Adding SAS^® Tables to the Portal

Users of the SAS Information Delivery Portal can view SAS tables using the Portal Table Viewer. The Table Viewer presents an input form that allows the user to specify which table columns to display and the order in which they are to appear. In addition, the user can enter a Standard Query Language (SQL) WHERE expression to specify which rows of the table to display. The portal application then renders the table based on these criteria.

To set up a table in the portal, you must:

1. Create the table and place it on a SAS server that is accessible to the portal users who will access it.

2. Specify the necessary format catalog libref(s) in the SAS configuration file if any of the columns in the table has a user-defined format.

3. Update the portal application's enterprise directory with metadata about the table and its columns.

4. Use the Personalize tool to make the table appear as a selection on the portal.

Step 1: Create the Table and Place it on a SAS Server

First, use SAS to create the table. A table is any SAS data set that is made up of rows and columns. Place the table on a server that the portal application can access. The server must be defined on the portal application's enterprise directory.

Step 2: Specify Format Catalog Librefs in the SAS Configuration File

If any of the columns in the table has a user-defined format, you must specify the necessary format catalogs on the SAS server as follows:

• Set environment variables to specify the librefs that contain the format catalogs. To set the environment variables on a Unix or Windows NT server, use the -SET option in the SAS configuration file. On OS/390 hosts, use a DD statement in your job control language (JCL). On VMS hosts, use a DCL command. For more information, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

  Here is an example of a statement to specify a format catalog environment variable on Windows NT:

  -set userfmts 'c:\mysaslibs\formats'

  Note: Do not set the environment variables in an AUTOEXEC file, since the IOM server does not process the AUTOEXEC.

• After you have set the environment variables, place a FMTSEARCH= option in the SAS configuration file. This option should list the librefs that you specified in the environment variables. The portal will use this list to locate the format catalogs. The FMTSEARCH= option has the following syntax:

  FMTSEARCH= (libref-1 libref-2... libref-n)

  The value of libref can be either a libref or a libref.catalog. If only the libref is given, SAS assumes that FORMATS is the catalog name. The order of librefs in the list determines the order in which the catalogs will be searched. The WORK.FORMATS catalog is always searched first, unless it appears in the FMTSEARCH= list. The LIBRARY.FORMATS catalog is searched after WORK.FORMATS and before anything else in the FMTSEARCH= list, unless it appears in the FMTSEARCH= list.

  Here is an example of a FMTSEARCH= statement that lists the format catalog specified in the preceding example:

  -fmtsearch=(userfmts)

  For more information about the FMTSEARCH= option, see "Using SAS System Options" in the SAS Language Reference: Dictionary. For more information about creating SAS configuration files, see the SAS documentation for your operating environment.

Be sure to keep the SAS configuration file updated with environment variables and FMTSEARCH= statements to define the necessary format librefs for all tables in the portal.

Step 3: Update the Enterprise Directory with Metadata about the Table and its Columns

Use the SAS Integration Technologies (IT) Administrator interface to update your enterprise directory with metadata about the table and each of the table's columns. For detailed instructions on the use of this interface, refer to the IT Administrator section of the SAS Integration Technologies Web site.

Perform the following tasks using IT Administrator. Refer to the Table Metadata Example for an annotated illustration of these tasks. The links below point to specific portions of the example.

• Define the SAS library in the enterprise directory (if it is not already defined), as shown in this example. The library information will enable the portal application to locate the table when it is invoked by the user. The logical name that you assign to the library identifies the SAS server on which the table is located.

• Define the table in the enterprise directory, as shown in this example. The member name and library name that you enter will enable the portal application to locate the table when it is invoked by the user.

• Define each of the table's columns in the enterprise directory, as shown in this example. The Portal Table Viewer will use the column information to populate the default user input form so that the user can choose which columns he or she wishes to display.

• Define access rules for the table and/or its individual columns. For more information, refer to Controlling Access to Portal Content

Step 4: Use the Personalize Tool to Make the Table Appear as a Selection on the Portal

Depending on who has access permission to the stored process, you can use one of several methods to make a table appear as a selection on the portal:

• If the table is accessible to all portal users, the public content administrator can use the Personalize feature to add the table to a public list. When the administrator performs this function, the portal application displays a list box containing all tables in the enterprise directory that are accessible to all portal users. From the list box, the public content administrator selects the tables that are to appear on the public list.

• Group owners can use the Personalize feature to add the table to a role-based list. When the group owner performs this function, the portal application displays a list box containing all tables in the enterprise directory that the group is authorized to access. From the list box, the group owner selects the tables that are to appear on the role-based list.

• Individual users can use the Personalize feature to add the table to a personal list. When the user performs this function, the portal application displays a list box containing all tables in the enterprise directory that the user is authorized to access. From the list box, the user selects the tables that are to appear on his or her personal list.