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MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server

Getting Started Guide Version 8.1.1

Fourteenth Edition, September 2007, version 8.1.1


To ensure that you are using the documentation that corresponds to the software you are licensed to use, compare this version number with the software version shown in About MicroStrategy... in the Help menu of your software. Document number: 098100811 Copyright 2001-2007 by MicroStrategy Incorporated. All rights reserved. If you have not executed a written or electronic agreement with MicroStrategy or any authorized MicroStrategy distributor, the following terms apply: This software and documentation are the proprietary and confidential information of MicroStrategy Incorporated and may not be provided to any other person. Copyright 2001-2007 by MicroStrategy Incorporated. All rights reserved. THIS SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED AS IS AND WITHOUT EXPRESS OR LIMITED WARRANTY OF ANY KIND BY EITHER MICROSTRATEGY INCORPORATED OR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, GOOD TITLE AND NONINFRINGMENT, QUALITY OR ACCURACY. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (AND NOT MICROSTRATEGY, INC. OR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. In no event will MicroStrategy, Inc. or any other person involved with the creation, production, or distribution of the Software be liable to you on account of any claim for damage, including any lost profits, lost savings, or other special, incidental, consequential, or exemplary damages, including but not limited to any damages assessed against or paid by you to any third party, arising from the use, inability to use, quality, or performance of such Software and Documentation, even if MicroStrategy, Inc. or any such other person or entity has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for the claim by any other party. In addition, MicroStrategy, Inc. or any other person involved in the creation, production, or distribution of the Software shall not be liable for any claim by you or any other party for damages arising from the use, inability to use, quality, or performance of such Software and Documentation, based upon principles of contract warranty, negligence, strict liability for the negligence of indemnity or contribution, the failure of any remedy to achieve its essential purpose, or otherwise. The entire liability of MicroStrategy, Inc. and your exclusive remedy shall not exceed, at the option of MicroStrategy, Inc., either a full refund of the price paid, or replacement of the Software. No oral or written information given out expands the liability of MicroStrategy, Inc. beyond that specified in the above limitation of liability. Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you. The information contained in this manual (the Documentation) and the Software are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by MicroStrategy, Inc. MicroStrategy, Inc. reserves the right to make periodic modifications to the Software or the Documentation without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revision. Copying, duplicating, selling, or otherwise distributing any part of the Software or Documentation without prior written consent of an authorized representative of MicroStrategy, Inc. are prohibited. U.S. Government Restricted Rights. It is acknowledged that the Software and Documentation were developed at private expense, that no part is public domain, and that the Software and Documentation are Commercial Computer Software provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS under Federal Acquisition Regulations and agency supplements to them. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFAR 252.227-7013 et. seq. or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer SoftwareRestricted Rights at FAR 52.227-19, as applicable. Contractor is MicroStrategy, Inc., 1861 International Drive, McLean, Virginia 22102. Rights are reserved under copyright laws of the United States with respect to unpublished portions of the Software. The following are either trademarks or registered trademarks of MicroStrategy Incorporated in the United States and certain other countries:

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MicroStrategy, MicroStrategy 6, MicroStrategy 7, MicroStrategy 7i, MicroStrategy 7i Evaluation Edition, MicroStrategy 7i Olap Services, MicroStrategy 8, MicroStrategy Evaluation Edition, MicroStrategy Administrator, MicroStrategy Agent, MicroStrategy Architect, MicroStrategy BI Developer Kit, MicroStrategy Broadcast Server, MicroStrategy Broadcaster, MicroStrategy Broadcaster Server, MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform, MicroStrategy Consulting, MicroStrategy CRM Applications, MicroStrategy Customer Analyzer, MicroStrategy Desktop, MicroStrategy Desktop Analyst, MicroStrategy Desktop Designer, MicroStrategy eCRM 7, MicroStrategy Education, MicroStrategy eTrainer, MicroStrategy Executive, MicroStrategy Infocenter, MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, MicroStrategy Intelligence Server Universal Edition, MicroStrategy MDX Adapter, MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server, MicroStrategy Objects, MicroStrategy OLAP Provider, MicroStrategy SDK, MicroStrategy Support, MicroStrategy Telecaster, MicroStrategy Transactor, MicroStrategy Web, MicroStrategy Web Business Analyzer, MicroStrategy World, Alarm, Alarm.com, Alert.com, Angel, Angel.com, Application Development and Sophisticated Analysis, Best In Business Intelligence, Centralized Application Management, Changing The Way Government Looks At Information, DSSArchitect, DSS Broadcaster, DSS Broadcaster Server, DSS Office, DSSServer, DSS Subscriber, DSS Telecaster, DSSWeb, eBroadcaster, eCaster, eStrategy, eTelecaster, Information Like Water, Insight Is Everything, Intelligence Through Every Phone, Your Telephone Just Got Smarter, Intelligence To Every Decision Maker, Intelligent E-Business, IWAPU, Personal Intelligence Network, Personalized Intelligence Portal, Query Tone, Quickstrike, Rapid Application Development, Strategy.com, Telepath, Telepath Intelligence, Telepath Intelligence (and Design), MicroStrategy Intelligent Cubes, The E-Business Intelligence Platform, The Foundation For Intelligent EBusiness, The Integrated Business Intelligence Platform Built For The Enterprise, The Intelligence Company, The Platform For Intelligent E-Business, The Power Of Intelligent eBusiness, The Power Of Intelligent E-Business, The Scalable Business Intelligence Platform Built For The Internet, Industrial-Strength Business Intelligence, Office Intelligence, MicroStrategy Office, MicroStrategy Report Services, MicroStrategy Web MMT, MicroStrategy Web Services, Pixel Perfect, MicroStrategy Mobile and MicroStrategy Integrity Manager are all registered trademarks or trademarks of MicroStrategy Incorporated. All other products are trademarks of their respective holders. Specifications subject to change without notice. MicroStrategy is not responsible for errors or omissions. MicroStrategy makes no warranties or commitments concerning the availability of future products or versions that may be planned or under development. Patent Information This product is patented. One or more of the following patents may apply to the product sold herein: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,154,766, 6,173,310, 6,260,050, 6,263,051, 6,269,393, 6,279,033, 6,501,832, 6,567,796, 6,587,547, 6,606,596, 6,658,093, 6,658,432, 6,662,195, 6,671,715, 6,691,100, 6,694,316, 6,697,808, 6,704,723, 6,707,889, 6,741,980, 6,765,997, 6,768,788, 6,772,137, 6,788,768, 6,792,086, 6,798,867, 6,801,910, 6,820,073, 6,829,334, 6,836,537, 6,850,603, 6,859,798, 6,873,693, 6,885,734, 6,888,929, 6,895,084, 6,940,953, 6,964,012, 6,977,992, 6,996,568, 6,996,569, 7,003,512, 7,010,518, 7,016,480, 7,020,251, 7,039,165, 7,082,422, 7,113,993, 7,127,403, 7,174,349, 7,194,457, 7,197,461, 7,228,303, 7,260,577, 7,266,181 and 7,272,212. Other patent applications are pending. Various MicroStrategy products contain the copyrighted technology of third parties. This product may contain one or more of the following copyrighted technologies: Graph Generation Engine Copyright 1998-2007. Three D Graphics, Inc. All rights reserved. Actuate Formula One. Copyright 1993-2007 Actuate Corporation. All rights reserved. XML parser Copyright 2003-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Xalan XSLT processor. Copyright 1999-2007. The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved. Xerces XML parser. Copyright 1999-2007. The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved. FOP XSL formatting objects. Copyright 2004-2007. The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved. Portions of Intelligence Server memory management Copyright 1991-2006 Compuware Corporation. All rights reserved. International Components for Unicode Copyright 1999-2007 Compaq Computer Corporation Copyright 1999-2007 Hewlett-Packard Company Copyright 1999-2007 IBM Corporation Copyright 1999-2007 Hummingbird Communications Ltd. Copyright 1999-2007 Silicon Graphics, Inc. Copyright 1999-2007 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Copyright 1999-2007 The Open Group All rights reserved. Real Player and RealJukebox are included under license from Real Networks, Inc. Copyright 1999-2007. All rights reserved.

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Contents
Getting Started with MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server xi
What is MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server? xi Benefits xi Features xii Whats new in this version xiii Users and tasks xiv Getting started xiv System administration xv Application design xv Application administration xv Subscription administration xv System development xvi Using the documentation xvi Information structure xvi Presentation guidelines xvii User assistance xvii Online help xvii Online documentation xviii Technical support xviii Feedback xxii

Section I

Concepts 1
Chapter 1 Narrowcast Server System 3
System overview 3 Flexibility 3 Ease of administration 3 Scalability 4 International support 4 Enterprise edition advantages 5 Narrowcast Server components 5 Narrowcast Administrator 5 Delivery Engine 6 Subscription Portal 7 SequeLink 7 MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery 7 Install and configure the tutorial system 8 Tutorial project requirements and prerequisites 8 MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery setup tasks 10 Install Narrowcast Server 11 Configure the Tutorial system 13

MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery pages 14 Home 14 View Sample Messages 15 Deliver Reports via MicroStrategy Web 15 Create Your Own Delivery Service 15 Subscribe Users 15 Next Steps 16 Congratulations 16

Chapter 2

Narrowcast Server Services 17

Service overview 17 Create a sample service 18 Run your first service 22

Chapter 3

Narrowcast Server Subscription Portal 25

Subscription Portal overview 25 Visit the Subscription Portal 27

Chapter 4

MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery 29

Business Activity Monitoring 31 Service 1a Sales Executive Quarterly Sales Analysis 31 Service 1b Regional Marketing Manager Sales Trend Update 35 Service 1c Regional Sales Manager Call Center Performance Update 37 Service 1d Call Center Manager Employee Performance Alert 40 Service 1e Sales Director Sales Performance Analysis 43 Supply Chain Management 44 Service 2a Supplier Seasonal Sales Alert 44 Service 2b Supplier Low Inventory Alert 46 Customer Relationship Management 48 Service 3a Customer Significant Buyer Retention 48 Service 3b Customer Repeat Buyer Incentive 51

Chapter 5

Service Execution Flow 53

Condition evaluation and recipient determination 53 Schedules 53 Subscriptions 54 Personalization 54 Devices 55 Locales 55 Information source personalization 56 Information acquisition 58 Information sources, information source modules, and information objects 61 MicroStrategy reports 62 Report Services documents 62 HTML documents 63

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Contents

User information 63 System information 64 Subscription information 64 Content formatting 64 Documents 65 Document formatters 65 Message transmission 66 Information transmitters 66 Next steps 67 System setup tasks 68 Application development tasks 70 System administration tasks 72

Section II

Interfaces 75
Chapter 6 Narrowcast Administrator 77
Narrowcast Administrator layout 78 The menu bar 79 The toolbars 84 Narrowcast Server: Home page 86 Object browser display area 87 Selecting, opening, and saving objects 90

Chapter 7

Tutorial Configuration Dialog Set 93

Welcome dialog box 94 Select an Available MicroStrategy Intelligence Server dialog box 94 Summary dialog box 94

Chapter 8 Chapter 9

Delete Objects Dialog Box 95 Find Dialog Box 97

Delete Objects dialog box layout 95

Find dialog box layout 97 Name and Location tab 98 Date tab 99 Type tab 100 Dependencies tab 100 Display Options tab 101 Object parent dependencies 101 Object child dependencies 102

Chapter 10 Names and Descriptions Dialog Box 105


Names and Descriptions dialog box layout 105

Contents

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Chapter 11 Properties Dialog Box 107


Properties dialog box layout 107

Chapter 12 Preferences Dialog Box 109


Preferences dialog box layout 109

Section III

How Do I...? 111

Chapter 13 Narrowcast Administrator Procedures 113


Begin 113 Change the appearance of the Narrowcast Administrator display 113 Change the name and description of an object 114 Change the status of an object 114 Check the impact of modifying an object 115 Create a service 115 Create a subscriber 115 Create a subscription 116 Delete an object with all its dependents 116 Execute (run) a service 117 Find an object based on its creation or modification dates 117 Find an object based on its name and location 118 Find an object that is used by another object 118 Find an object that uses another object 119 Find a particular type of object 119 Launch Subscription Portal 120 Refresh the Narrowcast Administrator console 120 Set preferences 120 Set the display locale 121 Set the service queue parameters 121 Start the Narrowcast Server system 122 Stop the Narrowcast Server system 122 View object properties 122 View scheduled services 123

Section IV

Appendixes 125

Appendix A User and Task Documentation 127


Reference by user 127 Reference by tool 128 Reference by editor 128 Reference by wizard 129 Reference by dialog box 130

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Contents

Section V

Glossary 135
MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Glossary of Terms 137

Section VI

Index 177

Contents

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

Getting Started with MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server


This Getting Started Guide is designed to help you to begin using MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server quickly and easily. It introduces the product and explains the important concepts that you need to understand to use the product. Along the way, it provides steps for working with the out-of-the-box MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery project to help you learn as you become familiar with the features and interfaces. The MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery project contains useful examples that demonstrate many of the powerful features of MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server.

What is MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server?


Narrowcast Server proactively delivers personalized business insight to email, pagers, and cell phones, extending the reach of business intelligence applications within the enterprise and beyond. An intuitive subscription interface enables users to specify preferences and demand notification based on personalized business rules ensuring that the received information is relevant and anticipated.

Benefits
Intelligent alerting: Intelligent alerting combines the analytical capabilities of MicroStrategy with the delivery capabilities of Narrowcast Server to ensure the timely delivery of critical insight. Alerts can be triggered by complex analytics against relational data sources or any external system thus allowing business rules to be checked and the appropriate users notified through the device of their choice. Open architecture: Narrowcast Servers modular architecture enables easy integration with existing corporate information sources as well as current and emerging communication devices. Aggregated information from any source can be personalized and formatted into a single message to be transmitted seamlessly to each users preferred device.

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High performance and scalability: Narrowcast Server offers a complete information delivery platform with demonstrated scalability and high performance. Narrowcast Servers unparalleled scalability ensures that relevant business insight can be delivered to all constituents including employees, partners, and customers. Clustering and failover provide world-class system availability to support mission critical applications.

Features
Subscription Portal: A Web-based subscription portal enables users to easily define and manage the content and context of the desired insight. The intuitive interface guides users through the process of specifying the personalization, frequency, and delivery mechanism for each information service. Web-based self subscription enables deployment to large global communities with minimal administration and enhanced ease of use. Profile management: Once user preferences are gathered via the Subscription Portal, they are stored in a subscription database and integrated with existing user profiles and security parameters. The subscription database synchronizes with existing security and profile management systems such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Windows NT. Profile management enables Narrowcast Server administrators to maintain a comprehensive view of each end user. Content management: Narrowcast Server leverages content from the scalable MicroStrategy Intelligence Server as well as from any backend system. In addition, open and extensible information source modules leverage sources such as the MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, databases, websites, file servers, Extensible Markup Language (XML) data sources, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and online transaction processing (OLTP) systems. The modular architecture of Narrowcast Server enables the quick creation of customized information source modules. Profile-based personalization: Comprehensive personalization capabilities ensure the delivery of appropriate content from any source. Narrowcast Server enables deep, data-driven personalization that is determined by user preferences, security profiles, and advanced analytics. User preferences determine content and threshold conditions; security profiles ensure appropriate access to content sources; and analytics derive the appropriate insight from terabytes of data.

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Formatting and transmission: Narrowcast Server administrators can create content once and then deploy information services across every communication device. Sophisticated message management ensures that the information is presented in the appropriate format. The XMLbased architecture and device specifications ensure the appropriate formatting for any wireless device, HTML-based interface, or text-tospeech voice system. The result is that information is integrated into daily business tasks because it is delivered through an easy-to-use interface via any communications vehicle.

Whats new in this version


Information delivery with use cases including end-user deliveries from MicroStrategy Web and administratively-driven deliveries defined in Narrowcast Administrator (services) that are well integrated with Report Services in Desktop. This includes content from all Desktop documents, including Report Services documents. MicroStrategy Web Send Now and Scheduled Delivery to e-mail, file, and print of the content of Report Services documents as well as other Desktop documents. File Information Transmission Module (ITM) that can save files to networked computers and remote servers using the Windows file system. This includes the content of documents created using the Document Wizard in Desktop and other Desktop documents, as well as files that are part of Narrowcast Server services. Print Information Transmission Module (ITM) that can print multiple files to personalized network locations. This enables administrators and users to define, select, and schedule batch printing requests from Narrowcast Administrator, Subscription Portal, and MicroStrategy Web. This includes the content of documents created using the Document Wizard in Desktop and other Desktop documents, as well as documents that are part of Narrowcast Server services. System Information Source Module (ISM) that can provide information related to the specifics of service execution as part of a document's content, an attachments file name, or virtually any other place where the contents of an information object can be applied. This includes information such as the service name, service ID, and execution time or date.

Whats new in this version

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Users and tasks


This Getting Started Guide is recommended for all users of Narrowcast Administrator, which includes the development and administration console for MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server. The following task groups have been identified for these users: Getting started System administration Application design Application administration Subscription administration System development For more information, see appendix A, User and Task Documentation, which includes a set of tables to determine where to look for information as you use MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server. It is envisioned that the various roles work together to create a service. The system administrator needs to work with the application designer to plan the necessary information source modules and information sources, and then communicate the names and locations of these. The subscription administrator receives input from the application designer on the subscription sets, or on who should receive the service. All of the Narrowcast Administrator users must also communicate with a project designer, who supplies the reports or other sources needed for dynamic content and dynamic subscription sets. In the case of a MicroStrategy project, this would typically be the report designer. The following sections explain the actions performed in each of these task groups.

Getting started
Install MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server. Configure an introductory system with the tutorial. Explore the features and capabilities of the product. Learn how to create services, subscribers and subscriptions. This guide should be used as the primary resource for this task group.

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Getting Started with MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server

System administration
Plan the system architecture. Prepare server machines for product installation. Install and configure MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server. Manage access to the system and account privileges for other users, and assist those users in configuring their machines and connecting to the system. Migrate objects between systems. Monitor, analyze, and tune the system to ensure smooth and balanced operation. Perform troubleshooting and error recovery. For more information on these tasks, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Installation and Configuration Guide and the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide.

Application design
Develop and test services. Configure and manage the Subscription Portal sites that allow end users to subscribe to these services via the Web. Publish folders, services, and device types on each site. Control service and Subscription Portal default settings. Migrate objects between systems to split, merge, archive, and restore them. For more information on these tasks, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Application administration
Edit objects to make corrections or enhance behavior. Perform configuration management and object migration from development to test to production. For more information on these tasks, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Subscription administration
Manage the Subscription Book, including end users, their addresses, and their subscriptions and preferences. Make corrections to end user information such as personalization, addresses, subscriptions, and security. For more information on these tasks, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Users and tasks

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System development
Use the Software Developer's Kit (SDK) to develop a custom application based on MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server technology integrate the Subscription Portal interface with an existing Web application or product embed MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server into another product develop and market plug-in components for information gathering and transmission For more information on these tasks, see the online MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server SDK Guide.

Using the documentation


Information structure
MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server manuals are structured to lead you from concepts to interface description to task execution, and consist of a Concepts section that describes product functionality and purpose an Interface section that describes the content, format, and use of the product interface and installation wizards and editors a How do I...? section that guides you through the steps necessary to complete a given task

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Presentation guidelines
MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server manuals and online help follow presentation conventions and cues to help you locate, identify, and understand important concepts and procedures. The following table lists these conventions.
Type
bold

Indicates
button name commands, check boxes, dialog boxes, options, lists, and menus terms defined within the text registry keys text to be entered by the user variable information to be replaced by the user calculations code samples keyboard command key (such as ENTER) shortcut key (such as CTRL+V) a keyboard command that calls for the use of more than one key (for example, SHIFT+F1)

italic Courier font

UPPERCASE

User assistance
This section describes the types of assistance available to answer questions regarding MicroStrategy products.

Online help
MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server provides several modes of access to online help. From the Help menu, by selecting

How Do I? to see procedural help organized by object Contents and Index to see a list of available manuals and online help

By pressing F1 to see interface-level help

User assistance

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Online documentation
Online documentation includes all Narrowcast Server manuals. To access an online document, perform the following steps:
1. 2.

From the Start menu, choose Programs, MicroStrategy, then Product Manuals. A list of available information units is displayed. Select a manual.

Note: If bookmarks are not visible on the left side of the page, select Bookmarks and Page from the View menu, then select the topic and section you want to see. You can scroll from the title page of the manual to its table of contents, and then select the topic you want to see.

Technical support
If you have questions about a specific MicroStrategy product, you should:
1. 2.

Consult the product guide, online help, readme file, and release notes

Consult the online knowledge base at http://www.microstrategy.com/support/k_base/index.asp Note: A technical administrator in your organization can probably help you resolve some of your issues immediately.

3.

If the resources listed in steps 1 and 2 do not provide you with a solution, contact MicroStrategy Technical Support directly. To ensure the most effective and productive relationship with MicroStrategy Technical Support, review the Policies and Procedures document posted at http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Policies. Please refer to the terms of your purchase agreement to determine the type of support available to you. The table on the following page shows where, when, and how to contact MicroStrategy Technical Support. If you are unable to reach MicroStrategy Technical Support by phone during the hours of operation, you have the option to leave a voicemail message or send electronic mail.

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North America

E-mail: support@microstrategy.com Web: https://support.microstrategy.com Fax: (703) 8488710 Phone: (703) 8488700 Message: (703) 848-8709 Hours: 9:00 A.M.7:00 P.M. Eastern Time (14000000 GMT), MondayFriday except holidays

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)

E-mail: eurosupp@microstrategy.com Web: https://support.microstrategy.com Fax: +44 (0) 208 396 0001 The European Technical Support Centre is closed on certain public holidays. These holidays reflect the national public holidays in each country. Phone: United Kingdom: +44 (0) 208 396 0085 Benelux: +31 20 346 9210 Finland: +35 8 9 6937 9620 France: +33 1 41 91 86 49 Germany: +49 69 95096206 Ireland: +35 3 1242 1522 Italy: +39 02696 33 456 Spain: +34 91 406 9010 International distributors: +44 (0) 208 396 0080

Hours: United Kingdom: 9:00 A.M.6:00 P.M. GMT, MondayFriday except holidays Mainland Europe: 9:00 A.M.6:00 P.M. CET, MondayFriday except holidays Asia Pacific E-mail: apsupport@microstrategy.com Web: https://support.microstrategy.com Fax: +81 3 5456 5464 Phone: APAC (except Korea): +81 3 5456 5618 Korea: +82 2 565 2525 Hours: 8:00 A.M.5:00 P.M. (Tokyo), Monday-Fraday except holidays Latin America E-mail: latamsupport@microstrategy.com Web: https://support.microstrategy.com Fax: +55 11 3044 4088 Phone: LATAM (except Argentine): + 55 11 3045 1010 Argentina: 0 800 444 MSTR Hours: 9:00 A.M.6:00 P.M. (San Paulo), MondayFriday except holidays

User assistance

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Technical Support may be obtained by a Customers Support Liaisons. A Support Liaison is defined as a person whom the customer has designated as a point-of-contact with MicroStrategys support personnel. All customer inquiries and case communications must come through these named individuals. The customer may designate two employees to serve as their Support Liaisons. Customers may change their Support Liaisons two times per year, if necessary, as long as they provide a written notice of such change to MicroStrategy Technical Support. During the course of troubleshooting and researching issues, MicroStrategy Technical Support personnel may make recommendations that require administrative privileges on the MicroStrategy projects or assume that the designated liaison has a security level that permits them to fully manipulate the MicroStrategy projects and has access to potentially sensitive project data such as security filter definitions. Although not a requirement, we recommend that customers designate only those Support Liaisons who have permissions to be MicroStrategy project administrators. This will eliminate security conflicts and improve case resolution time. When contacting MicroStrategy Technical Support, please provide the following information: name (first and last) company customer site (if different from company) phone and fax numbers e-mail address MicroStrategy software product(s) being used, including version number(s) error message(s) brief description of the case priority of the case steps taken to troubleshoot the case thus far If the Support Liaison is unable t oreach Micro Strategy Techncial Support, the Support Liaison can leave a voice mail message or contatc Technical Support via e-mail. The Support Liaison should include the following information in his/her mesage: name company brief description of the case

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Getting Started with MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server

preferred contact method and contact information If this is your first call, you should also be prepared to provide the following: street address phone number fax number e-mail address To help your Technical Support representative work with you to resolve the problem promptly and effectively, be prepared to provide the following additional information: Issue number: please keep a record of the number assigned to each problem logged with MicroStrategy Technical Support, and be ready to provide it when inquiring about an existing issue Software version and product registration numbers of the MicroStrategy software products you are using Problem description:

What causes the condition to occur? Does the condition occur sporadically or each time a certain action is performed? Does the condition occur on all machines or just on one? When did the condition first occur? What events took place immediately prior to the first occurrence of the condition (for example, a major database load, a database move, a software upgrade)? If there was an error message, what was the exact wording? What steps have you taken to isolate or resolve the issue? What were the results?

System configuration (the information needed for this purpose depends on the nature of the problem; not all items listed may be necessary):

computer hardware specifications (processor speed, RAM, disk space, and so on) network protocol used ODBC driver manufacturer and version database gateway software version

User assistance

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(for MicroStrategy Web-related problems) browser manufacturer and version (for MicroStrategy Web-related problems) Web server manufacturer and version

If the issue requires additional investigation or testing, you and the MicroStrategy Technical Support representative should agree on certain action items to be performed. You should perform any agreed-upon actions before contacting Technical Support again regarding the issue. If the Technical Support representative is responsible for an action item, you may call Technical Support at any time to inquire about the status of the issue.

Feedback
Send suggestions for product enhancements to: support@microstrategy.com When providing feedback to us, please include the name and version of the products you are currently using. Your feedback is important to us as we prepare for future releases.

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Getting Started with MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server

SECTION I

Concepts

C O N C E P T S

C O N C E P T S

Section I

Concepts

C H A PT E R

Narrowcast Server System

C O N C E P T S

System overview
A MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server system is composed of several different components that work together to provide the functionality and performance of Narrowcast Server. Each component serves a distinct purpose, but interacts with the others to ensure high availability, easy maintenance, and efficient processing. Narrowcast Server offers a flexible, easy to administer, and scalable platform for proactive information flow. Platform benefits, key features, and international support are described in terms of flexibility, administration, and scalability.

Flexibility
The MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server architecture is modular, enabling integration with custom data sources, formatting methods, transmission technologies, and subscription book systems. Self-subscription portals can integrate with any Internet, intranet, or extranet site. In addition, a software development kit provides access to all aspects of service development and execution to provide full flexibility.

