Glossary

• account
  Creates a relationship between access privileges and user login credentials. Account permissions are based on granted roles, and each role has specific privileges. See also: application administrator, application designer, subscription administrator, system administrator.
• Activation Code
  A code used to activate MicroStrategy Intelligence Server after installation. This code is sent to an email address provided during activation.
• ad hoc query
  A SQL query dynamically constructed by desktop tools and whose results are not known before it is sent to the server. The user is asking a new question that has not been answered by an existing report.
• address
  Set of information that tells Narrowcast Server how to send services to a particular subscriber. Each address can be associated with one and only one login/user. Each address is defined to use a specific device. See also: device.
• address display
  A name that is displayed by receiving systems. For email delivery, the address display is used to identify the email address. For example, johnsmith@microstrategy-tutorial.demo might be displayed as “Smith, John” by the receiving email client.
• address ID
  An ID value that identifies individual addresses. Each address can be subscribed to a subscription set multiple times.
• administration object
  Narrowcast Server components that control the processing of Narrowcast messages, providing the means to acquire, format, and transmit messages to recipients. These objects are created and configured by the system administrator.
• administrator
  A user who installs and monitors software and user configurations, maintains the state of the software, and administers the MicroStrategy servers in the platform. An administrator also defines users, assigns user login accounts and user privileges, and analyzes the performance of the system.
• aggregate data
  Information or facts added together or "aggregated" to form summaries of information considered as a whole.
• aggregate function
  A numeric function that acts on a column of data and produces a single result. Examples include SUM, COUNT, MAX, MIN, and AVG.
• aggregate table
  A fact table that stores data that has been aggregated along one or more dimensions.
• All Subscription Data
  An XML string that returns subscription information. It requires you to select an XSL stylesheet to format the subscription information returned as desired.
• analyst
  A user who analyzes business data by accessing reports, performing drilling, and otherwise manipulating reports and documents to see required business data. An analyst receives useful data from information devices like smart phones and email without necessarily understanding how such information is derived or delivered.
• analytical application
  In MicroStrategy, a software application designed to provide predefined reports and other analytics based on a predefined metadata repository, for various industries to gain insight into their business data. The application is not fixed to a specific physical schema, giving it the flexibility to be ported to a company's existing data warehouse.
• Analytical Engine
  A component of the MicroStrategy Intelligence Server that performs all advanced analytical functions. The Analytical Engine evaluates functions not supported by the data warehouse RDBMS and it cross-tabulates reports.
• analytics
  Predefined tools that allow analysis within the Analysis Module's functional areas. Analytics include reports (graph, grid, and so on), scorecards, dashboards, and so on.
• analytics library
  The collection of reports and related objects in the MicroStrategy metadata repository. Library objects include reports, metrics, filters, and prompts. Library objects are defined based on attributes and facts (objects in the logical data model.)
• application administrator
  Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a Narrowcast Administrator console user who performs some of the same tasks as the application designer but has the ability to modify application objects created by any Narrowcast Administrator account. This role is intended for quality managers, development managers, configuration managers, and other users requiring full access to all application objects. See also: application designer.
• application designer
  A Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a Narrowcast Administrator console user who develops and tests services, which include documents, publications, schedules, and subscription sets. Configures and manages Subscription Portals that allow end users to subscribe to a variety of Narrowcast services via the Web. Configures data sources, content, and portal layout. Publishes services and device types, and selects default devices for Subscription Portals. Specifies information source properties and default site preferences. Installs, configures, and administers the development environment. Administers subscribers and subscriptions for development and testing purposes. See also: application administrator.
• application object
  MicroStrategy object used to provide analysis of and insight into relevant data. Application objects are developed in MicroStrategy Developer and they are the building blocks for reports and documents. Application objects include these object types: report, document, template, filter, metric, custom group, consolidation, prompt.
• application program interface (API)
  A set of related functions that provides an interface between existing applications and new applications. The API can be seen as a platform over a set of services on which new applications can be built. The functions, or interfaces, are implemented in a Dynamic Link Library and are defined in a standardized syntax. Application functionality available in the platform can be integrated or embedded into other applications through the use of the APIs.
• attachment
  Any file that is included in an email message. Attachments can originate from outside Narrowcast Server (that is, any pre-existing file can be sent as part of a service) or can be created by Narrowcast Server (that is, Narrowcast Server can create an Excel attachment on the fly).
• attribute
  A data level defined by the system architect and associated with one or more columns in a data warehouse lookup table. Attributes include data classifications like Region, Order, Customer, Age, Item, City, and Year. They provide a means for aggregating and filtering at a given level.
• attribute element
  A value of any of the attribute forms of an attribute. For example, New York and Dallas are elements of the attribute City; January, February, and March are elements of the attribute Month.
• attribute form
  One of several columns associated with an attribute that are different aspects of the same thing. Every attribute supports its own collection of forms.
• attrition rate
  The number of lost employees divided by the number of employees in a given time period.
• authentication object
  Object used by an information source that specifies who the user is and the security context within which that user will interact with that information source. Contains the security information required to make a connection or perform task execution. Depending on the information source module, it should contain information such as the user login name and password. For a MicroStrategy Information Source, the object is a MicroStrategy user. See also: personalization object.
• auto text code
  Dynamic text that is populated by the document or dataset, consisting of the document’s or dataset’s settings rather than data from the data warehouse. Examples of auto text codes, which can be considered as a type of variable, are document name, page number, and execution time. Auto text codes are contained in text field controls on a document. See also: Data field, Text field.
• autostyle
  A set of predefined formatting that can be easily applied to many reports in either MicroStrategy Developer or MicroStrategy Web. Autostyles are a good way to apply a corporate look and feel to reports.
• axes (axis)
  (1) A vector along which data is displayed. There are three axes—Row, Column, and Page. When a user defines a template for a report, he places template units—attributes, dimensions, metrics, consolidations, and custom groups—along each axis. (2) One part of a multi-part graphical diagram. Many SDAM reports display data on more than one graphical axis, such as the Quotation Activity Summary report and the Quarterly Conversion Summary report.
• banding
  A method of organizing values according to a set of descriptive or meaningful data ranges called buckets. Banding is also used for display purposes, where every other row is a different color and the two colors alternate. Compare: consolidation.
• base table
  A fact table that stores data at the lowest level of dimensionality.
• block
  A logical display element used to control the display of large reports in the limited page and slide dimensions of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. A block may consist of multiple fetches. Blocks are defined by Microsoft Office product-specific configuration settings.
• break by
  An attribute or hierarchy where calculations for an OLAP function restart. To break by an attribute or hierarchy means to restart calculations that use OLAP, or Relative, functions when the analytical engine reaches the next instance of the specified attribute or hierarchy. Examples of OLAP functions include RunningStdevP, Rank, NTile, and various expressions that calculate percent values. To break by an attribute or hierarchy in an expression, you must set the BreakBy parameter.
• business intelligence (BI) system
  A system that facilitates the analysis of volumes of complex data by providing the ability to view data from multiple perspectives.
• cache
  A special data store holding recently accessed information for quick future access. This is normally done for frequently requested reports, whose execution is faster because they need not run against the database. Results from the data warehouse are stored separately and can be used by new job requests that require the same data. In the MicroStrategy environment, when a user runs a report for the first time, the job is submitted to the database for processing. However, if the results of that report are cached, the results can be returned immediately without having to wait for the database to process the job the next time the report is run.
• caching
  A special data storage method in which recently accessed values are stored for quick future access. Caching is used primarily to improve report execution performance.
• calculated expression
  A metric obtained dynamically, directly from metrics on a document dataset, by using at least one of the metrics in the document. Calculated expressions allow you to use simple arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /) to combine metrics from different datasets in the document. See also: Derived metric.
