SAS Enterprise Guide 8.6 - Enhancing integration with SAS Viya

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Introduction

SAS Enterprise Guide 8.6 now supports more SAS server types, improving integration with SAS Viya. Users can work with both SAS 9 and Viya servers in the same project, leveraging features from each platform within their preferred SAS desktop application.

Figure 1 - SAS Enterprise Guide 8.6 - Supported SAS servers

The newly added support for SAS Viya Workbench uses REST over HTTP. Support for SAS Analytics Pro uses SAS IOM (Integrated Object Model), the same technology as is used for SAS 9 servers.

Let’s have a look at these enhancements in more detail.

Integration with SAS Viya Workbench

Connecting SAS Enterprise Guide with SAS Viya Workbench enables users to utilize low-code/no-code tools, manage SAS code files, coordinate the execution of those files, and reuse SAS Enterprise Guide Task code in other compatible development environments provided by SAS Viya Workbench. For more details about SAS Viya Workbench, visit https://support.sas.com/en/software/sas-viya-workbench-support.html.

Users working in SAS Viya Workbench now have the option to select SAS Enterprise Guide as the client application when they start a workbench session.

Figure 2 - Launch Enterprise Guide option on SAS Viya Workbench

Selecting Launch Enterprise Guide opens a new browser tab requesting permission to start SAS Enterprise Guide 8.6 locally. Once approved, SAS Enterprise Guide launches and registers the SAS Viya Workbench Server if needed, displaying it in the Server panel.

Figure 3 - SAS Enterprise Guide Servers panel, showing expanded SAS Viya Workbench entry

SAS libraries, tables, and the Table Viewer can be accessed in the same way as with other SAS Server connections.

The file system (workspace) on the SAS Viya Workbench server is also accessible, displaying the same files and folders as viewed through the Visual Studio Code application within SAS Viya Workbench.

Figure 4 - SAS Enterprise Guide and Visual Studio Code in SAS Viya Workbench showing the same file system

Using SAS Enterprise Guide Tasks on files and data in SAS Viya Workbench

You can use SAS Enterprise Guide Tasks with files and tables on SAS Viya Workbench. The example below demonstrates reading a CSV file from the workspace using the Import Data wizard.

Figure 5 - SAS Enterprise Guide - Using Tasks with files and data in SAS Viya Workbench

The generated SAS code from a Process Flow can be exported and saved to SAS Viya Workbench directly within the SAS Enterprise Guide interface. Then use the SAS Extension for Visual Studio Code and incorporate (parts of) that generated SAS code into other SAS code files within Workbench or perhaps orchestrate execution of those SAS code files in a SAS Enterprise Guide Process Flow. Various implementation strategies are possible with this integration.

Figure 6 - SAS Enterprise Guide project orchestrating Tasks using data and SAS Code files in SAS Viya Workbench

Integration with SAS Viya 4

Last year in March we released SAS Enterprise Guide 8.4 which introduced integration with SAS Viya 4. With version 8.6 we have added two new features, so called file root navigation support and SAS Content folder support.

File root navigation support

Users can now set the root folder displayed when expanding a server connection in the Servers panel of SAS Enterprise Guide, as part of the SAS Viya 4 server connection definition.

Figure 7 - SAS Enterprise Guide - Specify file navigation settings for SAS Viya 4 compute server

A SAS Viya Administrator can set attributes in SAS Environment Manager to define the default root folder for a compute context, overriding any SAS Enterprise client-side settings.

Figure 8 - Compute Context definition in SAS Environment Manager showing fileNavigationRoot settings

Attribute	Value	Description
fileNavigationRoot	SYSTEM \| USER \| CUSTOM	SAS Server root folder, user login directory, or custom path
fileNavigationCustomRootPath	<path>	Applies only when fileNavigationRoot is set to CUSTOM.

When SAS Enterprise connects to SAS Viya 4 using the above displayed Compute Context, it disregards client-side file navigation settings and follows those set by the SAS Viya administrator.

Note: This behavior also applies to the SAS Extension for Visual Studio Code v.1.16 and later.

Figure 9 - SAS Enterprise Guide Servers panel using SAS Viya 4 server-side fileRootNavigationSettings

SAS Content folder support

SAS Enterprise Guide 8.6 also introduces support for SAS Content folders on the SAS Viya 4 server as shown in the previous screenshot, and allows for standard file operations like paste, and folder creation.

Integration with SAS Analytics Pro

Beginning with SAS Analytics Pro 2025.08, SAS client applications that run outside the SAS Analytics Pro container can use SAS IOM (Integrated Object Model) to connect to the SAS Analytics Pro server running inside the container.

For more details on SAS Analytics Pro, visit https://support.sas.com/en/software/analytics-pro-support.html.

In SAS Enterprise Guide 8.6 there is now an option in the Servers panel to add a SAS Analytics Pro Server.

Figure 10 - SAS Analytics Pro Server connection definition

The properties window for the SAS Analytics Pro Server is identical to that of the SAS 9 Workspace Server. The "SAS Analytics Pro Server" option in the Add menu simplifies server selection, but "SAS 9 Workspace Server" works as well. Both servers use SAS IOM and share the same API, so SAS Enterprise Guide treats them the same way.

For more details about SAS Analytics Pro, visit https://support.sas.com/en/software/analytics-pro-support.html.

Note that SAS Extension for Visual Studio Code also supports SAS IOM connections, so this extension can also be used to connect to SAS Analytics Pro Server. For more details see the documentation for “remote-IOM” connection profile: https://sassoftware.github.io/vscode-sas-extension/Configurations/Profiles/sas9iom.

Other enhancements

Scheduling a SAS Enterprise Guide project now uses a Microsoft PowerShell script to invoke SAS Enterprise Guide automation to run the project, instead of using a Visual Basic script. VBScript has been deprecated by Microsoft, see https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/vbscript-deprecation-timelines-and-next-... for more details.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the latest updates to SAS Enterprise Guide introduce significant enhancements to its integration with SAS Viya by adding SAS Viya Workbench and SAS Analytics Pro (Viya) support. SAS Content folder support for integration with SAS Viya 4 allows for easier collaboration with users of SAS Studio on SAS Viya 4.

These updates boost flexibility, reliability, and compatibility across evolving SAS environments - ensuring SAS Enterprise Guide remains a powerful companion for both SAS 9 and Viya platforms.