Visualize Live SAS Data Sets Data in Tableau

Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with the CData Tableau Connector for SAS Data Sets, you can easily get access to live SAS Data Sets data within Tableau. This article shows how to connect to SAS Data Sets in Tableau and build a simple chart.

The CData Tableau Connectors enable high-speed access to live SAS Data Sets data in Tableau. Once you install the connector, you simply authenticate with SAS Data Sets and you can immediately start building responsive, dynamic visualizations and dashboards. By surfacing SAS Data Sets data using native Tableau data types and handling complex filters, aggregations, & other operations automatically, CData Tableau Connectors grant seamless access to SAS Data Sets data.

NOTE: The CData Tableau Connectors require Tableau 2020.3 or higher. If you are using an older version of Tableau, you will need to use the CData Tableau Connector for SAS Data Sets. If you wish to connect to SAS Data Sets data in Tableau Cloud, you will need to use CData Connect.

Connect to SAS Data Sets in Tableau

Open Tableau and click More under Connect -> To a Server. Select "SAS Data Sets by CData," then configure the connection and click "Sign In."

Set the following connection properties to connect to your SAS DataSet files:

Connecting to Local Files

• Set the Connection Type to "Local." Local files support SELECT, INSERT, and DELETE commands.
• Set the URI to a folder containing SAS files, e.g. C:\PATH\TO\FOLDER\.

Connecting to Cloud-Hosted SAS DataSet Files

While the driver is capable of pulling data from SAS DataSet files hosted on a variety of cloud data stores, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE are not supported outside of local files in this driver.

Set the Connection Type to the service hosting your SAS DataSet files. A unique prefix at the beginning of the URI connection property is used to identify the cloud data store and the remainder of the path is a relative path to the desired folder (one table per file) or single file (a single table). For more information, refer to the Getting Started section of the Help documentation.

Discover Schemas and Query Data

1. Select CData from the Database pull-down menu.
2. Select SASDataSets from the Schema pull-down menu.
3. Drag the tables and views you wish to visualize onto the join area. You can include multiple tables.
4. Select Update Now or Automatically Update. Update Now lets you preview the first 10,000 rows of the data source (or enter the number of rows you want to see in the Rows text box). Automatically Update automatically reflects the changes in the preview area.
5. Click the tab for your worksheet. Columns are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData Tableau Connector discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
6. Drag a field from the Dimensions or Measures area to Rows or Columns. Tableau creates column or row headers.
7. Select one of the chart types from the Show Me tab. Tableau displays the chart type that you selected.

Using the CData Tableau Connector for SAS Data Sets with Tableau, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on SAS Data Sets data. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.