Micro Strategy Cloud- Faq

8/4/2019 Micro Strategy Cloud- Faq

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MICROSTRATEGY CLOUD

Frequently Asked Questions

V07052011


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2Copyright 2011 MicroStrategy Inc.

This document and services described herein are subject to change without notice.

ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

1. Where will the MicroStrategy Cloud service be hosted?

MicroStrategy Cloud will run at secure MicroStrategy data center colocation facilities worldwide in

order to support the geographical requirements of our customers. Services will be extended to new

colocation facilities based on regional demand.

2. How will MicroStrategy Cloud connect to customer data? Can the data live in the cloud, on

premises, or both? What performance concerns arise based on the location of the data?

Your database or warehouse can operate either on premises or in the cloud (MicroStrategy offers

high performance hosted data warehouse services, or other services are available such as Amazon

RDS). MicroStrategy also supports access to heterogeneous data sources via its multisource

capability, which is included with MicroStrategy Cloud Services.

If you choose to maintain your database on premises, a typical implementation involves establishing

a VPN connection between the MicroStrategy Cloud and your database or data warehouse. The

performance of this architecture can vary based on a variety of factors, including the physicaldistance between the MicroStrategy Cloud data center and the customer data source; the latency of

the data connection; the bandwidth of the connection; the amount of usage and its query

intensiveness; the query-response latency of the customer data source, and other variables.

MicroStrategy Cloud leverages framework capabilities that enhance performance including

Intelligent Cubes, caching, and pushdown analytics, that reduce the query traffic between the

MicroStrategy Cloud and data sources.

3. How can I be certain that Ill get the performance I need?For most customer use cases, our standard cloud architecture delivers excellent performance and

throughput. As a premium service, we do offer a complete up-front Cloud performance assessment

which includes a series of tests that assess network performance between the MicroStrategy Cloud

and your database (including query performance of your database as necessary). This assessment

can identify specific optimizations which can help optimize performance. Please contact us for more

information about this personalized assessment of your environment.

4. What are your plans for adding data centers in various geographies to support regional

performance needs?

Initial service will be based in Ashburn, VA. An additional location in Chicago, IL will be available for

backup and redundancy operations. In late 2011, services will be extended to a datacenter in

London.

5. How do end users access my MicroStrategy Cloud-based applications?Typically, users will access MicroStrategy Cloud over the public internet via an encrypted SSL/HTTPS

connection. The base connection to MicroStrategy Cloud will support single factor authentication.

Two factor authentication is offered for an additional setup charge.

6. How is the development of the application via Desktop/Architect performed? Can end users

access the system via MicroStrategy Desktop?


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Customers are generally required to purchase MicroStrategy Architect for BI application

development and management, which will be hosted in our cloud environment and be accessible to

Cloud customers via remote desktop (per user per month fee applies). If the customer is exclusively

working with MicroSrategySservices for app development, than this requirement may not apply.

7. What other BI capabilities will MicroStrategy Cloud include?

MicroStrategy Cloud includes most BI capabilities standard.

MicroStrategy Capability Matrix for Cloud Services

Product Standard Optional Services

MicroStrategy Web

MicroStrategy Report Services

MicroStrategy VE

MicroStrategy Mobile

MicroStrategy OLAP Services

MicroStrategy Distribution Services

MicroStrategy Office

MicroStrategy SharePoint Webpart

MicroStrategy Desktop Reporting only.

Customer Branding Look and FeelCustomization, Custom Visualizations,Custom SSO Security Integration

8. Can the MicroStrategy Cloud be configured so that end users can only access the service through

our VPN?

Yes. We can work with your IT team to set up a proxy server in your data center. This proxy serverwill redirect via a secure VPN to the MicroStrategy Cloud.

9. Once I sign up for MicroStrategy Cloud, how long will it take before I have access to my system?

You will typically have access to your MicroStrategy Cloud service within 24 to 48 hours after signing

the Cloud Services Master Agreement (CSMA). At this point, you will be responsible for working with

our dedicated MicroStrategy Cloud Services team to custom configure your instance. We accelerate

this process by asking you to complete a Cloud Accelerator Document as part of our pre-sale

engagement. This document includes questions about your VPN environment, single sign on

requirements, etc. The configuration process itself typically takes anywhere from a couple days

(with a standard VPN integration) to two weeks, depending on the unique requirements of your

implementation and the responsiveness of your IT organization. Once configuration of the system is

complete, you can begin the process of developing BI applications with a fully production

environment.

