SAS Visual Analytics

SAS Visual Analytics is a high-performance solution in-memory for the analysis of large volumes of data. It allows users to detect patterns, to define the directions of the further analysis, to transfer the received visual results in a report type for web or mobile devices. At the heart of a product – the SAS LASR Analytic Server server allowing to create superproductive computing environment of SAS. The server is optimized for application in environments of distributed computing: data are processed directly in RAM (in-memory) in parallel by several nodes that provides the instant analysis of enormous information volumes.

The solution SAS VA is widely used also by public institutions, for example, in Denmark – for the analysis of purchases of budget organizations. The European legislation rather strictly regulates rules of expenditure of means of taxpayers therefore the organizations should control own expenses carefully. In spite of the fact that data are kept in a standard electronic form, their processing and the analysis were performed exclusively manually. Based on the servers of the Danish office SAS selected under this task the complete solution for collecting, storages, the analysis and the reporting under purchases was created. One of problems which complicated use of expense data was the unsatisfactory quality of data therefore the tool on data scrubbing of SAS Data Quality which allowed to obtain complete and reliable information became an important solution component. Now "on a subscription" (SaaS) access to this solution can be provided to municipalities and other public institutions of Denmark. With its help they have an opportunity to quickly process the data and to present them in the preconfigured reports of SAS VA and also to analyze and build own.

SAS provided in the spring of 2012 the packet working in RAM for a business intelligence of SAS Visual Analytics which filled up a product line of SAS High-Performance Analytics. Its graphical interface with a possibility of drag and drop of objects a mouse opens for the users who do not have technical knowledge, access to a business intelligence.

Here it is not obligatory to enter requests or scripts a line behind a line though if necessary it is possible to use also such method. Applying SAS Visual Analytics, the enterprises can analyze huge amounts of data, with a high speed to investigate them visually and to extend the outputs via the Internet or using iPad. The application is intended for work on standard or a blade servers.

Visual Analytics uses own analytical tools of the company, processes data in RAM, allows to study them by an intuitive method, supports Hadoop and different options of providing information. It is the only engine for work in RAM intended for visualization of 'Big Data' for the benefit of business and using the inexpensive unlicensed equipment.

For increase in fault tolerance of SAS LASR Analytic Server, the key SAS Visual Analytics component, uses Hadoop (the built-in distributed file system) for local storage on the server. The LASR application is tested on billions of lines of data and is very well scaled as in it there are no restrictions on number of the columns inherent in many relational DBMS.

The possibility of self-service put in SAS Visual Analytics allows business users to manage by own forces, without addressing data specialists and other representatives of IT to drawing up routine requests. As a result of IT department can be engaged in more difficult projects.

SAS Visual Analytics includes such applications as Hub for start of different elements of a packet; Mobile for viewing reports, connection to servers and loading of information on the run; Explorer for detection and data visualization, their studying and the analysis; Designer for creation of the standard and adapted reports and panel boards. Administrators for management of users, security and data use Environment Administration.

Server components work under control of Red Hat or SUSE of Linux. In iTunes App Store shop there is software of the mobile client for iPad.

On official characteristic of SAS, its SAS Visual Analytics system is the BI solution with in-memory technology and the visual interface which expands a circle of potential users of powerful tools of analytics, opening simple and economic opportunities for penetration into an essence of business situations and adoption of the best solutions. Users of software will be able visually to investigate extensive amounts of data using the strong SAS Analytics tools.

Thanks to in-memory technology the solution of SAS very quickly investigates any information volumes — literally in minutes or seconds makes analytical calculations with billions of lines of data and right there displays results. Managers of the companies can work with SAS Visual Analytics in the form of self-service and via the PC or tablets to use instant access to reports or mobile dashboards based on the freshest data to make faster and correct decisions.

Advantages

• Expands opportunities for work of users with large volumes of data, improves decision making process. The solution gives the chance to different types of users quickly and to comprehensively study all available data. For this purpose neither subselections, nor specially selected subsets are required. The simple interactive web interface is focused on a wide range of staff of the organization and allows each user to understand analysis results better. Users can investigate the available data, touch different options of information representation, make exact decisions and quickly try to obtain success.
• Answers difficult questions quicker, providing time for the additional analysis. SAS Visual Analytics allows to browse data and to reveal the hidden interrelations, quickly and to comprehensively analyze information. Experienced analysts can reveal potentialities and problems, relying on analysis results of huge amounts of data and to pass quickly to the next stages of studying of specific situations.
• Raises possibilities of information exchange and joint work. Users of all levels can easily share the received analysis results using the interactive reports available through web and mobile devices. At the same time IT provides differentiation of access rights and management of the used data.
• Releases IT, providing to users a new method of an information access. IT is not required to process flows of the requests for providing required given, account and single requests any more. SAS Visual Analytics allows IT personnel to prepare with ease data for most of users. As soon as data are loaded, and to them access is provided, users can independently conduct researches, create reports and communicate.
• Allows to increase amounts of data. SAS Visual Analytics allows to use the standard equipment and also the hardware and software systems EMC Greenplum and Teradata for support of the growing needs for quick access to Big Data. The tool is designed from scratch, with the purpose to optimize performance and to provide scalability during the work with Big Data.

Features

• High-performance SAS LASR Analytic Server
• Visual data analysis
• Independent work of users, decrease in the involvement of IT
• Web reporting
• Mobile analytics
• Unified environment of work with given and account for users
• Unified environment of management for IT