Practice Project Tutorial Microstrategy

INTRODUCTION
This practice project is designed to test your ability to configure and deploy a
basic MicroStrategy business intelligence environment. You will use your
knowledge of MicroStrategy Architect and MicroStrategy Desktop to create a
project and design reports that run against the MicroStrategy Tutorial data
warehouse. This project will assist you in preparing for specific sections of the
MicroStrategy Certified Developer (MCD) Certification. However, it does not
provide practice on every subject matter that is required to successfully complete
the MCD Certification. To achieve MCD Certification, you also need to master the
knowledge attained through the Project Designer, Report Developer, and
Platform Administrator focus area certifications.
The Project Design section of this document contains requirements and detailed
instructions on how you satisfy the requirements. We recommend that you try to
complete the entire project using only the requirements. Use the detailed
instructions only if you need assistance. If you need to use the detailed
instructions to complete a task, we recommend that you redo the task until you
no longer need assistance. Remember, this is a practice project. The actual MCD
Certification will not include step-by-step instructions.
When to Complete This Project
This project contains information that is covered in the Certified Project Designer
certification and the Certified Report Developer certification. The Certified
Project Designer certification contains the MicroStrategy Architect: Project
Design course and the MicroStrategy Desktop: Reporting Essentials course and
is the first week of the MCD Program. The Certified Report Developer
certification contains the MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials
course and the MicroStrategy Desktop: Advanced Reporting course and is the
second week of the MCD Program. MicroStrategy Education recommends that
you attempt this practice project after completing the Certified Report Developer
certification. If you are completing the entire 3.5 week MCD Program at one time
you should attempt this project after the finishing the second week.
MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

Revised: 10/8/2009 2009 MicroStrategy, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Page 1 of 38
Project Requirements:
The following components installed on your computer:
o
MicroStrategy Architect 9.0.0 or higher
MicroStrategy Desktop Designer 9.0.0 or higher

Note: Refer to the MicroStrategy ReadMe file for minimum system
requirements and installation instructions.
Microsoft Access 2000 or higher
Microsoft Access ODBC driver
Access to the MicroStrategy Tutorial data warehouse provided in the

MicroStrategy Practice Project, Tutorial Project Online course (Practice
Tutorial_WH).
Note: The result checks in the report development phase of this
document are based on the included Practice Tutorial_WH. If you do not
use the included Practice Tutorial_WH, your data model, schema, and
report results may differ from the data model, schema, and report results
contained in this document.
A MicroStrategy user account that has all necessary privileges to create
projects, attributes, facts, metrics, filters, and reports in Desktop
Note: Remember that this project is not comprehensive. Completing this
project does not guarantee that you will pass the MCD Certification.
Project Guidelines:
You may use your course manuals, MicroStrategy product manuals,
MicroStrategy online help, and the MicroStrategy Knowledge Base for
assistance in completing the project.
Note: You need a login to access the MicroStrategy Knowledge Base.
Try to complete the entire project by yourself. (During the MCD
Certification, you will not be able to discuss the project with fellow
students.)
Try to complete the entire project without using the detailed instructions.
(The MCD Certification does not contain instructions on how to complete a
task.)

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This practice project is not comprehensive and does not cover all topics
that are required to successfully complete the actual MCD project. In
addition, this practice project contains step-by-step directions. The MCD
project does not contain step-by step instruction.
Try to complete this project in 5 hours or less.
Remember, this is a practice project. It does not include all topics that are
covered on the actual MCD.
PROJECT DESIGN
Although this project assumes that you have already installed Architect and
Desktop Designer, we recommend that you understand how to install specific
MicroStrategy products.
This phase of the project covers concepts from the MicroStrategy Architect:
Project Design and the MicroStrategy Desktop: Reporting Essentials courses.
After completing this phase of the project, you will be ready to begin report
development.
This practice project is not comprehensive and does not cover all topics
that are required to successfully complete the actual MCD project. In
addition, this practice project contains step-by-step directions. The MCD
project does not contain step-by step instruction.

Page 3 of 38
Metadata and Data Warehouse

Before you can begin project creation, you need to create your MicroStrategy
metadata database and establish connections to both the metadata database
and the data warehouse. The following pages list the steps to create the
metadata database and connect to the metadata database and the data
warehouse.
1. Create the Metadata Database
Create an empty database in Microsoft Access. Name the database
Practice_Tutorial_MD.
How to create an empty database in Microsoft Access:
1. On the Microsoft Windows Start menu, point to Programs, followed by

Microsoft Office, and finally, select Microsoft Office Access 2003.
If you have Microsoft Access 2000 installed on your computer, on the
Programs menu, select the Microsoft Access.
2. Do one of the following:
If you are using Microsoft Access 2007, in the Microsoft Access
window, select Blank database
If you are using Microsoft Access 2003, on the File menu, select New.
On the New File panel, click Blank database.
OR
If you are using Microsoft Access 2000, in the Microsoft Access
window, select Blank Access database.
Click OK.
3. In the File New Database window, browse to C:\Program
Files\MicroStrategy.
If the MicroStrategy folder does not exist, browse to any accessible
location. Remember where you save your metadata database.
4. In the File name box, rename the database to
Practice_Tutorial_MD.mdb.
5. Click Create.
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6. Close Microsoft Access.
2. Create the Metadata DSN

Create a DSN that points to the Practice_Tutorial_MD database you created in
the previous step. Name the DSN Practice_Tutorial_MD_DSN.
How to create a DSN to connect to the metadata database:
1. On the Windows Start Menu, point to Settings, and select Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window, double-click Administrative Tools.
3. In the Administrative Tools window, double-click Data Sources (ODBC).
4. In the ODBC Data Source Administrator, select the System DSN tab.
5. On the System DSN tab, click Add.
6. In the Create New Data Source window, select Microsoft Access Driver
(*.mdb).
7. Click Finish.
8. In the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup window, in the Data Source Name
box, enter Practice_Tutorial_MD_DSN.
9. Under Database, click Select.
10. In the Select Database window, browse to C:\Program
Files\MicroStrategy or the location in which you saved your metadata
database.
11. Select Practice_Tutorial_MD.mdb.
12. Click OK.
In the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup window, on the System DSN tab,
you should see your new metadata DSN.
13. In the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup window, click OK.
14. In the ODBC Data Source Administrator, click OK.
15. Close the Administrative Tools window.
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3. Create a 2-tier Project Source

Create a 2-tier project source that points to your metadata database. Name the
project source Tutorial Practice Project Source.
How to create a 2-tier project source:
Before you create the project source, you must create the MicroStrategy
metadata shell. You can complete both steps using the MicroStrategy
Configuration Wizard.
1. On the Windows Start Menu, point to Programs, followed by
MicroStrategy, and finally, select Configuration Wizard.
2. In the Configuration Wizard, select the Metadata Repository and
Statistics Tables option.
3. Click Next.
4. On the ensuing window, verify the following settings:
Create Metadata Tables check box is selected.
Create Statistics Tables and Create History List Tables check
boxes are cleared.
o While a significant part of a long-term successful business
intelligence solution, statistics and history list tables are beyond
the scope of this project.
5. Click Next.
6. In the DSN drop-down list, choose Practice_Tutorial_DSN.
7. Click Next.
8. Click Finish.
o Wait while the configuration wizard configures the metadata
database.
9. Click Close to return to the Welcome screen of the wizard.
10. Select Project Sources.
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11. Click Next.

12. For Project Source Name, enter Practice Tutorial Project Source. Select
Direct (2-tier).
13. Click Next.
14. In the DSN drop-down list, choose Practice_Tutorial_DSN.
15. Select Use id and password entered by user (Standard
Authentication).
16. Click Next.
17. Confirm that the summary information is correct.
18. Click Finish.
19. When notified that the configuration was successful, click Close.
20. Click Exit to close the Configuration Wizard.
4. Download the Data Warehouse

This project uses the Practice Tutorial_WH that is included with the MCD Project
Practice, Tutorial Project online companion course. You can find the Practice
Tutorial_WH on the Supporting Documents page. Complete the following steps
to download the Practice Tutorial_WH.
1. Click the icon labeled Practice Tutorial WH.

2. Save the database to C:\Program Files\MicroStrategy.
3. Right-click the Practice_Tutorial_HW.zip file, select Winzip and then
Extract to here.
5. Connect to the Data Warehouse

To connect to the MicroStrategy Tutorial data warehouse, you need to create
another DSN. Follow the same steps you used to create the metadata DSN,

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except name this DSN Practice_Tutorial_WH_DSN and select the Practice

Tutorial_WH.mdb database instead of the Practice_Tutorial_MD.mdb database.
6. Create a Database Instance

Create a database instance in your Practice Tutorial Project Source to connect
to the MicroStrategy Tutorial data warehouse.
Name the database instance Practice Tutorial DBInstance.
Name the database connection Practice Tutorial Connection.
Name the database login Practice Tutorial Login.
How to create a database instance to establish a connection between Desktop to
and the MicroStrategy Tutorial data warehouse:
1. On the Windows Start Menu, point to Programs, followed by

