Category Archives: Metadata

Report Service Documents


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Metadata, MicroStrategy

Every time we rename an object, MicroStrategy updates that object’s name in all of its dependants. That’s true, right?… Or is it?
Well, it’s almost true. This fails when the object whose name we change is referenced as a data field in a Document.

Tip. A data field is a text field that is created either by dragging it from the Dataset Objects area into the Layout area, or by creating it manually and then typing the object’s name. The name should appear between braces ({}) and should be also surrounded by brackets ([]) if it contains spaces or special characters.

Now, because the data field does not have an object ID, MicroStrategy is completely oblivious if the object referenced in it is renamed, thus the document will not run. Strangely enough, it performs fine if the object was moved to a different folder.

The way to avoid such mishaps is to do a dependence check when renaming a Metric or Attribute and see if they are being used as data fields inside a Document. All it takes then is typing the new name into the text box.

Of course, if the object is used in the Document as part of a grid, then the Metadata does its job very well.

Update: This issue is fixed in version 9.

MicroStrategy Intelligence Server query flow


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Engine, Metadata

The main components of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server are:

  1. Intelligence server bus
  2. Intelligent Cubes server
  3. Communication layers for the metadata and data warehouse
  4. SQL Generation Engine
  5. Query Engine
  6. Analytical Engine

The query flow below describes the primary functions of each component.

MicroStrategy Intelligence Server query flow

  1. The MicroStrategy Intelligence Server receives a report request from any interface.
  2. The request is passed to the Intelligence Server bus, which coordinates all the tasks necessary to execute the report.
  3. Intelligence Server first checks the cache to see whether the report results are already there. The report results will already be in cache if another user or a schedule previously ran the report. If a cache exists, Intelligence Server skips directly to step 9.
  4. If no valid cache exists for the report, the Intelligence Server bus obtains the report definition and application objects from the metadata.
  5. The bus sends this information to the SQL Generation Engine. The SQL Generation Engine creates the optimized SQL, specific to the database being used. The SQL passes are then returned to the bus.
  6. The bus sends the SQL to the Query Engine. The Query Engine runs the SQL against the data warehouse and the report results are returned to the bus.
  7. The Intelligence Server bus invokes the Analytical Engine. Additional calculations are performed as necessary (when the calculation is unavailable in the database being used), and the Analytical Engine formats the results. The results are returned to the Intelligence Server bus.
  8. Depending on the analytical complexity of the report, the results might be passed back to the SQL Generation Engine for further processing by the database. Only MicroStrategy can provide this collaborative analysis with the database, resulting in forms of queries that can only be solved by MicroStrategy. In this case, steps 4–6 are repeated until the final report results are obtained. Finally, the formatted results are returned to the client communication layer.
  9. The Intelligence Server passes the formatted results back to the client.

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I had this article for around 2+ years in my archives. Most probably this is an internal MicroStrategy document. If you are © owner and want me to pull this down, please post a comment. There is a link to post comment. I come to know about any comment on blog as soon as it happens. If you can help me with the origin/source of this document, please help me. This is the first post on this blog which is not straight from heart, but hope I don’t deviate from it.

Tiers in MicroStrategy


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I-Server, Metadata, MicroStrategy

I have heard people saying web is three tier connection in several interview and desktop (with I-server) is a two tier connection. Such answers about tiers really gives me tears. [:)]. You are hear reading this page just mean that you are too lazy to read the MicroStrategy PDFs. Anyways here is the information about various tiers.

Anything that doesn’t requires I-server is 2 tier. One can have two tier connection not only with Access but also SQL Server, Oracle, Netizza, Teradata, etc, In fact with any damn database. In such case, Desktop and Metadata/Database are two tires. DSN is important in this case. In fact that become heart in 2 tier. You never need to use Configuration Manager in case of a 2 tier connection.

Any time you use configuration manager to connect I-Server to Metadata (obviously with DSN) is a three tier. In this case the tiers are, Desktop – I-Server – Metadata/Database.

Any time you use Web is a 4 tier architecture. And tiers are as follows.
Web Browser – Web Server – I-Server – Metadata/Database.

A 5 tier architecture is also possible. There are various vendors who sell installable reporting tool based on MicroStrategy architecture. In this case the 5th tier sits between Web Browser and Server.