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Business Intelligence with MicroStrategy Cookbook
Business Intelligence with MicroStrategy Cookbook

Business Intelligence with MicroStrategy Cookbook: Over 90 practical, hands-on recipes to help you build your MicroStrategy business intelligence project, including more than a 100 screencasts with this book and ebook

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Business Intelligence with MicroStrategy Cookbook

Chapter 2. The First Steps in a MicroStrategy Project

In this chapter, we will cover:

  • Creating an empty project

  • Setting up a data warehouse connection and selecting tables

  • Modifying a table structure

  • Using logical tables to create custom views

  • Generating constants with SELECT statements

Introduction


At this point, you should have a testing machine ready-to-use with all the samples in place. In the previous chapter, we have learned how to install SQL Server and the MicroStrategy platform. In this chapter, we start creating the schema objects that represent the building blocks of our BI project.

Schema objects are the metadata components that are logically closer to the physical structure of the database; they are used to create more complex elements (applications or public objects) that will later form reports and documents. Facts and tables, for example, are schema objects. Also attributes, which we'll cover in Chapter 3, Schema Objects – Attributes, are schema objects.

The first schema objects that we need to identify are the tables holding our facts and dimensions.

Note

We will use the sample database AdventureWorks, which is about a sport gear shop. The size of the data is limited but the overall structure of the tables is quite interesting and covers a number of use cases...

Creating an empty project


The first step in a MicroStrategy BI application is creating an empty project. An Intelligence Server can host many projects. Projects can be copied from one Intelligence Server to another. Think of a project as a way to keep all the related objects together. A project must have at least one connection to get data from the data warehouse.

Getting ready

You need to have completed the previous chapter to continue.

How to do it...

In this first recipe we'll create a project:

  1. Open Start | All Programs | MicroStrategy | Desktop menu and click on the Desktop icon.

  2. Log in with Administrator and the corresponding password and right-click on the topmost folder named MicroStrategy Analytics Modules.

  3. From the context menu that appears, select Create New Project....

  4. In the Project Creation Assistant, click on Create project.

  5. Type a name in the first textbox, for example, COOKBOOK and click on OK. We accept all the defaults for now. Once the wizard terminates creating the project, you...

Setting up a data warehouse connection and selecting tables


At the core of a data warehouse, there are facts and dimensions. They can be organized in star schemas, snowflake schemas; they can be more or less complex, and to some extent undocumented. This is not a book about dimensional modeling and discussing how a database layout works better than other is out of scope. Some common sense rules always apply: consistent column naming can be useful (user_id, iduser, user_code, key_user, yetanotheruserid, you name it…), constraints on tables help to pull the strings and find a way into unexplored databases. NOT NULL fields also come in handy.

I personally had my share of good and bad data. I always remember a development team manager who once asked me, "Why do you need primary keys, anyway?" I looked around and thought, "This must be a candid camera…"

If you are drowning in a very complex DB and want some relief, you can go to http://at5.us/Ch2U2 and read about the Directive 595, it may be a...

Modifying a table structure


Like it or not, database tables change. Due to upgrades in source systems, mergers and acquisitions, or simply because of a shift in the project management, we suddenly find that an SKU or a customer ID is not there anymore. Let alone systems in continuous development where the database seems to have a life of its own and morphs every now and then into different shapes. We all know how difficult it is to go back and test every ETL script and every report to see if they still return reliable data.

Sometimes changes happen without notice, you come to the office on a Monday morning to see that the CFO has a different color…, then you realize that something went wrong.

There is no vaccine for this, other than carefully documenting everything and hope for the best. Let's see how to refresh our table structure information using the Warehouse Catalog window.

Getting ready

You need to have completed the previous recipe and exercises to continue.

How to do it...

First of all...

Using logical tables to create custom views


Logical tables are schema objects that are somehow similar to SQL views. They are not a representation of an existing table but a SELECT statement that returns a series of columns. There are cases in the course of a BI project when you need the data to be in a different shape than in the source tables, so you have two choices: modify the data warehouse or create logical tables.

Sometimes access to the data warehouse is simply out of the question, or it takes weeks, or the paperwork needed to approve the modification is just not worth it.

To be clear, whenever possible, I prefer changing the data warehouse over creating logical tables because there may be other applications that use that data and it's probably wise to have a common base for every app, but I resort to logical tables for cases like the one in this recipe when I need the data to be prefiltered for a specific purpose.

Getting ready

Look at the DimEmployee table in the database diagram...

Generating constants with SELECT statements


During the development of a BI project, sometimes we need to use values which do not necessarily come from tables; these can be constants such as Data refreshed at or Today. The logical tables come in very handy for this purpose.

Getting ready

You can find the SELECT statement for this recipe in the companion code file.

How to do it...

To create a logical table that returns the current date as a constant, do the following:

  1. Go to the Schema Objects | Tables folder and right-click on an empty space in the right pane. From the context menu, choose New | Logical Table.

  2. In the SQL statement text area, paste this sentence:

    select DATEADD(day, DATEDIFF(day, 0, GETDATE()), 0) DateValue
    
  3. Add one Column Object and name it DateValue, and select Date from Data Type.

  4. Click on Save and Close and name it Today.

  5. Update the schema.

How it works...

We created a very simple table with one row and one column. This table will always return the current date at midnight; it is...

