This presentation was given at MicroStrategy World 2009 and is a review of the MicroStrategy 9 platform which had yet to be released at that time. It highlights some of the new features and enhancements as well as Beta benchmark

1. Beta Experience and Feedback
on MicroStrategy 9
Bryan Brandow
MicroStrategy Architect
Bluegreen Corp.
bryan.brandow@bluegreencorp.com
January 15th, 2009

2. About Bluegreen
History
Founded in 1966 in Massachusetts, the company’s core business was
buying, improving, selling and financing recreational land in more than
32 states. In 1986 the company was listed on the New York Stock
Exchange and in 1991 it was relocated to Boca Raton, Fla.
Overview
Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE:BXG) is a leading provider of Colorful Places to Live and Play®.
With over 185,000 owners, Bluegreen Resorts markets and sells a flexible, real estate-based
vacation ownership plan with access to over 40 resorts and an exchange network of over
3,700 resorts and other leisure products such as cruises and hotel stays.
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3. Bluegreen BI Project Statistics
• 150 users
• 2,000 Jobs a day
• 50% are Narrowcast
• Average Execution is 30s
• 200GB Data Warehouse
• MS SQL Server 2005
 6 Projects from 9 Data Sources including Sales, Marketing, Inventory, HR, and IT systems
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4. Presentation Outline
• Quick overview of MicroStrategy Beta Programs
• Particular focus on Distribution Services
• Demo important Web enhancements to Bluegreen
• SQL Engine Enhancements
• Quickly highlight additional features throughout
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5. MicroStrategy Beta Programs http://www.microstrategy.com/BetaPrograms/
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6. Bluegreen as Beta Partners
8.1 Beta Evaluators: 11 issues reported
9.0 Beta Partners: 40+ issues reported, including performance benchmarks
Cost
MicroStrategy sent experienced Beta Consultants for free to work with us in our
environment. All that was required was some of our time and the use of a dedicated server
(virtual). Consultants visited for one week at a time on two separate occasions and were
mostly self sufficient. Regularly scheduled meetings and responsibilities did not impact
testing. There was little to no interruption to our normal BI operations.
Value
Dedicated face time with MicroStrategy to discuss issues important to us. The majority of
the issues and enhancements that we discussed during our visits found their way into the
final product. Access to the product before release allows for better planning in the
deployment cycle for next year’s initiatives. We have advanced knowledge of what will be
required from a hardware perspective and can rally project interest by showing off future
features.
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7. MicroStrategy 9 Overview
MicroStrategy 9 represents the most feature-packed release since a near
complete platform rewrite for 7.0 in 2000. Some projects featured in
MicroStrategy 9 began development over 4 years ago.
This presentation will highlight some of the beta features we have tested that are
pertinent to the Bluegreen Business Intelligence project.
* Please note that all test results contained in this presentation are the results of our testing on our
platforms using various Beta releases. These results may vary from the final release and from other
platform configurations.
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8. Bluegreen’s Beta Goals
1. Distribution Services Migration and Performance
a) Procedures for converting existing subscriptions.
b) System Performance.
c) User Interface and Administration Interface improvements.
2. SQL Engine Performance
a) Enhancements to the existing architecture.
b) New technology that could be leveraged.
3. Web Interface
a) Improvements to usability and functionality.
b) Process changes due to new features.
c) Impacts to design decisions due to new capabilities.
4. Separate Web/Narrowcast and IServer?
a) With Distribution Services moving to the IServer, is it still
recommended to have two separate machines or to bring all product
functionality into a single box?
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9. Upgrading from NCS to DS
Starting in 9.0, all Web Delivery subscriptions previously handled by Narrowcast
Server will be handled by Distribution Services, a new component of the
Intelligence Server. Desktop includes a tool for upgrading subscriptions into the
new metadata.
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10. Upgrading from NCS to DS
 To perform the
upgrade, simply select
the “Upgrade
Narrowcast Server Web
Deliveries subscriptions”
option from the
Desktop. This will begin
a wizard similar to
Project Duplication.
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11. Distribution Services Administration
Command Manager now
has the ability to create and
alter subscriptions. This will
allow for batch migrations of
physical subscriptions from
one user to another, an
important feature that was
missing from Narrowcast.
Subscription Monitor
allows for administration
to be done directly in
Desktop.
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12. Distribution Services vs. Narrowcast
CPU % Utilization Disk IO
100 60
80 50
60 40
30
40
20
20
10
0 0
42:15.1
43:00.1
43:45.1
44:30.1
45:15.1
46:00.1
48:15.1
49:00.1
49:45.1
50:30.1
51:15.1
52:00.1
52:45.1
53:30.1
54:15.2
55:00.2
55:45.2
56:30.2
46:45.1
47:30.1
42:13.8
42:58.8
43:43.8
44:28.8
45:13.9
45:58.9
46:43.9
47:28.9
48:13.9
48:58.9
49:43.9
50:28.9
51:13.9
51:58.9
52:43.9
53:28.9
54:13.9
54:58.9
55:43.9
56:28.9
9.0 Beta 2 CPU% 8.1.2 CPU % 9.0 Beta 2 Disk IO 8.1.2 Disk IO
Test details
RAM Availability
3500 Two virtual servers with identical
3000
2500 specs and configurations using the
2000
1500 same data warehouse server.
1000
500
0 Executing 33 identical reports of
41:58.8
42:43.8
43:28.8
44:13.8
44:58.8
45:43.9
46:28.9
47:13.9
47:58.9
48:43.9
49:28.9
50:13.9
50:58.9
51:43.9
52:28.9
53:13.9
53:58.9
54:43.9
55:28.9
56:13.9
56:58.9
various sizes and output methods.
9.0 Beta 2 Free RAM 8.1.2 Free RAM
8.1: 16.5 minutes
9.0: 15.1 minutes
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13. Distribution Services: Web Deliveries
• Free form
Subscription Name
• GUI Shared Address
Book
• Multiple Send
Method Options
• Multiple Delivery
Formats
• Zip Protection
• Automated Expiration
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14. 8x Problem 1 – Prompted Subs
These 4 prompted
reports represent over
35% of our requests.
There are 5 or 6
prompts on each of
them, resulting in many
users requiring dozens of
subscriptions per report.
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15. 8x Problem 1 – Prompted Subs
If a user creates
multiple subscriptions to
the same report, but with
different prompt
answers, there is no
visual indication to the
user concerning which
report is which.
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16. 8x Problem 1 – Prompted Subs
To make the subscriptions more manageable, the user saves copies of the report
with the prompt answers saved in their My Reports folder. Now the subscription
names are representative of the reports and prompt answers.
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17. 8x Problem 1 – Prompted Subs
Unfortunately, this creates many copies
of the main reports which makes change
management very difficult.
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18. 9.0 Solution 1 - Subscription Renaming
Although a seemingly
small feature addition
in 9.0, the ability for
users to rename
subscriptions will have
a very large impact in
our project. We will
begin initiatives to
retrain users to not
create multiple copies
and work towards
consolidating
subscriptions back to
their original source
versions.
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19. 8x Problem 2 – Copying Subs
325 Subscriptions
In 8x, there are no methods of moving subscriptions between users. In some cases, a user
with hundreds of subscriptions changes roles or leaves the company. How do we handle
all of their subscriptions?
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20. 8x Problem 2 – Copying Subs
1. Rename the User Account
We can rename the user account in IServer and link it
to the new user. We also have to rename their login id
in Narrowcast Subscription Book.
This method works, but does affect statistics history as all record of the original user
is replaced by the new person. It is also an all or nothing, and doesn’t work if the
destination user already has their own account with subscriptions.
2. Make the new user rebuild the subscriptions from scratch
New User
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21. 9.0 Solution 2 – Command Manager
Command Manager 9.0 interfaces with Distribution Services and provides scripting
functionality to alter subscriptions. Now we have the ability to move individual
subscriptions or all to specific existing users.
Bonus: We also now have the ability to execute individual subscriptions for the first
time!
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22. 9.0 Solution 2 – Command Manager
Command Manager 9.0 also includes
new Java based scripting syntax. This
will enable the development of even
more complex scripts to automate
tasks or complete complex moves.
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23. Improvements to Web Interface
• Web is still zero footprint and multi-
browser compatible. The interface has
been updated to feel like Office 2007 for
user familiarity.
• Multi-select rows and columns for
advanced formatting
• Notes section
allows for user • Integrated back button with
driven footnotes full session history.
and comments. • Web Prompt Creation
• Web Filter Creation
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24. Web Interface: Prompts
New AJAX technology makes prompts operate smoother and faster than before.