Ease of administration
MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server offers several features that ensure ease of administration. The product integrates with Microsoft Windows security for authenticating Narrowcast Administrator and Narrowcast Server API users, and for controlling access to the system. Role-based security is available for administrators to control the privileges awarded to each Narrowcast Administrator user. System administration and monitoring from a remote console are provided along with easy cluster administration with single-step machine additions and removals. Component-level and system-level redundancy ensure highly available Narrowcast Server applications. In addition, centralized logging facilitates remote troubleshooting, and comprehensive debugging, testing, and monitoring capabilities are available.

C O N C E P T S

Scalability
MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server incorporates native clustering capabilities and automatic workload distribution to ensure robust, scalable applications. The automatic breakdown of service subscription sets into segments provides consistent, manageable resource consumption and workload distribution. Executing services and subscription set segments are maintained in execution queues, affording maximum efficiency and scalability while protecting against the possibility of system overload.

International support
MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server incorporates several features that enable a single installation and system to support and serve a multinational user community. Rather than maintaining one system for each language or country that you need to support, you can use a single system to generate content in several languages and for distribution to several countries.
Localized object names

In Narrowcast Administrator, each object can be named and described differently across different locales. This enables an object such as a device to have a name that is easy for an end user to read in a multilanguage user community. Furthermore, Narrowcast Administrator can be configured to show the names and descriptions for a certain locale by default, so that application designers can also work more effectively.
Local time zones

Narrowcast Server further supports multinational user communities through its support of time zones and locales. Time zone differences such as daylight savings changes are supported for the scheduling and delivery window functionality. For example, when daylight savings times are in effect in a particular time zone, Narrowcast Server adjusts the time that services scheduled based on that time zone should be delivered so that end users receive the services when expected. Time zone awareness is also applied to the user-specified delivery window so that messages are not delivered during blocked delivery windows.
Languages, character sets and value formatting

Narrowcast Server also supports the generation and delivery of content to multinational user communities through the use of locales. A locale can specify character sets and number, date, and time formats, as well as the selection of which available content is delivered and what language a user
4 Chapter 1 Narrowcast Server System

observes on the Subscription Portal. An example is a service that includes content available in both French and Korean. Subscribers locales ensure that a Paris resident receives French content using the Western character set, while a resident of Seoul receives Korean characters and content. This locale concept is also available through the Subscription Portal, allowing the user to define his or her language preference and therefore have access to a fully-translated portal in the selected language. A default locale selection for first time users is specified in Narrowcast Administrator.

C O N C E P T S

Enterprise edition advantages


MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server is available in both standard (nonclusterable) and enterprise (clusterable) editions. If you purchased the enterprise edition, you can configure a system that uses several machines, increasing the robustness and scalability of your system. If you purchased the standard edition, you cannot use more than one machine in your system. The enterprise edition provides you with these additional benefits: You can use several machines for service execution and subscription, thereby improving performance. You can use redundant machines, providing automatic failure recovery in the event of a hardware failure. This ensures that services continue to execute and the Subscription Portal continues to operate uninterrupted. You can use more than one machine as an execution engine, enabling automatic service execution recording and recovery in the event of a hardware or software failure on an execution engine machine. This ensures that service executions recover and continue to execute without sending duplicate messages to any recipients.

Narrowcast Server components


Narrowcast Administrator
Easy-to-use system configuration and service creation wizards help you to get started right away with Narrowcast Server. Narrowcast Administrator provides an interactive, graphical environment for configuring servers, developing services, maintaining applications, and administering users. Application designers benefit from WYSIWYG text and HTML editors. The modular architecture of Narrowcast Server allows custom modules to be integrated directly into the Narrowcast Administrator user interface.

Narrowcast Server components

C O N C E P T S

Delivery Engine
The Delivery Engine comprises several different subsystems, or components, that work together to define and store object definitions, run services, and track service execution. These components include the distribution manager (DM), which manages and directs service execution by distributing service workload to available execution engines the execution engine (EE), which performs the work of gathering service content, formatting it, and delivering it to devices the MicroStrategy Logging Server, which provides an event and statistics routing infrastructure the Object Repository, which stores the objects used to define a Narrowcast Server system and the services in it the Subscription Book Repository, which stores all subscription data, including end users, addresses, personalization, and subscription sets In addition to these components, several modular components contribute to processing information for service execution. These components enable integration with other systems such as MicroStrategy Intelligence Server or SMTP-compliant e-mail servers. They are information sources, which can retrieve personalized information from local or remote systems such as a MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. The default configuration of Narrowcast Server supports retrieving MicroStrategy reports in both grid and graph modes. document formatters, which transform raw data provided by the information sources into formatted messages. The default configuration for Narrowcast Server supports text, HTML and Excel output formats. information transmitters, which connect to local or remote systems such as Internet e-mail (SMTP) servers, shared network locations, shared network printers, Short Message Service (SMS) Centers, and Wireless Application Servers to deliver formatted content to end users. Sophisticated message management ensures that the information is presented to end users in an intuitive format. The flexible XML backbone of Narrowcast Server enables message formatting for any wireless device or HTML-based interface. XML enables service content to be transformed into the appropriate markup language, with the best possible style and rendering tags for each device. Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) stylesheets transform dynamic content into the correct format, and enable complex, custom-defined layout rules and arrangements to be created and

Chapter 1 Narrowcast Server System

used. Conformance to simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), E-SMTP, multipart multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME), and UUEncode standards ensures support for a wide array of e-mail clients.

C O N C E P T S

Subscription Portal
Each Subscription Portal offers users the ability to subscribe to and view services and service descriptions. Users can also modify subscriptions and create and modify the addresses to which content should be delivered. Users can define preferences to ensure that the information they receive is relevant. Via the Subscription Portal, users can manage their site preferences specifying the appropriate default languages, time zones, and currency settings. Access to information sources is controlled at the Subscription Portal where users are prompted to authenticate themselves for appropriate information access. The Subscription Portal is built on Active Server Page (ASP) technology and depends on Microsoft Internet Information Server.

SequeLink
SequeLink is a complete solution for configuring and managing data access across any number of data stores, operating systems and deployment options. SequeLink provides a universal client for ODBC and JDBC, and provides a centralized console for configuring and managing data access from a single point of control. SequeLink creates two NT services: SLAgent 54, which is the Administrator, and SLSocket54, which is the Server.

MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery


The MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery project includes a preconfigured tutorial system, a set of instructions, and a set of sample services that illustrate a wide variety of features. These features make it easy for firsttime users to successfully configure a system and begin using the product. New users are encouraged to install the tutorial and use the sample services.

Narrowcast Server components

C O N C E P T S

Install and configure the tutorial system


To quickly start using Narrowcast Server, this section helps you to install and configure Narrowcast Server and the MicroStrategy Tutorial Delivery project. Before you begin, ensure that you fulfill all prerequisites and complete the required tasks.

Tutorial project requirements and prerequisites


Microsoft Windows computer

Windows NT or 2000 installed: Narrowcast Server uses a Windows services-based architecture. For this reason, you need to use a computer with either Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000 installed. For specific requirements regarding service packs, bug fixes, and related components, refer to Installation Prerequisites in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Installation and Configuration Guide. Registered with a domain: Windows NT and Windows 2000 support a variety of network configurations. The most powerful configuration is a domain. To interact with your Narrowcast Server system from a remote computer or leverage Windows security, ensure that your Narrowcast Server computer is registered with the appropriate domain. Refer to Microsoft Windows online help or contact your network administrator if you need more information regarding Windows domains. IIS installed: Because the Subscription Portal relies on the Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) service, ensure that this is installed on the chosen computer. This service can be installed with the Option Pack for Microsoft Windows NT, and is installed by default with Microsoft Windows 2000.
Note: Narrowcast Server is licensed based on CPU number and clock speed. Thus, Narrowcast Server can only be installed on machines with a clock speed that is less than or equal to the licensed clock speed. If you try to install the product on a machine that is faster than your license allows, installation fails. For example, if you are licensed only for 750 MHz clock speeds, you cannot install the software on a 1 GHz machine.

Chapter 1 Narrowcast Server System

Microsoft Windows account

Windows domain security restricts access for both equipment (computers) and users (accounts). This can prevent you from interacting remotely with your Narrowcast Server system. For example, if the Narrowcast Server computer is part of domain A and your Windows account is part of domain B, you might not be able to connect to the Narrowcast Server computer from a remote machine. Therefore, you need to ensure that you have a valid Windows account in the same domain as the one in which you have registered your Narrowcast Server computer. Your Windows account is used to control some of the more powerful features of the Windows operating system. It starts up and shuts down services, installs new software, and in general acts in an administrative capacity. For this reason, your Windows account must also be a valid administrator (that is, part of the Administrators group) on that machine. Additionally, both Narrowcast Administrator and the Narrowcast Server API determine who you are when you connect to the system by identifying your Windows account. If a system has not been set up to allow access to your Windows account, you cannot connect to the system. When you create a new system, the Windows account you log in with is given full access privileges automatically.
Relational database

C O N C E P T S

Narrowcast Server stores all configuration and application objects in a relational database called the Object Repository. The MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery includes a Microsoft Access database. The amount of space you need for the tutorial varies from one platform to another, but is typically in the range of 5 to 10 megabytes. For a list of additional certified and supported relational database platforms, refer to Installation Prerequisites in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Installation and Configuration Guide.
E-mail account

Narrowcast Server is in some respects an e-mail server. However, unlike a typical e-mail server such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Narrowcast Server does not have any message storage capabilities. It is designed to transmit, not to receive. To view the messages that Narrowcast Server generates you need to provide a valid Internet e-mail address.

Install and configure the tutorial system

C O N C E P T S

Note: If you do not have such an account available, you can provide a nonworking e-mail account and choose to save messages to disk instead of transmitting them. Refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide topic on configuring the e-mail transmitter for more information.

MicroStrategy Intelligence Server and MicroStrategy Tutorial - Reporting

Narrowcast Server can operate without MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. However, the services in the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery depend on the reports that are installed with the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Reporting. Therefore, the Narrowcast Server Tutorial requires a MicroStrategy Tutorial Project running on MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, either on the local machine or on a networked machine in a trusted domain. Intelligence Server must be running when Narrowcast Administrator is opened the first time for Narrowcast Server to locate this Intelligence Server. That server must also have the MicroStrategy Tutorial project loaded. If you are installing the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery on the same machine as Intelligence Server, the configuration process automatically finds the MicroStrategy Tutorial project. If Intelligence Server is running on a different machine, you are asked to specify the name of the machine during the configuration process.

MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery setup tasks


1. 2.

Install Narrowcast Server, including all of its components. (See the following section, Install Narrowcast Server.) Create and configure the tutorial system (see Configure the Tutorial system later in this chapter):

Provide e-mail addresses for the sender and sample recipients. Decide whether to save messages to a file or deliver them via e-mail. Provide a location in which to save messages, if desired. If prompted, provide the appropriate Intelligence Server machine name, login, and, if appropriate, password. This prompt appears if a running MicroStrategy Intelligence Server with the MicroStrategy Tutorial project is not found on the local machine.

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Install Narrowcast Server


1.

Insert the MicroStrategy disk 1 into the CD-ROM drive of the computer on which you want to install the product. The MicroStrategy 8 Main Menu page appears.

C O N C E P T S

Tip: If the MicroStrategy 8 Main Menu page does not appear, locate and

run Setup.exe from disk 1.


2. 3. 4.

Choose Install Software. The MicroStrategy 8 Software page appears. Click Install MicroStrategy 8 Platform.

If this is the first time you are running this install, you are prompted to choose the language for the wizard. Select the appropriate language from the drop-down list and click OK. The Setup Wizard opens and walks you through the rest of the installation process.

5.

Note: At any time during the setup, click Cancel to quit the installation. 6.

Respond to the prompts. You must accept the license agreement and type your name, your company name, and your product serial number to install Narrowcast Server. For a complete guide to the installation process, refer to Installation Procedures in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Installation and Configuration Guide. When installing Narrowcast Server, you are asked to enter an account that will be used to run certain Narrowcast Server services. When choosing the account, ensure that the account you enter meets the following requirements:

7.

Has a password that will not expire. It is a good idea to not use your own network account for which the password might expire, causing your system to stop working. Your network should be able to provide a special account for this purpose.

Install and configure the tutorial system

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C O N C E P T S

Has the Windows privilege Access this computer from network. This privilege should be assigned to the Administrators group by default. However, if it has been removed, you must add this Windows privilege. Has the format Domain\User.

Setup Type

After you have entered your customer information, you are prompted for the setup type to use. Choose Typical to use the standard file folder configuration.
Choose Destination Location

If your machine is configured with the C: drive as a hard disk partition, by default the setup utility installs program files onto this drive. If this is acceptable, click Next.
Select Components

By default, all components are selected when you run the MicroStrategy Setup Wizard for the first time. To install Narrowcast Server and its components, including the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery project, ensure that the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server check box is selected. Clear the check boxes next to the products you do not want to install. Click Next to accept this configuration. When you click Next on the Select Components page, if you are installing Narrowcast Server on a machine where MicroStrategy Web is installed or where Narrowcast Server has previously been installed, a prompt appears asking whether you want to preserve your existing MicroStrategy Web and/or Narrowcast Server configuration settings.
Important: Answering this question correctly is important. If you choose

an answer that is inappropriate for your situation, your system might not work properly.

This prompt appears whenever MicroStrategy Web and/or Narrowcast Server configuration settings are found on this machine. If you have already configured Subscription Portal or Web delivery on this machine and want to preserve the existing configuration, click Yes. If you are

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Chapter 1 Narrowcast Server System

installing for the first time or are installing on a machine where previous product installations have been uninstalled, click No to create a new configuration.
MicroStrategy Subscription Portal setting

C O N C E P T S

The Subscription Portal requires a virtual directory, which is a collection of Web pages grouped by Microsoft Internet Information Server, to operate. You can accept the default or use a different virtual directory name. The virtual directory is part of the URL that subscribers will use to connect to your Subscription Portal, so you should keep the name short.
Note: The virtual directory name must be unique.

MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server setting

The Tutorial project requirements and prerequisites section explains the need for a Microsoft Windows account with Administrator access permissions and privileges. Enter the Windows account to use for Narrowcast Server Service programs. Use your login account. The login should have the format Domain\User. The Narrowcast Server system is installed. If you need to reboot the computer at the end of the installation process, do so now.

Configure the Tutorial system


Now that you have installed Narrowcast Server, you are ready to configure the system. The MicroStrategy Welcome screen appears and the option to use Narrowcast Server for report delivery is available. Select it to start Narrowcast Administrator.

If you rebooted your machine, the Welcome screen appears automatically. If the Welcome screen or the Narrowcast option does not appear, go to the Start menu, choose Programs, then MicroStrategy, Narrowcast Server, and Narrowcast Administrator. If the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery project is already installed (this is the default for the Evaluation Edition), Narrowcast Administrator opens the Welcome dialog box.

Install and configure the tutorial system

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C O N C E P T S

If the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery is not installed, the first time that Narrowcast Administrator is used on a machine, Narrowcast Server detects that no systems are connected and launches the System Configuration Wizard. See Narrowcast Server Configuration in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Installation and Configuration Guide for information on using this wizard. If you have installed both MicroStrategy Intelligence Server and Narrowcast Server on one machine, you only need to provide an email address or file location in the Welcome dialog box. If MicroStrategy Intelligence Server is not installed on the local machine, you are prompted for additional information on the Select MicroStrategy Intelligence Server dialog box.

Finally, the Summary dialog box indicates any errors that have occurred, or indicates that you are done and ready to start using the tutorial system. If any errors are present, click the links provided to learn how to resolve each problem. Click OK to close this dialog box. The Narrowcast Server: Home page appears. For more information, see the next section.
Note: Remote access: It is recommended that the Narrowcast Server System is remotely accessed only through Narrowcast Administrator. Remote access using the Terminal Server is not supported or recommended.

MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery pages


Each time you open Narrowcast Administrator to work with the Tutorial project, the Narrowcast Server: Home page is displayed, with the following features.

Home
The home page is the starting point for using the MicroStrategy Tutorial Delivery project. Click each link to learn about and practice using Narrowcast Server features and functionality. 1. View Sample Messages 2. Deliver Reports via MicroStrategy Web 3. Create Your Own Delivery Service

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Chapter 1 Narrowcast Server System

4. Subscribe Users 5. Next Steps

C O N C E P T S

View Sample Messages


The services listed on this page demonstrate how Narrowcast Server can improve information flow within your business by proactively delivering information to key decision-makers. Click the title of each service to view a sample message. See chapter 4, MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery, for details on each service.

Deliver Reports via MicroStrategy Web


MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server integrates with MicroStrategy Web for report delivery via e-mail. This link opens MicroStrategy Web so that you can take advantage of this integration to deliver reports and documents using the MicroStrategy Web interface. Reports can be e-mailed immediately or on a scheduled basis.

Create Your Own Delivery Service


This page guides you through the process of creating a simple Narrowcast Server service using the Service Wizard. All of the tasks you can perform are described in the Create a sample service section in chapter 2, Narrowcast Server Services. Read the information and click the links provided to perform each step. For additional information, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Subscribe Users
This page allows you to define and administer recipients for your new service. You learn how reports and documents can be delivered via MicroStrategy Web end users can subscribe to this service and others, change their addresses, define preferences, and more via Subscription Portal to create and subscribe users using Narrowcast Administrator to integrate user information from an external source with Narrowcast Server

MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery pages

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C O N C E P T S

Read the information and click the links provided for each option. For more information, refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Next Steps
This page provides links to help you learn more about Narrowcast Server and the MicroStrategy platform as well find the information you need to resolve problems. Click the links provided to continue evaluating the MicroStrategy platform explore Narrowcast Administrator, including

utilizing the toolbar navigating folders configuring the system viewing system messages administering users creating and managing systems

Important: Changing the system configuration or subscription information can cause the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery to stop functioning correctly. It is recommended that you do not change any settings or options while exploring the System Configuration Wizard and the Subscription Book until you understand the purpose of each setting or option.

locate additional product documentation and on-line resources, including the Narrowcast Server Readme, the MicroStrategy corporate website, and Narrowcast Server product documentation see a list of potential errors that you can click for answers

Congratulations
You have successfully set up your first Narrowcast Server system with a Subscription Portal and a Delivery Engine. The next chapter introduces you to the concept of services and describes some of the features available in Narrowcast Server for creating powerful, content-rich services for your user community.

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C H A PT E R

Narrowcast Server Services

C O N C E P T S

Service overview
A service provides all the information needed for Narrowcast Server to correctly generate and deliver messages to subscribers. This information includes the delivery conditions, content, personalization rules, and subscriptions for sending messages for a particular purpose. For example, one service might be used to deliver a daily e-mail message containing an inventory level, while another service delivers alerts to wireless devices when inventory for a specific item changes significantly. The definition of each service determines when it is sent: Daily (time-based) or after a significant inventory level change (event-based) to whom it is sent: All subscribers or only those interested in a particular item what is sent: Content, such as daily inventory summary or item alert messages, as described in the example above how it is formatted: HTML or short plain text how it is delivered: E-mail (SMTP) or SMS A service is composed of the following features: publications, which determine the content of the service subscription sets, which determine which end users receive the service schedules, which determine the frequency with which a service is executed Services also contain all of the information needed to create and modify subscriptions. This includes supported locales, so that a user who reads English does not try to subscribe to a service that delivers only German content supported devices, so that a user does not create a subscription to his cell phone for a service that sends Microsoft Excel workbooks

17

C O N C E P T S

content security and preference characteristics, so that a user can choose the information he wishes to receive, within the context of his data access privileges and the information that is pertinent to a service You can create a service two ways: through the Service Wizard or through the Service Editor. Service Wizard: The Service Wizard quickly and easily guides you through the steps of creating a new service, including defining the content of the messages sent by the service, creating subscriptions, and defining an execution schedule. The Service Wizard allows you to create different content for each information transmitter defined in your system. For example, wireless devices can be sent short plain text messages while desktop e-mail clients such as Microsoft Outlook 2000 can be sent rich, graphical HTML messages with Excel attachments. For steps to use the Service Wizard, refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide. Service Editor: Use the Service Editor to design a service for more than one locale. For example, a service made available to a multinational user community might include several different publications, each specifying content in a different language to support the set of users who prefer that language. The Service Editor permits more flexibility than the Service Wizard by allowing you to add as many publications as you need to support your multilanguage user community. For more information, refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Create a sample service


Use the following procedure to create a sample service, sample user (subscriber), and sample subscription (when the service should be delivered), and to see a service delivered. This procedure uses the Service Wizard, described above. To create a sample service, you perform the following high-level steps:
1. 2. 3.

Create a service. Create a user (subscriber). Create a subscription.

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Chapter 2 Narrowcast Server Services

Note: To create your first service, you can follow the steps provided in this section or you can follow the steps provided on the screen within Narrowcast Administrator.

C O N C E P T S

This procedure assumes that you have a working Narrowcast Server system with the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery project installed. If you need to, complete the steps in the Install and configure the tutorial system section in chapter 1, Narrowcast Server System.
1. If you do not already have Narrowcast Administrator open, launch it by choosing Programs from the Start menu, then MicroStrategy, Narrowcast Server, and Narrowcast Administrator. Narrowcast Administrator opens with the Home page displayed. Select Create Your Own Delivery Service to open the Create Your Own Delivery Service page. 2. Create a service using the Service Wizard. Read the introductory information and open the Service Wizard by clicking the Service Wizard hyperlink. 3.

View the Welcome page. When you finish, click Next.

Note: On any page of the Service Wizard, you can click any of the Help topics on the right to get more information about services.

4. Choose a delivery method. For your first service, keep it simple. Accept the default selection of E-mail (SMTP) by clicking Next to continue. 5. Define the e-mail (SMTP) content. This page allows you to specify the content of your service for e-mail subscriptions. What you do here determines what subscribers receive when your service runs. This step requires a few substeps to complete:
a. Launch the message subject editor.

Click Define Subject to begin defining the e-mail message subject of your service.
b. Define your message subject.

Create a sample service

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C O N C E P T S

Using your mouse, highlight Insert your subject here... and replace it with Congratulations, you have successfully created a personalized service! This text appears in the subject line of the e-mail messages generated by this service.
c. Include the subscriber's first name.

Using your mouse, position the cursor between the s in Congratulations and the comma (,). Type an additional space character. From the Insert menu, select User Information, then First Name. An icon resembling a blue i with a lightning bolt through it appears in the middle of your subject text. This is an information object (dynamic content) that returns the first name of the subscriber. When you have finished, click Return to Service Wizard.
d. Launch the message body editor.

You should now be back in the Service Wizard, on the E-mail (SMTP) Content page. Click Message Body to begin defining the body of your e-mail service.
e. Define your message body.

Using your mouse, highlight Insert your Message Body (HTML) here... and replace it by typing the following text: Weekly product sales report: Apply whatever formatting you wish to this text. You have full control including font, color, size, style, and many other HTML markup characteristics.
f. Insert a grid report.

Position the cursor at the end of the line of text that you typed, and press ENTER to insert a new line after that text in your message. From the Insert menu, select MicroStrategy Tutorial (Manager Subscriptions), then MicroStrategy Grid Report. This launches a browsing interface that allows you to find the report you wish to insert. Locate the report Product Sales Results by Region in the folder \\MicroStrategy Tutorial\Public Objects\Reports\ and select it. Notice that the report definition appears in the right pane. Click Finish to insert this report into your e-mail service. When you finish, click Return to Service Wizard.
g. Finish your service content.

You should now be back in the Service Wizard on the E-mail (SMTP) Content page. Click Next to finish defining the e-mail message contents for your service, and move to the Subscriptions and Schedules page.
6.

Define a subscription set.

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Chapter 2 Narrowcast Server Services

You should now be on the Subscriptions and Schedules page of the Service Wizard. This page allows you to specify the subscriptions to your service and define the schedules on which those subscriptions receive messages. What you do here determines when your service executes and who receives it when it executes. This step requires a few substeps to complete:
a. Create a subscription set.

C O N C E P T S

Click the text Click here to define subscriptions and preferences... to begin creating a subscription set for your service.
b. Choose a static subscription set.

For your first service, choose Static Subscription Set. Dynamic subscription sets are more advanced and should only be attempted after you have reviewed the Application Designer Guide.
c. Create a subscription.

You should now be inside the Static Subscription Set Editor. Locate the address with the address name Welcome E-mail Address, which was created for the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery. Select it and choose Subscribe Addresses from the Edit menu. You should now see a subscription for the selected address in the window pane on the right.
d. Edit the user.

From the Edit menu, choose Edit (or double-click the selected address). The User Properties Editor opens.
e. Set user preferences.

Click the Preference tab. In the User Preference column, highlight the row containing the text Product Sales Result... in the Personalized Object column. Click New to begin defining this user's preferences for this report.
f. Specify a preference name.

Enter the text Tutorial for the User Preference Name. This name can be used later to choose these same preferences for other subscriptions for this user. Click Answer to begin specifying what this user's Tutorial preferences are.
g. Specify regional preferences for the report.

Create a sample service

21

C O N C E P T S

You should now be in the Prompt Resolution Wizard. Choose the regions Northeast and South by double-clicking each of them in the left pane. When you have completed this step, click Finish. When this user subscribes to this service with his Tutorial preferences, he receives information about the Northeast and South regions only.
h. Accept the new user preferences.

When you return to the Define User Preference dialog box, click OK to accept the user preferences you have defined for this user.
i. Specify user information.

In the User Properties Editor, click the User Information tab. Enter your first name in the Value column next to the First Name user property.
j. Accept the changes made to the user.

Click OK to accept all of the changes you have made to this user. The changes are now saved to the Subscription Book Repository.
k. Save the subscription set.

Click Save and Close to finish editing the subscription set and return to the Service Wizard.
7.

Choose a schedule.

You should now be back in the Service Wizard on the Subscriptions and Schedules page. Click Click here to use an existing schedule... Choose the Sunday Morning schedule, so that this service executes once a week on Sunday mornings.
8. 9.

Check your service definition. Exit the Service Wizard.

Click Next to proceed to the Service Summary page. Click Finish to exit the Service Wizard and save your new service.

Run your first service


Using the procedure above, you successfully defined a service with a report in the message body and the subscriber's first name in the subject. You do not need to wait until Sunday morning for your service to run. You can use Narrowcast Administrator to run any service immediately. Run your service now by clicking the Run Service link on the Create Service page.