MicroStrategy, then Desktop, and finally, select Desktop.
2. In Desktop, in the Login window, click Cancel.
3. In the Folder List, expand the Practice Tutorial Project Source 2-tier
project source you created earlier.
4. In the Login window, for Login id, enter Administrator.
5. Leave the Password field blank.
6. Click OK.
7. When informed that no projects were returned by your project source, click
OK.
Note: You have not yet created any MicroStrategy projects in this
project source.
8. Expand the Administration icon.
9. Expand Configuration Managers.
10. In the Folder List, select Database Instances.
11. On the File menu, point to New, and then select Database Instance
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12. In the Database Instance window, for Database instance name, enter
Practice Tutorial DBInstance.
13. For Database connection type, select Microsoft Access 2000/2002/2003.
14. Under Database connection, click New.
15. In the Database Connection window, under Database connection name,
rename the database connection to Practice Tutorial Connection.
16. Under Local system ODBC data sources, select
Practice_Tutorial_WH_DSN.
17. Under Default database login name, click New.
18. In the Database Logins window, under Database login, rename the
database login to Practice Tutorial Login.
19. For Login ID, enter sa.
20. Leave the Password field blank.
21. Click OK.
While Access does not require a login or password, Architect requires
a database login.
22. In the Database Connections window, under Default database login name,
ensure that your new Practice Tutorial Login database login is selected.
23. Click OK.
24. In the Database Instances window, under Database connection (default),
ensure that your new Practice Tutorial Connection database connection
is selected.
25. Click OK.
This completes the definition of your database instance. The information you just
created is encrypted and saved to the metadata.
Project Creation
Now that you have configured your metadata and set up the connections to the
metadata and data warehouse, you are ready to create your MicroStrategy
project using Architect.

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You will be responsible for creating the entire project from beginning to end. You
may use the Project Creation Assistant or individual wizards and editors to create
your project. Name your project Tutorial Practice Project.
Note: This document provides steps on how to create a project using the Project
Creation Assistant. Be aware that you can create an incomplete project
definition, save it, and complete it later. However, if you exit the Project Creation
Assistant early, you cannot use it again to complete the project definition. As
such, it is strongly recommended that you create your initial project definition in
one sitting.
Note: This practice project is not comprehensive and does not cover all topics
that are required to successfully complete the actual MCD project. In addition,
this practice project contains step-by-step directions. The MCD project does not
contain step-by step instruction.
1. Initialize the Project

Create a new project inside of the Practice Tutorial Project Source. Name the
project Practice Tutorial Project.
How to create a new project using the Project Creation Assistant:
1. On the Schema menu, select Create New Project.

2. In the Project Creation Assistant, to the left of Create project, click >.
3. In the New Project window, name the project Practice Tutorial
Project.
4. Click OK.
Architect now populates the metadata tables with initial project data. When
project initialization is complete, the Project Creation Assistant returns with a
green check mark next to the Create project step.
2. Select Warehouse Tables
Using the Schema in Appendix B, select the tables to be used in the project.
Be sure to include all tables diagramed in Appendix B.
How to select tables from the Warehouse Catalog:
1. In the Project Creation Assistant, to the left of Select tables from the
Warehouse Catalog, click >.
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2. In the Database Instance window, select Practice Tutorial

DBInstance.
You can also edit an existing database instance or create a
database instance if you did not do so previously.
3. Click OK.
4. In the Warehouse Catalog, from the Tables available in the warehouse
list, select all 50 tables listed below (continued on the next page) and
click > to add them to the Tables being used in the project list.
You can use the CTRL or SHIFT keys to select multiple tables at
once.
Tables to be included in the Practice Tutorial Project
LU_BRAND
LU_PROMO_TYPE
SUBCATEG_MNTH_CTR_SLS
LU_CALL_CTR
LU_PROMOTION
STATE_SUBCATEG_MNTH_SLS
LU_CATALOG
LU_PYMT_TYPE
STATE_SUBCATEG_REGION_SLS
LU_CATEGORY
LU_QUARTER
ITEM_MTNH_SLS
LU_COUNTRY
LU_REGION
ITEM_EMP_SLS
LU_CUST_CITY
LU_SHIPPER
DAY_CTR_SLS
LU_CUST_REGION
LU_SUBCATEG
CITY_CTR_SLS
LU_CUST_STATE
LU_SUPPLIER
CITY_MNTH_SLS
LU_CUSTOMER
LU_YEAR
CITY_SUBCATEG_SLS
LU_DAY
INVENTORY_ORDERS
QTR_CATEGORY_SLS
LU_DIST_CTR
ORDER_DETAIL
MNTH_CATEGORY_SLS
LU_EMPLOYEE
ORDER_FACT
YR_CATEGORY_SLS
LU_INCOME
PROMOTIONS
INVENTORY_CURR
LU_ITEM
RUSH_ORDER
YTD_DAY

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LU_MANAGER
REL_CAT_ITEM
QTD_DAY
LU_MONTH
CUSTOMER_SLS
MTD_DAY
LU_MONTH_OF_YEAR
STATE_REGION_MNTH_SLS
5. After you have added all the tables to the project, click Save and
Close.
The Project Creation Assistant returns with a green check mark next to the
Select tables from the Warehouse Catalog step.
3. Facts
Next, create five facts for you project using the following table. Name each
fact according to the table and map the facts to the appropriate data
warehouse tables.
Facts
Fact Name
Fact Column
Fact Table
Freight
FREIGHT
ORDER_FACT
EOH Quantity
EOH_QTY
INVENTORY_CURR
Rush Charge
RUSH_CHARGE
RUSH_ORDER
UNIT_COST
INVENTORY_CURR
LU_ITEM
ORDER_DETAIL
Unit Cost
Units Received UNITS_RECEIVED INVENTORY_ORDERS
How to create facts:
1. In the Project Creation Assistant, to the left of Create facts, click >.
2. In the Fact Creation Wizard, click Next.