10.Can I use MicroStrategy Mobile in the cloud? How is the connectivity setup different from an on

premises implementation?

MicroStrategy Cloud includes MicroStrategy Mobile. From a setup perspective, there is no

significant distinction between a traditional on premises install and MicroStrategy Cloud.


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MicroStrategy Cloud supports a secure VPN connection for mobile devices in the same way that it

supports VPN access via MicroStrategy Web.

11.Will MicroStrategy Visual Insight be part of MicroStrategy Cloud?

MicroStrategy Visual Insightfunctionality will be available in the GA release of MicroStrategy Cloud.

12.Will MicroStrategy Transaction Services be part of MicroStrategy Cloud?

MicroStrategy Transaction Services will be available in the GA release of MicroStrategy Cloud.

Implementation of MicroStrategy Transaction Services functionality may require additional services

charges for database or web services connectivity.

13.What does the URL to access the system look like? Will it be a separate custom URL for each

customer implementation? Will there be a common URL root?

Each MicroStrategy Cloud customer will have a separate URL to access the service. Please contact a

MicroStrategy Cloud expert for questions regarding custom domain mapping (e.g.

cloudBI.yourdomain.com).

14.Can you store my data or host my warehouse in your cloud environment?A typical MicroStrategy Cloud implementation involves connecting to a source database or

warehouse that is located either on premises or elsewhere in the cloud. As an additional option,

MicroStrategy offers Cloud Warehouse services for customers looking to host their analytical

warehouse in the cloud. Database optimization services are available as an option through

MicroStrategy Professional Services.

15.Can MicroStrategy provide support on moving our data warehouse to the cloud?This service is not part of the MicroStrategy Cloud offering, but MicroStrategy Professional Services

can be retained to help perform this migration for your organization. MicroStrategy Professional

Services can also provide ongoing administrative support for your warehouse once it has been

hosted in the cloud.

OPERATIONAL SERVICES

16.What services will be provided standard as part of the offering? Which are optional and may incur

additional charges? What am I responsible for in terms of system management and maintenance?

The chart below breaks down major categories of services and activities related to management of a

MicroStrategy environment. Premium services are available for an additional charge. Optional

managed services are delivered by MicroStrategy Professional Services and are not part of the

packaged MicroStrategy Cloud offering.

ServiceIncluded StandardSupport

Included PremiumSupport

Optional ManagedServices

CustomerResponsibility

Privilege and Security Administration

Managing (creating/adding/deleting)MicroStrategy Users

Managing groups


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Controlling access to applicationfunctionality

Application

functionality privilegeslimited to threeprimary user

categories in NamedUser pricing model.

Controlling access to data

Monitoring user access

Application Maintenance

Maintaining caches Joint with customer. Premium support option

includes ad-hoc oradvanced scheduling

options.

Joint with

MicroStrategy.

Maintaining intelligent cubes Joint with customer.

Joint with

MicroStrategy.

Maintaining history list

Scheduled administrative services

Customer canrequest performanceof certain services.

Maintaining report schedules andsubscriptions

Administering report delivery(distribution services)

Administering report delivery(narrowcast services)

Advanced application performancetuning reports, caches, cubes, etc.

Monitoring and Analysis

Up front customized Cloudperformance assessment

Monitoring system usage

Analyzing system usage andapplication performance

Metadata Modeling

Create logical business model /metadata objects

Application Development

Create reports

Design dashboards

Define metrics

Define filters

Create templates

Application Change Management

Managing MicroStrategy objects

Platform planning and execution


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Server Configuration Management

Managing MicroStrategy Web andweb cookies

Managing MicroStrategy Mobile Client provisioning.

Manage MicroStrategy Webpreferences

Managing metadata database

Managing source database orwarehouse

Integration

Integration with data sources Joint with customer.

Multiple data sources.

Joint with

MicroStrategy.

Integration with metadata database

Integration with LDAP or other

identity management system

LDAP only.

MicroStrategy OOB

supported SSO.

Custom

development to

support non-standard SSO

Options.

Transaction services integration

32-Bit Applications

MicroStrategy Architect

Command Manager

Enterprise Manager

Limited monitoringfunctionality.