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Chapter 2 Narrowcast Server Services

If your system was not yet running, you are asked whether to start the server. Click Yes to start your system and allow the service to run. Your service begins to execute. Your service might take a minute to execute, depending on the power of your machine and on other software running on your machine. When the service finishes, you have a new email waiting for you either in the inbox of the e-mail account you specified when you configured the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery project in chapter 1 or in the SavedMail folder if you chose to send tutorial messages to file. If the e-mail message does not appear, carefully go through the installation and configuration steps at the beginning of this guide to identify a step you may have missed. You can troubleshoot your service by referring to Troubleshooting in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide.
Note: The procedure above is designed to get you started experiencing Narrowcast Server service creation and delivery steps. To create your own more detailed or complex sets of services, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide. To further explore more detailed services, see chapter 4 in this guide and step through the sample services available in the Narrowcast Server Tutorial - Delivery project.

C O N C E P T S

Run your first service

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C O N C E P T S

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Chapter 2 Narrowcast Server Services

C H A PT E R

Narrowcast Server Subscription Portal

C O N C E P T S

Once the application designer defines Narrowcast Server services, certain user information must be obtained such as device addresses and service preferences before the services can be personalized, formatted, and delivered. In some cases, the application designer has already specified the user information within the subscription set; in other cases subscribers use the Narrowcast Server Subscription Portal to provide this information. Using the Subscription Portal, end users can log in, define preferences, and subscribe to the services in which they are interested. The application designer creates the Subscription Portal using the Portal Administrator Wizard. Once the application designer creates the Web-based Subscription Portal, subscribers can create logins and specify preferences via any Web browser.

Subscription Portal overview


Portal system: A Subscription Portal system is an installation of the Subscription Portal application, and a Portal Repository database, which contains the definition of one or more sites. A default Subscription Portal system can be created automatically when a new Narrowcast Server system is created. Subscription Portal application: The Subscription Portal application is a set of Web pages that provide the administrative and end user interfaces to Subscription Portal functionality. This application must be installed on a machine on which the Microsoft Internet Information Server service has been installed and properly configured.

25

C O N C E P T S

Portal Repository: A Portal Repository is a specific set of tables used by a Subscription Portal system, located in a database and identified by a certain table prefix. The tables in each Portal Repository can be given a unique table prefix, so that multiple Portal Repositories can exist in the same physical database instance. Each Portal Repository can store the definitions of one or more sites. Multiple Subscription Portal systems can also share the same set of Portal Repository tables. A default Portal Repository can be created automatically when a new Narrowcast Server system is created using the System Configuration Wizard. Site: A site identifies a set of services that are made available through a portal for access by end users. A site is defined by a connection to a single Object Repository (and a Subscription Book Repository). In addition, the definition of a site contains a collection of channels, plus a set of properties that define certain characteristics of the Subscription Portal. Since each site is associated with a single Object Repository, multiple sites need to be created to provide access to services in multiple Object Repositories (and hence in Narrowcast Server systems). The definition of a site and its related channels is stored in a Portal Repository. A site can only be made available to end users through a portal, but multiple portals can provide access to the same site. A default site can be created automatically when a new Narrowcast Server system is created using the System Configuration Wizard. Portal: A portal defines the Web location (URL) through which end users can access Subscription Portal services and subscriptions. A portal is defined by a Web server virtual directory and provides access to exactly one site. Two or more portals can, however, provide access to the same site. This is most typically done on different Web servers to provide increased system performance for a high number of concurrent users. The definition of each portal and which site it provides access to are defined and saved in the file system of the machine running the Subscription Portal Web server. Channel: A channel is defined by a folder of services from an Object Repository. Multiple channels can be defined within one site to group different sets of services. Each channel appears as a tab in the Subscription Portal interface. Each user subscription that is created through the Subscription Portal can only be accessed through the channel through which it was created. A site without at least one channel does not provide any functionality to end users.

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Chapter 3 Narrowcast Server Subscription Portal

Visit the Subscription Portal


Up until now, you have mainly interacted with the interfaces that application designers and system administrators use to control Narrowcast Server. Try the Subscription Portal to see the features that subscribers can use to create and modify subscriptions, change addresses, view scheduled reports, and set preferences.
1.

C O N C E P T S

Go to the Subscription Portal home page.

From the Start menu, choose Programs, MicroStrategy, Narrowcast Server, and then Subscription Portal. This launches Microsoft Internet Explorer and opens the home page for the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Subscription Portal.
2.

Log in.

If you did not change the login ID and password for the sample tutorial user, both are New User. Type the correct login ID and password, and click Login.
3.

Choose a channel.

Channels provide logical groups of services. You can choose which channel you wish to work in at any time by clicking the tab with the name of the desired channel in the upper right corner of the page. Click My First Application to go to the channel containing the service you just created.
4.

Create a subscription.

With Subscription Portal you create a new subscription by selecting Sign up for a Service within the desired channel. Choose the service you want to subscribe to, and then follow the three easy steps to create your personalized subscription.
5.

Change an address.

Click the Addresses label in the upper right portion of the screen at any time to get to the Addresses page. From here you can create a new address, modify an existing address, or delete an unused or unwanted address.
6.

View reports.

If you have subscribed to a service that delivers reports to the Subscription Portal, you can view these reports by clicking the Reports label in the upper right corner of the page.

Visit the Subscription Portal

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Note: If you have not yet executed any of the services that are created with the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery, you do not have any reports to view at this time.

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C H A PT E R

MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery

C O N C E P T S

You have created a service, run it, and subscribed via the Web to receive service information. Now you are ready to learn more about Narrowcast Server product features and benefits. The MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery services provide an ideal way to both learn how Narrowcast Server can help your business and to familiarize yourself with Narrowcast Server functionality. Eight MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery services illustrate how your enterprise can use Narrowcast Server to better leverage its business intelligence by delivering information where and when it is needed. The MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery services are grouped into three sections: Business Activity Monitoring, Supply Chain Management, and Customer Relationship Management. Each section illustrates a different way Narrowcast Server can extend the reach of information in your organization. The first section illustrates how Narrowcast Server can improve information flow within the business itself by proactively delivering information to key decision-makers. The second section demonstrates how Narrowcast Server can improve interactions with external parties such as suppliers by delivering alert-based information when certain events occur. The third section demonstrates how businesses can improve relations with customers by segmenting a group of customers into an appropriate audience and then delivering targeted, personalized information. This chapter guides you through each of the services and points out important features of each service. As you progress through the services, each service illustrates a new set of features while building on the lessons learned in previous services. The tutorial begins by illustrating how to create a basic service, and continues by covering a broad range of capabilities and potential applications. Verify that you meet the following requirements and review the important notes before you get started.

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Requirements: You have installed Narrowcast Server 8 and the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery. Refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Installation and Configuration Guide for more information. You have completed the tutorial configuration process. Refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Installation and Configuration Guide for more information. Your machine meets the minimum system requirements as noted in the Narrowcast Server readme file. If your machine does not meet these requirements, it is recommended that you do not run these services and that you instead review predelivered messages that are installed with the product. These messages are available in ../Program Files/MicroStrategy/Narrowcast Server/ Tutorial/SampleMessages. Start with 0_Welcome_Message.eml. Before you begin, set the E-mail (SMTP) and Wireless (SMTP) information transmitters to send messages to file rather than transmitting via e-mail. This can be done in the Narrowcast Server System Configuration Wizard in the Information Transmitters section. This requirement is due to the fact that Services 1d, 3a, and 3b gather nonexistent recipient e-mail addresses from a MicroStrategy project. If these information transmitters are set to deliver these messages via SMTP, these messages are not received. Saving messages to file also allows you to deliver the tutorial services offline and without accessing a receiving e-mail account.

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Important:

Tutorial services can be found within Narrowcast Administrator in the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery folder under the Applications folder. All reports used by the tutorial services can be found in MicroStrategy Desktop under Public Objects/Reports/Technical Reports/Reports by Feature/Narrowcast Server. In each section below, you are encouraged to first read this guide to understand the business purpose behind and the functionality implemented in each service. Then you can deliver the service and view the resulting messages (saved to ../Program Files/MicroStrategy/Narrowcast Server/Delivery Engine/SavedMail by default, if you set the information transmitters to save to file as described above). Finally, you can edit the service definition to explore how the service is constructed. All services are based on a current date at the end of the fourth quarter.

C O N C E P T S

Business Activity Monitoring


Service 1a Sales Executive Quarterly Sales Analysis
Business purpose

It is important that sales executives review and understand sales information each quarter to ensure that they react to various trends in sales data. As a result, Service 1a sends sales executives an HTML e-mail message that contains a comprehensive analysis of sales information for the previous quarter. The e-mail body contains four graphs that summarize key sales trends, and an attached Excel workbook provides a broader range of reports covering the areas of sales trend analyses, customer demographic analyses, sales allocation analyses, and call center performance analyses. The Excel workbook provides sales executives with access to the original data so that it is available for additional offline analyses.

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Service overview

Important: This service can take several minutes to complete execution since it contains a large number of reports. As a result, you might want to take a break and return in a few minutes. Do not run this service if your system does not meet the minimum system requirements as stated in the readme file. If you want to check the status of the service, select View System Messages from the Tools menu. If you prefer not to wait, you can review the message results under ../Program Files/ MicroStrategy/Narrowcast Server/Tutorial/ SampleMessages.

This service provides an example of the functionality that can be achieved using a basic service in Narrowcast Server. Note the following about this service: Multiple reports have been combined in the same message content and arranged in a presentation-quality HTML format. Narrowcast Server provides the ability to combine multiple reports in the same message and provides control over how the reports are arranged within the HTML content. Although not shown in this example, it is also possible to integrate content from other sources such as from the Web, from the Windows file system, or from a database query into this same message. The different graphs have coordinated colors and formatting. These graphs are created and formatted in MicroStrategy Desktop, and Narrowcast Server leverages this formatting so that all formatting information is preserved. Open the Excel attachment and note how the Excel workbook contains both presentation-quality graphs as well as the original data available for offline analyses. This is a powerful advantage because it allows recipients to interact with data without providing end user training on how to use a reporting system and without depending on recipients to run specific reports at a specific time. This service stores recipient information in the Narrowcast Server Subscription Book. The Subscription Book is set of tables in a relational database that Narrowcast Server uses as its internal storage location for subscription information. Other methods of obtaining and using subscription information will be discussed in later tutorial services. This service has only one subscription so only one message is delivered when the service is run.

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To learn how this service is constructed, double-click the service to edit it. Review the Welcome page and then click Next to go to the Delivery Methods section. Note that this service is delivered to all recipients via email since it is not highly time critical and all sales executives have access to the corporate e-mail system. Then click Next to continue to the Content section. Click Edit Message Body to edit the message body. Once you are within the HTML document editor, you can select Source from the View menu to see the source HTML, select Preview to see the rendered content, or select Editor to edit the HTML as it is rendered. Note the lightning bolt icons within the service content. These represent information objects, which are used by Narrowcast Server to gather dynamic content, such as the graphs in this service, when the service is run. You can select one of these icons. Rightclick the icon, and then select Edit information object to see which report is selected from MicroStrategy Desktop. Each information object in the message body contains a different report. Next, exit the document and click Next in the Service Wizard to proceed to the Subscriptions and Schedules section. Double-click the subscription set to see which subscriptions are defined for this service. The Static Subscription Set Editor provides a pane on the left and a pane on the right. The left pane represents the Narrowcast Server Subscription Book, which holds all the users and addresses available in the system. The pane on the right shows the subscription set for this service, which holds all subscriptions for this service. In this case, a single subscription is present so that the service is delivered to a single recipient. To subscribe users in the left pane, click the right arrow. To delete subscriptions in the right pane, click the left arrow. You can also double-click any address or subscription to view and edit its definition. The properties for users are explored in later tutorial services. Next, exit the Static Subscription Set Editor by clicking the upper right corner. Finally, you can edit the schedule by double-clicking it. This schedule is designed not to execute until the year 3000, so you can only receive this service by clicking Run Immediately. Click Next and then Finish to exit. With the Web interface provided by Subscription Portal, this service allows sales executives to subscribe themselves to receive this service. To learn how this works, go to the Subscription Portal site on the machine where the Subscription Portal is installed. This can be accomplished by typing the following URL into your Web browser:
http://MachineName/VirtualDirectoryName/login.asp

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Note: MachineName is the name of the machine where the Subscription

Portal is installed, and VirtualDirectoryName is the name of the virtual directory you selected during the Subscription Portal installation. You need to ensure that you have started the following services within Windows: IIS Admin Service and the World Wide Web Publishing Service.

If the Subscription Portal is installed on the local machine and if you accepted the default virtual directory during installation, you can use the following URL:
http://localhost/NarrowcastServer/login.asp

If the Subscription Portal is working, you are taken to the Login page. On the Login page, create a new account by clicking Create a new account and record the user name and password so you can reference them later. Enter a user name and password, specify an e-mail address, select the System language, and then click Create new account. When prompted for user information, enter a first name and last name and then click save. This information is used to personalize messages. You then see two channels: My First Application and MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery. Select the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery channel and then select Sign up for a Service. You then need to browse for this service in the folder structure by selecting Business Activity Monitoring and then 1a Sales Executive - Quarterly Sales Analysis. Once you locate this service, you can select it to subscribe your new user to receive this content. Select the only schedule available, and click Next to proceed. Once you create this subscription, you can edit this service in the Narrowcast Administrator. You now see that your new user has been created and is subscribed to this service. The ability for sales executives to subscribe themselves is important because it allows them to manage their own subscriptions a central administrator does not need to control subscriptions to this service One application design item worthy of note is that the folder structure in this channel corresponds to the folder structure in Narrowcast Administrator under the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery folder. In Narrowcast Server, one folder is chosen to define a channel and all subfolders create the subfolders for this channel.

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Key features

basic service construction for e-mail delivery aggregation of multiple reports in message content presentation-quality HTML format graph formatting defined in MicroStrategy Desktop Excel workbook with multiple reports user information stored in the Narrowcast Server subscription book user self-subscription using the Subscription Portal

C O N C E P T S

Service 1b Regional Marketing Manager Sales Trend Update


Business purpose

Regional marketing managers are alerted when items in their region have a significant sales increase. This allows marketing managers to react quickly to sales trends in their regions and to ensure that future sales and marketing plans and materials reflect these trends.
Service overview

Unlike sales executives, regional marketing managers are often away from the office. As a result, some marketing managers prefer to receive sales trend updates via e-mail while others prefer to receive sales trend updates via wireless device. To accommodate this need, this service delivers content via both e-mail and wireless device to its recipients. When you run this service, notice that two messages are delivered. One message, to the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Manager, delivers information via e-mail. The other message, to the Northeast Marketing Manager, delivers information formatted for a wireless PDA. However, both messages provide the same information: a list of items in their region that have seen a significant sales increase and the percent sales increase for each item. Note that this service supports multiple delivery methods. If you edit the service, you see that two delivery methods are enabled on the Delivery Methods page: e-mail and wireless. If you click Next twice from this page, you see that there are now two sections that allow you to define message contents for the delivery methods. The content you define is different for each delivery method (for example, a text body is created instead of an HTML body by default for wireless messages) since the two delivery methods have different content requirements.

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Note also that unlike sales executives who all receive the same information, regional sales managers need to see information generated specifically for their particular region. In Narrowcast Server, this is called personalization using user preferences. To learn how this works, notice that an information object is saved along with this service in the same folder. Edit this information object by doubleclicking it and review the definition of the selected report in the Report Layout pane (in the second page). Notice that this report contains a prompt to choose a region. This prompt is answered for each user so that each user receives only information for their region. The report used for Service 1a did not contain prompts since it did not need to be personalized. Also, note that the information object for Service 1b is saved and available outside of the service, which was not the case for Service 1a. This is done so that the information object can be reused in both the e-mail and wireless message contents. This allows all users to define preferences once and receive the appropriate personalized content regardless of their preferred delivery method. Creating a reusable information object was not necessary for Service 1a since the information object was only delivered by one delivery method. Another thing to note is that each message is personalized using the regional marketing managers title. This is done using user information stored in the Subscription Book. To see how this works, edit the contents for either delivery method, and note the Insert, User Information, First Name menu option. This menu option was used to create the first information object you see (the lightning bolt icon in the service content). To find out more about the information objects within a document, for example, to determine which user information has been inserted, turn on the Document Element List within the View menu of the document editor. This user information can then be personalized for each user at the end of the service by editing user properties within the subscription set. In the subscription set for this service, note that two addresses have been subscribed to this service: an email address for the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Manager and a wireless PDA address for the Northeast Marketing Manager. Double-click these addresses in the left pane to edit and study the corresponding users: Each user has one address defined for the desired delivery method. This controls how the user receives the contents for this service. On the Preferences tab, preferences have been defined for the report in this service by answering the prompt by selecting the appropriate region.

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The users first name (RegionName Marketing Manager in this case) has been provided on the User Information tab. This information is used to personalize the first name that was added to both the subject and the message body greeting of each message. Note also that the report in the e-mail is nicely formatted. This report formatting is defined in MicroStrategy Desktop and is leveraged by MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server. The report also includes thresholding, or formatted report content based on the data values it returns, as defined in MicroStrategy Desktop. The preservation of formatting defined in MicroStrategy Desktop or Web is an important capability since it enables application designers to design and format reports once and then deploy them via multiple channels. Finally, note that when users subscribe via the Subscription Portal, as done for Service 1a, the user is prompted to select his region. This allows regional marketing managers to manage their own subscriptions so no central administrator needs to control subscriptions or to assign preferences for this service. To see how this works, log into the Subscription Portal using the login you created in step 1a and subscribe to this service. You are prompted to select a region for which you would like to receive content.
Key features

C O N C E P T S

delivery via both e-mail and wireless personalization using a prompted report personalization using managers name as stored in the Subscription Book MicroStrategy Desktop report formatting leveraged threshold formatting of report information service design with reusable objects personalization via the Subscription Portal

Service 1c Regional Sales Manager Call Center Performance Update


Business purpose

Regional sales managers can choose to be alerted when call centers in their region do not meet sales goals. Each call center has a sales goal that is set relative to the average sales for all call centers over the past two quarters.

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Regional sales managers can choose the call centers within their region for which they want to receive alerts and the minimum sales growth level for which they want to be notified. Regional managers can only select call centers within their region, so that sensitive sales information in other regions is not accessible.
Service overview

Regional sales managers often like to know if one of the call centers they oversee is not performing well. As a result, Service 2c allows regional sales managers to choose the call centers they want to monitor and to set the minimum sales growth level for which they want to be notified. Personalization for this service works very similarly to the personalization used in Service 1b using a prompted report, except the report used in Service 1c contains two prompts: one for threshold value (in decimal format) and one for call center. However, this service has an additional requirement: regional sales managers should not be able to see information for call centers in other regions. Due to this requirement, when regional sales managers select the desired call center, they can only select call centers in their region. In MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server, this is enabled through a feature called information source security. To see how this works, edit the information source MicroStrategy Tutorial (Manager Subscriptions) and click Next until you reach the Security and Dynamic Subscription Support page. Notice that Security is selected and that an element prompt for region has been selected. If you click Next, notice that default information source security has been set to the Web region. Essentially, the administrator has specified a prompt that is answered for each user to constrain the information he can access. The default information source security is a prompt answer that is applied if no security prompt answer is selected for a specific user. Next, exit the information source and select Subscription Book from the Tools menu and edit one of the users for Service 1c. (Note that the Subscription Book Editor provides the same ability to add, modify, and delete users as is provided in the left pane of the Static Subscription Set Editor but does not require the use of a specific subscription set.) On the Authentication and Security tab, notice that security is enabled for the information source you just edited. Select this information source and click Define. You are prompted to select a region, and depending on which user you are editing, either the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic region should already be selected. Exit without making any changes. Now go to the Preference tab, select the information object for which this user has preferences defined (1c) and click Modify and then Answer. You are provided with a wizard that asks you to answer two prompts: enter a
38 Chapter 4 MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery

threshold value and select one or more call centers. The default threshold value of 0.3, or 30%, indicates that this regional sales manager should only receive alerts for call centers that do not have sales at least 30% above sales for the last two quarters. Note that for the second prompt, you can only select from either (a) Boston and New York or (b) Washington DC and Charleston, depending on which region is used to define security for this user. This same security is applied when regional sales managers provide preferences via the Subscription Portal. To see how this works, subscribe to Service 1c using the user you created for Service 1a. You are prompted to select a call center. However, since the administrator has not defined security for this user, only call centers in the Web region are shown since this is the default security defined in the information source. If you edit this user using the Subscription Book in Narrowcast Administrator and define security for this user, as described above, you can see how the call centers available in the Subscription Portal reflect this change. A second thing to note about this service is that regional sales managers only receive this alert if call centers in their region meet the criteria specified by the regional sales manager. To illustrate this point, two regional managers are subscribed to this service, but only one regional sales manager, for the mid-Atlantic, receives content when the service is delivered. This regional sales manager only receives an alert for one of the call centers (Charleston) because the other, Washington, DC, has sales above the specified threshold. To see how this alert functionality works, edit the service and then edit the message body. Select the second information object, then right-click the information object and select Edit Document Element. You can see that if this information object returns no data, the document element returns an error. (You can see this setting without editing the document element if you choose to show the Document Element List under the View menu, and then select the second document element in the upper left window. In the lower left window, you see a summary indicating that if no data is returned, this document element raises an error.) Exit the document and return to the Content page of the Service Wizard. Click Show Error Handling on the toolbar. You can see that error handling is set to fail message on error. These two settings used together ensure that if a report returns no data for a particular recipient, the information object returns an error and the service sends no message to this recipient. This is a powerful form of alerting. Rather than evaluating a single condition and then either delivering or not delivering content to all recipients, this method allows recipient-level condition evaluation leveraging the full power of MicroStrategy Intelligence Servers analytical capabilities. Thus, complex analyses can be performed to determine whether each user should receive an alert or not.
Business Activity Monitoring 39

C O N C E P T S

C O N C E P T S

Although other forms of alerting are possible using pre- and post-service execution SQL to update database records, the method illustrated here provides a simple and powerful form of alerting when applied to real world implementations. For instance, this service alerts managers each quarter if some event has occurred. However, this type of service can be used to evaluate conditions using a work-table in an operational data store every five minutes and deliver alerts to key decision makers. Therefore, this type of alerting allows businesses to constantly monitor business activities and to provide near real time alerting when certain events are encountered. Finally, note that this service prompts users to enter a threshold value when users subscribe through the Subscription Portal. Thus, this service allows users to define threshold values for which they want to be alerted. This same functionality can be applied to other scenarios where end users define the threshold values to control system monitoring.
Key features

use of security to limit information accessible by each user recipient-level condition evaluation alerting alert thresholds set via the Subscription Portal

Service 1d Call Center Manager Employee Performance Alert


Business purpose

Call center managers are alerted at the end of each month if any of their employees have performed significantly below average employee performance over the previous two months. If one or more employees for a manager has sales 65% or more below average sales, the manager receives a message with the employees name and their performance. The manager is asked to provide training to this employee and to work with this employee to improve his or her performance to prevent employee termination. Managers with no employees meeting the alert criteria do not receive a message.
Service overview

This service is somewhat similar to Service 1c since both services implement recipient-level alerting. However, Service 1d differs in two key requirements:

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All call center managers are alerted if one of their employees performs below a company wide metric. In other words, call center managers are not required to subscribe themselves, and call center managers do not get to set a performance threshold for which they want to be alerted. Information about each call center manager, such as manager name and e-mail address, is already available in a relational database since it is used for another information system within this corporation. For this reason, the administrator of this application does not want to duplicate this user information by creating a redundant set of users in the Narrowcast Server Subscription Book. As a result, the administrator creates this application so that it dynamically retrieves the list of recipients and recipient-related information (such as recipient name, e-mail address, and preferred end user device) directly from the database at run time. In MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server, this functionality is called dynamic subscriptions. Services that implement dynamic subscriptions use a dynamic subscription set rather than a static subscription set as was used for all previous services in this tutorial. Dynamic subscription sets use a subscription information object to gather subscription information from an external source such as a MicroStrategy project, a file, or directly from a database rather than storing users and subscriptions in the subscription book. The subscription information object used in this example returns email address, user name, address display name, and end user device. To see how this subscription information object is constructed, edit the information object Manage Subscriptions from Report. Note that this information object maps attribute forms on the page axis of the selected report to subscription properties used by Narrowcast Server when the service is executed. One key thing is that manager (ID) is used to define preferences for the information object used in the content of this report. This mapping is possible because this content information object is executed using personalized page execution, which uses a multipage report to return content for many subscribers in the same report execution. Each user then specifies his preferences by selecting a single page of content. This is done by selecting an attribute value (for example, a manager) from the first attribute (for example, the manager attribute) on the page axis. To illustrate by example, the subscription information object returns the users preference as a particular manager (for example, Snyderman). The content information object then returns a multipage report where each page can be selected by choosing a particular manager. Thus, the subscription information object returns the subscription information required for report delivery and returns attribute values that are used to select pages out of a multipage report for each recipient.

