Benefits of MicroStrategy Web

MicroStrategy Web is composed of a multi-layered architecture that clearly separates functionality from presentation. The MicroStrategy Web architecture has the following highlights:

• Simplified customization  

• Component utilization and application independence  

• Plug-in architecture  

• Web Customization Editor  

• Simplified upgrades for customization  

• XML knowledge not required  

• Choice between .NET and J2EE development architecture  

• Web services ready  

• Enhancements to Task Infrastructure  

• New APIs to support monitoring  

• Out-of-the-box integration with identity management applications  

• Bean refactoring  

• Visualization SDK  

Simplified customization

This object-oriented, layered architecture has simplified the process of customization. Since the presentation layer is separate from the business logic, all the page navigation and layout specification reside in a single configuration file. Thus, it is simple to customize the interface without causing any impact to unaffected objects and functions. The majority of customization tasks involve merely modifying the values of parameters in configuration files. This removes the need to program or use the API directly for the majority of common customizations.

Component utilization and application independence

The MicroStrategy Web architecture was built in line with the themes of component utilization and application independence. This reduces the amount of code modification required for a given change since you only need to concentrate on the necessary component rather than work with numerous files. All the pieces of MicroStrategy Web are structured as components with highly specialized functionality that is exposed through object interfaces. The components are application-independent so that they can be reused as building blocks for customized functionality.

Plug-in architecture

MicroStrategy Web provides a framework (plug-in architecture) for plugging your customization changes as a piece of software (called a plug-in) into MicroStrategy Web such that no compilation or modification of the source code is required for deploying the customization changes. The Web Customization Editor provided with the MicroStrategy SDK leverages the plug-in architecture by creating plug-ins that can be easily deployed in MicroStrategy Web.  All MSDL customization scenarios as well as sample applications such as the External Security Module Sample Application are now available as plug-ins.

Web Customization Editor

The Web Customization Editor is an Eclipse READY™ product that easily integrates into the Eclipse IDE. It helps perform customization tasks in MicroStrategy Web, eliminating the need to manually modify default configuration files such as the Page Configuration file, the Style Catalog Configuration file, or presentation files such as JSP or ASP.NET files.

Simplified upgrades for customization

In MicroStrategy Web, the presentation layer is separate from the business logic. The page navigation and layout specification, as well as styles for MicroStrategy data components such as reports, folders, and prompts reside in a few configuration files. Moreover, all the pieces of MicroStrategy Web are structured as components with highly specialized functionality that is exposed through object interfaces. These architectural changes ensure that your customization changes are application-independent and can be easily migrated to future upgrades.

XML knowledge not required

The improved Web objects layer is responsible for XML construction and data representation so you do not need to understand XML structures for using the XML API. The Web Objects API allows you to use a purely object-oriented rather than procedural and input-parameter-driven approach to API customization.

Choice between .NET and J2EE development architecture

The MicroStrategy Web products offer the developer a choice between a .NET architecture and a J2EE architecture. This allows for easy integration into a variety of Web servers, application servers, and operating systems.

Web services ready

Web services depend on XML data structures, and all MicroStrategy Web 9.x functionality is exposed and accessible via XML. As a result, all MicroStrategy Web functionality can easily be made available as a Web service. You do not need to build sophisticated adapters or translators to expose reports and functionality as Web services. For more information on Web services development, refer to the Web Services Development Kit.

Enhancements to Task Infrastructure

Tasks can be accessible as XML and JSON. In addition, new tasks are published through the MicroStrategy SDK, including those that enable hierarchy and element browsing, prompt answer manipulation, full metadata search, and so on. For more information on these and other tasks, please consult the MicroStrategy Developer Library.

New APIs to support monitoring

New objects and API calls are available to support administrative tasks such as job, user, database connection, and cache monitoring. Documentation and sample code is provided to help understand how to use the new APIs. This includes a new detailed External Security Module scenario using the User Connection Monitor that limits the number of sessions a user can create through MicroStrategy Web.

Out-of-the-box integration with Identity Management Applications

Single sign-on environments with IBM Tivoli Access Manager, Oracle Identity Manager, and CA SiteMinder ® identity management systems can be enabled without requiring the customization of the External Security Module.

Bean refactoring

There is no longer any difference between metadata (md) beans, application (app) beans, and custom beans. There is one single bean factory and one single events.xml file for all beans.

Visualization SDK

The Visualization SDK has the following benefits.

• Flex Builder 3 support for creating powerful Internet applications with robust business intelligence.  

• Full support for building Adobe AIR applications is available, including a template that makes Flash applications ready for offline display. Source code for this template is also provided.  

• A new map control renders data on areas of any image, regions on a map, or areas on a store layout by using image map coordinates provided as input. Like other MicroStrategy controls, this map control can act as a selector control, and it has rollover and tool-tip functionality.                

• Data in derived models can be aggregated dynamically at runtime from the data in the underlying base models. This functionality reduces the number of base models that need to be created.  

• Widespread usability changes to the MicroStrategy Flex Visualization Builder plug-in for Eclipse.  

• Viewer information is included in a separate viewers.xml file.