Object Manager

Limited functionality.Integrity Manager

SDK

Customize look and feel ofMicroStrategy Web environment

Security integration customization

Custom visualizations

Database and ETL

Host database

Database administration

Database modeling and design

Database optimization

Host ETL application

ETL connectivity and administration

Develop ETL processes andtransformations


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17.Who is responsible for configuring the connection between MicroStrategy Cloud and my data?

What if I need to add additional data sources? How many data sources can I connect to?

Functionally, there is no limit to how many data sources (both on premises and cloud-based) that

you can connect to your MicroStrategy Cloud service. However, one-time services charges for

setting up new connections may apply. If you opt to use MicroStrategy to host your database, the

connection between the BI layer and database counts as one connection. ETL integrations to source

data are not considered connections for these purposes and are managed separately.

18.Who will be responsible for creating and managing users? Will this be done by the MicroStrategy

Cloud administration team or by someone from my company?

Primary user administration is performed by your company via a designated customer

representative through an administrative interface. This designated user can add or delete users,

move users between groups, and set up user hierarchies. User privileges are limited by default to

three different user classifications Consumer, Analyst, and Pro:

FeatureConsumer

Business userAnalyst

Business analystPro

BI developer

Subscribe to reports, scorecards,etc.

Print

Export

Drill Use MicroStrategy Mobile oniPad/iPhone

Create derived metrics

Define thresholds

Drill anywhere

Publish shared reports

Use Transaction Services

Use Microsoft Office integration

Design new reports

Create and edit filters and prompts

Save templates for reuse

Advanced formatting Representative feature list. Does not reflect all available features.


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19.What type of administration functionality will be available to my company (e.g. monitoring of

performance, troubleshooting of reports) or are all administration functions performed by the

MicroStrategy Cloud administration team? What tools will be made available to my company?

Your company will primarily be responsible for managing user groups and hierarchies and managing

project configurations. You will have access to interfaces for monitoring overall system health and

usage. Integrity Manager and other tools will be available to troubleshoot reports.

Your company may be responsible for installing and maintaining client applications such as

MicroStrategy Integrity Manager. Other tools such as MicroStrategy Desktop and MicroStrategy

Architect will be available in a hosted model via remote desktop functionality.

Most other administrative tasks will be managed by MicroStrategy. This includes MicroStrategy

actions like monitoring and killing jobs or user sessions, refreshing caches, rebuilding cubes,

deploying packages, running Command Manager scripts, etc. Premium charges may apply

depending on the type or frequency of certain administrative actions.

MicroStrategy will administer the web server and the metadata database; certain configuration

options may become available through a web-based interface selectively over time.

20.Will my company be able to perform manual administration of the infrastructure (e.g. one-off

purging of caches and one-off unloading of projects) or will everything need to be automated?

MicroStrategy will generally be responsible for administering the infrastructure. Cache operations

will be controlled by MicroStrategy; however, in certain cases we will work with you to perform

scheduled and/or one-off cache refreshes according to your requirements. Certain operations may

be made available to your company via a web-based user interface. Other operations will similarly

be performed on an as-needed basis in collaboration with the customer.

When you become a MicroStrategy Cloud customer, you will be given access to the MicroStrategy

Cloud Technical Support group. You will be need to designate a primary point of contact who will

be able to contact MicroStrategy Cloud Technical Support to facilitate various administrative

requests that you may have (e.g. rebuilding a cube and canceling a long-running job). In addition,

you will also be able to request actions through our standard support channel online. For more

information, see the Support section below.

Project administration generally is the responsibility of the customer. For example, you will have the

administrative tools available to transition a project on- or offline.

21.How do I access MicroStrategy Cloud Professional Services that arent part of the MicroStrategy

Cloud Services offering?

Some MicroStrategy Cloud services are available as a premium service or can be delivered for a one-

time fixed price. These services (listed in the table above) can be requested via standard

MicroStrategy Technical Support channels. For all other professional services, please contact your

MicroStrategy account executive.


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DATA AND SECURITY

22.What is the physical security for your cloud environment?

MicroStrategy uses SAS70 compliant collocated data centers that are housed in nondescript

buildings that feature extensive setback and vehicle control berms as well as other natural boundary

protection. Authorized staff must pass multi-factor authentication to access data center floors.Physical access is strictly controlled both at the perimeter and at building ingress points by

professional security staff utilizing video surveillance, state of the art intrusion detection systems,

and other electronic means. In most cases, because MicroStrategy may share rack space with other

vendors, racks are located in specific cages with limited access to each cage. Visitors to every cage

are logged and monitored.

All MicroStrategy employees undergo an extensive background check when hired. MicroStrategy

only provides data center access and information to employees who have a legitimate business

need for such privileges. When an employee no longer has a business need for these privileges, his

or her access is immediately revoked, even if they continue to be an employee of MicroStrategy. All

physical and electronic access to data centers by MicroStrategy employees is logged and auditedroutinely.

23.What is MicroStrategys data retention policy for the cloud?

MicroStrategy backup policies and procedures are designed to ensure limited downtime to the

customer should an unforeseen incident occur that impacts the quality or availability of customer

data. These backup procedures are designed as part of an overall effort to provide high levels of

availability to MicroStrategy Cloud customers.

As a normal part of operations, all customer data is redundantly stored in an separate offsite

location. This feature will not be available for the beta program.

MicroStrategy Cloud Services will perform a scheduled backup on a nightly basis of the following:

MicroStrategy environment including metadata

Customer access control lists

Virtual environment parameters and settings

Applicable audit logs

This backup is persisted in a storage device located in MicroStrategy Cloud data center and is subject

to the same physical security as other MicroStrategy Cloud infrastructure. A redundant backup is

created at a similar facility in a different physical location.These backups are retained for a period of

30 days, at which point they are permanently deleted. Backups can be restored on customer

request. Five such restoration requests are included per month; thereafter the customer will bebilled for restoration services on an hourly basis. As backups are point-in-time, MicroStrategy cannot

guarantee that all data can be recovered. Additional premium data retention options will be

available for an additional monthly fee.

24.Who will have access to my data?

Only authorized MicroStrategy personnel will be able to access your data, and access is limited to

those who have a legitimate business need for such privileges. When an employee no longer has a


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business need for these privileges, his or her access is immediately revoked, even if they continue to

be an employee of MicroStrategy. All access to your data through the MicroStrategy application is

logged and audited routinely. All MicroStrategy employees undergo an extensive background check

when hired.

25.What safeguards, processes, and procedures are in place to prevent unauthorized access to

system infrastructure? Is there any other third party involved that could obtain access?

MicroStrategy only provides physical system access to employees who have a legitimate business

need for such privileges. When an employee no longer has a business need for these privileges, his

or her access is immediately revoked, even if they continue to be an employee of MicroStrategy. All

physical and electronic access to customer implementations by MicroStrategy employees is logged

and audited routinely.

Access to the physical system infrastructure by other third parties is prohibited, unless accompanied

by a MicroStrategy Cloud team member. The MicroStrategy Cloud infrastructure is located in a

locked cage within the data center and only MicroStrategy Cloud members have access to that

environment. Access by these employees is restricted to a limited number and all access is managed

and monitored. All such employees are also subject to an extensive background check.

26.Can MicroStrategy personnel that access my data be subjected to additional background check?All MicroStrategy employees undergo an extensive background check when hired. Because

MicroStrategy Cloud operations are performed by an integrated team in a shared environment, it is

generally not possible to specifically designate individual employees to operate particular customer

environments. As a result, we typically do not offer the ability to perform additional customer-

specific background checks. Please contact your MicroStrategy account executive for additional

information.

27.What security mechanism will MicroStrategy employ to detect intrusion through firewalls?

MicroStrategy Cloud leverages both active and passive network intrusion detection systems toprotect against third party attacks. Suspicious activities are programmatically identified and network

operators are sent alerts. MicroStrategy personnel monitor the system for specific alerts on a 24/7

basis and follow a standard set of procedures and practices to respond to threats as they are

identified.

28.How is data in cubes and caches secured?Caches and cubes are specific to each customers unique system environment, which runs in a

separate, sandboxed virtual environment and is not accessible by any other MicroStrategy

customer. Data stored in-memory in intelligent cubes and caches are secured using a variety of

different approaches. First, at the customer option, MicroStrategys cube encryption technology can

be used to encrypt both caches and cubes.1 Cache- and cube-based data also takes full advantage of

the physical security environment of the MicroStrategy Cloud infrastructure outlined elsewhere in

this document.

29.What additional security provisions do you have in place?

Passwords for all servers, agents, and applications use strong passwords that are revised on a

periodic basis. Passwords for customer access are encrypted and are unknown to MicroStrategy

1Not available in the beta program.