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3. From the Available columns list, select the columns below and click >
to add them to the Facts list.
Fact Name
FREIGHT
EOH_QTY
RUSH_CHARGE
UNIT_COST
UNITS_RECEIVED
You can use the CTRL or SHIFT keys to select multiple columns at
once.
To rename a fact, right-click on the fact and select Rename.
Alternatively, hit F2 on your keyboard.
4. Click Next.
5. After reviewing the list of facts that you are about to create, click
Finish.
The Project Creation Assistant returns with a green check mark next to the
Create facts step.
4. Attributes
Finally, create all 30 attributes as diagrammed in the MicroStrategy Tutorial
logical data model in Appendix A. Use the data warehouse physical schema
in Appendix B for assistance. When creating the attributes for your project,
rename each attribute to match the names in the logical data model.
Take note of the following relationships that are not explicitly defined in the
logical data model.
Catalog and Item have a many-to-many relationship.
Country and Distribution center have a compound relationship.
Distribution Center and Call Center have a one-to-one relationship.
Manager and Call Center have a one-to-one relationship.
Item is a child of Promotion (one-to-many).
Day is a child of Promotion (one-to-many).
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The following table (continued on the next page) lists each attribute that you
need to create. Use the table as you work through the attribute creation
process.
Cells with bold text indicate a compound key or a relationship type that
is something other than one-to-many.
Detailed instructions on creating the Distribution Center compound
attribute are outlined as well.
How to create attributes:
1. In the Project Creation Assistant, to the left of the Create attributes,

click >.
2. In the Attribute Creation Wizard, click Next.
3. Using the Attributes table below, from the Available columns list, select
the ID columns and click > to them to the Attributes list.
All columns that end in ID are automatically highlighted for you.
Clicking > will move all of these ID columns to the Attributes list. For
this project, this action is not desirable.
You can use the CTRL or SHIFT keys to select multiple ID columns
at once.
To rename an attribute, right-click the attribute and select Rename.
Alternatively, hit F2 on your keyboard.
At this point, do not add Dist_Ctr_ID.
Attributes
Attribute
Name
Lookup Table
ID Column
DESC Column
Children
Birth Date
LU_Employee
Birth_Date
Use ID as description
Employee
Brand
LU_Brand
Brand_ID
Brand_Desc
Item
Call Center
LU_Call_Ctr
Call_Ctr_ID
Center_Name
Employee
Catalog
LU_Catalog
Cat_ID
Cat_Desc
Item(M:M)
Category
LU_Category
Category_ID
Category_Desc
Subcategory
Country
LU_Country
Country_ID
Country_Name
Region and
Distribution
Center
Cust_City_ID
Cust_City_Name
Customer
Customer City LU_Cust_City

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Customer
Region
LU_Cust_Region
Cust_Region_ID
Cust_Region_Name
Customer State
Customer
State
LU_Cust_State
Cust_State_ID
Cust_State_Name
Customer City
Customer
LU_Customer
Customer_ID
Cust_Last_Name
Order
Day
LU_Day
Day_Date
NONE
Discontinued
LU_Item
Disc_CD
Item
Distribution
Center
LU_Dist_Ctr
Dist_Ctr_ID &
Country_ID
Dist_Ctr_Name
Call Center(1:1)
Employee
LU_Employee
Emp_ID
Emp_Last_Name
NONE
Hire Date
LU_Employee
Hire_Date
Attribute
Name
Lookup Table
ID Column
DESC Column
Children
Income
Bracket
LU_Income
Income_ID
Bracket_Desc
Customer
Item
LU_Item
Item_ID
Item_Name
NONE
Manager
LU_Manager
Manager_ID
Mgr_Last_Name
Call Center(1:1)
Month
LU_Month
Month_ID
Month_Desc
Day
Employee
Month of Year LU_Month_of_Year Month_of_Year
Month_of_Year_Name Month
Order
Order_Detail
Order_ID
NONE
Promotion
LU_Promotion
Promo_Sale_ID
Promo_Sale
Item, Day
Promotion
Type
LU_Promo_Type
Promo_Type_ID
Promo_Type_Desc
Promotion
Payment
Method
LU_Pymt_Type
Pymt_Type
Pymt_Desc
Order
Quarter
LU_Quarter
Quarter_ID
Quarter_Desc
Month
Region
LU_Region
Region_ID
Region_Name
Call center
Shipper
LU_Shipper
Shipper_ID
Shipper_Desc
Order
Subcategory
LU_Subcateg
Subcat_ID
Subcat_Desc
Item
Supplier
LU_Supplier
Supplier_ID
Supplier_Name
Item
Year
LU_Year
Year_ID
Quarter
4. To create the compound attribute, Distribution Center, do the following:

Click Compound Attributes.
Click Add.

