MicroStrategy ONE

Mapping columns to metadata objects

The Mapping pane in the Freeform SQL Editor is where you map the columns in your SQL query to attributes and metrics that will appear in a MicroStrategy report.

You can map columns to:

  • Managed object attributes and metrics: Managed objects are created on the fly and only exist in the context of Freeform SQL and Query Builder reports. These objects are stored in the Freeform Objects folder, and are known as managed objects. For details on how to do the mapping, please refer to the topics listed below. For more information on what a managed object is and how they are used in MicroStrategy, see the Advanced Reporting Help.

    Managed objects are also created when integrating MDX cube sources into MicroStrategy. MDX cube sources include SAP BW, Microsoft Analysis Services, Hyperion Essbase, and IBM Cognos TM1. For information on integrating MDX cube sources into MicroStrategy, see the MDX Cube Reporting Help.

  • Project attributes: These attributes exist in the project as part of the relational schema, and therefore can be used to generate standard reports. Mapping columns in Freeform SQL reports to project attributes enables you to present a consistent representation of data to report analysts. Project attributes also facilitate joins with standard MicroStrategy reports in a Report Services document. This capability enables you to create many types of documents.

    • For example, you can create a Report Services document with two datasets that share a common project attribute, with one that pulls historical data from a data warehouse and another one that contains current data using Freeform SQL from an operational system.

    • Another advantage of mapping data to project attribute is that you can then use and enforce security filters with Freeform SQL reports.

    • Unlike attributes, which can be mapped to project attributes, all metrics are created or mapped to managed object metrics. The only existing metrics you can use are managed object metrics that are defined for Freeform SQL and Query Builder reports in the current project.

You can perform the following mapping tasks, depending on your needs: