quite confusing for a business person. what is the difference between report or document, or switching from VI to MSTR Web, or what is the difference between the dataset cube or Intelligent Cube? so many questions, and nobody answered to them...What should i use, MSTR Developer or Web, to develop balanced scorecards? what is the middle tier: Developer module or Intelligent server ? please try to cover all that, so that finance analyst as myself could understand, thanks!
Let me give you a short answer that may or may not help answer your question. 1- A report is one dataset. A dataset is a collection of metrics, attributes and filters that produce one set grid or one graph when executed. A Document can have one dataset or more. The document allows you to create one or more grid and graph based on one dataset or multiple datasets. Thus the document can contain more data and can display data in a more effective manner (when needed). 2- VI or (Analytics) is a stand alone product and is a product that is embedded in MicroStrategy Web. If you only have the Analytics version than that is all you have; if you have enterprise then you have both. The difference is not in usability as much as the underlying environment. 3- A Dataset is not an Intelligent Cube. However it kinda behaves like one. This is a good question indeed. An intelligent cube is preserved for a large data set that is used to generate data for multiple reports and datasets, its a pre-cached bag of data. A dataset data cache is only useful for the dashboards that use it (unless dataset caching is disabled at the report level). Now, you can use an intelligent cube as an indirect dataset for a document or dashboard. So sometimes an Intelligent cube can behave like a dataset. On the surface both are the same, they are reports. Its how they are activated, loaded, cached, and used that makes them very different. 4- As a report developer you will need to use MSTR Developer to have full control over what the report can do. However, if you are basing it on a simple data source that requires simple and direct joins (inner/outer) with simplistic filtering (select from) then Web is good too. As a document developer you can use both or either. Meaning you can just develop in the developer, or develop in web, or use both. If you are using VI then the web is your best medium. If you are using MSTR as part of an enterprise platform, you have a choice. I use both because web has limited options and developer has limited options, to make the design complete I use both by toggling back and forth. 5- Tiers in MSTR are (Mobile and Web; Intelligent Server; and Database). The intelligent server lets you connect to your database via the web; without it your just in development mode. Sometimes I connect via a two tier, i.e. without I-Server when I want to make some development changes offline, then one the I-Server is launched the changes trickle through (sometimes there is a lag thanks to cache unless you force a refresh). 6- As a Finance Person; I would stick to the VI (Analytics). Load my data, play with it and publish my results. If you plan to work at the developer level you will have to learn SQL fundamentals so you can review the report SQL and manipulate the VLDP to get advanced manipulation. Stick to VI if your not technical. Hope I have shed enough light to help remove some of the confusion.
thanks, I appreciate ! wasn't short at all :-). i downloaded the trial Enterprise and started to study it. Why MSTR uses GAAP classifications for building CONSOLIDATION objects like Income Statement ? why not using L_ACCT, L_CLASS or L_ACCTTYPES ? When one GAAP like Revenue Recognition, is different for US GAAP and IFRS , then imagine I have to make 2 accounting entries :Accounts Receivable 5,000 Sales 5,000 Inventory 60,000 Cost of Sales 60,000 in order to separate these entries I should attached them in the F_ACCT one GAAP ID: Rev Recognition. From what i see, L_GAAP is populated with profit and loss accounts ??? not accounting principles and treatment. and report "CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT" uses GAAP codes/Income Statement Consolidation object??? instead of account classifications or subaccounts or account types? L_GAAP is a mistery for me in the way MSTR uses it ! THANKS again !
That was nice explanation! Can you please tell me why do we need Developer/Architect version over WEB when WEB has ability to create Reports/Dashboards. Thanks!
Previously all development was Developer only. As MicroSTrategy moved its design to Web it didn't replicate everything, it pushed most features. You will find situations where the Developer is the only place you can control detailed properties of a graph, a selector etc. So its sad to say that the web version is lagging behind the developer tool. I think MicroStrategy started focusing on Visual Insights and dropped the ball on Web Dashboards (non-visual insights). The market is shifting and as a result the Web version never matched the Developer version. Again we are not talking about Visual Insights (drag and drop) dashboards.
