What's New in MicroStrategy 2020

MicroStrategy Workstation

• Introduction of document creation in Workstation.
• Enhanced local discovery of .mstr files on Workstation for Windows.
• English (UK) has been added as a supported language for Workstation.
• Create standalone metrics for an application. Use these metrics in any of your dossiers, documents, and reports within the same application.
• Dossier authoring enhancements, including:
  • New Graph Matrix charts now support trendlines and forecasting.
  • Use free-form layout in dossiers to organize and overlap visualizations and other containers. You can independently position, size, and layer them on a page.
  • Users can quickly arrange visualizations in a dossier.
  • Ability to embed SurveyMonkey or SurveyGizmo surveys in a dossier.
  • Link between prompted dossiers and apply the same prompt answers in each dossier.
  • Link from one dossier to another while passing the filter panel selections.
  • Use a visualization in a dossier to filter data in a different dossier.
  • Create attribute or metric visualization selectors.
  • Optimize the performance of derived objects: Skip the evaluation of unused derived attributes and derived elements in a dossier to improve performance during execution.
  • Support for custom shapes in Mapbox visualizations.
  • Object descriptions display as tooltips in grid visualizations.
• Hierarchy Reporting enhancements:
  • Filter target visualizations by a specific branch or element.
  • Exclude specific branches or elements from a hierarchy.
  • On the Filter panel, an indicator appears in the branch selection checkbox when any of the branch's children are selected. This indicator eliminates the need to expand the branch to see if children are selected.
  • MDX drivers support importing SAP HANA hierarchies as hierarchical attributes.
  • Ability to add and edit descriptions in derived metrics from a Data Import cube containing hierarchical attributes.
• Increased administrative capabilities, including:
  • Ability for customers to select the data engine version used to execute queries.
  • View, edit, and export Intelligence Server governing settings.
  • View, edit, and export Application settings.
  • Create and manage security roles.
  • View and edit Intelligence Server and auxiliary cache settings.
  • View and edit Intelligent Cube settings.
  • Import Users and Groups from an LDAP directory.
  • Set memory allocation and governance settings for jobs at the User or User Group level.
  • Change names and security access of schema objects and application objects.

MicroStrategy Web

• Ability to deliver an email to multiple users for the same content. The distribution services engine will identify which users have the same content based upon security and access. A single subscription email will be sent out to those user groupings while respecting the To, Cc, and Bcc fields.

• Dossier authoring enchantments, including:
  • Use free-form layout in dossiers to organize and overlap visualizations and other containers. You can independently position, size, and layer them on a page.
  • Support for custom shapes in Mapbox visualizations.
  • Users can quickly arrange visualizations in a dossier.
  • Ability to embed SurveyMonkey or SurveyGizmo surveys in a dossier.
  • Create attribute or metric visualization selectors
    
  • Ability to add and edit descriptions in derived attributes, derived metrics, derived attributes, and metrics from a Data Import cube.
  • Optimize the performance of derived objects: Skip the evaluation of unused derived attributes and derived elements in a document or dossier to improve performance during execution.
  • Use a visualization in a dossier to filter data in a different dossier.
  • Link from one dossier to another while passing the filter panel selections.
  • Link between prompted dossiers and apply the same prompt answers in each dossier.
• Hierarchy Reporting enhancements:
• Filter target visualizations by a specific branch or element.
• Exclude specific branches or elements from a hierarchy.
• On the Filter panel, an indicator appears in the branch selection checkbox when any of the branch's children are selected. This indicator eliminates the need to expand the branch to see if children are selected.
• MDX drivers support importing SAP HANA hierarchies as hierarchical attributes.
• Ability to add and edit descriptions in derived metrics from a Data Import cube containing hierarchical attributes.

MicroStrategy Desktop

• Dossier authoring enhancements, including:

  • Use free-form layout in a dossier to organize and overlap visualizations and other containers. You can independently position, size, and layer them on a page.
  • Users can quickly arrange visualizations in a dossier.

  • Support for custom shapes in Mapbox visualizations.

  • Ability to embed SurveyMonkey or SurveyGizmo surveys in a dossier.
  • Link between prompted dossiers and apply the same prompt answers in each dossier.
  • Link from one dossier to another while passing the filter panel selections.
  • Use a visualization in a dossier to filter data in a different dossier.
  • Add descriptive tool tips to derived attributes, derived metrics, schema objects, and MTDI cubes.
  • Create attribute or metric visualization selectors
  • Optimize the performance of derived objects: Skip the evaluation of unused derived attributes and derived elements in a dossier to improve performance during execution.
• Hierarchy Reporting enhancements:
• Filter target visualizations by a specific branch or element.
• Exclude specific branches or elements from a hierarchy.
• On the Filter panel, an indicator appears in the branch selection checkbox when any of the branch's children are selected. This indicator eliminates the need to expand the branch to see if children are selected.
• MDX drivers support importing SAP HANA hierarchies as hierarchical attributes.
• Ability to add and edit descriptions in derived metrics from a Data Import cube containing hierarchical attributes.

