Building Dynamic Lineage: From Factory Floor to Viya’s Control Room

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In our last post (Cracking the Code: Unlocking Data Lineage in Your Data Factory - SAS Support Communities), we explored how legacy SAS code can be reverse-engineered to reveal the hidden supply chain of your data factory — tracing raw materials (input tables), assembly steps (transformations), and finished goods (output tables). Now that we’ve mapped the production line, the next challenge is governance: how do we keep track of what’s being built, where it’s going, and how it’s changing?

Welcome to the modern factory upgrade — powered by SAS Viya. With Viya’s APIs and Information Catalog, we’re no longer just observing the factory floor. We’re installing sensors, dashboards, and automated reporting — turning static documentation into a dynamic, self-governing system.

The YAML Blueprint: Your Factory’s Wiring Diagram

Every efficient factory runs on blueprints. In our case, that blueprint is a YAML file — a structured, machine-readable plan that describes:

Inputs: The raw stock — source tables and datasets
Outputs: The finished goods — target tables, exports, and reports
Code Files: The Assembly Line — The order of the SAS code based on input and output dependencies.

This YAML file is more than documentation. It’s infrastructure-as-code for your data factory. It creates a repeatable and deployable approach to lineage. It’s the wiring diagram that lets you rebuild or audit your production line at any time.

Plugging into Viya: Automating the Lineage Feed

Once your YAML blueprint is ready, it’s time to connect it to Viya’s central control system — the Information Catalog. Here’s how the automation works:

Authenticate: Use Viya’s APIs to securely connect to the platform.
Deploy the Blueprint: Run a number of pieces of code to:
1. Flow Creation – Use “Name” and “Folder_Path” to create the required folder and then a dataflow ready for content.

Code & Dependencies – use “code_file” and “depends_on” to add the code into the flow and then connect in the correct order.

Input & Ouptuts – Finally add all of the input and output tables to the flow. The inputs will be added at the first node in the flow and outputs to the final node in the flow.

Studio Flow: Once it completes you will have created a dataflow in SAS Viya with all of the required information.

4) Information Catalogue – now that the flow is present in SAS Viya it will automatically be connected to other flows based on input and output tables. This is connecting your lineage maps and as long as you interact with the flow then your lineage will update (add tables).

Just like that, your factory’s lineage is live. No manual recreation. Just code-driven governance which you can now use with the intuitive GUI to provide even more governance.

The Value of Dynamic Lineage: From Static Logs to Strategic Oversight

This approach transforms your data factory from a reactive operation to a proactive, self-monitoring system. Here’s what you gain:

Real-Time Accuracy: Every time the SAS code changes with new or removed input or output tables Information Catalog stays in sync — no stale lineage. Your lineage is being dynamically generated and governed centrally.
Developer Efficiency: Coders focus on building the machinery. The lineage updates itself.
Integrated Oversight: Lineage lives inside Viya, alongside other data assets — giving stakeholders a unified view of the factory floor.
Audit-Ready Compliance: Whether you're governed by BCBS 239 or internal standards, dynamic lineage provides clear, timestamped evidence of your data’s journey.

Conclusion: From Factory to Framework

By connecting legacy SAS code to Viya’s APIs, you’re not just modernizing your data factory — you’re installing a governance framework that scales. Your lineage becomes dynamic, strategic, and self-sustaining. And just like any well-run factory, you’ll know exactly what’s being built, how it’s made, and where it’s going — every step of the way.