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To see how this service is constructed, edit Service 1d, Employee Performance Alert (Dynamic Subscriptions), then edit the e-mail content, and then edit the information object. Review the report definition in the report layout window. You see that instead of prompts, this report contains the manager attribute on the page axis. Click Advanced Options and then select the Report Execution tab. You see that this service uses personalized page execution. By contrast, all previous services have used personalized report execution. Exit the information object and the document without making any changes, and then edit the subscription set. You see that instead of entering the Static Subscription Set Editor, you are taken into the Dynamic Subscription Set Wizard. This wizard has selected the subscription information object you edited previously. When this service is run, note that several call center managers receive this service. Note also that some call center managers receive an e-mail message while other call center managers receive their message on a wireless PDA. This is because the subscription information object gathers user recipient device ID from the project in addition to the user name, address display, and physical address. This device ID selection is equivalent to setting the delivery method and device through the Static Subscription Set Editor and thus controls which content the recipient receives and how the content is formatted and delivered. Since personalized page execution executes a single report to gather content for multiple subscriptions, this can have significant performance advantages in some cases. As a result, it is sometimes advantageous to use personalized page execution even when subscription information is stored in the Subscription Book and static subscriptions rather than dynamic subscriptions are used. This functionality is enabled by selecting an attribute value (for example, manager Snyderman) when defining preferences for users in a static subscription set. To see an example of this type of service, edit Service 1d, Employee Performance Alert (Static Subscriptions). The content information object used in the content of this service uses the same report and uses personalized page execution. However, it does not use automatic segmentation and does not segment the content information object. This is an important setting that must be set correctly in the Advanced Options dialog box. Also note that instead of using a dynamic subscription set, this service uses a static subscription set and that each user defines preferences by selecting a manager. When this service is run, it delivers the exact same content as when the dynamic subscription version is run. However, fewer messages are sent since only two subscriptions are created. An important application design note is that users can subscribe to the version of this service that uses static subscriptions, but users cannot subscribe to the version that uses dynamic subscriptions since recipient
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information is not stored in the Subscription Book. It is, in fact, possible to create a service using dynamic subscriptions that users can subscribe to via the Subscription Portal, although it is not covered in this tutorial. For more information, see chapter 9, Advanced Subscription Portal Configuration, in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide. In a real world deployment, the administrator would need to take care to define Subscription Portal sites and channels so that users only have access to services to which they can subscribe.
Key features

C O N C E P T S

recipient information gathered from a MicroStrategy project end-user devices specified using dynamic subscriptions personalization using dynamic subscriptions efficient report execution mode for high performance applications

Service 1e Sales Director Sales Performance Analysis


Topics include the following: Business purpose Service overview Key features
Business purpose

Sales directors are notified at the end of each month of sales in all regions for each of the product categories. Based on this data, any regions that are under-performing can be identified and suitable action can be taken. Managers of regions doing well can be suitably rewarded. The analysis of trends for the current year provides a comprehensive picture of sales performance.
Service overview

A sales director would like to get an overview of the sales in all the regions for each of the product categories. Such a person would also like additional relevant information on cost, profit, and margin for a better understanding of the sales trends. The service provides information for past months in the current year and compares it with previous periods. Previous periods include month, quarter, and year. This comparison highlights any drops or improvements in performance by region.
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C O N C E P T S

This service has a single recipient with multiple addresses and has a static subscription list. The information is simultaneously delivered to an e-mail address, network location, and a printer. The information can be shared with other users by sharing the network location or by distributing copies of the printed report. This service uses a document in the MicroStrategy metadata. This means that a link can be established with existing MicroStrategy content without having to recreate the content or formatting. The service name is included in the e-mail subject by inserting an information object that provides system information. To see how this service is constructed, edit Service 1e, Sales Director Sales Performance Analysis, then edit the e-mail content. Edit the subject to see how the service name was inserted and edit the attachment to see how a document link was included. You can also edit the File and Print content which uses a link to the MicroStrategy document similar to the e-mail content. By inserting a link to a MicroStrategy document all the formatting and content created in a MicroStrategy project can be easily reused. This is particularly useful for report services documents that provide pixel-level formatting.
Key features

delivery to e-mail, network file location, and a printer using the same service system information such as service name in the e-mail subject reuse of documents in a MicroStrategy project by creating a link

Supply Chain Management


Service 2a Supplier Seasonal Sales Alert
Business purpose

Suppliers are notified when historical sales data show that sales for one of the items they supply are forecast to be significantly above average in the coming quarter. This seasonal sales trend analysis helps suppliers react quickly to seasonal trends by ensuring that adequate supplies are on hand. Since suppliers are located worldwide and since suppliers are often not accessible by e-mail, messages are delivered in multiple languages to multiple end user devices such as via e-mail, to wireless PDAs, and on the Web.

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Service overview

Since suppliers are located in many different countries and have different device preferences, Service 2a delivers content in multiple languages and via multiple delivery methods such as by e-mail, to wireless devices, and publishing content on the Web. This service demonstrates how a single service can both deliver content to users in many different languages and format content for many end user devices. For example, one supplier, Perigee, is located in France and prefers to receive content via e-mail. As a result, Perigee receives French e-mail alerts when sales data predict an increase in sales for one of the items they supply. However, another supplier, John Wiley & Sons, is located in the United States and is often away from the office. For this reason, John Wiley & Sons receives English alerts on a wireless PDA. A third supplier, ATF Electronics, is a German supplier that prefers to access content on the Web via Subscription Portal. Thus, when you run this service, note that Perigee receives an e-mail in French, while John Wiley & Sons receives content formatted for a wireless PDA in English. However, ATF Electronics does not receive any content since no items they supply meet the alert conditions. In this example, only static text is varied. However, it would also be possible to retrieve localized text from Intelligence Server so that the item names are delivered in the appropriate language for each recipient. This would require adding localized strings to the data warehouse and then creating different attribute forms in MicroStrategy Desktop which contain these different localized text strings. To learn how this service is constructed, edit this service and notice that this service contains content for three delivery methods. On the page for each delivery method, click Specify Devices and Locales on the toolbar. This shows the list of devices and the locale this delivery method is designed to support. Each delivery method can support one locale and a subset of the devices provided by the information transmitter for this delivery method. Notice that each delivery method for this service supports a different locale. Subscriptions for this service only receive the content for a particular delivery method if the user for the subscription specifies the locale supported by this delivery method and if the address specifies a supported device. If you edit the subscription set for this service, then edit one of the users for Service 2a and 2b, and then click Advanced Properties on the Login tab, you see the locale for this user. Each user subscribed to this service specifies a different locale and device as described above. It is important to note that, by default, all delivery methods and all users created in Narrowcast Administrator support the system locale. Thus, subscriptions are never prevented from receiving a service due to locales unless either the delivery method or the user are modified not to support the system

C O N C E P T S

Supply Chain Management

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locale. As a result, it is important that you use extreme care when modifying the locales for delivery methods and users. Designing applications where users do not receive content due to inadvertent locale selection is a common error.
Key features

service delivery to multiple languages and user devices number formatting based on regional preferences form selection based on user characteristics content publishing on the Web via the Subscription Portal standardized report format in Portal using stylesheets

Service 2b Supplier Low Inventory Alert


Business purpose

Suppliers are notified when the inventory for one of the products they supply is significantly below average levels. Suppliers with products whose current inventory is 75% below the average are notified of the products and their current inventory levels. Suppliers with no products that are low on inventory receive no alert. This inventory analysis helps suppliers react to unexpected sales increases by ensuring that adequate inventories are provided. Since suppliers are located worldwide, and since suppliers are often not accessible by e-mail, messages are delivered in multiple languages to multiple end user devices.
Service overview

This service is very similar to Service 2a except that German content is published to the Subscription Portal for supplier ATF Electronics since the report used in this service returns information for this supplier. To see how this works, log on to the Subscription Portal using a login ID and password of 2a,b Supplier - ATF Electronics. Enter the MicroStrategy Tutorial Delivery channel and click Reports. This allows this supplier to view any content that has been sent to the Subscription Portal. If Service 2b has been run, you should be able to click a link on the left margin that takes you to this report. If the service has not been run you see that this content is pending. If the content is available you see a document with German text and a table showing one item that is low on inventory.

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Another thing to note about this service is that the reports delivered via email and published on the Web have very different formatting. The report delivered by e-mail leverages the formatting capabilities of MicroStrategy Web and Desktop and preserves the blue and black formatting defined for this report. By default, when grid reports are added to documents in Narrowcast Server, the formatting defined in MicroStrategy Desktop or Web is preserved. This is done by automatically selecting a default stylesheet that preserves this formatting. This capability allows application designers to leverage the report formatting capabilities of the platform and individually format reports using MicroStrategy Desktop or Web. By contrast, the report published to the Subscription Portal has red and black formatting that matches the Subscription Portal channel formatting. This is accomplished by selecting a different stylesheet for this report when it is added to the Subscription Portal content. Thus, when reports are delivered via multiple delivery methods, it is also possible to apply a different format each time an information object is added to a service. This can, for example, ensure that all reports published to the Subscription Portal have the same format to provide an integrated appearance. To see how this works, edit Service 2a, edit the Subscription Portal content, select and right-click the information object, and then select Edit Document Element. In the Document Element Properties dialog box, you see that a stylesheet called Red_Black_Formatting_For_Portal is selected. If you perform these same actions to edit the e-mail content, notice that the report in this content uses a different stylesheet. This is the default stylesheet that preserves MicroStrategy Desktop and Web formatting.
Key features

C O N C E P T S

service delivery to multiple languages and user devices number formatting based on regional preferences form selection based on user characteristics content publishing on the Web via the Subscription Portal standardized report format in Portal using stylesheets

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Customer Relationship Management


Service 3a Customer Significant Buyer Retention
Business purpose

Customers who make significant purchases in the month of June are sent a coupon for any item in the month of December to encourage customer loyalty. If a customer spends more than $1,500 in the same month, he is sent a coupon for any item in any category. The message is sent six months after the initial purchase to win back customers who may not have returned for some time.
Service summary

Service 3a delivers rewards in the form of coupons to customers who have made significant purchases in the past. This is accomplished by running a report to obtain the target group of customers and then delivering coupon via e-mail to these customers. In both Services 3a and 3b, customer information is stored in a relational database where it is recorded when customers make purchases. Since customer information already exists in one location, as was the case in Service 1d, the administrator wants to avoid creating duplicate subscription information. As a result, this service uses dynamic subscriptions to retrieve subscription information directly from the data warehouse using a MicroStrategy project. Two main differences exist between the subscription information objects used for Services 1d and 3a/3b: The subscription information object used in Service 1d returns managers instead of customers. The customer subscription information object does not return customer device but rather uses Outlook Express for all customers since the preferred customer device is not recorded when customers make purchases. Notice that no report data is included in the report content. A static HTML link to a coupon image on a Web server is used so all recipients receive the same coupon (see the next service to see an example where this is not the case). This is accomplished using a stylesheet that returns no data. The next example builds upon this example and includes targeted service content that is personalized for each recipient.

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In addition, this service personalizes each message at the recipient level by including subscription information returned from the data warehouse using the subscription information object. In this case, the customers first name is used to provide a customized greeting. This same method could be used to return customer address, preferred device, or any other subscription information. In this case, the subscription information object returned this information directly using the PIN property for each subscription. This allowed the application designer to simply choose Subscription Information, then PIN from the Insert menu to add this content. If multiple pieces of data or additional analysis were required for the content, it would also be possible to run additional content information objects and then link the resulting personalized reports to recipients using the preferences defined in the subscription information object. This scenario was described in Service 1d and is applied to the customer example in Service 3b. Another thing to notice is the use of read-receipt message tracking to see which recipients opened their messages. When Narrowcast Server delivers a message, each message is assigned a unique ID called a Unique Message Identifier. This string is unique for every message delivered by Narrowcast Server. In this example, the Unique Message Identifier is inserted into a web URL, which points to a zero size image on a Web server. The Web server can then be configured to log which Unique Message Identifiers were used to request content from this Web server. (The Web server used for this tutorial is not configured to record this information.)
Note: The Unique Message Identifier is a concatenation of the Service Execution ID and the Subscription ID. This can be joined to the transmission recording tables and then back to both user and application information using this information.

C O N C E P T S

This information can then be recorded to a relational database where it can be joined with information about which messages were delivered successfully to the receiving mail systems. This recipient-level delivery information is enabled in Narrowcast Server using transmission recording. Transmission recording can be enabled from the System menu by selecting Set Governing Settings and then selecting the Recording tab. To see how the link is used to determine which messages were opened, open the e-mail content for Service 3a and select Source from the View menu. You find the following link:
<IMG SRC="http://www.microstrategy.com/graphics/cdrom/ ncsdemo/spacer.gif?RecipientID=UniqueMessageIdentifier" width=0 height=0>

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Alternatively, ASP or Java Server Page (JSP) technology could be used to record which recipients opened messages. For example, an ASP could be written to record which URLs contacted this page and then record the recipient IDs to a database. The following example illustrates a link for this scenario:
<IMG SRC="http://servername/virtualdirectory/folder/ responsetracking.asp? RecipientID=UniqueMessageIdentifier>

Once such a link has been added to your HTML document, you need to construct a simple ASP or JSP to log image requests to a database. The following example provides simple ASP code that can achieve this task.
<%@ LANGUAGE = VBScript %> <% Option Explicit Dim Dim Dim Dim Dim sUniqueMessageIdentifier adoCon adoRec sConStr sSQL

Set adoCon = Server.CreateObject ("ADODB.Connection") Set adoRec = Server.CreateObject ("ADODB.Recordset") sConStr = "DSN=YOUR_DSN;UID=YOUR_UID;PWD=YOUR_PWD;" adoCon.Open sConStr sUniqueMessageIdentifier = Request.QueryString ("sUMI") sSQL = "INSERT INTO YOUR_TABLE values ('" & sUniqueMessageIdentifier & "',GETDATE())" adoRec.Open sSQL, adoCon 'The location of the image to be displayed in the HTML document Response.Redirect ("http://servername/virtualdirectory/folder/image.jpg") %>

Note: This example assumes that the table YOUR_TABLE exists and has two columns, one for the Unique Message Identifier and one for the date. SQL Server is also assumed to be the RDBMS for this example. The last line of code redirects the response to the URL where the image exists.

The post from the HTML document passes the Unique Message Identifier as a parameter, which is captured by the ASP and stored in the database. The response to the post is the actual image, which is displayed within the document body. This sample code is only intended to be a proof-ofconcept for illustrative and educational purposes only. It is not intended for
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use in production systems and does not handle special cases, errors, or any other best practices to ensure its stability and reliability. An important application design point to note is that since the subscription information objects used for Services 1d and 3a return two groups of users with distinct IDs in the data warehouse, a different information source is used for each. This is because an information source can only be defined to support dynamic subscriptions for one subscription ID. This restriction enables the automatic segmentation of content information objects (and subscription information objects in the case where subscription information defined in the information source definition is used) to use the correct Subscription ID for segmentation. Thus, whenever creating applications to support dynamic subscriptions, it is good practice to create one information source for each group of users that will be retrieved and to create all subscription information objects and content information objects using the corresponding Information Source. This ensures that all information objects are segmented correctly when automatic segmentation is used.
Key features

C O N C E P T S

customer population segmentation into target audience recipient-level personalization using subscription information read-receipt message tracking using unique message identifiers

Service 3b Customer Repeat Buyer Incentive


Business purpose

Customers who have repeatedly purchased items in the same category over the last month are sent coupons for any item in this category to encourage continued purchases.
Service summary

Service 3a uses a report to identify the target group of customers but does not deliver personalized content to each customer. Service 3b builds on the customer segmentation example illustrated in Service 3a by delivering a targeted offer to each customer based on his or her purchases over the last month. This is accomplished by personalizing an image link for each recipient that points to one of several images on a corporate Web server. This link is dynamically generated for each recipient based on his or her preferred product category. This is done using a stylesheet that converts

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personalized data in a report into a personalized Web link. An important application design note is that while this example uses category description to dynamically change the URL, in an actual implementation, the ID form of the attribute should always be used. This ensures that descriptions with spaces do not cause problems. While this is a very basic example with a simple report that buckets all customers into a handful of product categories, this same strategy can be extended to enable very powerful applications by personalizing content at the recipient level to tailor offers to specific individuals. For example, reports could be designed to support product promotion campaigns by determining which customers had purchased correlated items in the last six months. In other campaigns, reports could be designed to target very specific customer groups based on complex analytics applied to customer spending history or other customer attributes. In addition, the content information object used to gather personalized content could perform additional, secondary analyses after customer segmentation based on customer preferences and behaviors. In other words, the powerful analytical capabilities of MicroStrategy Intelligence Server can be applied to both segment customer populations and then make targeted, individually personalized offers based on customer profiles. This is enabled by using subscription information objects to segment the customer population and then using multiple content information objects to provide individually personalized offers.
Key features

creating targeted offers based on customer profiles personalizing message format based on report data

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C H A PT E R

Service Execution Flow

C O N C E P T S

You should now have a better understanding of what Narrowcast Server is. This chapter goes into more detail about how it works. It explains how an executing service flows through various components and processes to send personalized messages to subscribers. Service execution begins with a condition evaluation. This condition can be a schedule event, a Run Immediately request, or an API call to the Narrowcast Server API. Each of these produces the result of a service execution request being received by the Delivery Engine. Once the Delivery Engine receives and processes a service execution request, it evaluates what subscriptions need to be fulfilled for the request and what personalization characteristics each subscription has. The Delivery Engine then acquires the personalized, dynamic content information needed for each subscription, formats that content into the appropriate documents, and transmits the resulting messages to the subscribers.

Condition evaluation and recipient determination


Typically, a schedule controls service triggering. A service can use more than one schedule, enabling powerful time-of-day/day-of-week scheduling in one service.

Schedules
A schedule sets the times or frequencies a service is executed and represents a recurring pattern, not a fixed date, on which a service is executed. Schedules are defined relative to time zones, to automatically account for daylight savings time, date boundaries, and other time-specific issues. To allow subscribers throughout the world to receive services at specific local times, a service can use more than one schedule. The application designer creates schedules.

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Subscriptions
A subscriber is a person who subscribes to a service, and a subscription is created when one of a subscribers addresses is subscribed to a service, either by adding it to a subscription set using the subscription set editor or by creating a subscription using the Subscription Portal. Typically, a subscription set holds the set of subscriptions for a service. Occasionally, a subscription set is shared across a collection of services. Several subscription sets might also be defined for a single service, to support multiple delivery schedules.
Note: Each subscriber can have several subscriptions to the same service

and for the same address. Each such subscription can have different preference settings, allowing a single user to receive a variety of information from the same service.

Each individual who receives messages from the Delivery Engine has a login that provides password-controlled access to subscription and preference information for the individual and his addresses. It is the subscription of at least one of these addresses to a particular service that allows the individual to receive messages.

Personalization
After Narrowcast Server determines that a service needs to be executed and identifies the recipients to which it will be sent, it evaluates the personalization characteristics of each subscription. Personalization factors for a subscription include information for passing authentication, security and preferences to each information source, as well as the locale for the subscribed user and the messaging device for the subscribed address. All of these factors combine to control what content is delivered to fulfill each subscription.

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Devices
Devices cause services to be personalized in two ways: Content selection: When a service is made up of more than one publication, the device determines which publication, and therefore which content, will be delivered to fulfill a given subscription. So if a service has one publication designed to produce wireless message content and another publication designed to produce message content for desktop e-mail clients, the device for each subscription determines which of the two publications will be used to generate content. For more information on how devices can be used to control content selection, refer to Multiple languages and nationalities in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide. Transmission parameters: A device provides a specification for how a publication should be formatted and transmitted to a specific receiver type. For example, a Microsoft Outlook 98 device might specify that a subject document in a publication must be plain text and no longer than 128 characters. It might also specify that the message body could be either plain text or HTML, and if it is HTML, image references can be embedded. A device includes specifications for both formatting and transmission. For more information on device transmission parameters, refer to Devices in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide.

C O N C E P T S

Locales
Locales cause services to be personalized in several ways: Content selection: When a service is made up of more than one publication, the locale can also determine which publication, and therefore which content, will be delivered to fulfill a given subscription. So if a service has one publication designed to produce German message content and another publication designed to produce French message content, the locale for each subscriber determines which of the two publications will be used to generate content. For more information on how locales can be used to control content selection, refer to Multiple languages and nationalities in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

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Content generation: Locale parameters control how dynamic content information is retrieved from information sources such as MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. Users expect numeric values, dates and times to be expressed in the formats with which they are most familiar. For example, decimal values such as one thousand, nine hundred, ninety-three and four-tenths (1,993.4) can be expressed as any of the following:

1993.4 1.993,4 1 993,4

Similarly, date values can be expressed in mm/dd/yyyy format, as is the custom in the United States, or in dd/mm/yyyy format, as is customary in Europe. Each subscriber's locale specifies which formatting rules should be applied by information sources when generating dynamic content such as MicroStrategy report results. Character sets: A character set specifies how character code values (such as the value 65) map to character glyphs (such as A). While the Unicode character set supports the aggregation of all characters from all languages (including Asian double-byte characters such as are in the Kanji alphabet), most devices cannot support the Unicode character set. Narrowcast Server has the ability to encode the Microsoft Excel, plain text and HTML documents it generates in any of several character sets, such as Western (ISO-8859-1) and Japanese (ISO-2022-JP). The locale properties for the e-mail (SMTP) and wireless (SMTP) transmitters specify which character set to use when encoding message content before transmission. For more information on locales and character set encoding, refer to Locales in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide.

Information source personalization


Consider for a moment what happens when you connect to an Internet banking website to determine whether a check has cleared. First, you establish a connection to the Web server, and often this involves providing your account credentials or user authentication, such as a login ID and password. Next, the Web server shows you the set of accounts and other bank products that belong to you. Finally, you provide your search criteria, such as the date, check number, and other filtering conditions. The Web server then retrieves the results of the requested search and presents them to you, providing words, date formats, numeric formats and other information based on the language and regional settings that you prefer.

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This example demonstrates the four types of information involved in personalization of dynamic content: Authentication objects: An authentication object stores authentication information for a subscriber, to be used for a specific source of information. It can best be thought of as a login ID and password that Narrowcast Server has cached for a subscriber, so that when Narrowcast Server retrieves information for that subscriber it can do so using the same access capabilities and permissions as are held by the subscriber. An example of an authentication object is the login ID and password you use to log in to a MicroStrategy project from Desktop or Web. Narrowcast Server uses authentication objects to tell information sources to whom each requested piece of dynamic content should be sent. Security objects: Some types of information sources might not support authentication objects. Others might support these, but not with sufficient data access control, scalability, or performance to meet the requirements of your system. Therefore, a second type of security was introduced with Narrowcast Server, called a security object. For MicroStrategy projects, the use of security objects is optional. Preferences: Authentication and security typically do not offer a subscriber any choices. With authentication-based personalization, a user can either connect and work with objects or he cannot. With security, a user can either access a specific piece of data or he cannot. Preferences provide more flexibility to subscribers to choose what they do and do not want to receive when they subscribe to a service. A preference can be anything from a report selection, to prompt answers, to the choice of a page from a result. It is the selection by a user of one piece of information from several possible options. When a service executes, Narrowcast Server uses preferences to tell information sources what information each subscriber wishes to receive. Locales: Narrowcast Server uses locales to pass information sourcespecific language and regional settings to an information source module during service execution. The locales tell information sources what language, numeric formats, date formats, time formats to use when creating each requested piece of dynamic content. For more information about information source personalization, refer to Personalization in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

C O N C E P T S

Personalization

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Information acquisition
The content that Narrowcast Server must generate for each subscription is influenced by the personalization factors mentioned previously. Because of this, the set of dynamic content requests that Narrowcast Server must make can only be determined as a service is being executed. Narrowcast Server optimizes this set of requests by eliminating duplicate requests where possible. Narrowcast Server uses information sources and information objects to make requests for dynamic content. With the ability either to create new documents in Narrowcast Server or to link to existing MicroStrategy Desktop documents, the information acquisition process flow has multiple possibilities, depending both on which document process the System Administrator has enabled and what the Application Designer chooses during document creation. The following diagram depicts the information acquisition process flow from when the Application Designer chooses to create a new document until he begins to construct the document. The purpose of this diagram is to illustrate the choices made and steps taken depending on the document creation process that is enabled. Each step is numbered, and these steps are described following the diagram.

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Legend: ! Boxes with thick lines and rounded corners represent dialog boxes. ! Boxes with dashed lines and rounded corners represent the document editor or selection dialog box that defines and saves the document. These editors and dialog boxes open when documents are edited.

Application Designer chooses to create new document.

C O N C E P T S

2 What document process is enabled--NCS, Desktop, or both?

3 NCS

Application Designer is prompted: ! Create new document (NCS)? OR ! Select existing document (Desktop)?

Desktop

5a Is more than one format allowed? Yes No

4 What type of document is chosen?

NCS

Desktop

5b Does more than one information source exist?

Yes

6a

Application Designer is allowed to select document format (options: HTML, Excel, Plaintext, Imported)

No 6b Application Designer is allowed to select information source

7a

Standard Narrowcast Document Editor opens (HTML, Excel, Plaintext, Imported)

7b

Desktop Document Selector dialog box opens

Information acquisition

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In Step 1, the Application Designer chooses to create a new document within Narrowcast Server, either from Narrowcast Administrator, the Publication Wizard, or the Service Wizard. Step 2 identifies the document creation process, based on the system setting for document creation. The options are the following: Always create new Narrowcast Server documents. This allows you to create new documents from scratch in Narrowcast Server, using the available formats. Either you select the format (HTML, Excel, Plaintext, Imported) or the appropriate document editor opens automatically. Always link to documents created in MicroStrategy Desktop. This allows you to create a link to an existing document in MicroStrategy Desktop. If more than one MicroStrategy information source is available, you select the information source, then the document to link to. If only one information source is available, you select the document. Always prompt. This gives you a choice:

Create a new Narrowcast Server document and select the document format. Create a link to an existing MicroStrategy Web or Report Services document and select the information source.

The third option is selected by default. Step 3 prompts the Application Designer, if appropriate, either to select the document format or to select the information source, based on the system setting (see step 2).
Note: Step 3 may be bypassed if one of the first two options in Step 2 was selected by the System Administrator. In that case the next step is Step 5.

Step 4 identifies the type of document chosen: new document to be created in Narrowcast Server or link to Desktop document. Steps 5 through 7 vary according to the system setting (see step 2). Steps 5a through 7a occur when the Application Designer chooses to create a new Narrowcast Server document. Steps 5b through 7b occur when the Application Designer chooses to create a link to a Desktop document. Step 5a identifies whether more than one document format is allowed. If yes, 6a is the next step. If no, 7a is the next step. In Step 6a, the Application Designer selects the document format (HTML, Excel, Plaintext, or Imported) to use for the new document.

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In Step 7a, the selected or available Narrowcast Server document editor opens and the Application Designer begins creating the new Narrowcast Server document. Step 5b identifies whether more than one information source is available. If yes, 6b is the next step. If no, 7b is the next step. In Step 6b, the Application Designer selects the information source from which to select an existing Desktop document. In Step 7b, the Application Designer selects the existing Desktop document to create the link from Narrowcast Server. Details on creating specific types of documents and links are included in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

C O N C E P T S

Information sources, information source modules, and information objects


When executing a service, the Delivery Engine acquires information from information sources. An information source generates the dynamic, personalized content that enables the powerful, personalized, data-driven capabilities of the Delivery Engine. Each piece of dynamic content is defined, manipulated, and executed in the form of an object called an information object. Information sources rely on components called information source modules, or ISMs. An ISM is a piece of software that has been registered with the Delivery Engine through the Narrowcast Administrator. Each ISM supports one or more information sources (IS), which provide instructions for the ISM to define and execute information objects. For example, a MicroStrategy Information Source provides the connection and authentication instructions needed by a MicroStrategy ISM to run reports through a specific project on a specific MicroStrategy Intelligence Server. Information objects then provide instructions for the IS to return results for a specific report. The results from executing an information object can then be used as content for a message. Customized ISMs can be created with the SDK. The system administrator registers ISMs with the Delivery Engine and creates information sources. The application designer sets up information objects. Several prepackaged ISMs are included with Narrowcast Server. The MicroStrategy ISM allows access to MicroStrategy projects. A second enables the capture and use of user information. The third enables the inclusion of subscription information in service content. The fourth enables the inclusion of system information such as date, time, and service name, in service content.

