obtains on a SAS data set or on an observation in the data set. The control level specifies how other SAS tasks can access the SAS data set concurrently.

Cross-Memory Services

See XMS.

data set

See SAS data set.

DATA step view

a type of SAS data set that consists of a stored DATA step program. A DATA step view contains a definition of data that is stored elsewhere; the view does not contain the physical data. The view's input data can come from one or more sources, including external files and other SAS data sets. Because a DATA step view only reads (opens for input) other files, you cannot update the view's underlying data.

data value

a unit of character, numeric, or alphanumeric information. This unit is stored as one item in a data record, such as a person’s height being stored as one variable (namely, a column or vertical component) in an observation (row).

data view

See SAS data view.

database management system

a software application that enables you to create and manipulate data that is stored in the form of databases. Short form: DBMS.

DBMS

See database management system.

encryption

the act or process of converting data to a form that is unintelligible except to the intended recipients.

engine

a component of SAS software that reads from or writes to a file. Various engines enable SAS to access different types of file formats.

entry type

a characteristic of a SAS catalog entry that identifies the catalog entry's structure and attributes to SAS. When you create a SAS catalog entry, SAS automatically assigns the entry type as part of the name.

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.

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.

global option

an option that affects the processing of an entire SAS program or interactive SAS session from the time the option is specified until it is changed. Examples of items that are controlled by SAS system options include the appearance of SAS output, the handling of some files that are used by SAS, the use of system variables, the processing of observations in SAS data sets, features of SAS initialization, and the way SAS interacts with your host operating environment.

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.

interactive line mode

a method of running SAS programs in which you enter one line of a SAS program at a time at the SAS session prompt. SAS processes each line immediately after you press the ENTER or RETURN key. Procedure output and informative messages are returned directly to your display device.

interface view engine

a type of SAS engine that SAS/ACCESS software uses to retrieve data from files that have been formatted by another vendor's software. Each SAS/ACCESS interface has its own interface view engine, which reads the interface product data and returns the data in a form that SAS can understand (that is, in a SAS data set).

Internet Protocol Version 4

See IPv4.

Internet Protocol Version 6

See IPv6.

IP address

a unique network address that is assigned to each computer that is connected to the Internet. The IP address can be specified in either of two formats: Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). The IPv4 format consists of four parts in dot-decimal notation, as in 123.456.789.0. The IPv6 format can consist of up to eight groups of four hexadecimal characters, delimited by colons, as in FE80:0000:0000:0000:0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329.

IPv4

a protocol that specifies the format for network addresses for all computers that are connected to the Internet. This protocol, which is the predecessor of Internet Protocol Version 6, uses dot-decimal notation to represent 32-bit address spaces. An example of an Internet Protocol Version 4 address is 10.23.2.3. Short form: IPv4.

IPv6

a protocol that specifies the format for network addresses for all computers that are connected to the Internet. This protocol, which is the successor of Internet Protocol Version 4, uses hexadecimal notation to represent 128-bit address spaces. The format can consist of up to eight groups of four hexadecimal characters, delimited by colons, as in FE80:0000:0000:0000:0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329. As an alternative, a group of consecutive zeros could be replaced with two colons, as in FE80::0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329. Short form: IPv6

library engine

an engine that accesses groups of files and puts them in the correct form for processing by SAS utility windows and procedures. A library engine also determines the fundamental processing characteristics of the library and presents lists of files for the library directory.

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.

line mode

See interactive line mode.

log

See SAS log.

member name

a name that is assigned to a SAS file in a SAS library.

member type

a SAS name that identifies the type of information that is stored in a SAS file. Member types include ACCESS, AUDIT, DMBD, DATA, CATALOG, FDB, INDEX, ITEMSTOR, MDDB, PROGRAM, UTILITY, and VIEW.

noninteractive mode

a method of running SAS programs in which you prepare a file of SAS statements and submit the program to the operating system. The program runs immediately and comprises your current session.

noninteractive processing

See noninteractive mode.

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.

open mode

the way in which a SAS task accesses and operates on a member in a SAS library. There are three open modes for SAS files: input, update, and output.

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.

port

in a network that uses the TCP/IP protocol, an endpoint of a logical connection between a client and a server. Each port is represented by a unique number.

PROC SQL view

a SAS data set that is created by the SQL procedure. A PROC SQL view contains no data. Instead, it stores information that enables it to read data values from other files, which can include SAS data files, SAS/ACCESS views, DATA step views, or other PROC SQL views. The output of a PROC SQL view can be either a subset or a superset of one or more files.

RDBMS

a database management system that organizes and accesses data according to relationships between data items. The main characteristic of a relational database management system is the two-dimensional table. Examples of relational database management systems are DB2, Oracle, Sybase, and Microsoft SQL Server.

relational database management system

See RDBMS.

REMOTE engine

a SAS library engine that enables a client to access data on a server.

