topic Re: Why we register the table/Library in SAS Management console in Administration and Deployment

Why we register the table/Library in SAS Management console

nandanosho — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 09:32:55 GMT

Hi All,

We always register the table and Libraray in SAS management Console. But I do not know why I am doing this activity and whats the benefits of doing this activity.

Thanks.

Re: Why we register the table/Library in SAS Management console

JuanS_OCS — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 09:49:38 GMT

Hello @nandanosho,

it is a requirement to register tables in the metadata libraries when one of your applications will require metadata for tables. Such as SAS Data Integration and SAS Visual Analytics. What SAS Client applications are in use by you users?

Re: Why we register the table/Library in SAS Management console

LinusH — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 12:15:56 GMT

1. One definition to rule them all. No/less need for coded librefs in user programs/applications

2. Possibility to apply data atuhorization schemes.

Re: Why we register the table/Library in SAS Management console

SASKiwi — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 19:22:23 GMT

It is best practice to set up libraries in SMC so they are available to all SAS users in all SAS environments. You can avoid registering tables for most SAS products and this is my preferred option. Some SAS products like SAS DI and SAS VA require table registration though.

Re: Why we register the table/Library in SAS Management console

anja — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 21:20:47 GMT

Hi,

The reason for creating libraries and tables in Metadata (and other objects for that matter), is to

A) give you a single point of control for your entire SAS environment, and

B) have a great opportunity to set up permissions and "bringing in" your data/third party data.

Ad A:

SAS Management Console is your main administration tool (I am leaving it at main admin tool
and am disregarding the Env Manager here).

This client is a single point of control client for admins. Single point of control means, you don't
have to go from machine to machine to maintain, update etc. No matter how many machines
you have in your environment, you can administer it all from this one client.

Now ...

In order to actually get this single point of control functionality, all your data has to be created

and registered in metadata. This includes users, groups, roles, permissions, folders - and

libraries and tables.

By creating libraries in metadata, and by registering tables in metadata, you can grant and

deny permissions to groups and users.

Ad B:

To give you one example (there are many more):

Users assign libname statements in SAS w/out using metadata. The libname statement points to

a path on the OS (am focusing on OS only right now and won't consider any DBMS, ERP etc).

With this, you have all data sets on this location available to you.

You probably use OS permissions to secure access, or, you create many folders to "spread out"

your tables to get your permission set up integrated, or, you might just have a set up where

all users can access all tables.

The easier and best way (I am saying "best" cause I am in big favor of metadata 🙂 ) is to create a

library in SASMC, and then, during the registration process, register only the tables that you would

like to have in that certain library.

This might make it easier for you because you can create libraries and folders based on, example,

BUs, depts etc. Register the tables for the BUs, create groups for each BU, and then apply permissions

to have a full "metadata circle".

So to describe it full circle:

By creating libraries and by registering tables you not only create a set up for you that

is maintained easily, in addition it gives you great flexibility with permissions.

You can find some additional information on libraries in metadata on this site:

What Does It Mean to Assign a Library?

http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/bidsag/69848/HTML/default/viewer.htm#n0vuopkmrlxhg4n1h86fd3w16kj2.htm

This documentation also includes information on DBMS, pre-assigned etc libraries.

Does this help a bit?

Thanks

Anja

Re: Why we register the table/Library in SAS Management console

PaulHomes — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 00:06:40 GMT

Another benefit to registering tables in metadata, so that they can be used by metadata centric applications like SAS Data Integration Studio etc, is to be able to answer lineage questions - such as where is this table used downstream and where does it come from upstream. Features such as SAS DI Studio Impact Analysis, the BI Lineage Plug-in and the Relationship Reporting Tools all rely on metadata to be able to provide these valuable insights.

Of course once they are registered in metadata they need to be maintained in metadata (such as updating metadata when the table structure changes). For this reason, if you are not using metadata centric applications, and do not need the various benefits already mentioned in this thread, you may decide not to register them in metadata. For example some sites may have some free-for-all libraries for SAS Enterprise Guide users where the turnover in tables and table structures is so high that, given those tables might only be used by those EG users, the administrators avoid the overhead of maintaining metadata registrations for those tables.