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MicroStrategy reports
The MicroStrategy Information Source Module provides the ability to use MicroStrategy reports in service content. Before Narrowcast Server can use a report, it needs to know the server and project in which the report can be found. You provide this information when you configure an information source using either the Configure Sources section in the System Configuration Wizard, or the MicroStrategy Information Source Wizard from the Narrowcast Administrator object browser. For more information about configuring a MicroStrategy Information Source, refer to Information source modules and information sources in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide. Once an information source has been configured to point to a MicroStrategy project, you can add MicroStrategy reports from that project to your services. HTML content can support both grid and graph modes, while Excel and plain text content support only grid mode. For more information about using MicroStrategy reports in your services, refer to Dynamic Content and Personalization in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Report Services documents


In MicroStrategy Desktop, Report Services enables a report designer to create visually appealing, presentation-quality reports using a page layout broken into logical sections. When creating a document, the designer can specify what data appears, control how it will be laid out and formatted, and identify how it should be grouped, sorted, totaled and if and how page breaks should occur. The designer can insert pictures and draw borders in the document. All of these capabilities allow for the creation of reports that are suitable for presentation to management or printing for boardroom quality material. In Narrowcast Server, services can include Report Services documents (called documents in Desktop). These documents are already created in Desktop and linked from within Narrowcast Administrator, the Service Wizard, or the Publication Wizard. While you cannot modify these documents from within Narrowcast Server, you can add them to services for standard report delivery, in the same manner as other documents. Report Services documents are supported in PDF, Excel, and Flash format. For more information on Report Services documents in MicroStrategy Desktop, refer to the MicroStrategy Document Creation Guide. For more information about using Report Services documents in your services, refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

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HTML documents
In MicroStrategy Desktop, an HTML document is the standard container for formatting, displaying, and distributing multiple reports on the same page, or at the same time within a project. A report designer can modify the appearance of an HTML document, just like any other HTML page, to include text, images, hyperlinks, tables, and one or more report objects. HTML documents are used to create dashboard and scorecards, both popular ways to display and distribute data from business intelligence projects. In Narrowcast Server, services can include HTML documents. These documents are already created in Desktop and linked from within Narrowcast Administrator, the Service Wizard, or the Publication Wizard. While you cannot modify these documents from within Narrowcast Server, you can add them to services for standard report delivery, in the same manner as other documents. HTML documents are supported in HTML format only.
Note: These are not the same as HTML documents created in Narrowcast Server; documents created in Desktop and linked to from Narrowcast Server cannot be opened and edited in Narrowcast Server.

C O N C E P T S

For more information on HTML documents in MicroStrategy Desktop, refer to the MicroStrategy Advanced Reporting Guide. For more information about using HTML documents in your services, refer to the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

User information
Narrowcast Server makes it easy to include user information such as first name, last name, and other user variables in service content. This is designed to help you personalize messages with content such as Dear Mr. John Q. Smith, or to insert the subscriber's name, address, zip code, country, or other personal information into the service. User information is stored in the Subscription Book Repository when a subscriber is created and is retrieved when a service is executed. New types of user information can be added as needed.

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System information
System information such as service name, service ID, and execution time and date expressed in Universal Time Coordinates or as specified by the user, can be easily included in services. This service execution information can be used to track messages using the internal execution ID identify when reports were generated or saved by including the date and time maintain text files containing service names

Subscription information
Sometimes it is useful to include subscription information such as the subscriber's physical address (for example, JohnQSmith@sample_corp.org) in the content of a service. One example of this is the Unique Message Identifier, or UMI, which can be included in each message to uniquely identify that message at a later date. Narrowcast Server makes it easy to include subscription information in service content, including user name, address, subscription ID, and other subscription characteristics.

Content formatting
Once all of the dynamic content information required for a given subscription has been retrieved from information sources, that content is formatted, or rendered, into a document. First, each piece of dynamic content (information object) is transformed into a document element. For MicroStrategy Grid reports and other XMLbased information objects, this is done by XSL processing or transforming. After every document element in a given document definition has been processed, Narrowcast Server renders a completed document by combining the document template with the document elements. The result is a single document that includes both the static content from the document template (such as page layout for HTML documents or the original Excel workbook for Excel documents) and the dynamic content from MicroStrategy report results and other information objects.

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Documents
A document is a complete, formatted object of a specific type that is ready to be transmitted by the Delivery Engine. Each document has a specific type, such as HTML, Excel, or an imported file, and acts as a container for both static and dynamic content. Depending on the document type, the document is created through different Document Editors. Dynamic content is included in the form of information objects, which are used to get dynamic information from information sources. During service execution, information objects are transformed into document elements and then inserted into document templates. Each document element consists of one or more information objects, plus processing and error handling instructions. The document templates provide the structure and layout for the document. Like documents, both information objects and document elements have types. Each might be text, XML, an image, or possibly a custom type from a customized information source module. XML document elements can support more than one XML information object, while text or image document elements can only support one information object of that same type. XML document elements are assigned XSL stylesheets, which convert the XML into other formats such as HTML.
Note: To use more than one report or other XML-based information object in a document element, a custom XSL stylesheet must be created and applied to that document element. The XSL stylesheets that are provided with Narrowcast Server cannot be used in this situation.

C O N C E P T S

Documents are typically created by the application designer.

Document formatters
A document formatter transforms the raw data of the information objects and the structure of the document templates into a complete, formatted document. Information objects in each document element definition are processed to produce a rendered document element. The document elements and the document template in the document definition are then integrated to create a rendered document. Document formatter operations include tasks such as XSL processing and transformation, XML merging, character replacement, and string padding. Formatting rules can account for device characteristics, locale definition, and other recipient-specific formatting control information.

Content formatting

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Each document formatter supports only one document type. Document types include Excel HTML plain text imported document

Message transmission
The last step in the subscription fulfillment process is to send the formatted information to the recipients.

Information transmitters
An information transmitter is an object that delivers formatted content to recipient devices. An information transmitter might serve the purpose of sending e-mail via SMTP or wireless messages using a short message service (SMS) gateway. In general, an information transmitter supports one type of transmission technology, such as SMTP, FTP, HTTP, SMPP, or ODBC, although it can support multiple types. Information transmitters depend on information transmission modules (ITM), which are software components designed to support a particular delivery capability. For example, MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server provides the following information transmission modules: E-Mail (SMTP) ITM for e-mail (SMTP) and wireless (SMTP) transmissions File ITM for saving files to networked computers and remote servers using the Windows file system Print ITM for printing to shared network printers SMS (SMPP v3.3/3.4) ITM for transmission to an SMS gateway Portal ITM for transmission to the Subscription Portal Content capabilities vary from one delivery technology to the next. For example, the E-Mail (SMTP) ITM supports plain text documents for the subject, alternate message body, and attachments. The File ITM can contain one or more documents of any type in its body. The Print ITM supports text and HTML documents as well as Report Services documents in its body. The SMS (SMPP) ITM supports one plain text document for

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both the message body and an optional control document. The Portal ITM can contain HTML or plain text documents in its body and any document type as an attachment. The ITM is responsible for indicating the documents and document types it supports, as well as the arrangement of these documents. These characteristics distinguish a publication designed for one information transmitter from a publication designed for another. Both the Publication Wizard and the Service Wizard reflect these differences as different sections in their content specification sections. For this reason, each publication can be used with only one specific information transmitter. To correctly deliver content to end users, the ITM needs to be able to get instructions from the Delivery Engine on how messages should be packaged and sent. With e-mail, for example, some devices support only UUEncoding to package formatted content, while others support only a specific subset of multi-part MIME encoding. At the same time, the Narrowcast Administrator must be able to determine the device characteristics a particular information transmitter supports. Because of this, ITMs are responsible for providing a user interface to define device characteristics. Those characteristics are stored in the Object Repository and later retrieved by information transmitters to control packaging and delivery. Information transmitters and devices are created by the system administrator. For more information, refer to Information transmission modules and information transmitters in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide.

C O N C E P T S

Next steps
The following topics identify additional Narrowcast Server tasks and indicate the manual containing instructions and supporting information for each task. The tasks are organized into groups based on who completes them and when they are to be performed. Some tasks, such as Create a new system and a new Object Repository, must be completed once by the system administrator to define a system. Other tasks, such as Connect to a system and an Object Repository, need to be completed only by Narrowcast Administrator users connecting a new Narrowcast Administrator installation to an existing system. Finally, some tasks are performed intermittently after a system has been constructed.

Next steps

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C O N C E P T S

System setup tasks


This group of tasks is most often performed either by or with the assistance of the system administrator after you are familiar with Narrowcast Server by completing the getting started tasks. Completion of these tasks is required for Narrowcast Administrator users to be able to design services or modify the Subscription Portal configuration for a development, test, or production system. Completion of the planning and machine configuration tasks is particularly important for systems that will be used in production environments, to ensure adequate performance and reliable operation.
Preparation tasks (System Administrator Guide) 1.

Establish supporting resources. Microsoft Windows Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and associated Windows domain Windows account in the chosen domain relational database servers for the Object Repository and Subscription Book Repository MicroStrategy Intelligence Servers SMTP routing server or mail transfer agent (also referred to as a smart host) website clustering hardware or software

Required:

Optional:

2.

Plan your system. Choose machines for each of the following components:

distribution managers execution engines MicroStrategy Logging Server Subscription Portal SequeLink (SLAgent 54, SLSocket54 services) Narrowcast Administrator

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Machine configuration tasks (System Administrator Guide) 1.

Configure hard drives, including partitioned drives. Determine locations for the following:

C O N C E P T S

program files temporary and working files output files Install and configure the operating system: language service packs and Hotfixes network configuration

2.

3.

Install ODBC connectivity and configure data source names (DSNs). Every machine in a system must have the same DSNs for each of the following databases:

Object Repository Subscription Book Repository dynamic subscription database (optional) Configure Web support resources: clustering, including load balancing and failover security (firewalls, SSL, site access control)

4.

Installation and system configuration tasks (Installation and Configuration Guide) 1.


Install Narrowcast Server. Narrowcast Server Narrowcast Administrator MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery

Required:

Optional:

Next steps

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C O N C E P T S

2.

Create and configure a new system: Create an Object Repository. Create a Subscription Book Repository. Define a cluster configuration. Configure MicroStrategy projects, and other information sources. Configure e-mail, SMS, and other information transmitters. Test the configuration:

3.

Run a service. Create a subscription.

Installation and connection tasks (Installation and Configuration Guide)

Note: This set of tasks is only for connecting Narrowcast Administrator to a system that already exists.

1.

Install Narrowcast Administrator: Narrowcast Server should not be installed. MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery is not required. Connect to an existing system.

2.

Required: valid Narrowcast Administrator account Object Repository and Subscription Book Repository DSNs Object Repository login and password system prefix

Application development tasks


This group of tasks is most often performed by the application designer. Each of these tasks might be performed many times and in any order during the life of the Narrowcast Server system. Before you can perform any of these tasks, however, you must set up and configure a system by completing the System setup tasks mentioned previously.

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Portal administration tasks (Application Designer Guide) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Create or modify a site definition. Create or modify channels for a site. Publish services on a site. Publish device types on a site. Select a default device and a portal device for a site. Specify information source properties for a site. Specify default preferences for a site.

C O N C E P T S

Service development tasks (Application Designer Guide) 1.


Design services: Define overall service content specification. Define delivery rules (scheduled or alert-driven). Determine dynamic or personalized content elements. Define personalization strategy. Establish sources of dynamic or personalized content. Create, modify and delete objects:

2.

services schedules subscription sets documents publications information objects question objects imported files Test and troubleshoot services.

3.

Next steps

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C O N C E P T S

System administration tasks


This group of tasks is most often performed by the system administrator. Each of these tasks might be performed many times and in any order during the life of the Narrowcast Server system. Before you can perform any of these tasks, however, you must set up and configure a system by completing the System setup tasks mentioned previously.
Advanced configuration tasks (System Administrator Guide) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Create, modify, and delete locales. Create, modify, and delete Narrowcast Administrator accounts. Register and unregister custom information source modules. Create, modify, and delete information sources. Create, modify, and delete document formatters. Create, modify, and delete information transmitters. Create, modify, and delete devices. Add, modify, and remove distribution managers. Add, modify, and remove execution engines.

10. Modify the MicroStrategy Logging Server configuration. 11. Start and stop the system. Subscription Book administration tasks (Application Designer Guide) 1. 2. 3.

Create, modify, and delete users. Create, modify, and delete addresses. Create, modify, and delete subscriptions.

System tuning, monitoring and maintenance tasks (System Administrator Guide) 1.


Tune your system: service execution website responsiveness

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2.

Monitor your system: system resources system performance execution flow errors and other events Maintain your system:

C O N C E P T S

3.

Replace hardware. Maintain hard disk drives. Maintain databases.

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SECTION II

Interfaces

II

I N T E R F A C E

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I N T E R F A C E

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Interfaces

C H A PT E R

Narrowcast Administrator
What is it?

The Narrowcast Administrator is a graphical interface for controlling Narrowcast Server. It serves as the point of access to the editors and wizards that enable Narrowcast Server functionality such as creating applications and starting the Narrowcast Server system. Administration objects such as execution engines and information transmitters, application objects such as schedules and services, and the scheduled service queue are displayed in the object browser window of the Narrowcast Administrator.
How can I access it?

I N T E R F A C E

The Narrowcast Administrator opens when you launch Narrowcast Server. From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, then to MicroStrategy, then choose Narrowcast Server and select Narrowcast Administrator.
What can I do with it?

You can use the options available in the Narrowcast Administrator to add or edit an object delete an object cut, copy, and paste an object find an object rename an object change the status of an object browse a hierarchy of objects start and stop the Narrowcast Server system run a service register and unregister multiple Narrowcast Server system

77

view the definition and properties of an object specify settings for system governing define the locations of the Object Repository and Subscription Book Repository
I N T E R F A C E

view scheduled services change the appearance of the Narrowcast Administrator interface return to the Narrowcast Server home page For a detailed, step-by-step description of how to perform some of these tasks, refer to the following How Do I...? topic: Narrowcast Administrator Procedures The remainder of these tasks are detailed in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide and the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.
What should I know before I use it?

Before you use the Narrowcast Administrator, you should familiarize yourself with concepts associated with applications concepts associated with administering a Narrowcast Server system For conceptual information addressing one or more of the topics listed, refer to the Concepts topic Narrowcast Server Services

Narrowcast Administrator layout


The Narrowcast Administrator includes a menu bar that, in addition to standard Windows style menus (File, Edit, View, Window, and Help), includes System and Tools menus that contain options specific to Narrowcast Server toolbars that provide, among other options, the capability to

create a new object run a service find an existing object start and stop Narrowcast Server

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activate and deactivate a service open the Subscription Book

a Location list box that lists the available objects in the navigational tree and the currently selected item, and takes over navigation when the navigational tree is hidden one or more object browsers, each similar to Windows Explorer, each of which is divided into two sections:

A folder list located on the left displays the folders and objects in your system in a navigational tree format. The folder list displays the Administration folder, which contains folders for each type of administration object (Subscription Book, distribution manager, execution engine, and so on) that you can create for your system; and the Applications folder, which contains application objects for your system. A display area on the right shows the contents of the selected folder, including the Name, Type, and Status of the objects in the selected folder. The information shown in the display area varies depending on the folder selected. For more information, see Object browser display area.

I N T E R F A C E

a status bar located along the bottom of the Narrowcast Administrator window that displays the name of the currently selected Narrowcast Server system, as well as the name of the user logged in and the current date and time The following sections address menu bar and toolbar options, the Narrowcast Server: Home page, object browser display area information available from the Narrowcast Administrator, and selecting, opening, and saving objects in Narrowcast Administrator.

The menu bar


The File, View, Window, and Help menu bars contain standard Windows options that are familiar to users of Windows applications. The Edit, System, and Tools menu bar options contain items unique to the Narrowcast Administrator. Items available under the Edit menu New command vary depending on what type of object has the focus, either an administration object or an application object. For administration objects, the New command allows you only to add administration objects to specific folders. For example, you can add a new execution engine only to the execution engine folder, a new information transmitter to the information transmission modules folder, and so on. For application objects, the New command allows you to create any application object, such as a service or document.
Narrowcast Administrator layout 79

Note: If you select an object, within either the Administration or Applications folder, and right-click, you see the same options as you would see under the Edit menu New command.
I N T E R F A C E

The tables that follow describe the function of these product-unique choices.

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Edit menu options: administration object focus

Menu option
New

Function
Displays a list of administration objects you can create; this is specific to your location within the Administration folder Opens the dialog box to add a distribution manager define parameters for the distribution manager

Distribution Manager

Execution Engine

Opens the dialog box to add an execution engine define parameters for the execution engine

I N T E R F A C E

Information Source Module Information Source Document Formatter Information Transmitter Device Folder Locale Account Rename Names/Descriptions Definition Activate/Deactivate Find

Opens the dialog box to register an information source module Opens the dialog box to add an information source Opens the dialog box to register a document formatting module and define a document formatter Opens the dialog box to register and configure an information transmission module Opens the dialog box to add a device Creates a new folder within the Devices folder Opens the Locale Editor to define and edit a new locale Opens the Add Accounts dialog box to create new Narrowcast Server user accounts Renames the selected object Allows you to specify a name and description within each locale for the selected object Opens the appropriate dialog box, editor, or wizard to define the selected object Activates or deactivates the selected item Opens the Find dialog box to find existing objects.

Narrowcast Administrator layout

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Edit menu options: application object focus

Menu option
New...

Function
Displays a list of application objects you can create Opens the Service Wizard to create a service Opens the Schedule Wizard to create a schedule Opens the Subscription Selection dialog box, which allows you to choose whether to create a new dynamic subscription set or a new static subscription set Opens the Service Editor to create a service Opens the Publication Wizard to create a publication Opens the New Document dialog box to create a document Opens the Select Information Source dialog box, which allows you to choose which information source to use to create a new information object Opens the Select Information Source dialog box, which allows you to choose which information source to use to create a new question object Allows you to import a file into the system Creates a new folder in the selected directory Rename the selected object Allows you to specify a name and description within each locale for the selected object Opens the appropriate dialog box, wizard, or editor to define the selected object Activates or deactivates the selected item Runs the currently selected service immediately, regardless of its schedule; this option is available only if the selected object is a service Opens the Find dialog to find existing objects.

I N T E R F A C E

Service (Wizard) Schedule Subscription Set

Service (Editor) Publication Document Information Object

Question Object

Imported File Folder Rename Names/Descriptions Definition Activate/Deactivate Run immediately

Find

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System menu options

Menu option
Configure New System Register Existing System <your system name> Edit System Configuration

Definition
Opens the System Configuration Wizard to allow you to create a new Narrowcast Server system Opens the System Configuration Wizard to allow you to connect to an existing system

Opens the System Configuration Wizard at the Subscription Book section, Overview page, to allow you to edit items such as the Subscription Book Repository, clustering, information sources, and information transmitters Disconnects the Narrowcast Administrator from this system; the system still exists and can still be connected to later on Starts the Delivery Engine Stops the Delivery Engine Permanently destroys your system, deleting all tables in the Object Repository and removing all components from all machines in the system; you can then reuse these machines for another system, if needed Opens the System Governing Settings dialog box to set distribution manager startup settings, such as the port number used to communicate with other Delivery Engine machines service execution parameters, such as the maximum number of segments in an execution console setting, which is the locale used for display logging setting, which turns transmission recording on and off

I N T E R F A C E

Unregister System

Start System Stop System Destroy System

Set Governing Settings

Narrowcast Administrator layout

83

Tools menu options

Menu option
View System Messages

Function
Opens the System Message Viewer, which displays a list of messages regarding the most recent service execution Opens the Subscription Book Editor to administer the Subscription Book Opens the Edit Available User Properties dialog box. Opens the Subscription Book Synchronization Wizard to import and synchronize subscription book information Opens the Narrowcast Server Upgrade tool to upgrade your existing Narrowcast Server system to the latest version Opens the Configure Object Management dialog box in which you can set actions for specific cases that occur while moving objects between two repositories Opens the Administrative Notification dialog box, in which you can configure the messages and specify the notification addresses for the messages Opens a Preferences dialog box, which allows you to set preferences for deleting dependent objects, set browsing options, and allows Narrowcast Administrator to display either the shared repository connection or the users individual repository connection. Opens the Repository Copy dialog box in which you can choose to copy the Object Repository and the Subscription Book Repository

I N T E R F A C E

Open Subscription Book Edit Available User Properties Synchronize Subscription Data

Upgrade Narrowcast Server System Configure Object Management

Set Administrative Notification

Preferences

Copy Repository

The toolbars
The most frequently used menu options are duplicated on the toolbars, where they are accessible by means of icons. Each toolbar can be visible or hidden, depending on your preference. Right-click the toolbar and select or clear the check box next to the toolbar you want to hide or show. Each toolbar is described below.
Edit toolbar

New displays a list of application objects you can create when you click the arrow next to the button:
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Service (Wizard) Schedule Subscription Set Service (Editor) Publication Document Information Object Question Object Imported File Folder
I N T E R F A C E

By default, all application objects are saved to the main Applications folder unless a specific folder within the Applications folder is selected.
Note: When you click directly on the New button, the Service Wizard opens to create a new service.

Rename allows you to rename the selected object. Names and Descriptions displays the names and descriptions, for each locale, of the selected item for editing. Edit Definition displays the selected item definition for editing. Activate/Deactivate Selected Object activates or deactivates the selected item. Run Immediately runs the selected service immediately. Cut cuts the currently selected item. Copy copies the currently selected item. Paste pastes the clipboard object into the same folder as the currently selected object. Delete Selected Object opens the Delete Confirmation dialog box. Find opens the Find dialog box. Refresh refreshes the currently selected folder.
System toolbar

Edit System Configuration opens the System Configuration Wizard at the Subscription Book section.
Narrowcast Administrator layout 85

Configure new system opens the System Configuration Wizard at the Welcome section. Register existing system opens the System Configuration Wizard at the System section.
I N T E R F A C E

Start starts the Narrowcast Server. Stop stops the Narrowcast Server.
Application toolbar

View System Messages opens the System Message Viewer. Open the Subscription Book opens the Subscription Book Editor. Synchronize Subscription Data opens the Subscription Book Synchronization Wizard.
Schedule queue toolbar

Set Queue Parameters opens the Modify Schedule Queue Parameters dialog box to edit settings such as the number of scheduled executions to display.
Execution queue toolbar

Cancel Execution cancels execution of the selected service. Pause Execution pauses execution of the selected service. Resume Execution resumes execution of the selected service.
Help toolbar

Home opens the Narrowcast Server: Home page. Help opens MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server online help.

Narrowcast Server: Home page


When you open the Narrowcast Administrator to work with the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery system you always start on the Narrowcast Server: Home page. This page is the starting point for all tutorial-related activities. For more information, see Home in chapter 1, Narrowcast Server System.

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If you did not install the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery, the Narrowcast Server: Home page is still available but does not provide any tutorial activities. Instead, it provides information on available features and functionality.

Object browser display area


The display area on the right side of the Narrowcast Administrator object browser shows the contents of the selected folder as well as information about the folder contents. For most folders, the following information is listed: Name: the name of the item in the folder Type: the type of item, for example, service, publication, execution engine Status: active or inactive Owner: the name of the user who created the item Creation Time: when the item was created Modification Time: when the item was last modified Description: a description of the item, if entered If you select certain folders, the information displayed about the folder contents is different. If you select the Scheduled Services folder, the following information is listed: Service: the name of the service Subscription Set: the name of subscription set for this service Schedule: the name of the schedule for this service Execution Time: the time this service is scheduled to execute
Note: By default, services using the Send Now schedule, primarily those

I N T E R F A C E

used when MicroStrategy Web users select the Send Now option for a Web project supported by your Narrowcast Server system, do not appear in the scheduled services display. This is due to the frequency of service execution (once every minute) with this schedule, which would create a very long list if you chose, for example, to display everything scheduled for the next 24 hours. You would see 24 x 60 (or 1,440) services in the list for the Send Now schedule alone.

Narrowcast Administrator layout

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If you select the Distribution Managers folder and select a distribution manager, the following information is listed: Service Name: the name of the service
I N T E R F A C E

Service ID: a unique numeric ID assigned to this service by Narrowcast Server External ID: an optional numeric ID that can be provided by an external system when executing a service through the Delivery Engine API. This ID is not used for services executed through the Narrowcast Administrator using a schedule or run immediately functionality. Execution ID: a unique numeric ID assigned to a specific execution of a service by Narrowcast Server. This ID can be used to differentiate different executions of the same service. Execution Timestamp: the date and time the service began execution Expiration Timestamp: the date and time the service execution will expire. If the service has not completed execution by this time, all pending and executing segments for this service execution are cancelled. In other words, all segments in the segment execution queue are cancelled and all segments currently being processed by execution engines stop execution and no further subscriptions are processed. Total Segments: the total number of segments for this service Segments Pending: the number of segments waiting to execute Segments Executing: the number of segments currently executing Segments Complete: the number of segments that have already executed Priority: the relative priority of the service. This number controls the order in which services are removed from the service execution queue for segmentation, and the order in which segments are removed from the segment execution queue for assignment to an execution engine. This setting is defined in the Service Editor. Status: active or inactive For more information about distribution managers, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide. If you select the Execution Engines folder and select an execution engine, the following information is listed: Service Name: the name of the service Service ID: a unique numeric ID assigned to a service by Narrowcast Server. The ID shown here is the Service ID for the executing segment.

