Readers:

In Part 5 of this series on data blending, we reviewed Tableau’s Data Blending Architecture. With Part 5, I have wrapped up the Tableau portion of this series.

I am now going to post, over the next week or so, several parts discussing how we do data blending using MicroStrategy. Fortunately, MicroStrategy just publish a nice technical note on their Knowledgebase (TN Key: 46940) [1] discussing this. Most of what I am sharing today is derived from that technical note.

I probably will have 2-4 parts for this topic in my Data Blending series including how the MicroStrategy Analytical Engine deals with multiple datasets.

I want to thank Kristi Morton (et al) for the wonderful research paper she wrote at The University of Washington [2]. It helped me provide some real insight into the topic and mechanics of data blending, particularly with Tableau. You can learn more about Ms. Morton’s research as well as other resources used to create this blog post by referring to the References at the end of the blog post.

So, let’s now dig into how MicroStrategy provides us data blending capabilities.

Best Regards,

Michael

Data Blending using MicroStrategy

In Part 6, we will begin examining using data blending in MicroStrategy. We will first look at how to use attributes from multiple datasets in the same Visual Insight dashboard and link them to existing attributes using the Data Blend feature in MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise Web 9.4.1.

Prior to v9.4.1 of MicroStrategy, data blending was referred to as Cube Joining.

In MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise Web 9.4.1, the new Report Services Documents Engine automatically links common attributes using the modeled schema whenever possible. The manual linking is not allowed between different modeled attributes. Just in case the requirement needs to link different attributes, this can be done by using MicroStrategy Architect at the schema level. The join behavior by default for linking related attributes is done using a full outer join. In case there is no relationship between the attributes, then a cross join is used.

The manual attribute linking can be done as shown in the images below.

 

2. Browse the file to match the existing data and select Continue.

 

3. Set the attribute forms if needed. MicroStrategy will automatically assign the detected ones.

4. The attributes can be mapped manually by selecting Link to Project Attribute.

5. Select the attribute form that matches the desired join:

6. The attribute should appear similar to the ones existing in the schema as shown below.

 

7. Save the recently created dataset.

8. Now there are two cubes used as datasets in the same Visual Insight dashboard, as shown below.

Automatic Linking

The attributes icons now have a blue link, as shown below. This indicates that MicroStrategy has automatically linked them to elements in the Information dataset.

Next: How Data Blending Affects the Analytical Engine’s Behavior in MicroStrategy

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References:

[1] MicroStrategy Knowledgebase, How to use attributes from multiple datasets in the same Visual Insight dashboard and link them to existing attributes using the Data Blend feature in MicroStrategy Analytics Enterprise Web 9.4.1, TN Key: 46940, 04/24/2014, https://resource.microstrategy.com/support/mainsearch.aspx.

NOTE: You may need to register to view MiroStrategy’s Knowledgebase.

[2] Kristi Morton, Ross Bunker, Jock Mackinlay, Robert Morton, and Chris Stolte, Dynamic Workload Driven Data Integration in Tableau, University of Washington and Tableau Software, Seattle, Washington, March 2012, http://homes.cs.washington.edu/~kmorton/modi221-mortonA.pdf.