• catalog
  A table that contains the names of all non-temporary tables in a data warehouse.
• characteristic attribute
  An attribute that is a parent of a child attribute, but not part of the "main" hierarchy associated with the child attribute. For example, consider a hierarchy consisting of Year, Month, Day. Day of Week is a parent of Day, and a characteristic attribute.
• child attribute
  The lower-level attribute in an attribute relationship. See also: parent attribute or relationship.
• clustering
  A way of using machine resources to provide an efficient and robust processing environment for a Narrowcast Server system. A cluster consists of two or more machines, each machine running at least one Narrowcast Server component. These components are: MicroStrategy Logging Server, distribution manager (DM), execution engine (EE).
• column
  (1) A one-dimensional vertical array of values in a table. (2) The set of fields of a given name and datatype in all rows of a given table. (3) MicroStrategy object in the schema layer that can represent one or more physical table columns or no columns.
• component
  A computing unit that provides a specific piece of the Narrowcast Server functionality and interacts with other components. Examples are the Narrowcast Administrator, execution engine, distribution manager, MicroStrategy Logging Server, Object Repository, and Subscription Book Repository.
• compound metric
  A metric that cannot have a level placed on the entire metric, although it can be set separately on each of the components.
• conditional formatting
  A method used to format specified controls in a document depending on predefined criteria. It allows certain properties of controls, including sections, to be controlled by data-driven conditions.
• conditional metric
  A metric containing filter criteria in its definition.
• conditionality
  Conditionality of a metric enables you to associate an existing filter object with the metric so that only data that meets the filter conditions is included in the calculation.
• configuration objects
  A MicroStrategy object appearing in the system layer and usable across multiple projects. Configuration objects include (among others) these object types: users, database instances, database logins, schedules.
• connection string
  Stores the information required to connect to a database server. A connection string usually includes a DSN and the user ID and password required to log in to the database server. This information varies depending on the particular database server.
• console user
  A user who works with the Narrowcast Administrator console, managing subscriptions, developing services, and administering the system, in contrast to an end user. See also: end user.
• consolidation
  An object that can be placed on a template and is made up of an ordered collection of elements called consolidation elements. Each element is a grouping of attribute elements that accommodates inter-row arithmetic operations. Compare: custom group.
• content
  The information in services, including all reports, miscellaneous text, and file attachments that are accessible to the user. Content is dynamic in the sense that personalization, error handling conditions, and device settings all influence the overall content output and format of each service.
• control
  Any item in the document’s Layout area that you can select. This can be a text field, line, rectangle, image, panel stack, selector, Grid/Graph, or HTML container. These different kinds of controls are referred to as control types. See also: Grid/Graph, HTML container, Panel stack, Selector, Text field.
• control default
  A set of options that can be set for each type of control and each section in a document. You can set the defaults according to the control that is currently selected; afterward, its format is applied to any object of the same type that you create in the document.
• custom group
  An object that can be placed on a template and is made up of an ordered collection of elements called custom group elements. Each element contains its own set of filtering qualifications.
• custom SQL
  Additional SQL code independently created by the user for execution against the data warehouse. MicroStrategy provides tools to write custom SQL, including Freeform SQL and Query Builder.
• dashboard
  An interactive, visually intuitive display of data. A dashboard can summarize key business indicators (KPIs) to provide a status check. Users can change how they view the dashboard's data using interactive features, such as selectors, grouping, widgets, and visualizations. Users can explore their data via multiple paths, using text, data filtering, and layers of organization. See also: Visual Insight dashboard, Dashboard-style document.
• dashboard-style document
  A visually intuitive display of data that summarizes key business indicators for a quick status check. A special type of document, dashboard-style documents usually provide interactive features that let users change how they view the dashboard-style document’s data.
• Data Explorer
  A portion of the interface used to browse through data contained in the warehouse. Users can navigate through hierarchies of attributes that are defined by the administrator to find the data they need.
• data field
  Dynamic text that is populated from a dataset with data that originated in the data warehouse (or an Intelligence Server cache). A data field is only a reference to the metric, attribute, consolidation, or custom group on a report. Data fields are contained in text field controls on a document. See also: Auto text code, Text field.
• data mart
  A database, usually smaller than a data warehouse, designed to help managers make strategic decisions about their business by focusing on a specific subject or department.
• data mart report
  A special kind of report that saves its report data in a database rather than returning those results to the user. Data mart reports either create a new table in the database to store the report data or append the report data into an existing table.
• data modeling
  A method used to define and analyze data requirements needed to support the business functions of an enterprise. These data requirements are recorded as a conceptual data model with associated data definitions. Data modeling defines the relationships between data elements and data structures.
• data source
  A data source is any file, system, or storage location which stores data that is to be used in MicroStrategy for query, reporting, and analysis. A data warehouse can be thought of as one type of data source, which refers more specifically to using a database as your data source. Other data sources include text files, Excel files, and MDX cube sources such as SAP BW, Microsoft Analysis Services, Oracle Essbase, and IBM Cognos TM1.
• data source name (DSN)
  Provides connectivity to a database through an ODBC driver. A DSN generally contains host machine name or IP address, instance name, database name, directory, database driver, User ID, password, and other information. The exact information included in the DSN varies by DBMS. Once you create a DSN for a particular database, you can use it in an application to call information from the database.
• data warehouse
  A database, typically very large, containing the historical data of an enterprise. Used for decision support or business intelligence, it organizes data and allows coordinated updates and loads.
• database connection
  Stores all database-specific connection information such as DSN, driver mode and SQL execution mode as well as connection caching information.
• database instance
  (1) Database server software running on a particular machine. Though it is technically possible to have more than one instance running on a machine, there is usually only one instance per machine. (2) The MicroStrategy object that represents a logical definition of a data warehouse. It stores all information necessary for MicroStrategy to access the data warehouse for a particular project.
• database login
  The login ID and password that MicroStrategy Intelligence Server uses to log in to a particular database on behalf of a user. See also: login ID.
• dataset
  A MicroStrategy report used to define the data available on a Report Services document.
• Datasets
  (1) A pane in the Document Editor that shows all objects (grouped by datasets) that can be used in the document. (2) All objects that can be used in the document as supplied by the datasets. Dataset objects are attributes, consolidations, custom groups, and metrics.
• decile(deciling)
  The method by which a group is broken up into ten groups of equal elements. The first decile consists of the top ten percent; the second, the 11th to 20th percent; the third, the 21st to 30th percent; and so on. demographics, demographic data. Data that locates, identifies, and describes a population and its properties; for example, data describing the age groups of people living in certain geographical areas or income categories. Other dimensions of demographic data include race, religion, political preference, spending preferences, and family size.
• demographics (demographic data)
  Data that locates, identifies, and describes a population and its properties; for example, data describing the age groups of people living in certain geographical areas or income categories. Other dimensions of demographic data include race, religion, political preference, spending preferences, and family size.
• derived attribute
  An attribute calculated from a mathematical operation on columns in a warehouse table. For example, Age can be calculated from the expression [Current Date–Birth Date]. See also: attribute.
• derived metric
  A metric based on data already available in a report. It is calculated by the Intelligence Server, not in the database. Use a derived metric to perform calculations on report data after it has been returned from the database.
• description column
  Optional columns that contain text descriptions of attribute elements.
• device
  MicroStrategy object that represents message-receiving technology employed by end users, such as a mobile phone or tablet. The device object specifies how a publication should be formatted and transmitted to a specific device type. For example, an Outlook 98 Device might specify that the first document in the publication must be plain text and no longer than 128 characters. It might also specify that the second document could be either plain text or HTML, and if it is HTML, image references can be embedded. A device includes specifications for both formatting and transmission. Devices are used in the definition of addresses to specify what information transmitter will be used to transmit content to those addresses and how that content should be formatted and packaged. See also: address, content, information transmitter, administration object.
• device ID
  Numeric ID value that indicates the delivery method and device that a recipient prefers. Devices are specified for subscriptions in dynamic subscription sets by providing the device ID for each recipient. Device IDs are found under the properties for each device within Narrowcast Administrator. For example, one subscription might specify Outlook 2000, while another recipient might specify a mobile device. One subscriber then only receives email content formatted for Outlook while the other subscriber only receives mobile device content formatted for this phone.
• dimension
  An element or factor making up a complete entity or variable (a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values).
• directory server
  A directory service provider running on a particular machine. Directory servers are often part of email servers, and stores user names, addresses, and authentication information. Unlike the Subscription Book, however, they are neither intended nor well-suited to store and retrieve subscriptions. Directory servers usually enable client connections through the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP), and are often used for centralized user authentication across many systems. See also: Subscription Book, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).
• display locale
  Controls which object names are shown in Narrowcast Administrator. Since objects can have multiple names to support end users in more than one language, one name must be chosen for display in Narrowcast Administrator. The display locale serves this role. The locale selected for this purpose should be the one that the Narrowcast Administrator needs to use most frequently when defining objects. See also: locale, execution locale, selection locale, system locale, user locale.
• distribution manager (DM)
  (1) Delivery Engine object that receives service execution triggers, distributes service data to the execution engines for processing, designates failover execution engines, and tracks the status of other system components. If the primary distribution manager fails, one of the backup distribution managers becomes the primary and takes over processing where the failed component stopped. (2) Piece of software or component used to instantiate a distribution manager object. (3) Machine being used to instantiate the distribution manager object.
• distribution set
  A schedule and subscription set pair, created during service definition. Specifies when and to whom Narrowcast Server will send a service. See also: schedule, subscription set.
• document
  A display representing data coming from one or more reports, as well as positioning and formatting information. A Report Services document is used to format data from multiple reports in a single display of presentation quality.
• document (Narrowcast)
  A Narrowcast document contains the static information from the document template and the dynamic content from document elements, and is ready to be transmitted by Narrowcast Server. Each document has a specific type, such as HTML, plain text, Excel, or derived from an imported file.
• document (Report Services)
  A type of data display that shows data usually coming from multiple reports. A Report Services document formats data from multiple reports in a single display of presentation quality. A dashboard is a type of Report Services document, often including interactive components.
• document element
  Part of a Narrowcast document containing dynamic content that is generated when that document is executed as part of a service. Consists of at least one information object, plus error-handling instructions. Might include an XSL stylesheet selection, depending on the type of information object chosen.
• document formatter
  Transforms the raw data of the information objects and the structure of the Narrowcast document templates into a complete, formatted Narrowcast document. The operations of document formatters include such tasks as XSL processing and transformation, XML merging, character replacement, and string padding. Formatting rules might account for device characteristics, locale definition, and other recipient-specific formatting control information.
• document formatting module (DFM)
  A piece of software, or a component, that performs the work required for turning Narrowcast document templates and information objects into Narrowcast documents. The formatting process can use device characteristics, locale definition, and other recipient-specific control information.
• document template
  Provides the structure and layout for a Narrowcast document. For example, an Excel document template includes the basic workbook structure, any predefined macros, and static worksheet content.
• drill
  A method of obtaining supplementary information after a report has been executed. The new data is retrieved by re-querying the Intelligent Cube or database at a different attribute or fact level.
• drill path (attribute drill path)
  In MicroStrategy, a path that determines which attributes are presented to an interface; typically a project defines drill paths from parent attributes to their children.
• dynamic content
  Document content that is dynamically retrieved at service execution time and that can be personalized for each message recipient. Dynamic content is created using content information objects. This content changes depending on the results returned by the information object and can return different results for different subscribers. For example, a weekly report returns different information from week to the next, and each subscriber might request different content in his report. Examples include a MicroStrategy report, a Web query, a SQL query, or content from an external system. See also: static content.
• dynamic subscription set
  A subscription object containing at least one piece of subscription information retrieved from an information object instead of from the Subscription Book Repository. Useful for changing or alert-driven subscription sets. Some dynamic subscription sets acquire all their information from a single information object. Others retrieve only the Subscription ID from the information object while the rest of the subscription information is acquired from the Subscription Book Repository. Still others combine both methods. See also: segmentation information object, Subscription ID, subscription information object, subscription set.
• editor
  A dialog used to create and edit MicroStrategy Objects. There is a Filter Editor, Template Editor, Attribute Editor, Metric Editor, Report Editor, and so on.
• end user
  A subscriber, the person receiving messages from Narrowcast Server service, in contrast to a console user. See also: console user.
• entity relationship diagram (ERD)
  A diagram that provides a graphical representation of the physical structure of the data in the source system, which lets you easily recognize tables and columns and the data stored in those columns.
• entry level
  The lowest level set of attributes at which a fact is available for analysis.
• ETL
  Short for extraction, transformation, and loading. (1) The process used to populate a data warehouse from disparate existing database systems. (2) Third-party software used to facilitate such a process.
• execution engine (EE)
  (1) Delivery Engine object that controls the execution of narrowcast messages, called services. It receives service segments from the distribution manager, then determines the content and subscriber information with input from other components, including the Subscription Book Module and information source modules. (2) A piece of software or component that is used to instantiate an execution engine object. (3) A machine being used to instantiate an execution engine object.
• execution locale
  Determines how content is generated for the users who receive it. When a document is created, the application designer can specify that the document should be executed in a specific execution locale. The definition of the locale then controls how information should be gathered, formatted, packaged and delivered for this document. For example, an application designer might define a French and a German locale to gather information in the appropriate languages. If one of these locales is chosen as the execution locale for a document, all dynamic content in this document is retrieved using the corresponding language. See also: locale, display locale, selection locale, system locale, user locale.
• expression
  Formulas built from functions, attributes, facts, metrics, and consolidations that can be used to define attribute forms, fact calculations, metrics, or filters.
• fact
  (1) A measurement value, often numeric and typically aggregatable, stored in a data warehouse. (2) A schema object representing a column in a data warehouse table and containing basic or aggregated numbers—usually prices, or sales in dollars, or inventory quantities in counts. See also: metric.
• fact table
  A database table containing numeric data that may be aggregated along one or more dimensions. Fact tables may contain atomic or summarized data. Compare: base table.
• fetch
  The amount of report data retrieved from one call to MicroStrategy Web Services. Fetches are used to control the amount of network traffic between MicroStrategy Office and MicroStrategy Web Services and the amount of memory used by MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. When you execute a report or document into a Microsoft product, the Execution Status dialog box displays the progress of each fetch. Fetch size is controlled by Microsoft Office product-specific configuration settings. Maximum fetch size is governed by an Intelligence Server setting in MicroStrategy Developer.
• filter
  A MicroStrategy object that specifies the conditions that the data must meet to be included in the report results. Using a filter on a report narrows the data to consider only the information that is relevant to answer your business question, since a report queries the database against all the data stored in the data warehouse. A filter is composed of at least one qualification, which is the actual condition that must be met for the data to be included on a report. Multiple qualifications in a single filter are combined using logical operators. Examples include "Region = Northeast" or "Revenue > $1 million". A filter is normally implemented in the SQL WHERE clause.
• Flash-enabled document
  A Report Services document in which Flash Mode is selected as an available display mode in the Document Properties dialog box.
• flattened
  A report display type in which the results of a report are displayed with all attributes and metrics flattened side-by-side on one axis. Also, any subtotals within the report are not displayed. It is convenient to execute your report or HTML document in this display type if you intend to use Excel’s drop-down lists to filter, hide/show data, and more.
• folder
  A MicroStrategy object used for grouping and storing in a single place a set of objects that are similar, such as filters, templates, and reports.
• folder list
  A portion of the interface that lists all the folders found in the project in a hierarchical fashion. It helps a user to visualize and browse through a MicroStrategy project.
• form
  One of several columns that are different representations of the same thing, as ID, Name, Long Description, Abbreviation.
• function plug-in
  Allows user-defined functions to be used by the MicroStrategy Analytical Engine.
• governing parameters
  Designed to keep the execution profile of a system within acceptable limits. Protects the system from overconsumption of resources such as memory, disk space, network capacity, and CPU cycles.
• graph
  A graphical image display of data. Sometimes referred to as a chart. See also report.
• graph analytic
  An analytic showing data as points, lines, or bars, arranged according to axes based on the chosen metrics. Although not all analytics can be displayed in every graph type available, many analytics can be viewed in several ways. Choices for graph display include bars, lines, area graphs, and three-dimensional graphs.
• graph view
  Report viewing mode that displays results as a graphical chart.
• grid
  A spreadsheet-style two-dimensional display of data. See also report.
• grid analytic
  An analytic consisting of rows and columns. Each row or column has a heading, and each heading represents a prompt from the analytic. Grid analytics can be modified easily, by drilling, moving columns, converting columns to rows, sorting, and using page-by to display subsets of the analytic data as separate pages.
• grid view
  Report viewing mode that displays result data in a tabular format.
• Grid/Graph
  A control placed in a document that displays information in the same way a MicroStrategy report does.
• grouping
  A way to create a hierarchical structure for a document.
• hierarchy
  A set of attributes defining a meaningful path for element browsing or drilling. The order of the attributes is typically—though not always—defined such that a higher attribute has a one-to-many relationship with its child attributes.
• hint
  A comment that passes instructions to a database optimizer about choosing an execution plan for a given SQL statement. In MicroStrategy, a hint can be defined in VLDB properties to appear within a MicroStrategy-issued SQL statement.
• History List
  A folder where users can retrieve the results of previously executed or scheduled reports and documents.
• HTML container
  A control that either displays real-time information from the web or displays formatted HTML.
• HTML document
  (1) A compound report displaying multiple grids and graphs. (2) The MicroStrategy object that supports such a report.
• ID column
  A column that contains attribute element identification codes. All attributes must have an ID column.
• imported file
  A file imported from outside of Narrowcast Server and stored in its original format. For example, a text file contains only plain text and an HTML file contains only HTML. Storing information in the file format preserves the integrity of the original data since files cannot be modified with Narrowcast Server. Files cannot be directly included in publications; they must first be associated with imported documents, which serve as containers to allow them to be attached to publications. Imported files can also be used as stylesheets or templates for documents.
• incremental fetch
  A feature that returns a large set of information, such as subscriptions, to the console in numerous small pieces as those pieces are needed. This ensures that network traffic and client processing is kept to a minimum.
• information delivery platform
  Server that, whenever certain conditions are in effect, acquires information from a variety of sources, personalizes that information, formats it, and transmits it through a variety of technologies.
• information object
  Application object containing a set of instructions that specify how to get data from a particular type of information source. Defined by using an information source module, it is set up when a service is built and executed when the service that uses it is run. Plays one of three roles: content, subscription, or segmentation. See also: information object role, information object type, information source,information source module (ISM).
• information object role
  Indicates how the information supplied by the information object is used by Narrowcast Server. Three roles are available: Content ( Supplies information for the document), Subscription ( Provides a list of subscribers and related subscription information for dynamic subscription sets), Segment (Specifies the first and last subscriptions for each segment of the subscription set). See also: information object.
• information object type
  Indicates the format of the data returned by the information object and how Narrowcast Server can use this data. Three types are available: Text (Returns a plaintext string that is inserted directly into a document's content), XML (Returns an XML string that must be combined with an XSL stylesheet to produce content appropriate for each type of document), Image (Returns an image in JPG format that is inserted directly into the document's content). See also: information object.
• information source
  Contains information about how to connect to a specific source of content using an information source module. The Delivery Engine requests and acquires information from information sources. An information source uses personalization objects for personalization. See also: information source module (ISM), personalization object.
• information source module (ISM)
  An executable process that receives requests for information and returns that information as well-defined data. It defines and processes information objects. One ISM can be used to load various information sources. For example, an ISM can be set up to access MicroStrategy Developer projects and can be used for any MicroStrategy Developer projects that you want to use as an information source. See also: information object, information source.
• information transmission module (ITM)
  An executable process or component designed to support a particular delivery capability. For example, MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server provides the email (SMTP) Module, which is used for the email (SMTP) Information Transmitter. The ITM indicates what documents and document types it supports, as well as the arrangement of these documents. Also, the ITM provides a user interface for defining device characteristics. Those characteristics are stored in the Object Repository and retrieved by the information transmission module to control packaging and delivery. See also: device, document (Narrowcast), information transmitter, publication.
• information transmitter
  Administration object that delivers formatted content, in the form of publications, to end user devices. An information transmitter might serve the purpose of sending email via SMTP or mobile device messages using an SMS gateway. In general, an information transmitter supports one type of transmission technology, such as SMTP, FTP, HTTP, or ODBC, but this is not a requirement. Information transmitters depend on information transmission modules. See also: device, document (Narrowcast), information transmission module (ITM), publication.
• installation log file
  The MicroStrategy setup program generates a log file in text format. This log file contains records of all actions performed by the setup program and by other executable files related to installation.
• Intelligent Cube
  A copy of the report data saved in memory and used for manipulation of the view definition. This division allows multiple reports with different views to share a common data definition.
• Java database connectivity
  A Java API that enables Java programs to execute SQL statements. This allows Java programs to interact with any SQL-compliant database. Since nearly all relational database management systems (DBMSs) support SQL, and because Java itself runs on most platforms, JDBC makes it possible to write a single database application that can run on different platforms and interact with different DBMSs. JDBC is similar to ODBC, but is designed specifically for Java programs, whereas ODBC is language-independent.
• join
  A SQL operation that combines data from multiple tables into a single result table.
• KPI (key performance indicator)
  An indicator gauging how well a company progresses in numerous areas such as finance, customer service, and product availability and distribution.
• Layout area
  The middle panel of the Document Editor in which you place data or other controls to determine the appearance of the document when it is viewed as a PDF.
• level
  (1) In a data warehouse, facts are said to be stored at a particular level defined by the attribute IDs present in the fact table. For example, if a fact table has a Date column, an Item_ID column, and a fact column, that fact is stored at the Date/Item level. (2) With regard to metric calculation, the level is the level of calculation for the metric.
• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
  An open standard that client computers use to communicate with directory service providers. Client machines connect to a particular logical directory on a particular physical directory server. See also: directory server.
• Lightweight Directory Interchange Format (LDIF)
  File format that is exported from LDAP directory services.
• link
  A connection from a document to another document or a report. A link lets an analyst execute another document or report (the target) from a document (the source), and to pass parameters to answer any prompts that are in the target.
• load balancing
  A strategy aimed at achieving even distribution of MicroStrategy Web Universal user sessions across MicroStrategy Intelligence Servers. MicroStrategy achieves four-tier load balancing by incorporating load balancers into MicroStrategy Web Universal.
• locale
  Specifies what regional characteristics to apply to data and formatting, including number format, date format, time format, and character sets. Your system might support multiple locales. See also: display locale, execution locale, selection locale, system locale, user locale.
• Locale ID
  Numeric ID value used to indicate the locale that a recipient prefers. Locales are specified for subscriptions in dynamic subscription sets by providing the Locale ID. Locale IDs are found under the properties for each locale within Narrowcast Administrator. For example, one subscription might specify French, while another recipient might specify German. One subscriber then only receives French content while the other subscriber only receives German content.
• logical data model
  A graphical representation of data that is arranged logically for the general user, as opposed to the physical data model or warehouse schema, which arranges data for efficient database use.
• login ID
  Login identifier, typically supplied with a password.
• lookup table
  A database table used to uniquely identify attribute elements. They typically consist of descriptions of dimensions. Lookup tables are usually joined to fact tables to group the numeric facts in the fact table by dimensional attributes in the lookup tables.
• managed object
  A schema object unrelated to the project schema, which is created by the system and stored in a separate system folder. Managed objects are used to map data to attributes, metrics, hierarchies and other schema objects for Freeform SQL, Query Builder, and MDX cube reports.
• manual fetch
  A type of incremental report result fetching in which you are asked to confirm each fetch. For example, when you execute a report, you are prompted to confirm that each fetch, or section of report results, is displayed.
• many-to-many relationship
  An attribute relationship in which multiple elements of a parent attribute can relate to multiple elements of a child attribute, and vice versa.
• many-to-one relationship
  An attribute relationship in which (1) multiple elements of a parent attribute relate to only one element of a child attribute, and (2) every element of the child attribute can relate to multiple elements of the parent.
• MDX cube
  An MDX cube is a collection or set of data retrieved from an MDX cube source, which is imported into MicroStrategy and mapped to various objects to allow query, reporting, and analysis on the data.
• MDX cube report
  The central focus for MicroStrategy users to query, analyze, and visually present data from MDX cube sources in a manner that answers and evaluates their business questions. MDX cube reports provide the same data display and analysis functionality as standard MicroStrategy reports, but rather than reporting on data from a relational data warehouse, MDX cube reports report on data from MDX cube sources.
• MDX cube source
  When integrated with MicroStrategy, the third-party tools SAP BW, Microsoft Analysis Services, Oracle Essbase, and IBM Cognos TM1 are referred to as MDX cube sources. You can import and map data from these different MDX cube sources in MicroStrategy to query, report on, and analyze data with MicroStrategy. MicroStrategy can integrate with MDX cube source data as well as access data from a relational database concurrently.
• messaging application program interface (MAPI)
  Allows Windows applications to send email messages through external email programs. Designed primarily to connect client applications such as Microsoft Outlook to mail servers such as Microsoft Exchange Server. Not intended for server-to-server communications.
• metadata
  A repository whose data associates the tables and columns of a data warehouse with user-defined attributes and facts to enable the mapping of the business view, terms, and needs to the underlying database structure. Metadata can reside on the same server as the data warehouse or on a different database server. It can even be held in a different RDBMS.
• metadata (or metadata repository)
  A repository whose data associates the tables and columns of a data warehouse with user-defined attributes and facts to enable the mapping of the business view, terms, and needs to the underlying database structure. Metadata can reside on the same server as the data warehouse or on a different database server. It can even be held in a different RDBMS.
• metric
  (1) A business calculation defined by an expression built with functions, facts, attributes, or other metrics. For example: Sum(dollar_sales) or [Sales] - [Cost]. (2) The MicroStrategy object that contains the metric definition. It represents a business measure or key performance indicator. See also: fact.
• MicroStrategy Analytics Module
  A MicroStrategy project with prepackaged metadata, including best practices reports, scorecards, and dashboards, key performance indicators, attributes, business metrics, filters, and custom groups; default physical and logical data models to allow the module to work with your physical schemas and data model or with the module’s packaged data warehouse schema; and a reference guide for the Analysis Module’s data model, the analysis area, metadata object definitions, data dictionary, and individual report use scenarios.
• MicroStrategy Intelligence Server
  Core of the MicroStrategy architecture, MicroStrategy Intelligence Server manages and organizes users, projects, and database connections; coordinates, prioritizes, and executes all user requests; and allocates the resources necessary to complete them. It tracks schedules, manages security, and provides the ability to monitor and analyze the daily activity of the entire decision support environment.
• MicroStrategy Logging Client
  Service that receives logging messages from Narrowcast Server components and relays them to the MicroStrategy Logging Server. Logging messages include segment status information, statistics information, and error event notification. See also: MicroStrategy Logging Server.
• MicroStrategy Logging Server
  Server that collects logging messages from MicroStrategy Logging Clients and distributes them to consumers. Logging messages include segment status information, statistics information, and error event notification. See also: MicroStrategy Logging Client.
• multidimensional analysis
  A form of analysis of the data in a data warehouse that includes many relationships, each representing a dimension. For example, a retail analysis may seek to understand the relationships among sales by region, by quarter, by demographic distribution (income, education level, gender), and by product. Multidimensional analysis provides results for these complex relationships.
• multipart MIME
  Part of the MIME specification, which includes more than one body part in a body section within a MIME message. This is typically used to enable the inclusion of separate text and HTML message bodies, embedded images, and other body parts within an email message. See also: multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME).
• multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME)
  The specification as defined by RFC 1521 (maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force at http://www.ietf.org/) for encoding message contents, attached files, embedded images, and other embedded files into a single (typically 7-bit) data string. Many modern email clients support MIME. Because the MIME specification includes encoding of message contents, it allows for messages that use character sets other than US-ASCII. See also: multipart MIME.
• Narrowcast Administrator account
  An object that allows a user to log in to MicroStrategy Narrowcast Administrator. It is created within Narrowcast Administrator, and its definition is stored in the Object Repository of a system. Each Narrowcast Administrator account is based on a specific Windows account. When a new Narrowcast Server system is created, two Narrowcast Administrator accounts are automatically added to it, one of which is the local Administrator Windows account for the machine that was used to create the system. Narrowcast Administrator accounts can have various privileges, which control what Narrowcast Administrator users can do. These privileges include: Service design, Application administration, System administration, Subscription administration.
• Narrowcast Server system
  A collection of machines, software components, and objects that collectively provide the ability to process and deliver narrowcast messages to recipients. The objects that make up a system are divided into two categories, administration objects and application objects. See also: administration object, application object, clustering, component.
• object
  Conceptually, an object is the highest grouping level of information about one concept, used by the user to achieve the goal of specified data analysis. More concretely, an object is any item that can be selected and manipulated, including folders, reports, facts, metrics, and so on.
• object template
  A MicroStrategy object that allows you to start with a predefined structure when creating a new object. You can use object templates for many MicroStrategy objects, including metrics, documents, reports, and report templates.
• ODBC (open database connectivity)
  An open standard with which client computers can communicate with relational database servers. Client machines make a connection to a particular logical database, on a particular physical database server, using a particular ODBC driver.
• ODBC driver
  Software interface to an ODBC service provider. See also: open database connectivity (ODBC).
• ODBC driver manager
  Coordinates communication between a client application and database server. The client application tells the driver manager that it needs to connect using a particular connection string. The DSN found in this connection string provides the driver manager with the type of database server to which the application needs access. From this information, the driver manager decides what driver to use and initiates the communication.
• one-to-many relationship
  An attribute relationship in which every element of a parent attribute can relate to multiple elements of a child attribute, while every element of the child attribute relates to only one element of the parent. The one-to-many attribute relationship is the most common in data models.
• one-to-one relationship
  An attribute relationship in which every element of the parent attribute relates to exactly one element of the child attribute, and vice versa.
• online analytical processing
  In general, a system with analytical processing that involves activities such as manipulating transaction records to calculate sales trends, growth patterns, percent to total contributions, trend reporting, and profit analysis.
• operational data store
  A database that typically stores transactional data generated by and used in the conducting of business operations. The data can be used as a trigger condition or as content.
• outline mode
  Report viewing mode that creates indented, collapsible groupings of related elements to make reports neater and easier to read.
• page
  An amount of data that is analogous to a page in a page-by report. Each page of a page-by report represents one combination of elements from each attribute on the page-by axis. For example, one page may contain data related to 2006 as well as the Southeast region. A report with no attributes on the page-by axis is considered to have one page. When you execute a report or document into a Microsoft product, the Execution Status dialog box displays the progress of each page.
• page-by
  Segmenting data in a grid report by placing available attributes, consolidations, and metrics on a third axis called the Page axis. Since a grid is two-dimensional, only a slice of the cube can be seen at any one time. The slice is characterized by the choice of elements on the Page axis. By varying the selection of elements, the user can page through the cube.
• panel
  A way of grouping data in a document so that users can navigate subsets of data as if the subsets were pages in a smaller document. Each “page”, or layer of data, is a panel; a group of panels is called a panel stack.
• panel stack
  The holder for a collection of panels, or layers of data, in a document. A user can navigate or flip through the panels in a panel stack; only one panel is displayed at a time.
• parent attribute
  The higher-level attribute in an attribute relationship with one or more children. See also: child attribute or relationship.
• partition
  A relational database table broken down into smaller component tables. This can be done at the database level or at the application level. See the MicroStrategy System Administration Guide for more information.
• partition mapping
  The division of large logical tables into smaller physical tables based on a definable data level, such as month or department. Partitions minimize the number of tables and records within a table that must be read to satisfy queries issued against the warehouse. By distributing usage across multiple tables, partitions improve the speed and efficiency of database queries.
• partition mapping table
  A warehouse table that contains information used to identify the partitioned base tables as part of a logical whole. (A partitioned base table is a warehouse table that contains one part of a larger set of data. Partition tables are usually divided along logical lines, such as time or geography.) Also referred to as a PMT.
• persistence
  A default behavior in MicroStrategy Office ensuring that every report and document you run in an Excel workbook, PowerPoint presentation, or Word document retains a link to MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. This ensures that you and other users can refresh the reports and documents to retrieve the latest data from the data warehouse or other data sources. Every report or document executed also contains properties that are persisted; these properties determine how the report or document is displayed and can be modified by users once it is refreshed.
• personalization
  The process that allows each subscriber to receive data that has been filtered and formatted specifically for him. Narrowcast Server uses locale, subscription, and personalization objects to personalize services. See also: locale, personalization object, subscription.
• personalization object
  An object handled by information sources for personalization. The three types are: authentication, preference and security. The combination of the authentication, preference, and security objects control the data that is returned by an information object. See also:authentication object, information object, information source, preference object, question object, security object.
• personalization set
  A combination of locale, authentication, security, and preference objects to achieve personalized information, or information filtered and formatted specifically for a subscriber.
• personalized page execution
  In the context of the MicroStrategy Information Source Module, each page of a report is used as a result for one or more subscribers. See also: page-by, personalization set.
• personalized report execution
  In the context of the Information Source Module, each result is derived from the separate execution of a report. Answers to prompts and MicroStrategy users both impact personalization in this execution mode. See also: personalization set.
• physical address
  The address location used to locate recipients and deliver messages. For email delivery, this is a standard SMTP address in the form recipient@domain.xxx. No physical address is required for delivery to the Subscription Portal. The physical address required by other information transmitters depends on the individual information transmitter.
• physical warehouse schema
  A detailed graphic representation of your business data as it is stored in the data warehouse. It organizes the logical data model in a method that make sense from a database perspective.
• PIN
  The personal identification number required by some delivery methods. A PIN is not used for email, mobile device, or Subscription Portal delivery. The use of a PIN by other information transmitters depends on the individual information transmitter.
• plug-in
  An additional processing component integrated with MicroStrategy products. For example, advanced statistical and financial functions can be added as additional processing components.
• plugin
  An application that can easily be installed and executed by the MicroStrategy Intelligence Server in one of several identical interfaces. For example, advanced statistical and financial functions can be added as additional processing components.
• port number
  The port number is how a server process identifies itself on the machine on which it is running. For example, when the Intelligence Server machine receives a network call from a client (Developer, Web Universal, Narrowcast Server, Command Manager, and so on), it knows to forward those calls to the Intelligence Server port number that is specified in the call.
• portability
  The ability of an analytical application to be integrated into an existing data warehouse. To port the Analysis Module, you “map” the module to the physical schema of an existing data warehouse.
• portal
  A site that offers a centralized access point for finding and managing information via a variety of different services. It offers a broad array of resources and services, such as email, discussion forums, search engines, and other online services. A portal is accessible through the use of a web browser. See also: Subscription Portal.
• preference object
  Type of personalization object that uses the answers to question objects to specify the information that the user wants. At run-time, the preference object is applied to information objects to personalize them. Preferences are usually controlled by the user, but can be set by the subscription administrator. For an Information Source, preference objects are prompt answers. See also: personalization object, question object.
• prefix
  A prefix is stored in the project metadata associated with a table or tables and is used by the Engine to generate SQL. Also, the Catalog Server uses it to obtain table sample values and row counts. In most cases, it should match the name space field since it is used to qualify on a specific table belonging to a certain owner or name space. Prefixes can be defined and modified from the Warehouse Catalog interface.
• preview fetch
  A type of incremental report result fetching in which you can see a preview of the report data as it runs. You specify how many rows of the report you want to preview at a time, and fetching automatically stops after one fetch.
• primary key
  In a relational database, the set of columns required to uniquely identify a record in a table.
• privilege
  Assigned to users, a privilege defines the functionality available to a user, for example, which objects a given user can create and which applications and editors he can use.
• process
  An executing application comprising one or more threads. Processes use temporary private address spaces and control operating system resources such as files, dynamic memory allocations, pipes, and synchronization objects.
• production metadata
  The repository you create during the configuration portion of the installation process, and which works with your data warehouse and serves as your working metadata repository.
• productivity analysis
  A process that measures company productivity and identifies ways to increase it.
• project
  (1) The highest-level intersection of a data warehouse, metadata repository, and user community, containing reports, filters, metrics, and functions. (2) An object containing the definition of a project, as defined in [1]. The project object is specified when requesting the establishment of a session.
• project designer
  The user category of one who creates projects and all of the schema objects (facts, attributes, hierarchies) for a project. A project designer is thoroughly familiar with the data model and schema object editors.
• project source
  Defines a connection to the metadata database and is used by various MicroStrategy components to access projects. A direct project source is a two-tier connection directly to a metadata repository. A server project source is a three-tier connection to a MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. One project source can contain many projects and the administration tools found at the project source level are used to monitor and administer all projects in the project source.
• prompt
  MicroStrategy object in the report definition that is incomplete by design. The user is asked during the resolution phase of report execution to provide an answer that completes the information. A typical example with a filter is choosing a specific attribute on which to qualify.
• Property List
  The list of settings used to specify the appearance or any other characteristic of a control on a document.
• publication
  An ordered collection of documents that completely defines the content of a service for a specific set of devices. Each publication is used for exactly one locale and one information transmission module. A publication specifies: An information transmitter, At least one device or A set of documents. See also: device, document (Narrowcast), information transmitter.
• qualification
  The actual condition that must be met for data to be included on a report. Examples include “Region = Northeast” or “Revenue > $1 million”. Qualifications are used in filters and custom groups. You can create multiple qualifications for a single filter or custom group, and then set how to combine the qualifications using the logical operators AND, AND NOT, OR, and OR NOT.
