Course Guide Version: DOCESS-921-Oct11-CG MICROSTRATEGY REPORT SERVICES: DOCUMENT ESSENTIALS

Transcription

1 Course Guide Version: DOCESS-921-Oct11-CG MICROSTRATEGY REPORT SERVICES: DOCUMENT ESSENTIALS

2 MicroStrategy Incorporated. All rights reserved. This Course (course and course materials) and any Software are provided as is and without express or limited warranty of any kind by either MicroStrategy Incorporated ( MicroStrategy ) or anyone who has been involved in the creation, production, or distribution of the Course or Software, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the Course and Software is with you. Should the Course or Software prove defective, you (and not MicroStrategy or anyone else who has been involved with the creation, production, or distribution of the Course or Software) assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction. In no event will MicroStrategy or any other person involved with the creation, production, or distribution of the Course or Software be liable to you on account of any claim for damage, including any lost profits, lost savings, or other special, incidental, consequential, or exemplary damages, including but not limited to any damages assessed against or paid by you to any third party, arising from the use, inability to use, quality, or performance of such Course and Software, even if MicroStrategy or any such other person or entity has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for the claim by any other party. In addition, MicroStrategy or any other person involved in the creation, production, or distribution of the Course and Software shall not be liable for any claim by you or any other party for damages arising from the use, inability to use, quality, or performance of such Course and Software, based upon principles of contract warranty, negligence, strict liability for the negligence of indemnity or contribution, the failure of any remedy to achieve its essential purpose, or otherwise. The Course and the Software are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by MicroStrategy. MicroStrategy reserves the right to make periodic modifications to the Course or the Software without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revision. Copying, duplicating, selling, or otherwise distributing any part of the Course or Software without prior written consent of an authorized representative of MicroStrategy are prohibited. U.S. Government Restricted Rights. It is acknowledged that the Course and Software were developed at private expense, that no part is public domain, and that the Course and Software are Commercial Computer Software and/or Commercial Computer Software Documentation provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS under Federal Acquisition Regulations and agency supplements to them. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFAR et. seq. or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights at FAR , as applicable. The Contractor is MicroStrategy, 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza, Vienna, Virginia Rights are reserved under copyright laws of the United States with respect to unpublished portions of the Software. Copyright Information All Contents Copyright 2011 MicroStrategy Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Trademark Information MicroStrategy, MicroStrategy 6, MicroStrategy 7, MicroStrategy 7i, MicroStrategy 7i Evaluation Edition, MicroStrategy 7i Olap Services, MicroStrategy 8, MicroStrategy 9, MicroStrategy Distribution Services, MicroStrategy MultiSource Option, MicroStrategy Command Manager, MicroStrategy Enterprise Manager, MicroStrategy Object Manager, MicroStrategy Reporting Suite, MicroStrategy Power User, MicroStrategy Analyst, MicroStrategy Consumer, MicroStrategy Delivery, MicroStrategy BI Author, MicroStrategy BI Modeler, MicroStrategy Evaluation Edition, MicroStrategy Administrator, MicroStrategy Agent, MicroStrategy Architect, MicroStrategy BI Developer Kit, MicroStrategy Broadcast Server, MicroStrategy Broadcaster, MicroStrategy Broadcaster Server, MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform, MicroStrategy Consulting, MicroStrategy CRM Applications, MicroStrategy Customer Analyzer, MicroStrategy Desktop, MicroStrategy Desktop Analyst, MicroStrategy Desktop Designer, MicroStrategy ecrm 7, MicroStrategy Education, MicroStrategy etrainer, MicroStrategy Executive, MicroStrategy Infocenter, MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, MicroStrategy Intelligence Server Universal Edition, MicroStrategy MDX Adapter, MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server, MicroStrategy Objects, MicroStrategy OLAP Provider, MicroStrategy SDK,

