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MicroStrategy Interview Questions

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MicroStrategy Interview Questions

1. What is Microstrategy?

Ans: Microstrategy is a business enterprise application software that supports interactive dashboards, highly formatted reports, scorecards, threshold, ad hoc queries, alerts, and automated report distribution.

2. What is Metadata in Microstrategy?

Ans: Microstrategy stores all the information about all Microstrategy objects in a repository called Metadata which is created in the Database. 

3. Explain different types of objects in Microstrategy?

Ans: Microstrategy objects are categorized into 3 kinds

I. Configuration objects: Configuration objects enable us to connect with warehouse databases using MicroStrategy architecture. This object contains crucial project information that is generated and maintained by managers.

II. Application objects: Application objects include filters, prompt, documents, templates, reports, custom groups, and metrics. This object helps to analyze relevant information that is maintained by developers.

 

III. Schema objects: Schema objects directed to warehouse database structures and the essential aspects of business intelligence application such as facts, attributes, and hierarchies are stored in schema objects.

4. Define different types of attributes in Microstrategy desktop?

Ans:

  • Compound key attribute
  • Implicit attribute
  • Derived attribute
  • Simple attribute

5. Define Compound key attribute

Ans: A Compound key attribute is a primary key that is made up of two or more columns and these columns are joined with other attributes. It helps to merge or concat two columns in the same group.

6. Difference between Facts and Attributes

Ans: In Microstrategy, facts are the numeric data and attributes are contextual data for the facts which are necessary to define a project. Facts are the data values stored in database columns which attribute define the data.

7. How OLAP helps in MicroStrategy?

Ans: Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) is a multi-dimensional analysis of business intelligence. It helps to improve performance and analysis. It uses the concept of in-memory business intelligence.

8. List the end products of OLAP services?

Ans: The end products of OLAP service that delivers are:

Microstrategy Desktop

Microstrategy web

Microstrategy office

9. What is a smart metric in MicroStrategy?

Ans: Smart metric allows the user to change the default evaluation order of the metric. It calculates the subtotal elements of a compound metric.

10. Define Joint Child?

Ans: Joint child helps to maintain the composite keys which are constituted with more or more columns as unique identifiers. The joint child helps to make a set of these columns constituting composite keys.

11. Explain the difference between Microstrategy and Cognos IBM?

Ans:

Microstrategy Cognos
Microstrategy is based on a single metadata repository. Cognos consists of two metadata repositories.
It operates as a web-based and a desktop tool It can be used as a web-based reporting tool.
Reporting time is fast Reporting time is slow when compared with MicroStrategy
It supports multiple languages It provides a customizable dashboard.

12. Mention the types of algorithms supported by MicroStrategy?

Ans: The algorithms which are supported by MicroStrategy are:

  • Neural network algorithm
  • Tree algorithm
  • Clustering algorithm
  • Regression algorithm

13. Mention different types of testing carried out by MicroStrategy reports?

Ans: Different types of testing can be done in MicroStrategy are:

  • Total calculation tests
  • Naming convention tests
  • SQL query validations
  • Drilling option test
  • Security filter tests
  • Prompts related verifications
  • Attribute and metric positions in a report
  • Threshold test
  • Formatting and functionality test

14. Explain the logical view in MicroStrategy?

Ans: Logical views allow application architects to create the desired view of tables using MicroStrategy without DBA involvement. When a table is imported from the database to MicroStrategy through an architect tool, the table consists of a logic form which is known as a logic view.

15. Mention the process of Microstrategy from query request to generate BI reports?

Ans: The process for generating BI reports in Microstrategy as follows:

  • Connect to Database
  • Create metadata
  • Create a database (in-memory)
  • Schedule query
  • Create reports and dashboards

16. Name the data modeling tool in MSTR?

Ans: Architect is the data modeling tool used in MSTR

17. Write down the few properties of VLDB?

Ans: Very Large Database (VLDB) is the way of conducting database particulars preferences while creating SQL reports. The properties of VLDB are:

  • Displaying, evaluating, and ordering data
  • Exporting report results from MicroStrategy
  • Customizing SQL queries
  • Retrieving data
  • Modifying the third party cube sources in MicroStrategy
  • Calculating data
  • Optimizing queries
  • Selecting and inserting data with SQL

18. Define intelligent cube

Ans: Intelligent cube is a set of data that can be shared as a single in-memory data among different reports created by users. The reports accessing intelligent cubes can use the features of OLAP services for analyzing and reporting.

19. Mention the features that are not supported by intelligent cube?

Ans: Features that are not supported by intelligent cubes are:

Prompt

OLAP services: Derived metrics and viewed filters cannot be supported

20. What are the advantages of cubes in MicroStrategy?

Ans: The advantages of cubes are:

  • Supports derived metric creations
  • Fast performance than direct querying
  • Can be scheduled for refresh
  • More than one cube can be used in a single dashboard
  • Supports dynamic aggregation

21. Define prompt in MicroStrategy

Ans: Prompt allows us to determine how the reports return to the database from the warehouse. Prompt helps to apply filtering conditions to a report, a metric on the report, or a custom group on the report. It also helps to choose what objects such as attributes and metrics are included in the report.

