Introduction to MicroStrategy Interview Questions and Answers
MicroStrategy is an enterprise level tools, which has multiple usages in the software world or other words, it is an enterprise business intelligence application and data warehousing reporting tool. MicroStrategy platform can conceive multiple aspects like interactive dashboards, thresholds, and alerts, automated report distribution, highly formatted reports etc. Internal and external data can be analyzed thoroughly to make business decisions and helping with the development of mobile applications. Significant benefits with MicroStrategy is that it uses a single common metadata for consistency and streamlined maintenance. It also supports in-memory analytics with the concept called “Intelligent cubes”. Metrics and attributes can be created only once, and then can be utilized across several types of reports. All required changes can be done at a single place, and concerned reports are updated automatically. Same benefits are applicable for security permissions, they are granted in one place, which can help in reducing administration costs.
Now, if you are looking for a job which is related to MicroStrategy then you need to prepare for the 2020 MicroStrategy Interview Questions. It is true that every interview is different as per the different job profiles. Here, we have prepared the important MicroStrategy Interview Questions and Answers which will help you get success in your interview.
In this 2020 MicroStrategy Interview Questions article, we shall present 10 most essential and frequently used MicroStrategy interview questions and Answers. These interview questions are divided into two parts are as follows:
Part 1 – MicroStrategy Interview Questions (Basic)
This first part covers basic MicroStrategy Interview Questions and Answers.
Q1. Define metadata in MicroStrategy?
Answer:
MicroStrategy consist of multiple object definitions, which are stored using a database repository, known as metadata. It could be hosted on most of the databases. Metadata repository also consists of information about data warehouse. All the required information is captured in a format within a relational database. All report making, and data analysis is done by mapping MicroStrategy objects, achieved through metadata. Similarly, the report creation process uses various objects, representing data as report building blocks, which are eventually created and stored in a metadata repository. Sharing of objects across MicroStrategy application is enabled by metadata, by providing a central repository for object definitions.
Q2. Describe various kinds of objects is MicroStrategy?
Answer:
This is the common MicroStrategy Interview Question asked in an interview. Objects can be categorized in 3 flavors:
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- Configuration objects: These objects provide critical information and act as a parameter for crucial project information like administration, user privileges, and connectivity. Some of these objects can be database instances, user group etc. All configuration objects are generated and maintained by managers having administration icon. They are not utilized directly but generated by an administrator to govern the platform.
- Schema objects: All the database objects, like tables, views, columns correspond to Schema object created in an application. Any business intelligence application has three essential aspects like facts, attributes, and hierarchies, all these aspects are stored inside schema objects. All schema objects are created and maintained by MicroStrategy architect.
- Application object: Reports, filters, documents, templates, metrics, prompts, custom groups are included in the Application object. Insight into relevant data and their analysis is achieved using application objects. These objects are created and maintained by MicroStrategy developer, unlike a Schema object. These objects are created using schema objects as building blocks.
Q3. Explain the scope of Business intelligence and why BI tools are essential?
Answer:
Any form of business requires some level of intelligence to face competitors and market challenges. Understanding market and competition can be done by doing a proper data analysis and deriving the useful information out of it. It assists the business with some reliable data related operations. Frequent changing demands of customers can be understood by organizations with a proper and powerful strategy of intelligence. Other business, can collaborate with organizations reliably after attaining some level of intelligence in any business scenario. Any operation that can be adopted in business have a past, present and future view. Business intelligence tools let the organization know about this view. How effectively data can be utilized in performing any business intelligence task like reporting, data visualization, data mining and auditing, can be achieved with BI tools. Thus, production can be enhanced, and financial glitches can be avoided with the help of BI tools.
Let us move to the next MicroStrategy Interview Questions.
Q4. What is the difference between 2 tier, 3 tier and 4 tier architecture in MicroStrategy?
Answer:
In 2 tier architectures, MicroStrategy desktop interacts with data warehouse and metadata in the form of a query, without the usage of any intelligent server. Thus, a normal interaction takes place between desktop and metadata. 3 tier architectures, on the other hand, consist of an intelligent server between desktop and data warehouse or metadata. 4 tier architectures, add an extra component in 3 tier architectures in the form of MicroStrategy Web.
Q5. What is the difference between MicroStrategy and IBM Cognos?
Answer:
Following are the differences:
- MicroStrategy supports multiple languages whereas Cognos provides a dashboard which is customizable.
- MicroStrategy is usable in both forms, web and desktop tools whereas Cognos is a web-based reporting tool mechanism.
- It is based on a single data repository strategy whereas Cognos has two metadata repository and database based.
- Reporting with MicroStrategy is fast whereas Cognos reporting feature slow as compare to MicroStrategy tool.
Part 2 – MicroStrategy Interview Questions (Advanced)
Let us now have a look at the advanced MicroStrategy Interview Questions and Answers.
Q6. Explain the process of creating intelligent cubes in MicroStrategy?
Answer:
Public folder or a specific user folder can be selected for the creation of Intelligent cubes in MicroStrategy. After a report creation process is achieved, one can point the report to a cube and further right click on a folder and then select cube-option to create a new cube. Once cube creation is done, required report objects need to be selected and thus save the cube. Then, a cube is stored and ran to check, anyone creates multiple reports out of the cube now. A developer can also add new attributes and metrics with the cube and same would be available when we run the report any other time.
Q7. What are the methods to implement Intelligent cube technology in MicroStrategy?
Answer:
This is the most popular MicroStrategy Interview Question asked in an interview. Intelligent cubes allow a user to access OLAP service features on reports, share set of data can be shared among multiple reports. Intelligent cubes are multi-dimensional cubes on a BI platform, having two unique methods to implement intelligent cube technology:
- Personal intelligent cubes: It is an intelligent cube functionality, in which user can begin with report creation in a usual manner, and afterward analyze the reports with OLAP service feature like derived metrics, view filters, and dynamic aggregation. All features are processed with an in-memory copy of data, called as a personal intelligent cube. Thus, rather than being processed on data warehouse, processing occurs with an in-memory copy.
- Intelligent cubes: A shared intelligent cube having a set of data, can be shared as a single in-memory copy, among reports generated by different users. Sets of data are being returned from data warehouses and then save them directly into intelligence Server memory. All reports having access to intelligent cubes can utilize OLAP services features for reporting and analysis purpose.
Q8. List out different algorithms being used in MicroStrategy?
Answer:
There are different sets of algorithms which are vastly supported in MicroStrategy, some of them are:
- Regression algorithm
- Tree algorithms
- Clustering algorithms
- Neural network algorithms.
Let us move to the next MicroStrategy Interview Questions.
Q9. What is Prompt and what are its types?
Answer:
All report contents can be modified dynamically through an attribute called as Prompt. There are many types of prompts like:
- Object prompts – Allows the user to select an object having a run-time report.
- Level prompts – One can determine the level of aggregation calculation of metrics.
- Value prompts – Allow a user to type a value, can be used along with metrics.
- Filter definition prompt – Allow a user to decide how the report’s data is filtered, by the list of attribute element.
Q10. What is an implicit attribute in MicroStrategy?
Answer:
An attribute having its expression is called implicit attribute. It does not exist physically in the database but exists virtually. Hence can also be termed as a virtual attribute. It is created at the application level.
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