3 MicroStrategy Support, MicroStrategy Telecaster, MicroStrategy Transactor, MicroStrategy Web, MicroStrategy Web Business Analyzer, MicroStrategy World, Application Development and Sophisticated Analysis, Best In Business Intelligence, Centralized Application Management, Information Like Water, Intelligence Through Every Phone, Intelligence To Every Decision Maker, Intelligent E-Business, Personalized Intelligence Portal, Query Tone, Rapid Application Development, MicroStrategy Intelligent Cubes, The Foundation For Intelligent E-Business, The Integrated Business Intelligence Platform Built For The Enterprise, The Platform For Intelligent E-Business, The Scalable Business Intelligence Platform Built For The Internet, Industrial-Strength Business Intelligence, Office Intelligence, MicroStrategy Office, MicroStrategy Report Services, MicroStrategy Web MMT, MicroStrategy Web Services, Pixel Perfect, Pixel-Perfect, MicroStrategy Mobile, MicroStrategy Integrity Manager and MicroStrategy Data Mining Services are all registered trademarks or trademarks of MicroStrategy Incorporated. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Specifications subject to change without notice. MicroStrategy is not responsible for errors or omissions. MicroStrategy makes no warranties or commitments concerning the availability of future products or versions that may be planned or under development. Patent Information This product is patented. One or more of the following patents may apply to the product sold herein: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,154,766, 6,173,310, 6,260,050, 6,263,051, 6,269,393, 6,279,033, 6,567,796, 6,587,547, 6,606,596, 6,658,093, 6,658,432, 6,662,195, 6,671,715, 6,691,100, 6,694,316, 6,697,808, 6,704,723, 6,741,980, 6,765,997, 6,768,788, 6,772,137, 6,788,768, 6,798,867, 6,801,910, 6,820,073, 6,829,334, 6,836,537, 6,850,603, 6,859,798, 6,873,693, 6,885,734, 6,940,953, 6,964,012, 6,977,992, 6,996,568, 6,996,569, 7,003,512, 7,010,518, 7,016,480, 7,020,251, 7,039,165, 7,082,422, 7,113,993, 7,127,403, 7,174,349, 7,181,417, 7,194,457, 7,197,461, 7,228,303, 7,260,577, 7,266,181, 7,272,212, 7,302,639, 7,324,942, 7,330,847, 7,340,040, 7,356,758, 7,356,840, 7,415,438, 7,428,302, 7,430,562, 7,440,898, 7,486,780, 7,509,671, 7,516,181, 7,559,048, 7,574,376, 7,617,201, 7,725,811, 7,801,967, 7,836,178, 7,861,161, 7,861,253, 7,881,443, 7,925,616, 7,945,584 and 7,970,782. Other patent applications are pending. How to Contact Us MicroStrategy Education Services 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza Vienna, VA Phone: Fax: MicroStrategy Incorporated 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza Vienna, VA Phone: Fax:

4

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface Course Description Who Should Take this Course Course Prerequisites Follow-up Courses Related Certifications Course Objectives About the Course Materials Content Descriptions Learning Objectives Lessons Opportunities for Practice Typographical Standards Other MicroStrategy Courses* Core Courses Introduction to Report Services Lesson Description Lesson Objectives Beyond Basic Grids and Graphs MicroStrategy Report Services The Benefits of MicroStrategy Report Services Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface Reporting Capabilities Enterprise Reports Document Display Modes and Export Formats DHTML Modes Flash Mode MicroStrategy, Inc. 5

6 Table Of Contents MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Design Mode Export to PDF Export to Microsoft Excel Selecting Available Display Modes Selecting Available Export Formats Accessing Links to Reports and Documents Document Subscriptions Document Subscriptions to History List Document Subscriptions to , File, and Printer Lesson Summary Creating Documents Lesson Description Lesson Objectives Introduction to the Document Editor Dataset Objects Document Structure Notes Related Reports Layout Area Creating Documents Creating Documents from Existing MicroStrategy Reports Creating Documents from a Document Template Document Objects MicroStrategy Grid/Graphs Attributes, Metrics, Custom Groups, and Consolidations Text Auto Text Images Lines & Shapes HTML Container Arranging Objects on a Document Moving Objects Snap to Grid Alignment and Distribution Sizing Objects Ordering Objects Locking Objects Formatting Objects Control Defaults Formatting Features Section-Specific Properties MicroStrategy, Inc.

7 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Table Of Contents Subsections Section - General Properties Section - Size Properties PDF-Specific Properties Page Breaks Watermarks Lesson Summary Exercises: Creating Documents Basic Document Document Design Concepts Lesson Description Lesson Objectives Banded Layouts Detail Section Behavior Custom Sections and Grouping Grouping Properties PDF-Specific Properties Headers & Footers Zone-Based Layouts Combined Banded and Zone-Based Layouts Lesson Summary Exercises: Document Design Concepts Combined Layout Documents and MicroStrategy OLAP Services Lesson Description Lesson Objectives Datasets Based on Intelligent Cubes Intelligent Cubes as Datasets Reports that Run Against Intelligent Cubes as Datasets Derived Metrics Summary Metrics View Filters Derived Elements Custom Grouping of Elements Lesson Summary Exercises: Documents and MicroStrategy OLAP Services Derived Metrics, View Filters, and Derived Elements MicroStrategy, Inc. 7