22. Mention different types of fact extensions in MicroStrategy?

Ans: In Microstrategy, there are three different fact extensions. They are:

  • Disallow
  • Extension
  • Degradation

23. Define Fact Degradation?

Ans: Fact Degradation is designed to allow the user to lower the level of facts in the database.

24. What are the various ways of incorporating security in MicroStrategy?

Ans:

For column level security, putting user specific restriction at the end of the database and using user-specific connection mapping 

Applying folder level and object level security to restrict the access for a certain set of reports

Applying security levels to the filters provides row-level security

25. Define Filters and mention different types of filters?

Ans: Filters are used to limit the data of the report. Different types of filters are:

  • Absolute filter
  • Report filter
  • Standard filter
  • View filter
  • Security filter

26. Mention different types of cache?

Ans: The different types of cache are as follows:

  • Matching cache
  • History cache
  • Matching-History cache
  • XML cache

27. Write the difference between report filter and view filter?

Ans: Report filter is an object that appears before the report executes. It affects the SQL and appears in the Where clause.

Whereas, View filter is an OLAP feature which is an object that appears after the report execution. The results can be viewed in the database warehouse.

28. What does the meaning when you say in-memory ROLAP?

Ans: In-memory ROLAP is an Architectural extension of MicroStrategy tools in which the ROLAP cubes reside in-memory within virtual cubes.

In-memory= ROLAP Architecture+Cube Architecture.

29. Mention the advantages of using in-memory ROLAP?

Ans: The advantages of in-memory ROLAP are:

It improves user wait time. It free-up the database capacity.

30. Define Element cache?

Ans: Element cache is the table elements that are stored in memory on the intelligent server or Developer machines so that they can retrieve more quickly. 

31. How long does it take to get Microstrategy Desktop up and running?

Ans: Microstrategy Desktop installs in minutes and automatically presents a list of available Microstrategy Intelligence Servers. Within an hour, the installation and setup are completed.

32. How does Microstrategy Desktop integrate with the rest of the Microstrategy platform?

Ans: Microstrategy Desktop is the intuitive client-server interface used by business analysts and application developers. Microstrategy Desktop interacts with the Intelligence Server to build metrics, create and format reports, and retrieve timely, accurate information to the desktop to enhance the decision-making process.

33. Is the Microstrategy MDX engine certified by SAP?

Ans: Yes. This new Dynamic MDX Engine generates optimized MDX syntax that is fully certified with SAP BW using SAP’s high-performance BAPI interfaces.

34. Define different types of attributes in Microstrategy desktop?

Ans: 

  • Compound Key Attribute
  • Implicit Attributes
  • Derived Attributes Simple Attribute

35. Can users join data across SAP BW Info Cubes and Query Cubes?

Ans: Yes. Users can use Microstrategy Desktop to create reports that access SAP data and join data across SAP BW Info Cubes and Query Cubes as well as access multiple instances of SAP BW at once.

Inclined to build a profession as MicroStrategy Developer? Then here is the blog post on, explore MicroStrategy Training

36. To what extend can Microstrategy Desktop be personalized?

Ans: Each Microstrategy Desktop user has a security profile defined by their administrator. This profile controls access to application functionality, specific reports, or particular data for individual users or groups of users. The Desktop interface will adapt and display only what this user is allowed to see

37. Can Microstrategy Desktop join data across heterogeneous data sources?

Ans: Yes. Microstrategy 8 extends the Microstrategy data modeling flexibility to include integrated views of data across heterogeneous data stores. By mapping conforming dimensions from different sources, Microstrategy Desktop can automatically join data from multiple different sources in the same report document. Data can come from any source accessible by Microstrategy 8, including the data warehouse, data marts, SAP BW, and any number of operational system databases.

38. Can Microstrategy incorporate best-of-breed data mining insight into mainstream business reports and analysis?

Ans: Yes. Microstrategy 8 has extended its analytic engine with “Data Mining Services” capability that allows reports and analyses to include predictive capabilities in every Microstrategy report or analysis. Microstrategy 8 includes the new ability to import data mining models directly from best-of-breed data mining products from vendors like IBM, Teradata, SAS, and SPSS using the new PMML or predictive modeling mark-up language standard.[/sociallocker]

39. What is Microstrategy Narrowcast Server?

Ans: Microstrategy Narrowcast Server is a software product that monitors and delivers individualized information to users via email, web portals, and wireless devices such as PDAs, pagers, and phones. Through an easy-to-use web page, users specify what information they want, when and how they want to receive it.

40. Can I access Intelligent Cubes without OLAP Services?

Ans: Yes, with the appropriate version of Microstrategy Web or Desktop, certain functions leverage the Intelligent Cubes. These functions include: report formatting down to cell level, column aliasing, drilling, pivoting, page-by, adding metric thresholds, adding subtotals, ranking, and sorting. Please see the Web and Desktop version comparisons to determine exactly which Web or Desktop version includes the desired functionality.

41. Name the different types of matrices in MicroStrategy?

Ans: 

  • Simple
  • Nested
  • Derived
  • Compound

42. Is OLAP Services sold as a separate product?

Ans: Yes, OLAP Services is sold as a separate product that is installed with Microstrategy Intelligence Server. It is licensed either on a per-user or per-CPU basis.

For an in-depth understanding of MicroStrategy click on

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