Understanding History Lists

A History List is a collection of pre-executed reports and documents that have been sent to a user's personal History folder. These pre-executed reports and documents are called History List messages.

The data contained in these History List messages is stored in the History List repository, which can be located on Intelligence Server, or in the database. For more information about the differences between these storage options, see Configuring History List Data Storage.

A History List message provides a snapshot of data at the time the message is created. Using a different report filter on a History List message does not cause the message to return different data. To view a report in the History List with a different report filter, you must re-execute the report.

Each report that is sent to the History List creates a single History List message. Each document creates a History List message for that document, plus a message for each dataset report in the document.

You can send report results to the History List manually or automatically.

Sending a Message to the History List Manually

Report results can be manually sent to the History List any time you plan to execute a report, during report execution, or even after a report is executed:

• Before report execution:
  • From Developer: Right-click the report or document name and select Send to History from the shortcut menu. The report or document is executed, and a message is generated in the History List.

    This option is not available from a shortcut to a report or document.

  • From Web: This option is not available.
• In the middle of report execution:
  • From Developer: While the report is being executed, select Send to History List from the File menu.

    This operation creates two jobs, one for executing the report (against the data warehouse) and another for sending the report to History List. If caching is enabled, the second job remains in the waiting list for the first job to finish; if caching is not enabled, the second job runs against the data warehouse again. Therefore, to avoid wasting resources, MicroStrategy recommends that if caching is not enabled, users not send the report to History List in the middle of a report execution.

  • From Web: While the report is being executed, click Add to History List on the wait page.

    This operation creates only one job because the first one is modified for the Send to History List request.

• After report execution:
  • From Developer: After the report is executed, select Send to History from the File menu.
  • From Web: After the report is executed, select Add to History List from the Home menu.

  Two jobs are created for Developer, and only one is created for Web.

Sending a Message to the History List Automatically

Report results can be automatically sent to the History List. There are two different ways to automatically send messages to the History list. You can either have every report or document that you execute sent to your History List, or you can subscribe to specific reports or documents:

• To automatically send every report and document that is executed to your History List:
  • From MicroStrategy Web: Select History List from the Project Preferences, and then select Automatically for Add reports and documents to my History List.
  • From Developer: Select MicroStrategy Developer Preferences from the Tools menu, then select History Options, and then select Automatically send reports to History List during execution.
• To schedule delivery of specific reports or documents:
  • From MicroStrategy Web: On the reports page, under the name of the report that you want to send to History List, select Subscriptions, and then click Add History List subscription on the My Subscriptions page. Choose a schedule for the report execution. A History List message is generated automatically whenever the report is executed based on the schedule.
  • From Developer: Right-click a report or document and select Schedule Delivery to and select History List. Define the subscription details. For specific information about using the Subscription Editor, click Help.

Filtering and Purging Your History List Messages in Developer

The History List Monitor filter can be used to either filter which messages are displayed in the History List, or it can define the History List messages that you want to purge from the History List. The History List Monitor filter allows you to define various parameters to filter or purge your History List messages.

To use the History List Monitor Filter to filter your History List messages, right click the History List folder, and select Filter. After you have specified the filter parameters, click OK. The History List Monitor Filter closes, and your History List messages will be filtered accordingly.

To use the History List Monitor Filter to purge items from your History List folder, right click the History List folder and select Purge. After you have specified the filter parameters, click Purge. The History List Monitor Filter closes, and the History List Messages that match the criteria defined in the History List Monitor Filter are deleted.

For more details about the History List Monitor Filter, click Help.

History Lists and Caching

The History List is closely related to caching functionality. History Lists consist of messages that point to report results, which are stored as History caches. Therefore, when a History List message is deleted, the History cache that the message points to is deleted as well.

Multiple messages can point to the same History cache. In this case, the History cache is deleted after all messages pointing to it have been deleted.

If you are using a database-based History List repository, by default, duplicates of the report caches that are associated with the History List messages are stored in the database, as well as being stored locally. This way, if a user deletes the local report cache, the cache that is stored in the database can still be accessed. This behavior applies to both History Caches and History-Matching Caches. For more information about types of caches, see Types of Result Caches. For more information about storing History List data, see Configuring History List Data Storage.

If you are exporting a report or document to a database-based History List, only the most recent export is stored in the History List. For example, if you export a document as an Excel file, and then export it as a PDF, only the PDF is saved in the History List.

You can use the History List messages to retrieve report results, even when report caching is disabled.