8 Table Of Contents MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials 5. Useful Design Techniques Lesson Description Lesson Objectives Useful Design Techniques Calculated Expressions Conditional Formatting Tooltips Dynamic Images Drilling on Grid/Graphs Creating Multiple Layout Documents Lesson Summary Exercises: Useful Design Techniques Conditional Formatting and Dynamic Tooltips Create Multiple Layout Document Optional Exercise: Balanced Scorecard Document Linking from Documents Lesson Description Lesson Objectives Document Linking Linking a Document to a Web Page Linking to a Specific Report or Document Linking from a Dynamic Text Box to Simulate Drilling Linking from a Prompted Document to a Prompted Target. 199 Linking from a Document to Multiple Targets Hyperlinks in a Document Lesson Summary Exercises: Linking from Documents Links to Prompted Targets and a Website Link from a Prompted Source to a Prompted Target Multiple Dataset and Performance Considerations Lesson Description Lesson Objectives Multiple Dataset Join Behavior Compound Joins and Virtual Datasets Join Behavior - Primary and Secondary Datasets Datasets from Different Data Sources Document Performance Optimizations Report Services Document Execution Flow Optimizing Datasets Lesson Summary MicroStrategy, Inc.

9 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Table Of Contents A. Report Services in MicroStrategy Desktop Document Creation Features Property List in the Document Editor Document Templates Document Autostyles Multiselect Reports to Create Document Document Caching Desktop Formatting Features Distribution Relative to Layout Grid/Graph Styles Project-Level Watermarks Links to Datasets in MicroStrategy Desktop Advanced Links in MicroStrategy Desktop Index MicroStrategy, Inc. 9

10 Table Of Contents MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials MicroStrategy, Inc.

11 PREFACE Course Description This 1-day course provides an overview of enterprise reporting using MicroStrategy Report Services in MicroStrategy Web. The course introduces the many features that enable you to create sophisticated, boardroom-quality documents. You will learn how to design and create a Pixel Perfect document using the Document Editor in MicroStrategy Web. You will also learn how to add datasets, various objects such as grids, graphs, text boxes, images and so on to your document. The course covers some useful document designing and formatting techniques and also the implementation of OLAP services features within your document. Lastly, the course explains the implication of using multiple datasets and some data optimization best practices MicroStrategy, Inc. 11

12 Preface MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Who Should Take this Course This course is designed for: Document Developers Course Prerequisites Before starting this course, you should know all topics covered in the following courses: MicroStrategy Web for Reporters and Analysts MicroStrategy Web for Professionals OR MicroStrategy Desktop: Reporting Essentials Follow-up Courses After taking this course, you might consider taking the following course: MicroStrategy Report Services: Dynamic Dashboards Related Certifications To validate your proficiency in the content of this course, you might consider taking the following certifications: Certified Document Developer 12 Who Should Take this Course 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

13 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Preface Course Objectives Understand the benefits of MicroStrategy Report Services, identify the main types of report designs, list the document display formats and more. (Page 20) Identify the different areas of the Document Editor and describe the ways to create a document. Describe the various types of objects you can add in a document. Understand some of the important section-specific properties that affect a document s display. Apply techniques for formatting and arranging objects. (Page 48) Understand the use of detail and custom sections. Create documents that employ any of the three different categories of layouts: banded, zone-based, or combined layouts. (Page 108) Use a variety of OLAP Services features to enhance the aesthetic quality and utility of your documents. (Page 138) Use a variety of Report Services features and design techniques to enhance the aesthetic quality of your documents. (Page 162) Use links to enable navigation to websites and additional documents and reports, passing prompt answers if desired. (Page 190) Understand the implications of using multiple datasets in Report Services documents. Describe best practices for improving the performance of your documents. (Page 216) 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. Course Objectives 13

14 Preface MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials About the Course Materials This course is organized into lessons and reference appendices. Each lesson focuses on major concepts and skills that help you to better understand MicroStrategy products and use them to implement MicroStrategy projects. The appendices provide you with supplemental information to enhance your knowledge of MicroStrategy products. Content Descriptions Each major section of this course begins with a Description heading. The Description introduces you to the content contained in that section. Learning Objectives Learning objectives enable you to focus on the key knowledge and skills you should obtain by successfully completing this course. Objectives are provided for you at the following three levels: Course You will achieve these overall objectives by successfully completing all the lessons in this course. The Course Objectives heading in this Preface contains the list of course objectives. Lesson You will achieve these main objectives by successfully completing all the topics in the lesson. You can find the primary lesson objectives directly under the Lesson Objectives heading at the beginning of each lesson. Main Topic You will achieve this secondary objective by successfully completing the main topic. The topic objective is stated at the beginning of the topic text. You can find a list of all the topic objectives in each lesson under the Lesson Objectives heading at the beginning of each lesson. Lessons Each lesson sequentially presents concepts and guides you with step-by-step procedures. Illustrations, screen examples, bulleted text, notes, and definition tables help you to achieve the learning objectives. 14 About the Course Materials 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

