Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

FAQ: MicroStrategy 9s/9.5 General What is MicroStrategy 9s? MicroStrategy 9s combines the world s most sophisticated analytics platform with Usher, a revolutionary security platform. It is a recommended security enhancement that will allow organizations to replace traditional user ID and password authentication, eliminating the vulnerability with storing and typing user credentials to access critical systems and information. What is Usher? Usher by MicroStrategy, is a self-service, cloud-based application that allows organizations to implement enterprise-grade cyber security quickly and easily. Usher delivers a simple, seamless, and secure user experience that protects systems integrity across the enterprise. Usher goes beyond securing systems, and addresses four major areas of concern for enterprise security: Increased cyber security for system and application access Seamless access to physical entryways using digital keys Identity verification over the phone or in person 360-degree view of your network Why is MicroStrategy 9s recommended? Many organizations around the world are experiencing increasing pressure from cyber security threats, resulting in a growing number of data breaches. In order to reduce vulnerability to these threats, we recommend the prompt implementation of robust user authentication with MicroStrategy 9s and Usher. What benefits do I get if I upgrade to MicroStrategy 9s? You should upgrade to MicroStrategy 9s to seamlessly and quickly deploy enterprise-ready analytics and enterprise-grade security to your organization. The combination of MicroStrategy 9s and Usher will allow your organization to swiftly replace user IDs and password authentication, eliminating the vulnerability of typing user credentials to access critical systems and information.

What new features are added to MicroStrategy 9s? MicroStrategy 9s is entirely focused on delivering enterprise-grade security to the analytics platform. In order to make this the lightest possible upgrade for all MicroStrategy customers, the main feature included as part of this release is to enable Usher as a new authentication method to login to MicroStrategy Analytics projects. These changes require upgrades to the Mobile Server, Web Server, and Intelligence Server. The following functionalities are included as part of this version: Web primary login using Usher QR code Mobile (ios) primary login using app switching Web second-factor authentication using user ID, password, and Usher code When should I upgrade? You should upgrade to MicroStrategy 9s at the earliest possible date in order to start securing your corporate systems and information with Usher. Is Usher included as part of my MicroStrategy maintenance? MicroStrategy 9s includes new features to easily connect to the authentication and login services provided by the Usher service. These new capabilities are included in this release for all MicroStrategy customers currently on maintenance. Separately, MicroStrategy customers can now use the Usher service at no charge as long they remain current on maintenance with MicroStrategy. How much does MicroStrategy Usher cost? The upgrade and implementation of Usher as the authentication method for MicroStrategy projects will be free of cost. By upgrading to MicroStrategy 9s, customers will be able to turn on the Usher configuration, deploy Usher badges, and enable users to securely access MicroStrategy projects. Are there other new capabilities, performance improvements, and bug fixes in MicroStrategy 9s? MicroStrategy 9s is built on the MicroStrategy 9.4.1 product line and contains the bug fixes from the latest hotfix version (9.4.1 Hotfix 7). To take advantage of these fixes, it is strongly recommended to update the metadata as well. What is the version or build number for MicroStrategy 9s? 9.5.0000.0018

Upgrading to MicroStrategy 9s How do I upgrade to MicroStrategy 9s from previous versions? The MicroStrategy 9s upgrade will follow the typical MicroStrategy upgrade process. If upgrading to 9s from a 9.4.1 installation, the metadata update is not required, but is strongly recommended to inherit the bug fixes from previous 9.4.1 hotfixes If upgrading to 9s from a pre-9.4.1 installation, the metadata update is required. Follow the metadata update procedures in the standard upgrade document Web Server, Mobile Server, and Intelligence Server updates should be performed per the standard upgrade documentation. This will require these server components to be installed and then restarted once all installation steps are completed How do I get started with setting up MicroStrategy 9s? Everything you need to know about setting up MicroStrategy 9s is located here: https://microstrategyhelp.atlassian.net/wiki/display/mstr95/ On this link, you will find detailed documentation for download location and instructions for the following: Install or upgrade Export MicroStrategy users Create your Usher network Add your MicroStrategy users to Usher Do I require a new CD key to install MicroStrategy 9s? Yes. The process is the same as a regular upgrade. Log a case with Tech Support to get the new license key. Is MicroStrategy 9s available in languages other than English? MicroStrategy 9s supports Internationalization on the Analytics side. However, Usher capabilities are only available in English. Do you offer any service programs to help me get started with MicroStrategy 9s? Yes. We offer service programs and training to help you upgrade or install MicroStrategy 9s. Contact your sales representative to find out more or contact us at info@microstrategy.com

