Category Archives: Others

MicroStrategy System Manager – Awesome Tool !!

Recently explored the ‘System Manager’ component in MicroStrategy 9.3.1 version. it’s a very helpful tool for those working as Admin, project designer, project lead/manager (who handles entire BI-MicroStrategy components). This reduces the pain and helps to automate the entire schedule process example, if the narrowcast service dependent on cube and cube is on depend on data load, then it can be automated using ‘System Manager’ work flow.

The document (PDF) provided by MicroStrategy is very clear to understand and very easy to create any work flow. Only important point is, whoever design the work flow should capture every success and failure possibilities and handle those success/failures in the work flow.

What is work flow?

System Manager, it’s like a ETL Job, where you can create a workflow visually, allowing you to see the step-by-step process that leads the workflow from one process to the next. This visual approach to creating a workflow can also help you to notice opportunities to troubleshoot and error check processes as part of a workflow.

Here are the few important points to be known before developing any work flow. There is no code, program required to develop a work flow. It’s all about drag & drop and set the properties. For each object you drag & drop, properties can be set.

Work flow components:

  1. Workflow – One Complete job is called Work flow (like in ETL tools, there can be one or more Workflow
  2. Parameters – For every step you can assign Name and values, which will make use of the values for the assigned job in the work flow
  3. Exit Codes – While defining the process (work flow), you can assign the exit codes, which says whether it’s success or failure and also description for the same. On the Properties pane, scroll down to the bottom and click Show Descriptions. Later we can see it in the example
  4. Connectors –

                           Success – If the current process is completed with an exit code that is defined as a successful status, the process that the success connector points to is the next process that is attempted.

If you use a success connector from a process, it is recommended that you also use a failure connector.

                           Failure – If the current process is completed with an exit code that is defined as a failure status, the process that the failure connector points to is the next process that is attempted.

If you use a failure connector from a process, it is recommended that you also use a success connector.

                          Continue – Regardless of the status of the exit code for the current process, the process that the continue connector points to is the next process that is attempted.

If you use the continue connector from a process, you cannot use any other connectors for that process.

  1. Decision – A decision process is created in the workflow, as shown in the image below. Decisions provide the ability to determine the next process in a workflow based on specific exit codes for the previous process, rather than just the simple success or failure of a process
  2. Toggle Entry Process – This enables or disables a process as an entry process for the workflow. A process that is defined as an entry process is displayed with a green flag symbol, as shown in the image below.

 

  1. While any process, other than an exit process, can be enabled as an entry process for a workflow, you should limit the steps that are enabled as entry processes for various reasons:
  2. Split Execution – A split execution process lets you start multiple threads in a workflow to perform parallel processing of the tasks in a workflow. This can speed up execution of a workflow for systems that can handle the parallel processing.
  3. Merge Execution – A merge execution process is created in the workflow
  4. Comment icon – comment is created in the workflow. Comments can be used to provide additional explanation to the design of a workflow
  5. Exit Workflow – An exit process allows you to end a workflow as well as explain how the workflow ended.
  6. Validate Workflow – If the workflow is listed as valid, click OK to close the dialog box. If the workflow is not valid, click Details to review the reasons why the workflow is not valid. Click OK and make any required changes to the workflow. Once all changes are made, validate the workflow again.
  7. Log – Log file can be generated for the work flow
  8. Properties and parameters – Storing user credentials within System Manager introduces a security risk. Configuration information is not known until or during the actual configuration.
  9. Parameters can be stored as a file and reuse it in any work flow

There are more features available in MicroStrategy System Manger, those can be find in MicroStrategy’s supporting PDF and help menu in System Manager.

 

A bit dull here for a while

First time being a father, hunting a home, legal activities for a finalized home, mortgage for cash shortfall, transition from leaving colleague, extended work hours, repeated failure of bike, Diwali, extended weekends (gotta do lots of things during these days), etc etc is keeping me on toes for quite some time and will be for quite some time more. I hope to clear the dust by Oct end and keeping blogging regularly.

Know your EPF claim status

I don’t know if it really works, but one nice step by EPFO to know about the claim status. Done by Chennai EPFO for its office and now entire India is covered. Pretty cool! Thumps up to EPFO.

I’m waiting for Know your EPF balance. Pune, Chennai and Kerala EPFO provide the same. If you need to know the status of EPF transfer using right to Information, a sample applciation can be found here.

Getting vehicle NOC (No objection certificate)

During my employment I’ve worked in 3 different states and need less to say that I have always relied on my bike to commute to office. We all know the fear of being caught by traffic constable/inspector in the other state. But here is way, getting an No Objection Certificate (NOC) for your current registering RTO.

To safely (w/o being harassed by cops) drive/ride vehicle registered in a different state, there are two method.

1. Carry fuel bills of a petrol pump located in your registering state. An ideal difference between two bills is 2 months. When traffic cops ask your bribe for outside vehicle first things to say “I can legally travel my bike fora year in another state without any NOC”. I’ve said that got away, once I was caught. But even if he insists than show him the bills. He won’t tough you.
(BTW, I was stopped 3 times by traffic cops and everytime got away but one thing was : all these cops noted down my registration number.) Those who don’t know they actually report an outside vehicle to the head office so as to catch him after one year no-NOC grace period is over.

