Automate Your BI Administration to

Save Millions with Command

Manager and System Manager
Presented by: Dennis Liao | Sr. Sales Engineer
Date: 27th January, 2015

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Session 2
This Session is Part of

MicroStrategy World Track 6:

Enterprise BI I

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MicroStrategys Administration Product Suite

MicroStrategy Leads with a Comprehensive Set of Administration Tools

Source Cindi Howson, BI Scorecard Strategic and Product Summary

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MicroStrategys Administration Product Suite

MicroStrategy System Manager

Create Automated Workflows

`

MicroStrategy Command Manager

Create Automated Scripts

MicroStrategy Enterprise Manager

Monitor Performance and Utilization

MicroStrategy Integrity Manager

Automate Regression Testing

MicroStrategy Object Manager

Coordinate Change Management

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Presentation Agenda
MicroStrategy Command Manager
Need for & Introduction
Basics & Product Features
Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager

Introduction
Products Features
Demo

Benefits & Summary

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The Need for Automated Administrative Processes

Manage Daily Operations
Monitor User Activity

Upgrade Metadata

Manage Security

Troubleshoot System Errors

Ensure Data Integrity

Fine-tune BI System

Modify Intelligence Server Settings

Manage Scheduled Requests

Bulk Manipulation of Objects

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THE PROBLEM: Most Tasks Are Repetitive,

Manual and Laborious, and Time Consuming
Typical Time
Spent*
(manual hours)

Server Maintenance

750

Change Migration

1600

Project & Metadata

maintenance

500

Customization Deployments

200

Upgrades, Patches Application

100

3150
80 to 90% of Daily Administrative Tasks Can Be Automated
Saving Time and Effort
*Based on sample use cases

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Agenda
Two Administrative Products for Automating Manual Processes

MicroStrategy
Command Manager

MicroStrategy
System Manager

Create scripts for automated

metadata administration

Design workflows to automate

multi-step, manual processes

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MicroStrategy
Command Manager
MicroStrategy Command Manager is a scripting tool that allows
administrators to automate nearly all administrative and maintenance tasks.
Uses an English like scripting language to convert a manual process into an
automated one
Executes a script automatically at a scheduled time without any human
involvement or on demand

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Presentation Agenda
MicroStrategy Command Manager
Need for & Introduction
Basics & Product Features
Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager

Introduction
Products Features
Demo

Benefits & Summary

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MicroStrategy Command Manager

What is a Command Manager Script?
It is a collection of Command Manager Commands to carry out Intelligence
Server tasks.

Where do I create Command Manager Script?

In the Command Manager Application GUI.

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Scripting Made Easy

Really?! How can scripting ever be easy?!

With Templates (called Outlines)

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Scripting Made Easy

How do I use/apply these outlines?
Simply double click or copy paste the template in the command editor
Modify it to suit your requirements

Check Syntax (as shown below)

Execute or Save Script (to automate execution)

Outline

Command

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Scripting Made Easy

Auto Capitalization
and Auto Color
Coding of Command
Words

Comments are
highlighted in
green

Auto Command
Completion with a
list of options to
choose from

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55 Management Areas 330+ Commands

Management Area

Description

Create users and groups, and manage application access and

privileges associated with each
Change access properties for reports and folders for users, groups,
and roles
Security Management
Set authorization parameters, including management of security
filters
Cluster Management
Add or remove Intelligence Server nodes to a cluster
Change the database instances associated with projects and other
Application Management
configuration parameters
Database Connection Management Load, unload, idle, or register applications for routine maintenance
Event Management
Import project and configuration packages
List all active database connections
Database Connection Management Create, alter, or disconnect specific database connections based on
certain conditions
Create new event-driven schedules and trigger a specific event
Event Management
schedule based on certain criteria
Job Management
Monitor and kill jobs running on Intelligence Server
Object Management
Create, modify, or delete objects through a script
Create and alter users, groups, profiles, and user addresses
Subscription And Report Delivery Assign privileges to users, groups, profiles, and security roles
Management
Assign access control rights to projects, folders, and objects
Apply security roles and filters to users and user groups
User and User Group Management

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Execute Scripts via Command Line

Call
cmdmgr.exe

Provide Log
File Path

Comman
d line help

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Provide
Credentials

Provide
Script Path

Encryption for added security

Save As
Encrypted
Script

Encrypted
Script

Sensitive information such as Intelligence Server connection information can

be in the encrypted file
Encrypted scripts does not require decryption during execution
Execution Command:
cmdmgr connlessmstr f <encrypted script path>

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MicroStrategy Command Manager

