Learning Microstrategy

3 ways to optimize datasets in doc.

- Removing any unnecessary datasets
- Remove any unused metrics
- Keep datasets to appropriate level of aggregation
- test datasets for performance
- Enable report caching
- Use intelligent cubes as datasets

5 objects that can be added to a doc.

- Lines and shapes
- Grid/Graphs
- Attribute
- Metrics
- Custom Groups
- Consolidations
- Text/Autotext
- HTML Container
- Images

After placing an attribute into the detail section, it is good practice to do one of these two things.

Place all other attributes into the detail section
-or-
Group by all attributes not placed int he detail section.

Either of these items provide make the document more comprehensible.

These are 2 objects to which you can link in a doc.

- Web page
- Report or other doc 

These are 5 widgets that can act as selectors.

- Bubble grid
- Data cloud
- graph matrix
- heat map
- interactive bubble graph
- interactive stacked graph
- microcharts
- waterfall
- weighted list
- time series slider

These are the 3 display modes available for viewing docs in desktop and web

- PDF
- Export to Excel
- Design mode

Bar and sparkline microcharts are designed the same way because they are based on what same object?  

Same metric.

Best mode for positioning.

Editable

Can you hide sections?

Yes

These dashboard provide at-a-glance high level views of business.

Performance summary dashboards.

These dashboard provide at-a-glance high level views of business.

Performance summary dashboards.

Define a Banded layout.

used to make documents that are densely populated docs more legible.

Banding is a broad term referring to techniques for grouping data into easily consumable sizes
-or-
delimiting different levels of a report visually.

Define a dashboard

Highly visual representations of enterprise performance data that integrate a potentially wide variety of data elements.

Define a dataset.

Preexisting MSTR report.

Define a Metrics Dashboard.

Focus on key metrics and their status as compared to the company's goals.
Take note: metrics and their status

Define a panel stack.

When multiple layers are layered on top of each other.

Define a panel.

A predefined portion o the document canvas that contains any content.

Define a Performance Summary Dashboard.

Provides at-a-glance, high level views of business.
Present several interrelated sets of data in tables and graphs on a single screen.

Define a subsection and what it enables you to do.

A new section that add inside of an existing section.
It enables you to place text or other objects under a report or other item that tends to grow dynamically.

Define an analytic-based selector.

Using a grid or graph to control another grid/grraph.
This allows you to synchronize data across the grids and graphs.

Define Analytic Panel Layers.

Layering grids and graphs on a single panel stack within a larger dashboard.

Define combined layout.

Combine a zone and banded layout to create appealing and useful output.

Define Dashboard Panel Layers.

Use a large panel stack as the basis for a multilayered dashboard.

Define derived elements

A custom grouping of attribute elements that aggregates at the group level.
- in other words-
You can group multiple elements on a grid to display as a single element.

Define Dynamic Content Dashboards.

Consolidate many reports into a single dashboard.
Done through the use of multiple layers or panels.
Enable users to interactively change the context of the dashboard by using special controls.

Define Dynamic Visualization Dashboards.

Use dynamic graphing techniques and advanced visualizations (made possible by Flash)
They convey more meaning in less space.

Define grouping.

A technique that enables you to create custom bands so the data can be arranged and sorted efficiently and more easily consumed.

Define MicroStategy Report Services.

Enterprise reporting engine of the MSTR BI platform. It is an add on product to the Intelligence Server.

Define predefined and locked panel stacks.

- Depends on the dashboard template you use.
- one or more panel stacks form the basis of predefined zones

Define the different ways to add a dataset to a document.

- With Formatting - adds a copy of the object from the original with the formatting (including view filters). No shortcut.
- Without Formatting - adds a copy of the object from the original without formatting (formatting includes view filters so they are excluded too).
- As a shortcut - create and establishes a link between the original report and your document.
Things not related to formatting ALWAYS propagate forward. View filters are included in the formatting category.

Define the horizontal fit page setup option

Enables you t control whether data that extends beyond the width of a document displays on the same page or on a separate page.

Selecting the below option makes any overflow wrap to the next line.

This is a document level property.

Define Zone based layout.

- reserve specific areas of a page for dedicated content

Describe a dasbhoard

It strives to make data consumable for everyone.
It focuses on graphical representation and at-a-glance viewing.
Any type of business user can benefit from retrieving information through a dashboard.
Help increase user adoption of corporate standard reporting environment.

Describe a major benefit for dashboards.

Provide enterprise-wide transparency.

Email subscription can be delivered in what formats?

- Flash
- HTML
- Excel
- PDF

Every selector must have what things?

Every selector must have an action type and a target.

Explain what "Quick Switch" enables.