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Key benefits

  • Learn about every step of the BI project, starting from the installation of a sample database
  • Design web reports and documents
  • Configure, develop, and use the Mobile Dashboard
  • Master data discovery with Visual Insight and MicroStrategy Cloud Express
  • Learn with the help of practical, real-life examples and screencasts for every exercise

Description

Business intelligence is becoming more important by the day, with cloud offerings and mobile devices gaining wider acceptance and achieving better market penetration. MicroStrategy Reporting Suite is a complete business intelligence platform that covers all the data analysis needs of an enterprise. Scorecards, dashboards, and reports can be explored and delivered on desktop, the Web, mobile devices, and the Cloud. With the latest Visual Insight tool, MicroStrategy brings the power of BI to the business users, allowing them to discover information without the help of IT personnel. Business Intelligence with MicroStrategy Cookbook covers the full cycle of a BI project with the MicroStrategy platform, from setting up the software to using dashboards in the cloud and on mobile devices. This book uses step-by-step instructions to teach you everything from the very basics to the more advanced topics. We will start by downloading and installing the software and a well-known sample SQL Server database. Then, one brick at a time, we will construct a fully-featured BI solution with a web interface, mobile reporting, and agile analytics. The chapters are ordered by increasing difficulty, and each one builds on top of the preceding chapter so that the learning process is progressive. The examples given in this book are practical, and you will be able to see the immediate result of your efforts. We will first cover setting up the platform, including the creation of the metadata and the different objects that are part of a BI project: tables, attributes, and metrics. Then, we take a look at how to create and analyze reports, charts, documents, and dashboards, as well as how to manipulate data with the desktop application, the web Interface, and an iPad device. The last part of the book is dedicated to advanced topics like the new agile analytics technology from MicroStrategy, where we cover both Visual Insight and MicroStrategy Cloud Express. Whether you are a database developer, data analyst, or a business user, Business Intelligence with MicroStrategy Cookbook will get you up to speed with one of the most powerful BI platforms on the market with the smallest possible investment of time and money.

Who is this book for?

This book is intended for both BI and database developers who want to expand their knowledge of MicroStrategy. It is also useful for advanced data analysts who are evaluating different technologies. You do not need to be an SQL master to read this book, yet knowledge of some concepts like foreign keys and many-to-many relationships is assumed. Some knowledge of basic concepts such as dimensional modeling (fact tables, dimensions) will also help your comprehension of this book. No previous MicroStrategy knowledge is needed.

What you will learn

  • Install a complete MicroStrategy server (including a web interface)
  • Create a project and connect to a data warehouse
  • Build reports, graphs, documents, dashboards, and interactive visualizations
  • Configure and use MicroStrategy on mobile devices
  • Add values to the data with month to date and year to date analyses
  • Use In-Memory technology for instant results and data discovery
  • Analyze data in the cloud with MicroStrategy Cloud Express
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Publication date : Oct 26, 2013
Length: 356 pages
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Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782179757
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Publication date : Oct 26, 2013
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Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782179757
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Table of Contents

13 Chapters
Getting Started with MicroStrategy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
The First Steps in a MicroStrategy Project Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Schema Objects – Attributes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Objects – Facts and Metrics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Data Display and Manipulation – Reports Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Data Analysis and Visualization – Graphs Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Analysis on the Web – Documents and Dashboards Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Dynamic Selection with Filters and Prompts Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Mobile BI for Developers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Mobile BI for Users Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Consolidations, Custom Groups, and Transformations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
In-Memory Cubes and Visual Insight Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
MicroStrategy Express Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.8
(11 Ratings)
5 star 54.5%
4 star 18.2%
3 star 0%
2 star 9.1%
1 star 18.2%
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eric h souare Jan 03, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
One of the first manuals outside of the official Microstrategy (vendor) publications. I like that it takes you through an entire report development cycle. The steps are easy to follow and the instructions accurate.On a personal note, I have known Davide for a few years now. When I am stuck on a complex microstrategy problem, he is the only one I go to.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
SF Dec 24, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
The author leads the reader through a series of bona-fide workshops that will give you a strong understanding of the sophisticated and robust data warehouse/business intelligence environment of MicroStrategy. If you have already used MicroStrategy tools, the labs can fill out your knowledge set. Either way, the Kindle and this book together are the perfect application for investing your time in the labs - and you SHOULD go through all the labs - because you not only can read through the directions on the Kindle, you can EASILY navigate to the URI links provided in the book without losing your train of thought in your extant lab. Either way: go through the book, and the author will have opened a door of BI knowledge that is difficult to penetrate: the MicroStrategy BI environment.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Dmitry Mar 28, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Very good book, especially for the people who has experience with other BI and want to quickly switch on Microstrategy.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Ashish Feb 11, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is the first book by an independent MSTR expert which goes from scratch till full development cycle. Absolutely recommended for beginners, good refresher for architects. The best part is it takes on a Data Model, goes through every step of development in a very precise and simple to understand steps. It gives explanation through its "How it works" section which I think should be how a good guide should be written.It covers almost every aspects of MSTR objects which a developer needs to know.It also gives good input of various new products from MicroStrategy.Just for note: This is a cookbook and not a detail theory book so it will give reader all the ammunitions to fight the extreme curve of learning MSTR but for detail learning reader should keep MSTR product guides handy and go through them. These product guides are still the ones without which learning MSTR is incomplete.For the author: I would like to see a similar cookbook, a sequel to this basic guide which is on advance topics simulating the common DW scenarios and one on Administration for beginners including EM, Metadata, IM, OM. Thanks for this good read!Regards,Ashish
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Jag Feb 25, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Price is very less compare to competitors. 👌👍
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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