Specifying Metadata for Sources and Targets

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After you have completed the tasks that are described in "Preliminary Tasks for Users" on page 56, you are ready to specify metadata for sources and targets in SAS ETL Studio jobs.

A source is an input to an operation, and a target is an output of an operation. A data store can be a source, a target, or both, depending on its role in a process flow. For example, the display that follows shows the process flow diagram for a SAS ETL Studio job.

Display 6.1: Process Flow for a SAS ETL Studio Job

In the display, each round object represents the metadata for a table, and each square object represents the metadata for a process. Moving from left to right in the display:

• ALL_EMP represents the metadata for a table that is the source for a data transfer process.

• ALL_EMP2 represents the metadata for a table that is the target of a load process and the source for an extract process.

• All Male Emp represents the metadata for a table that is the target of a load process.

SAS ETL Studio uses a process flow diagram to generate or retrieve SAS code that reads sources and creates targets in physical storage. To create a process flow in SAS ETL Studio, you must first add metadata for the sources and targets in the flow.

Note

Any data store can be a source, or a target, or both. Accordingly, there is no difference in the metadata for a source and a target. The methods in the following table can be used to enter metadata for both sources and targets in SAS ETL Studio jobs.

Table 6.1: Methods for Specifying Metadata for Data Stores

Data Store	Method for Specifying Metadata
A set of tables that are defined in a data model.	Import the data model in CWM format or in a format for which you have the appropriate Meta Integration Model Bridge. See "Metadata Import and Export" on page 11.
One or more tables that exist in physical storage.	Source designer. See "Using Source Designers" on page 61.
A comma-delimited file or a similar external file that exists in physical storage.	External File source designer. See "Example: Extracting Information from a Flat File" on page 78.
One or more tables that are defined in an XML file.	The Generic source designer can be used. See "XML Files" on page 47 and "Using Source Designers" on page 61.
A table that can be accessed with an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver, such as a Microsoft Access table or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.	The ODBC source designer can be used. See "ODBC Libraries" on page 46 and "Using Source Designers" on page 61.
A single table that does not exist in physical storage but is created when a SAS ETL Studio job is executed.	Target Table Designer. See "Using Target Designers" on page 63.
A single table and reuse column metadata that has been saved to the current repository.
A single complex table, such as a star schema for a data mart.
Add and maintain a cube.	Cube Designer. See Chapter 11, "Creating Cubes," on page 161.

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