Visual Analytics: Use a time variable as a measure

[Nigel_Pain]

I collect usage data for a server, including the amount of CPU time used by processes. I'd like to analyse this in Visual Analytics, using the CPU time as a measure. Currently, the only way to do this is to create a calculated item where the time is converted to a number of seconds, as date and time variables are only treated as categories. This makes sense for discrete dates and times, but not elapsed times.

It would be really good to allow elapsed times as measures.

[Madelyn_SAS]

There are three main types of data items: categories, measures, and dates (including all of the variations of date). The calculated item is correctly formatted as Time, and it should work like any other "Date" data item. 

[Nigel_Pain]

Unfortunately, that's not what I'm finding. When I define the calculated item it is classified as a Category (as are all my date and time variables), and it is not possible to use it as a measure (eg. as the Y axis of a bar chart). I don't see dates as a separate type of data item, only Categories, Hierarchies, Measures and Aggregated Measures.

[AnnaBrown]

Hi @Nigel_Pain,

As of VA 7.5+, duration formats, like elapsed time, are available in the format dialogue for measures. Here are several areas of related doc for reference: 

SAS® Visual Analytics 7.5: Working with Report Data 
Modify the Format of a Numeric Measure Data Item or a Date, Datetime, or Time Data Item
https://go.documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=vareportdata&docsetTarget=p1tm26sodb94w9n1hz81bz75plk7.ht... 

Numeric (Advanced) Operators
Scroll to TreatAs Operator
https://go.documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=vareportdata&docsetTarget=p0dovqqp325peyn1dpijpxxmwj83.ht...
 

SAS® Visual Analytics 8.5: Working with Report Data
Modify the Format of a Numeric Measure Data Item or a Date, Datetime, or Time Data Item
https://go.documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=vareportdata&docsetTarget=p1tm26sodb94w9n1hz81bz75plk7.ht... 

Numeric (Advanced) Operators
Scroll to TreatAs Operator
https://go.documentation.sas.com/?docsetId=vareportdata&docsetTarget=p0dovqqp325peyn1dpijpxxmwj83.ht...

And here’s a screenshot example:

 

[Nigel_Pain]

Thanks @AnnaBrown, I suspected that might be the case. I'll just have to wait until we can upgrade to M6 and 7.5.

Nigel