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External ID: an optional numeric ID that can be provided by an external system when executing a service through the Delivery Engine API. This ID is not used for services executed through the Narrowcast Administrator using a schedule or run immediately functionality. The ID shown here is the External ID for the executing segment. Execution ID: a unique numeric ID assigned to a specific execution of a service by Narrowcast Server. This ID can be used to differentiate different executions of the same service. Execution Timestamp: the date and time the service began execution Expiration Timestamp: the date and time the service execution will expire. If the service has not completed execution by this time, all pending and executing segments for this service execution are cancelled. In other words, all segments in the segment execution queue are cancelled and all segments currently being processed by execution engines stop execution and no further subscriptions are processed. Segment ID: A unique numeric ID assigned to each segment within a service by Narrowcast Server. This ID is used to track and record the success or failure of specific segments as they are processed by the execution engines. Subscriptions: a number indicating the number of subscriptions for this segment. If the segment execution is completely successful, each subscription results in a unique message being delivered to a recipient. The content delivered may or may not be unique depending on the service design. Priority: the relative priority of the service. This number controls the order in which services are removed from the service execution queue for segmentation, and the order in which segments are removed from the segment execution queue for assignment to an execution engine. This setting is defined in the Service Editor. Status: active or inactive Executing EE: the execution engine machine on which the segment is currently being executed. Failover EE: the execution engine machine that will be used to continue execution of this segment in the event the current executing execution engine encounters a failure while executing this segment. For more information about execution engines, see the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server System Administrator Guide.
I N T E R F A C E

Narrowcast Administrator layout

89

Selecting, opening, and saving objects


While using Narrowcast Administrator, you frequently need to select, open, and save objects. You perform this task in many situations, including selecting an Excel template for an Excel document, saving a service, and opening a reusable document from within a document editor. The dialog boxes for performing these tasks are similar to those for opening and saving files using Windows Explorer.
Select dialog box

I N T E R F A C E

When you need to select an object from within one of the editors and wizards in Narrowcast Administrator, you are provided with a dialog box that you can use to locate and choose the desired object. This dialog box has a title with the word Select, followed by the type of object that you need to choose. For example, if you are editing a document and you insert an existing information object using the Insert menu, a Select Information Object dialog box opens. Similarly, when you elect to use a reusable document for the HTML content of a service from the Service Wizard, a Select HTML Document dialog box opens. The behavior of the Select dialog box varies depending on the type of object you are selecting. Look in: This drop-down list indicates the folder in which you are currently searching. You can select a different folder to change your current search location. Some types of objects can only be stored in specific folders. Narrowcast Administrator automatically chooses the correct folder for you when you need to select one of these objects. Object Type: This drop-down list indicates what type of objects are shown in the folder contents. Folders are always shown, regardless of this setting. This selector can be automatically set by Narrowcast Administrator, depending on the type of object you need to locate. Folder contents: The contents of the folder in which you are currently searching are shown in the center of the dialog box. You can change the way folder contents are displayed by clicking the display mode buttons to show folder contents in either small icons mode or details mode. Viewing folder contents in details mode enables you to sort the folder contents by object name, type, and creation time by clicking the appropriate column headers. When you select an object, you are not actually opening or loading the object into an editor or wizard. Thus you cannot modify that object, and you are not asked to save it.

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Open dialog box

When you need to open an object from within one of the editors and wizards in Narrowcast Administrator, you are provided with a dialog box that you can use to locate and choose the desired object. This process is nearly identical to what you do when you select an object. The dialog box for opening an object has a title with the word Open, followed by the type of object that you need to open. For example, if you are editing a document and you select Open Document from the File menu, an Open Document dialog box opens. The behavior of the Open dialog box varies depending on that type of object you are opening, similar to the way the Select dialog box behavior varies.
Save dialog box

I N T E R F A C E

When you need to save an object from within one of the editors and wizards in Narrowcast Administrator, you are provided with a dialog box that you can use to choose the desired folder location for the object, and the object name. This dialog box has a title with the word Save, followed by the type of object you are saving. For example, if you are editing an HTML document and you select Save As from the File menu, a Save HTML Document dialog box opens. The behavior of the Save dialog box varies depending on the type of object you are saving. For example, certain objects such as devices can only be saved inside specific folders. The Save dialog box prevents you from saving an object in an inappropriate folder.
Note: Object names cannot have more than 127 characters. If you attempt to save an object with a name that has more than 127 characters, the name is truncated to the first 127 characters.

Folder considerations

When working with device and application folders, it is important to consider the impact that creating new folders and saving objects to various folders can have on your application. First, any user might need to locate an object that you save, so you should use a folder structure that makes it easy for you and other users to find the objects you create. Second, if a folder is published on a Subscription Portal site as a channel, any services or folders that you create inside that folder are also shown automatically on the Subscription Portal. Third, if a device folder is selected for a device type using the Portal Administration Wizard, and you insert a device into that folder, that device is available automatically on the Subscription Portal.
Narrowcast Administrator layout 91

I N T E R F A C E

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C H A PT E R

Tutorial Configuration Dialog Set


What is it?

The Tutorial Configuration dialog set is a series of dialog boxes that allow you to easily set up your Tutorial system.
Note: You do not see an interface named Tutorial Configuration dialog set; it is a term for a series of dialog boxes that allow you to perform an action.

I N T E R F A C E

How can I access it?

The first dialog box in the Tutorial Configuration dialog set, Welcome, opens when you launch the Narrowcast Administrator. From the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, then to MicroStrategy, then choose Narrowcast Server and select Narrowcast Administrator. You only see the Tutorial Configuration dialog set if you have an Evaluation Edition of Narrowcast Server or if, during Narrowcast Server installation, you chose to install and configure the MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery.
What can I do with it?

When you complete the information requested in the three dialog boxes that are part of the Tutorial Configuration dialog set, you set up your first Narrowcast Server system, named Tutorial System. You can then access the services and instructional materials that are provided as a part of this system to help you learn how to use Narrowcast Server. For more information, refer to the following Concepts topics: Install and configure the tutorial system MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery pages MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery

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Welcome dialog box


This dialog box allows you to determine whether Narrowcast Server will deliver messages via e-mail or save messages to file.
I N T E R F A C E

If you are online and have access to an e-mail account, it is recommended that you choose to deliver messages via e-mail. In this case, provide an e-mail address in the form sara@sarascompany.com. If you are offline or do not have an e-mail account, you can choose to save messages to a folder location for later viewing. Select a folder location where messages should be saved and note this location so you can find these messages in the future.

Select an Available MicroStrategy Intelligence Server dialog box


This dialog box opens if you do not have a running MicroStrategy Intelligence Server on the local machine. If you have MicroStrategy Intelligence Server installed but not running, start MicroStrategy Intelligence Server and click OK. If you have not yet installed MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, but intend to do so on the local machine, click Cancel. You can then exit Narrowcast Administrator and install MicroStrategy Intelligence Server at any time. The next time you start Narrowcast Administrator, this MicroStrategy Intelligence Server is automatically found as long as it is running. If you have MicroStrategy Intelligence Server installed on a different machine, provide the machine name and the login and password for the MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.

Summary dialog box


This dialog box notifies you of any errors that were encountered and allows you to link to specific help topics to resolve each problem. If you encounter a problem repeatedly as you enter Narrowcast Administrator and you do not want Narrowcast Server to automatically try to resolve the problem, select the check box at the bottom of the dialog box. Selecting this check box is not recommended for first-time users.

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C H A PT E R

Delete Objects Dialog Box


What is it?

The Delete Objects dialog box allows you to view all the dependents of an object and choose to delete all the dependent objects along with the selected object.
How do I access it?

I N T E R F A C E

Right-click an object and select Delete. The Delete Objects dialog box is displayed if the following conditions are satisfied: the selected object has dependent objects, and the user confirms deletion of the object. the option to view dependent objects has been set in the Preferences dialog box.
What can I do with it?

Through the Delete Objects dialog box you can view the dependent objects of the selected object. delete the dependent objects and the selected object. For instructions on this topic, refer to the following How do I...? topic: Narrowcast Administrator Procedures

Delete Objects dialog box layout


The Delete Objects dialog box displays the dependents of the object that you want to delete. You can sort the list of dependents by clicking on any of the column headers. If all the objects in the search cannot be recursively deleted because of permissions, the objects that can be deleted are displayed with a green check against them, whereas objects that cannot be deleted are displayed with a red cross against them. Click Delete All to delete all the objects recursively.
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C H A PT E R

Find Dialog Box

What is it?

The Find dialog box allows you to easily find existing objects in your system.
How can I access it?

I N T E R F A C E

Select Find from the Edit menu or click Find on the Edit toolbar.
What can I do with it?

You can find an object using the following criteria: name and location of the object creation and modification dates object type object dependencies (what the object uses or is used by) For more information, refer to the following How Do I...? topic: Narrowcast Administrator Procedures

Find dialog box layout


The Narrowcast Server Find dialog box is similar to the Find dialog box used in Microsoft Windows. Multiple Find dialog boxes can be opened in Narrowcast Administrator at any time. This dialog box can be resized as needed. Several buttons appear on this dialog box: Find Now: Click to start the search based on the parameters that you have specified. This generates a list of all the items meeting this criteria. New Search: Click to clear the current search criteria from all the tabs so you can start a new search. The system prompts you to confirm deletion before you initiate a new search.
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Object Tree: Click to open the Object parent dependencies dialog box that gives you a tree view of the dependents of the object. Close: Click to close the Find dialog box. Help: Click to view online Help for the Find dialog box.
I N T E R F A C E

The following tabs are provided for different types of search criteria: Name and Location tab Date tab Type tab Dependencies tab Display Options tab When a search is executed, all objects that are found appear in a list in the lower part of the dialog box. For each object, the following information is included by default: Name Type Modification time Creation time Path This information can be set from the Display Options tab. You can sort the list of dependent objects based on the fields displayed for each object. Sorting is enabled by clicking on the column header. For example, if you want to sort the dependent objects by Creation Time, click on the Creation Time column header.

Name and Location tab


The Name and Location tab allows you to specify the name of the object to be searched for as well as the folder location to be searched. The following fields appear on this tab: Named: Use this box to enter or select the name of the object you want to find (for example Welcome). You can use the wildcard characters, where * represents any number of characters, and ? represents exactly one character. After you execute a search and close the Find dialog box, the name is saved and can be selected from the Named drop-down list. Up to ten names are saved. If no wildcards are used, only objects with the exact name that you entered or selected will be found.

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Look in: Use this box to specify the location from which the search will begin. This can be as general as the root directory of your system or a particular subfolder within the system hierarchy. For example, you can look in the \\Applications directory or in the \\Applications\Microstrategy Tutorial\Services directory. Click the browse button to open the Browse for Folder dialog box to navigate to the appropriate search location. If you are not sure which subfolder an object is in or want to search all subfolders in a folder, select the Include subfolders check box. All subfolders within the folder identified in the Look in box will be searched.
Note: When a search is performed based on an object name, the search looks at object names for all locales. However, the object names that are returned are displayed in the display locale. In other words, if you create an object and name it English Object in the display locale and name the same object French Object in the French locale, a search for French returns English Object in the Find dialog box.

I N T E R F A C E

Date tab
The Date tab allows you to search for an object based on its creation or modification date. Select the Limit search results based on creation or last modified date check box to activate this option. Then specify one of the following dates: Between the dates: Select to specify two dates between which the object you want to find was created or modified. Either type the dates in the two boxes or click the arrow on the right of each box to select a date from a calendar. During the previous ... day(s): Select to specify the number of days back from the current date to search for the object. Either enter the number or use the arrows to select a number. If you select 5, for example, only objects created in the last five days are part of the search. During the previous ... month(s): Select to specify the number of months back from the current month to search for the object. Either enter the number or use the arrows to select a number. If you select 2, for example, only objects created in the last two months are part of the search.

Find dialog box layout

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Type tab
The Type tab allows you to search for particular types of objects. For example, you can search for subscription sets or services or certain types of documents.
I N T E R F A C E

On the Type tab, select the object types and subtypes from the list. By default, all objects types are selected. If you select an object type that contains subtypes, for example, Application Objects, all subtypes are automatically selected. The object types in the list expand and collapse to show and hide subtypes.

Dependencies tab
The Dependencies tab allows you perform advanced searches based on object dependencies. This search is available only for administration and application objects. You can also right-click any Administration or Application object and select the Find dependents option to view the list of dependents for that object. Select the Perform search based upon object dependencies check box to enable the search options. Add: allows you to add an object to the search list. Remove: allows you to remove an object from the search list. You can perform a search based on two options. that use the selected object: Select this option if you want to search for objects that use the selected object. that are used by the selected objects: Select this option if you want to search for objects that are used by the selected object. You can select multiple objects, and search for dependents based on two options. Belong to at least one of the selected objects: Select this option if you want to search for an object that belongs to at least one of the selected objects. Belong to all of the selected objects: Select this option if you want to search for an object that belongs to all of the selected objects. Search for objects recursively: enables the search to include all files and subdirectories within the main search directory. This check box is not selected by default.

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Display Options tab


The Display Options tab allows you to change the display settings for the search results. You can choose the columns to display in the search results window. These columns include: Name Type Modification time Creation time Path Status Owner It also allows you to set the browsing options: Show hidden objects: allows you to view hidden and embedded objects in the object browser of Narrowcast Administrator. This check box is enabled only if the browsing options are set in the Preferences dialog box. For more information, see Preferences Dialog Box.
I N T E R F A C E

Object parent dependencies


The Object parent dependencies dialog box provides a tree view of the dependents of the object that you select. The tree view is useful when you modify an object and want to know the impact of modifying that object. This dialog box can be accessed when you click Object Tree on the Dependencies tab of the Find dialog box, or when you right-click an object and select Parent dependencies from the shortcut menu. The Object parent dependencies dialog box has a View menu that includes the following options. These options are also available in the toolbar of this dialog box. Expand all nodes: expands all levels of the hierarchy for the selected object so that every object and its children are displayed. Collapse all nodes: collapses the whole hierarchy so that only the originally selected object is displayed.
Note: The Expand all nodes and Collapse all nodes options apply only to the selected object.

Find dialog box layout

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Object parent dependencies: displays the parent objects of the selected object in the Parent dependencies dialog box. Object child dependencies: displays the child objects of the selected object in the Child dependencies dialog box.
I N T E R F A C E

Find dependents: opens the Find dialog box that shows all the dependents in a flat view. This option can also be accessed when you right-click an object and select Find dependents from the shortcut menu. Refresh: refreshes the screen. Help: displays the online Help for the Object parent dependencies dialog box.

Object child dependencies


The Object child dependencies dialog box displays the child objects of the selected object. This dialog box can be accessed when you right-click an object and select Child dependencies from the shortcut menu. The Object child dependencies dialog box has a View menu that includes the following options. These options are also available in the toolbar of this dialog box. Expand all nodes: expands all levels of the hierarchy for the selected object so that every object and its children are displayed. Collapse all nodes: collapses the whole hierarchy so that only the originally selected object is displayed.
Note: The Expand all nodes and Collapse all nodes options apply only to the selected object.

Object parent dependencies: displays the parent objects of the selected object in the Parent dependencies dialog box. Object child dependencies: displays the child objects of the selected object in the Child dependencies dialog box. Find dependents: opens the Find dialog box that shows all the dependents in a flat view. This option can also be accessed when you right-click an object and select Find dependents from the shortcut menu.

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Refresh: refreshes the screen. Help: displays the online help for the Object child dependencies dialog box.
I N T E R F A C E

Find dialog box layout

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C H A PT E R

10

Names and Descriptions Dialog Box


What is it?

10

The Names and Descriptions dialog box allows you to change the name of an object within each locale defined in the system. For any one locale, an object can have descriptions for multiple environments such as Web, wireless, and voice. This dialog box allows you to set a description for each environment for each locale defined in the system.
How can I access it?

I N T E R F A C E

Right-click an object and select Names/Descriptions.


What can I do with it?

For each locale, you can change the following items for the selected object: name description for the console environment description for the Web environment description for the wireless environment description for the voice environment For more information, refer to the following How Do I...? topic: Narrowcast Administrator Procedures

Names and Descriptions dialog box layout


A tab is provided for each locale. On each locale, you can enter the Name. Select an Environment from the drop-down list to edit the Description. For example, you can have a console description in plain text and a Web description using HTML to use on an end user subscription site.

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Narrowcast Server does not allow two objects with the same name to reside in the same folder. However, because of the fact that each object can have a different name in each locale it is important to recognize that no two objects can ever have the same name for any locale, if they reside in the same folder.
I N T E R F A C E

Note: If Narrowcast Administrator does not allow you to change the name of an object because another object in the same folder already has that name, the other object might have that name in a different locale than the one you have configured Narrowcast Administrator to display.

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C H A PT E R

11

Properties Dialog Box

11

What is it?

The Properties dialog box allows you to view the properties of the selected object.
How do I access it?

I N T E R F A C E

Right-click an object and select Properties.


What can I do with it?

Through the Properties dialog box you can view object properties. For instructions on this topic, refer to the following How do I...? topic: Narrowcast Administrator Procedures

Properties dialog box layout


The Properties dialog box allows you to view the following properties: type owner status (whether it is active, inactive, or invalid) ID (the object identifier used by MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server) creation time modification time description

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Tip: You can select the ID for an object using the mouse, and then copy it

to the clipboard by pressing CTRL+C. This can be useful, for example, for capturing the IDs for devices.
I N T E R F A C E

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C H A PT E R

12

Preferences Dialog Box


What is it?

12

The Preferences dialog box allows you to set the browsing options in the object browser and also set preferences for object deletion in the Narrowcast Administrator.
How do I access it?

I N T E R F A C E

From Tools menu select Preferences. The Preferences dialog box opens.
What can I do with it?

Through the Preferences dialog box you can do the following: set the option to view all the dependent objects before deleting an object. set the option to view hidden and embedded objects in the object browser. set the option to allow Narrowcast Administrator to display either the shared repository connection or the users individual repository connection. For instructions on this topic, refer to the following How do I...? topic: Narrowcast Administrator Procedures Preferences dialog box layout

Preferences dialog box layout


The Preferences dialog box includes the following: Offer ability to delete dependent objects upon object deletion: allows you to delete all the dependent objects before an object is deleted.

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If you select this check box and then delete an object, the system prompts you to confirm the deletion. If you confirm the deletion, the Delete Objects dialog box opens, displaying all the dependents of the object. For more information on the Delete Objects dialog box, see Delete Objects dialog box layout.
I N T E R F A C E

If you do not select this check box and then delete an object, the system prompts you to confirm the deletion. If you confirm the deletion, the system displays a message that it cannot delete the object because the object has dependents, and prompts you to choose to search for the dependents. If you choose to search for the dependents, the Find dialog opens, displaying the dependent objects. Show hidden objects: allows you to view hidden and embedded objects in the object browser. The Show hidden objects check box in the Display Options tab of the Find dialog box is enabled only if you select this check box. This check box also governs the display of hidden folders from the metadata when upgrading to a newer version of Narrowcast Server. Allow all Narrowcast Server administrators to access each registered system on this machine: allows Narrowcast Administrator to display either the shared repository connection or the users individual repository connection. In earlier Narrowcast Server versions, the repository connection information was stored in the registry keys that are specific to your user. You created your own connections and the connections that were created by other users were not visible. In Narrowcast Server version 8.1.1, you can decide if you want to share your repository connection information with other users. You can share your repository connection information across various users by selecting this check box. Once the setting is changed to read from the system-specific registry keys, it overrides the entries in the user-specific registry keys.
Important: You can edit the setting and create shared repository connections only if you are a Windows NT administrator.

Note: By default, the Allow all Narrowcast Server administrators to access each registered system on this machine check box is cleared. If a user is not an NT administrator on the machine, this check box is disabled.

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SECTION III

How Do I...?

III
H O W D O I

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H O W D O I

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C H A PT E R

13

Narrowcast Administrator Procedures


Begin

13
H O W D O I

This Getting Started Guide includes a built-in tutorial for getting you started with MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server. Instructions for installing and using the MicroStrategy Tutorial for Narrowcast Server can be found in the following chapters of this guide: Narrowcast Server System Narrowcast Server Services Narrowcast Server Subscription Portal By reading this information and following along with the steps described on your own computer, you can create a working Narrowcast Server system including a Subscription Portal and a working service.

Change the appearance of the Narrowcast Administrator display


Steps 1. 2. 3.

To hide or display the status bar, select Status Bar from the View menu. This option works as a toggle, hiding and displaying the Status Bar. To hide or display the folder list, select Folder List from the View menu. This option works as a toggle, hiding and displaying the Folder List.

To display the folder contents differently, select one of the following from the View menu:

Large Icons Small Icons List, which includes object names and icons in a compact format

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Details, which includes the owner, creation date, and other information

4.

To sort the items in the Folder List, select one of the following from the View menu:

By Name By Type By Date By Owner By Modified Date By Status

H O W D O I

Change the name and description of an object


Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Right-click the object to update and select Names/Descriptions. The Names and Descriptions dialog box opens. Click the Locale tab to work with. Change the Name.

Select from the drop-down list the Environment for which to change the description. Modify the Description. Click OK to save the changes.

Change the status of an object


Steps 1. 2.

Select the object for which you wish to change the status.

Click Activate/Deactivate on the toolbar. This acts as a toggle switch. If the object is inactive, it activates it, and if it is active it deactivates it.

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Check the impact of modifying an object


You can verify the impact of modifying an object by viewing its dependents in a tree view.
Steps 1. 2. 3.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator. From the Edit menu, select Find. The Find dialog box opens. Click the Dependencies tab.

4. On the Dependencies tab, select Object Tree. The Parent dependencies dialog box opens. 5.

From the View menu, select required options, or click the required icons on the toolbar.

H O W D O I

Create a service
Steps 1. 2. 3. 4.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator. Select the Applications folder. From the Edit menu, select New, then Service (Wizard).

Follow the steps in the Service Wizard to create your service. For more information about using the Service Wizard, refer to Creating Services in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Create a subscriber
Steps 1. 2. 3.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator.

From the Tools menu, select Open Subscription Book. The Subscription Book Editor opens. From the Edit menu, select New User.

Check the impact of modifying an object

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4.

Define the new user and click OK. For more information about defining subscriber users, refer to The Subscription Book in the MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Application Designer Guide.

Create a subscription
Steps 1. 2.
H O W D O I

Start the Narrowcast Administrator.

To create a subscription, you must first locate the subscription set in which you want to create it.

If the subscription set is reusable, locate it by using the Narrowcast Administrator object browser, then double-click the subscription set. If the subscription set is embedded, locate it by using the Narrowcast Administrator object browser to locate the service in which it was created, editing that service in the Service Wizard, proceeding to the Subscriptions and Schedules page, then double-clicking the subscription set.

3.

In the Static Subscription Set Editor, in the left pane containing users and addresses available in the Subscription Book, select the address you want to use in your subscription. From the Edit menu, select Subscribe Addresses. Click Save and Close to exit the Static Subscription Set Editor.

4. 5.

Delete an object with all its dependents


You can delete an object and its dependents recursively.
Steps 1. 2. 3. 4.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator.

From the Tools menu, select Preferences. The Preferences dialog box opens. Select the Offer ability to delete dependent objects upon object deletion check box. Select the Show hidden objects check box.

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5.

Click OK to save the settings and close the Preferences dialog box.

6. Right-click the object you want to delete and select Delete from the shortcut menu. You are prompted to confirm the deletion. 7. 8.

Select Yes to confirm the deletion. The Delete Objects dialog box opens. It displays all the dependent objects. Click Delete All to delete the selected object with all its dependents.

Execute (run) a service


Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator.

Using the Narrowcast Administrator object browser, locate the service you want to execute and select it. From the Edit menu, select Run Immediately. If the system is not currently running, you are asked whether you would like to start the server. Click Yes. If the service uses more than one subscription set, you are asked to choose which of the available subscription sets you want Narrowcast Server to use when executing the service. Select the desired subscription set and click OK.

H O W D O I

Find an object based on its creation or modification dates


Steps 1. 2. 3. 4.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator. From the Edit menu, select Find. The Find dialog box opens. Click the Date tab.

On the Date tab, select the Limit search results based on creation or last modified date check box. Make the appropriate selection:

5.

Execute (run) a service

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To specify the dates between which an object was created or modified, click Between the dates and select the appropriate dates. To specify the number of days from the current day backward to search, click During the previous ... day(s) and enter the number of days. To specify the number of months from the current month backward to search, click During the previous ... month(s) and enter the number of months.

6.

Click Find Now. The search executes and a list of the objects found appears.

H O W D O I

Find an object based on its name and location


Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator. From the Edit menu, select Find. The Find dialog box opens.

On the Name and Location tab, enter or select the name of the object you want to find in the Named box. For the location, click the browse button next to the Look in box. The Browse for Folder dialog box opens.

Select the location from which the search should start and click OK. The path appears in the Look in box. To search through all subfolders of the folder identified in the Look in box, select the Include subfolders check box. Click Find Now. The search executes and a list of the objects found appears.

Find an object that is used by another object


Steps 1. 2. 3.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator. From the Edit menu, select Find. The Find dialog box opens. Click the Dependencies tab.

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On the Dependencies tab, select the Search based on object dependencies check box.
5. 6. 7. 8.

4.

Click the browse button to open the Object Browser dialog box. Select the object to use in the search and click OK. Click the Used by the selected object option.

Click Find Now. The search executes and a list of the objects found appears.

Find an object that uses another object


Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator. From the Edit menu, select Find. The Find dialog box opens. Click the Dependencies tab.

H O W D O I

On the Dependencies tab, select the Search based on object dependencies check box. Click the browse button to open the Object Browser dialog box. Select the object to use in the search and click OK. Click the Uses the selected object option.

Click Find Now. The search executes and a list of the objects found appears.

Find a particular type of object


Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator. From the Edit menu, select Find. The Find dialog box opens. Click the Type tab. On the Type tab, select the type or types of objects to find.

Click Find Now. The search executes and a list of the objects found appears.

Find an object that uses another object

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Launch Subscription Portal


Step

From the Microsoft Windows Start menu, select Programs, MicroStrategy, Narrowcast Server, then Subscription Portal.
Note: This assumes that Narrowcast Server is installed on your computer. If Narrowcast Server is running on a different computer, you need to get the URL for the Subscription Portal from that computer.

H O W D O I

Refresh the Narrowcast Administrator console


Step

From the View menu, select Refresh, or press F5.

Set preferences
Steps 1. 2. 3.

Start the Narrowcast Administrator.

From the Tools menu, select Preferences. The Preferences dialog box opens. Select the Offer ability to delete dependent objects upon object deletion check box, which allows you to delete all the dependent objects before the selected object is deleted. Select the Show hidden objects check box, which allows you to view hidden and embedded objects in the object browser. This check box also governs the display of hidden folders from the metadata when upgrading to a newer version of Narrowcast Server. Click OK to save the settings and close the Preferences dialog box.

4.

5.

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Set the display locale


Steps 1. 2. 3.

Double-click the system. The System Governing Settings dialog box opens.

On the Console tab, select a Locale from the drop-down list. This locale is used on the Narrowcast Administrator display. Click OK.

Note: You must exit and return to the Narrowcast Administrator before locale changes take effect. The console will then show object names and descriptions for the selected locale.

H O W D O

Set the service queue parameters


Steps 1. 2. 3.

Select the Scheduled Services object in the Administration folder.

Click Set Queue Parameters on the toolbar. The Modify Schedule Queue Parameters dialog box opens.

