Version 2021

Preview Feature: Time Zone Based Reporting

MicroStrategy 2021 Update 5 introduces a preview of new capabilities on the time dimension. Time zones can be created and applied to content that contain the date-time attribute type. You can aggregate, filter, and display data based on different time zones.

Your metadata version must be upgraded to MicroStrategy 2021 Update 5 or newer.

Time zone reporting is currently only available on Snowflake, PostgreSQL, and the following Oracle databases:

  • Oracle 12c

  • Oracle 12c R2

  • Oracle 18c

  • Oracle 19c

  • Oracle 21c

  1. Upgrade the metadata repository and project after installing MicroStrategy 2021 Update 5 or newer. Learn more about updating the metadata on Windows and Linux.

  2. Enable the time zone feature flag with REST API in the metadata.

    1. Open the REST API Swagger user interface by appending /MicroStrategyLibrary with /api-docs/index.html?visibility=all#/Configurations/updateFeatureFlag in your browser.

    2. Under the Authentication section, look up GET /api/auth/token.

    3. Click Try Out and then, Execute.

    4. In the response, find X-MSTR-AuthToken.

    5. Under the Configurations section, look up PUT ​/api​/configurations​/featureFlags​/{id}.

    6. Click Try Out.

    7. Set the proper X-MSTR-AuthToken. You can get this via inspecting the browser network XHR requests.

    8. Set id to 6AD4EB6E47499E51A1E671921A8426EC. This is the static ID for the time zone feature flag.

    9. To enable the time zone feature flag, set the status value to 1. See below:

      Copy 
      {
          "status": 1
      }

    10. To disable the time zone feature flag, set the status value to 2. See below:

      Copy 
      {
          status": 2
      }

    11. Click Execute.

  3. In Workstation, go to Help > Preview Features. If it is already selected, deselect and reselect it. This ensures you get the latest preview features.

    You can see Internalization in the Navigation pane.

Check out the tutorial below to learn more!

The following are workflows for using Time Zone Aware attributes:

  1. Administration

  2. Modeling

  3. Authoring

  4. Consumption

Administration: Managing Time Zones

You must use the environment in which you enabled Preview Features in.

You must create at least one custom time zone to take advantage of Time Zone Aware reporting.

Add Custom Time Zones

  1. Open the Workstation window.

  2. In the Navigation pane, click Internationalization.

  3. Click New Time Zone.

  4. Select the system time zones you want to add.

  5. Click Add. Custom time zones are created based on your selected system time zones.

  1. Open the Workstation window.

  2. In the Navigation pane, click Internationalization.

  3. Right-click a time zone and choose Edit.

  4. Change the display name or the assigned system time zone.

  5. Click OK.

  1. Open the Workstation window.

  2. In the Navigation pane, click Internationalization.

  3. Select the custom time zones you want to delete.

  4. Right-click on the selection and choose Delete.

  5. In the prompted confirmation dialog, click Delete.

  1. Open the Workstation window.

  2. In the Navigation pane, click Internationalization.

  3. Right-click a time-zone and choose Get Info.

  4. In the left pane, click Security Access.

  5. Select on users or user groups to modify their permissions.

  6. Click the plus sign to add a new control list.

  7. Select single users or entire user groups and click Add.

  8. Click OK.

Set the Project-Level Default Time Zone

You can enable and set a default custom time zone for a project. Once it is set, the custom time zone is applied to the content with the date-time attribute type within the project.

  1. Open the Workstation window.
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Projects.
  3. Right-click a project and choose Properties.

    Choose Get Info if you are using a Mac.

  4. In the left pane, click Internationalization.
  5. Select the Enable Time Zone for this Project checkbox.

  6. From the Default Time Zone drop-down, select a custom time zone.

  7. Click OK.

Modeling: Create a Time Attribute

An attribute form of the TimeStamp data type is required to see the Time Zone Aware option.

  1. Open the Workstation window.
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Create a New Object next to Objects.
  3. Choose your environment and project.
  4. Select Attribute and click Select.
  5. In the Name field, enter an attribute name.
  6. In the table header, click Add New Form.
  7. Select a table and a column with the TimeStamp type.

  8. Validate the expression and click Done.

  9. In the top right, select the Time Zone Aware checkbox.

    Enabling this option removes all relationships defined for this attribute and disables the Relationships tab.

  10. Click Save.

You can create a variety of attributes derived from the current time attribute. These attributes are automatically calculated from the time attribute's key form. Time attributes represent different dimensions, like week, month, quarter, year, and so on.

Time Zone Aware and Smart Time attributes are independent of each other, but can both operate on the TimeStamp ID form.

  1. Go to the Time Attributes tab.

  2. Select the range of required attributes. The 15 minute interval attribute is created by default when you select any interval, as it is the base for all interval aggregation.

  3. Click Save.
  4. To use Smart Time attributes, create an Intelligent Cube with them and use it as the base dataset for your dossier.

Authoring: Create a Dossier

  1. Open the Workstation window.
  2. In the Navigation pane, click Create a New Dossier next to Dossiers.
  3. Add your time attribute to the grid.

  4. In the Filter panel, click Dossier Time Zone.

  5. Specify the dossier's behavior when opened by a user. The default behavior is to apply the project level time zone preference upon opening the dossier.
  6. To prevent users from selecting different time zones when viewing the dossier in Library, select the Lock the Time Zone in Library checkbox.
  7. Save the dossier.

Consumption: View the Time Zone Aware Dossier in Library

  1. Open the Time Zone Aware dossier Library Web.

  2. To change the dossier's time zone, click Filter.

  3. Select an available time zone and click Apply.

Set the User Default Time Zone

  1. To change your preferred time zone, click Account.

  2. Go to Preferences > My Time Zone.

  3. From the drop-down, select your preferred time zone.

Share Dossiers with a Selected Time Zone

Bookmarks in Library save the time zone in which you viewed your content. To save a bookmark, click Bookmark > Add New.