15 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Preface Opportunities for Practice A Workshop is a reinforcement and assessment activity that follows two or more lessons. Because a Workshop covers content and applied skills presented in several lessons, it is a separate section on the level of a lesson. The following sections within lessons provide you with opportunities to reinforce important concepts, practice new product and project skills, and monitor your own progress in achieving the lesson and course objectives: Review Case Study Business Scenario Exercises Typographical Standards The following sections explain the font style changes, icons, and different types of notes that you see in this course. Actions References to screen elements and keys that are the focus of actions are in bold Arial font style. The following example shows this style: Click Select Warehouse. Code References to code, formulas, or calculations within paragraphs are formatted in regular Courier.New font style. The following example shows this style: Sum(sales)/number of months 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. About the Course Materials 15

16 Preface MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Data Entry References to literal data you must type in an exercise or procedure are in bold Arial typeface. References to data you type in that could vary from user to user or system to system is in bold italic Arial font style. The following example shows this style: Type copy c:\filename d:\foldername\filename. Keyboard Keys References to a keyboard key or shortcut keys are in uppercase letters in bold Arial font style. The following example shows this style: Press CTRL+B. New Terms New terms to note are in regular italic font style. These terms are defined when they are first encountered in the course material. The following example shows this style: The aggregation level is the level of calculation for the metric. Notes and Warnings A note icon indicates helpful information. A warning icon calls your attention to very important information that you should read before continuing the course. Heading Icons The following heading icons are used to indicate specific practice and review sections: Precedes a Review section 16 About the Course Materials 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

17 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Preface Precedes a Case Study Precedes a Business Scenario Precedes Exercises 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. About the Course Materials 17

18 Preface MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Other MicroStrategy Courses* Core Courses Implementing MicroStrategy: Development and Deployment MicroStrategy Architect: Project Design Essentials MicroStrategy Desktop: Advanced Reporting MicroStrategy Desktop: Reporting Essentials MicroStrategy Mobile for Apple ipad and iphone MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials MicroStrategy Report Services: Dynamic Dashboards MicroStrategy Web for Professionals MicroStrategy Web for Reporters and Analysts *All courses are subject to change. Please visit the MicroStrategy website for the latest education offerings. 18 Other MicroStrategy Courses* 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

19 1 INTRODUCTION TO REPORT SERVICES Lesson Description This lesson introduces you to the basic concepts related to MicroStrategy Report Services. You will learn about the different types of documents you can create with Report Services. The lesson also explains the various display modes and output formats for the documents. You will learn how you can subscribe to receive documents to your History List as well as , file and printer MicroStrategy, Inc. 19

20 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Understand the benefits of MicroStrategy Report Services, identify the main types of report designs, list the document display formats and more. After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to: Describe MicroStrategy Report Services and the benefits of Report Services documents. (Page 21) Navigate the MicroStrategy Web interface. (Page 24) Describe the types of reports you can design with Report Services. (Page 28) Describe the possible output formats for Report Services documents. (Page 31) Create subscriptions to receive Report Services documents to your History List, an address, a file server, or a printer. (Page 42) 20 Lesson Objectives 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

21 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 Beyond Basic Grids and Graphs After completing this topic, you will be able to: Describe MicroStrategy Report Services and the benefits of Report Services documents. MicroStrategy Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services is an enterprise reporting engine of the MicroStrategy Business Intelligence platform. It is an add-on product to MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. With the purchase of Report Services, the product installs on the same machine as your Intelligence Server. After you install it, you use the Document Editor in MicroStrategy Desktop or MicroStrategy Web to access Report Services functionality. The objects you create with this editor are called documents. A document displays your organization s data, where several grid and graph reports can be viewed at the same time, along with images and text. High-quality, Pixel Perfect documents allow you to display your business data in a user-friendly way that is suitable for presentation to management for boardroom-quality material. Examples of documents include scorecards and dashboards, managed metrics documents, production and operational documents, and more. MicroStrategy Report Services enables users to combine many reports into one dashboard and even multiple documents into a single location so all the data is synchronized and in a single place MicroStrategy, Inc. Beyond Basic Grids and Graphs 21