Quick switch enables you to quickly switch the display mode for a grid/graph from graph to grid or vice versa.

These graphs are best for time series comparisons.

Vertical bar charts or line charts.

Grouping is associated with what sections?

Custom sections
Each grouping has a custom header and footer.

How do calculated expressions differ from derived metrics?

Calculated expressions: [DROID]
- Defined using text boxes as opposed to a wizard or editor/window
- Reusing it requires re-doing it or copy and pasting.
- OLAP services - don't need it.- Include objects from different datasets
- Display in the layout area and not in the dataset objects pane

How do you set a dataset as a grouping and sorting dataset?

Right click and select "Set as Grouping and Sorting Dataset".

How do you tell a section to not display if there is no data within it?

Select the "Hide if empty" property for that section.

How is dynamic aggregation accommodated for an attribute at levels that are not initially available to aggregate for that attribute in a document?

Insert a summary metric.

How much of the screen do dashboard panels take up?

The full screen.

How must a dataset be added to a report in order to take advantage of a view filter within it?

Must be added to section 'with formatting'

If Distribution services is installed, what can you subscribe to in web?

You can schedule delivery to the following:
- e-mail
- File server
- printer

In addition to standard reports, these objects can be used as datasets.

Intelligent Cubes
Intelligent Cube Reports

In reference to conditional formats, list the different things that can be done to the object if the condition is true.

[SHFT]
- symbol - can be replaced by it
- Hidden
- Formatted in a particular way
- text - can be replaced by it (static text only)

The Intelligence Server has a limits that can be placed on datasets that return many rows. What are the limits called?

Governing limits or Governors.

An interactive stacked graph widget can be used as a selector

TRUE

Is Quick Switch available on objects whose view mode is set to "Grid and Graph"?

NO
The object must be set to either grid or graph mode.

Is the detail section used in a zone based layout?

No.
Associate zone based layouts with grids/graphs - remember these cannot go into the detail section

These layers are useful for layering grids and graphs on a panel stack within a larger dashboard.

Analytic Panels

List 3 DHTML styles for selectors

- Button Bar
- Check Boxes
- Drop Down
- Link Bar
- List Box
- Radio Buttons
- Sliders

List 4 doc sections where a grid/graph can be added.

- Doc header/footer
- Page header/footer
- Detail header/footer
- Custom header/footer

List benefits of the DHTML editable mode.

- used to perform formatting changes and extensive doc manipulation
- cap apply formatting to any object and view the result immediately
- recommended mode when fine tuning a report services document.

List the actions that take place when you "Convert To Document".

- Source report becomes a dataset of the doc
- Dataset displays in the detail header section as a grid or graph
- The grid or graph displays the same attributes
- The grid or graph uses the source report's formatting
- Any prompt answers stored in the source are copied in
- Page-by in the source is copied to grouping in the doc.
- any view filters are applied to the grid/graph in the doc

List the available export formats for dashboards.

[FEPH]
-Excel
-PDF
-HTML
-Flash

List the benefits provided by report services.

- Rich data access
- WYSIWYG Report layout and formatting that is "pixel perfect"
- All types of scorecards, dashboards & enterprise reports
- Full interactivity for all scorecards, dashboards and enterprise reports.
- Scalable, secure documents
- Personalized reporting
- High throughput production reporting
- Seamless user experience

List the best practices for the use of color in dashboards

[THIS AS FACE]
- Tool: Color finder
- Hard copy - consider it
- Intensities versus hues
- Same color for a measure in multiple places

- Alert levels shown with colors
- Scheme: Corporate color scheme

- Fill: sharp contrast between background fill and fonts
- Contrasting colors for quick comparisons
- Blind: consider color blind users
- Earth-toned, natural colors multiple places

List the characteristics of an Invoice or Statement reports/documents.

- very personalized
- used for billing or communication
- uses free form text fields to personalize
- predefined structure and format with static and dynamic fields.

List the characteristics of Classic Business Reports

- Uses charts and grids
- grouped together so the data is easy to read

List the characteristics of dashboard templates.

[PDOEFDGTPS]???
- Predefined and locked panel stacks
- Default display mode
- Other display modes
- Export formats
- Full screen mode
- Design mode shows only the detail header
- Grid/Graphs match the size of the panel stack
- Title bars for grid/graphs
- Predefined formatting for text boxes
- Single Layout

List the characteristics of Managed Metrics Reports

- highlight measurements with conditional formatting
- contain grids of data
- values are represented by colors or symbols

List the characteristics of Operational Reports

- densely populated documents
- contain various rows of detail grouped in an easy to read fashion.
- usually contains stacked metrics.

List the characteristics of Scorecards and Dashboards

- presents several perspectives of data
- many visual representations of KPIs
- combines tables, graphs, gauges, thresholds, labels and other visual elements to show multidimensional views of the business.
- assess several measures efficiently and easily

List the differences between design mode in desktop and web.

- In Web - you perform grid and graph formatting and sorting in editable mode. (unlike desktop)
- In Web - the property list is not available.

List the different reports you can create with report services.

[MICOS]
- Managed Metrics Reports
- Invoices and Statements
- Classic Business Reports
- Operational Reports
- Scorecards and Dashboards

List the display modes available in MSTR Web.

[PEDDF]
- PDF
- Export to Excel
- Design Mode
- DHTML modes
- Flash mode

List the options provided on the project home page.

- Shared reports
- My Reports
- History List
- My Subscriptions
- Create Report
- Create Prompt
- Create Document
- Create Filter
- Preferences
- Search
- Intelligence Server Administrator (admin only)

List the other display modes available for dashboard templates.

-View
-Flash
-Editable
Not interactive as that is the default mode.

List the steps in creating a multipanel dashboard.

[CGDB]
- Consult your target audience
- Gathering related datasets
- Devising the investigative workflow
- Building the dashboard

List the three types of layouts

- Zone
- Banded
- Combined

These metrics are calculation that use at least one metric from the document's dataset in combination with function and operators.

Derived metric

Microcharts widget cannot be used as a selector

FALSE
Microcharts widget can be used as a selector

Name 3 out of the 5 steps to create a report.

- Formulate vision
- Identify DS
- Create a framework
- Add desired data and static elements
- Perform the majority of positioning and formatting

Page {&Page} of {&NPages} is an example of this.

Concatenating auto text and text.

Report services is an add on to which product.

MSTR Intelligence Server

Setting the control default accomplishes what?

Any new object of that same type is created with the same formatting style.

You can 'apply control defaults' to already existing objects to set the formatting style to be the same as the newly set control defaults.

Should document and report caching be disabled or enabled?

Enabled

T/F: A benefit of DHTML documents is that you can enable incremental fetch of data.

TRUE

T/F: A benefit of DHTML documents is there is a shorter initial load time.

TRUE

T/F: A bubble grid widget cannot be used as a selector

FALSE
A bubble grid widget can be used as a selector

T/F: a bubble grid widget is available in interactive mode and flash mode.

TRUE

T/F: A data cloud widget can be used as a selector

TRUE

T/F: A data cloud widget is only available in flash mode.

FALSE
A data cloud widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes

T/F: A date selection widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes.

TRUE

T/F: A filtering selector does not have the option to display the total as a selector item.

TRUE

T/F: A fish eye selector widget can be created as a grid/graph?

TRUE

T/F: A fish eye selector widget cannot be created as a selector.

FALSE
A fish eye selector widget can be created as a selector.

T/F: A fish eye selector widget is not available in interactive mode.

FALSE
A fish eye selector can be viewed in both flash and interactive modes.

T/F: A funnel widget can be viewed in interactive and flash modes.

TRUE

T/F: A gauge widget is not available in interactive mode.

FALSE
A gauge widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes.

T/F: A graph matrix widget cannot be used as a selector

FALSE
A graph matrix widget can be used as a selector.

T/F: A graph matrix widget is available in both interactive and flash modes.

TRUE

T/F: A heat map is only available in flash mode.

FALSE
A heat map can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes.

T/F: A heat map widget can be used as a selector;

TRUE

T/F: A media widget cannot be the target of a selector

FALSE
A media widget can be the target of a selector

T/F: A media widget is only available in flash mode.

FALSE
A media widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes

T/F: A microcharts widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes.;

TRUE

T/F: A panel stack can contain any content

TRUE
T/F: A panel stack is a container for only one panel.

FALSE
A panel stack is a container for one or more panels.

T/F: A panel stack is able to display a title bar with only its panel name.

FALSE
A panel stack can display a title bar that shows either a custom title or the names of the individual panels within the stack.

T/F: An interactive bubble graph can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes.

TRUE

T/F: An interactive bubble graph widget cannot be used as a selector

FALSE
An interactive bubble graph widget can be used as a selector

T/F: An interactive stacked graph cannot be viewed in interactive mode

TRUE

T/F: DHTML documents and their respective viewing modes are the best modes for PDF display, printing and archiving.

TRUE

T/F: DHTML output files are larger than Flash and considered a downside to using DHTML.

FALSE
Depending on the amount of data, docs in DHTML format typically produce output file smaller than those in Flash.

T/F: DHTML provides disconnected operation (offline)

FALSE
Flash mode offers offline or disconnected operation by saving in a Flash mode to an MHT file.