8.1.2 9.0
Saved prompt answer sets for easier report execution.
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25. Web Interface: Prompts Demo
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26. Web Interface: Thresholds
New web based threshold interface
allows users to define and modify
thresholds directly in Web.
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27. Web Interface: Thresholds Demo
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28. Web Interface: Other Stuff
• View folders in tree view for easier navigation
• Drill on Page Bys
• Grid banding by Columns
• Drill on Graphs
• Improved Subtotals editor
• Graph Design Mode
• Web based user security administration
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29. Documents and Dashboards
• Horizontally
repeating data
for more flexible
report layouts.
• Tabbed layouts
allow for multiple
documents to be
combined into a
single report book.
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30. Documents and Dashboards
Additional New Stuff
• Table of Contents creation in PDF
• Page/background image (watermark)
• Vertically-oriented text fields
• New HTML container can display any HTML content in AJAX or Flash
• Include advanced functions in calculated fields
• Include OLAP Services objects (derived metrics and elements) in a document
• Drilling on grids/graphs in a document
• Export to Flash/MHT format
• Export to multiple worksheets in Excel
• Drill link editor defines drill target attributes
• Convert standard grid/graph report to a Document with one click
• Link standard grid/graph report to document – maintain format changes across both
• Manage join relationships between datasets in a document
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31. Server Core Enhancements
• Runs in 64-bit on Windows 64 operating systems
• Improvements to caching architecture
• Cache Report Services documents in final output format (PDF, Excel, XML)
• Log performance counters for Report Services caches
• Provide complete visibility into the cache key
• More granular control of invalidation and deletion of caches
• Improvements to clustering functionality
• Improvements to the SQL Engine to allow more analytical sophistication
• Enhancements to the Export Engine to accommodate the changes to Report Services
• Improved History List administration and monitoring
• Improved encryption for report caches and data transmission
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32. SQL Global Optimization Settings
Bluegreen’s Benchmark of 20 Common Reports
Seconds
2.5x Faster than 8.0
1.5x Faster than 8.1
Settings
S0: No optimization
S1: Remove Unused and Duplicate Passes
S2: S1 + Merge Passes with Different SELECT
S3: S2 + Merge Passes, which only hit DB
tables, with Different WHERE
S4: S2 + Merge All Passes with Different WHERE
* All Measurements from MicroStrategy 9.0 Beta 2
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33. SQL Global Optimization Settings
Level 2 (Best as of 8.1.2) Level 4 (Best as of 9.0)
23 lines, 1 pass
59 lines, 3 passes
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34. Additional Engine Enhancements
Document Caching Transformations in Where clauses
In addition to report
data being cached,
copies of the XML,
PDF and other
export options are
saved on the server.
This greatly improves response times of
large documents.
This eliminates the need to join to
a static date lookup table.
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35. Intelligent Cubes
MicroStrategy 9 will introduce newly designed Enterprise Intelligent Cubes that
complement the current Intelligent Cubes in OLAP Services. In addition to true
sharing of the in-memory instantiation of the Intelligent Cubes by many
users, additional features and capabilities have also been added to provide a
richer user experience.
Regular Cache Lookup
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36. Intelligent Cubes
MicroStrategy 9 will introduce newly designed Enterprise Intelligent Cubes that
complement current caching strategies. In addition to true sharing of the in-
memory instantiation of the Intelligent Cubes by many users, additional
features and capabilities have also been added to provide a richer user
experience.
Intelligent Cube
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37. Intelligent Cube Features
• New Shared Enterprise Intelligent Cubes
• Define custom groupings of attributes (shown below) in the cube
• Define custom display sequence of attribute elements in the cube
• Supports security filters and prompts in the cube
• View filters using metrics are evaluated at the view
• New Cube Monitor to administer New Intelligent Cubes
• Advanced functions can be used to define derived metrics
Multi-select elements to create new groupings on the fly.
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38. Eclipse plugin for Customizations
New Eclipse plugin allows for graphical editing of configuration files and
settings. This enables rapid deployment of modifications in the event of
upgrades or new environments.
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39. Thank You
Beta Experience and Feedback Bryan Brandow
MicroStrategy Architect
on MicroStrategy 9 Bluegreen Corp.
bryan.brandow@bluegreencorp.com
http://www.microstrategy.com/BetaPrograms/
January 15th, 2009
Questions?
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