The Scheduled Services object lists each service with its next execution time during the period specified here. Select the amount and unit of time (minutes, hours, days, or weeks), or the number of executions. Select the maximum scheduled executions to display.

4.

Note: A maximum of 999 executions is calculated for each service.

Set the display locale

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Start the Narrowcast Server system


Steps

From the System menu, select your system name, then select Start System.

Stop the Narrowcast Server system


Steps

From the System menu, select your system name, then select Stop System.
H O W D O I

View object properties


Steps 1. 2.

Right-click the object and choose Properties from the menu. Information on the Properties dialog box includes Type Owner Status (whether it is active, inactive, or invalid) ID (the object identifier used by Narrowcast Server) Creation Time Modification Time Description

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View scheduled services


Steps 1. 2.

Double-click the Administration folder to open it.

Click the Scheduled Services object in the object browser folder list. Services scheduled to execute the soonest appear in the object browser folder contents window. The services shown depend on the service queue parameters specified.

Note: The information displayed is only a snapshot of the upcoming services to be executed. Since the listing is not dynamic and does not update to reflect recently executed services, it must be refreshed whenever an accurate list of upcoming services is needed. However, the listing is automatically updated whenever a service is activated or deactivated in the object browser.

H O W D O I

View scheduled services

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H O W D O I

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SECTION IV

Appendixes

IV

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Appendixes

APPENDIX

User and Task Documentation

This section includes a set of tables to assist you in determining where to look for information as you use MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server. The tables were created according to anticipated search criteria; they are presented according to those criteria, as follows: by user, pointing to the information units that address that user by tool, pointing to the information unit that addresses that tool
Note: Once you access the Help facility, you can search for procedural information addressing a specific task by looking under How do I...? help. Tasks are listed three ways: by role, by object, and in alphabetical order.

Reference by user
User Application administrator Information Units Application Designer Guide Online Help: Task by role - Application Designer Online Help (on screen) Application Designer Guide Online Help (on screen) Application Designer Guide Online Help: Task by role - Application Designer Application Designer Guide Online Help: Task by role - Application Designer

End user (portal) Portal administrator

Application designer

Subscription administrator

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User System administrator

Information Units Installation and Configuration Guide System Administrator Guide Online Help: Task by role - System Administrator System Developer Guide Online Help: Task by role - System Developer

System developer

Reference by tool
The information that follows is broken into three tables, each corresponding to one of the following tool categories: editors wizards dialogs

Reference by editor
Editor Device Information Units System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Devices Excel Document Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Documents Imported Document Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Documents HTML Document Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Documents Locale System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Locales Plaintext Document Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Documents Plaintext Document Editor Locale Editor HTML Document Editor Imported Document Editor Excel Document Editor Documented Under Device Editor

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Appendix A User and Task Documentation

Editor Service

Information Units Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Services

Documented Under Service Editor

Static Subscription Set Editor Subscription Book

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Subscription Set Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Subscription Book

Static Subscription Set Editor

Subscription Book Editor

Subscription Properties

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Subscription

Subscription Properties Editor

User Properties

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - User properties

User Properties Editor

Reference by wizard
Wizard Configuration Information Units Installation and Configuration Guide Task by role - Application Designer, System Administrator Task by object - Configuration Dynamic Subscription Set Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Subscription set Information Object Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Information objects Information Source System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Information sources Installation Installation and Configuration Guide Task by role - Application Designer, System Administrator Task by object - Installation Installation Wizard Information Source Wizard Information Object Wizard Dynamic Subscription Set Wizard Documented Under System Configuration Wizard

Reference by tool

129

Wizard Portal Administrator Publication

Information Units Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Publications

Documented Under Portal Administrator Wizard

Publication Wizard

Schedule

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Schedules

Schedule Wizard

Service

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Services

Service Wizard

Static Subscription Set

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Subscription sets

Static Subscription Set Wizard

Reference by dialog box


Dialog Add Accounts Information Units System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Account Assign Role to Account System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Account Distribution Manager Configuration System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Distribution manager System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Document formatting module Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Document Document Properties dialog box Document Formatting Module - Excel dialog box Distribution Manager Configuration dialog box Assign Role to Account dialog box Documented Under Add Accounts dialog box

Document Formatting Module - Excel

Document Properties

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Appendix A User and Task Documentation

Dialog Execution Engine Configuration

Information Units System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Execution engine

Documented Under Execution Engine Configuration dialog box

Import File

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Imported files

Import File dialog box

Information Object

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Information object

Information Object dialog set

Information Source

System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Information source

Information Source dialog set

Information Transmission Module - SMTP

System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Information transmission module Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Schedule queue Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Information object

Information Transmission Module dialog set

Modify Schedule Queue Parameters Name\Descriptio n Entry

Modify Schedule Queue Parameters dialog box

Information Object dialog set

Names and Descriptions

Getting Started Guide Task by role - Application Administrator, Application Designer, System Administrator Task by object - Properties

Names and Descriptions dialog box

Narrowcast Administrator console

Getting Started Guide Task by role - Application Administrator, Application Designer, System Administrator Task by object - Narrowcast Administrator

Narrowcast Administrator console

New Document

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Document

New Document dialog box

Subscription Set Properties

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Subscription

Subscription Set Properties dialog box

Reference by tool

131

Dialog Properties

Information Units Getting Started Guide Task by role - Application Administrator, Application Designer, System Administrator Task by object - Properties

Documented Under Properties dialog box

Question Object Selection

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Question object

Question Object dialog set

Question Object

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Question object

Question Object dialog set

Register Document Formatting Module Register Information Source Module

System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Document formatting module System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object -Information source module System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Information transmission module System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Subscription book module System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Information source

Register Document Formatting Module dialog box

Register Information Source Module dialog box

Register Information Transmission Module Register Subscription Book Module

Information Transmission Module dialog set

Register Subscription Book Module dialog box

Save Information Source

Information Source dialog set

Select Information Source Subscription Selection

Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Information source Application Designer Guide Task by role - Application Designer Task by object - Subscription

Information Source dialog set

Subscription Selection dialog box

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Appendix A User and Task Documentation

Dialog System Governing Settings User Details Information Source

Information Units System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - System System Administrator Guide Task by role - System Administrator Task by object - Information source

Documented Under System Governing Settings dialog box

Information Source dialog set

Reference by tool

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Appendix A User and Task Documentation

SECTION V

Glossary

V
The purpose of the glossary of terms in the pages that follow is to provide definitions for MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server terminology serve as spelling authority for the terms included

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136

Glossary

GLOS SARY

MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server Glossary of Terms


account

Used to assign access privileges to users of Narrowcast Administrator. Account permissions are based on granted roles, and each role has specific privileges. See also: application administrator application designer subscription administrator system administrator
address

Set of information that tells Narrowcast Server how to send services to a particular subscriber. Each address can be associated with one and only one login/user. Each address is defined to use a specific device. See also device.
Address Display

Used to identify an address when displayed by receiving systems. For email delivery, this string is used to identify the e-mail address. For example, johnsmith@microstrategy-tutorial.demo might be displayed as John, Smith by the receiving e-mail client.
Address ID

An ID value used to identify individual addresses. Each address can be subscribed to a subscription set multiple times.

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administration object

The Narrowcast Server components that control the processing of narrowcast messages, providing the means to acquire, format, and transmit messages to recipients. These objects are created and configured by the system administrator. Administration objects include account device distribution manager (DM) document formatter execution engine (EE) information source information source module (ISM) information transmitter locale MicroStrategy Logging Server Subscription Book
All Subscription Data

An XML string that returns all subscription information. It requires you to select an XSL stylesheet to format the subscription information returned as desired.
API

See application program interface (API).


application administrator

Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a Narrowcast Administrator console user who performs some of the same tasks as the application designer but has the ability to modify application objects created by any Narrowcast Administrator account. This role is intended for quality managers, development managers, configuration managers, and other users requiring full access to all application objects. See also application designer.
application designer

Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a Narrowcast Administrator console user who develops and tests services, which include documents, publications, schedules, and subscription sets. Also configures and manages Subscription Portals that allow end users to subscribe to a

138

Glossary

variety of narrowcast services via the Web. Configures data sources, content, and portal layout. Publishes services and device types, and selects default devices for Subscription Portals. Specifies information source properties and default site preferences. Also installs, configures, and administers the development environment. Also administers subscribers and subscriptions for development and testing purposes. See also application administrator.
application object

The Narrowcast Server components that create and define the message, define recipients, and schedule message transmission. These objects are created by application designers and administered by the application administrator. They include document imported file information object publication question object schedule service subscription set
application program interface (API)

A set of related functions that provides an interface between existing applications and new applications. The API can be seen as a platform consisting of a set of routines and functions on which new applications can be built. The functions, or interfaces, are defined and published in a standardized fashion. See also service provider interface (SPI).
attachment

Any file that is included in an e-mail message. Attachments can originate from outside Narrowcast Server (that is, any pre-existing file can be sent as part of a service) or can be created by Narrowcast Server (that is, Narrowcast Server can create an Excel attachment on the fly).

Glossary

139

attribute

A data level defined by the system architect and associated with one or more columns in a database table. Attributes include things like Region, Order, Customer, Age, Item, City, and Year. They provide a handle for aggregation and filtering. See also: attribute element attribute form
attribute element

Any of the unique values for an attribute or metric object. It might consist of one or more attribute forms. For example, New York and Dallas are elements of the attribute City, and January, February, and March are elements of the attribute Month.
attribute form

One of several columns in an attribute that are different aspects of the same thing. ID, Name, Last Name, Long Description, and Abbreviation could be forms of an attribute called Customer. Every attribute supports its own collection of forms.
authentication

The multiuser system process of validating user login information. A login ID and password are compared against an authorized list, and if a match is detected, specific access rights are granted to the user.
authentication object

Object used by an information source that specifies who the user is and the security context within which that user will interact with that information source. Contains the security information required to make a connection or perform task execution. Depending on the information source module, it should contain information such as the user login name and password. For a MicroStrategy Information Source, the object is a MicroStrategy user. See also personalization object.
backup domain controller (BDC)

A Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000 domain controller that is currently running as a backup or caching controller for a Windows domain. The backup domain controller can cache information from the

140

Glossary

primary domain controller to improve system performance, and can also take over for the primary domain controller in the event of a hardware or software failure. See also: primary domain controller (PDC) domain controller Windows domain
BDC

See backup domain controller (BDC).


Boolean

A logical value that is either TRUE or FALSE (sometimes implemented as 1 and 0, respectively).
browse

To scan for an element in a hierarchy. Generally, browsing implies viewing, rather than changing information.
caching

A special data storage method in which recently accessed values are stored for quick future access. Caching is used primarily to improve report execution performance.
client

The type of computer that users employ to access applications in one or more common server computers. See also server.
clustering

A way of using machine resources to provide an efficient and robust processing environment for a Narrowcast Server system. A cluster consists of two or more machines, each machine running at least one Narrowcast Server component. These components are MicroStrategy Logging Server distribution manager (DM) execution engine (EE)

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141

comma separated values (CSV)

A file format that allows tabular data to be represented within a plain text file. Each line of text represents a row of data, and each value on a line represents a field or cell within the row represented by that line. Cell values on a line are separated by commas and are typically enclosed in doublequotes ("). Files in CSV format can be loaded into Microsoft Excel and other graphical editors for easy editing.
component

A computing unit that provides a specific piece of the Narrowcast Server functionality and interacts with other components. Examples are the Narrowcast Administrator, execution engine, distribution manager, MicroStrategy Logging Server, Object Repository, and Subscription Book Repository.
console user

A user who works with the Narrowcast Administrator console, managing subscriptions, developing services, and administering the system, in contrast to an end user. See also end user.
content

The information in services, including all reports, miscellaneous text, and file attachments that are accessible to the user. Content is dynamic in the sense that personalization, error handling conditions, and device settings all influence the overall content output and format of each service.
CSV

See comma separated values (CSV).


data source name

Sometimes referred to as a DSN, it is a pointer to a specific database. The information it contains varies depending on the particular database server, but it usually contains the host machine name or IP address, instance name, and database name.

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Glossary

data warehouse

1) A database, typically very large, used to access a companys historical data stores. Used for decision support or business intelligence within an organization, it allows for data organization and coordinated updates and loads. 2) A copy of transaction data specifically structured for query, retrieval, and analysis. See also operational data store.
database connection

This stores all database-specific connection information such as DSN, database type, driver mode, and SQL execution mode as well as connection caching information.
database instance

1) Database server software running on a particular machine. Though it is sometimes technically possible to have more than one instance running on a machine, there is usually only one instance per machine. 2) The logical definition of a database according to MicroStrategy Intelligence Server.
database login

The login ID and password that MicroStrategy Intelligence Server uses to log in to a particular database on behalf of a user. See also login ID.
default user preference

For each information object or question object in the system, a user can have any number of user preferences. One of the user preferences for each information object or question object can be marked as a users default preference, that is, this users default answer to that information object or question object. When a subscription is created and the list of user preferences is displayed for each information object or question object, the default user preference for every question object (if any) is preselected. If any question object is hidden in the service to which the user is subscribing, Subscription Portal automatically uses the users default user preference as the answer to the hidden question object (assuming there is one for that question object). See also: question object user preference

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143

delivery window

Specifies the hours during which messages can be transmitted to the associated address. The time zone specifies which international time zone should be used as a reference for the selected times. Time zones take regional customs such as daylight savings into account.
device

Administration object used to represent a message receiving technology employed by end users. Provides a specification for how a publication should be formatted and transmitted to a specific receiver type. For example, an Outlook 98 Device might specify that the first document in the publication must be plain text and no longer than 128 characters. It might also specify that the second document could be either plain text or HTML, and if it is HTML, image references can be embedded. A device includes specifications for both formatting and transmission. Devices are used in the definition of addresses to specify what information transmitter will be used to transmit content to those addresses and how that content should be formatted and packaged. See also: address content information transmitter administration object
Device ID

Numeric ID value used to indicate the delivery method and device that a recipient prefers. Devices are specified for subscriptions in dynamic subscription sets by providing the Device ID for each recipient. Device IDs are found under the properties for each device within Narrowcast Administrator. For example, one subscription might specify Outlook 2000, while another recipient might specify a Nokia phone. One subscriber then only receives e-mail content formatted for Outlook while the other subscriber only receives wireless content formatted for this phone.
DFM

See document formatting module (DFM).


directory server

A directory service provider running on a particular machine. Directory servers are often part of e-mail servers, and are used to store user names, addresses, and authentication information. Unlike the Subscription Book,

144

Glossary

however, they are neither intended nor well-suited to store and retrieve subscriptions. Directory servers usually enable client connections through the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP), and are often used for centralized user authentication across many systems. See also: Subscription Book Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
display locale

Controls which object names are shown in Narrowcast Administrator. Since objects can have multiple names to support end users in more than one language, one name must be chosen for display in Narrowcast Administrator. The display locale serves this role. The locale selected for this purpose should be the one that the Narrowcast Administrator needs to use most frequently when defining objects. See also: locale execution locale selection locale system locale user locale
distribution manager (DM)

1) Delivery Engine object that receives service execution triggers, distributes service data to the execution engines for processing, designates failover execution engines, and tracks the status of other system components. If the primary distribution manager fails, one of the backup distribution managers becomes the primary and takes over processing where the failed component stopped. 2) Piece of software or component used to instantiate a distribution manager object. 3) Machine being used to instantiate the distribution manager object.
distribution set

A schedule and subscription set pair, created during service definition. Specifies when and to whom Narrowcast Server will send a service. See also: schedule subscription set
Glossary 145

DM

See distribution manager (DM).


document

Complete, formatted object ready to be transmitted by Narrowcast Server. Each document has a specific type, such as HTML, plain text, or Excel, or it might be derived from an imported file. It contains both the static information from the document template and the dynamic content from document elements. See also: document element document formatter document formatting module (DFM) document template
document element

Piece of a document containing dynamic content that is generated when that document is executed as part of a service. Consists of at least one information object, plus error-handling instructions. Might include an XSL stylesheet selection, depending on the type of information object chosen.
document formatter

Transforms the raw data of the information objects and the structure of the document templates into a complete, formatted document. The operations of document formatters include such tasks as XSL processing and transformation, XML merging, character replacement, and string padding. Formatting rules might account for device characteristics, locale definition, and other recipient-specific formatting control information.
document formatting module (DFM)

A piece of software, or a component, that performs the work required for turning document templates and information objects into documents. The formatting process can use device characteristics, locale definition, and other recipient-specific control information.
document template

Provides the structure and layout for a document. For example, an Excel document template includes the basic workbook structure, any predefined macros, and static worksheet content.

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Glossary

domain

See: Windows domain Internet domain


domain controller

A computer running either Microsoft Windows NT Server or Microsoft Windows 2000 that has been configured to operate as an authentication source for users and machines. Each domain controller stores the set of Windows accounts that have been created to provide access to a domain, as well as the set of computers running Windows and other devices that have been registered in the domain. When a user logs in to Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000, the operating system makes an authentication request to the domain controller in order to authenticate the user. See also: Windows domain primary domain controller (PDC) backup domain controller (BDC)
driver

A hardware device or a program that controls or regulates another device. See also ODBC.
DSN

See data source name.


dynamic content

Document content that is dynamically retrieved at service execution time and that can be personalized for each message recipient. Dynamic content is created using content information objects. This content changes depending on the results returned by the information object and can return different results for different subscribers. For example, a weekly report returns different information from week to the next, and each subscriber might request different content in his report. Examples include a MicroStrategy report, a Web query, a SQL query, or content from an external system. See also static content.

Glossary

147

dynamic subscription set

A subscription object containing at least one piece of subscription information retrieved from an information object instead of from the Subscription Book Repository. Useful for changing or alert-driven subscription sets. Some dynamic subscription sets acquire all their information from a single information object. Others retrieve only the Subscription ID from the information object while the rest of the subscription information is acquired from the Subscription Book Repository. Still others combine both methods. See also: segmentation information object Subscription ID subscription information object subscription set
EE

See execution engine (EE).


end user

A subscriber, the person receiving messages from Narrowcast Server service, in contrast to a console user. See also console user.
execution engine (EE)

1) Delivery Engine object that controls the execution of narrowcast messages, called services. It receives service segments from the distribution manager, then determines the content and subscriber information with input from other components, including the Subscription Book Module and information source modules. 2) A piece of software or component that is used to instantiate an execution engine object. 3) A machine being used to instantiate an execution engine object.
execution locale

Determines how content is generated for the users who receive it. When a document is created, the application designer can specify that the document should be executed in a specific execution locale. The definition of the locale then controls how information should be gathered, formatted, packaged and delivered for this document. For example, an application designer might define a French and a German locale to gather information

148

Glossary

in the appropriate languages. If one of these locales is chosen as the execution locale for a document, all dynamic content in this document is retrieved using the corresponding language. See also: locale display locale selection locale system locale user locale
expiration date

Date a user or address becomes inactive. If a user is inactive, no services are sent to any addresses for this user. If an address is inactive, no services are sent to this address.
filter

A MicroStrategy object that specifies a set of criteria used to limit the amount of data returned on a report.
folder

Used for grouping and storing a set of objects that are related such as documents, publications, services, or all objects used by a particular service.
governing parameters

Designed to keep the execution profile of a system within acceptable limits. Protects the system from overconsumption of resources such as memory, disk space, network capacity, and CPU cycles.
graph

A graphical image display of data. Sometimes referred to as a chart. See also report.
grid

A spreadsheet-style two-dimensional display of data. See also table.

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149

idle state

Functionally equivalent to the stopped state of Narrowcast Server, except that all loaded components remain in memory and complete execution of any currently running services before idling server. Not receiving any new requests.
imported file

A file imported from outside of Narrowcast Server and stored in its original format. For example, a text file contains only plain text and an HTML file contains only HTML. Storing information in the file format preserves the integrity of the original data since files cannot be modified with Narrowcast Server. Files cannot be directly included in publications; they must first be associated with imported documents, which serve as containers to allow them to be attached to publications. Imported files can also be used as stylesheets or templates for documents.
incremental fetch

A feature that returns a large set of information, such as subscriptions, to the console in numerous small pieces as those pieces are needed. This ensures that network traffic and client processing is kept to a minimum.
information delivery platform

Server that, whenever certain conditions are in effect, acquires information from a variety of sources, personalizes that information, formats it, and transmits it through a variety of technologies.
information object

Application object containing a set of instructions that specify how to get data from a particular type of information source. Defined by using an information source module, it is set up when a service is built and executed when the service that uses it is run. Plays one of three roles: content, subscription, or segmentation. See also: information object role information object type information source information source module (ISM)
information object role

Indicates how the information supplied by the information object is used by Narrowcast Server. Three roles are available:

150

Glossary

Content: supplies information for the document Subscription: provides a list of subscribers and related subscription information for dynamic subscription sets Segment: specifies the first and last subscriptions for each segment of the subscription set See also information object.
information object type

Indicates the format of the data returned by the information object and how Narrowcast Server can use this data. Three types are available: Text: returns a plaintext string that is inserted directly into a document's content. XML: returns an XML string that must be combined with an XSL stylesheet to produce content appropriate for each type of document. Image: returns an image in JPG format that is inserted directly into the document's content. See also information object.
information source

Contains information about how to connect to a specific source of content using an information source module. The Delivery Engine requests and acquires information from information sources. An information source uses personalization objects for personalization. See also: information source module (ISM) personalization object
information source module (ISM)

An executable process that receives requests for information and returns that information as well-defined data. It defines and processes information objects. One ISM can be used to load various information sources. For example, an ISM can be set up to access MicroStrategy Desktop projects and can be used for any MicroStrategy Desktop projects you wish to use as an information source. See also: information object information source

Glossary

151

information transmission module (ITM)

An executable process or component designed to support a particular delivery capability. For example, MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server provides the E-Mail (SMTP) Module, which is used for the E-Mail (SMTP) Information Transmitter. The ITM indicates what documents and document types it supports, as well as the arrangement of these documents. Also, the ITM provides a user interface for defining device characteristics. Those characteristics are stored in the Object Repository and retrieved by the information transmission module to control packaging and delivery. See also: device document information transmitter publication
information transmitter

Administration object that delivers formatted content, in the form of publications, to end user devices. An information transmitter might serve the purpose of sending e-mail via SMTP or wireless messages using an SMS gateway. In general, an information transmitter supports one type of of transmission technology, such as SMTP, FTP, HTTP, or ODBC, but this is not a requirement. Information transmitters depend on information transmission modules. See also: device document information transmission module (ITM) publication
Internet domain

A registered name on the Internet, such as microstrategy.com. Internet domains include information about available resources such as Web servers (for example, www.microstrategy.com), mail servers, and other Internet-based services. See also SMTP.
ISM

See information source module (ISM)

152

Glossary

ITM

See information transmission module (ITM).


Java database connectivity

A Java API that enables Java programs to execute SQL statements. This allows Java programs to interact with any SQL-compliant database. Since nearly all relational database management systems (DBMSs) support SQL, and because Java itself runs on most platforms, JDBC makes it possible to write a single database application that can run on different platforms and interact with different DBMSs. JDBC is similar to ODBC, but is designed specifically for Java programs, whereas ODBC is language-independent.
SequeLink

SequeLink; complete, end-to-end solution for configuring and managing data access across virtually any number of data stores, operating systems and deployment options.
SequeLink machine

The machine where SequeLink is installed. This machine can be independent from the rest of the Subscription Portal.
SequeLink services

SequeLink creates two NT services SLAgent 54, which is the Administrator, and SLSocket54, which is the Server.
JDBC

See Java database connectivity.


LDAP

See Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).


LDIF

See Lightweight Directory Interchange Format (LDIF).


Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

An open standard with which client computers communicate with directory service providers. Client machines make a connection to a particular logical directory on a particular physical directory server. See also directory server.

Glossary

153

Lightweight Directory Interchange Format (LDIF)

File format that is exported from LDAP directory services.


locale

Specifies what regional characteristics to apply to data and formatting, including number format, date format, time format, and character sets. Your system might support multiple locales. See also: display locale execution locale selection locale system locale user locale
Locale ID

Numeric ID value used to indicate the locale that a recipient prefers. Locales are specified for subscriptions in dynamic subscription sets by providing the Locale ID. Locale IDs are found under the properties for each locale within Narrowcast Administrator. For example, one subscription might specify French, while another recipient might specify German. One subscriber then only receives French content while the other subscriber only receives German content.
login ID

Login identifier, typically supplied with a password.


MAPI

See messaging application program interface (MAPI).


messaging application program interface (MAPI)

Allows Windows applications to send e-mail messages through external email programs. Designed primarily to connect client applications such as Microsoft Outlook to mail servers such as Microsoft Exchange Server. Not intended for server-to-server communications.

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Glossary

MicroStrategy Logging Client

Service that receives logging messages from Narrowcast Server components and relays them to the MicroStrategy Logging Server. Logging messages include segment status information, statistics information, and error event notification. See also MicroStrategy Logging Server.
MicroStrategy Logging Server

Server that collects logging messages from MicroStrategy Logging Clients and distributes them to consumers. Logging messages include segment status information, statistics information, and error event notification. See also MicroStrategy Logging Client.
mid-tier slicing

See: dynamic subscription set information object personalized page execution


MIME

See multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME).


multipart MIME

Part of the MIME specification; the inclusion of more than one body part in a body section within a MIME message. This is typically used to enable the inclusion of separate text and HTML message bodies, embedded images, and other body parts within an e-mail message. See also multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME).
multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME)

The specification as defined by RFC 1521 (maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force at http://www.ietf.org/) for encoding message contents, attached files, embedded images, and other embedded files into a single (typically 7-bit) data string. Many modern e-mail clients support MIME. Because the MIME specification includes encoding of message contents, it allows for messages that use character sets other than USASCII. See also multipart MIME.

Glossary

155

Narrowcast Administrator account

An object that allows a user to log in to MicroStrategy Narrowcast Administrator. It is created within Narrowcast Administrator, and its definition is stored in the Object Repository of a system. Each Narrowcast Administrator account is based on a specific Windows account. When a new Narrowcast Server system is created, two Narrowcast Administrator accounts are automatically added to it, one of which is the local Administrator Windows account for the machine that was used to create the system. Narrowcast Administrator accounts can have various privileges, which control what Narrowcast Administrator users can do. These privileges include: service design application administration system administration subscription administration See also Windows account.
Narrowcast Server system

A collection of machines, software components, and objects that collectively provide the ability to process and deliver narrowcast messages to recipients. The objects that make up a system are divided into two categories, administration objects and application objects. See also: application object clustering component administration object
object

The basic building block with which systems and applications are constructed. An object is an entity that is created by Narrowcast Administrator and Subscription Portal users, and is used to define a system's configuration, to construct an application, or to define user personalization. Each object definition is stored in an information repository such as the Narrowcast Server Object Repository. Examples of objects include information transmitters, devices, information sources, and locales, which combine to control how a system should operate, and services, documents, and information objects, which work together to control how applications deliver information.

