Glossary

activity

See workflow process activity

candidate model

a predictive model that evaluates a model's predictive power as compared with the champion model's predictive power.

champion model

the best predictive model that is chosen from a pool of candidate models in a data mining environment.

channel

a virtual communication path for distributing information. In SAS, a channel is identified with a particular topic. Using the features of the Publishing Framework, authorized users or applications can publish digital content to the channel, and authorized users and applications can subscribe to the channel in order to receive the content.

classification model

a predictive model that has a categorical, ordinal, or binary target.

data set

See SAS data set

data source

a table, view, or file from which you will extract information. Sources can be in any format that SAS can access, on any supported hardware platform. The metadata for a source is typically an input to a job.

DATA step

in a SAS program, a group of statements that begins with a DATA statement and that ends with either a RUN statement, another DATA statement, a PROC statement, or the end of the job. The DATA step enables you to read raw data or other SAS data sets and to create SAS data sets.

DATA step fragment

a block of SAS code that does not begin with a DATA statement. In SAS Model Manager, all SAS Enterprise Miner models use DATA step fragments in their score code.

identity

See metadata identity

input variable

a variable that is used in a data mining process to predict the value of one or more target variables.

instance

See workflow process instance

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.

metadata

descriptive data about data that is stored and managed in a database, in order to facilitate access to captured and archived data for further use.

metadata identity

a metadata object that represents an individual user or a group of users in a SAS metadata environment. Each individual and group that accesses secured resources on a SAS Metadata Server should have a unique metadata identity within that server.

milestone

a collection of tasks that complete a significant event. The significant event can occur either in the process of selecting a champion model, or in the process of monitoring a champion model that is in a production environment.

model function

the type of statistical model, such as classification, prediction, or segmentation.

model scoring

the process of applying a model to new data in order to compute outputs.

output variable

in a data mining process, a variable that is computed from the input variables as a prediction of the value of a target variable.

package

See SAS package file

package file

See SAS package file

participant

See workflow participant

prediction model

a model that predicts the outcome of an interval target.

process

See workflow process

process definition

See workflow process definition

project

a collection of models, SAS programs, data tables, scoring tasks, life cycle data, and reporting documents.

Project Tree

a hierarchical structure made up of folders and nodes that are related to a single folder or node one level above it and to zero, one, or more folders or nodes one level below it.

publication channel

an information repository that has been established using the SAS Publishing Framework and that can be used to publish information to users and applications.

publish

to deliver electronic information, such as files and system-generated events, to one or more destinations. These destinations can include e-mail addresses, message queues, publication channels and subscribers, WebDAV-compliant servers, and archive locations.

Publishing Framework

a component of SAS Integration Technologies that enables both users and applications to publish SAS files (including data sets, catalogs, and database views), other digital content, and system- generated events to a variety of destinations. The Publishing Framework also provides tools that enable both users and applications to receive and process published information.

SAS Content Server

a server that stores digital content (such as documents, reports, and images) that is created and used by SAS client applications. To interact with the server, clients use WebDAV-based protocols for access, versioning, collaboration, security, and searching.

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 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 package file

a container for data that has been generated or collected for delivery to consumers by the SAS Publishing Framework. Packages can contain SAS files, binary files, HTML files, URLs, text files, viewer files, and metadata.

SAS publication channel

See publication channel

SAS variable

a column in a SAS data set or in a SAS data view. The data values for each variable describe a single characteristic for all observations (rows).

scoring

See model scoring

scoring function

a user-defined function that is created by the SAS Scoring Accelerator from a scoring model and that is deployed inside the database.

scoring task

a process that executes a model's score code.

segmentation model

a model that identifies and forms segments, or clusters, of individual observations that are associated with an attribute of interest.

source

See data source

SPK

See SAS package file

subscriber

a recipient of information that is published to a SAS publication channel.

variable

See SAS variable

version folder

a folder in the Project Tree that typically represents a time phase and that contains models, scoring tasks, life cycle data, reports, documents, resources, and model performance output.

WebDAV server

an HTTP server that supports the collaborative authoring of documents that are located on the server. The server supports the locking of documents, so that multiple authors cannot make changes to a document at the same time. It also associates metadata with documents in order to facilitate searching. The SAS business intelligence applications use this type of server primarily as a report repository. Common WebDAV servers include the Apache HTTP Server (with its WebDAV modules enabled), Xythos Software's WebFile Server, and Microsoft Corporation's Internet Information Server (IIS).

workflow

a model for a sequence of activities, declared as work of a person, a group, an organization, or one or more mechanisms. Workflows are generally designed to enable a work process that can be documented and learned.

workflow participant

a user, group, or role that is assigned to an activity of a workflow instance.

workflow process

a set of one or more linked activities which collectively realize a business objective or policy goal, normally within the context of an organizational structure defining functional roles and relationships.

workflow process activity

a task or step in a workflow process.

workflow process definition

an activated process template that is available in the SAS Workflow Engine for use. Process definitions contain the set of activities, participants, policies, statuses, and operands that comprise a business task.

workflow process instance

a running process in the SAS Workflow Engine or a working version of a process definition.