3 Steps to Empower Your Information Catalog Users

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From SAS Viya stable cadence 2021.1.1, a SAS Administrator can create custom groups and a set of custom rules. These will enable the business users in those groups to work almost independently with the SAS Information Catalog. The administrator can empower the business users in three steps: 1. manage authorizations; 2. empower users to manage the catalog; 3. empower users to update asset description and statuses.

Empower the Catalog Users

The SAS Administrator can "delegate" two items to users which are closer to the business: discovery agents management and assets description / status.

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Business Scenario

Let us assume the business needs of several users, from the Finance department:

1. The Finance group needs access to new data. The data is present in a new data source (caslib). Fernanda and Fiona are part of the Finance group.
2. Fernanda needs to index and catalog information assets from the new data source. The information assets can then be consulted by the Finance users.
3. Fiona needs to assess and review the catalogued information assets. By doing so, she tells other users if the asset can be used for the intended purpose.

Step One: Manage Authorizations

This step is a pre-requisite. The SAS administrator has to authorize the Finance group with (at least) a read access to the caslib. Otherwise, the users in this group won’t see the desired data source (SAMPGEL caslib).

If the users connect to the SAS Information Catalog, even if their new caslib was catalogued by an administrator, they won't be able to open the catalog metrics. Without the proper authorizations, they will receive the message "...you are not authorized".

Add Finance Group with Read Access

To remediate the authorization issue, the SAS administrator has to grant the Finance group (at least a) read access to the new caslib (in SAS Environment Manager > Data > Edit Authorization).

Outcome

The Finance group, can now access the data source.

Step Two: Empower Users to Manage the Catalog

Business need: Fernanda needs to index and catalog information assets from the new data source.

To solve the business need, the SAS administrator needs to:

1. Create a custom group.
2. Assign users to the custom group.
3. Add authorization rules to the custom group.

Create a custom group

Create the group -> Catalog Maintainers.

Assign users to the custom group

Add authorization rules to the custom group

The SAS documentation is very explicit about the set of authorization rules needed for this custom group:

Outcome

With these rules applied to the Catalog Maintainers group, Fernanda can now define and run a discovery agent:

After the discovery agent has finished running, the catalogued information assets can then be consulted by the Finance users.

Step Three: Empower Users to update information asset description and status

Business need: Fiona needs to assess and review the catalogued information assets. By doing so, she tells other users if the asset can be used for the intended purpose.

To solve the business need, the SAS administrator needs to:

1. Create a custom group.
2. Assign users to the group.
3. Add authorization rules to the custom group.

Create a custom group

Create the group, for example, Catalog Reviewers.

Assign users to the group

Add authorization rules to the custom group

The SAS documentation is very explicit about the set of authorization rules needed for this custom group:

Outcome

Fiona can now update the descriptions and the status. She can guide the other Finance users if data is fit for purpose.

Conclusions

The SAS administrator can empower the business users to work independently with the SAS Information Catalog, in three steps:

1. Manage data source authorizations.
2. Empower users to manage the catalog (discovery agents).
3. Empower users to update asset description and statuses.

Acknowledgements

Thank you Nancy Rausch, Kumar Thangamuthu and Vincent Rejany.

SAS Documentation

• SAS Information Catalog | 2021.1.1 - 2021.1.3 | Enable Custom Users or Groups to Update Review Statu...
• SAS Information Catalog | 2021.1.1 - 2021.1.3 | Enable Custom Users or Groups to Maintain Discovery ...

Other SAS Information Catalog posts

• What is New in the SAS Information Catalog
• How to Collect Metadata with the SAS Information Catalog
• 7 Ways to Use the New SAS Information Catalog

• The Easiest Way to Share Your Information Assets

Additional Resource

• SAS Information Catalog YouTube

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