22 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials The Benefits of MicroStrategy Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services was created to address the reporting needs of an entire organization. For example, in any given company, report designers may need to produce reports for a wide range of recipients and those recipients may require specific styles and formats for their reports. Executives may want to see high-level dashboards, while operational managers may want to see detailed operational scorecards, and customers may need to see personalized invoices. As you can see, the recipients for business reports can span all levels of an enterprise, including external recipients, such as customers. Report Services provides the following benefits: Rich data access Taking full advantage of the MicroStrategy platform on which it exists, Report Services documents have the ability to display large volumes of data from disparate data sources. Documents can even use advanced calculations, such as predictive or data mining analytics. WYSIWYG Report Layout and formatting that is Pixel Perfect on the screen and print-perfect on paper Using Report Services in MicroStrategy Web, business users can produce reports in full WYSIWYG mode through a zero-footprint Web interface. Business users no longer need to rely on report developers to create reports to their exact specifications. The reports you build in MicroStrategy Web display as well on the screen as they do on paper in portable document format (PDF). All types of scorecards, dashboards, and enterprise reports Report Services makes it possible to create virtually any type of report, including multitabbed report books. Full interactivity for all scorecards, dashboards, and enterprise reports The menus, toolbars, and drag-and-drop actions in Report Services make it easy to rearrange the design of any report. Scalable, secure documents Report Services is the enterprise reporting engine of the MicroStrategy platform. It inherits all the benefits of the platform, including iron-clad security, scalability, centralized administration, unified metadata, and delivery to various outputs. Personalized reporting You can answer any number of questions (prompts) before running a Report Services document. The answers you specify dictate the content that the document displays. High throughput production reporting With the MicroStrategy platform, you can distribute documents to hundreds or thousands of recipients across the Web, by , or to network printers, file servers, or corporate portals. 22 Beyond Basic Grids and Graphs 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

23 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 Seamless user experience The Report Services Document Editor in MicroStrategy Desktop and MicroStrategy Web makes it easy for you to design reports without any additional programming knowledge. As you explore the many facets of Report Services in this course, you will learn how all of these features are possible MicroStrategy, Inc. Beyond Basic Grids and Graphs 23

24 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface After completing this topic, you will be able to: Navigate the MicroStrategy Web interface. MicroStrategy Web provides a highly interactive, easy-to-use interface for reporting and data analysis. It is a grouping of Web pages, which includes a welcome page, login page, project home pages, and specific pages that allow you to browse folders, reports, or documents and view results. MicroStrategy Web displays any project objects in the metadata to which you have access. As you run reports and documents, it returns results from your data warehouse and displays them to you in the browser. The following sections describe the various pages you use to access a document in MicroStrategy Web. Home Page The home page displays the names and descriptions of all the available projects.you can access any project for which the administrator has granted you permission. Home Page 24 Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

25 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 Login Page Depending on your web configuration, before you can access a project in MicroStrategy Web, you generally have to log into the project with a user name and password. Login Page To access the MicroStrategy Tutorial project: 1 Depending on the configuration of your training environment, to connect to MicroStrategy Web, do one of the following: On the Windows desktop, click the Start menu, point to Programs, point to MicroStrategy, point to Web, and select Web. OR If Open your Internet browser and type the URL (address) provided by your administrator. your MicroStrategy Web is not configured with MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, you will see a page that has the link to go to the Web Administrator page. On the Web Administrator page, add your Intelligence Server machine name and click Connect. To return to the Home page, click MicroStrategy Web Home. 2 On the Home page, click the MicroStrategy Tutorial project MicroStrategy, Inc. Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface 25

26 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials 3 On the Login page, in the User name box, type administrator and click Login. The password is blank for this login by default. Project Home Page After you log in to a MicroStrategy project, the project home page displays, which displays several options. The following image shows the project home page: Project Home Page The project home page contains the following options: Shared Reports This folder contains public reports, documents, and other objects that are shared with other users. This folder displays the content of the Reports subfolder in MicroStrategy Desktop. My Reports This folder allows you to run your own reports and access favorites by using shortcuts. Only you can access the objects in this folder. 26 Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

27 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 History List This option enables you to access your personal History List, which displays messages about the reports and documents that you have scheduled to run. You can click these messages to retrieve results for these reports and documents. My Subscriptions This option enables you to view and modify report and document subscriptions. Whenever you schedule a report or document to run, you create a subscription to it. You can also view any scheduled deliveries you have defined, which enable you to send reports and documents on a scheduled basis to , printer, or a file server. Create Report This option enables you to create a grid or graph report from scratch or from a template. Create Prompt Create a prompt to ask for user input. Create Document Create an enterprise report, scorecard, or dashboard from scratch or from a template. Create Filter Create a qualification to narrow down your result set. Import Data Import external data into MicroStrategy from a local file, relational database, or by joining multiple tables from different sources. Custom Group Create a Custom Group object to segment report data. Preferences This option enables you to change preferences for a variety of settings, including report display, printing and exporting properties, and more. Search This option allows you to access the MicroStrategy Web search function, which can help you locate folders, reports, documents, and other objects. Intelligence Server Administrator This option enables administrators to configure MicroStrategy Intelligence Server settings MicroStrategy, Inc. Overview of the MicroStrategy Web Interface 27

