Comparing Database Management Systems: SAS System vs Commercial DBMSs | Schemes and Mind Maps Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Is

the

SAS®

System a Database Management System?

William

D. Clifford, SAS Institute Inc., Austin,

TX

ABSTRACT

Commercial

Database Management Systems

(DBMSs) provide

applications

with fast access

to

large

quantities

of

data.

In

addition, many have

other

capabilities such as data integrity services,

data

sharing, application-creation tools, and

report

writing.

Version 6

of

the

SAS®

System

also

contains

a

number

of

similar

features.

This

paper

examines

the

database features

of

the

Version 6 SAS System and compares them to the

services

offered by several

popular

DBMSs. The

conclusion is

that

the

SAS System can provide a

cost-effective

alternative

to

a

commercial

DBMS for

the

storage

of

data.

INTRODUCTION

Database

Management

Systems have been

available

for

more

than

two decades and are

frequently used as a repository

for

data. The

applications

that

use

this

data are often not part

of

the

DBMS and are

either

purchased from another

vendor

or

developed by

the

user.

The

SAS System is

widely

used as an application

for

data analysis. The data may

come

from a

variety

of

repositories, including a

number

of

DBMSs.

A definition

of

a DBMS is offered

to

use as the

basis

for

answering

the

question posed in

the

paper's

title. An

inventory

of

features found in

current

DBMSs is provided and

this

inventory is

compared

to

the

DBMS features found in the SAS

System.

With this background, an

answer

to

the

question

of

whether

or

not

the

SAS Systel)'l is a DBMS is given.

More

relevant,

however,

than

the

name

you call

your

data

repository

are

the features you really

require

from it.

An

argument

is

made

that

the data management

facilities in

the

Version

6 SAS System have

matured

sufficiently

so

that

it is a viable candidate

for

your

data repository.

Finally

some

of

the

DBMS features planned for

future releases

of

the

SAS System are identified.

168

WHAT IS A DATABASE MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM?

A DBMS is a software package that provide's a

repository for computerized data. The DBMS is

responsible for storing the

user's

data

in

the

repository and making it available upon demand,

Users

of

the data are shielded from

the

details and

peculiarities

of

the

computer

software and

hardware

by

the

DBMS. That is, a DBMS

separates the application from the data. This

separation is a key point and

will

be discussed in

more detail.

A database is

the

term

used in this

paper

for

a

logical collection

of

data managed by a DBMS.

The

terms

record, row, and

observation

are

synonyms as are column, field, and

variable.

Data Separation

The objective is to separate

the

application from

the data so that

the

application can focus on the

external

or

logical aspects

of

the

data

such as

analysis and presentation. The DBMS focuses on

managing the internal

or

physical aspects

of

the

data such

as

the

type and quantity

of

storage

devices and the bookkeeping necessary

to

support

the data model.

As an example (in a relational data model), the

application sees the data as rows and columns.

The DBMS translates its internal storage structures

into these rows and columns.

The fundamental responsibility

of

the DBMS, once

the data are in

the

database, is

to

deliver

the data

back

to

an

application. Query, selection, and

update faciiities are manifestations

of

this

responsibility.

Another benefit

of

data separation is

data

sharing.

Once a database is created, its

data

can be

accessed by mu ltiple applications.

Data Model

The data model defines the relationships

that

a,xist

among

the

various

data items in

the

database.

Some examples

of

relationships are:

• field owned by a record

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Is the SAS® System a Database Management System?

William D. Clifford, SAS Institute Inc., Austin, TX

ABSTRACT

Version 6 SAS System and compares them to the

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS A DATABASE MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM?

FEATURES FOUND IN CURRENT DBMSs

IS THE SAS SYSTEM A DBMS?

WHERE SHOULD YOU STORE YOUR

DATA?

FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR

FEATURES OF THE SAS SYSTEM

DBMS