SAS Administration from the Ground Up. Anja Fischer
T: This error is most likely the result of the metadata server not being started. Check the metadata server service and make sure the server is running. If the metadata server is running, make sure there is no typographical error in the server name, that the port is correct and that no firewall is blocking access to the server’s port.
On Windows:
Go to the Services and verify that the metadata server is running. If not, start it. The metadata server is named
SAS [Config-Lev1] SASMeta - Metadata Server
where “Config” is the name of the configuration directory that you created when SAS was installed. (See chapter 2 for information on configuration directories.)
In my environment, my configuration path is \sasva\Lev1, my service shows as:
SAS [sasva-Lev1] SASMeta - Metadata Server.
If you prefer to use batch files on Windows versus working with the Services menu, open a DOS command and change the path to SAS-config-dir/Lev1/SASMeta/MetadataServer
Then run: MetadataServer.bat status
You will see the following output:
Service_Name: SAS - [Config-Lev1] SASMeta - Metadata Server
TYPE : 10 WIN32_OWN_Process
STATE : 4 RUNNING
Note: the TYPE might look different, depending on what OS you are running.
The STATE should show RUNNING.
If it doesn’t show RUNNING, start it with MetadataServer.bat start
On UNIX:
You can use the following command to check whether the metadata server is running. Go to SAS-config-dir/Lev1/SASMeta/MetadataServer and enter ./sas.servers status
If your metadata server is running, you’ll see:
server-name server-instance (process-ID) is running
If it is not running, you can start it by entering ./sas.servers start
No matter what operating system you are running, if the metadata server cannot be started and there is no easy fix for it, it is best to contact SAS Technical Support.
Working in SAS Management Console
Once you have successfully logged on, you are ready to work with SAS Management Console. As you can see in Figure 3.3, there are different tabs: Plug-ins, Folders and Search.
Figure 3.3: SAS Management Console Interface:
Plug-ins
The Plug-ins enable you to create metadata content, such as users and groups, libraries etc.
I would like to say a few things about the User Manager, Library Manager and Server Manager. Some other plug-ins will be discussed later in this chapter as well.
User Manager
As the name suggests, you use the User Manager to administer and maintain your SAS users and groups and roles. We will discuss the User Manager in more detail in Chapter 4, Users and Groups, but for now, the SAS identity that you create in SAS can be operating system users or users that come from an external third-party provider, such as LDAP/AD.
User IDs are used for making access distinctions and track user activity. Eventually, you will want to know who is making requests. It is best practice to create a SAS identity corresponding to the external account for each person who uses the SAS environment.
You can create users interactively, or programmatically.
If you are using LDAP/AD, the SAS bulk load macros can be used to import the users and groups into SAS. The link to the SAS documentation can found in the Appendix.
| Tip: SAS admin newbies often ask why they should create users in metadata anyhow, when they already have users on the OS/LDAP. In order to use your SAS environment to its fullest, in order to have control of the “who is doing what in SAS”, in order to use SAS security to make sure your SAS environment is locked down appropriately, you must create users in metadata or else, SAS doesn’t have anything to report on, to lock down, etc. It is a best practice to build a user and group structure in metadata to – later on – be able to use all the features SAS provides. |
Server Manager
Remember when we discussed the SAS servers in Chapter 2, SAS Architecture? These SAS servers are defined in metadata. Using the Server Manager plug-in, you can manage the SAS servers’ definitions and define and edit information about server locations and connections.
Under Server Manager, expand SASMeta, expand SASMeta – Logical Server. If you look to the right, you will see that some of the tabs such as Clients – are grayed out, as shown in the following figure:
Now, going back to the left side, do a right-click on SASMeta – Metadata Server, Connect. As you can now see on the right side, the tabs become now active, as shown in the following figure:
By connecting to the metadata server, it enables you to monitor the activity of the metadata server. It shows:
Currently connected clients
Sessions that are active, inactive or terminated
Performance counters
Logging messages, at the level that you specify
| Tip: Expand the Logical server for the workspace server, stored process server, pooled workspace server, object spawner, connect spawner – all application servers that – in one way or another – start a connection. Then on the right side, highlight the Connection: server_name and do a right-click. A window will appear, offering you a Test Connection. This is a good way to test whether your servers are working correctly, should you ever get into a situation where you must check if a SAS server might be the culprit of a problem. |
Library Manager
Libraries are used to register data, so your users can work with it within metadata using SAS clients, such as SAS Enterprise Guide or SAS Studio, as one example. If you do not create libraries and don’t register tables, you cannot monitor and report on any user activity, data usage, resources consumed, user processes etc. You can create libraries for different data sources, such as data sets, DBMS (Database Management System) such as Oracle and more.
If you create users and groups in metadata, and you want to set up permissions later on, you need something to actually secure – that is, metadata objects including your libraries. If you don’t create libraries in metadata, you can manage access to data through the OS only. With metadata, you can decide which data in an OS folder you want to register. This will make sure you are using the full potential of your SAS environment. We will cover the Library Manager and library and data concepts more in depth in Chapter 5.
When we speak about libraries, SAS Folders come into play, which brings us to the next tab in SAS Management Console, the Folders tab.
The Folders
The SAS folders are used to store all the SAS metadata objects you and your users create, such as projects created with SAS Enterprise Guide or SAS Enterprise Miner, reports, and stored processes, just all the metadata objects you and your users create.
Folders are provided for individual users, for shared data, for system use, and for specific SAS products. The Folders tab also enables you to export and import metadata (aka Promotion). In the Appendix you will find more information on SAS Folders.
Figure 3.4 is just one example of objects that can be stored in the SAS Folders.
Figure 3.4: SAS Folder Example: