MICROSTRATEGY WEB ESSENTIALS

Course Guide
Version: WEBESS-941-Mar14

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Patent Information

This product is patented. One or more of the following patents may apply to the product sold herein: U.S. Patent Nos.
6,154,766, 6,173,310, 6,260,050, 6,263,051, 6,269,393, 6,279,033, 6,567,796, 6,587,547, 6,606,596, 6,658,093,
6,658,432, 6,662,195, 6,671,715, 6,691,100, 6,694,316, 6,697,808, 6,704,723, 6,741,980, 6,765,997, 6,768,788,
6,772,137, 6,788,768, 6,798,867, 6,801,910, 6,820,073, 6,829,334, 6,836,537, 6,850,603, 6,859,798, 6,873,693,
6,885,734, 6,940,953, 6,964,012, 6,977,992, 6,996,568, 6,996,569, 7,003,512, 7,010,518, 7,016,480, 7,020,251,
7,039,165, 7,082,422, 7,113,993, 7,127,403, 7,174,349, 7,181,417, 7,194,457, 7,197,461, 7,228,303, 7,260,577, 7,266,181,
7,272,212, 7,302,639, 7,324,942, 7,330,847, 7,340,040, 7,356,758, 7,356,840, 7,415,438, 7,428,302, 7,430,562,
7,440,898, 7,486,780, 7,509,671, 7,516,181, 7,559,048, 7,574,376, 7,617,201, 7,725,811, 7,801,967, 7,836,178, 7,861,161,
7,861,253, 7,881,443, 7,925,616, 7,945,584, 7,970,782, 8,005,870, 8,051,168, 8,051,369, 8,094,788, 8,130,918,
8,296,287, 8,321,411 and 8,452,755. Other patent applications are pending.

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MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Course Description.................................................................... 11
Who Should Take This Course .............................................. 12
Follow-Up Courses ................................................................ 12
Course Objectives ................................................................. 13
About the Course Materials ......................................................... 14
Content Descriptions ............................................................. 14
Learning Objectives ............................................................... 14
Lessons ................................................................................. 14
Opportunities for Practice ...................................................... 15
Typographical Standards ....................................................... 15
MicroStrategy Courses ................................................................ 18
Core Courses......................................................................... 18
Advanced Courses ................................................................ 19

1. Introduction to
MicroStrategy
Analytics

Lesson Description ................................................................... 21

Lesson Objectives ................................................................. 22
Business Intelligence Architecture............................................... 23
Architecture............................................................................ 25
Introduction to MicroStrategy Objects.......................................... 29
Reports and Documents ........................................................ 29
Attributes................................................................................ 32
Facts ...................................................................................... 33
Metrics ................................................................................... 33
Hierarchies............................................................................. 34
Filters ..................................................................................... 35

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Prompts ................................................................................. 36
Lesson Summary......................................................................... 37

2. Introduction to
MicroStrategy Web

Lesson Description ................................................................... 39

Lesson Objectives ................................................................. 40
Big Data, Zero Footprint .............................................................. 41
Versions of MicroStrategy Web ................................................... 45
Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface ............................. 46
Using the Navigation Toolbar................................................. 48
Browsing Objects ................................................................... 51
Searching for Objects ............................................................ 53
Lesson Summary......................................................................... 54
Exercise: Using the MicroStrategy Web Interface ....................... 55
Access a Document and Perform Analysis............................ 55
Exercise Answers ........................................................................ 58

3. Report Services
Dashboards

Lesson Description ................................................................... 59

Lesson Objectives ................................................................. 60
MicroStrategy Report Services .................................................... 61
The Benefits of MicroStrategy Report Services ..................... 62
What is a Report Services Dashboard?....................................... 64
Viewing Documents in MicroStrategy Web............................ 71
Flash Widgets ........................................................................ 71
Lesson Summary......................................................................... 76
Exercises: Report Services Dashboards ..................................... 79
Using Selectors and Widgets................................................. 79
Build a RS Dashboard ........................................................... 81
Exercise Answers ........................................................................ 85

4. Visual Insight

Lesson Description ................................................................... 87

Lesson Objectives ....................................................................... 88
Introduction to Visual Insight........................................................ 89
What Is Visual Insight? .......................................................... 89
What is a VI Dashboard? ....................................................... 90
Creating a VI Dashboard ....................................................... 91
Using Visual Insight ..................................................................... 93
Using the Edit Visualization Pane .......................................... 93
Visualizations ......................................................................... 94

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Table of Contents

Lesson Summary....................................................................... 104

Exercises: Visual Insight in MicroStrategy Web ........................ 105
Edit an Existing Visual Insight Dashboard ........................... 105
Exercise Answers ...................................................................... 108

5. Documents

Lesson Description ................................................................. 109

Lesson Objectives ..................................................................... 110
Reporting Capabilities................................................................ 111
Document Editor ........................................................................ 115
Creating Documents with Datasets ........................................... 118
Document with Sales by Region Dataset............................. 118
Using Multiple Layouts......................................................... 119
Lesson Summary....................................................................... 121
Exercises: Documents in MicroStrategy Web............................ 123
Modify an Operational Report Document............................. 123
Exercise Answers ...................................................................... 126

6. Reports in
MicroStrategy Web

Lesson Description ................................................................. 127

Lesson Objectives ............................................................... 128
What Is a Report?...................................................................... 129
Creating Reports........................................................................ 132
Design Mode.............................................................................. 134
Lesson Summary....................................................................... 136
Exercises: Reports in MicroStrategy Web ................................. 137
Create a Report Using the Report Builder ........................... 137

7. OLAP Services in
MicroStrategy Web

Lesson Description ................................................................. 141

Lesson Objectives ............................................................... 142
Introduction to OLAP Services................................................... 143
Intelligent Cubes as Datasets .............................................. 143
Data Import .......................................................................... 143
Derived Elements ................................................................ 144
Derived Metrics .................................................................... 146
View Filters .......................................................................... 148
Lesson Summary....................................................................... 150
Exercises: OLAP Services in MicroStrategy Web ..................... 151
Creating Derived Elements, Derived Metrics, & View Filters151

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Exercise Answers ...................................................................... 154

8. Prompts in
MicroStrategy Web

Lesson Description ................................................................. 155

Lesson Objectives ............................................................... 156
Prompts in MicroStrategy Web .................................................. 157
Prompts in Reports and Documents .................................... 157
Executing Prompted Reports and Documents..................... 158
Re-prompting Reports and Documents ............................... 163
Lesson Summary....................................................................... 164
Exercises: Prompts in MicroStrategy Web ................................ 165
Run a Prompted Document ................................................. 165
Save Personal Prompt Answers .......................................... 168

9. Manipulating and
Distributing Reports
and Documents

Lesson Description ................................................................. 173

Lesson Objectives ............................................................... 174
Manipulating Reports and Documents....................................... 175
Drilling .................................................................................. 175
Document Linking ................................................................ 176
Subtotals .............................................................................. 179
Sorting ................................................................................. 181
Thresholds ........................................................................... 184
Distributing Reports and Documents ......................................... 186
Basic Subscriptions with Distribution Services .................... 186
Printing Documents and Reports ......................................... 188
Exporting Reports and Documents ...................................... 189
Exporting to Multiple Excel Worksheets............................... 190
Share URL from reports and documents ............................. 191
Lesson Summary....................................................................... 193
Exercises: Manipulations in MicroStrategy Web........................ 195
Creating Thresholds ............................................................ 195
Creating History List Subscriptions ...................................... 197

10. MicroStrategy Mobile

Lesson Description ................................................................. 201

Lesson Objectives ............................................................... 202
MicroStrategy Mobile ................................................................. 203
MicroStrategy Mobile in a Business Environment................ 204
Mobile Deployment .............................................................. 208
Lesson Summary....................................................................... 210

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Table of Contents

A. MicroStrategy Web
Privileges by User

Privilege Availability ................................................................... 212

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Web Privileges........................................................................... 213

Web Reporter privileges ...................................................... 213
Web Analyst privileges......................................................... 214
Web Professional privileges................................................. 216

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PREFACE

Course Description
This 1-day course provides an overview of report analysis in MicroStrategy
Web. This course focuses on the report manipulation functionality available to
MicroStrategy Web Reporter and Analyst end users. The topics covered in this
course include:

Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

Introduction to MicroStrategy Web

Report Services Dashboards

MicroStrategy Visual Insight

Documents

Reports in MicroStrategy Web

MicroStrategy OLAP Services in MicroStrategy Web

Prompts in MicroStrategy Web

Manipulation and Distribution of Reports and Documents

MicroStrategy Mobile

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Who Should Take This Course

This course is designed for:

MicroStrategy project leads

MicroStrategy Web end users

All users who need an overview of features available within MicroStrategy

Web, Report Services, Distribution Services, and other products that
relate to MicroStrategy Web.

Document Developers

Follow-Up Courses
After taking this course, you might consider taking the following courses:

MicroStrategy Web for Reports and Analysts

MicroStrategy Web for Professionals

MicroStrategy Visual Insight Essentials

MicroStrategy Report Services: Documents and Dashboards

MicroStrategy Mobile for App Developers

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Preface

Course Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:

Describe the MicroStrategy Analytics architecture and business

intelligence, and define basic MicroStrategy reporting terminology.
(Page 22)

Navigate the MicroStrategy Web interface to perform basic functions,

including browsing and searching for objects and executing and viewing
static reports and documents. (Page 40)

Describe how you can use MicroStrategy Report Services to create

interactive, user-friendly RS dashboards. (Page 60)

Create Visual Insight dashboards. (Page 88)

Identify the different types of MicroStrategy documents and define the

components of the Document Editor. (Page 110)

Describe the components of a report, and the options for creating reports.
Create and save reports using the predesigned report and the blank report
options. (Page 128)

Describe and use selected OLAP Services features in MicroStrategy Web.

(Page 142)

Execute and save prompted reports and documents, describe various

prompt display options, interact with prompts and save and reuse prompt
answers. (Page 156)

Perform basic and advanced data manipulations on reports and

documents in MicroStrategy Web. (Page 174)

Describe the benefits of MicroStrategy Mobile for business users.

(Page 202)

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About the Course Materials

This course is organized into lessons and reference appendices. Each lesson
focuses on major concepts and skills that help you to better understand
MicroStrategy products and use them to implement MicroStrategy projects.
The appendices provide you with supplemental information to enhance your
knowledge of MicroStrategy products.

Content Descriptions
Each major section of this course begins with a Description heading. The
Description introduces you to the content contained in that section.

Learning Objectives
Learning objectives enable you to focus on the key knowledge and skills you
should obtain by successfully completing this course. Objectives are provided
for you at the following three levels:

CourseYou achieve these overall objectives by successfully completing

all the lessons in this course. The Course Objectives heading in this
Preface contains the list of course objectives.

LessonYou achieve these main objectives by successfully completing all

the topics in the lesson. You can find the primary lesson objective directly
under the Lesson Objectives heading at the beginning of each lesson.

Main TopicYou achieve this secondary objective by successfully

completing the content in the main topic. The topic objective is stated at
the beginning of the topic text. You can find a list of all the topic objectives
in each lesson under the Lesson Objectives heading at the beginning of
each lesson.

Lessons
Each lesson sequentially presents concepts and guides you with step-by-step
procedures. Illustrations, screen examples, bulleted text, notes, and
definition tables help you to achieve the learning objectives.

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Preface

Opportunities for Practice

A Workshop is a reinforcement and assessment activity that follows two or
more lessons. Because a Workshop covers content and applied skills
presented in several lessons, it is a separate section on the level of a lesson.
The following sections within lessons provide you with opportunities to
reinforce important concepts, practice new product and project skills, and
monitor your own progress in achieving the lesson and course objectives:

Review

Case Study

Business Scenario

Exercises

Typographical Standards
The following sections explain the font style changes, icons, and different
types of notes that you see in this course.

Actions
References to screen elements and keys that are the focus of actions are in
bold Arial font style. The following example shows this style:
Click Select Warehouse.

Code
References to code, formulas, or calculations within paragraphs are
formatted in regular Courier.New font style. The following example shows
this style:
Sum(Sales)/Number of Months

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Data Entry
References to literal data you must type in an exercise or procedure are in
bold Arial font style. References to data you type that could vary from user to
user or system to system are in bold italic Arial font style. The following
example shows this style:
Type copy c:\filename d:\foldername\filename.

Keyboard Keys
References to a keyboard key or shortcut keys are in uppercase letters in bold
Arial font style. The following example shows this style:
Press CTRL+B.

New Terms
New terms to note are in regular italic font style. These terms are defined
when they are first encountered in the course. The following example shows
this style:
The aggregation level is the level of calculation for the metric.

Notes and Warnings

A note icon indicates helpful information.

icon calls your attention to very important information that
Ayouwarning
should read before continuing the course.
Heading Icons
The following heading icons are used to indicate specific practice and review
sections:

Precedes a Review section

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MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Precedes a Case Study

Precedes a Business Scenario

Precedes Exercises

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Preface

MicroStrategy Web Essentials

MicroStrategy Courses
Core Courses

Implementing MicroStrategy: Development and Deployment

MicroStrategy Web Essentials

MicroStrategy Web for Reporters and Analysts

MicroStrategy Web for Professionals

MicroStrategy Visual Insight Essentials

MicroStrategy Report Services: Documents and Dashboards

MicroStrategy Mobile for App Developers

MicroStrategy Architect: Project Design Essentials

MicroStrategy Developer: Reporting Essentials

MicroStrategy Developer: Advanced Reporting

MicroStrategy Office Essentials

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Preface

Advanced Courses

MicroStrategy Administration: Configuration and Security

MicroStrategy Administration: Application Management

MicroStrategy Engine Essentials

MicroStrategy Architect: Advanced Project Design

MicroStrategy Advanced Data Warehousing

MicroStrategy Data Mining and Advanced Analytics

MicroStrategy Developer: Advanced Reporting Case Studies

MicroStrategy Freeform SQL Essentials

MicroStrategy Transaction Services for Mobile App and Dashboard

Developers

MicroStrategy Web SDK: Customization Essentials

MicroStrategy Web SDK: Customizing Security

MicroStrategy Web SDK: Portal Integration

All courses are subject to change. Please visit the MicroStrategy website for the latest
education offerings.

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1
INTRODUCTION TO
MICROSTRATEGY ANALYTICS

Lesson Description
This lesson introduces you to the basic components of the MicroStrategy
Analytics Platform and architecture. It also describes key MicroStrategy
reporting terminology so that you can better understand the objects you use
while working in the MicroStrategy Web interface.

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Describe the MicroStrategy Analytics architecture and business intelligence,
and define basic MicroStrategy reporting terminology.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

List and define the components of a MicroStrategy business intelligence

architecture. (Page 23)

Explain the purpose of reports and documents. Describe how each of the
basic MicroStrategy objects are used in reporting. (Page 29)

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

Business Intelligence Architecture

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
List and define the components of a MicroStrategy business intelligence
architecture.

Business intelligence (BI) refers to using data to make better-informed

decisions about your business. Business analytics needs can range from
analyzing trends in data discovery dashboards to performing in-depth
forecasting analysis and creating highly visual scorecards and dashboards for
wide distribution. BI systems facilitate an ever-growing variety of
applications that begin with sophisticated analysis of atomic-level data and
extend to proactive information delivery to system subscribers. Todays
businesses need to be capable of rapid, self-service analysis of new datasets
while also supporting reporting on a high volume of disparate data sources
(big data). The market also requires the delivery of relevant and timely
information to the right people at the right place and time. Finally, analytics
technology must support businesses in maintaining close and individualized
contact with their customers.
Self-service analytics tools have simple drag-and-drop interfaces, intuitive
visualizations, easy connections to data sources, and one-click sharing.
Self-service analytics tools enable a user to quickly go from raw data to
meaningful visualizations of that data.

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Business Intelligence Architecture

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Big Data analytics enable you to not only connect to the largest of datasets,
but also intelligently transform and aggregate petabytes of data into
gigabytes of in-memory data for agile data discovery.
MicroStrategy Analytics Platform

The MicroStrategy Analytics Platform supports a wide array of business

intelligence methods with the following offerings:

MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise

MicroStrategy Analytics Desktop

MicroStrategy Analytics Express

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

Architecture
MicroStrategy Analytics Desktop and Express make data source and
architecture configuration almost transparent to end users, while
Enterprises suite of applications cater to larger, more sophisticated
implementations. Because of this, the following sections focus on
MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise architectural components:

Analysis

Metadata

Data sources
MicroStrategy Architecture

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

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Analysis
MicroStrategy applications enable you to intuitively interact with your
business intelligence system and enable you to do everything from rapid data
discovery to predictive analytics. User-friendly and robust analysis and
analytics tools in your business intelligence system ensure your data is not
lost in the last mile.
MicroStrategys unified Web interface is a single code base that provides BI
functionality to all users, ranging from basic reporting functionality for
novice users, to interactive analysis functionality for analysts, to full report
design functionality for power users and IT professionals.
Because of the way it is designed, the MicroStrategy Web interface can
deliver your spur-of-the-moment visualizations or storyboarded dashboards
equally well to multiple different interfaces, including: mobile devices, Web
browsers, third-party enterprise portals, and to Microsoft Office
applications like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint using Web services.
For example, you can use MicroStrategy Report Services to design a
dashboard with key corporate KPIs for a CEO to read every morning from her
laptop. If the CEO does not want to be tied to a Web browser, you can use
MicroStrategy Mobile to transform the dashboard into a full-fledged,
interactive app for Android and iOS phones and tablets, enabling the CEO to
check relevant data from anywhere.
You can host your MicroStrategy applications, along with your data sources
and metadata, on premises, or you can use MicroStrategy Cloud. Using
MicroStrategy as a platform-as-a-service reduces your infrastructure
overhead, increases scalability, and reduces costs, while continuing to
provide access to MicroStrategys range of applications.
In this course, you will learn how MicroStrategy Web provides numerous
methods for viewing and analyzing your data.

Metadata
All MicroStrategy analysis, development, delivery, and administration
applications can share a common metadata in your environment. A metadata
database contains information that enables MicroStrategy applications to
retrieve and display data from data sources. The metadata stores
MicroStrategy object definitions and maps MicroStrategy objects to the data
source structures and content.

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MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

MicroStrategy applications use the metadata to translate user requests into

queries and to translate the results of those queries back into MicroStrategy
objects, like reports, documents, and dashboards.
The metadata also stores the definitions of all objects created within the
MicroStrategy Analytics Platform (such as filters, reports, metrics, facts, and
so forth). The metadata enables the sharing of objects across MicroStrategy
applications by providing a central repository for all object definitions. Since
all of the interfaces share the same metadata, users can move from one
interface to another without any re-configuration or administrator
intervention. A report created with MicroStrategy Web can be viewed in
Windows, Office, on a mobile device, and in emails without any loss of
functionality, security, or object privilege settings. The metadata is used by
MicroStrategy Intelligence Server to evaluate the most efficient data
retrieval scenario to guarantee optimal query performance.

Data Sources
At the base of the MicroStrategy Analytics Platform architecture is your data.
MicroStrategy supports a spectrum of data sources, from unmodeled,
imported spreadsheets to petabyte-sized databases:

User or departmental data (spreadsheets, small databases, or text files)

ERP, CRM, and Web applications such as SalesForce.com

Multidimensional data sources

Relational databases

Data warehouse appliances

Columnar databases

MapReduce databases

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

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In a traditional implementation, a data source may be a transactional source

system that is optimized for recording sales, orders, inventory, withdrawals,
and deposits. This transactional system, in turn, feeds into a large relational
database (data warehouse) that stores gigabytes of cleansed data across
hundreds or thousands of tables. Imagine a nationwide retailer that stores
customer loyalty data and purchase history. Descriptive information for a
single customer may be spread out over dozens of tables, while sales figures
are saved at multiple geographic levels and time periods in many locations in
the data warehouse. MicroStrategy makes it easy for you to model and map
the data at a higher level to quickly analyze customer and sales figures from
the data source.
MicroStrategy takes things a step further with Data Import, a tool that
enables users to quickly and independently import data from a spreadsheet,
database, or Web service with no modeling or coding. With Data Import, a
single business analyst can use MicroStrategy Web to jump from loading a
dataset into MicroStrategy to building an interactive visualization or
dashboard in minutes.
MicroStrategy high-performance technology supports fast queries on large
datasets. The Intelligence Server can efficiently pull data from sources that
specialize in handling petabytes of data, like Hadoop, or those that provide
near real-time data, like SAP HANA.
The breadth of supported source systems ensures no data is left behind. Is
your enterprise financial data in a multidimensional cube, your human
resources data in a relational database, your sales data in the cloud, and
contextual data pulled from public datasets? MicroStrategy can blend data
from multiple resources to greatly expand your analytical possibilities. One
visualization can borrow data from all of these sources at once.

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MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

Introduction to MicroStrategy Objects

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Explain the purpose of reports and documents. Describe how each of the
basic MicroStrategy objects are used in reporting.

All MicroStrategy objects are stored in your metadata database. The main
role of these objects is to enable presentation and analysis of your data. The
most entities in reporting are:

Reports and documents

Attributes

Facts

Metrics

Hierarchies

Filters

Prompts

Reports and Documents

When you want to view data in MicroStrategy Web, you execute a report or a
document.
A report is a request for specific data that has a defined layout and format. All
of the information for a report can be predefined, or you may be able to
choose part or all of the content of a report. You can view report results either
in grid or graph format.

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Objects

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Analytics

MicroStrategy Web Essentials

The following image is an example of a grid report, which displays average

and maximum revenue per customer data for specific regions and call
centers.
Grid Report

The report template determines which objects are displayed on the report.
Templates in Reporting

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In addition to reports, you can use documents to display and interact with
data in MicroStrategy Web. A document may contain all of the objects from a
single report or multiple reports or only some of the objects. You can also
include images, hyperlinks, autotext, lines, boxes, and a variety of other
formatting features that yield a customized, Pixel Perfect presentation.
Report Services (RS) dashboards are the most popular type of document,
because they enable you to represent data in a highly interactive and visually
appealing manner, as shown below:
DocumentCorporate Sales Overview RS Dashboard

a document represents an object in metadata, a RS dashboard

While
represents a style or type of document.
The document above contains a grid, graph, widget, and a variety of custom
formatting. This example shows only a few of the features available when
using documents.
To understand the data you are viewing and to perform manipulations, it is
helpful to have a fundamental knowledge of the underlying objects that
comprise reports and documents.
are only available if you have installed MicroStrategy
Documents
Report Services.

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Attributes
Attributes are the descriptive data in data sources that you can display on a
report or document. An attribute contains information such as customer
names, account numbers, products, regions, or employee names. You can
display attributes in a report or document and use them to filter data so that
reports and documents only display specific customers, regions, and so forth.
The following illustration is an example of how attributes are used in a
report:
Attributes in Reporting

In the report above, Region, Category, Subcategory, and Year are all
attributes that have been placed on the report. The individual items that
display under each attribute header, such as Comedy and Action, above, are
referred to as attribute elements.
Also, the preceding report only displays data for one region (Mid-Atlantic),
two categories (Books and Movies), and one year (2012). The data source
contains additional regions, categories, and years, but the report displays
only these specific elements because it is filtered using the Region, Category,
and Year attributes.
As a MicroStrategy Web user, you do not create attributes. However, they are
an essential part of displaying and filtering data on reports and documents.
When analyzing a report or document, you may need to add or remove
attributes or filter the data using specific attributes, so understanding them is
essential to manipulating reports and documents.

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Facts
Facts are data measures used to analyze the data source, and typically, they
are numeric and aggregatable. Profit, cost, inventory, and sales are a few
examples of facts.
Facts in Reporting

In MicroStrategy products, facts are used in mathematical operations to

create metrics, which are then displayed on reports and documents.

Metrics
Metrics are calculations performed on the data source that display in reports
and documents. They are built using mathematical operations on facts or
other metrics. Some example metrics include Cost, Average Revenue, Count,
and so forth.
The following illustration provides an example of how metrics are used in
reporting. The Revenue metric sums revenue data, and the Units Sold metric
sums unit sales data. Both of these metrics are built using facts that point to
the appropriate revenue and unit sales data in the data source:
Metrics in ReportingRevenue and Units Sold

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Hierarchies
Hierarchies enable you to browse attribute data in a project. Generally, they
group together related data. For example, a Time hierarchy may enable you
to browse the Year, Quarter, Month, and Day attributes.
You can also use hierarchies to drill from one level of data to another on a
report. For example, a report may display yearly data, but through a
hierarchy, you could drill down to the quarterly data for each year on the
report. Hierarchies also enable report developers to browse the data and
select the elements needed to create reports and documents.
The following illustration shows an example of using hierarchies to select
which information to display on a report
Hierarchies

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Filters
Filters define the conditions that data must meet to be included in the report
result set. Along with the template, it is the other primary object that
comprises a report. You can specify filter criteria based on attributes or
metrics, as well as other application objects. Only data that meets all of the
filter conditions displays in the final result set of a report.
The following illustration shows the filter for a report:
Filters in Reporting

In this report, the filter contains three conditions. It only shows data for
2012, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the Books and Electronics categories.
Only data that meets all three of these conditions displays in the result set.
You do not see data from the data source for other regions, categories, or
years.
Many of the reports that you run will already have a defined filter. However,
you may also be prompted to select the filtering conditions for a report, or
you may choose to modify the report by changing the criteria in the filter.

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Prompts
Prompts are objects that enable users to select the information to be included
in a report or document at run time. They can be embedded in templates,
filters, and metrics, enabling you to select the layout, conditions, or
calculations for a report or document.
The following illustration shows prompts in a report filter:
Prompts in Reporting

In this report, the prompt is included in the filter, and it enables the user to
select from a list of years. In this example, the user selected the year 2012.
When you work with reports and documents in MicroStrategy Web, they may
contain prompts that you need to answer to display the final result set. You
will learn more about responding to prompts later in this course.

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned the following:

Business intelligence systems enable you to analyze your business data so

that you can make better-informed decisions about your business.

The main components of a MicroStrategy business intelligence

architecture are the following:
Data sources
Metadata database
MicroStrategy applications

A report is a request for specific data that has a defined layout and format.

A document consists of one or more reports. It may include images,

hyperlinks, autotext, lines, boxes, and a variety of other formatting
features.

Documents are only available if you have MicroStrategy Report Services.

Reports and documents are used to display and interact with data.

Filters define the conditions data must meet to be included in the result
set.

Attributes are descriptive data that you can use in a report or document.

Metrics are calculations performed on the data source that display in

reports and documents.

Prompts enable end users to select which objects to include in the report
at run time.

Hierarchies are used for browsing and drilling.

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2
INTRODUCTION TO
MICROSTRATEGY WEB

Lesson Description
This lesson introduces you to the capabilities of MicroStrategy Web, describes
the three versions of MicroStrategy Web, and illustrates the MicroStrategy
Web interface. This course provides an overview of how the interface works
and explains how to navigate and perform basic functions within the interface.
You will learn how MicroStrategy Web enables business users to view and
analyze data. You will also learn how to access projects, navigate within the
MicroStrategy Web interface, and browse objects.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Navigate the MicroStrategy Web interface to perform basic functions,
including browsing and searching for objects and executing and viewing
static reports and documents.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain the various reporting capabilities available with MicroStrategy

Web. (Page 41)

Describe the versions of MicroStrategy Web that are available. (Page 45)

Explain and use the features of the MicroStrategy Web interface. (Page
46)

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Web

Big Data, Zero Footprint

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Explain the various reporting capabilities available with MicroStrategy Web.

MicroStrategy Web enables you to access vast amounts of data analysis

through a zero-footprint Web interface. Using the information stored in your
data sources, business users can build and manipulate MicroStrategy
visualizations and reports. These reports can also be combined with other
reports to produce highly interactive analytical visualizations providing
intuitive views of data analysis. By using MicroStrategy Web, you have access
to all of your data without the need for installing software.
With MicroStrategy Web, business users can view their data quickly and
efficiently in one customized MicroStrategy Report Services (RS) dashboard
rather than combing through various reports or Excel spreadsheets. This
highly visual format integrates a potentially wide variety of data elements
into a single graphical display. Some of the features of RS dashboards are:

Tables

Graphs

Gauges

Dials and other graphical indicators

Conditional formatting

Text labels

Borders and background colors

Widgets for powerful and attractive visualizations

RS dashboards appeal to technical and non-technical users alike with their

ease of use.
In the following example, an operations manager accesses a customized RS
dashboard in MicroStrategy Web to quickly review performance across
various metrics and see how they compare to expectations. Additionally,
monthly sales data is graphically displayed to show profit margin and order
volume broken down by item category and geographic region.

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Looking at the RS dashboard below, the operations manager sees a spike in

profit for January 2012. By moving along the sparkline graph and clicking on
the peak in profit representing January 2012, the lower half of the RS
dashboard changes to provide a more detailed view:
Example RS Dashboard

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Documents combine data from multiple reports into one visualization of

data. MicroStrategy Web enables users to create attractive visualizations of
their data that display the same in print as they do on-screen. In the
document displayed below, users can review the efficacy of each distribution
center in fulfilling shipment orders.
Example MicroStrategy Document

When enabled, users can drill down for more detailed information on any
MicroStrategy document. This functionality is available in MicroStrategy
reports as well.
Visual Insight (VI) empowers business users to quickly create their own
unique visualizations of data. VI is available with Report Services, and it
provides users with the ability to manipulate data and visualizations
on-the-fly.

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For example, a business user can use Visual Insight to create a visual
depiction of the volume and profitability of sales for each geographic region.
Similarly, he can create a VI dashboard to analyze the number of flights
delayed or cancelled on different days of the week as shown in the following
image:
Example Visual Insight Dashboard

Business users can then interact with the visualization to gain further insight
into their data. The Visual Insight analyses refresh with every change so that
the visualizations always reflect the data desired.

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Web

Versions of MicroStrategy Web

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe the versions of MicroStrategy Web that are available.

MicroStrategy Web is available in three versions that provide varying degrees

of functionality:

Web ReporterThis enterprise reporting version enables you to view

predefined reports and documents and perform basic analysis and
manipulations on reports.

Web AnalystIn addition to the Web Reporter functions, this robust

version enables you to create ad hoc reports based on predefined
templates and perform extensive analysis and manipulations on reports.

Web ProfessionalIn addition to the Web Reporter and Web Analyst

functions, this full-featured version enables you to perform sophisticated
report and document design. You can create ad hoc reports and
documents, modify predefined reports (if you have the appropriate
permissions), apply custom formatting, and create templates and filters
for use in multiple reports.

With these three versions, MicroStrategy Web functionality can be tailored to

meet the precise reporting needs of users at various levels.
A provides a complete list of the MicroStrategy Web
Appendix
features available to each of these Web users. For more information on
privileges for different Web users, see Web Privileges starting on
page 213.

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Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Explain and use the features of the MicroStrategy Web interface.

MicroStrategy Web provides a highly interactive, easy-to-use interface for

reporting and data analysis. It is a grouping of Web pages that enable you to
browse folders, reports, or documents and view results. MicroStrategy Web
displays any project objects in the metadata to which you have access. As you
run reports and documents, it returns results from your data warehouse and
displays them to you in the browser.

Projects Page
The projects page displays the names and descriptions of all the available
projects. You can access any project for which the administrator has granted
you permission. The following image shows the home page:
Projects Page

The Projects page is also known as the Welcome page.

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Web

Login Page
Depending on your configuration, before you can access a project in
MicroStrategy Web, you generally have to log in to the project with a user
name and password. The following image shows the login page:
Login Page

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Project Home Page

After you log in to a MicroStrategy project, the project home page displays,
which displays several options. The following image shows the project home
page:
Project Home Page

Using the Navigation Toolbar

As you work in the MicroStrategy Web interface, at the top of every page is
the navigation toolbar, which enables you to quickly move to other aspects of
the interface.

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The MicroStrategy Icon is located in the top left corner of each MicroStrategy
Web page. Clicking the icon displays a menu with links to important
MicroStrategy pages and functionality.
Navigation Toolbar and MicroStrategy Icon

The back, forward, and Up icons are used for navigating to the previous
page, next page, or the folder that is above your current folder,
respectively:
Navigation Toolbar and Other Icons

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The navigation toolbar displays information about the current page. In the
example below, the current page is a document, so the name of the document
is displayed in the toolbar. Clicking on the text for the current page will,
where possible, display where the current object, such as a report or
document, is located in the folder structure for your project. Clicking on the
name of a folder will take you to that folder.
Viewing Your Location Using the Navigation Toolbar

you have work open in the current page, remember to save it before
Ifnavigating
to a different page. You use the action bar to save your
work.
Menu Bar and Action Bar

The menu bar contains text, such as Home and Tools. The action bar is
displayed below the menu bar and it contains icons such as the Save As... icon
and the Redo icon. The options displayed and available on each bar vary
depending on context and on your privileges. For example, the Create New
Folder icon is only available when you are browsing project folders and you
have permission to create a new folder in the current folder location.

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Introduction to MicroStrategy Web

Clicking a triangle in the menu bar displays a drop-down list containing

MicroStrategy Web functionality. Clicking text in the menu bar will affect
which icons are displayed on the action bar. The action bar provides one-click
access to the most important and frequently-used functions, such as creating
a new report, creating a new folder, displaying the navigation tree, and
viewing object names as a list or icons. For example, clicking the Save icon
will save the current document.
Save

The current object, such as a document or report, can also be saved by

clicking the triangle next to Home on the menu bar and selecting Save or
Save As...
Save and Save As... Option in the Menu Bar

Browsing Objects
After you access the project home page, you can browse the project objects
(folders, reports, and so forth) that are available to you. The highest level
folders that enable you to browse project objects are the Shared Reports and
My Reports folders.

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The image below shows an example of a Folders Page for the Shared Reports
Folder:
Example Folders PageShared Reports

Reports that display in grid format are denoted using the following icon:
Grid Report

Reports that display in graph format are denoted using the following icon:
Graph Report

Documents are displayed using the following icon:

Document

Visual Insight dashboard are displayed using the following icon:

Visual Insight Dashboard

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Some icons contain additional information about the format of the report or
document in a small circle in the bottom-right of the icon. For example,
documents that display in Flash Mode have icons that contain blue circles
with the letter F.
Icon for a Document that Displays in Flash Mode

Searching for Objects

Searching enables you to quickly find objects from the project home page.
Search Text Box

Begin by typing part of the name of the object you want to find in the Search
box. The search functionality tries to predict the rest of the name: you can
press the right arrow key on your keyboard to accept the top suggestion, or
choose another suggestion from drop-down list.

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned the following:

MicroStrategy Web is available in three versions: Web Reporter, Web

Analyst, and Web Professional.

The home page displays the names and descriptions of all the available
projects.

Before you can access a project in MicroStrategy Web, you generally have
to log in to the project with a user name and password using the login
page.

The project home page displays several options, including Shared

Reports, My Reports, History List, My Subscriptions, Preferences, and
Search.

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MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Exercise: Using the MicroStrategy Web

Interface
You should complete all of these exercises in the MicroStrategy Tutorial
project.
functions that are available to you in the MicroStrategy Web
The
interface vary, depending on your user privileges. Therefore, you may
not see all of the options that were described in this lesson.

Access a Document and Perform Analysis

Overview
To complete these exercises, you need to log in to the MicroStrategy Tutorial
project in MicroStrategy Web. Your instructor will provide you with the
connection method, URL (if applicable), user name, and login.
In this exercise, you will use MicroStrategy Web to access the Support
Center Dashboard. You will determine how many new cases were logged in
North America in November of 2012. You will also use the dashboard to
determine which support center had the highest number of closed cases in
June of 2012.
You can use the detailed instructions if you want help.

Detailed Instructions
1 Depending on the configuration of your training environment, do one of
the following:
On the Start menu, select All Programs, select MicroStrategy Products,
and select Web.
OR

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MicroStrategy Web Essentials

Open your Internet browser and type the URL address provided by your
instructor. On the MicroStrategyUniversity page, click Connect to
MicroStrategy Web.

Your instructor will direct you on which connection method to use.

2 On the login page, in the User name box, type the user name assigned to
you by your instructor.
you are using MicroStrategy Web that is installed locally on your
Ifmachine,
you will see the login page after accessing the
MicroStrategy Tutorial project.
3 In the Password box, type the password assigned to you by your
instructor.
4 Click Login.
5 On the home page, click the link for the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.
6 On the project home page, in the Search box, type Support Center
Dashboard.
7 Click Support Center Dashboard in the results.
are multiple Support Center Dashboards in the results, you
Ifcanthere
click any one of them.

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8 In the dashboard, the Worldwide Summary graph displays case data by

region. Hovering your mouse pointer over the graph enables you to see
detailed information.

Using the various radio buttons, analyze the Worldwide Summary graph.
Based on the Worldwide Summary graph, how many new cases were
there in North America in November of 2012?
9 At the top of the dashboard, click Support Region Performance.
The Support Region Summary bubble grid shows data for cases by time
and support center. In the default view, bubble size corresponds to
number of closed cases. Which support center had the highest number of
closed cases in June of 2012?

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Exercise Answers
Using Selectors and Widgets

11) Using the Worldwide Summary graph, how many new cases were there in
North America in November of 2012? 849
13) Which support center had the highest number of closed cases in June of
2012? Mexico City

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REPORT SERVICES
DASHBOARDS

Lesson Description
In this lesson, you will learn the basic concepts behind MicroStrategy Report
Services dashboards.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Describe how you can use MicroStrategy Report Services to create
interactive, user-friendly RS dashboards.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe the benefits of the MicroStrategy Report Services product. (Page

61)

Describe the concepts related to RS dashboards. (Page 64)

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Report Services Dashboards

MicroStrategy Report Services

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe the benefits of the MicroStrategy Report Services product.

MicroStrategy Report Services is an enterprise reporting engine of the

MicroStrategy Analytics Platform. It is an add-on product to MicroStrategy
Intelligence Server.
MicroStrategy Intelligence Server is the core component of the MicroStrategy
platform which manages communication between clients (such as
MicroStrategy Developer, MicroStrategy Web, or MicroStrategy Office users)
and the metadata and project source. With the purchase of Report Services,
the product installs on the same machine as your Intelligence Server.
Whether a report developer is testing a report, a MicroStrategy Mobile user is
launching a dashboard, a MicroStrategy Office user is refreshing a report in a
Microsoft Word document, or a MicroStrategy Distribution Services
subscriber is receiving a report by emailall of these users rely on the
Intelligence Server to pass requests to the data warehouse and retrieve report
results. As part of this process, everything from authenticating user
permissions to prioritizing jobs to caching report results is performed by the
Intelligence Server.
After you install MicroStrategy Report Services, you use the Document Editor
in MicroStrategy Developer or MicroStrategy Web to access Report Services
functionality.
MicroStrategy Report Services enables users to combine many reports into
one dashboard and even multiple documents into a single location so all the
data is synchronized and in a single place.

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The Benefits of MicroStrategy Report Services

MicroStrategy Report Services was created to address the reporting needs of
an entire organization. For example, in any given company, report designers
may need to produce reports for a wide range of recipients and those
recipients may require specific styles and formats for their reports.
Executives may want to see high-level dashboards, while operational
managers may want to see detailed operational scorecards, and customers
may need to see personalized invoices. As you can see, the recipients for
business reports can span all levels of an enterprise, including external
recipients, such as customers.
Report Services provides the following benefits:

Effective Communication with Large AudiencesInformation is

readily consumed when presented in a user-friendly and aesthetically
pleasing format. By enabling high-quality report production and use of
standard corporate templates, MicroStrategy Report Services increases
the impact of enterprise reporting to the broadest populations.

Seamless Integration of Reporting and AnalysisUsers gain

premium insight from content-rich, boardroom-quality reports and the
complete spectrum of analyses. MicroStrategy technology enables users
to drill within cubes or drill within the data warehouse for detailed
investigative analysis, all through a unified Web interface. Reports are
powered by MicroStrategy OLAP Services, which allows user to access the
analytic functions library with more than 250 arithmetic and statistical
functions including correlations and rankings. The MicroStrategy
platform consolidates reporting and analysis and is easy to use and
administer.

Easy, Efficient, and Effective Design ExperienceMicroStrategy

Report Services enables report designers to combine traditional
hierarchical banded design techniques with newer Web-oriented
zone-based design techniques. MicroStrategy Report Services surpasses
all reporting paradigms and delivers complete report design freedom to
create analytically sophisticated and visually stunning reports. Any
changes to the report are automatically applied to the document.

Low Total Cost of OwnershipSince MicroStrategy Report Services

requires no additional software other than an internet browser to access
information, there are huge savings on hardware costs. The intuitive
nature of the product requires no intensive end-user training and very low
maintenance. Furthermore, MicroStrategy Report Services seamless
integration with the MicroStrategy platform makes it easy for
administrators to maintain.

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Report Services Dashboards

Robust Security FunctionsMicroStrategy Report Services reports can

reach an unlimited number of users through MicroStrategy's unified Web
interface, with each user receiving a completely personalized version of
each report. MicroStrategy delivers personalized information to many
diverse recipients automatically, through security filters, access control
lists, and user roles.

Consolidation of Business Insight from Multiple SourcesBusiness

users see information on a single scorecard, dashboard, or report, which
incorporates data from disparate sources across the enterprise. Report
designers combine data from the data warehouse with data from any
number of real-time operational databases and SAP BW instances.

Report Personalization to Match User PreferenceAll facets of the

report are automatically personalized, including report contents, report
language, and report drill-down paths. Users can further personalize the
report content by selecting options from convenient lists when the report
is run, known as parameterized reporting. Users can also personalize
their interface to further control their reporting experience.

High Throughput ProductionThe MicroStrategy platform enables

low-cost central administration of security and privileges, safeguarding
user self-service. For instance, one prompted report can translate into
hundreds of permutations as users select report contents from a list of
automatically defined choices based on security filters.

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What is a Report Services Dashboard?

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe the concepts related to RS dashboards.

Report Services (RS) dashboards are documents that enable business users
to interact with their data. RS dashboards typically consolidate many reports
into a single display through the use of multiple layers. Layers enable users to
follow a guided workflow, where they can identify problems and take
immediate action based on what they see within the layers of a single
document. The following features enable you to create multilayered RS
dashboards:

Panelsobjects that enable you to create layers within the RS dashboard

Selectorsobjects that enable users to dynamically select the data they

want to view for panels, metrics, grids, and graphs

Widgetsinteractive, Adobe Flash-enabled visualizations that

dynamically update when users select a new set of data to view

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Report Services Dashboards

The following image shows an interactive RS dashboard (displayed in Flash

Mode) that uses a variety of panels, selectors, and Flash features:
Sample RS DashboardPanels, Selectors, and Flash Features

This RS dashboard contains three panelsOverview, Support Region

Performance, and Product Adoptionthat provide different levels of
analysis. The RS dashboard panel selector enables you to choose which panel
to view. The current view of the document shows the Overview RS dashboard
panel.
The Overview RS dashboard panel has a Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
box at the top of the RS dashboard with a selector that enables you to choose
the time period you want to view in the table and gauges. When you change
the time period, the table and graphs dynamically update to plot the
appropriate data. The Worldwide Summary panel also includes a metrics
selector that lets you choose which metrics to plot on the interactive stacked
graph. Additionally, this flash-based graph also enables you to select which
attribute elements to display.
of these Flash features (rounded edges and transitions) are also
Some
used on other panels in this RS dashboard.

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The following image shows the same Support Center Operations Dashboard
panel with some modifications using the various selectors:
Sample DocumentInteractivity on Overview Panel

The RS dashboard panel now displays KPI data accumulated to December in

the top table and gauges. In the Worldwide Summary box, a different metric
displays in the graph. Also, with the interactive stacked graph, data for only
the selection regions (Europe and North America) displays.

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Report Services Dashboards

You can select a different RS dashboard panel to view another layer in the
document. The following image shows the Support Region Performance
panel of the RS dashboard:
Sample DocumentSupport Region Performance RS Dashboard Panel

This panel displays various metrics regarding support region performance in

the microchart in the upper half of the RS dashboard. The Microcharts
widget consists of one or more microcharts, which are compact charts
integrated into a grid of data that enables analysts to quickly identify trends.
This microchart contains another selector that enables you to select a region
in the grid, which also changes which data is displayed by the Region
Summary visualizations.
The bubble grid at the bottom right can be further customized by using the
metric selector above to change the metrics that are being compared and
displayed. A bubble chart lets users view a trend of three different metrics for
a set of attribute elements. One bubble represents a single attribute element.
The bubbles position on the X-axis represents the value for the first metric.
Its position on the Y-axis represents the value for the second metric. The size
of the bubble represents the value of the third metric.

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The following image shows the same Support Region Performance RS

dashboard panel. Selectors have been used to view different data within the
same document.
Sample DocumentInteractivity on Support Region Performance RS
Dashboard Panel

A different Support Region is selected in the Support Regions Overview

microchart, which results in the Support Region Summary table displaying
different values. The Support Centers listed in the bubble chart also change
as a result of selected a different support region. The metric comparison
displaying in the bubble grid is also changed.

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You can select the third RS dashboard panel to view yet another layer in the
document. The following image shows the Product Adoption RS dashboard
panel:
Sample DocumentProduct Adoption RS Dashboard Panel

The top portion of this panel has a metric selector that lets you choose
between Open Cases EOM and New Cases, each containing different sets of
grids and graphs. It also includes a graph on the bottom half of the RS
dashboard that illustrates the trend of a selected metric over time. The panel
selector above enables for variety in how the selected trend is displayed.

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The following image shows the same Product Adoption RS dashboard panel
with some modifications to the document using the panel selector:
Sample DocumentInteractivity on Product Adoption Panel

The panel at the bottom now displays a new set of grids with product
adoption information.
As you can see, with the variety of panels, selectors, and Flash features, this
RS dashboard provides many different levels of analysis in a single
document, gives users flexibility to easily change views, and displays the data
in a professionally appealing manner.

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Viewing Documents in MicroStrategy Web

There are several document display modes in MicroStrategy Web:

Interactive Mode lets users interact with the RS dashboard as well as

perform some basic document manipulations (such as pivoting, sorting,
and adding totals on grids or graphs)

Editable Mode is intended for document designers who want full access to
all of the editing capabilities of Report Services. In this mode, you can
interact with a document by using selectors to switch panels in a panel
stack, but you can also change any aspect of the documents appearance.
This mode is only mode in which you can alter a document as you view its
data content.

Flash Mode is the MicroStrategy Web display mode that you use when
your document contains any Flash widgets or Flash-specific formatting. It
also provides full interactivity to users in that they can use selectors to
change panels in panel stacks or use selectors to change the data
displayed within Flash widgets.

Express Mode is intended to offer much faster rendering and interaction

of RS dashboards and provide basic interactivity such as sorting, pivoting,
drilling, and navigation to links.

Design Mode in MicroStrategy Web enables you to create documents

without actually seeing the data they retrieve. This is the most useful
mode for designing a document very quickly, placing all of its contents in
the appropriate Document Editor sections and applying formatting
properties.

Flash Widgets
As you now see, including Flash widgets in a MicroStrategy RS dashboard
enhances its interactivity and visual appeal. MicroStrategy offers a variety of
the out-of-the-box Flash widgets, a handful of which are highlighted below.

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Gauge Widget
A Gauge widget is much like a cars speedometer. It displays a needle that
moves within a range of numbers shown on the gauge, as shown below:
Gauge Widget

The needle within the gauge is a visual representation of the single metric
value.
see an example of a gauge widget in a document, run the Regional
ToPerformance
Management Dashboard in the Shared Reports >
Dashboards and Scorecards folder.

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Time Series Slider

The Time Series Slider widget lets users see two views of time-related data,
microview or macroview. The Time Series Slider has a controller (shown
below in the upper graph) that permits users to set the range of data that is
visible in a separate area graph (shown below in the lower graph). Using the
slider of the controller, users can focus on a specific time range or expand
their view to a broader time range. An example of a Time Series Slider widget,
where the controller focuses on a specific time frame, is shown below:
Time Series Slider Widget

see an example of the Time Series Slider widget, run the Financial
ToStatements
document in the Shared Reports > Dashboards and
Scorecards folder.

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Interactive Stacked Graph

The Interactive Stacked Graph widget enables users to see a contribution of
an individual metric series (or a specific group of series) to the total. This
widget uses a built-in selector that permits the user to control the displayed
series. For example, in the image below, the check box selector on the left of
the chart controls the series that display in the area graph:
Interactive Stacked Graph Widget

As you select regions, more series display in the area chart. When all of the
series display, the chart represents the total of all the series. If you want to
view how a single series contributes to the total, simply click a single region.
If you want to view how multiple series contribute to the total, use the CTRL
key to multiselect several regions (highlighted in the image below). This type
of widget enables you to quickly analyze how the individual parts make up
the whole, which is useful when analyzing percent-to-total contributions.
another example of an Interactive Stacked Graph widget, run
TotheseeSupport
Center Dashboard in the Shared Reports > Dashboards
and Scorecards folder.

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Heat Map
Heat maps (also called Treemaps) display a combination of colored
rectangles, each representing an attribute element. Heat Maps enable you to
quickly grasp the state and impact of a large number of variables at once.
Heat Maps are often used in the financial services industry to review the
status of a portfolio. The size of each rectangle represents its relative weight.
The color represents the relative change in the value of a rectangle. The
smaller rectangles represent individual elements that form the larger
rectangle.
For example, in the image below, the Heat Map displays several rectangles.
Each rectangle represents individual subcategories. The large rectangles
represent the categories to which those subcategories belong. The size of each
subcategory rectangle represents its relative weight in terms of Revenue. The
color represents the state of the individual subcategories in terms of Profit.
The red rectangles have the lowest profit while the green rectangles have the
highest Profit. When you place your cursor over any individual rectangle, a
tooltip displays to show the Revenue and Profit data for the Subcategory
depicted.
Heat Map Widget

see another example of a heat map widget, run the Region Category
ToAnalysis
RS dashboard in the MicroStrategy Tutorial > Shared
Reports > MicroStrategy Platform Capabilities > MicroStrategy
Report Services > MicroStrategy Widget Library folder.

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned:

Report Services is an add-on product to Intelligence Server and it

seamlessly integrates into the entire MicroStrategy platform.

Report Services offers the following advantages:

Effective communication with large audiences
Seamless integration of reporting and analysis
Easy, efficient and effective design experience
Low total cost of ownership
Robust security functions
Consolidation of business insight from multiple sources
Report Personalization to Match User Preference
High throughput production

RS dashboards are documents that include additional features, such as

layers and panels, which provide a new level of interactivity to a
document.

Using MicroStrategys out-of-the-box visualizations, you can include

many different types of widgets in your documents.

Widgets are interactive, Adobe Flash-enabled visualizations that

dynamically update when users select a new set of data to view.

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Report Services Dashboards

There are several document display modes in MicroStrategy Web:

Interactive Mode enables interaction with the RS dashboard as well as
some basic document manipulations.
Editable Mode is intended for document designers who want full
access to all of the editing capabilities of Report Services.
Flash Mode is the MicroStrategy Web display mode that you use when
your document contains any Flash widgets or Flash-specific
formatting.
Express Mode is intended for document analysts who want to interact
with documents using simple selectors.
Design Mode enables you to create documents without actually seeing
the data they retrieve.

The Gauge widget is a single value widget that displays a needle moving
within a range of numbers shown on the gauge.

The Time Series Slider widget enables users to set the range of
time-related data in the macroview graph that is visible in a separate
microview graph.

The Interactive Stacked Graph widget displays the contribution of

individual metric series to the total.

Heat Map widget displays a combination of colored rectangles, each

representing an attribute element.

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Exercises: Report Services Dashboards

Using Selectors and Widgets
Overview
In this exercise, you will use the California Department of Transportation RS
dashboard to analyze population and commuting statistics for various
California counties for a business that is interested in entering into areas
exhibiting high population grown, an educated population, and long
commuting times.
To complete this exercise, use the California Department of Transportation
RS dashboard to identify the counties that have high population growth
compared to last year. Next, determine which of these counties has a large
percentage of its population with some college or bachelor degrees, as well as
a large numbers of commuters who spend more than 60 minutes in one-way
transit to work.

Detailed Instructions
Identify counties with high population growth

1 Log in to MicroStrategy Tutorial with the username and password from

the previous exercise.
2 On the project home page, in the Search box, type California Population
Analysis.
3 Click California Population Analysis in the results.
there are multiple California Population Analysis documents
Ifreturned,
you can select any one of them.

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4 When the RS dashboard executes in Flash Mode, it will look like the
image below:

The Microcharts widget on the right side of the RS dashboard displays

year-to-year population growth. What are the top three counties listed in
terms of population growth in the past year?
You can reorder the list of counties by hovering over the Y/Y
Hint:
Pop. Growth column header and clicking the appropriate triangle.
Research other demographic information

5 On the left side of the RS dashboard lies a fish eye selector widget listing
all 58 California counties. Select the top county in terms of population
growth from the list.
6 From the Total Minutes Commuted One-Way to Work graph, note how
many commuters spend more than 60 minutes commuting to work.

You can mouse over the graph to see detailed information.

7 Above the Population Growth graph, click Education.
8 Note what percentage of the population has Some College or holds a
Bachelors Degree or >.

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9 Repeat steps 5-8 for the remaining two of the top three counties in terms
of year-to-year population growth.
10 Of the top three counties in terms of year-to-year population growth,
which two offer the best business opportunities given the need for an area
with a large percentage of its population with some college or bachelor
degrees and a large number of commuters who spend more than 60
minutes in one-way transit to work?

Build a RS Dashboard
Overview
In this exercise, you will use one of the RS dashboard templates to create a
quick document from the Category Sales Report dataset. You will use your RS
dashboard to determine the most profitable Subcategories for each Category.
You will also determine which Subcategories within the Music Category
underperformed relative to their profit forecasts. When you complete the
exercise, your RS dashboard should resemble the following image:
Basic RS Dashboard from Template

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Detailed Instructions
1 On the project home page, click New Document.
2 Under Dashboard Templates, click the 04 Title and Two Contents
document template.
3 On the left side of the screen, in the Dataset Objects window, click Add
Dataset.

4 In the Shared Reports folder, click Subject Areas.

5 Click Sales and Profitability Analysis.
6 Click Category Sales Report.
7 Click OK.
8 In the Layout area, double-click inside the top-most title box and type
Category Sales Overview.
9 On the left-most panel, click Add Content and select Grid.
10 From the Dataset Objects window, drag the Revenue metric to the
columns.
11 Drag the Category attributes to the columns, below the Revenue metric.
12 On the right-most panel, click Add Content, point to Graph, and select
Horizontal bar.
13 From the Dataset Objects window, drag the Subcategory attribute to the
Categories zone.
14 Drag the Profit metric to the Metrics zone.
15 Drag the Profit Forecast metric to the Metrics zone, below the Profit
metric.
16 Click Close to exit Graph Design Mode.

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17 On the left-hand grid, right-click Category and select Select Targets.

18 Click on the right-hand graph.
19 Click the green check mark.
20 In the message window, click OK.
21 Mouse-over the Grid in the left panel until the Select / Move icon displays.

22 Right-click Select / Move, point to View Mode, and select Graph View.
23 In the main toolbar, click Graph.
24 In the Graph drop-down list, select Pie.
25 In the MicroStrategy Web toolbar, click Interactive Mode.

26 In the left panel displaying a pie chart, click Movies.

pie chart works as a selector. By clicking Movies on the pie chart,
The
the horizontal bar chart on the right changes to display data for
Subcategories of Movies.
27 Repeat this process to determine the most profitable Subcategory within
each Category.
Movies _________________________________
Music __________________________________
Books _________________________________
Electronics ______________________________

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28 Which Subcategories of the Music Category underperformed relative to

their profit forecasts?
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________

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Exercise Answers
Using Selectors and Widgets

4) What are the top three counties listed in terms of population growth in the
past year? Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego
10) Of the top three counties in terms of year-to-year population growth,
which two offer the best business opportunities given the need for an area
with a large percentage of its population with some college or bachelor
degrees and a large number of commuters who spend more than 60
minutes in one-way transit to work? San Diego and Los Angeles offer
the best opportunities as they have the greatest percentage of their
populations with at least some college and they have a large
number of commuters who spend more than 60 minutes in one-way
transit to work.
Build a RS Dashboard

27) What are the most profitable Subcategories within each Category?
Movies: Special Interests
Music: Soul / R&B
Books: Science & Technology
Electronics: Video Equipment
28) Which Subcategories of the Music Category underperformed relative to
their profit forecasts?
Alternative, Country, Pop, and Rock

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4
VISUAL INSIGHT

Lesson Description
In this lesson, you will learn the features and functionality of Visual Insight in
MicroStrategy Report Services. In this lesson, you will see how Visual Insight
enables you to rapidly transform data into informative visualizations.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Create Visual Insight dashboards.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain Visual Insight and VI dashboards. (Page 89)

Explain how to use the Edit Visualization pane and create new layouts.
Describe the different visualizations available in VI. (Page 93)

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Visual Insight

Introduction to Visual Insight

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Explain Visual Insight and VI dashboards.

What Is Visual Insight?

Visual Insight, or VI, is an innovative feature targeted for business users. VI
provides a powerful, new way to explore data simply and easily, without
needing direct support from IT. It can translate data into usable
visualizations in minutes. VI achieves this by utilizing drag-and-drop
manipulations, highly graphical displays, and instant feedback. Users are
able to rapidly experiment with different views and discover data insights.
VI is included with the MicroStrategy Report Services product and is
accessed in the MicroStrategy Web interface. It is based on Flash technology
to provide incredible speed-of-interactivity and a highly graphical interface.
In addition to MicroStrategy Web, you can also use VI in MicroStrategy
Mobile for Apple iPad and MicroStrategy Developer. You cannot create
new VI dashboards in the current version of MicroStrategy Mobile, but you
can interact with and modify dashboards.
When using VI, Web Analysts have access to various VI capabilities,
including the option to import data from files and databases.

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What is a VI Dashboard?
A VI dashboard is a document that utilizes VI technology to create vivid,
bright visualizations instantly. With its focus on immediate, graphical
representation, any business user can benefit from incorporating information
in a VI dashboard.
A VI dashboard is created by using the interactive VI panes as shown below:
Visual Insight Dashboard

1 The Visualization pane is the main dashboard area where data is

displayed in a grid or graph, which are also referred to as visualizations.
2 The Layouts pane is where you can create or move between multiple
layouts, each holding a different display of data within the visualization
pane.
3 The Dataset Objects pane lists the data available for use in the VI
dashboard.
4 The Edit Visualization pane controls the data that is shown in the
visualization pane.

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Visual Insight

5 The Filters pane enables you to choose specific qualifications to apply to

the data. Then, the results of your qualifications display in the
visualization pane.
6 The Page-by pane gives you the ability to view information from different
categories. For example, if you place Year in the page-by pane, you can
view the data in the visualization pane one year at a time for each year
within your dataset.

Creating a VI Dashboard
A VI dashboard is created from:

A report

An Intelligent Cube

An imported file, such as an Excel, text, or CSV file

The results of a Freeform SQL query

Salesforce.com data

need the Web Analyst privilege to create a VI dashboard from an

You
imported file.
Intelligent Cubes are sets of data that are saved directly to the Intelligence
Server memory. This data can be then used by multiple users to create
various reports and documents. Intelligent Cubes provide performance gains
by eliminating the need to query against your database or data source for
every report or document because the data is saved in the memory of the
machine running Intelligence Server.
The VI dashboard uses data by bringing it in as a dataset. As you construct a
VI dashboard, you can use only the dataset objects that are in the report,
Intelligent Cube, or imported file from which you created the VI dashboard.

You can include multiple cubes as datasets in a single VI dashboard.

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When you create a new VI dashboard, the dashboard automatically

recommends a specific visualization that works with your data and marks it,
as shown below:
Visualization Menu with Recommended Visualization

After you have selected a data source and a visualization, MicroStrategy Web
converts the objects in the Intelligent Cube, report, or imported file into a
dataset and fills the dataset objects pane, as illustrated below:
VI Dashboard with New Dataset

themes are available in Visual Insight. The light theme is shown

Two
above, and the dark theme is also displayed in this lesson. You can
switch between the two themes on the fly according to your preference
and they have identical functionality.

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Visual Insight

Using Visual Insight

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Explain how to use the Edit Visualization pane and create new layouts.
Describe the different visualizations available in VI.

Using the Edit Visualization Pane

The Edit Visualization pane is broken into different drop zones where you
arrange the dataset objects that you want to include in your visualization. The
most common drop zones in the Edit Visualization pane are:

Vertical Axis

Horizontal Axis

Color By

Break By

Size By

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Edit Visualization Pane

Certain visualizations will add unique drop zones to enable you to interact
fully with the visualization, such as: Vertical Axis, Horizontal Axis, Break By,
Color By, Size By, and so forth.
Attributes and metrics are placed in the drop zones by dragging them from
the Dataset Objects pane to the drop zones. If you try to place an object in an
incorrect drop zone, a red and white x will display over the object you are
dragging, and you will not be able to release the object.
When you make a change in the Edit Visualization pane, the visualization
pane automatically refreshes itself and displays the change.

Visualizations
VI offers bright, insightful displays in the visualization pane. The default
visualization when you open a VI dashboard is a grid. Other visualization
options include: Graph, Heat Map, Map, and Network. A handful of these
visualizations are detailed in the following pages.

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Visual Insight

Heat Map
A Heat Map in VI behaves similarly to a Heat Map widget in a RS dashboard.
Like a Heat Map widget, a VI Heat Map uses large rectangles to represent the
highest level attribute and smaller, interior rectangles to represent the
individual elements of the larger rectangle. You can also choose metrics to
represent the size and color of each rectangle.
Visual Insight Heat Map

The main difference between a VI Heat Map and a RS dashboard Heat Map is
that the user accesses and interacts with the formatting options differently.

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Graph
A Graph visualization allows you to view your data in a graphical layout, such
as a bar graph or scatter graph. You can select from a variety of graph styles
to display the data. For example, the following image displays the vertical bar
graph style:
Vertical Bar Graph

While viewing a Graph visualization, you can swap the data displayed on the
horizontal axis with the data displayed on the vertical axis.

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Visual Insight

The next image shows a couple of other graph styles for the Graph
visualization:
Bar and Area Graph Styles

Map Visualization
Visual Insight supports map visualization, including ESRI Maps
visualization. Map visualizations enable you to view your data based on the
location of the attribute you want to analyze. For example, if you want to view
the crime count for each police district using, the results would show a map
that marks each police district with a colored bubble. The color of the bubble
represents the crime count.

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The capabilities of the map visualization include:

Filtering on specific map markers that you select.

Displaying map markers images or dynamic bubbles. If you display the

map markers as dynamic bubbles, the size of each bubble is automatically
determined based on the value of the metric used to display the map
markers.

Creating a popup information window containing additional information

about a location that displays when the user points to a map marker in the
visualization.

Map Visualization

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Visual Insight

Density Map
The Density Map visualization enables you to view data on a map that uses
color-coded density to show high or low concentrations of the object you
want to analyze. For example, in the image below, the density map is showing
the concentration of stores in New York. The state shows colored sections
ranging from blue to red, with blue representing a low concentration of stores
and red representing a high concentration of stores.
Density Map Visualization

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Image Layout
The image layout visualization displays a map that is overlaid with colored
areas or bubbles. The color of the area or bubbles comes from the value of a
metric within the visualization.
While the image layout visualization displays on a map, you do not have to
have a Google Maps API key to utilize this visualization. The image layout
visualization uses HTML map technology. Each area on a map, defined in a
shape file, is assigned a unique name that typically corresponding to a
geographical location. The attribute that you add to the Geo Attribute drop
zone should contain values that match the names defined for individual map
areas. The color of each map area is based on the value of a metric
corresponding the geo attributes element.
Image Layout

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Visual Insight

Network Visualization
Network visualizations enable you to illustrate relationships that exist in your
data. Each circle, or node, represents an attribute element. The lines, or
edges, drawn between circles represent the relationship between the attribute
elements.
Network visualizations are highly customizable and can convey large
amounts information in a way that is easy to digest and useful. You can use
metrics to control edge color, edge size, and node size.
Network Visualization

edges in this network visualization have a threshold that

The
represents the cost spent on each category. If a call center has spent
less money on a category, the edge is green. If a call center has spent
more money on a category, the edge is orange or red.
There are three layouts available in network visualizations. The preceding
image is a force-directed layout, which places one group of elements in an
outer circle around the other group of elements.

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The other two network visualization layouts are circular layout and linear
layout. The circular layout places all the elements in one large circle with the
edges running through the center of the circle. The linear layout places all of
the elements in a line and arches the edges over and below them.
Network VisualizationCircular Layout

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Visual Insight

Network VisualizationLinear Layout

You can change the network layout using the layout icons in the upper right
of the visualization.
Network Layout Icons

learn more about Visual Insight, refer to the MicroStrategy Visual

ToInsight
Essentials course.

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned:

Visual Insight, or VI, is an innovative tool that enables you to instantly

create visually appealing and intuitive analyses.

Depending on your privileges, you can create a VI dashboard from

A report

Intelligent Cubes

Imported files, such as an Excel, text, or CSV file

The results of a Freeform SQL query

Salesforce.com data

The six panes that make up a VI dashboard are:

Visualization pane
Layouts pane
Edit Visualization pane
Dataset Objects pane
Filters pane
Page-by pane

A Heat Map displays a combination of colored rectangles, each

representing an attribute element and one or two metrics.

A Graph visualization allows you to view your data in a graphical layout,

such as a bar graph or scatter graph. You can select from a variety of
graph styles to display the data.

The three different types of Map visualizations are Map, Density Map, and
Image Layout.

Network visualizations are best used to illustrate the relationships

between related items.

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Exercises: Visual Insight in MicroStrategy Web

All exercises should be completed in the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

Edit an Existing Visual Insight Dashboard

Overview
In this exercise, you will modify the Casino Visual Insight Analysis to
create new views of the data. By modifying this Visual Insight dashboard, you
will be able to answer the following questions:

Which slot machine has the highest handle?

Which machines have the highest profit margin?

Which slot machines had the highest profit margin on sunny days?

You can use the detailed instructions that follow for assistance.

Detailed Instructions
Open the VI dashboard

1 Log in to the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

2 On the project home page, in the Search box, type Casino Visual Insight
Analysis.
3 Click Casino Visual Insight Analysis in the results.
there are multiple Casino Visual Insight Analysis documents
Ifreturned,
you can select any one of them.

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Modify the VI dashboard

4 In the Casino Analysis layout, use the panel selector to view the $100
Jackpots panel and determine which slot machine has the highest
jackpot.

Which slot machine has the highest profit margin?

can mouse over the colored rectangles to display more
You
information about the attributes they represent.
5 If the Edit Visualization pane is not visible, in the VI dashboard toolbar,
click Show and select Edit Visualization to display it.

6 In the Edit Visualization pane, in the Size By pane, point to the Jackpot
Amount metric and click Remove.

7 In the Dataset Objects pane, drag the Handle metric to the Edit
Visualization pane, under Size By.
refers to the total amount of money wagered on an event or
Handle
within a given period of time.
8 Analyzing the Heat Map visualization, which slot machine has the lowest
handle?

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Filter the VI dashboard

9 In the Visual Insight toolbar, click Show and select Filters.

10 In the Filters panel, expand Weather.

11 Clear the All checkbox.
12 Select Sunny.
13 Using the Heat Map visualization displayed, which slot machine has the
highest handle on sunny days?
14 Using the Heat Map visualization displayed, which slot machine has the
lowest profit margin on sunny days?

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Exercise Answers
Edit an Existing Virtual Insight Dashboard

4)In the Heat Map visualization displayed, determine which slot machine has
the highest jackpot? Machine 289
5) In the Heat Map visualization displayed, which slot machine has the
highest profit margin? Machine 1
9) Using the Heat Map visualization displayed, which slot machine has the
lowest handle? Machine 1
14) Using the Heat Map visualization displayed, which slot machine has the
highest handle on sunny days? Machine 145
15) Using the Heat Map visualization displayed, which slot machine has the
lowest profit margin on sunny days? Machine 241

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5
DOCUMENTS

Lesson Description
This lesson provides an overview regarding documents other than RS
dashboards and VI dashboards in MicroStrategy Web, details the types of
documents, and explains the use of datasets.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Identify the different types of MicroStrategy documents and define the
components of the Document Editor.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe the types of reports you can design with Report Services. (Page
111)

Identify the components of the Document Editor. (Page 115)

Create documents using existing reports. (Page 118)

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Documents

Reporting Capabilities
After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe the types of reports you can design with Report Services.

MicroStrategy Report Services provides the ability to create customized RS

dashboards, VI dashboards, and various other documents within
MicroStrategy Web. RS dashboards and MicroStrategy Mobile dashboards
are all created in MicroStrategy Web with the Document Editor.
MicroStrategy Web documents are depictions built from one or more
datasets that can combine grids, graphs, boxes, and other graphical elements.
With the exception of RS dashboards, which are designed to be viewed
online, documents are printable and will display the same on-screen as on
paper. Below are just a few examples of the many types of documents
commonly created in MicroStrategy Web:

Operational Reports

Classic Business Reports

Invoices and Statements

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Operational Reports
Operational reports organize data into densely-populated documents that
contain various rows of detail grouped in an easy to read fashion. The image
below shows an example of an operational document created with Report
Services:
Operational Report Example

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Documents

Classic Business Reports

You create classic business reports using charts and grids, which you group
together so that the data is easy to read. Classic business reports can satisfy
many types of reporting needs. The image below shows an example of a
classic business report created with Report Services:
Classic Business Report Example

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Invoices and Statements

Invoices and statements are typically very personalized. They serve the
purpose of billing or communicating with recipients. These documents
employ a predefined and structured format with text and dynamically
populated fields. The image below shows an example of an invoice created
with Report Services:
Invoice Example

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Documents

Document Editor
After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Identify the components of the Document Editor.

Report developers create new documents or edit existing documents in

MicroStrategy Web by using the Document Editor in Design Mode. To see
how the Document Editor works, we will review the Category Sales and Profit
Performance Document in Interactive Mode view:
Category Sales and Profit Performance Document

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The document displays in an easy to read format with each metric calculating
to display accurate data. When you review the same document in Design
Mode, you see the structure of the document and its objects, without seeing
the actual data:
Category Sales and Profit Performance Document in Document Editor

The Document Editor is comprised of the following sections:

1 AccordionThe Accordion comprises the left side of the Document
Editor. This tool conveniently places the Dataset objects, Document
Structure, Notes, and Related Reports panes for quick access as you build
your customized document. Each of these panes gives you access to
valuable tools that aid in the development of a document in MicroStrategy
Web.

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Documents

2 Layout areaThe Layout area enables report designers to define how

document content displays. For example, a metric placed in the Page
Header section displays on every page of a document, whereas if the
metric is placed in the detail header, it only displays one time.
3 Grouping panelThe grouping panel allows document users to
determine which attribute element to depict on each document. A
document that has the Region attribute in the grouping panel will allow
users to select which specific region (e.g. Northeast) on which to display
information.

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Creating Documents with Datasets

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Create documents using existing reports.

Report Services documents use objects from existing MicroStrategy reports,

or datasets. These objects, such as attributes or metrics, are available to
report designers when datasets are added to the Dataset Objects pane in the
Document Editor.
In the example displayed below, the Regional Sales dataset includes the
Region, Category, Subcategory, and Year attributes in addition to the
Revenue and Units Sold metrics. By adding this dataset to the document, you
are able to display the data for any of these objects. Adding a second dataset
allows for the use of additional objects. Any data displayed in a document
comes from a dataset added to the document.
Document with Sales by Region Dataset

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Documents

Using Multiple Layouts

Documents can display different layouts in a single document. You navigate
between multiple layouts by selecting appropriate tab at the top of the
document.
Each layout tab can have its own grouping fields, which do not affect other
layouts. Each layout can also have its own page orientation, borders and
background colors, autostyles, and more.
Reporters and Web Analysts can view multiple-layout
Web
documents. Web Professionals can also edit the different layouts in a
single document.
The following image displays a document with two layouts:
Multiple-layout DocumentFirst Layout

The first layout groups data by Subcategory and Region.

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The following image displays another layout of the same document, which
groups data by Subcategory only:
Multiple-Layout DocumentSecond Layout

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Documents

Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned:

In addition to VI dashboards and RS dashboards, there are three types of

documents that are commonly created in MicroStrategy Web:
Operational Reports, Classic Business Reports, and Invoices and
Statements.

Operational reports organize data into densely populated documents that

contain various rows of details grouped in an easy to read fashion.

Classic business reports group together data using charts and grids so that
it is easy to read.

Invoices and statements are typically personalized Report Services

documents that are used to bill or otherwise communicate with
recipients.

The Document Editor enables report developers to create and edit

documents.

Datasets are the source of all data displayed in a document.

Report developers create new documents or edit existing documents in

MicroStrategy Web by using the Document Editor.

The Document Editor consists of the Accordion, the Layout Area, and the
Grouping Panel.

Documents can display different layouts in a single document, each with

its own grouping fields.

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Exercises: Documents in MicroStrategy Web

All exercises should be completed in the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

Modify an Operational Report Document

Overview
In this exercise, you will modify the Product Performance Detailed
Analysis document to display Quarter Sales for the Southeast region as
currency to two decimal places. You will use the document to determine
Quarter Sales for each Subcategory.
The final result set will look like the following:

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Detailed Instructions
Execute the document

1 Log in to the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

2 On the project home page, in the Search box, type Product Performance
Detailed Analysis.
3 Click Product Performance Detailed Analysis in the results.
there are multiple Product Performance Detailed Analysis
Ifdocuments
returned, you can select any one of them.
Use the grouping pane

4 This is an Operational Report detailing Subcategory performance during

Q4 of 2012. In the Grouping Pane, in the Region: drop-down list, select
Southeast.
5 Notice the Sales total displays in the Subcategory band. Use the Category:
drop-down list to determine the Quarter Sales for each Category:
Books:__________________________________________
Electronics:______________________________________
Movies:_________________________________________
Music:__________________________________________
Make changes to the document

6 In the MicroStrategy Web toolbar, click Design Mode.

7 Remember that Design Mode displays the MicroStrategy Document

without actually retrieving data. In the Layout Area, in the Region
Header, right-click Quarter Sales: {Revenue} box and select Properties
and Formatting.
8 In the left panel, under Format, select Number.
9 On the right, under Number, select Currency.

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10 In the Decimal places: box, type 2, if it is not already set to 2.

11 Click OK.
12 In the MicroStrategy Web toolbar, click Express Mode to execute the
document.

13 Change the menu options in the Grouping Pane for Category: and
Subcategory: to (All) and the Region: menu option to Southeast if
necessary.
14 Check your document against the image below. Notice that the Quarter
Sales figure in the Region header now displays two decimal points.

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Exercise Answers
Modify an Operational Report Document

5)Determine the Quarter Sales for each Subcategory.

Books: $5,842
Electronics: $4,595
Movies: $15,900
Music: $15,830

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6
REPORTS IN MICROSTRATEGY
WEB

Lesson Description
This lesson provides an overview of reports in MicroStrategy Web. You will
then learn the components of a MicroStrategy report and how to create new
reports of your own.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Describe the components of a report, and the options for creating reports.
Create and save reports using the predesigned report and the blank report
options.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe the components that make up a report. (Page 129)

Create your own reports in MicroStrategy Web. (Page 132)

Describe the three components of the Design Mode interface used to create
reports in MicroStrategy Web. (Page 134)

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Reports in MicroStrategy Web

What Is a Report?
After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe the components that make up a report.

Now that you are already familiar with MicroStrategy documents and RS
dashboards, it is important to examine the key building block of these tools
reports. Reports are the focus of business intelligence analysis and enable
users to gather business insight through data analysis. The results from any
MicroStrategy Web report is often just a starting point for further business
intelligence investigations.
A simple report typically has at least one attribute, one metric, and a report
filter. Not all of these components are required, but the data returned is often
more meaningful when you use them.
A report is a request for specific data from the data source. It consists of a
template plus any desired filtering criteria.
Report

A template specifies what information to retrieve from the data source and
how this information is displayed in the report results.

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A report filter specifies the conditions that the data must meet to be included
in the report results.
When a report is executed, you obtain a formatted collection of all of the
objects (such as attributes and metrics) specified on the template that have
satisfied the filtering conditions of the report filter. For example, a report can
show you a list of stores in a specific region, the price and volume of stock for a
given period of time, or other important information. You can change the
reports formatting details to suit your requirements and preferences.
Whenever you create a report, you also create a template and a report filter.
Although you may not specifically define and use a separate template or report
filter object, these are the objects that logically make up a report definition.

The Template
A template specifies what information to retrieve from the data source and how
this information is displayed in the report results. Templates may contain any
of the following objects, in any combination:

AttributeProvides context in which to report on and analyze business

facts or calculations. While knowing your companys total sales is useful,
knowing where and when the sales took place provides the kind of
analytical depth users require on a daily basis.

MetricRepresents business measures and key performance indicators.

Metrics are the calculations performed on data stored in your database, the
results of which are displayed on a report. All the metrics are grouped
together and bound to one axis (the rows or the columns).
more information on metrics, see the MicroStrategy Developer:
For
Reporting Essentials course.

Object PromptEnables users to define at run time which objects will

display on the template. A prompt is a question the system presents to a
user during report execution. How the user answers the question
determines what data is displayed on the report when it is returned from
your data source.

The Report Filter

A report filter specifies the conditions that the data must meet to be included in
the report results. You can create report filters the following MicroStrategy
objects:
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Attribute Forms

Attribute Element Lists

Dates

Metric Values

Reports in MicroStrategy Web

information about attribute forms, see the MicroStrategy

For
Developer: Reporting Essentials course. For information about
attribute elements, see Attributes starting on page 32.

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Creating Reports
After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Create your own reports in MicroStrategy Web.

You can create your own reports in MicroStrategy Web using predesigned
reports. A predesigned report is a partially defined report that serves as a
foundation for creating new reports. It may already have objects in the Report
Objects tab or the template, and it may already have report filter conditions
defined. Using this predesigned report, a report designer can build new reports
based on his or her reporting needs.
Also, you can create your own reports in MicroStrategy Web using prompted
predesigned reports. A prompted predesigned report contains prompts that
enable you to build the template and filter content for the report.
To access these predesigned reports, you need to use the Create Report option.
You can access this option from the MicroStrategy Web project home page,
from a report page (when viewing any report), or from the top of any Web page
using the navigation toolbar.

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Reports in MicroStrategy Web

There are three options for creating new reports in MicroStrategy Web:

Prompted Predesigned ReportEnables you to create a report by

answering a series of prompts that guide you through the report creation
process. The two prompted reports that are automatically created for all
MicroStrategy projects are the Report Wizard and the Report Builder.
more information on creating reports with the Report Wizard
For
and the Report Builder, see the MicroStrategy Web for Reporters
and Analysts course.

Predesigned ReportEnables you to create a report based on a partially

defined template and report filter.
reports are available in both MicroStrategy Web
Predesigned
Analyst and MicroStrategy Web Professional.
OLAP Services is required to use predesigned
MicroStrategy
reports.

Blank ReportEnables you to create a report by defining the template

and the report filter entirely from scratch. You also have the ability to
create a report from an Intelligent Cube or MDX source.
Blank Report option is only available in MicroStrategy Web
The
Professional.
OLAP Services is required to create a report from an
MicroStrategy
Intelligent Cube.

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Design Mode
After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe the three components of the Design Mode interface used to create
reports in MicroStrategy Web.

Design Mode is a powerful feature that allows the report developer to

customize predesigned reports, modify existing reports, or create new reports
through an intuitive interface that includes the Object Browser, the template
definition window, and the filter definition window.
Report in Design Mode

1 The template definition window allows you to define the report layout by
adding objects to the rows, the columns, or the page-by area from the
Report Objects pane or the All Objects pane.
2 The Report filter definition window allows you to specify the conditions the
data must meet in order for it to be retrieved from the data source.
3 The Object Browser enables you to view the objects included in the report
and to navigate through the project to locate objects you want to add to the
report.

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Reports in MicroStrategy Web

The Object Browser contains five panes:

The Report Objects pane displays the objects that are currently part of
the report definition. This pane provides access to MicroStrategy
Attributes, Metrics, and other objects that can be added to the
template by the Report Developer.

Report Objects pane is only available with MicroStrategy

The
OLAP Services.

The All Objects pane enables you to navigate through the project to
select and add additional objects to the report.

The MDX Objects pane allows users easier access to the rich set of
MicroStrategy reporting and analysis functionality on the data in your
MDX cube source.

The Notes pane allows users to actively collaborate online with other
MicroStrategy Web users. You can think of notes as annotations or
comments attached to a document.

The Related Reports pane displays links to reports and documents

that are stored in the same folder as the report you are currently
viewing.

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned the following:

Reports are the focus of business intelligence analysis. They enable users to
gather business insight through data analysis.

A template specifies what information to retrieve from the data source and
how this information is displayed in the report results.

A report filter enables you to limit the data to a specific area of interest.

You can create reports in MicroStrategy Web using prompts.

You can create reports using predesigned reports, including the Report
Builder.

Design Mode is a powerful feature that allows the report developer to create
or modify a report through an intuitive interface that includes the Object
Browser, the template definition window, and the filter definition window.

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Exercises: Reports in MicroStrategy Web

You should complete all of these exercises in the MicroStrategy Tutorial
project.

Create a Report Using the Report Builder

Overview
In this exercise, you will create a report using the Report Builder. This report
should contain the following objects on the template: Customer Region,
Subcategory, Profit, and Profit Margin. The report should be filtered to
only include data for year 2012 for subcategories with Revenue greater than
$100,000. The results set should look like the following:

You can use the detailed instructions if you want help.

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Detailed Instructions
Create a new report

1 On the MicroStrategy project home page, click New Report.

2 On the Create Report page, click Blank Report.
Select the attributes for the report template and report filter

3 In the All Objects pane, if you do not see gray triangles next to folders, click
view mode to switch from list mode to tree mode.

4 Expand Data Explorer.

5 Expand the Customers hierarchy.
6 Drag the Customer Region attribute to the Rows of the template.
7 In the All Objects pane, expand the Products hierarchy.
8 Drag the Subcategory attribute to the Rows of the template, to the right of
Customer Region.
9 In the All Objects pane, expand the Time hierarchy.
10 Expand the Year attribute.
11 Drag 2012 to the Report Filter pane.
Select the metrics for the report template and report filter

12 In the top of the All Objects pane, in the drop-down list, select Metrics.

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13 In the Search for box, type Profit.

14 Click Find.
15 Double-click Profit to add it to the columns of the template.
16 Double-click Profit Margin to add it to the columns of the template.
17 In the Search for box, type Revenue.
18 Drag the Revenue metric to the Report Filter Pane.
Select the metric qualification for the report filter

19 In the drop-down list, select Greater than.

20 In the Enter value box, type 100,000.
21 Click Apply.

Save the report

22 Click Save.
23 In the Save As window, in the Save in drop-down list, select My Reports.
24 In the Name box, type Profit for Best-Selling Subcategories by
Customer Region for 2012.
25 Click OK.
26 In the Report Saved window, click Run newly saved report.

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Your results set should look like the following:

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OLAP SERVICES IN
MICROSTRATEGY WEB

Lesson Description
This lesson describes commonly used OLAP Services features in MicroStrategy
Web. This lesson describes the features including Intelligent Cubes, data
import, derived elements, derived metrics, and view filters.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Describe and use selected OLAP Services features in MicroStrategy Web.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

List the types of analysis that are provided by the OLAP Services product.
(Page 143)

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OLAP Services in MicroStrategy Web

Introduction to OLAP Services

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
List the types of analysis that are provided by the OLAP Services product.

MicroStrategy OLAP Services is an add-on product to Intelligence Server.

While this product is not required to develop documents and reports, the
functionality it provides can greatly enhance the performance and flexibility
of these MicroStrategy objects. This product provides MicroStrategy
customers with the following types of analysiscube analysis, derived
elements, derived metrics, and view filters.

Intelligent Cubes as Datasets

When deciding which datasets to include in their documents, designers have
several choices. With OLAP Services, they can use Intelligent Cubes as
datasets. MicroStrategy Intelligent Cube technology allows you to create
multi-dimensional cubes (sets of data) that are stored within MicroStrategy
Intelligence Server memory. By storing this data on the Intelligence Server,
documents execute 50-100% faster. This is because when a document is
executed with an Intelligent cube as a dataset, the data is pulled directly from
Intelligence Server rather than against the original data source such as a
database.

Data Import
Data Import is a feature of OLAP Services that enables MicroStrategy
customers to import data easily from unmodeled data sources. These data
sources include local files, databases, and even SalesForce.com. After the
data is imported, it is mapped to attributes and metrics in the metadata and
published as an Intelligent Cube. The published Intelligent Cube is used to
create reports, documents, or VI dashboards. The data import feature
expands the variety of data sources that you can use in your MicroStrategy
reports and documents to include Excel spreadsheets, CSV files, and other
databases.

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more information about Data Import, refer to the

For
MicroStrategy Web Professional course.
Data Import in MicroStrategy Web

Derived Elements
A derived element is a grouping of attribute elements for the purposes of
display and aggregation. You can group multiple elements on a grid to
display as a single element, replacing its individual components.

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For example, consider the following grid with Region on the rows and the
Revenue metric and the Quarter attribute in the columns:
Report without Derived Elements

There are eight regions on the report, many of which you could combine to
form larger regions. You can group the Northwest and Southwest regions and
display them on the report as one elementWest. The Revenue metric is
automatically aggregated to include data for both derived elements:
Report with West Derived Element

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In addition to creating derived elements that replace their components, you

can also create new calculations that display in addition to the elements that
comprise them. For example, you can create a new calculation by subtracting
the West grouping from the Web element on the same report, as displayed in
the image below:
Derived Elements ExampleCalculation

You can create derived elements on a grid within the Document Editor only if
the grid is based on view report or Intelligent Cube datasets.

Derived Metrics
OLAP services also provides the ability to create metrics on the fly, known as
derived metrics. Derived metrics are calculations that use at least one metric
from a document's dataset in combination with functions and operators.
Derived metrics can be created and modified in documents as well as Visual
Insight analyses.

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For example, the following VI dashboard is based on the Category Sales

Report includes metrics for Profit and Revenue, but does not include a metric
for Profit Margin.
Visual Insight Dashboard Without Derived Metric for Profit Margin

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With OLAP Services, you can create a derived metric and immediately insert
it into your VI dashboard. The initial VI dashboard showed Electronics as the
category responsible for the most revenue, creating a derived metric for
Profit Margin and inserting it into the visualization in place of Revenue
enables you to see that Books is the category with the highest profit margin:
Visual Insight Dashboard With Derived Metric for Profit Margin

View Filters
While the report filter actually determines what data is retrieved from the
database, a view filter is used to display only a subset of the full result set.
The report filter actually determines what data is retrieved from the
database, but a view filter is used to display only a subset of the full result set.
Many reports may not even have view filters as they are not required. Just as
with report filters, you can display the view filter from any one of the three
report views: Grid, Graph, or Grid and Graph.

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OLAP Services in MicroStrategy Web

For example, you are responsible for reviewing the Customer Region
performance on the East Coast, however the Performance by Customer
Region document displays information for all regions.
Performance by Customer Region Document Without View Filters

With OLAP Services, you can create a view filter on the fly to customize the
document to display only the information in which you are interested.
Call Center Performance Document With View Filters

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned the following:

MicroStrategy OLAP Services is an add-on product to Intelligence Server

that provides users with intelligent cube, data import, derived element,
derived metric, and view filter functionality.

Intelligent cubes are datasets that are saved on Intelligence Server to

reduce execution time for RS dashboards, documents and VI dashboards.

Data Import is an OLAP Services feature that enables the importing of

data from unmodeled data sources.

Derived elements are best understood as a custom grouping of attribute

elements that aggregates at the group level.

Derived metrics are metrics that are created on the fly.

View filters maximize the use of a single dataset by allowing multiple

views of the same data.

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Exercises: OLAP Services in MicroStrategy

Web
All exercises should be completed in the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

Creating Derived Elements, Derived Metrics, & View Filters

Overview
In this exercise, you will edit the Category Performance Dashboard using
OLAP Services functions to include additional information. When completed,
this RS dashboard will display the Estimated Cost for each Supplier, and
combine Video and Audio Equipment into one line. You will also be able to
view the top 10% of Suppliers based on Revenue. When you complete the
exercise, your report should resemble the following image:

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Detailed Instructions
1 Log in to the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.
2 On the project home page, in the Search box, type Category
Performance Dashboard.
3 Click Category Performance Dashboard in the results.
there are multiple entries for Category Performance Dashboard
Ifreturned,
you can select any one of them.
Create a Derived Element

4 In the bottom left section of the RS dashboard, in the Subcategory

Performance box, right-click the Subcategory attribute and select
Derived Elements.
5 In the Derived Elements Window, click New.
6 In the Definition tab, in the Available list, double-click Audio Equipment
and Video Equipment.
7 In the Derived Element list, name this derived element A/V Equipment.
8 Click Apply.

9 Click OK.
10 In the Subcategory Performance grid, confirm that the Video Equipment
and Audio Equipment attribute elements now display in one line as A/V
Equipment.
Create a View Filter

11 Right-click any column in the Supplier Analysis grid and select Edit
View Filter.
12 In the View Filter window, click Add Condition.
13 In the Filter On drop-down list, select Revenue.
14 In the Operator drop-down list, select Highest(%).
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15 In the Value box, type 25.

16 Click Apply.
17 Click OK.
18 Using the RS dashboard selectors for Category and Region, how many
suppliers are in the Top 25% of Suppliers Electronics suppliers in the
Southeast?
19 What is the sell-through percentage for 2012 for electronics sales in the
South?

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Exercise Answers
Creating Derived Metrics, Derived Elements, and View Filters

18)How many suppliers are in the Top 25% of Suppliers Electronics suppliers
in the Southeast? 6
19)What is the sell-through percentage for 2012 for electronics sales in the
South? 75.7%

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PROMPTS IN MICROSTRATEGY
WEB

Lesson Description
This lesson introduces you to prompts in MicroStrategy Web. It explains how
to execute prompted reports and documents and describes the various prompt
display options. It also explains how to reuse prompt answers and interact with
prompts.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Execute and save prompted reports and documents, describe various prompt
display options, interact with prompts and save and reuse prompt answers.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe prompts, execute prompted reports and documents, and save

and reuse prompt answers. (Page 157)

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Prompts in MicroStrategy Web

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe prompts, execute prompted reports and documents, and save and
reuse prompt answers.

Prompts in Reports and Documents

Business users frequently require similar reports showing slightly different
information. While a MicroStrategy report or document can be created for
every scenario in which an individual might need to analyze data, doing so is
time consuming and impractical. MicroStrategy Web users can instead
dictate which information they need in a report or document before it
executes through the use of prompts.
Prompts enable you to select some or all of the content of a report or
document for analysis. Reports and documents can have a single prompt, or
they may contain multiple prompts. One prompt can even be embedded
inside another prompt.
Unlike static reports and documents in which the content is already defined,
in a prompted report or document, some or all of the content is dynamic.
Executing a prompted report or document in MicroStrategy Web involves
providing answers that help determine the content of the result set.

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For example, before the Sales and Distribution by Category RS dashboard

executes, the user is presented with the following prompt which requires the
user to specify the category and year for which they want to view data:
Example Prompt

By incorporating prompts into this document, this RS dashboard becomes

more versatile and can be re-executed to display data for any combination of
Year and Material. After the user specifies the prompts and clicks Run
Document, the RS dashboard executes to display the user defined
specifications.

Executing Prompted Reports and Documents

Prompts are used in various ways. They may be required or optional.
Prompts can accept a single or multiple answers. Prompt answers can even
be saved to be used again.
The following sections provide examples of running reports or documents
with a required prompt, a single prompt, multiple prompts, and saving
prompt answers.

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Required Prompts
If a prompt is required, you must provide an answer to the prompt before the
report or document will execute. Required prompts are labeled (Required).
If the prompt is optional, you can choose whether to respond to the prompt.
If you do not provide an answer, the report or document will execute without
it

Single Prompts
Sometimes, reports and documents contain only a single prompt to which
you need to respond. This scenario is the simplest one for answering
prompts.
Initially, you execute a prompted report or document just like static ones by
clicking the report or document. However, instead of seeing the wait page
followed by a result set, you are first presented with the prompt. The
following image shows an example of a report that contains a single prompt:
Report with a Single Prompt

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If you select Electronics and Books as the prompt answers, you would see the
following result set:
Result Set for the Report

Multiple Prompts
Sometimes, prompted reports and documents are a little more complex, and
they require multiple prompts. A report or document can contain any
number of prompts. When a report or document has multiple prompts, they
can each display on separate pages or on a single page.
The following image shows an example of a report that contains multiple
prompts displayed on one page:
Document with Multiple Prompts

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This prompt is included in a document called Financial Summary in the

Financial Reporting Analysis Module project. The document is designed to
display the Top Vendors by Open Payables and Top Customers by Open
Receivables in addition to overall performance.
With these prompts, the user can specify how many of the top vendors and
customers he wants to see. Whenever a report has more than one prompt, it
displays a summary pane on the left side of the prompts. This summary pane
enables you to view your selections for each prompt. Though this may not
seem necessary when you only have two prompts, if you are presented with
several prompts, it is helpful for keeping track of your selections and which
prompts you have answered.
Both prompts are marked as required. These are value prompts which ask the
user for a specific value (text, numeric, or date). If you select 10 as the answer
for the first prompt and 5 as the answer for the second prompt, you would see
the following result set:
Result Set for the Document

Saving and Reusing Prompt Answers

You can save prompt answers and reuse them the next time you run the same
report. This feature is particularly useful when you have to select a long list of
elements.

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save prompt answers for future use, the prompt designer must
Toenable
this feature in the prompt definition and the administrator
must enable it for the project in the project preferences.
Moreover, if the report designer places a shortcut to the same prompt in
multiple reports, you can access your saved answers in all of those reports.
The following image shows the option for saving prompt answers:
Option for Saving Prompt Answers

The following image shows the option for reusing saved prompt answers:
Option for Reusing Saved Prompt Answers

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Re-prompting Reports and Documents

If you execute a report or document that contains prompts, you have the
ability to re-execute it and be re-prompted so that you can select different
prompt answers. You can click the re-prompt icon to open the prompt
window and select new prompt answers.
Re-prompt Icon

or re-executing a report or document does not display

Refreshing
report prompts. These options run prompted reports and documents
using the original prompt answers that you selected.

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned the following:

Prompts are objects that enable you to select the information to include in
a report or document at run time.

You can save the prompt answers and reuse them the next time you run
the same report.

Reports or documents can include a single prompt or multiple prompts.

You can re-prompt reports and documents to select different prompt

answers.

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Exercises: Prompts in MicroStrategy Web

You should complete all of these exercises in the MicroStrategy Tutorial
project.

Run a Prompted Document

Overview
In this exercise, you will run a prompted document called Store
Performance Management Dashboard (For a specific Region). When the
prompt displays, you can select multiple answers for the prompt. You should
answer the prompt by selecting the Northwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic,
and Southeast regions. The first part of the result set should look like the
following:

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Detailed Instructions
Run the document

1 Log in to the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

2 On the project home page, in the Search box, type Store Performance
Management Dashboard (For a specific Region).
3 Click Store Performance Management Dashboard (For a specific
Region) in the results.
there are multiple entries for Store Performance Management
IfDashboard
(For a specific Region) returned, you can select any one
of them.
Answer the prompt

4 On the prompt page, in the Available list, select Northwest.

5 Click Add.

6 In the Selected list, hold SHIFT and select the Central, South, and Web
regions.
7 Click Remove.

8 Click Run Document.

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9 Compare your results to the expected document as shown in the following

image:

Confirm that the options available in the Grouping drop-down list in your
document match those in the expected document.

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Save Personal Prompt Answers

Overview
In this exercise, you will run a prompted report, save your personal prompt
answers, and then reuse those prompt answers in a second report that uses
the same prompts.
First, you need to run a report called Sales by Supplier and Quarter. This
report contains prompts for the Supplier and Quarter attributes, and it has
personal prompt answers enabled. For the Supplier prompt, you should
select Simon & Schuster and Vintage Books and save this prompt answer
as Selected Suppliers. For the Quarter prompt, you should select 2012 Q1
and 2012 Q2 and save this prompt answer as Q1 & Q2 2012.
After you answer the prompts and save the prompt answer, you can finish
running the report. The first part of the result set should look like the
following:

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Next, you need to run a report called San Diego Sales. This report contains
the same prompts for the Supplier and Quarter attributes. For the Supplier
prompt, you should load the Selected Suppliers prompt answer. For the
Quarter prompt, you should load the Q1 & Q2 2012 prompt answer.
After you answer the prompts using your saved prompt answers, you can
finish running the report. The first part of the result set should look like the
following:

You can use the detailed instructions if you want help.