28 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Reporting Capabilities After completing this topic, you will be able to: Describe the types of reports you can design with Report Services. In this topic, you will focus on the types of reports that you can create with Report Services. Enterprise Reports Operational Reports Operational reports organize data into densely populated documents that contain various rows of detail grouped in an easy to read fashion. The image below shows an example of an operational document created with Report Services: Operational Report Example 28 Reporting Capabilities 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

29 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 Classic Business Reports You create classic business reports using charts and grids, which you group together so that the data is easy to read. Classic business reports can satisfy many types of reporting needs. The image below shows an example of a classic business report created with Report Services: Classic Business Report Example 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. Reporting Capabilities 29

30 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Invoices and Statements Invoices and statements are typically very personalized. They serve the purpose of billing or communicating with recipients. These documents employ a predefined and structured format with text and dynamically populated fields. The image below shows an example of an invoice created with Report Services: Invoice Example 30 Reporting Capabilities 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

31 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 Document Display Modes and Export Formats After completing this topic, you will be able to: Describe the possible output formats for Report Services documents. In MicroStrategy Desktop and MicroStrategy Web, you can view documents in the following display modes: PDF Export to Microsoft Excel Design Mode The following display modes are available only when you view documents in MicroStrategy Web: DHTML modes (Express Mode, Interactive Mode, and Editable Mode) Flash Mode The next sections explain each of these modes. MicroStrategy Desktop offers basic HTML and Flash preview modes. DHTML Modes With Report Services, documents you view in MicroStrategy Web have the same functionality as documents you view in MicroStrategy Desktop. You can create, edit, and print documents using MicroStrategy Web or Web Universal. In MicroStrategy Web, you can view documents in a partially interactive format (Express Mode), an interactive DHTML format (Interactive Mode), in a fully editable DHTML format (Editable Mode), or in a fully dynamic Flash Mode MicroStrategy, Inc. Document Display Modes and Export Formats 31

32 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Express Mode This display mode is the recommended display mode for viewing a document. Even though Express Mode is less interactive than other modes, you can still perform several manipulations on documents such as sorting, pivoting and drilling on grid/graphs, using selectors to change panels or grid/graph reports, linking to reports and documents, saving, printing, exporting, and using the Grouping panel. For more information on panel stacks and selectors, refer to the MicroStrategy Report Services: Dynamic Dashboards course. Express Mode reduces the size of the HTML output, which in turn optimizes the performance of document execution. The image below displays a document in Express Mode. The sorting and pivoting options are displayed when you click on the down arrow next to the subcategory header. Notice that there are no menus displayed and limited toolbar options are available: Express Mode Express Mode is supported on Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 (and higher) and Firefox 3.0 (and higher). You can also choose to disable sorting and pivoting by clearing the checkbox Enable sorting and pivoting on grids in Express and Flash modes under Document Properties. 32 Document Display Modes and Export Formats 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

33 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 To switch to Express Mode, do one of the following: 1 Run a document. 2 On the Home menu, select Express Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click Express Mode: Editable Mode If you need to perform formatting changes and extensive document manipulations, you can switch to Editable Mode. Editable Mode offers WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) document creation and editing capabilities in an HTML format. In Editable Mode, you can apply formatting to any object and view the result immediately. You can drag objects onto a document, remove objects, add text, and perform simple OLAP manipulations (such as page-by, grouping, and sorting) all within the Web browser. Editable Mode is the recommended display mode when you are fine-tuning a Report Services document MicroStrategy, Inc. Document Display Modes and Export Formats 33

34 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials The image below displays a document in Editable Mode. Notice the additional menus and toolbars, particularly when compared to Express Mode. Also, notice the Profit Margin text box that is selected in the document so that formatting changes can be applied to it. Editable Mode The features listed below are additional advantages of working in Editable Mode: You can apply Pixel Perfect positioning. You can display alignment grids to help you understand the structure of the document. You can undo and redo your formatting actions. To switch to Editable Mode, do one of the following: 1 Run the document. 2 On the Home menu, select Editable Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click Editable Mode: 34 Document Display Modes and Export Formats 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