MicroStrategy HyperIntelligence

HyperIntelligence represents an entirely new class of applications where answers find you. These applications inject insights directly into a user’s existing workflows and transform familiar interfaces into intelligence tools—making every person, application, and device across the enterprise more intelligent.

• Create cards with the new flexible design editor that allows you to change card header styles and add new widgets. For more information, see Create Cards.
• New templates that support images and ring widgets for creating Persona-based cards such as Employee, Contact, and Profile cards.
• Ability to add Contextual Links and email address links to cards.
• View card usage activity.

HyperIntelligence for Web

HyperIntelligence for Web allows you to consume card data from your Google Chrome browser.

• Cards can now be rendered on YouTube and LinkedIn.
• Support for viewing cards on Microsoft Edge (Beta version).
• Increased data volume to support up to 500,000 keywords.
• Support for SAML authentication.
• Support for trusted authentication.
• Support for Kerberos authentication.
• Improved card matching with a new carousel interface that allows for the discovery and display of multiple cards matching a keyword.
• Ability to export log files for troubleshooting.

HyperIntelligence for Mobile

HyperIntelligence for Mobile is a universal iOS application and Android application that allows users to leverage contextual analytics whenever and wherever they need.

• Calendar integration on both iOS and Android.
• Search for cards directly in the app.
• See the history of viewed cards from your in-app search results or from your calendar push notifications on the app home page.
• Optimized performance of the Calendar tab.

HyperIntelligence for Office

HyperIntelligence for Office allows you to view cards in Microsoft Outlook.

• Export the HyperIntelligence for Office manifest file from Workstation.
• View and filter cards on Microsoft Outlook for Desktop for macOS or Windows OS or Office 365.
• Ability to export HyperIntelligence for Office log files.

MicroStrategy Library

• Improved PDF Export:
  • Improved, smarter defaults for PDF export to reduce redundancy and prevent data loss.
  • Ability to export the current page of a dossier to PDF.
  • Ability to fit grid content to the width of one page when exporting to PDF.
  • Ability to cancel PDF export requests to continue performing manipulations in Web.
  • Links to files and pages are still fully functional when exporting a dossier to PDF.
  • Enhanced pagination support for the KPI widget and custom visualizations.
• In Library Mobile for iOS, you can search for hierarchical attribute elements across all levels.
• Offline support for MicroStrategy Library on Android devices.
• New dossier authoring features can be viewed in MicroStrategy Library.
• Integration of PostgreSQL with the Collaboration Server.
• Hierarchy Reporting enhancements:
• Filter target visualizations by a specific branch or element.
• Exclude specific branches or elements from a hierarchy.

Platform Analytics

• PostgreSQL is now supported as a Platform Analytics repository.
• The Platform Analytics project and repository can be upgraded via the Configuration Wizard.
• New out-of-the-box dossier to analyze and optimize job performance.
• The Platform Analytics custom installer now accepts encrypted passwords.
• The Intelligence Server can resend failed statistics messages to the Kafka server when the connection between the two servers is re-established.
• The Configuration Wizard now supports interactive mode for creating the Platform Analytics project.

• Enhanced tracking capabilities, including:

  • Canceled jobs.
  • Certified objects.
  • New metrics for jobs, prompts, intelligent cubes, and server processing time.
  • Intelligent Cube memory usage for each node in a clustered environment.

  • The change journal logs now process the type, version, and name for databases configured in an environment.

  • Object version changes for Subscription objects are now included in the change journal logs.

• Ability to capture information on who made changes to schema and application objects on a particular date.
• Enhanced installation logs that allow you to verify the initial load of object telemetry.
• Improved health checks for Redis, Kafka, and MySQL components.
• Ability to trigger a data clean-up of the Platform Analytics warehouse.
• The Platform Analytics project schema has been updated to allow for data blending between Compliance Telemetry and Statistics data.

Federated Analytics

MicroStrategy for RStudio

• Supported in MicroStrategy version 2019 Update 4 or later.

• Ability to browse, filter, search, and import data from cubes and reports in RStudio.

• Export data frames from RStudio to MicroStrategy in-memory cubes.

• All MicroStrategy security settings are respected when interacting with MicroStrategy objects.

• Support for Standard and LDAP authentication.

• Certified to work with RStudio Desktop 1.2 and R 3.4.

MicroStrategy for Jupyter

• Supported in MicroStrategy version 2019 Update 4 or later.