• query
  A request for data from a database or data warehouse. A report is a database query.
• Query Engine
  The MicroStrategy component responsible for submitting SQL code to the database.
• question object
  Type of personalization object that specifies the questions to ask the user to determine the user’s preferences. Answers are used as preference objects. For a MicroStrategy Information Source, a question object is defined by choosing a report, and the questions to be asked depend on the definition of that report. In personalized page execution mode, the user is asked what page to display, using the page-by functionality. In personalized report execution mode, the questions include all prompt objects defined on the selected report except the security object prompt. See also: page-by, personalization object, preference object.
• Quick Grid
  A report display type in MicroStrategy Office in which the report is run as a CSV and bulk-loaded into Excel in one fetch. Although this results in a fast report execution time, formatting from the report definition, such as fonts, colors, and thresholds is not applied. You can apply formatting to Quick Grids using Microsoft Excel’s AutoFormats.
• ranking
  A type of OLAP function that returns the rank of a value in a group of values. Rows with equal values with respect to the ordering are assigned the same rank.
• relate table
  A table containing the ID columns of two or more attributes, thus defining associations between them.
• relationship
  An association specifying the nature of the connection between one attribute (the parent) and one or more other attributes (the children). See also: child attribute or parent attribute.
• report
  The central focus of any decision support investigation, a report allows users to query for data, analyze that data, and then present it in a visually pleasing manner.
• report designer
  The user category of one who creates all application objects such as grid and graph reports, filters, templates, documents, consolidations, and custom groups. The report designer understands all of the business intelligence capabilities of the system.
• report resolution
  The process of filling placeholders such as prompts with information determined at run time.
• report template
  A MicroStrategy object that allows you to define the layout of general categories of information in a report. In a report template, you specify the information that you want to retrieve from your data source, and the way that you want the data to be displayed in Grid view. A report template does not include filter information. Report templates are often referred to as just as templates.
• retention(employee)
  The process of maintaining or securing employee loyalty to minimize loss of key talent.
• role
  A feature of the security subsystem that defines which objects a given user can create and which operations he can perform. The different Narrowcast Server roles are: System administrator (who manages the entire system), Application administrator (who administers application objects only), Application designer (who develops application objects only and cannot modify objects owned by other users), Subscription administrator (who manages the Subscription Book), Portal administrator (who configures and manages Subscription Portals).
• schedule
  Sets the time or frequency that a service is executed. A schedule represents a recurrence pattern, not a fixed date. It is defined relative to time zones to account for daylight savings, date boundaries, and other time zone-specific issues. To allow subscribers globally to receive services at specific local times, a service can contain more than one schedule.
• schema
  (1) The set of tables in a data warehouse associated with a logical data model. The attribute and fact columns in those tables are considered part of the schema itself. (2) The layout or structure of a database system. In relational databases, the schema defines the tables, the fields in each table, and the relationships between fields and tables.
• schema object
  MicroStrategy object created, usually by a project designer, that relates the information in the logical data model and physical warehouse schema to the MicroStrategy environment. These objects are developed in MicroStrategy Architect, which can be accessed from MicroStrategy Developer. Schema objects directly reflect the warehouse structure and include attributes, facts, functions, hierarchies, operators, partition mappings, tables, and transformations.
• scorecard
  A type of tally sheet displaying a company's performance using key performance indicators (KPIs) that gauge how well a company progresses in areas such as finance, customer service, and product availability and distribution. See also KPI (key performance indicator).
• security filter
  A qualification associated with a user that is applied to all queries executed by that user.
• security object
  Type of personalization object that specifies what information the user should have access to. Security filtering criteria applied to an information source during subscriber interaction. For a MicroStrategy Information Source, it is a response to a prompt in the form of a single attribute element. Each user can have one security object per information source. See also: personalization object, security object prompt.
• security object prompt
  Specifies which attribute in the project corresponds to a user or subscriber. The answer to this prompt is used as a security object in MicroStrategy. See also: prompt, security object.
• security role
  In a MicroStrategy security model, the set of privileges that a user can have.
• segment
  A group of subscriptions within a subscription set. Subscription sets are divided into multiple pieces, or segments, so that the work required to execute a service for all subscriptions can be distributed across multiple systems to allow parallel work processing. The size of the segment is part of the service definition and controls the work packages that are sent to each execution engine.
• segmentation
  The task of dividing the subscriptions within a subscription set into equal-sized groups or segments. Segmentation ensures that all subscription information objects and content information objects return only information for subscriptions in the current segment. Subscription sets are always segmented using the subscription ID, and the boundaries of segments are specified as subscription ID values. For the MicroStrategy Information Source, segmentation can be performed automatically by Narrowcast Server, or the application designer can control how the subscription set is segmented and how subscription information objects and content information objects constrain the information they return.
• segmentation information object
  An information object that returns the segment boundary values for a subscription set. Boundary values determine the size of the segment and are always given in the form of subscription ID values corresponding to the first subscription ID in each segment. Segment information objects are used only for dynamic subscription sets.
• segmentation prompt
  A prompt that controls the information returned in a report used as a content information object or subscription information object. Segmentation can be performed automatically by Narrowcast Server, or prompts can be added to content information objects and subscription information objects manually. This process limits the number of subscriptions and content pages returned to only provide information for subscriptions in the current segment.
• selection locale
  Determines which users should receive which content. When a user is created, the subscription administrator (using Narrowcast Administrator) or the user (using the Subscription Portal) selects a locale for which the user will receive content. When a publication is created, the application designer chooses a selection locale that determines which users receive the content in a publication. If a user chooses Locale A, the application designer must choose Locale A as the selection locale for a publication for the user to receive this publication. See also: locale, display locale, execution locale, system locale, user locale.
• selector
  A type of control in a document that allows a user to: Flip through the panels in a panel stack, to see different predefined layers of data, or “pages”, in the same document. Display different attribute elements or metrics in a Grid/Graph.
• SequeLink
  Third-party (non-MicroStrategy) software that configures and manages data access across multiple data stores, operating systems, and deployment options.
• SequeLink machine
  The machine where SequeLink is installed. This machine can be independent from the rest of the Subscription Portal.
• SequeLink services
  SequeLink creates two NT services: SLAgent 54, which is the Administrator, and SLSocket54, which is the Server.
• server definition
  A MicroStrategy object stored in the metadata containing information about the configuration of an Intelligence Server.
• server instance
  The combination of an Intelligence Server running with a particular server definition.
• service
  An object that provides all the information needed for the Delivery Engine to correctly generate messages. That information includes the delivery conditions, content, personalization rules, and subscriptions for sending messages for a particular purpose. For example, one service delivers a daily message containing a stock portfolio update, while another delivers alerts to mobile devices when the value of a stock changes significantly. A service comprises at least one schedule-subscription pair and a set of publications.
• service designer
  Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is for a Narrowcast Administrator console user who develops and tests services, which include documents, publications, schedules, and subscription sets. Configures and manages Subscription Portals that allow end users to subscribe to a variety of Narrowcast services via the web. Configures data sources, content, and portal layout. Publishes services and device types, and selects default devices for Subscription Portals. Specifies information source properties and default site preferences. Installs, configures, and administers the development environment. Administers subscribers and subscriptions for development and testing purposes. See also: application administrator.
• service provider interface (SPI)
  The specification for a set of related functions that can be implemented by a software developer to augment or enhance the capabilities of a software product or platform. This allows a developer to enable his software to be called by an existing piece of software. See also: application program interface (API), plug-in.
• service queue
  In Narrowcast Administrator, a visual display of upcoming services to be processed.
