SAS ETL Studio Source Editor Window

The Process Designer window includes a Source Editor tab. Using the Source Editor we can view and update the SAS code for a SAS ETL job

SAS ETL Studio Process Designer Window

The Project Designer window displays the objects in a project and the relationship between the objects. We can add data, run tasks, and generate output.

Project Designer window is used to create a process flow diagram for a job 

Open a Metadata Profile Window

Before starting to work on SAS ETL Studio we must open a metadata profile. When we open SAS ETL Studio we will get the ‘Open a Metadata Profile’ like given below. Incase a metadata profile is already created then we need to just open the profile  else we have to add a new metadata profile. Using Connection Profile wizard. This connection profile will allow us to communicate with the SAS Metadata Repository from SAS Management Console

SAS ETL Studio Desktop

After opening the metadata profile SAS ETL Studio desktop is displayed. Below are the components of SAS ETL Studio desktop

SAS ETL Studio desktop

Menu bar

Toolbar

Shortcut bar

Tree view

Trees

Status line

Message window

SAS ETL Studio Wizards

Below I have listed down the SAS Wizards used in ETL Studio.

Wizard	Functionality
Cube Designer	Used to create cubes for OLAP
Export Job to File	For the purpose of exporting SAS ETL Studio job to an XML file.
Job Import and Merge	Used to import jobs into SAS ETL Studio.
Metadata Exporter	To export metadata to other applications
Metadata Importer	To import metadata from other applications
New Job	Generates metadata for the new job
Source designers	Generates metadata for external tables and files.
Target designers	Generates metadata for an object that will be created in the future during the execution of SAS job
Transformation Generator	Used to create SAS code transformation

What Is the SAS Metadata Server?

SAS Metadata Server

The SAS Metadata Server is the most important component of the SAS Intelligence Platform. Without a SAS Metadata Server, other client applications and SAS server will not function. Hence SAS Metadata Server is a crucial part.

The SAS Metadata Server supports three types of metadata repositories:

SAS Metadata Server

Foundation repository: Its as must and each metadata server has one foundation repository

Project repository: a metadata repository for isolated working

Custom repository: optional metadata store for a SAS metadata Server

In simple words SAS Metadata Server is centralized repository used to store metadata. It stores the metadata of all the Metadata Repositories and serves it across the entire SAS Intelligence Platform

A SAS Metadata Server was introduced to maintain all the information about the underlying data files used by the SAS applications in a centralized location. The SAS Metadata Server gives a single integrated metadata and provides consistent information so that all users can get a consistent data. Using SAS Metadata Server clients can read metadata from and write metadata to one or more SAS Metadata Repositories

What is SAS - A brief Introduction

SAS System was founded in 1970s and since then its leading product in data warehousing, business analysis and analytical intelligence.

SAS (Statistical Analysis System) is actually all-in-one database which makes it’s the best among all other vendors. In simple words SAS can be described as ETL Tool + Reporting Tool + Forecasting Tool. All other tools are specifically made for either ETL (like Informatica, OWB, ODI) or reporting purpose (like OBIEE, BO).This makes SAS a better option for Data warehousing.

The core component of the SAS System is Base SAS software which is the software product designed for data access, transformation and reporting. It manages data and calls procedures.

Base SAS software contains the following features

• Data management facility
• Programming language
• Data analysis and reporting utilities

Another components is SAS ETL Studio which is an application that enables you to manage ETL process flows—sequences of steps for the extraction, transformation, and loading of data.

Other components of SAS includes

• BI Dashboard
• Data Integration Studio
• SAS Enterprise Business Intelligence Server
• Enterprise Guide etc…

Latest Release by SAS is SAS 9.3

List of Popular ETL Tools in Market

ETL Tools

Oracle Warehouse Builder (OWB) 11gR1 Oracle

Data Services XI 3.2 SAP Business Objects

IBM Information Server (Datastage) 9.1 IBM

SAS Data Integration Studio 4.21 SAS Institute

PowerCenter Informatica 9.0 Informatica

Elixir Repertoire 7.2.2 Elixir

Data Migrator 7.7 Information Builders

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) 10 Microsoft

Talend Open Studio & Integration Suite 4.0 Talend

DataFlow Manager 6.5 Pitney Bowes Business Insight

Pervasive Data Integrator 9.2 Pervasive Software

Open Text Integration Center 7.1 Open Text

Transformation Manager 4.1.4 ETL Solutions Ltd.

Data Manager/Decision Stream 8.2 IBM (Cognos)

Clover ETL 3.0.1 Javlin

Centerprise 5.0 Astera

DB2 Warehouse Edition 9.1 IBM

Pentaho Data Integration 4.1 Pentaho

Adeptia Integration Suite 5.1 Adeptia