SAS Viya Workbench
Get on-demand computing power and self-service flexibility for fast SAS or Python coding.
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Speed & simplicity
Build powerful models quickly and efficiently through the code-based environment. An intuitive user interface and integrations with your favorite IDEs get you up and running in minutes. Streamline your work by pulling in existing Python or SAS projects – with minimal to no code modification needed.
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Customization & efficiency
Boost productivity and performance by customizing your CPU/GPU compute power to fit the needs of your project. Develop on demand with self-provisioning and self-terminating features, requiring minimal IT support.
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AI innovation & APIs
Focus on creating, innovating, iterating and testing your work through a code-based interface using Jupyter Notebook/JupyterLab and Visual Studio Code. Accelerate the development of high-performance models by tapping into the latest SAS PROCs and Python APIs within Viya Workbench. Use state-of-the-art Python libraries, unique to Viya Workbench.
Python developers: Drive faster, smarter AI innovation
Update, back up & reuse existing Python code & the latest Python API integration
Use the latest Python APIs for retrieval, parsing, updating & data manipulation.
Code from scratch or use existing code with minimal modifications.
Enjoy the ease of working in a familiar interface that boosts your productivity.
Effortlessly update and back up your work whenever you need for peace of mind.
Empowering developers & data scientists with freedom, flexibility & cutting-edge analytics
Develop models quickly & more cost-effectively
- Spin up a Viya Workbench session in the cloud in seconds.
- Configure server size to match your workload requirements, choosing your cores, memory and GPUs.
- Minimize cloud computing costs with self-terminating sessions that resume automatically where you left off.
- Take advantage of fast point-and-click self-provisioning that requires minimal IT support.
Boost the productivity of both SAS & Python developers
- There's minimal to no learning curve for SAS, Python and R users.
- Choose your favorite coding language (SAS or Python) and IDE (VS Code or Jupyter Notebook).
- Create new projects or use existing ones.
- Develop from the ground up or import existing SAS or Python code.
- Collaborate using GIT for distributed version control, backups and archiving.
- Save your model score code as executable modules for easy production use.
Access industry-leading analytics from a company you can trust
- Build cutting-edge analytic, AI and machine learning models quickly and consistently.
- Optimize your development process, including data preparation, exploration, advanced analytics and AI/ML modeling.
- Incorporate best-in-class, highly performant SAS analytical capabilities and procedures.
- Use the latest Python APIs, enabling retrieval, parsing, updating and data manipulation.
What users are saying about Viya Workbench
I can use Matplotlib. I can use Seaborn. I can access the SAS Synthetic Data Generator API capability through a Python API. I use all the functions that, as a developer, I've been learning since I started Python. I like that I can jump in and be productive because I have all of the packages I need and want." Yi Jian Solutions Architect
Recommended resources for Viya Workbench
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SAS Viya Workbench, the latest innovation in productivity tools for developers & data scientists
Viya Workbench frequently asked questions
What is Viya Workbench?
Viya Workbench is a low-cost, cloud-based development environment that lets developers, data scientists and modelers code in SAS and Python (with R support coming soon) through Visual Studio Code or Jupyter Notebook. It combines:
- A self-service, on-demand workspace that provides instant access to powerful SAS analytics capabilities.
- Support for both SAS®9 and Viya multithreaded procedures, with performance up to 30 times faster than competing platforms.
- Seamless integration with existing SAS and Python code.
- Secure cloud deployment optimized for AWS Virtual Private Cloud users.
- Built-in data management, analysis and modeling tools with automatic updates and backups.
What problems does Viya Workbench solve?
Viya Workbench solves key challenges developers, modelers and data scientists face when developing analytical and machine learning models:
- Instead of struggling with multiple development environments and different coding languages, you get a unified cloud workspace.
- Use SAS, Python (and soon R) through familiar tools like VS Code or Jupyter Notebook.
- No more time wasted on environment setup, database connections or ensuring consistent results across different platforms.
- Teams can focus on what matters: rapid experimentation and development of models that deliver reliable results regardless of programming language.
Who uses Viya Workbench?
Viya Workbench serves diverse users across the analytics life cycle:
- Data scientists and developers who need a powerful environment for rapid experimentation, using their preferred language (SAS, Python or soon R) without switching tools.