• simple metric
  A type of metric that can stand alone or be used as a building block for compound metrics. Simple metrics always contain at least one aggregate function, such as sum or average, applied to a fact, attribute, or another metric. The entire metric can only contain one level.
• slice
  One page of content in a multi-page report. Narrowcast Server divides a single multi-page report into multiple individual pages of content that are used as personalized content for individual subscriptions. slicing attribute. A slicing attribute is the attribute used to divide multi-page reports executed using personalized page execution mode into multiple individual pages of content. The first attribute on the page axis is used as the slicing attribute.
• smart fetch
  A type of report result fetching in which fetching continues until completion or you cancel the operation. This is the default fetch method used in MicroStrategy Office.
• smart tag alias
  A smart tag name that you can specify for a report or project. When Microsoft Office recognizes this name, the MicroStrategy Office Smart Tag actions menu is displayed. This means that when the name you specify is typed, it becomes a smart tag that provides several options to execute the report.
• Software Development Kit
  A distribution package of application program development software and the instructions for its use. Allows customization of an application.
• sort
  Arranging data according to some characteristic of the data itself (alphabetical descending, numeric ascending, and so forth). See also: drill, page-by, subtotal.
• sort by
  The order of the return values of an expression in relation to the order of the value or metadata object given. A sort by includes whether to sort in ascending or descending order, and which metadata object to sort by. Sort by may also be performed on the value of the subexpression, which is the input argument. To sort by a value or metadata object in an expression, you must set the SortBy parameter.
• SQL (Structured Query Language)
  The standardized query language established in 1986 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and used to request information from tables in a relational database and to manipulate the tables' structure and data.
• SQL Engine
  The MicroStrategy Intelligence Server component that in report execution converts report requests into SQL to be used for a database query.
• static content
  Document content that is contained directly in the document and does not change from one service execution to the next. It cannot be personalized for different subscribers. Examples include an HTML template, a static URL, and so on. Compare with: dynamic content.
• Structured Query Language (SQL)
  A relational database language used to read data from tables in a relational database and to manipulate their structure and their data.
• subscriber
  A person who receives content from at least one service. Each individual who receives messages from Narrowcast Server has a login that provides password-controlled access to subscription and user preference information for the individual and his addresses. Subscribing at least one of these addresses to a particular service allows the individual to receive messages.
• subscription
  An enrollment in a service; a subscription is composed of one user and one address. subscription administrator Narrowcast Administrator user role.This role is designed for a console user who manages the Subscription Book, including users, addresses, and subscription sets. Also installs, configures, and administers the Subscription Book Module.
• Subscription Book
  Contains all users, addresses, and subscription sets. Stored in the Subscription Book Repository. See also: subscription set.
• Subscription Book Module
  A software component that provides the ability to create, edit, and use the objects within a Subscription Book. Those objects include users, addresses, and subscriptions. See also: Subscription Book Repository.
• Subscription Book Repository
  Stores all subscription information, including addresses and user information.
• Subscription ID
  The ID value used by Narrowcast Server to segment subscription sets. It is also called Segmentation ID. This value is required for dynamic subscription sets.
• subscription information
  All information related to an individual subscription. This information allows Narrowcast Server to deliver services to individual recipients in the desired manner.
• subscription information object
  Retrieves subscription information for a given segment. See also: dynamic subscription set, information object, segmentation, subscription information.
• Subscription Portal
  A feature of Narrowcast Server that allows end users to subscribe to Narrowcast Server services offered through a web-based portal. This enables end users to experience personalized and proactive interactions, based on user-defined permissions and preferences. See also: portal.
• subscription set
  A collection of addresses that can be subscribed to a service. Subscription sets are either static or dynamic. A static subscription set is an application object that retrieves subscription information from the Subscription Book Repository. Useful when the set of end user addresses that should receive a service does not change. A dynamic subscription set is an application object containing at least one piece of subscription information retrieved from an information object instead of from the Subscription Book Repository. Useful for changing or alert-driven subscription sets. Dynamic subscription sets can acquire some or all of their information from the information object. The rest of the subscription information is acquired from the Subscription Book Repository. See also: subscription set object.
• Subscription Set ID
  A numeric value used to identify each subscription set.
• subscription set object
  Application object that defines how to retrieve or modify a subscription set. Does not contain the subscription set, but provides instructions for how a Subscription Book Module should retrieve it. See also: Subscription Book Module, subscription set.
• subtotal
  A totaling operation performed for a portion of a result set. See also: drill and page-by.
• summary metric
  A shortcut to a subtotal, or a subtotal metric allowing explicit aggregation in documents. A summary metric allows you to select the function to use to calculate the subtotal.
• system administrator
  Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a console user who performs the following tasks: Installs and configures the information delivery platform, Migrates system objects and application objects, Monitors, analyzes, and tunes the system to ensure the smooth and balanced operation of the decision support or business intelligence environment, Performs troubleshooting and error recovery.
• system developer
  Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a Narrowcast Server user who employs the SDK and embeds Narrowcast Server technology into another product or application.
• system locale
  A language in which all objects are guaranteed to have a name. Since objects can have names in several locales (languages), it is necessary to have one locale where a name always exists for all objects. The system locale serves this role, because the system locale cannot be deleted. See also: locale, display locale, execution locale, selection locale, user locale, text container See: document (Narrowcast).
• table
  The primary physical component of a data warehouse, logically consisting of columns of data of varying types.
• template
  A MicroStrategy object that serves as a base on which you can build other objects of the same type. You can create a template for almost any kind of MicroStrategy object, such as filters or reports. Also see: Object template and Report template.
• text field
  A type of control in a document that displays text in the document. These different types of text content are: Static text, which does not change and serves as a label. Dynamic text, which is populated by the document or dataset. There are two types of dynamic text: Data field, which is populated from a dataset with data that originated in the data warehouse (or an Intelligence Server cache). A data field is only a reference to an object on a report. Auto text code, which is populated by the document or dataset, consisting of their settings rather than data from the data warehouse. A combination of any or all of the above types in one text field. See also: Data field, Auto text code.
• threshold
  Used to create conditional formatting for metric values. For example, a threshold triggers the report that, if dollar sales is greater than $200, format that cell to have a blue background with bold type.
• transformation
  A schema object that encapsulates a business rule used to compare results of different time periods. Transformations are used in the definition of a metric to alter the behavior of that metric.
• Unique Message Identifier
  An ID value that is unique for all messages delivered by any Narrowcast Server system. It can be used for message tracking purposes to determine which recipients have received and opened messages. This is typically done by creating a URL containing this ID value that refers to a zero-size image on a Web server that is configured to track references to this URL.
• user hierarchy
  Named sets of attributes and their relationships, arranged in specific sequences for a logical business organization. They are user-defined and do not need to follow the logical model.
• user ID
  A numeric value used to identify individual users.
• user information
  The collection of information, including first name, last name, address, zip code, and other personal information, that changes from one subscriber to the next.
• user locale
  Defines which content the user receives. This is set up by either the subscription administrator via Narrowcast Administrator or by the user via Subscription Portal. The user locale must match the selection locale. See also:locale, display locale, selection locale, system locale.
• view filter
  The set of criteria that restricts the report data that is currently being viewed. It may include filtering conditions based on any of the objects on the report.
• Visual Insight dashboard
  A visually-striking, interactive display that takes a minimal amount of time to set up and use. You can add text, interactive data visualizations, data filtering, and multiple layers of organization to your dashboard, then take advantage of Visual Insight's formatting options to customize your display.
• widget
  A type of control that presents data in a visual and interactive way; an interactive Flash-only graph that dynamically updates when a new set of data is selected. Some types include Gauge, Heat Map, and Stacked Area widgets.