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Name the compound attribute Distribution Center.

Select COUNTRY_ID and while holding down the CTRL key, select
DIST_CTR_ID.
-
Ensure that you do not have the first column (Address) selected
because it will cause an error.
Click OK.
-
Under Compound Attributes, you should now see your

Distribution Center attribute. You can expand it to see its
compound ID columns.
5. Click Next.
6. Specify attribute description columns according to the Attributes table.
Note: Architect makes an educated guess for the description
column based on the attributes ID column that you selected.
Attributes whose description columns may need to be changed
include Call Center, Customer City, Customer Region, Customer,
Discontinued, Employee, Item, Manager, Order, Promotion, and
Year.
You specify the description column for Distribution Center in a later
step.
7. Specify attribute lookup tables according to the Attributes table.
Note: Architect makes an educated guess for the lookup table
based on the attribute ID and description columns that you
selected. The Day attributes lookup table may need to be changed.
You specify the lookup table for Distribution Center in a later step.
8. Click Next.

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9. For the Distribution Center compound attribute, do the following:

For the lookup table, select LU_DIST_CTR.
For the description column, click Add and select
DIST_CTR_NAME.
Click OK.
10. Click Next.
11. Specify the children for each attribute according to the Attributes table
by doing the following:
From the Attributes list, select an attribute and click Add.
In the Select Children Attributes window, select all attributes that
you want to assign as immediate children and click OK.
In the Children of list, select the relationship type.
-
Note: Architect makes an educated guess for the children

based on the attribute ID columns that you selected.
12. Click Next.

13. After reviewing the list of attributes you are about to create, click
Finish.
The Project Creation Assistant returns with a green check mark
next to the Create attributes step
14. In the Project Creation Assistant, click OK.
You should now see Practice Tutorial Project under Practice Tutorial Project
Source.

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5. Create Additional Facts

Using the Fact Editor, create two additional facts according to the table below:
Fact Name
([QTY_SOLD] *
([UNIT_PRICE] DISCOUNT))
Revenue [TOT_DOLLAR_SALES]
[ORDER_AMT]
Fact Expressions
Source
Tables
ORDER_DETAIL
CITY_CTR_SLS
CITY_MNTH_SLS
CITY_SUBCAT_SLS
CUSTOMER_SLS
DAY_CTR_SLS
ITEM_EMP_SLS
ITEM_MNTH_SLS
MNTH_CATEGORY_SLS
QTR_CATEGORY_SLS
STATE_REGION_MNTH_SLS
STATE_SUBCAT_MNTH_SLS
STATE_SUBCAT_REGION_SLS
SUBCAT_MNTH_CTR_SLS
YR_CATEGORY_SLS
ORDER_FACT
Discount QTY_SOLD * DISCOUNT ORDER_DETAIL
How to create facts using the Fact Editor:
1. Expand the Practice Tutorial Project.

2. Navigate to the Schema Objects\Facts folder.
Notice that the facts you created earlier were saved to this location.
3. On the File menu, point to New, and select Fact.
4. In the New Fact - Create New Fact Expression window, for Source table,
select ORDER_DETAIL.

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5. From the Available columns list, select the appropriate fact columns to
define the following expression in the Fact expression window:
([QTY_SOLD] * ([UNIT_PRICE] - DISCOUNT))
6. Click Validate to check the syntax.
7. Under Mapping method, ensure Automatic is selected.
8. Click OK.
9. In the Fact Editor, on the Definition tab, click New and define the two other
fact expressions of Revenue.
10. Click Save and Close.
11. In the Save As window, name the fact Revenue.
12. Click Save.
13. Following a similar procedure, use the table to create the Discount fact.
14. Update the project schema.
6. The Customer Attribute
Add the following four additional attribute forms to the Customer attribute: First
Name, Address, Email, and Full Name. Full Name should display the last name
and then the first name of a customer (for example, Smith, Jones).
The default report display form should be Full Name. The default browsing
display forms should be Last Name and First Name.
How to add attribute forms to an existing attribute:
1. Navigate to the Schema Objects\Attributes folder.

Notice that the attributes you created earlier were saved to this
location.
2. Double-click Customer.
3. In the Attribute Editor, on the Forms tab, select the DESC form and click
Modify.