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staff. If a password is lost, the system will automatically generate a new password and mail it to the

appropriate user account.

In addition, MicroStrategy Cloud takes advantage of the security features native to the

MicroStrategy Business Intelligence platform. This includes user authorization security for the

business intelligence application itself (including application functionality security, access control

lists, and data security features), along with wired and wireless internet transmission security

features. More information is available in theMicroStrategy Architecture Book.

30.How and when will security-related issues be communicated to customers?In compliance with federal, state, and/or foreign law (as applicable), MicroStrategy has

implemented processes to provide notification to customers of lost or compromised data based on

the severity of the security threat and the results of any individual attack.

31.Who owns the data?You do. At any time, you can request metadata database extracts from MicroStrategy. Database

extracts are only provided to individuals explicitly authorized by the customer.

32.What operational controls are in place? What certifications does MicroStrategy offer?MicroStrategy is working with a public accounting firm to ensure continued Sarbanes Oxley (SOX)

compliance. Our MicroStrategy Cloud computing infrastructure is maintained in SAS 70 Type I and II

compliant collocated data centers.

The MicroStrategy Cloud controls are based on the Cloud Security Alliance control matrix. As such,

we will be able to map our controls to the most common industry control frameworks including

COBIT, NIST, ISO27001/2, PCI, HIPPA, etc.

An industry-leading third party will be responsible for the monitoring and Level 1 escalation within

the MicroStrategy Cloud environment. This firm has Network Operation Centers (NOC) around theworld and offers complete 24x7 environment and security monitoring services as well as a highly

tested and accepted set of controls for monitoring and managing solutions such as ours.

MicroStrategy staff will manage Level 2 and Level 3 escalations. Our hardware and software

partners in the MicroStrategy Cloud initiative will also provide Level 3 escalation coverage.

We are currently developing our control framework, basing security controls on ISO 27001-27002.

Our expectations are to have the highest priority controls in place by early July 2011. We anticipate

being able to submit for SSAE16 certification in the late fall of 2011. PCI, HIPPA and other industry

specific certifications will be planned based on the demands of our customers. MicroStrategy will

provide customers with our certification timelines and the audit certifications as they are achieved.

At this time, MicroStrategy will warrant that all computing infrastructure is maintained in a SAS70

Type II compliant colocated data center. A detailed roadmap of additional certifications will be

available at a future point in time.

33.How is user authentication handled? Can I integrate with existing LDAP, Active Directory, or other

identity management or single sign on solutions?

MicroStrategy Cloud can integrate with your existing identity management and single sign on

solutions. Integration is securely achieved via a VPN connection between our web server in the
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MicroStrategy cloud and the authentication server on your network. Basic LDAP integration is

available as part of the standard MicroStrategy Cloud service; other single sign on or identity

management integration is available as a premium offering. Single factor authentication is standard;

two factor authentication can be supported for an additional up-front fee.

CLOUD WAREHOUSE AND ETL SERVICES34.How does your Cloud Warehouse offering work?

MicroStrategy offers a complete cloud-based data warehouse with robust ETL support for loading

and maintaining your database. MicroStrategy Cloud Warehouse services are available in three

standard configurations:

a) Basic Edition. Based on an open source database, this option is the most cost effective.

Maximum supported data volume is 1 TB. This option features a low compute-to-storage ratio, a

low memory-to-storage ratio, and standard disks.

b) Enterprise Edition. Based on a standard data warehouse appliance offering from a leading

analytical database vendor, this option delivers strong performance and scalability up to 20TB.This option features a medium compute-to-storage ratio, a medium memory-to-storage ratio,

and fast disks.

c) High Performance Edition. Based on a high end appliance from a leading analytical database

vendor, this option is designed to support use cases with high levels of concurrency and

demanding analytical challenges. This option features a high compute-to-storage ratio, a high

memory-to-storage ratio, and very high performance disks.

35.What services does MicroStrategy provide to maintain the environment?MicroStrategy provides basic database administration functions. MicroStrategy services for tuning

and optimization are available on a time and materials basis.

36.Is there an SLA for warehouse performance?

No. You are responsible for the performance of your warehouse. That includes selecting the correct

infrastructure to support the performance requirements of your system (i.e. choosing Basic,

Enterprise, or High Performance Edition), designing and optimizing the schema, and tuning the

system.

37.How can I update my database using ETL?

