Data uploads in SAS Viya for Learners 4: Let me count the ways!

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SAS Viya for Learners 4 (VFL4) is now THE PLACE for academics to learn how to use our latest-and-greatest SAS Viya technology.  And while there are many reasons to be excited about SAS Viya 4 – see this post if you’re still wondering why – I’ll focus on how easy it is to get your data into VFL4. 

This is my list and – as some southern say – I might could miss one.  But I’ll try to get them all… all while working through the Analytics Life Cycle as outlined in our new Applications menu:

The general use case for this article is something like “you’ve got a file on your computer and want it in VFL4”.  And the usual rules apply in uploading data in VFL: please ensure that the data are not in any way sensitive, nor contain personally identifiable information (PII).  Moreover, if you like the idea of new data set, but don’t know where to start – we have other resources that can help.  Please see our SAS Viya for Learners Data Repository or how you can unlock 2200+ data sets for teaching and learning with the rdatasets package in Python.

So, with that backdrop, let’s count the ways to access your data!

1. Discover Information Assets | SAS Information Catalog

Any good analytics life cycle approach starts by understanding the data.  SAS Information Catalog is an application new to SAS Viya 4, where analysts can efficiently discover, manage, and govern data assets.  And a really nice overview of the SAS Information Catalog can be found here. 

In our overview, let’s simply start at the Welcome screen:

Do you see what I see in the upper-right corner?

Yay – that’s the Import data button.  I bet we can import data with that.  But, if you click on that button, you’ll see the following note:

Do I want to Continue?  Yeah, why not!  I’m on a data adventure!  The main landing screen for SAS Data Explorer – also found under Manage Data in the Application menu – appears as:

Scanning the space, I see an Import button on the upper-left side:

Click that button and this screen appears:

Sweet. We’ve got a LOT of import options. For our example, let’s just click on Local Files and then navigate to the file on your computer.  An example:

And I can further adjust the settings, choose a folder Location, and then select Import item when I’m happy:

File imported!  And now I can go back into SAS Information Catalog to learn more about my data, via the Application Menu, here:

One note before moving on.  We still restrict data uploads roughly 100mb per file, in VFL4 – just like we did in VFL3.5.  You try to push the system beyond that, and you’ll get this error:

Womp, womp.  Yes, you’ll still have 5G of total file storage space in the VFL4 cloud. But, again we restrict upload of individual data files. Why?  Well, the short answer is to ensure that everyone has the best user experience and that large files aren’t clogging our beloved teaching and learning tool.  

Those restriction aside, if you have files that are > 100mb, know that support is available.  Check out my older posts, here (1) Ways to Handle the 100mb Data Upload Restriction in SAS Viya for Learners, Part I and (2) Ways to Handle the 100mb Data Upload Restriction in SAS Viya for Learners, Part II for more guidance.

2. Manage Data | SAS Data Explorer

Up next in the Analytics Life Cycle menu is Manage Data.  But wait a second: weren’t we just there?  Yes, yes, we were.  So, please see how to Import a file using the prompts found in the last section.

But – I won’t let you walk away from this section without anything useful.  You may have noticed many file import options within the Import tab:

Please note that not all of these options are configured in VFL4.  For example, click Geoenrichment and you’ll see:
Sorry.  Students – when you work for a SAS shop one day, you’ll likely have the full configuration.  And then you’ll be (analytically) unstoppable. But, for now, know that we had to put some limits on the VFL4 system (kind of like our 100mb file upload restriction).

3. Explore and Visualize | SAS Visual Analytics

After loading our data, the next step along the Analytics Life Cycle is often to perform preliminary data analysis, or PDA.  And SAS Visual Analytics (VA) is a great place for PDA… and you can access it by selecting Explore and Visualize in the Applications menu.  With one click, you’ll see the VA landing page:

Click on New report in the upper right corner:

Your new report awaits.  Nice!  And it’ll prompt you to start with data… so let’s start there and find the Import data button:

The Import Data window pops up.  Let’s again click on Local files:

Once again, find your file on your computer and click Open.  Similar options to the file import in SAS Data Explorer appear.  Again, I’ll stick the file in my CASUSER folder and then select Import item. And then Add to report.  Those general clicks:

You’ve got data!  Moreover, the file is automatically converted to a .sashdat file for use in SAS VA, which means it is in the format needed for the CAS engine.  Yay for fewer steps!  Return back to your report and start exploring your Data:

Woot!  Happy reporting.  And on to the next stop.