Thanks for uploading VI demo!!
quite confusing for a business person. what is the difference between report or document, or switching from VI to MSTR Web, or what is the difference between the dataset cube or Intelligent Cube? so many questions, and nobody answered to them...What should i use, MSTR Developer or Web, to develop balanced scorecards? what is the middle tier: Developer module or Intelligent server ? please try to cover all that, so that finance analyst as myself could understand, thanks!
Let me give you a short answer that may or may not help answer your question.
1- A report is one dataset. A dataset is a collection of metrics, attributes and filters that produce one set grid or one graph when executed. A Document can have one dataset or more. The document allows you to create one or more grid and graph based on one dataset or multiple datasets. Thus the document can contain more data and can display data in a more effective manner (when needed).
2- VI or (Analytics) is a stand alone product and is a product that is embedded in MicroStrategy Web. If you only have the Analytics version than that is all you have; if you have enterprise then you have both. The difference is not in usability as much as the underlying environment.
3- A Dataset is not an Intelligent Cube. However it kinda behaves like one. This is a good question indeed. An intelligent cube is preserved for a large data set that is used to generate data for multiple reports and datasets, its a pre-cached bag of data. A dataset data cache is only useful for the dashboards that use it (unless dataset caching is disabled at the report level). Now, you can use an intelligent cube as an indirect dataset for a document or dashboard. So sometimes an Intelligent cube can behave like a dataset. On the surface both are the same, they are reports. Its how they are activated, loaded, cached, and used that makes them very different.
4- As a report developer you will need to use MSTR Developer to have full control over what the report can do. However, if you are basing it on a simple data source that requires simple and direct joins (inner/outer) with simplistic filtering (select from) then Web is good too. As a document developer you can use both or either. Meaning you can just develop in the developer, or develop in web, or use both. If you are using VI then the web is your best medium. If you are using MSTR as part of an enterprise platform, you have a choice. I use both because web has limited options and developer has limited options, to make the design complete I use both by toggling back and forth.
5- Tiers in MSTR are (Mobile and Web; Intelligent Server; and Database). The intelligent server lets you connect to your database via the web; without it your just in development mode. Sometimes I connect via a two tier, i.e. without I-Server when I want to make some development changes offline, then one the I-Server is launched the changes trickle through (sometimes there is a lag thanks to cache unless you force a refresh).
6- As a Finance Person; I would stick to the VI (Analytics). Load my data, play with it and publish my results. If you plan to work at the developer level you will have to learn SQL fundamentals so you can review the report SQL and manipulate the VLDP to get advanced manipulation. Stick to VI if your not technical.
Hope I have shed enough light to help remove some of the confusion.
thanks, I appreciate ! wasn't short at all :-). i downloaded the trial Enterprise and started to study it.
Why MSTR uses GAAP classifications for building CONSOLIDATION objects like Income Statement ? why not using L_ACCT, L_CLASS or L_ACCTTYPES ? When one GAAP like Revenue Recognition, is different for US GAAP and IFRS , then imagine I have to make 2 accounting entries :Accounts Receivable 5,000
Sales 5,000
Inventory 60,000
Cost of Sales 60,000
in order to separate these entries I should attached them in the F_ACCT one GAAP ID: Rev Recognition. From what i see, L_GAAP is populated with profit and loss accounts ??? not accounting principles and treatment. and report "CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT" uses GAAP codes/Income Statement Consolidation object??? instead of account classifications or subaccounts or account types? L_GAAP is a mistery for me in the way MSTR uses it ! THANKS again !
That was nice explanation! Can you please tell me why do we need Developer/Architect version over WEB when WEB has ability to create Reports/Dashboards. Thanks!
Previously all development was Developer only. As MicroSTrategy moved its design to Web it didn't replicate everything, it pushed most features. You will find situations where the Developer is the only place you can control detailed properties of a graph, a selector etc. So its sad to say that the web version is lagging behind the developer tool. I think MicroStrategy started focusing on Visual Insights and dropped the ball on Web Dashboards (non-visual insights). The market is shifting and as a result the Web version never matched the Developer version. Again we are not talking about Visual Insights (drag and drop) dashboards.
Hi anybody is there to teach Mstr?