Client applications

The MicroStrategy platform provides a complete set of client tools and applications that enable developers to build and design BI and analytics solutions, administrators to manage BI projects and their life cycle, and users to interact with data, and to discover and analyze it correspondingly.

All these client applications connect to the Intelligence Server, which manages them and controls how, when, and where the data and information should be directed.

For developers

The following diagram shows where developer tools reside within the platform's architecture:

The first client tools are the ones used for design and developing. The applications are MicroStrategy Developer, MicroStrategy Architect, and MicroStrategy Web:

• MicroStrategy Developer
  Formerly known as MicroStrategy Desktop, MicroStrategy Developer is an application that gives developers the ability to create reporting and analytics solutions. This is the tool that power users or advanced developers utilize to build Public Objects, which include Reports, Metrics, Filters, and dashboards. MicroStrategy Developer also contains administrative features to configure, monitor, and secure the BI project.

• MicroStrategy Architect
  MicroStrategy Architect is embedded into MicroStrategy Developer's interface and enables designers and developers to create objects that map to the database structures. These objects are called schema objects. (For more information refer to Chapter 2, Project Design - Creating Your Project Foundation).

• MicroStrategy Web
  MicroStrategy Web is a light client application that permits both developing and performing interactive analysis. It provides a wide range of options, from data browsing, report manipulation and dashboard creation, to self-service, information distribution, and data discovery. In some, this client is used by both developers and final users as well.

For administrators

The following diagram shows where administrator tools reside within the platform's architecture:

The second set of client components includes those used for administration, script automation, monitoring, and managing the BI life cycle. Some applications are MicroStrategy Object Manager, MicroStrategy Command Manager, MicroStrategy Enterprise Manager and MicroStrategy Integrity Manager:

• MicroStrategy Object Manager
  MicroStrategy Object Manager allows administrators to copy or promote objects across different environments such as nonproduction, test, and production.
• MicroStrategy Command Manager
  MicroStrategy Command Manager gives the administrators the ability to create scripts to automate the most common administrative tasks. Third-party applications such as BMC Control-M and Airflow, can be integrated with MicroStrategy using Command Manager.
• MicroStrategy Enterprise Manager
  MicroStrategy Enterprise Manager enables analysis of the information generated by the Intelligence Server and the project's usage. It provides a set of Reports and Dashboards that allow administrators to monitor system and report usage, as well as statistics that can be leveraged to create strategies to optimize the BI and analytics environment.
• MicroStrategy Integrity Manager
  MicroStrategy Integrity Manager gives developers a tool to compare environments and the objects within, identifying and highlighting changes or differences that could occur between development, test, and/or production environments.

For users and analysts

The following diagram shows where information delivery tools reside within the platform's architecture:

The third set of client applications includes the ones that deliver the information to the final users and analysts. These clients are MicroStrategy Web, MicroStrategy Mobile, and MicroStrategy Distribution Services:

• MicroStrategy Web
  MicroStrategy Web not only serves as software for development but also as a web-based client that delivers rich visualizations, powerful report manipulations, and interactive dashboards. MicroStrategy Web is integrated with MicroStrategy Distribution Services to deliver information in a variety of formats and media, such as email, files, or printed material.

• MicroStrategy Mobile
  MicroStrategy Mobile delivers reports and dashboards anytime and anywhere to tablets and phones such as iPads, iPhones, and Android phones and tablets. MicroStrategy Mobile is fully integrated with the MicroStrategy platform, which allows it to use its report manipulation and visualization features, its flexibility, and at the same time provide security and scalability.
• MicroStrategy Distribution Services
  MicroStrategy Distribution Services is the component of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server that performs the delivery of reports and dashboards in a full range of methods or locations (email, files, MicroStrategy history lists, or network printers) and formats (Excel, PDF, HTML, CSV, text, and so on).