Scaling SAS Software from Small to Big Work

• Activity Number: 573
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section for Statistical Programmers and Analysts
• Author(s): Jared L. Dean*+
• Companies: SAS Institute
• Keywords: SAS ; data mining ; big data ; programming

Abstract

Has the size of the data you're working with changed over the last few years, causing you to wait for basic analyses to finish because so much time is needed to first simply process your data? Has this increase in data volume limited your ability to perform the analysis you really want to do and instead forced you to perform only the analyses you have time for? This paper presents how SAS has been helping its users work on larger and larger problems over the last several years. While discussing the capabilities of SAS, this paper also offers best practices for working with large problems and explains key information about hardware, data management, and putting your findings into operation. Examples from several industries show how big work can have a big impact on how businesses operate and the value they can derive. This paper is aimed at those who currently face or are planning to face the big work challenge.