2. This is legal but tedious way, specially when you have a vehicle on loan. The cost of NOC is zero. yes. There is no fees and Police report is required if your changing the “state”. After NOC you can apply for refund of tax (Form DT). In new state you need to file form No 33 for change of address to be recorded in the Certificate of Registration (RC). Once again, process is a bit tedious if there a loan. Agent cost is Rs 800 for NOC. One should forget refund of tax, as officers will make your run from piller to post (in case of inter-state transfer).

I would say, one should go for #1, a very simple and extremely cost effective way of living in different state. #2 for a car costs around 25 thousand (and for bike like 10K) and RTO can make your n number of rounds to office.

Happy driving/riding.

A Funny farewell letter

Today was my last day at my employer, First Indian Corporation. I was searching some good “be in touch mails” to be sent to colleague. I couldn’t anything good so sent a simple straight forward email. But I also landed up some funny farewell emails too. Here is the best one.

(Great Farewell Email from ex – JP Morgan employee)

—-
Dear Co-Workers and Managers,

As many of you probably know, today is my last day. But before I leave, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what a great and distinct pleasure it has been to type “Today is my last day.”

For nearly as long as I’ve worked here, I’ve hoped that I might one day leave this company. And now that this dream has become a reality, please know that I could not have reached this goal without your unending lack of support. Words cannot express my gratitude for the words of gratitude you did not express.

I would especially like to thank all of my managers both past and present but with the exception of the wonderful Saroj H*********: in an age where miscommunication is all too common, you consistently impressed and inspired me with the sheer magnitude of your misinformation, ignorance and intolerance for true talent. It takes a strong man to admit his mistake – it takes a stronger man to attribute his mistake to me.

Over the past seven years, you have taught me more than I could ever ask for and, in most cases, ever did ask for. I have been fortunate enough to work with some absolutely interchangeable supervisors on a wide variety of seemingly identical projects – an invaluable lesson in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium.

Your demands were high and your patience short, but I take great solace knowing that my work was, as stated on my annual review, “meets expectation.” That is the type of praise that sends a man home happy after a 10 hour day, smiling his way through half a bottle of meets expectation scotch with a meets expectation cigar. Thanks Trish!

And to most of my peers: even though we barely acknowledged each other within these office walls, I hope that in the future, should we pass on the street, you will regard me the same way as I regard you: sans eye contact.

But to those few souls with whom I’ve actually interacted, here are my personalized notes of farewell:

To Philip C****, I will not miss hearing you cry over absolutely nothing while laying blame on me and my coworkers. Your racial comments about Joe C***** were truly offensive and I hope that one day you might gain the strength to apologize to him.

To Brenda A**** whom is long gone, I hope you find a manager that treats you as poorly as you have treated us. I worked harder for you then any manager in my career and I regret every ounce of it. Watching you take credit for my work was truly demoralizing.

To Sylvia K*****, you should learn how to keep your mouth shut sweet heart. Bad mouthing the innocent is a negative thing, especially when your talking about someone who knows your disgusting secrets. ; )

To Bob M***** (Mr. Cronyism Jr), well, I wish you had more of a back bone. You threw me to the wolves with that witch Brenda and I learned all too much from it. I still can’t believe that after following your instructions, I ended up getting written up, wow. Thanks for the experience buddy, lesson learned.

Don M***** (Mr. Cronyism Sr), I’m happy that you were let go in the same manner that you have handed down to my dedicated coworkers. Hearing you on the phone last year brag about how great bonuses were going to be for you fellas in upper management because all of the lay offs made me nearly vomit. I never expected to see management benefit financially from the suffering of scores of people but then again, with this company’s rooted history in the slave trade it only makes sense.

To all of the executives of this company, Jamie Dimon and such. Despite working through countless managers that practiced unethical behavior, racism, sexism, jealousy and cronyism, I have benefited tremendously by working here and I truly thank you for that. There was once a time where hard work was rewarded and acknowledged, it’s a pity that all of our positive output now falls on deaf ears and passes blind eyes. My advice for you is to place yourself closer to the pulse of this company and enjoy the effort and dedication of us “faceless little people” more. There are many great people that are being over worked and mistreated but yet are still loyal not to those who abuse them but to the greater mission of providing excellent customer support. Find them and embrace them as they will help battle the cancerous plague that is ravishing the moral of this company.

So, in parting, if I could pass on any word of advice to the lower salary recipient (”because it’s good for the company”) in India or Tampa who will soon be filling my position, it would be to cherish this experience because a job opportunity like this comes along only once in a lifetime.

Meaning: if I had to work here again in this lifetime, I would sooner kill myself.

To those who I have held a great relationship with, I will miss being your co-worker and will cherish our history together. Please don’t bother responding as at this very moment I am most likely in my car doing 85 with the windows down listening to Biggie.
—-

Couldn’t control my laughter. One of very interesting reading I have come across in recent time.