- Analytics teams working across multiple programming languages who want to collaborate seamlessly in a shared workspace.
- IT administrators seeking a secure, cloud-based solution that's easy to provision and manage.
- Business analysts and domain experts who want to leverage existing SAS or Python code while collaborating with technical teams.
The platform's intuitive interface means experienced coders can be productive immediately, while newer users can gradually expand their capabilities in a supported environment.
I use open source code (Python, R). Why should I consider Viya Workbench?
Viya Workbench offers unique advantages for open source enthusiasts:
- Seamless integration of SAS innovation with open source workflows.
- Access to powerful, best-in-class SAS AI and ML procedures.
- Custom Python APIs for enhanced functionality.
- Improved model accuracy and consistency across languages.
- Superior compute speed and efficiency for complex models.
- Secure, stable, cloud-native computing environment.
This combination of features allows developers to work faster and more efficiently while ensuring consistent results across teams using different languages.
What industries does Viya Workbench support?
Viya Workbench is incredibly versatile and supports virtually any industry where data analysis is crucial, including but not limited to:
- Banking
- Insurance
- Retail & consumer goods
- Telecommunications
- Health care
- Government
- Research & development
- Agriculture
- Hospitality, gaming & entertainment
Our industry experts and partner organizations understand the unique analytical challenges across different sectors.
What makes Viya Workbench unique?
SAS Viya Workbench offers several key differentiators that set it apart:
- Lightweight cloud deployment with no extra infrastructure costs provides rapid speed-to-value for data science teams.
- Split-plane architecture improves data security for this cloud-based solution.
- Increased productivity through faster compute times.
- Easy provisioning and scalability provide scale-up/scale-down flexibility.
- Support for multiple programming languages (SAS, Python and soon R).
- Use VS Code or Jupyter Notebook to get started quickly.
How does Viya Workbench differ from SAS Viya?
SAS Viya Workbench and SAS Viya are distinct offerings designed to meet different needs.
SAS Viya Workbench:
- A lightweight, seat-based, single-user development environment.
- Provides a low-cost, low-overhead workspace for developers and modelers to create powerful AI models, run SAS jobs and share projects without CAS servers.
- After initial configuration, enables self-provisioning and scaling with minimal administrator support.
- Supports multiple programming languages (SAS and Python, with R coming soon) and popular IDEs.
- Purpose-built for developers and data scientists who prefer a code-centric approach.
SAS Viya:
- A comprehensive, end-to-end analytical, visualization and decisioning platform.
- Supports a wide variety of users, from low-code/no-code to high-code.
- Offers broader functionality, including data management, governance and operational deployment.
In essence, Viya Workbench is tailored for individual developers seeking a flexible, efficient coding environment, while SAS Viya is a full-featured platform supporting diverse analytical needs across an organization.
Important clarifications about Viya Workbench:
- It is NOT "SAS Viya Light."
- It is NOT visual or GUI-driven.
- It is NOT low-code/no-code.
I currently have SAS Viya. Why should I consider Viya Workbench?
Adding Viya Workbench to your existing SAS Viya ecosystem offers significant benefits:
- Expand computational power without additional infrastructure.
- Scale resources up and down with minimal IT support.
- Create a common environment for teams with diverse coding preferences.
- Maintain consistent processes and procedures.
How do I get my data (e.g., S3/ADLS2 cloud storage, SQL Server, Teradata, Synapse, Snowflake, Databricks) into Viya Workbench?
Viya Workbench supports data connection through SAS/ACCESS to various sources:
- Amazon Redshift
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Oracle
- Parquet
- PostgreSQL
- Snowflake
How does Viya Workbench ensure data security?
Security is a top priority. Viya Workbench:
- Is a SaaS offering that gives you control over your data.
- Uses split-plane architecture.
- Keeps compute and data within your private tenant.
- Is currently deployed on AWS, with plans to support other cloud providers.
How do I purchase Viya Workbench?
To get started with Viya Workbench, contact our sales team or request a demo. Viya Workbench is currently available through a private offer on Amazon Marketplace that our sales team can set up for you. Existing AWS customers may have committed spend with the cloud provider that they can utilize to purchase this offering.
Will Viya Workbench be available on other cloud platforms?
While currently available on Amazon Marketplace, the Viya Workbench roadmap includes plans for Microsoft Azure availability in 2025 (subject to change).