De Rigueur - Adding Process to
Your Business Analytics
Environment
Diane Hatcher, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC
Falko Schulz, SAS Institute Australia., Brisbane, Australia
Steve Sparano, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC
Agenda
 Introduction
 Overview SAS Workflow Studio
 SAS Batch Processing
 Custom Developed SAS Portlet
 Live Demo
 Behind the scenes
 Conclusion
SAS Workflow Studio
SAS Workflow Components and Roles
 Generalized Workflow services
for SAS Solutions and
Products
 SAS Workflow Technology
Components
System
Administrator
SAS Workflow
Administrator
Process
Designer
SAS Workflow
Studio
 SAS Workflow Studio
 SAS Workflow Service
Workflow
Repository
 SAS Workflow Administrator
 SAS Middle Tier Services
 Common Services
SAS Workflow Service
Notifications
Authentication
Alerts
Metadata
Scheduling
Content
Services
SAS Middle Tier Architecture – WF Services
SAS Workflow
Studio

SAS Workflow is a suite of
services in the Web
Infrastructure Platform (WIP)

Workflow reuses other
services including
Notifications, Web Services,
Scheduling, Content

SAS Metadata support

Provides flexible integration
through web services and SAS
Code execution
HTTP
SAS Workflow
Service
Typical BPM Personas
 Process Designer
 Process Improvement
 Process Design
 Process Administrator
 IT Support/Engineering
 Workflow Administrator
 Process Manager
 Workflow Participant
 Business areas/End User
 Report Builder
 Process Metrics through
APIs
 BI User
Workflow Lifecycle

SAS Workflow Studio documents workflow templates in xml format that can
be opened from or saved to a local file system

Workflow Studio supports persistence and versioning of the workflow
templates using SAS Content Services

Users can activate the workflow templates (upload the specified version as
a formal workflow definition) via the SAS Workflow Services for instantiation
by end-user client applications
SAS Workflow Interaction Approaches
Example SAS Solution
External Event Signal
1. User-Application Launch
2. Signal-Driven
Launch
SAS Workflow Service
Begin
Process
Step
1
Step
2
Automated
Task
Decision
Manual
Task
Final
Task
End
3rd-Party Application
3. ServicesDriven Launch
SAS Workflow Studio
Studio consists of two main content panes and various navigation tools:
1. Process Tree
2. Diagram Editor
3. Menus
4. Toolbars
SAS Workflow Studio
 Supports flexible and modular processes
- sub-process support
- control flow

Process modifications and extensions
- graphical design with drag and drop
- reusable process designs
Report Approval Process
 Process: ReportApprovalWorkflow
 Designed for SAS Web Report Studio Reports
 SAS Workflow Studio
 Data Objects, Swimlanes Control Flow
 Customizable within WF Studio
The Portlet – Sample
 Folder view: In Development
 Actions:
 Route for approval
 Approve report
 Reject report
 Approval Task Routing
 Metadata driven
The Portlet – Sample
 Dynamic Actions
 Driven by Process Design
 Separate from Portlet Design
SAS Batch Processing
Calling the SAS program
 Report Approval Workflow
Invoke SAS Code Policy
How to “Move” a Report
Copy Approved
Report
Paste Report in
Production
Delete Old Report
Exporting the Report
C:\Progra~1\SASHome\SASPlatformObjectFramework\9.3\ExportPackage
-profile "SASAdmin"
-package "D:\MyDemo\WorkflowPortlet\PromoteReports.spk"
-objects "/WorkflowPortlet/Development/Copy of Class Sample Report.srx(Report)"
-types Report
-log "D:\MyDemo\WorkflowPortlet\batchexport.log
Importing the Report
C:\Progra~1\SASHome\SASPlatformObjectFramework\9.3\ImportPackage
-profile "SASAdmin"
–package "D:\MyDemo\WorkflowPortlet\PromoteReports.spk"
-target "/WorkflowPortlet/Production"
-types Report
-log "D:\MyDemo\WorkflowPortlet\batchimport.log"
Delete Report Metadata
Delete Report Definition
How to “Move” a Report
Copy Approved
Report
Paste Report in
Production
Delete Old Report
Custom-Developed Portlet
Report Approval User Interface
 In order to demonstrate the report approval process, a
Portlet application was written and made available
through the SAS® Portal.
 This application provides the user interface to interact
with the underlying SAS Workflow Engine.
 The Portlet is used for both the report builder (RB) as
well as the report approver (RA). Depended on their role
in the organization, they can monitor and track the report
development until production.
Report Approval User Interface
 Communicates with SAS Workflow services to register a
new workflow instance and perform task actions
 WorkflowDefinitionService
 WorkflowTaskService
 Embedded in SAS Information Delivery Portal
 Integrates with SAS Metadata
Task Actions
Report Approval Portlet
Register
SAS®
Workflow
Engine
(WorkflowDefinitionService->startWorkflowbyId)
Cancel
(WorkflowTaskService->stop)
Perform
Perform
Task
(WorkflowTaskService->perform)
Read Report
Folders
Promote
Report
Read User
Profile
SAS
Batch
Metadata
1. Register a new report
1. Register a new report
2. Request Approval
2. Request Approval
3. Report Approval
3. Report Approval
Live Demo
Conclusion
 In SAS 9.3, SAS introduced some underlying
technologies to help add more structured process
management into business analytics as a whole.
 Leveraging these workflow services enables you to add
process management back into the report creation
process, and do it in a way that can be automated,
rather than falling back to a central group to manage.
 Workflow services are designed to work within your
current organizational dynamics while adding rigor
around your decision-making process.
Q&A
Diane Hatcher, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC
Falko Schulz, SAS Institute Australia,
Steve Sparano, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC