SAS® Metadata Server

Access consistent, accurate data with this centralized resource for storing, managing and delivering metadata for SAS applications across the enterprise. The functionality of the SAS Metadata Server is provided through the SAS Open Metadata Architecture, which is a metadata management facility that provides common metadata services to applications.

The SAS Intelligence Platform

The SAS Intelligence Platform is a comprehensive, end-to-end infrastructure for creating, managing, and distributing enterprise intelligence. The SAS Intelligence Platform comprises several software offerings, including the following:

• SAS BI Server
• SAS Enterprise BI Server
• SAS Enterprise Data Integration Server (for renewals only) and SAS Data Integration Server
• SAS Data Management (Standard or Advanced) Building on the technologies in the SAS Intelligence Platform, SAS offers solutions for industries such as financial services, life sciences, health care, retail, and manufacturing, as well as line-of-business solutions in areas such as customer management, enterprise risk management, and financial management. Therefore, if your SAS deployment plan includes a SAS solution, then the SAS Intelligence Platform documentation also pertains to you.

SAS Metadata Repositories

A metadata repository is a physical location in which a collection of related metadata objects is stored. Metadata repositories are managed by a repository manager, which is a library of tables that define the set of repositories that can be accessed by a SAS Metadata Server. A metadata server cannot be started without a repository manager. Each metadata server can have only one repository manager. The SAS Metadata Server supports three types of metadata repositories: Foundation repositories are the required metadata stores for SAS Metadata Servers. Each metadata server has one foundation repository that is created by default when the metadata server is configured. The default name of the foundation repository is Foundation. (If you performed a custom installation, then you might have assigned a different name.) You cannot create more than one foundation repository. Custom repositories are optional metadata stores for SAS Metadata Servers that can be configured in addition to the foundation repository. Custom repositories are useful for physically separating metadata for storage or security purposes. For example:

• If your metadata storage requirements exceed the capacity of a single metadata storage location, you could create custom repositories on separate storage devices that are accessible to the metadata server.
• If you have metadata that is highly sensitive, you could create a custom repository for that metadata and store it in a directory that has an exceptionally high level of protection from unauthorized access. Custom repositories appear as separate folders in the Folders view of SAS Management Console and in other client applications. Project repositories are metadata repositories that serve as isolated work areas or playpens. Project repositories are available for SAS Data Integration Studio only. In general, each user who participates in change management has his or her own project repository. A project repository enables a user to check out and lock metadata from a foundation repository or a custom repository so that the metadata can be modified and tested in a separate area. When the metadata is ready, it is checked in and unlocked so that it is available to other users.