Date:         Mon, 27 Feb 2006 14:39:02 -0500
Reply-To:     Michael Raithel <michaelraithel@WESTAT.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Michael Raithel <michaelraithel@WESTAT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Need Help in Evaluating SAS
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dear SAS-L-ers,

Sudhir Darbha posted the following:

> Hi all,
>      I am trying to evaluate SAS if it provides any tool(s)
> that would cover my requirements. Please look at the
> following requirements.
>
> ==========================
>
> *Requirements for the tool(s):*
>
>    - *Basic Goal*: Extract data from any type of source (DBMS,
>    WebService, Application, etc.), apply transformation and
> load the data into
>    any type of destination (application, DBMS, Web Service, etc)
>    - Ability to perform transformation across formats:
>       - XML - Relational
>       - Fixed - Relational
>       - Valid - Value Mapping
>       - Valid Value Confidence
>    - Ability to perform *real-time* and *batch* processing.
>    - Ability to perform "*Multi Cast Tasks*" - Is able to
> read data from
>    a source and distribute the processing to different tasks.
>    - Support *data aggregation
>    *
>    - *Orchestration*
>       - Business Process Configuration - Creating business processes
>       that give information workers real-time visibility into
> an integrated
>       process.**
>       - Messaging**
>       - Transactions
>    - *Scalability & Parallelism* - Ability to assign tasks to multiple
>    servers, assign task to a different processor, etc. (I
> think SAS Grid
>    Computing serves this purpose).
>    - *Performance* - Does it perform better for Real-time or Batch or
>    both?
>
> ==========================
>
> Any input from you will give me further insight SAS's
> product's and helps me make a better decision. Thanks, Sudhir.
>

Sudhir, on Saturday night, I saw the National Symphony Orchestra perform
Scheherazade at the Strathmore Music Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Consequently, I can unequivocally state that the NSO does a far better
job at "Orchestration" than SAS software does:-)

Sudhir, best of luck on getting a straight answer and good information
from less sillier SAS-L-ers!


I hope that this suggestion proves helpful now, and in the future!

Of course, all of these opinions and insights are my own, and do not
reflect those of my organization or my associates. All SAS code and/or
methodologies specified in this posting are for illustrative purposes
only and no warranty is stated or implied as to their accuracy or
applicability. People deciding to use information in this posting do so
at their own risk.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Michael A. Raithel
"The man who wrote the book on performance"
E-mail: MichaelRaithel@westat.com

Author: Tuning SAS Applications in the MVS Environment

Author: Tuning SAS Applications in the OS/390 and z/OS Environments,
Second Edition
http://www.sas.com/apps/pubscat/bookdetails.jsp?catid=1&pc=58172

Author: The Complete Guide to SAS Indexes
http://www.sas.com/apps/pubscat/bookdetails.jsp?catid=1&pc=60409

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving
to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the
Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far,
 the Universe is winning. - Rick Cook
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++