Detailed Instructions
Run the report

1 In the MicroStrategy Tutorial project, on the project home page, in the

Search box, type Sales by Supplier and Quarter.
2 Click Sales by Supplier and Quarter in the results.
Answer prompts and save personal prompt answers

3 On the prompt page, for the Supplier prompt, remove the default
selection.

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4 Add Simon & Schuster and Vintage Books Selected: list.

5 Select the Save this answer when report is run check box.
6 In the Name box, type Selected Suppliers as the prompt answer name.
7 For the Quarter prompt, remove the default selections.
8 Add 2012 Q1 and 2012 Q2 to the Selected: list.
9 Select the Save this answer when report is run option.
10 In the Name box, type Q1 & Q2 2012 as the prompt answer name.
11 Click Run Report. Your results should look like the following:

Run another report that uses the same prompts

12 Click the MicroStrategy icon.

13 Select Home.

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14 On the MicroStrategy Web project home page, in the Search box, type
San Diego Sales.
15 Click San Diego Sales report in the results
report uses the same prompts as the Sales by Supplier and
This
Quarter report you executed earlier in this exercise.
Answer prompts using saved personal prompt answers

16 On the prompt page, for the Supplier prompt, click Load Answers.
17 Select Selected Suppliers.
This saved prompt answer should include the following suppliers:

18 For the Quarter prompt, click Load Answers.

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19 Select Q1 & Q2 2012.

This saved prompt answer should include the following quarters:

20 Click Run Report. Your result set should look like the following:

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MANIPULATING AND
DISTRIBUTING REPORTS AND
DOCUMENTS

Lesson Description
This lesson describes many of the basic and advanced data manipulations you
can perform in MicroStrategy Web to analyze reports and documents. This
lesson covers such topics as drilling, subtotals, sorting, subscriptions, printing,
and exporting.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Perform basic and advanced data manipulations on reports and documents
in MicroStrategy Web.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Perform basic data manipulations on grids and documents in

MicroStrategy Web. (Page 175)

Subscribe reports and documents to the History List. Export and print
reports and documents in different formats. Share URL from reports or
documents. (Page 186)

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Manipulating Reports and Documents

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Perform basic data manipulations on grids and documents in MicroStrategy
Web.

MicroStrategy Web provides you with the ability to perform a variety of basic
data manipulations to help you analyze data. From sorting grid data to
drilling on grids or graphs, you will learn how to use basic MicroStrategy Web
functionality to make analysis easier.

Drilling
Drilling on a MicroStrategy Web grid or graph enables you to view data at
different levels than the ones originally displayed in the result set. It enables
you to quickly and easily analyze various levels of detail in a report. You can
drill in the following directions on a report:

Drilling down enables you to access data at a lower attribute level in the
same hierarchy. For example, if a report shows you sales by Month, you
can drill down to see sales by Day.

Drilling up enables you to see data at a higher attribute level in the same
hierarchy. For example, you can drill up from the Day level to the Month
or Quarter levels on a report.

Drilling to other directions lets you view data at any level in any
hierarchy. For example, you could drill from Day in the Time hierarchy
across to Region in the Geography hierarchy.

Reporters do not have the privilege to perform drilling in other

Web
directions.

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For example, when viewing the Human Resources Recruitment Scorecard in

the Human Resources Analysis Module project source, the Quarterly Trend
graph depicts staffing trends by quarter for 2012. If drilling is enabled, you
can drill up to view staffing trends for the year.
Drilling on a Graph

In addition to drilling up or down, you can choose to drill anywhere on a grid

or graph in a document.
more information on drilling in reports and documents, see the
For
MicroStrategy Web for Reporters and Analysts course.

Document Linking
A link is a connection in a document to another document, a report, or a web
page. A link enables you to navigate from a source document to a target
document, report, or web page.

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Linking a Document to a Web Page

You can create a link in a document to point to a website. You associate the
link with a text box or an image. In the document shown below, the
documents title text box leads users to the MicroStrategys corporate
website:
Link to a Website

The title text box also contains a tooltip describing the destination for the
hyperlink. You define the tooltip within the text boxs properties.

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Linking to a Specific Report or Document

Just as you can link a document to a website, you can link a document to
another MicroStrategy report or document. The target report or document
can contain similar information as the source, or it can be completely
unrelated. For example, in the Shipping Analysis document shown below,
you can click a link to execute a related document called Inventory by
Subcategory:
Source Document with Shipping Information

Target Document with Related Inventory Information

more information on the document linking feature, see the

For
MicroStrategy Report Services: Documents and Dashboards course.

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Subtotals
You have the ability to add subtotals to reports and documents. Subtotals
reflect accumulations at selected attribute levels and can be applied
dynamically to any report. Some of the subtotals available include:

TotalThis type of subtotal calculates the sum total of the values.

AverageThis type of subtotal calculates the average of a range of values.

CountThis type of subtotal counts the number of values.

MaximumThis type of subtotal finds the largest value in a range of

values.

MinimumThis type of subtotal finds the smallest value in a range of

values.

Standard DeviationThis type of subtotal finds the standard deviation

for a range of values.

SumThis type of subtotal calculates the sum of a range of values.

VarianceThis type of subtotal calculates the variance between values.

You can define subtotals, which calculate totals at various attribute levels in a
report, and grand totals, which calculate a total for all of the data on a report.
The document below displays various metrics for categories and
subcategories:
Grid in a Document

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With MicroStrategy Web, this grid can be customized to show subtotals or

grand totals. The Subtotals Editor enables you to select which subtotals to
display:
Totals Window

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The following image shows the results of a grid after adding the subtotal and
grand total for Total.
Grid Subtotals

When a report contains subtotals, you have the option to toggle subtotals on
and off.

Sorting
Whenever you run a grid in a document, the result set is always initially
sorted using some default configuration that determines the order in which
data is displayed. It may be sorted by attributes, metrics on the grid, or some
combination of the two. However, you can change the way the data is sorted
and define your own sort criteria.

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Quick Sort
Quick sort enables you to sort by one row or column at a time. You can define
quick sorts using either the Sort icons or the Sort right-click menu option.
The Sort icons must be enabled and differ depending on which view mode
you select to view the document.

You can only perform a quick sort on grids.

The following image shows a grid in Express Mode:
Grid with Sort Icons Displayed

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By selecting Sort Ascending, the grid is reordered to reflect the Revenue

metric values in ascending order:
Grid in Ascending Order Sorted by the Revenue Metric

In Express Mode, the drop-down list icon displays when you mouse over the
column header, providing access to Quick Sort options. In Interactive and
Editable Mode, right-clicking the header and selecting Sort provides Quick
Sort options. Flash Mode also displays Quick Sort icons when you mouse over
a column header. The direction they face (up or down) indicates whether
clicking the icon sorts the data in that row or column in ascending (up) or
descending (down) order. These icons toggle back and forth between
ascending and descending order each time you click them.

You can perform a sort on metrics or attributes.

more information regarding Quick Sort, as well as more
For
sophisticated sorting options, see the MicroStrategy Web for
Reporters and Analysts course.

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Thresholds
A threshold is conditional formatting applied to a metric. MicroStrategy Web
users can use thresholds to highlight metrics that meet predetermined
conditions. This feature enables document and RS dashboard users to
quickly identify key information. For example, the Product Performance
Detailed Analysis document depicts sales performance metrics for
Subcategories of Books for various time periods.
Product Performance Detailed Analysis Document

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A document designer can improve the usability of this document through the
use of thresholds. In the image displayed below, months in which the Profit
Margin exceeds last months Profit Margin is bolded and in green font.
Months in which the Profit Margin went down compared to the previous
months is bolded and in red font.
Product Performance Detailed Analysis Document with Thresholds

is an example of an Advanced Threshold. For more information

This
on Advanced Thresholds, as well as Quick or Visual Thresholds see the
MicroStrategy Report Services: Documents and Dashboards course.

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Distributing Reports and Documents

After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Subscribe reports and documents to the History List. Export and print
reports and documents in different formats. Share URL from reports or
documents.

Basic Subscriptions with Distribution Services

If Distribution Services is installed and configured in your environment and
you have the appropriate Distribution Services-related privileges, you can
schedule subscriptions to:

History List

Email

File

Print

Subscriptions can be particularly useful for reports or documents that you

routinely execute at specific times or for ones that take longer to process.
After you have created a subscription, the report or document runs on the
next occurrence of the selected schedule, and the results are stored for you. It
continues to run according to this schedule as long as you have the
subscription.
You can subscribe to a report or document after running it in MicroStrategy
Web. When you create a subscription to a report or document, you are
requesting that MicroStrategy Web execute the report or document
automatically based on a schedule that you select.

History List Subscriptions

The History List is a portion of the interface that allows users to retrieve the
results of previously executed or scheduled reports and HTML documents.
By subscribing a report or document to the History List, it can be quickly run
from cache memory without querying the data source.

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Email Subscriptions
You can schedule report and document data to be delivered in the following
ways:

Deliver data in email message

Deliver data in the email message and also create a message in the History
List

Deliver both data and a link to the History List in the email message, and
create a message in the History List

Create a message in the History List and deliver the link to History List in
an email message

Analyst needs the appropriate Distribution Services privileges to

Web
be able to use links to the History List in the email messages.

File Subscriptions
Creating a subscription to a file is similar to creating a subscription to email
or History List. However, when you create a subscription to a file, you need to
specify the location, usually a shared folder, where the report or document is
to be delivered.
you have the appropriate Distribution Services privileges, you can
Ifcreate
your own file location. File locations must be accessible by
Intelligence Server for the subscription to execute successfully. If you
have the privileges, you can add a new location directly in the
preferences page, or on the fly, when you create a subscription.
You can compress a saved file regardless of its format, as well as password
protect the compressed file.

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Print Subscriptions
When you create a print subscription, in addition to the standard scheduling
options, such as subscription name, schedule, expiration date, and instant
preview, you also define a printer location, range of pages to be printed,
number of copies, and whether to collate.
you have the appropriate Distribution Services privileges, you can
Ifcreate
your own printer location directly in the preferences page, or on
the fly, when you create a subscription. Printer locations must be
accessible by Intelligence Server for the subscription to execute
successfully.
The report or document is printed as it displays in PDF Mode.
When you create a subscription to your History List, File, or Printer, you have
a choice to configure delivery notification to your email address. Each time a
new message for this subscription is created in your History List or sent to
file or printer, or if the existing message is updated by the schedule, you
receive an email notification with a link to that message.

Printing Documents and Reports

Printing documents in MicroStrategy Web is simple. When you choose to
print, MicroStrategy Web automatically generates a PDF file from which you
can print the document.
RS dashboards in PDF format can only display one panel, which is the
current panel in view. Given this, when you print a RS dashboard, only the
visible panel prints. If you need to print additional panels, you must select
the respective panels and print them one at a time.
In general, most RS dashboards are designed for online viewing rather than
PDF viewing because these types of documents lose their interactivity when
viewed in PDF format. Nevertheless, at times, you may want to have a hard
copy of a RS dashboard.

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Exporting Reports and Documents

You also have the ability to export reports and documents in a variety of
formats. This option is useful if you want to be able to analyze report data
outside of MicroStrategy Web. Depending on how your administrator has
configured your permissions, you also have the ability to export reports and
documents to a variety of formats including:

PDF

Excel (with or without formatting)

CSV (a file format recognized by Excel)

HTML

Plain text

MHT

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Exporting to Multiple Excel Worksheets

When you have a multiple-layout document and you want to export it to
Excel, the individual layouts automatically export to distinct worksheets in
the workbook. The following images provide an example of a multiple-layout
document exported to Excel:
Document Exported to ExcelFirst Sheet

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Document Exported to ExcelSecond Sheet

Share URL from reports and documents

In addition to subscribing to and exporting reports and documents, you can
also share a URL from the report or document. The following options are
available for sharing URLs:

Email Link

Show Link

Show HTML

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The Share window contains additional options for sharing, as shown below:
Share Window

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned the following:

Drilling on a graph or grid enables you to view data at different levels than
the ones originally displayed.

Document linking allows users to navigate from a source document to a

target document, report, or web page.

You have the ability to add subtotals to reports and documents. Subtotals
reflect accumulations at selected attribute levels and can be applied
dynamically to any report.

You can customize the sort order of the data displayed in a grid.

Thresholds are customized formatting options that highlight metrics that

meet predetermined conditions.

You can schedule reports or documents to run automatically by creating a

subscription.

The History List enables you to track reports and documents that you
have executed or to which you have subscribed.

You can export grid reports to Excel, CSV, HTML, and plain text.

You can export graph reports or documents to Excel and HTML.

A document can contain multiple layouts.

You can export a multiple-layout document to Excel, and the individual

layouts display on distinct worksheets in the workbook.

You can share a report or document URL by an email, a link, or HTML.

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Exercises: Manipulations in MicroStrategy Web

All exercises should be completed in the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

Creating Thresholds
The Category Management Dashboard is used to analyze performance in
terms of product categories and subcategories. You would like to be able to
easily see which subcategories had revenue of at least $50,000. You would
also like to be able to see which subcategories had revenue of at least $50,000
for the previous month.
When the selectors are set to display electronics sales performance for the
Central region, the RS dashboard should look like the following image:
RS Dashboard with Thresholds

Solution: Create a threshold that displays revenue values with a green

background if they are greater than or equal to $50,000. Create another
threshold that displays last months revenue values with a green background
if they are greater than or equal to $50,000.
Create Thresholds

1 In MicroStrategy Tutorial, in the Search box, type Category

Management Dashboard.
2 Click Category Management Dashboard in the results.
there are multiple Category Management Dashboard documents
Ifreturned,
you can select any one of them.

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3 In the Performance Details grid, right-click the LM Revenue metric,

point to Thresholds, and select Advanced....
4 In the Advanced Thresholds Editor, in the Filter On drop-down list, select
LM Revenue.
5 In the text box, type 50,000.
6 Click Apply.
7 Click Cell Formatting.

8 In the Format window, in the Font tab, in the Color drop-down list, select
White.
9 In the Color and Lines tab, under Fill, in the Color drop-down list, select
Green.
10 Click OK.
11 In the Advanced Thresholds Editor, in the drop-down list, select
Revenue.

12 Click Click here to add a new threshold.

13 In the Filter On drop-down list, select Revenue.
14 In the text box, type 50,000.

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15 Click Apply.
16 Click the Cell Formatting icon.
17 In the Format window, in the Font tab, in the Color drop-down list, select
White.
18 In the Color and Lines tab, under Fill, in the Color drop-down list, select
Green.
19 Click OK.
20 Click OK.
21 Confirm your results match the following image:
RS Dashboard with Thresholds

Save the report

22 In the report results window, on the Home menu, select Save As.
23 Save the report in the My Reports folder as Category Management
Dashboard.
24 Click OK.

Creating History List Subscriptions

In this exercise, you will create a History List Subscription for the
Management Scorecard. This will enable you to access this scorecard in the
future directly from your history list. You will schedule this document to run
on Monday mornings, to run immediately, and to send an email notification.

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Detailed Instructions
Run document

1 Log in to the MicroStrategy Tutorial project.

1 On the project home page, in the Search box, type Management
Scorecard
2 Click Management Scorecard in the results.
there are multiple Management Scorecard entries returned, you can
Ifselect
any one of them.
3 In the Home menu, point to Subscribe to and click History List.
4 In the Subscribe to History List window, in the Schedule drop-down list,
select Monday Morning.
5 Select Run subscription immediately.
6 Select Send notification to e-mail address.
7 In the New Address text box, type your email address.
8 Click OK.
9 Click the MicroStrategy icon.

10 Select History List.

11 Confirm that the Management Scorecard is listed in your History List
Subscriptions as shown below:

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12 Confirm that you receive an email notification similar to the notification

shown below:

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10
MICROSTRATEGY MOBILE

Lesson Description
In this lesson, you will see an overview of the features available with
MicroStrategy Mobile.

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Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Describe the benefits of MicroStrategy Mobile for business users.

After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to:

Describe how MicroStrategy Mobile is used in a business environment and

describe the components of a MicroStrategy Mobile deployment. (Page
203)

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10

MicroStrategy Mobile
After completing this topic, you will be able to:
Describe how MicroStrategy Mobile is used in a business environment and
describe the components of a MicroStrategy Mobile deployment.

