Connection Mapping

A connection map in MicroStrategy is a link between a MicroStrategy user, a database connection, and a database login. It is used to apply database (row-level) security to a MicroStrategy user. Connection mapping allows administrators to assign a user or group in the MicroStrategy system to a specific login ID on the data warehouse RDBMS. The mappings are typically used to take advantage of one of several RDBMS data security techniques (security views, split fact tables by rows, and split fact tables by columns) that architects may have already created. When a database connection map is modified, MicroStrategy Intelligence Server needs to be refreshed to recognize the changes.

Check out the video below to learn more!

Connection mapping is useful when MicroStrategy users must be differentiated from each other at the data warehouse level or when they must be directed to separate data warehouses. These two scenarios are described below.

Connecting to the data warehouse using different database logins

In this scenario, the project, database instance, and data warehouse are the same for the users in two groups, but the connection mapping specifies different database logins for each group. One case in which you may want to use connection mappings is if you have existing security views defined in the data warehouse and you want to allow MicroStrategy users' jobs to execute on the data warehouse using those specific login IDs.

Example

The CEO of the company has a login that allows access to all data, while all other users have a login that allows limited access to data.

The CEO can access all data (warehouse login ID = "CEO")
All other users have limited access (warehouse login ID = "MSTR users")

In this case, you need to create a user connection mapping within MicroStrategy for the CEO. To do this, you must:

Create a new database login definition for the CEO in MicroStrategy so it matches their existing login ID on the data warehouse
Create the new connection mapping in MicroStrategy to specify that the CEO user uses the new database login

This is shown in the diagram below in which the CEO connects as CEO (using the new database login called "CEO") and all other users use the default database login "MSTR users."

Connecting to different data warehouses using the same project

In this scenario, the project, database instance, and database login are the same, but the connection mapping specifies different database connections (and therefore, different DSNs) for the two groups. For the project to work with both data warehouses, they must have the same structure. This is applicable in an environment where there are two data warehouses

Example

There are two data warehouses - one with domestic data and another with foreign data. Users must be directed to one or the other based on the user group to which they belong when they log into MicroStrategy.

"US users" connect to the U.S. data warehouse (data warehouse login ID "MSTR users")
"Europe users" connect to the London data warehouse (data warehouse login ID "MSTR users")

In this case, you need to create a user connection mapping within MicroStrategy for both user groups. To do this, you must:

Create two database connections in MicroStrategy - one to each data warehouse (this assumes that DSNs already exist for each data warehouse)
Create two connection mappings in the MicroStrategy project that link the groups to the different data warehouses via the two new database connection definitions

In the diagram below, the two different database connections used are "US " and "Europe". Although the data warehouse login ID for both the database connections is "MSTR users", within MicroStrategy, the users belong to two different groups: 'US users' and 'Europe users'.

Create a Connection Mapping

You can create a new connection mapping from the Project Configuration Editor in Workstation. To create a connection mapping, you must assign a user or group either a database connection or database login that is different from the default.

In Workstation, log into your project. You must have the following privileges:
- Configure connection map
- Bypass all object security access checks
- Configure project data source
Right-click a project and choose Properties.

Choose Get Info if you are using a Mac.
In the left pane, choose Connection Mapping.
Click Connection Map to add a new row.
Select a Data Source, Database Connection, and Database Login from the drop-downs.
Under the Users/Groups section, click Add to add users or user groups.
Use the search or navigate to the appropriate user or user groups to select.
Once the users or groups are selected, click Add to add them to the connection mapping.
To remove a user or user group from a connection mapping, hover over the user or /group and click .
Click OK.