Microstrategy Questions and Answers

     When is cache created for a report ?

         After saving and closing a new report, a cache is created is the report is re-run.

      What is a Security Filter?

        Like a View Filter, but used to ensure that users only see the data to which they should have access.

      What objects does MicroStrategy metadata store?

• The MicroStrategy metadata stores application objects, configuration objects, and schema objects.

  What objects make a report?

  A report consists of a template, filter and possibly a view.

  True or False: The view feature is only available with MicroStrategy OLAP services

  True. Views are a feature of MicroStrategy OLAP Services.

  Is a view a component of every report created in MicroStrategy?

  No, a view of the report is a feature of OLAP Services. It is not required when defining a report.

  What is the difference between the view and the template?

  The template specifies what information to retrieve from the data warehouse. The view is a subset of your final result set. It is an OLAP Services feature which enables you to further narrow down your result set. With a view you can specify which portion of the full report result will be visible to the user. For example, your original report contains 5 attributes and 2 metrics, but the view that end-user will see contains only 3 attributes and 1 metric. You are narrowing down the result set. New SQL is not generated in this case.

  What are the different components in a three-tier business intelligence architecture?

  A three-tier business intelligence architecture consists of the data warehouse, metadata, Intelligence Server, and Desktop.

  What are the different components in a four-tier business intelligence architecture?

  A four-tier business intelligence architecture consists of the data warehouse, metadata, Intelligence Server, Desktop, and MicroStrategy Web.

  What is the report execution flow?

  The report execution query flow is the process by which Desktop and Intelligence Server generate reports in a three-tier architecture.

  Describle the steps in the report execution query flow.

  Step 1 - A request is made from the Client interface (Desktop, MicroStrategy Office, Web, etc.).
  
  Step 2 - The request is passed to the Intelligence Server Bus which coordinates all the tasks necessary to execute the report.
  
  Step 3 - The Intelligence Server Bus first checks the cache to see whether the report results are already there. The report results will already be in cache if another user or a schedule previously ran the report. If a valid cache exists, Intelligence Server skips directly to
  Step 9.
  
  Step 4 - If no valid cache exists for the report, the Intelligence Server Bus obtains the report definition and application objects from the
  metadata using the Metadata Server.
  
  Step 5 - The Intelligence Server Bus sends this information to the SQL Engine. The SQL Engine generates the SQL optimized for the
  specific database being used. The SQL passes are then returned to the Intelligence Server Bus.
  
  Step 6 - The Intelligence Server Bus sends the SQL to the Query Engine.
  
  Step 7 - The Query Engine sends the SQL to run against the data warehouse and the report results are returned to the Intelligence
  Server.
  
  Step 8 - The Intelligence Server Bus invokes the Analytical Engine which performs additional calculations, as necessary, and formats the results. The results are returned to the Intelligence Server Bus.
  
  Step 9 - Report results are returned to the Client interface.

  What does the access control list enable a report developer to do?

  Set object permissions on a user-by-user, or user group by user group, basis.

  What permissions can a report developer set for an object?

  1. Browse—See the object in the Object Browser
  2. Read—Open the object in its editor to view its definition
  3. Write—Modify the object's definition in the appropriate editor and create new objects in the parent object. For example, add a new metirc in a
  report or add a new report to a document.
  4. Delete—Delete the object
  5. Control—Modify the object's access control list
  6. Use—Use the object to define another object
  7. Execute—Execute the object as part of a report