Welcome once again to this little space called #BestInMicro! Space where I will be writing about different topics related to MicroStrategy, its use, best practices, and functionalities to get the most out of it.
This week I will review one of the features that give great versatility to Microstrategy: Transaction Services. This MicroStrategy functionality allows us to actively interact with the database allowing us to have a tool that keeps the database updated in real-time.
As we all know, MicroStrategy is a tool that allows us to query the database. Using the different objects of the logical model (i.e. attributes, indicators, filters, etc.) we can create a query that is executed against the database and returns the result so that we can work analyzing the result. From this point of view, we can say that MicroStrategy (like any other visualization tool) is a consulting tool.
With transaction services, we can also insert or update records in the database, which allows a static system such as a database to become a dynamic system, constantly updated through the same tool, and not exclusively from a loading process.
The most common examples where transaction services are used are some of the following:
– Stock Management
– Warehouse control
– Sales register
– Control panels
– Forms
– Surveys
We, within BestInBI, use this capability for task and project management, time entry, assignments, and resume updates. It is a direct and simple way to enter information directly into our database.
As you may have noticed in the previous examples (and in the little picture at the beginning), this functionality is not only available in the web application, but also mobile. That is, we can be with the phone or a Tablet working and making inputs to the database, either updating or entering information, which logically allows mobility and works in real-time.
As for Dossiers, although it cannot be implemented directly yet, there are different alternatives, either by using a plugin or embedding a document with a transaction inside an iframe.
As of today, when I am writing this article (March 2021) it is not yet available from HyperIntelligence, but hopefully, we will see it soon.
And although they are already being deprecated, transaction services cannot be used in documents executed by developers, nor is it possible in reports.
If we think about it, what it does is to execute an instruction in the database. Por tanto, podemos realizar funciones de Insert o updatecombine it with prompts, session, or environment variables, and so we can generate a fairly accurate record of what we need to insert… But, if we think about it a little more, we are writing something that will be executed in the database, and anyone who has used a database engine knows that there are many functionalities beyond an insert or an update! With Transaction Services, we can launch Store procedures, triggers, Jobs, or even database administrative tasks (only for the brave!).
This is the most complex part. While I will not go into the details of how it is created, we must go through several places to create it.
This is a pillar functionality in MicroStrategy, and without it, the tool would not really have the potential it has. As I comment in all the articles where I describe some functionality of the tool, the real potential of each of these is when combining them. As I had explained in the System manager article: If we use Transaction Services to place different flags and status updates in the processes, we can generate really complex workflows. And having this functionality also allows us to dispense with other applications or third-party tools that would replace this functionality, allowing us to have everything integrated into a single application.
So we close another week and another article. I hope you liked it and I look forward to seeing you next time!
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2 Responses
Hi Joaquin, I was able to accomplish a document with update feature.
However, I could not allow the user to insert a new record.
Is there a way to do that?
Regards,
Juan
Hi Juan!
Now on workstation and library creating transactions is way easier than it is with developer, I plan soon to create an article about that. Regarding your question, if you would like to use my example to add new data you can change the transaction to “insert or update”, or directly create a different transaction for insert only.
I hope this helps with your question!