T/F: Flash mode offers immediate interactive response

TRUE
Because all the data is downloaded to the client machine's browser, it provides immediate responses when interacting with that data.

T/F: Flash mode provides unlimited visualization extensibility

TRUE

T/F: Grouping can be used to customize the output of selectors.

TRUE
You can use grouping to customize the output of selectors in dynamic dashboards. The item you select in the grouping object controls the elements listed in the selector

T/F: If a selector uses filtering, an offline user cannot change the selector and update the target.

FALSE
If a selector uses filtering, an offline user CAN change the selector and update the target.
All the slices, and therefore all the data, are included in the document.

T/F: If a selector uses filtering, an offline user cannot change the selector and update the target.

TRUE

T/F: One downside of DHTML documents is the size of the footprint on the client.

FALSE
When you view a document in DHTML, you do not need additional applications installed on your client machine. A standard internet browser is the only required application.

T/F: One downside of DHTML documents is they are not secure.

FALSE
Because additional plug-ins are not required, corporations can maintain strict security policies.

T/F: The cylinder widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes

FALSE
The cylinder widget is only available in flash mode

T/F: The layout "make all items the same width" property is only available to selectors.

TRUE

T/F: The rounded corners formatting option is available in DHTML and Flash modes.

TRUE
You can use rounded rectangles in the DHTML modes. However, to customize the rounded effect of these shapes, you use the rounded corners option in the Flash Mode.

T/F: The RSS feeder widget is only available in flash mode.

FALSE
The RSS feeder widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes

T/F: The thermometer widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes

FALSE
The thermometer widget is only available in flash mode.

T/F: The time series slider only available in flash mode.

TRUE

T/F: The waterfall widget can be viewed in both interactive and flash modes

TRUE

T/F: When designing, use many different types of graphs to draw the user in.

FALSE
Stick with a graph style that works and resist using a wide variety of graph types.

T/F: When formatting graphs you should emphasize the non-data visuals and downplay the data.

FALSE
Downplay the non-data visuals and emphasize the most important data.

T/F: When running documents in MSTR Web, slicing is performed on the desktop in Interactive Mode.

FALSE
When running documents in MSTR Web, slicing is performed on the Intelligence Server in both Interactive and Flash modes.

T/F: With a filtering selector, you can filter the data elements after the grid gets generated.

FALSE
With a filtering selector, you can filter the data elements BEFORE the grid gets generated

T/F: With slicing, you can specify that the selector uses a default selection when other changes in the document cause the selection to return no data.

TRUE

T/F: You can design a document in Desktop or MSTR Web

TRUE
However, you cannot render it in Desktop so it is usually better to design and render all in Web.

This is how custom headers and footers get created.

Placing an attribute in the grouping panel.

This layout does not utilize the detail section

Zone Based Layout

This section of the doc layout is useful for an introductory statement or cover page because items.........

Doc header

This selector widget allows you to browse through time.

Date selection widget

This setting enables you to control whether the data that extends beyond the width of a doc shows on the same page or separate page.

Horizontal fit

This type of report/document highlights measurements with conditional formatting.

Managed Metric Report

This type of widget represents a single value visualization.

Single value widgets

This widget uses a built in selector that permits the user to control the view of an individual metric series.

Interactive stacked graph

A time series slider widget can be used as a selector

TRUE

True/False: A grid/graph object can contain objects from multiple datasets.

FALSE

True/False: A panel stack is an anchor for your panels.

TRUE

True/False: A selector can target three document types: grid/graph, panel stack and dynamic text box.

FALSE
A selector can target only two document object types. A grid/graph or a panel stack. To change the contents of a dynamic text box, you must place it on a panel stack and use the panel stack as the selector's target.

True/False: A selector is part of a panel stack.

FALSE
Unlike title bars and panels, a selector is not part of a panel stack. It is a different type of object that you add to the document separately.

True/False: A summary metric calculates the same no matter where it is placed because it was specifically created by the report designer.

FALSE

A summary metric calculates differently depending on their location in the document. Just like any other metric.

True/False: All objects placed on a panel stack take up the entire width and height initially.

FALSE
Grids and graphs match the size of the panel stack.
Shapes and text boxes take up the width but not the height.

True/False: An icube can be the only solitary dataset for a document.

TRUE

True/False: Another way to refer to the grouping and sorting dataset is as the primary dataset.

FALSE
Setting a dataset as the primary dataset and the grouping and sorting dataset are two distinct assignments. You can assign the same dataset to both but it does not have to be the case. Further, you can assign multiple datasets to be the primary dataset and only one to be the grouping and sorting dataset.