156

Glossary

ODBC

See open database connectivity.


ODBC driver

Software interface to an ODBC service provider. See also open database connectivity.
open database connectivity

An open standard with which client computers to communicate with relational database servers. Client machines make a connection to a particular logical database, on a particular physical database server, using a particular ODBC driver. See also ODBC driver.
operational data store

A database that typically stores transactional data generated by and used in the conducting of business operations. The data can be used as a trigger condition or as content.
page-by

In the context of a MicroStrategy Information Source, a means of breaking report results into separate pages and treating each individual page as a viewable result. Used in personalized page execution mode. See also: personalized page execution prompt question object
password

Preserves user account integrity in self-subscription applications. Both a password and a password hint can be associated with each user.
PDC

See primary domain controller (PDC).

Glossary

157

personalization

The process whereby each subscriber receives data that has been filtered and formatted specifically for him. Narrowcast Server uses locale, subscription, and personalization objects to personalize services. See also: locale personalization object subscription
personalization object

An object handled by information sources for personalization. The three types are authentication preference security The combination of the authentication, preference, and security objects control the data that is returned by an information object. See also: authentication object information object information source preference object question object security object
personalization set

A combination of locale, authentication, security, and preference objects to achieve personalized information, or information filtered and formatted specifically for a subscriber.
personalized page execution

In the context of the MicroStrategy Information Source Module, each page of a report is used as a result for one or more subscribers. See also: page-by personalization set

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Glossary

personalized report execution

In the context of the MicroStrategy Information Source Module, each result is derived from the separate execution of a report. Answers to prompts and MicroStrategy users both impact personalization in this execution mode. See also personalization set.
physical address

The address location used to locate recipients and deliver messages. For email delivery, this is a standard SMTP address in the form recipient@domain.xxx. No physical address is required for delivery to the Subscription Portal. The physical address required by other information transmitters depends on the individual information transmitter.
PIN

The personal identification number required by some delivery methods. A PIN is not used for e-mail, wireless, or Subscription Portal delivery. The use of a PIN by other information transmitters depends on the individual information transmitter.
plug-in

An additional processing component integrated with MicroStrategy products. For example, advanced statistical and financial functions can be added as additional processing components. See also: document formatting module (DFM) information source module (ISM) information transmission module (ITM) service provider interface (SPI) Subscription Book Module
portal

A site that offers a centralized access point for finding and managing information via a variety of different services. It offers a broad array of resources and services, such as e-mail, discussion forums, search engines, and other online services. A portal is accessible through the use of a Web browser (for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, and the like). See also: Subscription Portal

Glossary

159

preference object

Type of personalization object that uses the answers to question objects to specify the information the user wants. At run-time, the preference object is applied to information objects to personalize them. Preferences are usually controlled by the user, but can be set by the subscription administrator for the purposes of correction or enhancement. For a MicroStrategy Information Source, preference objects are prompt answers. See also: personalization object question object
primary domain controller (PDC)

The Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000 domain controller that is currently running as the primary controller for the domain. The primary domain controller is the authority on all authentication and security information in a Windows domain. See also: backup domain controller (BDC) domain controller Windows domain
privilege

See role.
project

In the context of the MicroStrategy Information Source module, a MicroStrategy Intelligence Server project.
project source

Information that defines a project, such as metadata connections and the location of the warehouse. One project source can contain many projects. The administration tools found at the project source level monitor and administer all projects in the project source.

160

Glossary

prompt

In the context of the MicroStrategy Information Source Module, a set of questions that can be answered to apply parameters to the execution of a report. Prompt answers are used as preference objects and are part of personalization. Examples include attribute elements and selection of metrics. See also: personalized page execution preference object question object
proxy server

A server that sits between a client application, such as a Web browser, and a real server. Enhanced the security of your intranet by preventing unauthorized access by someone on the Internet. Also enhances performance by caching recently accessed Web pages, which minimizes download time.
publication

Ordered collection of documents that completely defines the content of a service for a specific set of devices. Each publication is used for exactly one locale and one information transmission module. A publication specifies an information transmitter at least one device a set of documents See also: device document information transmitter

Glossary

161

question object

Type of personalization object that specifies the questions to ask the user to determine the users preferences. Answers are used as preference objects. For a MicroStrategy Information Source, a question object is defined by choosing a report, and the questions to be asked depend on the definition of that report. In personalized page execution mode, the question asked of the user is what page to return, using the page-by function. In personalized report execution mode, the questions include all prompt objects defined on the selected report except the security object prompt. See also: page-by personalization object preference object
report

In the context of a MicroStrategy Information Source module, a MicroStrategy object that defines the parameters used to gather results and the formatting options used to display the results. When a report is run, its corresponding SQL is run against the data warehouse server and the results are cross-tabulated and formatted according to the wishes of the report designer. Narrowcast Server can insert report results directly into services, and can sometimes (in the case of Excel) apply almost all formatting settings as well. Reports are used for information objects and question objects. See also: information object page-by prompt question object
report resolution

In the context of a MicroStrategy Information Source module, the process of filling placeholders such as prompts with information determined at run time, such as prompts.

162

Glossary

role

In a Narrowcast Server environment, facility of the security subsystem that defines which objects a given user can create and which operations he can perform. The different MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server roles are system administrator, who manages the entire system application administrator, who administers application objects only application designer, who develops application objects only and cannot modify objects owned by other users subscription administrator, who manages the Subscription Book portal administrator, who configures and manages Subscription Portals
SBM

See Subscription Book Module.


SBR

See Subscription Book Repository.


schedule

Sets the times or frequencies a service is executed, representing a recurrence pattern, not a fixed date, a service is executed. It is defined relative to time zones to account for daylight savings, date boundaries, and other time zone-specific issues. To allow subscribers throughout the world to receive services at specific local times, a service can contain more than one schedule.
SDK

See Software Development Kit (SDK).


security

Data and system protection from incorrect or inappropriate use or misuse by persons or other systems.

Glossary

163

security object

Type of personalization object that specifies what information the user should have access to. Security filtering criteria applied to an information source during subscriber interaction. For a MicroStrategy Information Source, it is a response to a prompt in the form of a single attribute element. For each user, there is only one security object per information source. See also: personalization object security object prompt
security object prompt

In the context of a MicroStrategy Information Source Module, this prompt specifies which attribute in the project corresponds to a user, or subscriber. The answer to this prompt is used as a security object in MicroStrategy. See also: prompt security object
segment

A group of subscriptions within a subscription set. Subscription sets are divided into multiple pieces, or segments, so that the work required to execute a service for all subscriptions can be distributed across multiple systems to allow parallel work processing. The segment size is set as part of the service definition and controls how large the work packages are that are sent to each execution engine.
segmentation

The task of dividing the subscriptions within a subscription set into equalsized groups or segments and ensuring that all subscription information objects and content information objects return only information for subscriptions in the current segment. Subscription sets are always segmented using Subscription ID, and the boundaries of segments are specified as Subscription ID values. For the MicroStrategy Information Source, segmentation can either be performed automatically by Narrowcast Server, or the application designer can control how the subscription set is segmented and how subscription information objects and content information objects constrain the information they return.
Segmentation ID

See Subscription ID.

164

Glossary

segmentation information object

A special type of information object that returns the segment boundary values for a subscription set. Boundary values are always given in the form of Subscription ID values corresponding to the first Subscription ID in each segment. Segment information objects are used only for dynamic subscription sets. See also: dynamic subscription set information object
segmentation prompt

A prompt that is used to control the information returned in a report used as a content information object or subscription information object. Segmentation can be performed automatically by Narrowcast Server, or, alternatively, prompts can be added to content information objects and subscription information objects to limit the number of subscriptions and content pages returned to only provide information for subscriptions in the current segment.
selection locale

Determines which users should receive which content. When a user is created, the subscription administrator (via Narrowcast Administrator) or the user (via Subscription Portal) selects a locale for which he will receive content. When a publication is created, the application designer chooses a selection locale that determines which users receive the content in a publication. If a user chooses Locale A, the application designer must choose Locale A as the selection locale for a publication for the user to receive this publication. See also: locale display locale execution locale system locale user locale
server

In a client/server computing environment, the server receives and processes all requests that come from the client. See also client.

Glossary

165

service

1) A Windows service is a computer program configured to start automatically when the operating system boots. 2) A Narrowcast Server service is an object that provides all the information needed for the Delivery Engine to correctly generate messages. That information includes the delivery conditions, content, personalization rules, and subscriptions for sending messages for a particular purpose. For example, one service delivers a daily message containing a stock portfolio update, while another delivers alerts to wireless devices when the value of a stock changes significantly. A service comprises at least one schedule-subscription pair and a set of publications.
service designer

Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a Narrowcast Administrator console user who develops and tests services, which include documents, publications, schedules, and subscription sets. Also configures and manages Subscription Portals that allow end users to subscribe to a variety of narrowcast services via the Web. Configures data sources, content, and portal layout. Publishes services and device types, and selects default devices for Subscription Portals. Specifies information source properties and default site preferences. Also installs, configures, and administers the development environment. Also administers subscribers and subscriptions for development and testing purposes. See also application administrator.
service provider interface (SPI)

The specification for a set of related functions that can be implemented by a software developer to augment or enhance the capabilities of a software product or platform. This allows a developer to enable his software to be called by an existing piece of software. See also: application program interface (API) plug-in
service queue

In the Narrowcast Administrator, a visual representation of upcoming services to be processed.


slice

One page of content in a multi-page report executed using personalized page execution.

166

Glossary

slicing

The process in which Narrowcast Server divides a single multi-page report into multiple individual pages of content that are used as personalized content for individual subscriptions.
slicing attribute

A slicing attribute is the attribute used to divide multi-page reports executed using personalized page execution mode into multiple individual pages of content. The first attribute on the page axis is used as the slicing attribute.
SMPP

Abbreviation for short message peer to peer protocol, the specification for the interface between short message entities such as information service applications like MicroStrategys Narrowcast Server and the SMSC. This is the most widely used protocol for sending SMS messages.
SMS

Abbreviation for short message service, a text messaging service to mobile phones that is popular throughout Europe. This services provides a way to send a short text message to the display on a specific cellular phone. An SMS message is typically 160 alphanumeric characters in length.
SMSC

Abbreviation for short message service center, the message handling system operated by the wireless service provider that is capable of receiving SMS messages from MicroStrategys Narrowcast Server and forwarding those messages to mobile phones in the network. The SMSC is the gateway between MicroStrategys Narrowcast Server and the wireless service provider.
SMTP

Abbreviation for simple mail transfer protocol, a TCP/IP-based protocol used to send and receive e-mail messages across the Internet. SMTP e-mail addresses are composed of an e-mail account name (for example, info) and an Internet domain name (for example, microstrategy.com), separated by the @ symbol. See also: Internet domain physical address address

Glossary

167

Software Development Kit (SDK)

A distribution package of application program development software and the instructions for its use. See also: application program interface (API) service provider interface (SPI)
SPI

See service provider interface (SPI).


SQL

See Structured Query Language.


static content

Document content that is contained directly in the document and does not change from one service execution to the next. It cannot be personalized for different subscribers. Examples include an HTML template, a static URL, and so on. See also dynamic content.
static subscription set

Application object that retrieves subscription information from the Subscription Book Repository. Useful when the set of end user addresses that should receive a service does not change. See also subscription set.
Structured Query Language

The relational database language standardized in 1986 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and used to read data from tables in a relational database and to manipulate both their structure and their data.
style

See device.
subscriber

A person who receives content from at least one service. Each individual who receives messages from Narrowcast Server has a login that provides password-controlled access to subscription and user preference information for the individual and his addresses. It is the subscription of at least one of these addresses to a particular service that allows the individual to receives messages.
168 Glossary

subscription

An enrollment in a service, composed of one user and one address.


subscription administrator

Narrowcast Administrator user role.This role is designed for a console user who manages the Subscription Book, including users, addresses, and subscription sets. Also installs, configures, and administers the Subscription Book Module. See also Subscription Book.
Subscription Book

Contains all users, addresses, and subscription sets. Stored in the Subscription Book Repository. See also subscription set.
Subscription Book Module

A software component that provides the ability to create, edit, and use the objects within a Subscription Book. Those objects include users, addresses, and subscriptions. See also Subscription Book Repository.
Subscription Book Repository

Stores all subscription information, including addresses and user information.


Subscription ID

The ID value used by Narrowcast Server to segment subscription sets. It is also called Segmentation ID. This value is required for dynamic subscription sets.

Glossary

169

subscription information

All information related to an individual subscription. This information allows Narrowcast Server to deliver services to individual recipients in the desired manner. Subscription information includes the following: Subscription ID Address ID Address Display Device ID Locale ID physical address PIN Subscription ID Subscription Set ID User ID All Subscription Data Unique Message Identifier
subscription information object

Retrieves subscription information for a given segment. See also: dynamic subscription set information object segmentation
Subscription Portal

A feature of Narrowcast Server that allows end users to subscribe to any of a series of Narrowcast Server services offered through a Web-based portal. This enables end users to experience personalized and proactive interactions on a one-to-one basis via any medium (Web, wireless, voice) based on user-defined permissions and preferences. See also: portal

170

Glossary

subscription set

A collection of addresses that are returned by a Subscription Book Module after passing in a subscription set object. Subscription sets are either static or dynamic. See also: dynamic subscription set static subscription set subscription set object
Subscription Set ID

An ID value used to identify each subscription set.


subscription set object

Application object that defines how to retrieve or modify a subscription set. Does not actually contain the subscription set, but provides instructions for how a Subscription Book Module should retrieve it. See also: Subscription Book Module subscription set
system administrator

Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a console user who performs the following tasks: installs and configures the information delivery platform migrates system objects and application objects monitors, analyzes, and tunes the system to ensure the smooth and balanced operation of the decision support or business intelligence environment performs troubleshooting and error recovery
system developer

Narrowcast Administrator user role. This role is designed for a MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server user who employs the SDK and embeds MicroStrategy Narrowcast Server technology into another product or application.

Glossary

171

system locale

A special locale in which all objects are guaranteed to have a name. Since objects can be given names in more than one locale, it is necessary to have one locale where a name is always exists. The system locale serves this role. The system locale cannot be deleted, but its settings can be modified to control execution. See also: locale display locale execution locale selection locale user locale
system tables

The table or set of tables containing the names of, and information about all non-temporary tables in a data warehouse.
table

The primary physical component of a data warehouse, logically consisting of rows and columns of data. Also refers to a tabular, or grid, display format.
text container

See document.
transmitter

See information transmitter.


Unique Message Identifier

An ID value that is unique for all messages delivered by any Narrowcast Server system. It can be used for message tracking purposes to determine which recipients have received and opened messages. This is typically done by creating a URL containing this ID value that refers to a zero-size image on a Web server that is configured to track references to this URL.

172

Glossary

user

Object that tracks general user information. First, users instantiate the concept of an account, allowing a login ID and password to be associated with a user, thus enabling the creation of self-subscription interfaces that can enforce authentication requirements. Second, users allow all personalization settings to be defined at the account level. Finally, users provide the structure necessary to allow one user to have multiple addresses, such as a pager address and an e-mail address, so that personalization can be applied consistently across them. See also: end user console user
user account

In a multiuser computer system, an established means for an individual to gain access to the system and its resources. Usually created by the system administrator, a user account consists of information about the user, such as password, rights, and permissions.
user category

See also: application administrator service designer subscription administrator system administrator system developer
User ID

An ID value used to identify individual users. Each user can be subscribed to a subscription set multiple times.
user information

The collection of information, including first name, last name, address, zip code, and other personal information, that changes from one subscriber to the next.

Glossary

173

user locale

Defines which content the user receives. This is set up by either the subscription administrator via Narrowcast Administrator or by the user via Subscription Portal. The user locale must match the selection locale. See also: locale display locale execution locale selection locale system locale
user preference

A saved, reusable answer to a question object. Each user preference has a name and description, belongs to only one user, and can be used as the answer to only one question object. The same user preference can be used as the answer in any number of subscriptions for that user, but only as an answer to the question object that is used to create the user preference. A user can have any number of user preferences for each question object in the system. When a subscription is created, for each question object that is displayed, the user sees a list of all the user preferences that correspond to that question object so that he can select and reuse one of them. See also: default user preference question object subscription
UUencode

A set of algorithms for converting files into a series of 7-bit ASCII characters that can be transmitted over the Internet. Originally, UUencode stood for Unix-to-Unix encode, but it has since become a universal protocol used to transfer files among different platforms such as Unix, Windows, and Macintosh. UUencoding is especially popular for sending e-mail attachments. Nearly all e-mail applications support UUencoding for sending attachments and UUdecoding for receiving attachments. In Narrowcast Server, only attachments are encoded using these algorithms. The rest of the message (headers and text body) are not encoded at all.

174

Glossary

virtual directory

A collection of Web pages grouped by Microsoft Internet Information Server. A virtual directory has a corresponding physical directory on the Web server machine, which contains the ASPs, HTML files, and other files for this virtual directory.
Windows account

An object that allows a user to log in to Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000. Its definition is stored on the primary domain controller as part of a Windows domain definition. Each Narrowcast Administrator account is based on a specific Windows Account. See also: domain controller Windows domain Narrowcast Administrator account
Windows domain

A logical grouping of users, computers, and devices (such as printers and scanners) that are connected to a network. It is maintained on primary and backup domain controllers, and administered using the administrative tools that are installed with Microsoft Windows NT Server and Microsoft Windows 2000. See also: Windows account domain controller
WYSIWYG

Pronounced wizzy-wig, stands for what you see is what you get. A WYSIWYG application is one that enables you to see on the display screen exactly what appears when the document is printed. This differs, for example, from word processors that are incapable of displaying different fonts and graphics on the display screen even though the formatting codes have been inserted into the file.
XML

Abbreviation for Extensible Markup Language. Provides a standard, or set of rules, for representing data within a document. Like a database table, XML contains both data and information about that data. It is stored as

Glossary

175

tags, which provide information about how to display data, and attributes, which provide characteristics about a tag and also about the underlying data. Each piece of underlying data is called an element.
XSL

Abbreviation for Extensible Stylesheet Language. An XSL Stylesheet is a specific type of XML document and therefore must observe the same rules as any other XML document. The XSL standard provides a set of special rules, tags, and methods that can be used together to process XML documents and turn them into formatted output such as HTML. See also XML.

176

Glossary

Index
A
accounts, Microsoft Windows 9 Active Server Page 7, 50 addresses 27 administration 3 alerting 39 appearance of Narrowcast Administrator, changing 113 Application toolbar options, Narrowcast Administrator 86 architecture xi ASP see Active Server Page authentication objects 57 content dynamic 64 formatting 64 generation 56 management xii selection 55 content information objects 42, 51, 52 Create a Service page 15 creating services 115 subscribers 115 subscriptions 116 Customer Relationship Management Service 3a Customer - Significant Buyer Retention 48 Service 3b Customer - Repeat Buyer Incentive 51

B
beginning 113 benefits high performance xii intelligent alerting xi open architecture xi scalability xii Business Activity Monitoring Service 1a Sales Executive - Quarterly Sales Analysis 31 Service 1b Regional Marketing Manager - Sales Trend Update 35 Service 1c Regional Sales Manager - Call Center Performance Update 37 Service 1d Call Center Manager - Employee Performance Alert 40 Service 1e Sales Director - Sales Performance Analysis 43

D
Delete Objects dialog box 95 deleting objects with all its dependents 116 delivery to e-mail address 44 to network location 44 to printer location 44 Delivery Engine 6 delivery methods, multiple 35, 45 Desktop documents HTML 63 Report Services 62 devices 55 display locales, setting 121 distribution managers 6 document creation process 58 document formatters 6, 65 document process 58 documentation, online xviii documents 65 dynamic content 64 dynamic subscriptions 41, 48, 51

C
changing Narrowcast Administrator display 113 object names and descriptions 114 object status 114 channels 26, 27 character sets 56 computers, Microsoft Windows 8 condition evaluation 53 configure the Tutorial system 13

E
Edit menu options administration object focus 81 application object focus 82

177

Edit toolbar options, Narrowcast Administrator 84 e-mail accounts 9 e-mail address delivery 44 employee performance 40 Excel 32 executing services 117 execution engines 6 execution periods see schedules Execution queue toolbar options, Narrowcast Administrator 86 Explore Tutorial Services page 15

F
features content management xii formatting xiii profile management xii profile-based personalization xii Subscription Portal xii transmission xiii File Information Transmission Module xiii Find dialog box 97 finding objects based on creation or modification dates 117 based on name and location 118 particular types 119 used by another object 118 flexibility of platform 3 folder structure 34 formatting xiii

information delivery Desktop documents xiii Report Services xiii information objects content 42, 51, 52 overview 61 subscription 41, 48, 49, 52 information source modules 61 information source personalization 56 information sources 6, 61 information transmission modules 66 information transmitters 6, 66 installing and configuring MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery 8 Narrowcast Server 8, 11 intelligent alerting xi inventory analysis 46 ISM see information source modules ITM see information transmission modules

J
Java Server Page 50 jobs see services JSP see Java Server Page

L
languages see locales languages, multiple 45 launching Subscription Portal 120 link to existing MicroStrategy report 44 locales 55, 57 locales, display - setting 121 log in 27

G
graphs color 32 formatting 32

H
Help toolbar options, Narrowcast Administrator 86 Home page 14, 86 HTML documents, Desktop 63

M
menu bars, Narrowcast Administrator 79 messages generation 17 see also services tracking 49 transmission 66 Microsoft Internet Information Server 7 Microsoft Windows accounts 9 computers 8

I
image links 51 information acquisition 58 information acquisition process flow 58

178

Index

MicroStrategy Intelligence Server 10 Logging Server 6 report 62 MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery xi, 7, 10 Create a Service page 15 Explore Tutorial Services page 15 Home page 14 pages 14 requirements 8 services 29 setup 10 Subscribe via the Web page 15 MicroStrategy Tutorial - Delivery services Business Activity Monitoring 29, 31 Customer Relationship Management 29, 48 Supply Chain Management 29, 44

objects changing name and description 114 changing status 114 checking the impact of modifying an object 115 deleting an object with all its dependents 116 finding based on creation or modification dates 117 finding based on name and location 118 finding objects that use another object finding objects that use another object 119 finding objects used by another object 118 finding particular types 119 viewing properties 122 online documentation xviii help xvii

N
Names and Descriptions dialog box 105 Narrowcast Administrator Application toolbar 86 Edit menu (administration object focus) 81 Edit menu (application object focus) 82 Edit toolbar 84 Execution queue toolbar 86 Help toolbar 86 introduction 77 menu bars 79 Narrowcast Server Home page 86 refreshing 120 Schedule queue toolbar 86 System menu 83 System toolbar 85 toolbar 84 Tools menu 84 user tasks 77 Narrowcast Server system starting 122 stopping 122 network location delivery 44

P
performance xii personalization characteristics 54 profile-based xii using user preferences 36 personalized page execution 41, 42 PIN 49 Portal 26 Portal Repository 26 portal systems 25 portals 26 Preferences 109 preferences 57 Preferences dialog box 109 Print Information Transmission Module xiii printer location delivery 44 process flow, information acquisition 58 profile management xii projects see information sources prompts 37, 38 Properties dialog box 107

R
recipient determination 53 recipients see subscriptions refreshing Narrowcast Administrator 120 relational databases 9 Report Services documents 62 report translators see document formatters

O
Object Repository 6, 9

Index

179

report types see documents reporting a problem xxi reports delivery methods see information transmitters formatting 37, 47 modifiers see document formatters multiple 32 see also information objects re-using information 44 running first service 22 running services 117

S
sales coupons 48, 51 goals 37 increase 35 information 31 inventory 46 sales performance 43 scalability xii Schedule queue toolbar options, Narrowcast Administrator 86 Scheduled e-mail delivery xiii scheduled services, viewing 123 schedules 22, 53 security objects 57 segmentation 51 Send now delivery xiii SequeLink 7 Service Editor 18 service execution flow 53 service queue parameters, setting 121 Service Wizard 18 services basic 32 creating 115 definition 22 executing 117 execution 53 overview 17 running 117 running first 22 sample 7 viewing schedules 123 setting display locales 121 service queue parameters 121 sites 26

starting Narrowcast Server system 122 static subscription sets 42 stopping Narrowcast Server system 122 stylesheets 47 Subscribe via the Web page 15 subscribers creating 115 overview 54 Subscription Book 32 Subscription Book Repository 6 subscription information 48, 64 subscription information objects 41, 48, 49, 52 Subscription Portal xii, 7, 25, 27, 33 Subscription Portal, launching 120 subscription sets 20, 54 subscriptions creating 116 definition 54 overview 27 Supply Chain Management Service 2a Supplier - Seasonal Sales Alert 44 Service 2b Supplier - Low Inventory Alert 46 system information 44, 64 System Information Source Module xiii System menu options, Narrowcast Administrator 83 system overview 3 System toolbar options, Narrowcast Administrator 85

T
tasks application administration xv application design xv application development 70 getting started xiv introduction 67 subscription administration xv system administration xv, 72 system development xvi system setup 68 technical support xviii threshold values 40

180

Index

toolbars Application 86 Edit 84 Execution queue 86 Help 86 options 84 Schedule queue 86 System 85 Tools menu options, Narrowcast Administrator 84 transmission introduction xiii parameters 55 recording 49 see also services transmitters see information transmitters trends 31, 35, 44 tutorial pages 14 requirements 8 services 29 setup 10 Tutorial Configuration dialog set accessing 93 introduction 93 Select MicroStrategy Intelligence Server dialog box 94 Summary dialog box 94 Welcome dialog box 94 tutorial services Service 1a Sales Executive - Quarterly Sales Analysis 31 Service 1b Regional Marketing Manager - Sales Trend Update 35 Service 1c Regional Sales Manager - Call Center Performance Update 37 Service 1d Call Center Manager - Employee Performance Alert 40 Service 1e Sales Director - Sales Performance Analysis 43 Service 2a Supplier - Seasonal Sales Alert 44 Service 2b Supplier - Low Inventory Alert 46 Service 3a Customer - Significant Buyer Retention 48 Service 3b Customer - Repeat Buyer Incentive 51

user assistance contact numbers xviii documentation structure xvi online documentation xviii online help xvii reporting a problem xxi technical support xviii users and tasks xiv

V
viewing object properties 122 scheduled services 123

W
Web Scheduled e-mail delivery xiii Send now delivery xiii

U
user information 63 preferences xii

Index

181

182

Index

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