Configuring History List Data Storage

Starting in MicroStrategy ONE (June 2024), file and database-based options for history list storage are deprecated.

The History List repository is the location where all History List data is stored.

There are several different ways that the History List repository can be configured to store data for the History List. It can be stored in a database, or in a file on the Intelligence Server machine. Alternately, you can use a hybrid approach that stores the message information in a database for improved search results and scalability, and the message results in a file for performance reasons.

MicroStrategy recommends a hybrid configuration since it improves history list performance.

Configuring Intelligence Server to Use a Database-Based or Hybrid History List Repository

The caches associated with History Lists can be stored in a database. Storing the History List messages in a database reduces the load on the machine that hosts Intelligence Server.

If you are using a database-based History List repository, the caches that are associated with a History List message are also stored in the History List database.

You can also configure Intelligence Server to use a hybrid History List repository. In this configuration the History List message information is stored in a database, and the cached results are stored in a file. This approach preserves the scalability of the database-based History List, while maintaining the improved performance of the file-based History List.

To Configure Intelligence Server to Use a Database-Based or Hybrid History List Repository

1. In Developer, log in to the project source as a user with administrative privileges.
2. Go to Administration > Server > Configure MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.
3. On the left, go to History Settings > General.
4. Select Database based. The following warning message is displayed:

   

   Once Intelligence Server has been configured to store the History List cached data in the database, this setting will apply to the entire server definition.

5. Click Yes.
6. By default, History List caches are backed up to the database. To store only History List caches on the server, clear the Backup report history caches to the database checkbox.
7. To use a hybrid History List repository, in the External central storage directory for Database-based History List field, type the location for the file-based History List message storage. For information about how the cached results are stored, see Configuring Intelligence Server to Use a File-Based History List Repository.

   You can browse to the file location by clicking the . . . (browse) button.

8. Expand Server Definition, and then select General.
9. Under Content Server Location, from the Database Instance menu, select the database instance that points to the History List repository in the database.
10. Click OK.
11. Restart Intelligence Server for the changes to take effect.

To Confirm that the History List Repository has been Configured Correctly

1. Log in to the project source as a user with administrative privileges.
2. Go to Administration > Server, > Configure MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.
3. On the left, expand History Settings and select General. If you have configured Intelligence Server properly, the following message is displayed in the Repository Type area of the Intelligence Server Configuration Editor:

   

Configuring Intelligence Server to Use a File-Based History List Repository

When you initially set up your History List, you can store the History List in a file folder on the machine that hosts Intelligence Server. The default location of this folder is relative to the installation path of Intelligence Server:

.\Inbox\<Server definition name>

For example, C:\Program Files (x86)\MicroStrategy\Intelligence Server\Inbox\MicroStrategy Tutorial Server.

In a non-clustered environment, History List cached data is typically stored on the same machine that is running Intelligence Server.

In a clustered environment, there are two storage options:

• Local caching: Each node hosts its own cache file directory that needs to be shared as "ClusterCache" so that other nodes can access it.
• Centralized caching: All nodes have the cache file directory set to the same network location, \\<machine name>\<shared directory name>. For example, \\My_File_Server\My_Inbox_Directory.

  For caches stored on Windows machines, and on Linux machines using Samba, set the path to \\<machine name>\<shared directory name>. For caches stored on Linux machines, set the path to //<SharedLocation>/<CacheFolder>.

  On UNIX systems, it is recommended that you mount the shared location as a network drive. You must create a folder in your machine's Volumes directory before mounting the location. For example, mount -t afp afp://my_file_server/my_inbox_directory/Volumes/my_network_mount.

  Make sure that the network directory is writable from the network account under which Intelligence Server is running. Each Intelligence Server creates its own subdirectory.

For steps to configure Intelligence Server to store cached History List data in a file-based repository, see the procedure below.

To Configure Intelligence Server to Use a File-Based History List Repository

1. Log in to the project source as a user with administrative privileges.
2. Go to Administration > Server > Configure MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.
3. On the left, expand History Settings and select General.
4. Select File based, and type the file location in the History directory field.

   You can browse to the file location by clicking the …(browse) button.

5. Click OK.