Abstract
The following list answers frequently asked questions (FAQs) about SAS Enterprise Miner. The list is to help you learn the product and troubleshoot potential problems.
References
SAS Enterprise Miner: Reference Help PDF has information about using SAS Enterprise Miner. Additional resources are on the SAS Enterprise Miner Documentation page.
Learning SAS Enterprise Miner
FAQ: Where can I get more information about SAS Enterprise Miner training and usage?
ANSWER: SAS Enterprise Miner Learning Center
- Learning Center has free tutorials and videos. Learn the basics and view how-to scenarios similar to the following:
- Initial steps with projects, data-source creation, exploring data, modeling data, assessing model performance
- Integrating R code, Python script
- Templates and examples on GitHub and other locations
- Advanced tutorials about high-performance nodes, Bayesian networks, and so on
- SAS Enterprise Miner training courses to advance your skills
Installation
FAQ: Where can I get information about prerequisites for installing SAS Enterprise Miner, an overview of SAS Enterprise Miner deployment, and post-installation and administrative tasks?
ANSWER: SAS Enterprise Miner Administration and Configuration Guide for each SAS 9.4 version is available from SAS Enterprise Miner Documentation Page.
In SAS Enterprise Miner Administration and Configuration Guide, refer to these sections:
- Client/Server Deployments: SAS Enterprise Miner Server Installation and Configuration
- Workstation Deployments: SAS Enterprise Miner Workstation Installation and Configuration
FAQ: What are the system requirements for SAS Enterprise Miner?
ANSWER: System requirement information is available for these deployments:
- Client/server
- SAS Enterprise Miner for Desktop
- SAS Enterprise Miner Personal Client
Documentation is available for each specific version of SAS Enterprise Miner from the SAS Install Center Resource.
FAQ: How do I know which type of SAS Enterprise Miner Deployment should be performed?
ANSWER: There are two types of deployment for SAS Enterprise Miner:
- Workstation deployments are available only for Microsoft Windows systems and are single-user installations. This deployment does not require a deployment plan or a configuration step in SAS® Deployment Wizard. The Workstation deployment is intended for SAS Enterprise Miner for Desktop, Data Mining for the Classroom, and SAS Enterprise Miner Personal Client licenses. The deployment runs locally on the workstation, and by default is not able to connect to a server.
- A Client/Server deployment can be installed on a local or remote system for multi-user access. This deployment requires a deployment plan and a configuration step. A SAS Enterprise Miner Server license is required. With a server license, the client can connect to a server with an installed client, or can connect via launching from a browser.
To determine which license you have, review the license file (SID file) for your order, or contact SAS Technical Support. Send one or each of the following to SAS Technical Support to confirm the Order Number or License that you have.
- Screenshot of the contents under SAS Software Depot/order_data
- From your Installation, the registry.xml file under the SASHOME/deploymntreg directory where SASHOME is the SAS Installation Directory
FAQ: How can I launch SAS Enterprise Miner Client to connect to SAS Enterprise Miner Server?
ANSWER: There are two methods. The methods launch the same SAS Enterprise Miner Client interface and render the same functionality. You can use either method to launch the client.
- Launch from Start Programs ► SAS ► SAS Enterprise Miner Client version.
Install SAS Enterprise Miner Client as explained in SAS Enterprise Miner Administration and Configuration Guide. Refer to the section SAS Enterprise Miner Server Installation and Configuration ► Install and Configure SAS Enterprise Miner ► “Three Machine Setup, Stage 3 — Client”.
For this client, modify the SASHOME/sassw.config file to point the SASENVIRONMENTSURL to the middle-tier server. The default URL resembles http://myserver.mynet.mycompany.com:port/sas/sas-environment.xml. For this example, replace myserver.mynet.mycompany.com with the name of the machine that contains the SAS middle-tier. port is the SAS Web Server port.
- Launch SAS Enterprise Miner using Java Web Start (JWS) from the browser of client machine.
You need a compatible Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed on the client machine to launch Java Web Start. See SAS KB0036309, "Recommended Java 8 versions for SAS® Enterprise Miner™ via Java Web Start". The URL to launch JWS is similar to this:
https://middle tier host:port/SASEnterpriseMinerJWS/Status
FAQ: Is there a limit on the number of SAS Enterprise Miner Clients that can be used with a SAS Enterprise Miner Server?
ANSWER: With a SAS Enterprise Miner Server license, you can use either Java Web Start, or SAS Enterprise Miner Client (which connects to the server). There is no limit on the number using either Java Web Start or SAS Enterprise Miner Client.
The SAS Enterprise Miner Server license also includes SAS Enterprise Miner Workstation deployments (single-user deployments that do not connect to the server). However, the number of those deployments is limited to five (5). To invoke SAS Enterprise Miner Workstation, select Start Programs ► SAS ► SAS Enterprise Miner Workstation version.
FAQ: Which logs can be used to troubleshoot SAS Enterprise Miner deployments?
ANSWER: See the following SAS KB article:
- SAS KB0036257, "Troubleshooting the SAS® 9.4 installation process in a UNIX operating environment"
FAQ: Where can I get information about the list of supported Java Runtime Environments (JREs) to launch SAS Enterprise Miner using Java Web Start?
ANSWER: SAS KB0036309, "Recommended Java 8 versions for SAS® Enterprise Miner™ via Java Web Start"
FAQ: Can I connect a SAS Enterprise Miner Client version that is newer or older than the SAS Enterprise Miner Server version?
ANSWER: No. You cannot have a mismatch between server and client versions.
Example: if you are using SAS Enterprise Miner Client 14.2, then you cannot connect to SAS Enterprise Miner Server 14.3. SAS Enterprise Miner Client 14.2 works only with SAS Enterprise Miner Server 14.2.
Usage / Run Time
FAQ: How do I create a SAS Enterprise Miner Model Package(SPK)?
ANSWER: SAS KB0036530, "Creating a model package (SPK file) in SAS® Enterprise Miner™"
Troubleshooting
FAQ: How do I use a SAS Enterprise Miner example to validate my Enterprise Miner deployment, perform performance benchmarking, or determine whether a problem is specific to my data?
ANSWER: SAS Note 58371, "Perform a sample-project test within SAS® Enterprise Miner™"
FAQ: How do I enable logging for trouble-shooting problems with SAS Enterprise Miner?
ANSWER:
- SAS Enterprise Miner Client or SAS Enterprise Miner Workstation - see SAS Note 56002: "Collecting diagnostic output from SAS® Enterprise Miner™ Client or SAS Enterprise Miner Workstation with em_console"
- SAS Enterprise Miner when launched using Java Web Start - see SAS KB0036243, "How to enable logging when SAS® Enterprise Miner™ is launched from Java Web Start (JWS)"
- SAS Enterprise Miner middle-tier debugging - see SAS KB0036285 "How to enable SAS® Enterprise Miner™ debugging" (refer to the section about middle-tier debugging)
FAQ: How do I resolve SAS Environment errors when launching or logging on to SAS Enterprise Miner?
ANSWER: Diagnostics depend on which method you use to launch SAS Enterprise Miner Client. See the appropriate article below.
- SAS Note 52932, "SAS® Environment errors might be displayed by SAS® Enterprise Miner™ via Java Web Start"
- SAS KB0039750, "SAS® Environment errors might be displayed by SAS® Enterprise Miner™ Client"
FAQ: How do I clear the Java cache and web-browser cache?
ANSWER: Clearing the Java and web-browser caches is a good first-step for resolving issues that occur when launching or using SAS Enterprise Miner using Java Web Start. Cache-clearing is required after server maintenance or upgrading.
FAQ: How do I troubleshoot problems that occur with Input Data (data source) nodes in SAS Enterprise Miner?
