What’s New in SAS Visual Analytics 6.2

You can use in-memory tables from SAS LASR Analytic Server as input tables for a query.

You can join tables from more than one library.

You can import a SAS Information Map into a query. Maps that are based on tables are supported. Maps based on OLAP cubes are not supported.

For deployments that use Greenplum Data Computing Appliance, the generated SAS statements use the HPDS2 procedure to distribute data for staging tables. This enhancement is an efficient method for distributing data.

You can preview a spreadsheet or delimited file before you import it.

When you import a delimited file, you can specify the encoding to use for reading the file.

You can import a SAS data set from your desktop.

You can import files up to 2 GB in size. The application reads the data in blocks and transfers them to the server.

You can add preprocessing and postprocessing SAS statements to your query.

You can view all the code for the query, including the SQL procedure statements and LIBNAME statements.

You can customize the code for the entire query when you unlock the code. In the previous release, you could modify the SELECT statement only.

The new Decision Tree visualization type enables you to perform decision tree analysis.

Forecasting has been enhanced to support underlying factors and scenario analysis.

New advanced filters enable you to create filters that use multiple data items.

You can create ranks to select the top (greatest) and bottom (least) aggregated values for a category.

The new Manage Visualizations window enables you to arrange, filter, and sort your visualizations.

Crosstab visualizations now support an indented display mode.

Correlation matrix visualizations now enable you to compare two sets of measures and sort by the correlation value.

The geo map visualization has a new colored regions overlay.

You can customize data ranges and color gradients for some visualization types. Customized data ranges can be shared between visualizations.

For visualizations that contain hierarchy data, you can click values on the visualization axis to drill down the hierarchy.

New data source filters enable you to subset the entire data source for the exploration.

You can calculate measures by using aggregated data.

You can sort and group your data items in the Data pane.

You can create Percent of Total data items to display the percentage of the total value for a measure.

You can derive hierarchies from date, time, or datetime data items.

Changing the data source for an exploration has been enhanced. The new data source is no longer required to include all of the same data items as the current data source.

The left pane has four tabs (Objects, Data, Imports, and Shared Rules) at the same level. (Previously, the Data tab appeared below the Objects tab.) By default, only the Objects and Data tabs appear. To display the Imports and Shared Rules tabs, click after the last tab name or use the View menu.

The Data tab handles tables with a large number of data items. You can sort and group data items on the Data tab.

The Properties tab (in the right pane) for all of the report objects has been enhanced. For example, the alignment has been updated to improve readability. There is more consistency between the property names in the designer and in the explorer.

The user interface for display rules has been enhanced.

You can change report themes.

If you have the Theme Designer for Flex: Administration role in SAS Management Console, then you can access the SAS Theme Designer for Flex from the Styles tab.

List tables have been enhanced. For example, you can change the text alignment for column headings, change the text and background color for totals, hide vertical and horizontal lines, and add and remove alternating row colors. You can remove column headings. You can drag and drop multiple data items onto list tables.

Crosstabs have been enhanced. For example, you can change the text and background color for subtotals. You can change font styles and add a percentage of subtotals.

Report objects can be duplicated using the pop-up menu. All properties, filters, ranks, display rules, roles, and styles are copied. However, interactions are not copied.

A new geo region map (also known as a choropleth map) is available.

Geo bubble maps and geo region maps retain zoom and pan settings.

Objects in vertical containers have a height property and objects in horizontal containers have a width property.

Graphs have a hyperlink axis when a hierarchical data item is used. When you click on the hyperlinked label, you drill down on the graph, just as if you had double-clicked the label.

For time series report objects, you can specify units of time.

Gauges (KPIs) support high cardinality.

The slider gauge supports dates (which are continuous) and numeric categories.

Controls have been enhanced. The drop-down list, list, button bar, and text input controls support a brush interaction and sorting.

You can add and remove data items by right-clicking on a graph.

You can include or exclude missing values when filtering based on discrete values using a range slider control.

You can change the data source for report objects that are imported from the explorer.

You can import heat maps, box plots, and forecasts from the explorer.

You can create a new aggregated calculated item for tables and graphs.

You can create ranks to select the top (greatest) or bottom (least) values for category values. You can choose whether other values or ties are included.

You can rank based on the frequency data item.

Advanced filters enable you to filter using multiple data items.

You can sort on formatted data. You can sort on unformatted data only when the user-defined formats that have an underlying numeric value.

You can calculate measures by using aggregated data.

You can create Percent of Total data items to display the percentage of the total value for a measure.

You can derive hierarchies from date, time, or datetime data items.

You can create a link from a report object, text, or image to another report.

You can create links to different sections in a report.

You can specify a link to an external URL from report objects (including text objects).

You can register tables.

You can set permissions on libraries.

You can delete tables from metadata.

You can delete physical tables from HDFS (if you are using the SAS High-Performance Deployment of Hadoop).

You can use an interactive editor to create permission conditions for row-level security.

You can manage mobile devices either by blacklisting or whitelisting.

You can more efficiently stage and load data, because the user interfaces for these tasks are simplified and provide pre-populated values where possible.

A gauge that indicates available memory in a distributed SAS LASR Analytic Server is visible in multiple locations in the user interface.

You can add new metadata folders from certain secondary windows (such as the Choose a Location window).

You can access concise instructions for selected tasks by selecting HelpHow to from the main menu.

You can make it easy for registered users to use their own data in SAS Visual Analytics. With the new automated data loading feature, users place tables in a designated host folder that is periodically scanned by a scheduled task. When the task discovers a table that is not already loaded, it loads that table to memory.

A new predefined server (the Public LASR Analytic Server) and library (the Visual Analytics Public LASR library) provide broad access and support the new automated data loading feature.

In the Search Interface to SAS Content, log4j logging is enabled for the index loading script (loadindex.sh).

In the metadata definition for a SAS LASR Analytic Server, you can set memory-based constraints on the availability of certain tasks. This causes a distributed server to reject certain requests (for example, loading additional data) when the server’s available physical memory falls below a certain level.

To simplify metadata-layer permission requirements, the Create permission is no longer used. Instead, the Write permission controls actions that were previously controlled by the Create permission.

You can promote SAS Visual Analytics objects from one 6.2 environment to another 6.2 environment. You can promote objects from one metadata server to another metadata server or within a metadata server.

Changes and enhancements to capabilities and roles include the following: