Specifying Metadata Connection Information (required if METAAUTOINIT is specified)

• pre-assign libraries to servers

  When a workspace, stored process, or OLAP server is started, the SERVER= object server parameter is used to obtain the library definitions that are defined in a SAS metadata repository for a server. (For workspace and stored process servers with an IOM bridge connection, the spawner automatically supplies the SERVER= parameter). When the server is started, it accesses the SAS Metadata Server to obtain the pre-assigned library definitions from the repository and assign the librefs for that server. The libref can then be used by all of the objects that are created on that server. For details about defining pre-assigned library definitions, see Setting Up Libraries in the Getting Started section.

• access server metadata

  When a server is started, the SERVER= object server parameter is used on the server startup command in order to access the SAS Metadata Server and obtain the server metadata for that server. (For workspace and stored process servers with an IOM bridge connection, the spawner automatically supplies the SERVER= parameter). Use of the SERVER= object server parameter enables the server to obtain information about the type of server (CLASSFACTORY=) and its protocols and connections (PROTOCOL=, PORT=) from the metadata. This approach simplifies the server invocation command line. Using the SERVER= option enables the server to access additional object server parameters that might be specified in the metadata for the server definition.

When you use the METAAUTOINIT and SERVER= object server parameters, to enable a server to retrieve information from the SAS Metadata Server, you must also specify how to access the SAS Metadata Server. Therefore, when you launch the server, you must specify SAS Metadata Server connection information to enable the server to connect back to the SAS Metadata Server.

Note: By default, SAS Workspace Servers and SAS Stored Process Servers will not connect to the SAS Metadata Server (to retrieve the additional configuration metadata) unless you specify the METAAUTOINIT object server parameter.

The following table summarizes the locations where you specify the METAAUTOINIT and SERVER= parameters for each type of server.

*Note: For details about customizing the server startup command for a workspace server with a COM connection, see Customizing the Workspace Server Startup Command for COM/DCOM Connections.

**Note: If you performed a planned installation, the OLAP server startup script that is created by the Configuration Wizard contains the SERVER= object server parameter by default.

For more details about the METAAUTOINIT and SERVER= object server parameters, see Object Server Parameters.

To use the METAAUTOINIT and SERVER= object server parameter to obtain metadata configuration information:

1. For SAS Workspace and SAS Stored Process Servers only, specify the METAAUTOINIT object server parameter on the command line or in the Object Server Parameters field of the server definition in SAS Management Console (found on the Options tab under Launch Commands).

2. For SAS Workspace Servers with a COM connection and all SAS OLAP Servers, specify the SERVER= object server parameter in the Windows registry for the server startup command (for workspace servers with COM) or in the object server parameters of the command that you use to start SAS (for OLAP servers). When you specify the SERVER= object server parameter, specify either a logical server name or the object URI:

   Note: For SAS Stored Process and SAS Workspace Servers with an IOM Bridge connection, the spawner automatically supplies the SERVER= object server parameter.

   • logical server name: Specify the logical server name of the SAS Metadata Server object definition. To determine the logical server name, in SAS Management Console select the logical server definition, and then select File Properties from the menu bar. Use the value in the Name field as the argument for the SERVER= object server parameter. For example:

     SERVER="Sales - OLAP Logical Server"
     

   • URI: You can also specify the generated object definition ID. To determine the generated ID, in SAS Management Console, select the logical server definition, and then select File Properties from the menu bar. Use the value in the ID field as the argument for the SERVER= object server parameter. For example,

     SERVER="omsobj:LogicalServer/01234567.01234567"
     

   The SAS Metadata Server determines which server to use based on the following, in this order:
   1. The name of the logical server or the ID for the logical server definition. The SAS Metadata Server locates the server group that is defined in the logical server name or ID that you specify on the SERVER= object server parameter.

   2. The host name on which you are starting the server. The SAS Metadata Server determines which server definition (within the logical server) to use based on the host name on which you are starting your server.

   When the logical server has been located, the associated actual server can be found for the machine on which the server is started. For IOM Bridge, in an advanced configuration where multiple bridge servers are located on the same machine, specifying the PORT= object server parameter when the server is launched indicates which server object is intended.
   
   
3. Specify SAS Metadata Server Connection Information. To enable the server to connect to the SAS Metadata Server, you must specify the appropriate security for the connection to the SAS Metadata Server as follows:
   • If you specify the trustsaspeer option for the SAS Metadata Server startup command, the server connects to the SAS Metadata Server using the following user ID:
     • SAS Workspace Servers: the user ID of the workspace server's client
     • Pooled SAS Workspace Servers: the puddle login
     • SAS Stored Process Servers: the user ID that is defined on the Credentials tab of the server definition

     For details about specifying the trusted peer option, see Implementing Trusted Authentication Mechanisms.

   • If you do not specify the trustsaspeer option, you must specify META* options for the SAS Metadata Server connection. When you specify the META* options for the credentials to connect to the metadata server, specify the user ID information as follows:
     • SAS Workspace Servers: the user ID of the workspace server's client

     • Pooled SAS Workspace Servers: the puddle login

     • SAS Stored Process Servers: the user ID that is defined on the Credentials tab of the server definition

     For standard and pooled workspace servers, the METAUSER and METAPASS options defined in the workspace server definition cannot provide a different user ID and password for each login under which the workspace might be launched—all workspace users connect to the metadata server with the same credentials. If you need each user to be authenticated individually by the metadata server, use the METAPROFILE option to provide the user name and password for each user in a file in the user's home directory.

   To understand the different security considerations for SAS Workspace Servers and SAS Stored Process Servers, see Planning Security on Workspace and Stored Process Servers (IOM Bridge Connection Only).

   The following table summarizes the location where you specify the METAAUTOINIT and SERVER= parameters for each type of server.

   Locations for Meta* Options
   Server Type	Meta* Options that are allowed on the command line or in the Command field of the server definition in SAS Management Console	Meta* Options that are allowed in a SAS config file
   Workspace Server	METAPROFILE and METACONNECT or METASERVER, METAPROTOCOL, METAPORT, METAUSER, and METAPASS	METAPROFILE and METACONNECT
   Stored Process Server	METAPROFILE and METACONNECT or METASERVER, METAPROTOCOL, METAPORT, METAUSER, and METAPASS	METAPROFILE and METACONNECT
   OLAP Server	METASERVER, METAPROTOCOL, METAPORT, METAUSER, and METAPASS	METAPROFILE and METACONNECT

   You can specify the META* options in either of the following ways:

   • Specify the META* options that contain the metadata server connection information on the command line or in the Command field (on the Options tab) of the server definition in SAS Management Console. Depending on your server type, you can use either of the following META* options:
     • For SAS Workspace Servers and SAS Stored Process Servers, the METAPROFILE and METACONNECT options. The following command specifies that the server will use the metadata configuration file omr.xml (located in the user's home directory) to connect to the SAS Metadata Server user connection profile named "SAS Metadata Server", and obtain metadata for the logical server named "My Server":

       C:\Program Files\SAS\SAS 9.1\sas.exe -objectserver
          -objectserverparms
             "METAAUTOINIT SERVER='My Server'"
          -metaprofile omr.xml
          -metaconnect "SAS Metadata Server Connection"
       

       Note that, in SAS 9.1, the -METAPROFILE option does not honor environment variables (such as SASROOT) and, on Windows, is not relative to the setting of the -SASINITIALFOLDER option. Thus, in the above example, "omr.xml" is found in the current directory of the process, which will be the user's home directory in a spawned workspace.

       To create the SAS metadata configuration file (XML file), see Creating a Metadata Configuration File in SAS.

     • For SAS Workspace Servers, SAS Stored Process Servers, and SAS OLAP Servers, the METASERVER, METAPROTOCOL, METAPORT, METAUSER, and METAPASS options. The following command specifies that the server will connect to the SAS Metadata Server on host metasserver.unx.alphacorp.com at port 9999 with the user ID "sasuser" and password "sasuser1", and obtain metadata logical server with an ID of "A3845545.04830224":

       C:\Program Files\SAS\SAS 9.1\sas.exe -objectserver
          -objectserverparms "METAAUTOINIT 
             SERVER=omsobj:LogicalServer/A3845545.04830224"
          -metaserver "metaserver.unx.alphacorp.com"
          -metaport 9999 -metauser "sasuser"
          -metapass "sasuser1" -metaprotocol bridge
       

   • Specify the METAPROFILE and METACONNECT options (that contain the metadata server connection information) in your SAS configuration file.

   For details about the META* options, see SAS Metadata System Options in the SAS 9.1 Open Metadata Interface: Reference.