PMML: SAS2SSAS, SSPS2SSAS etc

Question

Hi!

Anyone with expierence with developing mining models on other platforms and importing to SSAS?

What does work and what not in practice? Whitepapers or other interesting stuff?

/Bjorn

---

B. D. Jensen

Answer 1

I started with

http://www.dmg.org/

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/industry/library/ind-PMML1/index.html?ca=drs-

http://www.zementis.com/pmml.htm

---

Please vote as helpful or mark as answer, if it helps
Cheers, Raunak | t: @raunakjhawar | My Blog

Answer 2

Microsoft SQL Server can consume some PMML 2.1 models. My personal opinion is that this functionality is very limited. I don't expect you to be able to replace SAS or SPSS by trying to export models into PMML and import them into SQL Server.

I think the best way to consume PMML models with Microsoft BI tools and save money is to use Predixion Insight. Predixion can import PMML models version 2.0 through 4.0. It will also correct a number of common problems found in PMML files that were generated by some popular modeling tools, allowing the models to work as intended. Predixion provides good tools for working with PMML models. Some of the features include ability to run SQL Server Integration services packages that use PMML models, easy to use interface for querying or comparing PMML models against models created in Predixion just to name a few.

---

Tatyana Yakushev [PredixionSoftware.com]

Answer 3

Hi Tatyana!

Does that then mean, that this will work in practice:

 having some SAS models, and then use a Predixion plugin to import the model to SSAS?

Or is too much lost in translation?

/Bjorn

---

B. D. Jensen

Answer 4

No, predixion does not import PMML models into SSAS. You need to use predixion tools to work with predixion models and predixion tools are integrated with Microsoft BI tools (Excel, PowerPivot, SSIS, SharePoint, ...)

Why are you asking about moving SPSS and SAS models to SSAS? If I know your goals I might be able to help you better.

---

Tatyana Yakushev [PredixionSoftware.com]

Answer 5

Hi Bjorn, which functionality you are looking for that is missing in SSAS?

Thanks, Vlad.

Answer 6

Assume a scenario where people/users/analysts want(!) to build datamining models in non MS tools like SAS.

So can these models be transferred to a MS BI platform without loosing anything in transition? (f. ex. because MS platform already exists, so no additional server setup for SAS etc. might be needed, I assume;-)

It's more a general consideration, e.g. I currently can't provide examples with specific functionality in mind.

But if you say that you can build every data mining model that SAS, SPSS etc can - then please also give me links to that ;-)

---

B. D. Jensen

Answer 7

In this case I would suggest to contact support or ask question in the forum for the specific product you want to use.

BIDS does not have functionality to import mining models from other tools, so if anybody succeeded to do this it might not be fully operational and is definitely not a supported scenario.

Your user might consider to try Business Intelligence Development Studio and check if this will be an easier way to accomplish his/her goals.

Here are some links which might help in a learning process:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/ms174842(v=sql.105).aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc280427.aspx

HTH, Vlad.

 

Answer 8

Hi, Bjorn At the platform level, SSAS does support importing external PMML models. The feature is not exposed in BIDS but can be invoked from BIDS, SSMS (or any client) via the CREATE MINING MODEL statement. As you can see here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms131986.aspx the CREATE MINING MODEL statement allows loading a model from PMML. An usage example is below: CREATE MINING MODEL MyModel FROM PMML '<pmml>....</pmml>' The PMML documents are expected to be at the level of the PMML 2.0 specification. Only some of the built in algorithms support PMML (Decision trees and distribution-based Clustering). The API for developing plug-in algorithms allows for scoring-only plug-ins which can load from PMML

---

bogdan crivat / http://www.bogdancrivat.net/dm

Answer 9

So does that mean you not recommend to develop models in other tools and then import to SSAS?

---

B. D. Jensen

Answer 10

Correct, I would not spend much time trying to import PMML from other products directly into SSAS. Please note that I am no longer affiliated with Microsoft but, to the best of my knowledge, there are no new PMML features in 2008 R2. If you are looking for a technical solution for PMML documents, though, in the SQL Server BI space, as you can see in the answers in this thread (http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqldatamining/thread/5a68c95f-59b2-479d-9a2c-343131d767e2), Microsoft is happy with the advanced features that companies like Predixion are building on top of SSAS.

---

bogdan crivat / http://www.bogdancrivat.net/dm