ANSWER: SAS KB0036233, "Techniques for testing, solving, or reporting problems that occur when using SAS® Enterprise Miner™"
FAQ: How do I troubleshoot encoding and lock-file errors that occur when opening diagrams?
ANSWER: Common diagram-errors are documented in these articles.
- SAS KB0036177, "Unlocking a SAS® Enterprise Miner™ diagram"
- SAS Note 41990: "A 'diagram files cannot be loaded in update mode...', or 'cannot open workspace file...' error appears when you try to open a diagram"
FAQ: How do I diagnose and resolve issues that involve incorrect node-status?
ANSWER: SAS KB0036289, "Diagnosing node status issues within SAS® Enterprise Miner™ Client or SAS Enterprise Miner via Java Web Start on SAS® 9.4"
FAQ: How do I diagnose and resolve errors that occur while creating a project in SAS Enterprise Miner?
ANSWER: SAS KB0036298, "Diagnosing and resolving SAS® Enterprise Miner™ project creation errors"
FAQ: How do I diagnose and resolve SAS Enterprise Miner performance issues?
ANSWER: SAS Note 58339: "Diagnosing and resolving SAS® Enterprise Miner™ performance issues"
Migration
FAQ: What are the steps for migrating a SAS Enterprise Miner project?
ANSWER: SAS Enterprise Miner projects consist of two pieces:
- Metadata pointer (logical pointer in metadata that points to the metadata folder)
- File system (physical location where SAS Enterprise Miner project resides)
If you are upgrading or building a server, and you have not performed the deployment, then you can use SAS® Migration Utility to migrate the metadata contents from one system to another. SAS Migration Utility needs to run before the SAS products/solutions are deployed. SAS Migration Utility can be used when the two deployments run on same operating-system family as described in the documentation.
If you cannot use SAS Migration Utility, then refer the following instructions, depending on your situation.
- How to migrate Enterprise Miner Projects to a new Operating System
In some cases, the encoding, language, locale, operating system, or the bit architecture (32 bit to 64 bit), of the new server differ from the originating server. In those cases, you must use SAS Enterprise Miner Migration utility. Here is information that explains this process.
https://communities.sas.com/t5/SAS-Communities-Library/Tip-How-to-Migrate-Enterprise-Miner-Projects-to-a-New-Operating/ta-p/221289
- How to migrate Enterprise Miner Projects to a new server on the same Operating System
See SAS Enterprise Miner 14.3: Administration and Configuration Guide ► Administrative Tasks and Information ► Defining Migrated Projects in SAS Enterprise Miner. Before you follow the steps in that section, copy the projects to the new server using the same file-system-path that was used on the old server.
Maintenance
FAQ: Where do I get recommended hot-fixes for SAS Enterprise Miner?
ANSWER: SAS 9.4 Hot Fix Downloads has the hot fixes for all products. Navigate to section E to find SAS Enterprise Miner hot fixes.
FAQ: How do I renew a SAS Enterprise Miner license?
ANSWER: SAS software is licensed on a periodic basis. You receive new license-information whenever you renew your SAS license or add additional products to your license. The license information that you receive is in the form of the SAS installation data (SID) file, which includes your SETINIT.
- SAS Enterprise Miner Workstation Deployments are personal installations on the Microsoft Windows operating system. Renewal instructions are in SAS KB0036286, "License file renewal instructions for SAS® 9.4 (TS1M3) and SAS® 9.4 (TS1M4) personal installations in Microsoft Windows operating environments".
- SAS Enterprise Miner Server Deployments are planned deployments. License renewal is a two-step process.
-
- Renew license where SAS Foundation is installed.
- Update the SID file in Metadata.
Software License Renewal Instructions- SAS 9.4 for UNIX Environments Planned Deployment
Software License Renewal Instructions- SAS 9.4 for Windows Environments Planned Deployment