2. USAGE GUIDELINES › 2.1 Methods of Using the Data › 2.1.2 Overview of the CA MICS Information Center Facility

2.1.2 Overview of the CA MICS Information Center Facility

The CA MICS Information Center Facility (MICF) provides you
with a convenient way to access and manipulate the data in
the CA MICS database. Whether you are new to CA MICS or a
long-term user of the database, you will find that MICF lets
you rapidly obtain the results you need.  With MICF, you do
not need to have an in-depth knowledge of CA MICS or SAS to
effectively use the CA MICS database for reporting. Using
MICF avoids the problem of inadvertently coding syntax errors
in SAS.  In addition, MICF's automatic validation procedures
keep you from attempting to analyze data elements that do not
exist in the files you have requested.

The CA MICS Space Analyzer includes some standard inquiries
that you will find to be immediately useful.  You can readily
copy these inquiries to your private MICF catalog and tailor
them to your particular needs.  Once you have created an
inquiry, you can save and reuse it by simply selecting it
from the catalog.

The optional use of color graphics provides you with the
means to enhance your presentations and to assist your
audience's comprehension of your results.

A comprehensive, interactive tutorial facility assists you in
learning and using MICF.  In addition, you have online access
to all of the CA MICS documentation while you are using MICF.

When using MICF, the following major activities occur:

     o  You define the input, selection criteria, and report
        options.

     o  Then, transparent to you, MICF dynamically builds the
        inquiry program from your specifications.

     o  Finally, the inquiry is executed either interactively
        or in batch, and you can display the results at your
        terminal or route them to a printer.

The CA MICS Space Analyzer is distributed with several fixed
reports to display information from the VCA files. The
reports are of a fixed format and generally show important
attributes of a single file at the DETAIL or DAYS timespan.

The MICF inquiries distributed with this product serve as a
data subsetting facility that can be controlled by responding
to ISPF panels and table displays.  MICF automatically
generates all SAS code to point to the proper file and select
the observations fitting the criteria you specified.

Chapter 3 of this guide describes the distributed MICF
inquiries and standard reports in detail.