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4. In the Modify Attribute Form window, under Form general information,

rename the form to Last Name.
5. Click OK.
6. On the Forms tab, click New.
7. In the Create New Form Expression window, for Source table, select
LU_Customer.
8. In the Available columns list, double-click Cust_First_Name to add it to
the Form expression window.
10. Click OK.
11. In the Create New Attribute Form window, under Form general
information, rename the form to First Name.
12. Click OK.
13. Using the following table, follow a similar procedure to create the
remaining three attribute forms: Full Name, Address, and E-mail.
Attribute Form Name Attribute Form Expression
Source Table
CUSTOMER_SLS
LU_CUSTOMER
ID
CUSTOMER_ID
ORDER_DETAIL
ORDER_FACT
Last Name
CUST_LAST_NAME
LU_CUSTOMER
First Name
CUST_FIRST_NAME
LU_CUSTOMER
Full Name
CUST_LAST_NAME + ", " + CUST_FIRST_NAME LU_CUSTOMER
Address
ADDRESS
LU_CUSTOMER
E-mail
EMAIL
LU_CUSTOMER
14. After you created the remaining forms, in the Attribute Editor, click the
Display tab.
15. From the Report display forms list, select each form except for Full Name
and click < to return them to the Available forms list.
16. From the Browse forms list, select each form except for Last Name and
First Name and click < to return them to the Available forms list.

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7. Rush Order Attribute
Create a Rush Order attribute, basing the ID attribute form on the Rush_Order
column found in the Order_Fact table. Next, add an implicit ID form expression of
Y for the Rush_Order table.
How to create an implicit attribute form expression for the Rush Order attribute:
1. On the File menu, point to New and select Attribute.

Order_Fact.
3. From the Available columns list, double-click Rush_Order to add it to the
Form expression window.
4. Under Mapping method, ensure that Automatic is selected.
5. Click OK.
6. In the Create New Attribute Form window, click New.
7. In the form expression window, enter "Y" (including the quotes).
8. Under Mapping method, ensure Manual is selected.
9. Click OK.
10. In the Create New Attribute Form window, in the Source tables list, check
RUSH_ORDER.
11. Click OK.
12. When you receive a warning about the data type being text/character
based, click OK.
13. In the Attribute Editor, click the Children tab.
14. Click Add.
15. In the Add Children Attributes window, from the Child candidates list,
select Order and click > to add it to the Selected children list.

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16. Click OK.

17. In the Attribute Editor, click Save and Close.
18. In the Save As window, name the attribute Rush Order.
19. Click Save.
8. Customer Age Attribute
Customer Age is a derived attribute. Use an ApplySimple statement to calculate
a customers age based on their birth date.
How to create a derived Customer Age Attribute:
1. On the File menu, point to New and select Attribute.

LU_CUSTOMER.
3. In the form expression window, enter the following expression:
ApplySimple(datediff(YYYY,#0,Now())",[CUST_BIRTHDATE])
4. Click Validate to check the syntax.
6. Click OK.
7. In the Create New Attribute Form window, click OK.
8. In the Attribute Editor dialog box, click the Children tab.
9. Click Add.
10. In the Add Children Attributes window, from the Child candidates list,
select Customer and click > to add it to the Selected children list.
11. Click OK.
12. In the Attribute Editor, click Save and Close.
13. In the Save As window, rename the attribute to Customer Age.

Page 22 of 38
14. Click Save.

9. User Hierarchies
Now that you have created the attributes and specified their parent-child
relationships, you are ready to create user hierarchies. User hierarchies enable
you to easily browse through attributes in Desktop.
Create the following five user hierarchies according to their requirements:
Time Hierarchy
-
Include all time-related attributes as diagrammed in the logical data

model.
Make all attributes entry points.
Allow drilling on the hierarchy.
Customers Hierarchy
-
Include all customer-related attributes as diagrammed in the logical

data model. In addition, include the Customer Age and Rush Order
attributes created in section 8 and 9.
Make all attributes entry points, except Order.
Lock the Order attribute.
Geography Hierarchy
-
Include all geography-related attributes as diagrammed in the logical

data model.
Promotions Hierarchy
-
Include all promotion-related attributes as diagrammed in the logical

data model.

Page 23 of 38
Products Hierarchy
-
Include all product-related attributes as diagrammed in the logical data

model, except Discontinued.
How to create user hierarchies:
1. Navigate to the Schema Objects\Hierarchies\Data Explorer folder.

2. On the File menu, point to New and select Hierarchy.
3. In the Select Attributes window, from the Available objects list, select
Year, Quarter, Month, Month of Year, and Day and click > to add them
to the Selected objects list.
You can use the CTRL or SHIFT key to select multiple attributes at
once.
4. Click OK.
In the Hierarchy Editor, notice that the attributes are arranged
according to their parent-child relationships.
Attributes with a green check mark are entry points. By default, any
attribute without a parent is an entry point.
5. Right-click Quarter and select Set as Entry Point.
6. Follow the same procedure for Month and Day.
To remove an entry point, right-click an attribute and select Remove
as Entry Point.
To lock an attribute, right-click the attribute, point to Element Display
and select Locked.
8. At the bottom of the Hierarchy Editor, leave the Use as a drill hierarchy
check box selected.