MicroStrategy offers two ETL options:

a) Basic ETL-as-a-service. MicroStrategy offers a cloud-based ETL service that is designed to

support most basic ETL use cases (including database uploads, batch updates, and basic

transforms). Users can access and create mappings, processes and transforms via an easy-to-useweb-based interface. This service uses a multitenant model for its software interface and

metadata. However, all data extraction, transformation, and movement are processed through

a dedicated channel that is secure and encrypted.

b) High performance ETL. For high performance ETL requirements (large data volumes, high

refresh rates, large numbers of data sources, etc.), you have the option of running a completely

separate ETL environment in the MicroStrategy Cloud. Processes and transformations

developed using the multitenant ETL service can easily be migrated to this service. More


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complex applications can be developed using a client tool hosted by MicroStrategy and available

via remote desktop. Additional monthly fees will apply based on the capacity demands of the

system.

TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT

38.How do you handle testing and development?As part of your service, MicroStrategy will provide access to a low performance virtual machine

provisioned with the same roles and capabilities as your MicroStrategy production environment.

This environment can be used for testing and development purposes. Subscribers to MicroStrategy

Cloud Warehouse and ETL services will also have access to a separate low performance VM for

testing and development. Custom testing and development configurations are available for an

additional monthly service charge.

UPGRADES AND MIGRATION39.How will you handle patches and upgrades to my system?

As new versions of the underlying MicroStrategy Business Intelligence platform are released, the

MicroStrategy Cloud service is updated with the enhancements contained in those releases. This

process unfolds in two different ways:

a) Minor patches and upgrades. MicroStrategy maintains as scheduled two hour maintenance

window on Saturday night of each week. During this window of scheduled downtime,

MicroStrategy will apply minor upgrades and patches to your system. This two hour window of

downtime will not count against MicroStrategys uptime SLA.

b) Major releases. From time to time, your MicroStrategy Cloud service will require a majorupgrade by MicroStrategy. To ensure stability of the customer environments, MicroStrategy will

perform rigorous testing of major release versions prior to upgrading customer environments.

During the major release upgrade process, MicroStrategy will provide an upgrade window in

which customers will be able to schedule a time to minimize the impact on the customer

application. To maintain your service during this upgrade, MicroStrategy will create an instance

of your system based on the upgraded software platform. This instance will run in parallel with

your production environment for a period of two weeks, during which time you may test the

system as you see fit via MicroStrategy Integrity Manager or other means (MicroStrategy will

also be conducting its own tests during this time period). At the end of the two week period,

users of the old system will be redirected to the new instance, and the old instance will be

turned off. All costs associated with this process are included in your MicroStrategy Cloud

services. If you require additional, non-standard services or a customized upgrade process (for

example, to accommodate more extensive user acceptance testing), the MicroStrategy Cloud

team can accommodate this with a tailored service offering.

40.Which version(s) of MicroStrategy software will be available in the initial release of the cloud

offering: 9.0.2, 9.2.x?

MicroStrategy Cloud will initially be based on MicroStrategy 9.2.1.


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41.Are upgrades mandatory and outside of the control of the customer? How many versions will be

run simultaneously across the entire infrastructure?

MicroStrategys objective is to deliver an infrastructure where all customers can take full advantage

of the functional benefits of using the latest version of MicroStrategy software. We will work with

you to schedule your upgrade processes to maximize the efficiency of the upgrade and to minimize

any business impact.

42.Will new functionality be turned on right away as soon as a new upgrade is completed or will it be

made available only on demand by the customer?

New functionality will be available to the customer as soon as an upgrade has been completed. To

the extent that the manifestation of any new functionality is dependent on BI solution design, the

customer will have control over the deployment of this functionality in its applications.

43.How can I migrate out of the cloud to an on-premises solution? Whats the migration process?You are free to migrate to an on-premises solution at any time. Typically, MicroStrategy will

facilitate this migration by packaging your metadata database into a secure, encrypted file and

transmitting it to you via FTP. Database backups and ETL scripts/workflows will also be provided ifapplicable. MicroStrategy ProfessionalSservices are available to help with any implementation issues

or questions related to your on premises environment.

44.Can I migrate from an existing on-premises install to the MicroStrategy Cloud solution? Can I

convert existing licenses to MicroStrategy Cloud credits?

