| Getting Started with the SAS System Using SAS/ASSIST Software |
The SAS System is a modular, integrated,
hardware-independent system of software for enterprise-wide information delivery. What distinguishes the software is its ability to
- make enterprise data a
generalized resource available to any user or application that requires it, regardless of the source of the data.
- transform enterprise data into meaningful
information for a broad range of applications.
- deliver critical information through a variety of interfaces that are tailored to the needs and experience of
the individual computer user.
- perform consistently across a broad range of hardware environments while exploiting the particular advantages of each
environment.
The SAS System integrates all of these elements into a powerful software system. The SAS System views virtually any application
as a collection of data-driven tasks or processes that can be generally classified as described in the following sections.
Data access is the process of accessing the data
required by the application. The SAS System treats enterprise data as an available resource by providing transparent access to
- popular database management
systems such as DB2, IMS, INGRES, SYBASE, ORACLE, and DEC Rdb.
- flat files, system-specific host files, and other historical or "legacy" data
types
- the SAS System's own relational data structure.
Through the SAS System's Multiple Engine
Architecture (MEA), these data sources can be combined to provide an enterprise Data Warehouse that gives end users the information they need to do their jobs without jeopardizing the security and
integrity of data assets or negatively affecting the performance of production databases.
Data management is the process of shaping
data into a form required by the application. You can manage your data by entering, editing, retrieving, formatting, and converting your data.
Data analysis is the process of transforming raw
data into meaningful and useful information. You can analyze your data using descriptive statistics, multivariate techniques, forecasting and modeling, and linear programming.
Data presentation is the process of
communicating information in ways that clearly demonstrate its significance. You can present your data by using reports, business and analytical graphics, and business
correspondence.
Copyright 1999 by SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. All rights reserved.