• Ability to browse, filter, search, and import data from cubes and reports into Jupyter Notebook.

• Export data frames from Jupyter Notebook to MicroStrategy in-memory cubes.

• All MicroStrategy security settings are respected when interacting with MicroStrategy objects.

• Support for Standard and LDAP authentication.

• Certified to work with Jupyter Notebook 5.7 and Python 3.6.

MicroStrategy for Tableau

• Ability to import datasets with four million rows and 30+ columns using the Tableau connector.

• Ability to import prompted reports from MicroStrategy to Tableau.

• Increased data import speed using the Tableau connector.

• Streamlined experience of browsing, connecting, and importing MicroStrategy data.

MicroStrategy for Power BI

• Ability to import datasets with four million rows and 30+ columns using the Power BI connector.

• Increased data import speed using the PowerBI connector.

MicroStrategy for Qlik

• Ability to import datasets with two million rows and 10+ columns using the Qlik connector.

• Increased data import speed using the Qlik connector.

MicroStrategy for Office

• Fast deployment on Windows and Mac clients and the Office 365 cloud.

• Leverage MicroStrategy Library authentication.

• Import reports or datasets from MicroStrategy to Excel.

• Filter data before importing to Excel.

• Refresh all imported datasets and reports without losing the formatting applied in Excel.

• Support for prompted reports.

• Support for reports with subtotals and totals.

• Support for cross-tab reports.

• Selecting an imported object highlights the data in the Excel workbook.

• Ability to rename imported objects in Excel.

• Ability to edit data already imported to the workbook.

• Ability to re-prompt a report to the same workbook.

• Faceted search for file type, owner, and date modified.

• Ability to clear data from the workbook to control user access.

• Improved data loading performance.

Data Sources

See Platform Certifications for information on the latest supported and certified configurations.

• MicroStrategy ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL Wire Protocol for Windows and Linux is the new default driver used when creating a database instance with PostgreSQL.
• MicroStrategy 2020 ships the latest ODBC connectors for the following data sources:
  • Cassandra
  • Microsoft SQL Server
• MicroStrategy 2020 ships the latest JDBC connectors for the following data sources:
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Oracle
• Optimization for Google Big Query:
  • Support for Implicit Table creation patterns with the ability to specify column headers.
  • Ability to import a dataset using the Google bulk-data API.
• Oracle 19c is now supported.

MicroStrategy Intelligence Server

• New VLDB setting to limit the size of query results from MDX data sources for hierarchical attributes.
• Administrators have the option to automatically resend failed statistics messages from Intelligence Server to Telemetry Server if the connection is lost.
• Intelligence Server will now offload uncertified intelligent cubes from memory to avoid shutdown due to Memory Contract Manager limits.
• Two new VLDB properties that unify quoting behavior for warehouse identifiers.
• The Export Engine is now a standalone component and can now be selected or deselected for installation.
• Pagination support for exporting KPI widgets.
• Reduced memory consumption when processing large export requests.
• Updates to user privileges and privilege groups.
• The "Maximum % growth of an Intelligent Cube due to indexes" project configuration setting saves unused indexes in a disk and deletes the indexes from memory sequentially until the cube size is below the limit.
• Two new performance counters, Memory Used By Cube Element Block (KB) and Memory Used By Cube Index Keys (KB), track the memory usage of Element Blocks and Index Keys.
• Improved stability of the incremental cube refresh process.

• Set memory allocation and governance settings for jobs at the User or User Group level in Workstation.

• Improved handling of user session recreation in case of an Intelligence Server node crash without prompting the user to log in again.

MicroStrategy Cloud Platform

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Ability to deploy EC2 X1 instances, a high RAM AWS instance class that scales up to 2TB RAM.
• As of 2020, AWS instances will utilize a Postgres database as a unified repository for Platform Analytics, Metadata, and Collaboration. MicroStrategy Backup can be used to migrate metadata, the Platform Analytics warehouse, Collaboration Store, and History List from MySQL to PostgreSQL.

Azure

• Automation API's to manage MicroStrategy on Azure environments. Performing Cloud Console operations via API enables organizations to:

  • Automate the deployment and management of environments.

  • Integrate the cloud console into management and automation frameworks.

• As of 2020, Azure instances will utilize a Postgres database as a unified repository for Platform Analytics, Metadata, and Collaboration. MicroStrategy Backup can be used to migrate metadata, the Platform Analytics warehouse, and Collaboration Store from MySQL to PostgreSQL.

MicroStrategy Tools

• Configuration Wizard now provides the option to keep, change, or disable statistics when configuring the Intelligence Server.
• As of MicroStrategy 2020, Project Mover is no longer supported.