Page 24 of 38

10. When notified that this hierarchy has been defined as a drill hierarchy,
click OK.
11. In the Save As window, rename the hierarchy to Time Hierarchy.
12. Click Save.
13. Following a similar procedure create the remaining user hierarchies
(Product, Customer, Geography, and Promotions hierarchies) following
the guidelines listed below:
The Customers Hierarchy should contain the following attributes:
Customer, Customer City, Customer Region, Customer State, Income
Bracket, Order, Payment Method, Rush Order, Customer Age, and
Shipper. Remember to make all attributes entry points except Order.
Lock the Order attribute and allow drilling on the hierarchy.
The Geography Hierarchy should contain the following attributes: Birth
Date, Call Center, Country, Distribution Center, Employee, Hire Date,
Manager, and Region. Remember to make all attributes entry points
and allow drilling on the hierarchy.
The Promotions Hierarchy should contain the following attributes:
Promotion Type and Promotion. Remember to make all attributes entry
points and allow drilling on the hierarchy.
The Products Hierarchy should contain the following attributes: Brand,
Discontinued, Catalog, Category, Item, Subcategory, and Supplier.
Remember to make all attributes entry points and allow drilling on the
hierarchy.

Page 25 of 38
REPORT DEVELOPMENT
This phase of the project requires you to create a series of advanced reports. It
covers concepts from the MicroStrategy Desktop: Advanced Reporting course,
but it is limited to those advanced reporting techniques that can be completed in
a 2-tier project. The actual MCD Certification contains additional reporting
requirements. Be sure to review all concepts from the MicroStrategy Desktop:
Advanced Reporting and MicroStrategy Report Services Essentials courses prior
to attempting the MCD Certification.
The result checks in the report development phase of this document are based
on the included Practice Tutorial_WH. If you do not use the included Practice
Tutorial_WH, your data model, schema, and report results may differ from the
data model, schema, and report results contained in this document.
Note: This practice project is not comprehensive and does not cover all topics
that are required to successfully complete the actual MCD project. In addition,
this practice project contains report development information that is not included
in the actual MCD project.
REPORT 1: PEAK SALES

Purpose: Sales for all items typically peak in December, right around the holiday
season. However, after some further investigation, there were other peak months
in 2005 for certain subcategories. For example, sales for Cameras peaked in April
while those for Art and Architecture peaked in June. In addition, sales for Science
and Technology peaked in March. This report will be used to illustrate how much
sales during the peak months contributed to sales of the same items during the
entire year.
Report Requirements:
Display the revenue for each item in the three selected subcategories
during their peak periods (for example, Cameras in April 2005), as well as
sales of the same items for the entire year.
For each item, show the percent contribution their peak sales contributed
to their annual sales.
Display a totals row that shows a total for each metric by subcategory.
Be sure the percent contribution metric displays Smart Totals. Change the
formatting of these totals to make them stand out.

Page 26 of 38
Required Functionality:
Joint Element List
Metrics (Compound)
Metrics (Conditionality)
Metrics (Level)
Totals, including advanced features and formatting
Report Columns:
Month (not Month of Year)
Subcategory
Item
Seasonal Revenue (Revenue for items in their associated subcategory
during its particular peak month in 2005)
Revenue All Year Revenue (Revenue for items in their associated
subcategory for the entire year)
Percent Contribution of Seasonal to Annual Sales
Result Set Check:
The report result returns a total of 44 rows.
Additional Information (will not be provided in the MCD Project):
A screenshot of the first few rows of the report is displayed below:

Page 27 of 38
REPORT 2: DELAYED ORDERS

Purpose: This report will be used to identify the customer cities where the time
between order date and ship date is unacceptably high. A two to three week
delivery period is guaranteed to your customers, so any orders that are shipped
three weeks, or 21 days, past the date the order was placed is considered
delayed.
Include all data in the data warehouse with no restriction to a particular
time period.
Display each customer city where items were shipped 21 days or more
later than the day they were ordered.
Display both the number of delayed orders from the customer cities as
well as the total number of orders of those cities. Also, display the percent
of delayed orders to total orders rounded to the nearest whole percent.
Display customer cities grouped by their customer regions.
Include a row showing totals by Customer Region for each metric on the
report. Also include a grand total for all metrics. Be sure the percent metric
displays Smart Totals.
Attribute (Creation)
Filters (Attribute-to-attribute expression)
Metrics (Compound)
Metrics (Count)
Metrics (Level)
Number Formatting
Smart Totals
Report Columns:
Customer Region
Customer City
Orders Delayed >= 21 days
Count of All Orders by Customer City
% Late Orders
Hints: You need to create the Ship Date attribute.
Which fact table should you use for the Orders Delayed >= 21 days
metric?
Result Set Check:
The report result returns a total of 444 rows.
Albany had a total of 370 orders and 96 delayed orders.
Page 28 of 38
Additional Information (will not be provided in the MCD Project):

The Day attribute should have two ID form expressions: One for Day_Date
and another for Order_Date.
For the Orders Delayed >=21 days metric, the Count parameter of Fact ID
should be Freight. (This forces the metric to count from the correct fact
table.)
The child of Ship Date is Customer.