Remote Library Services

a feature of SAS/SHARE and SAS/CONNECT software that enables you to read, write, and update remote data as if it were stored on the client. RLS can be used to access SAS data sets on computers that have different architectures. RLS also provides read-only access to some types of SAS catalog entries on computers that have different architectures. Short form: RLS.

Resource Measurement Facility

a feature of the z/OS and OS/390 operating systems that records information about each job that is processed. Short form: RMF.

RLS

See Remote Library Services.

RMF

See Resource Measurement Facility.

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 console log

a file that contains information, warning, and error messages if the SAS log is not active. The SAS console log is normally used only for fatal system initialization errors or for late-termination messages.

SAS data file

a type of SAS data set that contains data values as well as descriptor information that is associated with the data. The descriptor information includes information such as the data types and lengths of the variables, as well as the name of the engine that was used to create the data.

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 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 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 log

a file that contains a record of the SAS statements that you enter, as well as messages about the execution of your program.

SAS Management Console

a Java application that provides a single user interface for performing SAS administrative tasks.

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 task

a logical process that is executed by a SAS session. A task can be a procedure, a DATA step, a window, or a supervisor process.

SAS/ACCESS view

a type of file that retrieves data values from files that are stored in other software vendors' file formats. You use the ACCESS procedure of SAS/ACCESS software to create SAS/ACCESS views.

SAS/CONNECT client

a SAS session that receives services, data, or other resources from a specified server. The server can run on the same computer as the client or on a different computer (across a network).

SAS/CONNECT server

a SAS session that delivers services, data, or other resources to a requesting client. The server can run on the same computer as the client, or on a networked computer.

SAS/SECURE

an add-on product that uses the RC2, RC4, DES, and TripleDES encryption algorithms. SAS/SECURE requires a license, and it must be installed on each computer that runs a client and a server that will use the encryption algorithms. SAS/SECURE provides a high level of security.

SAS/SHARE client

a SAS/SHARE session that acts as a client. The user who runs a SAS/SHARE client accesses data on a SAS/SHARE server through Remote Library Services (RLS).

SAS/SHARE server

the result of an execution of the SERVER procedure, which is part of SAS/SHARE software. A server runs in a separate SAS session that services users' SAS sessions by controlling and executing input and output requests to one or more SAS libraries.

SAS/SHARE server library

a SAS library that has been defined to a SAS/SHARE server. The SAS/SHARE server controls access to the library.

SASProprietary algorithm

a fixed encoding algorithm that is included with Base SAS software. The SASProprietary algorithm requires no additional SAS product licenses. It provides a medium level of security.

server library

See SAS/SHARE server library.

server session

a SAS session that runs in a special mode on a server. No log messages or output are displayed on the server. Instead, the results of a server session are transmitted back to the log file and output files on the client.

services file

a file that contains a list of service names and the TCP/IP ports that are mapped to those services. The services file is stored on both the SAS client and the SAS server. The UNIX services file is located in /etc/services. A service can be specified for any of the following: a SAS/CONNECT spawner, a SAS/SHARE server, an MP CONNECT pipe, and a firewall server.

SMP

See symmetric multiprocessing.

SQL

See Structured Query Language.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

a protocol that provides network security and privacy. SSL uses encryption algorithms RC2, RC4, DES, TripleDES, and AES. SSL provides a high level of security. It was developed by Netscape Communications.

Structured Query Language

a standardized, high-level query language that is used in relational database management systems to create and manipulate objects in a database management system. SAS implements SQL through the SQL procedure. Short form: SQL.

symmetric multiprocessing

a hardware and software architecture that can improve the speed of I/O and processing. An SMP machine has multiple CPUs and a thread-enabled operating system. An SMP machine is usually configured with multiple controllers and with multiple disk drives per controller. Short form: SMP.

TCP/IP

an abbreviation for a pair of networking protocols. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a standard protocol for transferring information on local area networks such as Ethernets. TCP ensures that process-to-process information is delivered in the appropriate order. Internet Protocol (IP) is a protocol for managing connections between operating environments. IP routes information through the network to a particular operating environment and fragments and reassembles information in transfers.

thin client

a computer that is deployed across a network, and is dependent on a server for much of its functionality. In contrast to the more independent rich client machine, thin clients share resources with other computers, thereby reducing the costs for software and support.

threaded processing

processing that is performed in multiple threads in order to improve the speed of CPU-bound applications.

TLS

the successor to Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) V3.0. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) adopted SSL V3.0 as the de facto standard, made some modifications, and renamed it TLS. TLS is virtually SSLV3.1. Short form: TLS.

Transport Layer Security

See TLS.

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.

view descriptor

a SAS/ACCESS file that defines part or all of the DBMS data that is described by an access descriptor.

work task

a SAS/SHARE server resource that consists of a pair of lightweight threads that service requests from SAS/SHARE clients. More work tasks enable the SAS/SHARE server to service more asynchronous requests.

XMS

a cross-task communication interface that is part of z/OS. XMS is used by programs that run within a single z/OS operating environment. XMS is also the name of the SAS communications access method that uses XMS for client/server communication. Short form: XMS.