35 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 Interactive Mode For documents that contain special interactive objects called panel stacks and selectors, you can toggle to Interactive Mode. For more information on Interactive Mode, panel stacks, and selectors, refer to the MicroStrategy Report Services: Dynamic Dashboards course. To switch to Interactive Mode, do one of the following: 1 On the Home menu, select Interactive Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click Interactive Mode: Flash Mode If you want to view a document that includes Adobe Flash functionality (such as Flash widgets and Flash-specific formatting), you can toggle to Flash Mode. For more information on Flash Mode and its functionality, refer to the MicroStrategy Report Services: Dynamic Dashboards course. To switch to Flash Mode, do one of the following: 1 On the Home menu, select Flash Mode. OR On the Home toolbar, click Flash Mode: 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. Document Display Modes and Export Formats 35

36 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Design Mode In addition to Editable Mode, Web Professionals can create and format documents in Design Mode. Working with a document in Design Mode in MicroStrategy Web is recommended when you need to build a document quickly, without viewing any actual data, and when you want to set basic formatting properties for the document and its objects. There are a few key differences between Design Mode in MicroStrategy Desktop and Design Mode in MicroStrategy Web. Unlike Desktop where you use Design Mode, in MicroStrategy Web, you perform grid and graph formatting and sorting in Editable Mode. Also, Design Mode in MicroStrategy Web (as shown on the next page) does not display the Property List window that you see in the Document Editor in Desktop. For more information on the Property List window in the MicroStrategy Desktop Document Editor, see Document Creation Features starting on page 236. Design Mode Web Reporters, Web Analysts, and Web Professionals can execute and view Report Services documents in MicroStrategy Web as long as they have the Web execute document privilege. However, to create Report Services documents, you must have the Web document design privilege. 36 Document Display Modes and Export Formats 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

37 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 To switch to Design Mode, do one of the following: 1 On the Home menu, select Design. OR On the Home toolbar, click Design: Export to PDF Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher is required to view PDF output. When MicroStrategy Desktop users execute a document, the output automatically renders in PDF format in Adobe Acrobat Reader. In MicroStrategy Web, users export documents to PDF. The PDF output displays a document as it will look when printed (with page breaks, pagination, and so forth). When you execute a Report Services document in MicroStrategy Desktop, the MicroStrategy Desktop machine generates the PDF output. On the other hand, when you execute a document in MicroStrategy Web, the Intelligence Server machine generates the PDF output. This is one key difference between PDF generation in Desktop versus MicroStrategy Web. To view a document in PDF in MicroStrategy Web, do one of the following: 1 Run the desired document. 2 On the Home menu, point to Export, and select PDF. OR On the Home toolbar, click PDF. The document designer must enable PDF as an available export mode for users to see the PDF options as described in the above procedures. OR 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. Document Display Modes and Export Formats 37

38 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Locate the desired document and click the PDF link that displays under the document name. Export to Microsoft Excel When you export to Microsoft Excel, you send the document data to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, retaining the data and the formatting. In fact, a document's appearance largely remains the same whether you view it in PDF, Microsoft Excel, or in the MicroStrategy Web DHTML modes. Graphs that export to Microsoft Excel get exported as Microsoft Excel graphs, not as images. As a result, you can perform manipulations on these graphs in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, using Microsoft Excel functionality. You can select the Excel format for export (that is, Excel 2003, 2007, and so on) from Preferences. To select the Export Excel Format for Documents: 1 At the top of the project home page, click Preferences. 2 On the left-pane, under Preferences Level, select User Preferences. 3 On the left-pane, under Preferences, select Export Reports. 4 Under Excel options, from the Excel version drop-down list, select the desired Excel format. 5 Click Apply. Selecting Available Display Modes By altering the Document Properties, you can specify which display modes are available for your documents as well as which display mode is the default display mode. 38 Document Display Modes and Export Formats 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

39 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 To specify available display modes and the default display mode for documents: 1 Open the document in Design or Editable Mode. 2 On the Tools menu, select Document Properties. 3 In the Properties window, on the left panel, under Document Properties, select Document. 4 Under Run Modes, under Available Display Modes, select the check boxes for each mode in which this document should display. Clear the check box for any mode that should not be available. 5 In the Run by default as drop-down list, select the desired default display mode. 6 Click OK to return to the document. When you view a document in any of the DHTML modes (Express, Interactive, or Editable), it looks the same as if you were viewing it in PDF. However, the DHTML modes display the content of a document continuously, with no section or page breaks. Therefore, all pagination-related settings apply only to the PDF. Selecting Available Export Formats Before you can export a document, you need to enable the available export formats. To specify the available export formats for a document: 1 Open the document in Design or Editable Mode. 2 On the Tools menu, select Document Properties MicroStrategy, Inc. Document Display Modes and Export Formats 39