4. Build Models | SAS Model Studio

Continuing along our Analytics Life Cycle journey, we find ourselves in Build Models. Here:

Welcome to SAS Model Studio!  Click New project in the upper right corner:

The New Project dialog box appears:

And while we cover the other settings in other adventures, click on the Browse button under Data.  Like here:

Do you see what I see?  Yet another Import button!

Click it. And see similar options to the last example, in the Choose Data window:

For our ongoing upload-from-your-computer example, I’ll select Local files >> Local file:

And then find – you guessed it – local file.  Then choose a target location – I’ll select CASUSER again – and make a few more settings changes.  Then click Import Item and then select OK. Those clicks:

Presto – I’ve imported a file. Yet again.  And it will be used directly in the SAS Model Studio project, regardless of the initial format!

5. Manage Models | SAS Model Manager

SAS Model Manager is a great tool for the commercial clients, who aren’t running models for learning’s sake.  But to put models into production.  And make money.  Lot’s of it.And while a lot of academics don’t use SAS Model Manager, it’s still fun to show you that data can be uploaded here too.

Start by clicking Manage Models in the Application menu.  Then find the New Project button… here:

For our next trick, find Step 2 of 5 in the New Project window.  You’ll then see the Default training table section.  Find the folder icon... and click it:

Wait a second… we’ve seen this before.  Click Import >> Local files >> Local file… and then… yadda yadda yadda… No need to explicitly outline this again, we’ve got this!

My main point?  You can import local files into SAS Model Manager too – and the process is a familiar one.  Yes, familiar only if you read the pathways before this one.

6. Share and Collaborate | SAS Drive

Who likes to share and collaborate?  Check that.  Actually, who doesn’t?

SAS Drive is useful place to organize all the elements of your project work – from reports to models to SAS programs.  It’s also another place to easily add a file.  Simply find New >> Upload >> Files to MyFolder:

We’re back to the file upload window.  Just select the file and it’s imported.  Screen shots not really needed here.  And the new file can be found in My Folder, here:

Now this doesn’t give you a lot of customization in terms of import options, so it’s likely not your best option.  But it does show how easily files are uploaded in SAS Drive too.

7. Develop Code and Flows | SAS Studio

Let’s finish with the original.  Uploading in SAS Studio is the tool most familiar to VFL3.5 users.  And it will be a great tool for the VFL4 coders out there. To get where we need to get, find Develop Code and Flows in the Applications menu:

Uploads here are just a few clicks away. Again. So, start in Explorer, which is likely the default, and then navigate to Files >> Home >> casuser:

Note: if it’s your first time using SAS Studio, you may need to run the following line of code to start a CAS session: cas mycas;

Almost there!  Now right-click on casuser (or, better yet, a new folder that you create within casuser) and select Upload files:

Here you can see the Upload Files window.  And I’ll highlight an important note:

Ah – there’s our friend: the warning.  And you’ll note that it says the file limit is 95mb… which is technically the real limit – as the remaining 5mb is used for metadata and other file information. So, think of that as 100 minus some “system taxes”.

Click the Add button and find the file on your local computer. Then click that Upload button:

The file will be found here:

Oh – and fun fact – you can see the .sashdat file that we uploaded in the SAS Visual Analytics section of the programming. Nice!

8. Jupyter

Thought I was done? Eh. Well, I heard the chants for an encore.  And I simply couldn’t resist.

So, I’ll give you 8.  Eight ways to import data into you shiny new SAS Viya for Leaners 4 environment.  And while I discuss in depth here why the files in Jupyter won’t persist after the session is over (the takeaway: impermanence), it’s still useful to see how easy it is to upload files into Jupyter.  So, get here:

And find the menu bar.  Like here… with the Upload Files button:

Similar to the many, many times before file the local file you want to import in the Open file window.  Click Open once the file is found. And your file will be uploaded right to that folder.  As in here:

Finally, you can also use GitHub to pull files into SAS Studio and Jupyter.  But that’s a story for another day.

The recap: when someone asks you where you can upload files in SAS Viya for Learners 4, the answer is everywhere.  Simply everywhere.

Happy SAS learnin’!