Now that you understand the ways in which you can interact with your data
through MicroStrategy Web, we will review the MicroStrategy Mobile
product. MicroStrategy Mobile is a separate product from MicroStrategy
Web that extends the reach and accessibility of your BI environment beyond
your web browser and places MicroStrategy Analytics data in the palm of
your hand. Deployment with Mobile extends report access to mobile devices,
which enables much more range and flexibility in how users review vital
information, monitor KPIs, and share data in and out of the workplace. With
your mobile device, you can easily pass a RS dashboard around a meeting,
make on-site reviews of off-site facilities, and create geo location and bar
code reader prompts for reports.
Mobile deployment utilizes all MicroStrategy platform features, such as
performance optimizations, Intelligent Cubes, and comprehensive security.
Mobile works seamlessly with the MicroStrategy platform to minimize the
amount of work necessary to prepare a RS dashboard for mobile deployment.
No new skills are required to construct attractive and stable applications for
the Apple iPhone, iPad, or for Android devices. Mobile provides
additional report and document manipulation options as well as mobile
device-specific widgets that better suit the medium.

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MicroStrategy Mobile in a Business Environment

Suppose regional managers conduct quarterly reviews of stores and
restaurants in their regions. As part of the review process, they need to
inspect stores, record inspections to back-end systems, and see how store
ratings compare over time. At the same time, the managers need to analyze
inventory, view trends in sales, view how much customers spend, and analyze
seasonal trends. These two business processes can be separated into two
MicroStrategy Mobile applications, both accessible from the MicroStrategy
app, as shown below:
MicroStrategy Mobile for iPhone

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MicroStrategy Mobile provides the ability to design interactive dashboards

for mobile devices, similar to those used in MicroStrategy Web. The following
image below displays a dashboard that enables a business user to view
various regional performance metrics by month.

Mobile Dashboard

In addition to providing the ability to design enterprise level dashboards for

mobile devices, MicroStrategy Mobile can be combined with MicroStrategy
Transaction Services to allow for recording and transmitting data from a
mobile device directly to and from a data source.

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The following image shows the home page of a MicroStrategy Mobile app
used for safety inspections. When on-site, a safety inspector can tap on the
Enter Survey icon.
Safety Survey Mobile Application

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The safety inspector can then walk around the facility, mobile device in hand,
and complete the survey checklist.
Survey Displays on Mobile Device

The safety inspector is also able to take photos with his mobile device to
document each item in the survey.
Enter Photo To Document Survey Result

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A completed question shows all answers along with the photographic

documentation.
Completed Survey Question Screen

When the survey is complete, the safety inspector submits the information
and it is automatically recorded in the data source and available to other
users.

Mobile Deployment
Mobile deployment consists of two main components:

The MicroStrategy Mobile server that delivers the BI data to the

MicroStrategy Mobile app

The MicroStrategy Mobile clients installed on iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad,

BlackBerry, or Android

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MicroStrategy Mobile clients are apps you install on your mobile device that
enable you to access and interact with the MicroStrategy business
intelligence data. They serve as viewers. MicroStrategy Mobile clients display
reports and documents. By default, the apps display the file folder structure
within projects for navigation. Applications designed with the business user
and process in mind improve the utility of MicroStrategy Mobile apps beyond
the sum of individual reports and documents.
After you install MicroStrategy Mobile on your iPad, iPhone, or your Android
device and configure the app to connect to at least one of your own
MicroStrategy projects, you are ready to access and manipulate reports,
documents, and subscriptions.

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Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned the following:

MicroStrategy Mobile is an add-on product separate from MicroStrategy

Web.

MicroStrategy Mobile applications are designed in MicroStrategy Web.

MicroStrategy Mobile applications provide powerful MicroStrategy

reporting capabilities at your fingertips.

MicroStrategy Mobile can be combined with MicroStrategy Transaction

Services to allow for recording and transmitting data from a mobile device
directly into your data source.

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MicroStrategy Web Privileges by User

A
MICROSTRATEGY WEB
PRIVILEGES BY USER
Appendix Description
This appendix provides information on the privileges available to
MicroStrategy Web Reporters, Analysts, and Professionals.

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Privilege Availability
Privileges are available to be assigned to users or groups depending on
whether the appropriate license has been purchased for a given product. A
privilege is available if it is enabled in the User Editor, that is, if it can be
checked off and is not grayed out. If you have not purchased a license for a
particular product, that products privileges are greyed out in both the User
Editor and the Security Role editor. To determine your license information,
use License Manager to check whether OLAP Services, Report Services, or
Distribution Services are available.
All MicroStrategy Web users that are licensed for MicroStrategy Report
Services may view and interact with a document in Flash Mode. Certain
interactions in Flash Mode have additional licensing requirements:

Users are required to license MicroStrategy Web Analyst to pivot row or

column position in a grid or cross-tabular grid of data in Flash Mode.

Users are required to license MicroStrategy Web Professional to modify

the properties of Widgets used in a document in Flash Mode.

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Web Privileges
Web Reporter privileges
These privileges, along with the common privileges, correspond to the basic
functionality available in MicroStrategy Web. The predefined MicroStrategy
Web Reporter group is assigned these privileges by default. License Manager
counts any user who has any of these privileges, but none of the Web Analyst
or Web Professional privileges, as a Web Reporter user.
.
Privilege

Allows the user to...

Web change user preferences

Change some characteristics of page appearance and report results

Web change view mode

Toggle between grid, graph, and grid & graph, to hide or show
predefined totals, and to reset reports

Web configure toolbars

Use, show, and hide toolbars

Web drill and link

Use links to view related data not shown in the original report results

Web export

Export report results

Web object search

Search for reports, documents, folders, filters, or templates

Web print mode

Display a printable version of a report or document

Web re-execute report against

warehouse

Re-execute a report, hitting the warehouse rather than the server

cache. If Intelligence Server caching is turned off and this is not
granted, the re-execute button is removed.

Web simultaneous execution

Open multiple MicroStrategy Web sessions

Web sort

Sort report data by clicking on sort icons in column headings

Web subscribe to History list

Subscribe to periodic execution of reports and view their results via

the History List
Note: A user with this privilege is also considered to have the
Schedule Request privilege in Common Privileges.

Web switch page-by elements

Switch page-by elements for objects in the Page axis

Web use locked headers

Use the Lock Grid Headers feature

Web user

Connect to MicroStrategy using the Web interface

Note: If a user does not have this privilege for a project, that project is
not shown in Web. If a user does not have this privilege for any
projects available on the Web server, Web returns an error message
stating that no projects are available for this project source.

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Web Analyst privileges

These privileges correspond to the report analysis and creation functionality
available to users of MicroStrategy Web. The predefined MicroStrategy Web
Analyst group is assigned these privileges by default. The Web Analyst group
also inherits all of the privileges assigned to the Web Reporter group. License
Manager counts any user who has any of these privileges, but none of the
Web Professional privileges, as a Web Analyst user.

Privilege

Allows the user to...

* Web add/remove units to/from grid

in document in View Mode

Add units to or remove units from an existing grid report in a

Report Services document when in Express Mode

* Web create derived metrics

Create new calculations based on other metrics already on a

base report

* Web define derived elements

Create derived elements in a report or document

* Web import data

Use the Data Import feature to import data from files.

Note: Granting this privilege also grants Create Application
Objects, Create Schema Objects, Use OLAP Services, and Web
Publish Intelligent Cube. Revoking any of these privileges also
revokes Web Import Data.

* Web import from database

Use the Data Import feature to import data from databases

(requires Web Import Data as well)

* Web number formatting

Change number formatting on all metrics on grids.

A user with this privilege has access to the following formatting
options:
From the Format menu, the Advanced Formatting option
The Advanced Formatting context menu (all options)
On the Format toolbar, the Area (metrics only), Type, and
number style options
Note: If this privilege is assigned, the Use OLAP Services
privilege (in the Common privileges group) is automatically
assigned as well.

* Web publish Intelligent Cube

Publish an Intelligent Cube to Intelligence Server

* Web use Report Objects window

Use the Report Objects panel

* Web use View filter editor

Add or modify the view filter for a report

** Web create dashboard

Create a new quick dashboard

** Web edit dashboard

Open a quick dashboard in Visual Insight mode.

** Web save dashboard

Save a quick dashboard from Visual Insight, Flash, or Express

mode

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Privilege

Allows the user to...

*** Web create alert

Create a conditional subscription based on a threshold

*** Web subscribe to Bulk Export

Create a bulk export subscription

Web add to History List

Add reports or documents to the History List (requires Web

simultaneous execution privilege)

Web advanced drilling

Access advanced drill mode through the More Options link on the
report results page

Web alias objects

Rename an object on a report

Web choose attribute form display

Use the Attribute Forms dialog box, see attribute forms in the
Report Objects list, see the Attribute Forms context menu
options, and pivot attribute forms

Web create new report

Access the Create Report folder and design reports, and run new
reports from the folder where he or she has saved the report
definition

Web drill on metrics

Drill on metrics

Web edit notes

Add and edit notes that have been added to a report or document

Web execute data mart report

Execute data mart reports

Web filter on selections

Filter on selected data.

Note: This privilege is also required for the Keep Only and
Execute actions in Flash Mode.

Web manage objects

Delete folders, reports, and documents

Web modify Subtotals

Add, modify or delete subtotals on a Web report

Web pivot report

Move rows and columns up or down and left or right, to pivot

from rows to columns and vice versa, and to move metrics,
attributes, custom groups, and consolidations to the Page axis

Web report details

Access report and document information by clicking the Report

details link on the report, History List, or Wait page

Web report SQL

View the SQL code for the report

Web save to My Reports

Save reports and documents to My Reports folder

Web save to Shared Reports

Save reports and documents to the Shared Reports folder

Web simple graph formatting

Perform simple graph formatting changes.

A user with this privilege has access to the following formatting
options:
From the Format menu, all options under the Graph menu item
The Format context menu (all options)
The Graph toolbar (all options)
In the Format toolbar, the Advanced Graph Formatting option
In the Format: Graph dialog box, all options in the General tab
and the Legend and Series Labels in the Format tab

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Privilege

Allows the user to...

Web use Object Sharing Editor

Use the Object Sharing Editor to set ACLs for objects

Web use Visual Threshold Editor

Use the Visual Threshold Editor

Web Professional privileges

These privileges correspond to the report design functionality available to
users of MicroStrategy Web. The predefined MicroStrategy Web Professional
group is assigned these privileges by default. The Web Professional group
also inherits all of the privileges assigned to the Web Reporter and Web
Analyst groups. License Manager counts any user who has any of these
privileges as a Web Professional user.
.
Privilege

Allows the user to...

* Web define Intelligent Cube

report

Create a report that uses an Intelligent Cube as a data source

* Web save derived elements Save stand-alone derived elements, separate from the report
** Web create HTML
container

Create HTML container objects in a document

** Web document design

Create a document page, access Design Mode for documents, and

perform WYSIWYG editing of documents in Express Mode
Note: This privilege is required to define conditional formatting.

** Web manage document

datasets

Add datasets to and remove datasets from a Report Services document

**** Web configure

transaction

Associate objects in a grid with a Transaction Services report

Web define advanced report

options

Set the available and default Run and Export modes for a report

Note: User must have Web document design privilege as well.

Web define MDX cube report Define a new report that accesses an MDX cube, and see the MDX Cube
option in the Create Report dialog box
Web edit drilling and links

Use the Link Editor

Web format grid and graph

Change the formats of grid and graph reports using the Formatting and
Graph toolbars and the Formatting Panels.
In MicroStrategy Report Services, modify widget properties.
Note: This privilege also includes all functionality available in the Web
Number Formatting and Web Simple Graph Formatting privileges (in the
Web Designer privilege group).

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Privilege

Allows the user to...

Web modify the list of report

objects (use Object Browser
- all objects)

Use the Object Browser when viewing a report in View or Design Mode.
This determines whether the user is a report designer or a report creator.
A report designer is a user who can build new reports based on any object
in the project. A report creator can work only within the parameters of a
pre-designed report that has been set up by a report designer. For more
information on this, see the Advanced Reporting Guide.

Web save templates and

filters

Save templates and filters

Web set column widths

Modify the column widths and row height for a grid report

Web subscribe others

View available addresses for all users, and add other MicroStrategy users
to a report or document subscription

Web use advanced threshold

editor

Use the Advanced Threshold Editor

Web use custom group

editor

Create or edit custom groups using the Custom Group Editor in Web

Web use design mode

Modify the report using Design Mode

Web use filter editor

Add or modify the report filter for a report

Web use metric editor

Use the Metric Editor to create or modify metrics

Web use prompt editor

Use the Prompt Editor, and create or modify prompts

NOTE:

Privileges marked with * are included only if you have OLAP Services
installed as part of Intelligence Server.

Privileges marked with ** are included only if you have Report Services
installed.

Privileges marked with *** are included only if you have Distribution
Services installed.

Privileges marked with **** are included only if you have Transaction
Services installed.

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Index

INDEX

A
adding quick and basic thresholds 184
All Objects pane 134, 135
attribute 32, 130
attribute elements 32

B
Blank Report 133

C
client 208
creating reports 132

D
dashboards 64
See also
widgets
viewing 71
Data Import 143
decision support architecture
metadata database 26
MicroStrategy applications 26
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density map 99
derived elements 144
derived metrics 146
Design Mode 71, 134
Distribution Services 186
documents 31
classic business reports 113
distributing 186
email 187
export formats 189
exporting to Excel 190
file subscriptions 187
history list 186
printing 188
Document Editor 115
invoices and statements 114
linking 176
manipulating 175
operational reports 112
prompts 157
See also
dashboards
Report Services
documents, manipulations 175
drilling 175
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Index

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drilling on reports 175

drop zones pane 93

to another report or document 178

login page 47

Editable Mode 71
email 187
exporting reports to PDF 189
exporting to Excel 190
Express Mode 71

map visualization 97
MDX source 133
menu bar 50
metadata database 26
metric 130
metrics 33
Microcharts widget
performing analysis 76
MicroStrategy Icon 49
MicroStrategy Mobile 203
MicroStrategy Report Services
document view modes 71
Flash features 65
panel stacks and panels 64
selectors 64
widgets 64, 71
MicroStrategy reporting terminology 29
MicroStrategy Web Analyst 45
MicroStrategy Web interface overview 46
MicroStrategy Web login page 47
MicroStrategy Web Professional 45
MicroStrategy Web Reporter 45
MicroStrategy Web versions 41, 46
MicroStrategy Web, document view
modes 71
mobile devices 203

F
facts 33
filters 35
Flash Mode 71
Flash, features 65
Flash, widgets 64, 71

G
grand totals 179

H
heat map 75, 95
hierarchies 34
history list 186

I
Intelligent Cube 91, 133
Interactive Mode 71
interactive stacked graph 74
Invoices 114

N
navigation toolbar 48
Notes pane 135

Linking
to a website 177

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O
Object Browser 134
object browsing 51, 53
Object prompt 130
OLAP Services 143
Data Import 143
derived elements 144
derived metrics 146
operational reports 112
overview, MicroStrategy Web interface 46

P
panel stacks and panels 64
PDF 189
PDF file 188
Predesigned Report 132, 133
printing 188
privileges
Web Analyst 214
Web Professional 216
Web Reporter 213
Prompted Predesigned Report 132, 133
prompts 36, 157
saving and reusing prompt
answers 161

Q
quick sort 182

R
Related Reports pane 135
report 129
report and document manipulations 175
Report Builder 133
report filter 130
Report Objects pane 135

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Index

Report Services
definition 61
Report Wizard 133
reporting terminology, MicroStrategy 29
reports 29
creating thresholds 184
creation 132
drilling 175
exporting to PDF 189
manipulations 175

S
selectors 64
server 208
sorting 181
subscription 186
subtotals 179

T
template 129, 130
template definition window 134
thresholds 184
thresholds, 184
time series slider 73

V
versions, MicroStrategy Web 41, 46
VI see Visual Insight
VI dashboard
See Visual Insight
view filter 148
view modes, documents 71
Visual Insight 89
analysis 90
Dataset Objects pane 90
drop zones pane 90

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Filters pane 91
Layouts pane 90
Page-by pane 91
using the drop zones pane 93
Visualization pane 90
Visualization Wizard
recommended visualization 92
visualizations
heat map 95
map visualization 97
density map type 99
image layout type 100
network visualization 101

W
Web Analyst 45
Web Analyst privileges 214
Web Professional 45
Web Professional privileges 216
Web Reporter 45
Web Reporter privileges 213
widgets 64, 71
heat map 75
interactive stacked graph 74
time series slider 73

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