40 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials 3 In the Properties window, on the left panel, under Document Properties, select Document. 1 Under Run Modes, under Available Export Formats, select the check boxes for each format to which you want to export. Clear the check box for any format that should not be available. 2 Click OK to return to the document. You can export a document to Flash format (an MHT or PDF file). For information on Flash documents and MHT/PDF Flash files, refer to the MicroStrategy Report Services: Dynamic Dashboards course or the Report Services Document Creation Guide product manual. Accessing Links to Reports and Documents In MicroStrategy Web, you can view the link to a report or a document,which gives you quick access to the URL that runs the selected report or document. To access links for reports and documents: 1 In MicroStrategy Web, browse to the specific report or document. 2 Right-click the report or document and select Show Link. The Show Link window opens and allows quick access to a URL that runs the selected report or document. 3 Using the Advanced Options, you can customize the size of the iframe and the other sections, such as header, navigation bar, toolbar, tools panel and footer. 40 Document Display Modes and Export Formats 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

41 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 The image below shows the Show Link window for the Revenue Forecast report. Show Link window for the Revenue Forecast report 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. Document Display Modes and Export Formats 41

42 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Document Subscriptions After completing this topic, you will be able to: Create subscriptions to receive Report Services documents to your History List, an address, a file server, or a printer. Because Report Services integrates seamlessly into the MicroStrategy platform, you can take advantage of certain platform features to view documents in other media or applications. A History List is a collection of pre-executed reports and documents that have been sent to a user s personal History folder. These pre-executed reports and documents are called History List messages. Document Subscriptions to History List You can subscribe to a document, just as you would a report, by choosing a schedule as defined in Intelligence Server. When the schedule is triggered, Intelligence Server executes the document to your preferred output format and places a message in your History List. You must posses the appropriate privileges to be able to create subscriptions. 42 Document Subscriptions 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

43 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 The image below shows the subscription options you select when you subscribe to a document in MicroStrategy Web. For more information on subscribing a document to the History List, refer to the MicroStrategy online help. Document Subscriptions to , File, and Printer If MicroStrategy Distribution Services is installed and configured on your system, you can schedule subscriptions to the following outputs: File server Printer You can also set up an immediate delivery of a document and delivery notifications for your History List subscriptions. In previous versions of MicroStrategy, subscriptions to , file, and printer were available after integrating MicroStrategy Web with MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server MicroStrategy, Inc. Document Subscriptions 43

44 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials When you subscribe to receive a document by , you can choose from the following delivery formats: Flash HTML Excel PDF For more information on subscribing to receive a document to , a file server, or a printer, refer to the MicroStrategy online help. 44 Document Subscriptions 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

45 MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Introduction to Report Services 1 Lesson Summary In this lesson, you learned the following: Report Services is an add-on product to Intelligence Server and it seamlessly integrates into the entire MicroStrategy platform. Report Services offers the following advantages: Rich data access WYSIWYG Report Layout and formatting that is Pixel Perfect on the screen and print-perfect on paper Ability to create different types of scorecards, dashboards, and enterprise reports Scalable, secure documents You can view documents in the following display modes: Design Mode DHTML modes (Express, Interactive, and Editable) Flash Mode PDF Export to Microsoft Excel You can create document subscriptions to go to your History List. With MicroStrategy Distribution Services, you can create document subscriptions to: File servers Printers 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc. Lesson Summary 45

46 1 Introduction to Report Services MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials 46 Lesson Summary 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.

47 2 CREATING DOCUMENTS Lesson Description This lesson introduces you to the Report Services Document Editor in MicroStrategy Web and explains the various ways that you can create documents. It also teaches you about the different types of objects you can include in Report Services documents and the various ways in which you can manipulate and format those objects MicroStrategy, Inc. 47

48 2 Creating Documents MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Identify the different areas of the Document Editor and describe the ways to create a document. Describe the various types of objects you can add in a document. Understand some of the important section-specific properties that affect a document s display. Apply techniques for formatting and arranging objects. After completing the topics in this lesson, you will be able to: Identify the components of the Document Editor. (Page 49) Create documents using existing reports or using out-of-the-box document templates. (Page 59) Describe the various types of objects you can include in documents. (Page 63) Use a variety of methods for moving objects and arranging them in the Layout area of the Document Editor. (Page 77) Describe various shortcuts for formatting objects in Report Services documents. (Page 83) Explain the purpose of certain section-specific properties. (Page 86) Describe certain formatting properties that apply only to PDF. (Page 90) 48 Lesson Objectives 2011 MicroStrategy, Inc.