Page 29 of 38
REPORT 3: BEST CUSTOMER QUARTILING

Purpose: This report will identify all customers who have made more than 20
purchases in 2006. The final report needs to place these customers into quartiles
in each of their customer regions based on the total dollars that they spent.
Display Customer Region, Customer Information (including last name, first
name, and address), total dollars spent by each customer, and the quartile
each customer falls into (for example, 1, 2, 3, or 4 with 1 being the 'best'
customers).
Sort the customers alphabetically by Customer Region, then by quartile
within the region (with the best customers appearing first), and finally by
dollar sales within the quartile in descending order.
Include all customer regions, both foreign and domestic.
Prompt the user to select the number of repeat purchases the customer
must have made in order to be included in the report. The user should be
limited to selecting greater than or equal to a number between 15 and
50. (For the initial report, select 20.)
Attribute Forms
Metrics (Advanced Functions)
Advanced Sorting
Auto Prompts
Report Columns:
Customer Region
Customer last name, first name, and address
Revenue
Customer Quartile
Results Set Check:
With a prompt answer of 20, the report result returns a total of 71rows.
The Northwest customer region has two customers: one in quartile 2 and
another in quartile 4.

Page 30 of 38
Additional Information (will not be provided in MCD):

The Descending Quartile metric uses the NTile function. (The NTile
parameters specify 4 tiles and break by Customer Region.)
The report filter contains a set qualification based on Count of Orders, and
embedded in the set qualification is a value prompt.
The attribute forms for displayed for Customer should be specified only on
this report.

Page 31 of 38
Document Development
Because this project is limited to functionalty available within a 2-tier project, it
does not include a Document Creation phase. However, be sure to review all
concepts covered in the MicroStrategy Report Services: Document Essentials
and the MicroStrategy Report Services: Dynamic Dashboards courses, as these
concepts are addressed in the MCD Certification.

Page 32 of 38
APPENDIX A
Geography Hierarchy
Promotions Hierarchy

Page 33 of 38
Products Hierarchy
Time Hierarchy

Page 34 of 38
Customer Hierarchy

Page 35 of 38
APPENDIX B
Geography Schema
Products Schema

Page 36 of 38
Customers Schema
Time Schema

Page 37 of 38
Promotions Schema
Fact Tables

Page 38 of 38

Practice Project Tutorial Microstrategy

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INTRODUCTION

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

MicroStrategy Architect 9.0.0 or higher

MicroStrategy Desktop Designer 9.0.0 or higher

Microsoft Access 2000 or higher

Microsoft Access ODBC driver

Access to the MicroStrategy Tutorial data warehouse provided in the

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

Metadata and Data Warehouse

1. On the Microsoft Windows Start menu, point to Programs, followed by

6. Close Microsoft Access.

2. Create the Metadata DSN

3. Create a 2-tier Project Source

11. Click Next.

4. Download the Data Warehouse

1. Click the icon labeled Practice Tutorial WH.

5. Connect to the Data Warehouse

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

except name this DSN Practice_Tutorial_WH_DSN and select the Practice

6. Create a Database Instance

1. On the Windows Start Menu, point to Programs, followed by

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

1. Initialize the Project

1. On the Schema menu, select Create New Project.

2. In the Database Instance window, select Practice Tutorial

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

Units Received UNITS_RECEIVED INVENTORY_ORDERS

How to create facts:

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

1. In the Project Creation Assistant, to the left of the Create attributes,

Customer City LU_Cust_City

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

Month of Year LU_Month_of_Year Month_of_Year

4. To create the compound attribute, Distribution Center, do the following:

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

Name the compound attribute Distribution Center.

Under Compound Attributes, you should now see your

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

9. For the Distribution Center compound attribute, do the following:

Note: Architect makes an educated guess for the children

12. Click Next.

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

5. Create Additional Facts

Discount QTY_SOLD * DISCOUNT ORDER_DETAIL

How to create facts using the Fact Editor:

1. Expand the Practice Tutorial Project.

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

1. Navigate to the Schema Objects\Attributes folder.

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

4. In the Modify Attribute Form window, under Form general information,

CUST_LAST_NAME + ", " + CUST_FIRST_NAME LU_CUSTOMER

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

17. Click Save and Close.

1. On the File menu, point to New and select Attribute.

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

16. Click OK.

1. On the File menu, point to New and select Attribute.

MicroStrategy MCD Practice Project MicroStrategy Tutorial

14. Click Save.

Include all time-related attributes as diagrammed in the logical data

Make all attributes entry points.

Allow drilling on the hierarchy.