In the MicroStrategy 9.x Product Suite, all the application, schema and configuration object definitions and other project-related settings are stored in the metadata. To increase performance in report running, the schema objects are loaded into memory the first time a user runs a report or browses elements in Microstrategy Desktop or Web.
When a user creates or modifies a schema object, the editor or wizard saves the information directly to the metadata database. This process introduces a discrepancy between the object cache in the memory and the actual metadata. The product is designed to allow users to update schema, or reload the object definitions into memory, at any given time during the schema modification process. This flexibility permits users to create large numbers of schema objects before reloading the memory.
To ensure consistency between the metadata and the object cache, remember to update the schema after schema object modifications (i.e., Attributes, Facts, Hierarchies, partition mappings, Tables or Transformation).
NOTE: The ‘Refresh’ option assists in frequent updates to the interface for end user objects such as metrics, filters, prompts, etc. However, for Schema Objects, users should use the ‘Update Schema’ option required for updating the Schema. This applies the change in the Metadata.
The following list enumerates some of the schema modifications that a user may perform in MicroStrategy Desktop 9.x.
- Add or delete an attribute form to an attribute
- Create a column alias
- Create a compound key for an attribute
- Create a derived attribute
- Create and delete a form group for an attribute
- Create a joint child attribute
- Create a new attribute, either directly from the interface or via the attribute creation wizard
- Define a column for SQL generation (attributes)
- Define attribute children and parents
- Delete a compound attribute
- Manually map an attribute form expression to source tables
- Modify attribute form display properties
- Remove forms from the attribute browsing and report display
- Set attribute display properties
- Add a fact expression to an existing fact
- Change the mapping method for a fact expression
- Create a fact level extension
- Create a formula for a fact expression
- Create a fact and fact expression
- Define a column for SQL generation (facts)
- Delete a fact
- Disallow a fact entry level
- Extend a fact from its current level to a new level
- Lower a fact entry level
- Manually map a fact expression to source tables
- Modify a column alias
- Modify a fact expression or extension
- Un-map an expression from a source table
- Add a data slice to a metadata partition
- Create, modify or delete a metadata partition or data slice definition
- Set partition mapping logical size
- Set logical table size
- Add a new member attribute to a transformation
- Create a member attribute for a transformation
- Create, modify or delete a transformation
- Modify or remove a transformation member attribute
TN4638: When should the schema be updated in MicroStrategy Desktop 9.x?