Does it support my OS?
Runs on all OS supported by Intelligence Server* i.e. deployable
on Windows, UNIX, and Linux
How can I schedule the scripts I have created?
You can save the script as a Batch/Shell script and use the
Operating Systems Scheduler to schedule it
For Windows, use Windows Task Scheduler
For UNIX/Linux, use Cron

Event Based Scheduling also available

* Small subset of schema related commands are Windows-only

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Features: Integration with Enterprise Manager

Enterprise Manager contains Out of the Box reports that generate
Command Manager Scripts based on certain criteria

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Delete Unused Attributes

Delete / Disable Unused Users / User Groups
Delete Unused Reports
Delete Unused Documents
Delete Unused Filters
Delete Unused Metrics
Delete Unused Schedules
Delete Unused Security Filters
Delete Unused Templates
Delete Unused DB Instances

Advanced Features: Use of Procedures

Commands can be integrated with logic with the help of Procedures
Procedures let you harness the power of Java within Command
Manager such as if-then-else analysis, looping, parameterized
procedures
Contains 50+ Sample Procedures
Delete Caches having low hit counts, larger than certain size etc.
Kill Jobs having low priority by User
List DB Logins that have no dependents

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MicroStrategy Command Manager

Overall Architecture And Workflow Of Command Manager

Scripts developed
using Command
Manager UI

Script
Execution

User Interfaces
(Graphical &
Command Line)

Formatting and
Displaying Results
MicroStrategy
Open API
Command
Execution

Intelligence &
Narrowcast
Server

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Syntax Validation,
Command Parsing,
Java Compiling

Presentation Agenda
MicroStrategy Command Manager
Need for & Introduction
Basics & Product Features
Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager

Introduction
Products Features
Demo

Benefits & Summary

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Benefits & Summary

MicroStrategy Command Manager enables automation of tasks with

no necessary human attention, saving time and money

Apart from automation, Command Manager also helps in Bulk Object

Manipulations/Creation

Integration with 3rd party tools to maintain company standards

Scripts are Cross-Platform and can be executed from the command line
interface.

Encryption ensures that scripts containing sensitive information can be

distributed securely

Procedures extend flexibility of Command Manager by incorporating

logic within the Command Manager commands

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Presentation Agenda
MicroStrategy Command Manager
Need for & Introduction
Basics & Product Features
Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager

Introduction
Products Features
Demo

Benefits & Summary

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MicroStrategy System Manager

MicroStrategy System Manager is a process automating tool that enables BI
teams to convert a sequential, multi-step, multi-product, manually executed
process into an automated workflow.
Available
Processes

Workflow Designer
Download
file using
FTP

MicroStrategy
Processes
Cloud Processes
TRUE

System Processes
File Operations

Success?

Execute
Command
Manager

Send
Email to
notify user

ODBC Operations
Exit

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FALSE

Presentation Agenda
MicroStrategy Command Manager
Need for & Introduction
Basics & Product Features
Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager

Introduction
Products Features
Demo

Benefits & Summary

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MicroStrategy System Manager GUI

Left side displays the different processes, right side has the canvas

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2
7

MicroStrategy System Manager GUI

Simply DRAG and DROP required process on the Canvas

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2
8

MicroStrategy System Manager GUI

Connect the processes using different Connectors

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2
9

MicroStrategy System Manager GUI

Connect the processes using different Connectors

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3
0

MicroStrategy System Manager

Process Properties in the GUI

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MicroStrategy System Manager Process Properties

Each process in the workflow is defined by its properties
Property
Name

FTP Download Process

Property
Value

Passwords
are Hidden

Property Value =
Global
Parameters

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MicroStrategy System Manager Global Parameters

Export
Global
Parameter
Parameters
File

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3
3

MicroStrategy System Manager Global Parameters

Export
Parameter
File

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3
4

MicroStrategy System Manager Global Parameters

Import
Parameter File
C:\Paramaters.smp

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5

MicroStrategy System Manager Global Parameters

Global Parameters are available to every process

$(x) Global
Parameters

Workflow

Call Parameters
in any Process

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MicroStrategy System Manager Global Parameters

Share parameters between workflows by exporting them

Export

Modify
values

Export to file, modify

values and re-use the
Workflow in different BI
Environments

Import &
reuse

Workflow

BI Env 1
BI Env 2
Workflow 1

Export

Export to file and

import in other
Workflows
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Import

Workflow 2

Workflow 3

BI Env 3

MicroStrategy System Manager

Automated Workflows Greatly Reduce IT Personnel Time and Eliminate Manual
Effort
Intelligence Server
Maintenance
1.
2.
3.
4.

Alert BI team members

Re-start Intelligence Server
Monitor the system
Notify BI team members

310

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Daily Report Execution

Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.

Monitor ETL completion

Publish Cubes
Wait for Cubes to publish
Trigger Subscription
Schedules
5. Notify BI teams

540

BI Object
Change Migration
1.
2.
3.
4.

Download Update Packages

Login to Test system
Generate rollback packages
Apply changes to each
project
5. Alert developers to errors
6. Notify BI Test teams

1,175

EXAMPLE BI CHANGE MIGRATION

With System Manager, Each Step Defined in a Single Workflow Runs Automatically

Step 1
Download Update
Package Via
FTP

Step 3
Step 2
Copy files Generate
Into Folders Roll Back
packages

With
FTP
Client

Step 4
Migrate
Changes to
the project

Step 5
Run Integrity
Manager tests

With
MicroStrategy
Integrity
Manager

With
MicroStrategy
Command
Manager

PASS

With
File
copy
operatio
n
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With
MicroStrategy
Object
Manager

FAIL

Step 6
Alert BI Team

Send
Email
to BI
Team

Send Alert
to
administrat
or

MicroStrategy System Manager

BI Change Migration Workflow in System Manager

File
Operations

Programmati
Programmatic
cElements
Elements

Command
Manager Process

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Presentation Agenda
MicroStrategy Command Manager
Need for & Introduction
Basics & Product Features
Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager

Introduction
Products Features
Demo

Benefits & Summary

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MicroStrategy System Manager Demonstration

Build & Execute a System Manager Workflow for BI Change Migration and migrate
a NEW DASHBOARD to PRODUCTION
Send Email
to BI Team

Generate Roll Back

Packages With
MicroStrategy
Command Manager

Download Update
Package With FTP Client

PASS
Migrate Changes With
MicroStrategy
Object
Manager

FAIL

Alert
Admin

Instead of ONE new Dashboard, we will create a Workflow

to update our BI Environment with FOUR NEW
DASHBOARDS at once

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MicroStrategy System Manager - Processes

A wide variety of processes enables creation of complex workflows
MicroStrategy Administrative
Processes

Non - MicroStrategy
Processes

Programmatic
Elements

Launch/Terminate Amazon
Cloud Instances

Decisions to control
true/false process status
Iterative Retrieval

Integrity Manager

Manage VMWare VMs and

VApps

Configuration Wizard

Copy/Delete/Move Files

Command Manager
Object Manager

File Counter

Project Merge

Find/Replace File Content

Define global System

Manager Parameters

Project Duplicate

Unzip files

Update Parameters

Project Mover

Download With FTP

Server Status

Execute Application

Loops to Process Multiple

iterations

Installation

Execute SQL

Connectivity Wizard

Send Email in HTML

Split/Merge Execution

Create Package

Create/Rename Files

Pause

$(x)

Node

Name Nodes and Add

Comments

Combine any of these processes in any desired sequence in one workflow

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Execute Workflows via Command Line

Call
MaSysMgr.exe

Provide Workflow
Path

Provide
Parameter
File Path

Command line
help

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Presentation Agenda
MicroStrategy Command Manager
Need for & Introduction
Basics & Product Features
Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager

Introduction
Products Features
Demo

Benefits & Summary

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Success Story MicroStrategy Cloud

Automation Process Diagram
MicroStrategy Cloud

Create
Environment

Customer Environment
Linux Development
Linux Production 1

Automation
Server

Linux Production 2
Windows Utility
Windows SQL Server Metadata

Notify Users

Cloud
Admin
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Cloud Teams

Success Story MicroStrategy Cloud

Project Statistics
System
Manager
26
Workflows
System
Manager
Processes
Code
Files

195

Code
Lines

9,346

Log
Entries
per Run

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501

15,000+

Benefits to Your Organization

Improved Process
Efficiency & Reliability
Efficiency

Lowered Administrative
Costs

Manual Automate
d

Less people required

Standardized processes

Reduced manual effort

Human-induced errors eliminated

No human oversight
necessary

Training is easy

Better Process Tracking and

Alerting

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Simplified BI
Administration

Just launch a workflow to

perform any routine process!

Workflows run on schedule

De-centralization of
processes

Summary

MicroStrategy System Manager Enables Administrators to Convert

Manual Processes Into Automated Workflows

Workflows can incorporate MicroStrategy & Non-MicroStrategy

processes, in any sequence

Parameterization of workflows enable the same workflow to be used

with different inputs

Workflows run on any OS supported by the MicroStrategy Intelligence

Server & can be run via Command Line

Workflows can be scheduled to run automatically, without any human

involvement or can be triggered manually as well

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QUESTIONS
Dennis Liao
Email: deliao@microstrategy.com

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