Usher configuration How do you setup Usher to secure a MicroStrategy 9s environment? Your MicroStrategy Analytics implementation needs to be upgraded to MicroStrategy 9s in order to take advantage of secure Usher authentication. The MicroStrategy administrator will export users from MicroStrategy in a CSV file and use the file to generate Usher users. Alternately, administrator can manually create users in Usher. Secure Usher badges are delivered to end users of Usher via email and can be used to log into MicroStrategy Web and Mobile. Can I get Usher with MicroStrategy 9.4.1 or my current version of MicroStrategy? No, in order to apply Usher s secure authentication to your environment you need to upgrade to MicroStrategy 9s (version 9.5). What are the prerequisites to set up MicroStrategy Usher with 9s? Users need to have the Usher application installed on a supported Android or ios smartphone device Usher requires that all MicroStrategy users have a valid email address on a mobile device to obtain their badge Users will not be imported into Usher unless they have a value for every column in the CSV file (First Name, Last Name, Email, Username, Title) How is an account created in MicroStrategy Usher? In order to start creating and distributing secure Usher badges, the MicroStrategy administrator should visit go.usher.com to create a new network for the organization. Who creates the user accounts? go.usher.com is a self-service portal that will allow the administrator to create users and deploy badges. After setting up MicroStrategy 9s and Usher, if I add a new user to MicroStrategy 9s, will they automatically be loaded into Usher? No. The administrator will have to manually create the user in Usher as well, or re-export the CSV and re-import it into Usher. We are working to make the user sync seamlessly in future releases.

Can Usher be enabled at the user level or server level? The Usher secure authentication setting is enabled at the server level and project level, but not at the user level. Can I have Usher enabled for some users and not the others? Usher secure access cannot be disabled for individual users. However, multiple authentication modes can be enabled by the administrator at the server level or project level to allow users to login via standard authentication as well. Can I extend the Usher implementation to my other applications, outside of MicroStrategy? Yes. To learn more please contact us at info@microstrategy.com. User authentication Does MicroStrategy 9s require that I use Usher for authentication? It is not a requirement with MicroStrategy 9s to implement Usher authentication. You will still be able login with standard authentication (user name and passwords) if configured by the administrator. Can I have both modes of authentication available in web the Usher badge and the traditional UID/PWD mechanism? Yes. However, the administrator will need to set this up either at the server level or project level. Will MicroStrategy Usher work with LDAP setup or Active Directory? No, the current version of MicroStrategy Usher will not work with LDAP or Active Directory. MicroStrategy 9s will continue to work with LDAP and Active Directory itself, but the Usher secure authentication is not available in this release.

What do I do if I presently integrate and synchronize my MicroStrategy user manager with an LDAP service (such as Windows Active Directory)? MicroStrategy Analytics supports LDAP and it can still be used in MicroStrategy 9s. However, when Usher integration is configured, there is no automatic synchronization between Usher and Analytics if both are connected to the same Active Directory. If new users are added, the administrator will have to import another CSV file to the Usher Network in order to map the users from MicroStrategy Analytics to Usher. What do I do if I presently use a 3rd party single sign-on (SSO) solution to login to MicroStrategy (e.g. Site minder)? The 3rd party SSO support is not affected by the Usher integration included in MicroStrategy 9s. You can continue using your current configuration. However, you cannot use both SSO and Usher at the same time. Does Bluetooth work for MicroStrategy login? No, the current MicroStrategy 9s release does not support login via Bluetooth. Do I always need my phone or can I just login using my UID/PWD alone and skip the Usher authentication? Users will need their phones to login at all times if Usher is configured as the only method of authentication. Administrators have the ability to change the configuration to standard or any other except Usher so you can login using your user ID and password. However, this setting is at the server level or project level and would change for all other users too. What happens if the phone is lost or stolen? In the mobile identity context, losing the phone is often associated with losing your wallet or keys. With Usher however, painstaking traditional measures to rectify a loss no longer apply - such as canceling cards, changing locks, etc. These credentials and keys are software based, and a single administrative action can revoke all Usher privileges for a specific user/phone instantly. This logs the user out of the phone and will not permit further login for the user on that device without explicit permission. Meanwhile, on a replacement smartphone, the user simply installs Usher from the app store and authenticates to instantly restore all badges and credentials.

Usher on mobile How does MicroStrategy 9s work on the ipad TM? You are required to have the Usher app installed on the ipad and use the app switching mechanism. Will my phone slow down once I install the Usher by MicroStrategy app? No, Usher is a light mobile application that will not slow down your phone. Does Usher by MicroStrategy take a lot of space on my phone? The Usher application occupies very little space on your mobile device, but space occupation may increase if you enable pre-caching functionalities. Usher s memory usage is comparable to popular mobile applications, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, etc. What do I do if I presently use MicroStrategy Mobile integrated with Good Dynamics? MicroStrategy 9s does not include a MicroStrategy Mobile app secured by Good Dynamics. What do I do if I presently use a custom login method, configured via the mobile SDK, to login to MicroStrategy Mobile? It will not be affected by the Usher integration. You can continue using the custom login method you have created. Can I configure Usher to login to my MicroStrategy Mobile for Android apps? No. Currently, mobile primary login is only supported on ios devices. Not everyone in my organization has smart phones what happens to them once I turn this server level setting? If the Administrator sets up the login mode to be Usher only then all users will need a smartphone to login via Usher. However, MicroStrategy 9s provides the ability to select multiple login modes at the server and project level. A user without a smartphone can still login to his/her project using standard authentication as long as it s configured by the administrator. microstrategy.com 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza Tysons Corner, VA 22182 Copyright 2015. All Rights Reserved. COLL-1319 0115