Data Management Studio/Integration Studio Connection Question

[gphunt]

Platform is Windows.  I'm totally new to SAS DM products.  Do these two products follow the same model that SAS EG uses wherein it can be switched between a local and a Metadata Server connection?  

Thanks.

[AngusLooney · Accepted solution]

So, DI Studio is a client/server only application, only talks to a Metadata Server, and executes code on a SAS server that the MDS assigns you to. Quite happy connecting to multiple different MDS, but only one at a time, could potentially run code on multiple compute servers, either via Grid, or if the MDS presents multiple compute servers.

Data Management Studio can run "locally" and connect to a Data Management Server, and switch between the two "modes". Note that both Data Management Studio, and Data Management Server are not directly using the SAS engine, but can read and write datasets.

[gphunt]

Thank you Angus!  This is the clearest picture I've gotten so far. Besides the MetaData Server (which we already have), what other software do we have to have running on the compute servers for the DI Studio to connect to?  (i.e. exactly what do I request?)

I presume this "local" Data Management Server and the "compute server" Metadata Server that DM Studio connects to are two separate products.  Is this correct?  Does the "local" version come with DM Studio or do I need to order that separately?  And exactly what do I request for the remote DM Server?

Thanks!!

Gary

[AngusLooney]

So, in a nutshell, a compute server needs to be running Object Spawner, and be properly configured for running batch processes assuming you’re doing to be using those (which is pretty much the raisin d’etre of DIS) as well as being configured via Metadata Server, as well LSF four scheduling and orchestration.

This isn’t so much an issue of deciding what to run, more one of planning, installing and configuring an environment, usually at install time.

Perhaps by way of clarification, I have a “self-contained” Data Integration Studio environment on my laptop, which means I’m running Metadata Server, Object Spawner and LSF on it along slide other SAS services for things like Data Management Server etc. With this I can quite happily use DIS on my laptop to work against the metadata server, as well as against remote ones, by switching between different profiles.

This also means that Enterpise Guide on my PC can talk to ”local” SAS directly, and to the local “compute server” that’s effectively confoigured on my PC as well, via the local metadata server. (That’s not really a normal configuration at all, as Metadata Server isn’t normally available for use on PCs rather than servers. It’s not really a configuration that makes sense in a “real” environments, it’s more or less restricted to training, R&D and demonstration use cases.

[gphunt]

Thanks again, Angus.  Sorry for the delayed response...I've been away for 2 weeks.  Your feedback has been immensely helpful, but I'm clearly missing some important concepts (maybe details).

Your help has triggered a zillion questions, and I don't think this is the right forum to get ALL these answers.  I need to do more homework first.  But could you help one more time by directing me to any documentation (books, articles, or whatever) that would outline the basic SAS components I'd need to get started with using SAS DMS and generally how they'd be configured (high-level is good enough for now).

If it helps you to know, we have a Metadata Server installed and are using it with SAS EG to work between desktops and Linux servers.  So part of what we need is there.  But I'm still unclear about what other SAS server software is needed to support SAS's Data Management products.  I'm excited to come up to speed on this.

Thanks immensely.

Gary

[AngusLooney]

So, if you’ve got EG and MDS working, then you’re most of the way there.

Now, it should noted that DI Studio is a discrete product, licensed separately from EG, and MDS. These days, it's usually found as part of the Data Management bundles, Standard or Advanced, though I think it's also present in other packages as well.

Assuming you’re working against an appropriate licence, all you then need is to install the DI Studio application on your PC, and connect to the Metadata Server by creating a profile (connection details). Assuming that works, which it should from the sounds of things, and you don’t get an error saying “metadata not configured for DI Studio” (which usually means you’re not working with a correct licence, or somehow the SAS server was installed in an odd way), you’ve got the basics sorted.

Now, one key thing to know about DIS as compared to EG; you are only ever really working on the server, your PC is not really involved at all. So, unlike EG, you cannot access or work with files on your PC. Given you’re using a Linux Server, that may also mean that you can’t work with files on any Windows file servers, unless they’re connected appropriately to the Linux server in a way that's been communicated to you by whoever looks after that sort of stuff for you. (Linux to Windows connectivity is a whole topic in its own right) 

In terms of documentation etc, there’s quite a lot on the SAS website to the best of my knowledge, and of course SAS run DI Studio training courses. These are great, in terms of the basics of using the tool, features and functions, navigating the menus, creating jobs etc, but using it in anger, for real world tasks, good and bad patterns, actual practical usage is a bit harder to come by.

My own “DI Studio WORST practice” presentation is posted nearby, and does give some insights into this sort of thing, but I was to some degree “preaching to the converted” (quickly) and I only had ~ 25 minutes.

[AngusLooney]

Just re-reading your post, I only talked about DIS in my reply. Data Management Studio and Server are a separate discussion, albeit that Metadata and DIS are involved as well.

Which software are you hoping to use, and what for?

Actually, a better question - what are you hoping to achieve?

[gphunt]

Hi Angus,

I've been working with SAS Data Management Desktop and SAS Tech Support since your last post.  Your responses have been invaluable in guiding me thru the maze and helping me focus on the proper questions.  I've concluded that once I've become more comfortable with Desktop what I need next is DM Server.   The answer to my original question is basically the model used by DM is not really the same as EG, although somewhat similar.

Thank you for your all your help!!

Gary