Working with Change Management

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Understanding Change Management

SAS ETL Studio enables you to create metadata objects that define sources, targets, and the transformations that connect them. This metadata is saved to one or more repositories.

When administrators create the metadata repositories for a project, they usually put them under change-management control. Change management enables multiple SAS ETL Studio users to work with the same metadata repository at the same time without overwriting each other's changes.

Under change management, SAS ETL Studio users without administrative privilege cannot directly update any metadata in a change-managed repository. Instead, each user must check out metadata from the change-managed repository and into a project repository for that user. The user can update the metadata as needed, and when finished, they can check it back in to the change-managed repository. As long as the metadata for a resource is checked out by one person, it is locked so that it cannot be updated by another person until the metadata has been checked back in.

Adding New Metadata

Preparation

Before you can add metadata to a repository that is under change-management control, you must open an appropriate metadata profile, as described in "Open a Metadata Profile" on page 58.

Note

When you add a new metadata object, such as the metadata for a table, the metadata goes directly into the Project tree on the SAS ETL Studio desktop.

Task Summary

In SAS ETL Studio, add metadata for a table, a job, or some other resource. The metadata for the new resource will be added to the Project tree on the SAS ETL Studio desktop. For details about adding metadata for tables and jobs, see the following references:

• Chapter 7, "Specifying the Inputs to Warehouse Data Stores," on page 71

• Chapter 8, "Specifying Warehouse Data Stores," on page 89

• Chapter 10, "Loading Warehouse Data Stores," on page 131.

Next Tasks

After you have added new metadata to the Project tree, you can update it. After you have finished any updates, you can check in the metadata to the change-managed repository. See "Checking In Metadata" on page 66.

Checking Out Existing Metadata

Preparation

Before you can check out metadata from a change-managed repository, you must open an appropriate metadata profile, as described in "Open a Metadata Profile" on page 58.

Remember the following about check-out operations:

• You cannot update metadata in the Inventory tree or the Custom tree. You must check out the metadata to the Project tree and update it there.

• After the metadata for a resource has been checked out by one person, it is locked so that it cannot be updated by another person until the metadata has been checked back in.

• When you check out a complex object such as a job, the components of the object that you might need to update are automatically checked out also, such as the sources and targets in a job.

• If two or more tables share a common metadata object—such as the metadata for a primary key, a note, or a document—and you check out one of these tables, only you can check out the other tables that share that common object. (Other users cannot access the common metadata object that you have checked out, and the shared object is required in order to check out a table that uses that object.)

Task Summary

1. In SAS ETL Studio, click the Inventory tab or the Custom tab on the SAS ETL Studio desktop. The appropriate tree displays.

2. Open the folder for the kind of metadata that you want to check out, such as the Tables folder for tables in the Inventory tree.

3. Right-click the metadata that you want to check out and select Change-Management Check Out. You can also left-click the metadata that you want to check out, then go the drop-down menu and select Project Check Out. The metadata is checked out and displays in the Project tree.

Next Tasks

After you have checked out metadata to the Project tree, you can update it. After you have finished any updates, you can check in the metadata to the change-managed repository.

Checking In Metadata

Preparation

When you are finished working with all of the metadata that is displayed in the Project tree, use the check-in feature to store the objects in the change-managed repository.

Note

A check-in operation checks in all metadata objects that are in the Project tree. You cannot check in selected objects and leave other objects in the Project tree.

Accordingly, you might find it convenient to work with small sets of related objects in the Project tree.

Task Summary

1. In SAS ETL Studio, click the Project tab on the SAS ETL Studio desktop. The Project tree displays.

2. Right-click the project repository icon and select Check In Repository. You can also left-click the project repository icon, open the drop-down menu and select Project Check In Repository. The Check In window displays.

3. Enter meaningful comments in the Name field (and perhaps the Description field) about the changes that were made to all of the objects that you are about to check in. The text entered here becomes part of the check in/check out history for all objects that you are checking in. If you do not enter meaningful comments, the check in/check out history is less useful.

4. When finished entering comments in the Check In window, click . All metadata objects that are in the project repository are checked into the change-managed repository.

Additional Information about Change Management

The online Help for SAS ETL Studio provides more details about change-management. To display the relevant Help topics, do the following:

1. From the SAS ETL Studio menu bar, select Help Contents. The online Help window displays.

2. In the left pane of the Help window, select Task Overviews SAS ETL Studio Task Reference Using Change Management in SAS ETL Studio.

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