MicroStrategy offers two paths to migrate your MicroStrategy implementation into the

MicroStrategy Cloud. First, you can package your metadata database into a secure, encrypted file

and transmit it to MicroStrategy via FTP. Alternatively, you can use standard MicroStrategy Object

Manager capabilities to create a package which can be used to update your cloud-based

MicroStrategy instance. Existing data warehouses and ETL capabilities can also be migrated on a

time and materials basis.

Because MicroStrategy Cloud is an integrated bundle of services that includes operational

management, support, and software, existing licenses are not convertible into MicroStrategy Cloud

services at this time.

45.Can I migrate from an older MicroStrategy version into the Cloud? What is the process that isinvolved? Do I need to have another implementation cycle?

Yes, you can migrate from an older MicroStrategy version into the cloud. Once your MicroStrategy

Cloud service is available, the migration process is the same as it would be for any other migration

to a newer version of MicroStrategy. After the migration is complete, you can continue to run your

existing system in parallel as you test your new cloud-based environment.

46.Can I migrate my existing production environment in the cloud and keep my Development and QA

on premises? How can we migrate metadata on premise into the cloud for on-going projects?

Yes, you can migrate your production environment to the cloud while maintaining an environment

or environments for development and QA on premises. Metadata migration can take place as

described above via a secure FTP-based transfer or through the standard MicroStrategy Object

Manager interface. Depending on the frequency of metadata database refreshes, you may be


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subject to additional services charges to the extent that manual change management processes on

the part of the MicroStrategy Cloud team are required.

PRICING AND BILLING47.How are MicroStrategy Cloud Services priced and packaged?

There are two ways to purchase MicroStrategy Cloud services:

a) Named User Pricing

Our named user pricing model is based on the number of users authorized to use your system in

a given month. There are three user classifications Consumer, Analyst, and Pro each with a

different set of privileges and a different monthly cost.

FeatureConsumer

Business user

AnalystBusiness analyst

ProBI developer

Subscribe to reports, scorecards,etc.

Print

Export

Drill Use MicroStrategy Mobile oniPad/iPhone

Create derived metrics

Define thresholds Drill anywhere

Publish shared reports

Use Transaction Services

Use Microsoft Office integration

Design new reports

Create and edit filters and prompts

Save templates for reuse

Advanced formatting Representative feature list. Does not reflect all available features.


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MicroStrategy will request that you commit to a base level of named user usage in a given time

period. Longer commitments will be more deeply discounted. As system utilization increases,

you can modify your level of commitment in increments of 25 additional users.

b) Metered PricingMicroStrategy will release details of its metered pricing model in Fall, 2011. Metered pricing

allows organizations to only pay for the BI system capacity that they use. It is ideally suited for

organizations that have an unknown number of end users, or are subject to wide swings in

demand for system resources.

This model enables customers to benefit from consistently optimized system performance even

at the highest level of user activity, without the need to make expensive up front investments to

build out the costly infrastructure required to deliver consistent performance at large scale.

48.How will MicroStrategy bill for MicroStrategy Cloud services? What kind of data will be captured?

Will it be auditable by customers? Will customers have the opportunity to review their billing on

demand? What kinds of billing reports will be provided to the customer?

MicroStrategy will issue monthly invoices for MicroStrategy Cloud services. Invoices will be based onutilization of the customer system in accordance with either the metered or named-user based

pricing models offered by MicroStrategy. Invoices are generated automatically based on usage

statistics from the customers MicroStrategy implementation and the customers negotiated pricing.

These usage statistics can also be monitored by a customer at any time in the billing cycle through

the administrative interface of the solution. Customers should be aware that while this interface

does track hourly utilization or active named user counts (depending on the relevant pricing model)

it does not actually apply pricing to this information. Pricing is only applied in the monthly bill itself.

Usage history is maintained by the system and is accessible directly by the customer through the

administrative portal for a period of two years. Billing information is not otherwise auditable by the

customer.

SUPPORT

49.How is tech support delivered for MicroStrategy Cloud?Customers requiring tech support can access it through MicroStrategys existing channels for

support.

For high severity support issues, MicroStrategy recommends you contact us via theappropriate

MicroStrategy Technical Support phone number for your location. Once you have contacted

MicroStrategy Technical Support, you will be assigned a case number. Support cases are managedbased on severity.

Case status can be accessed through the web support portal at any time by providing your customer

information and case number.

50.Does the MicroStrategy Cloud service include standard MicroStrategy Technical Support?
http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/ContactUs.asphttp://www.microstrategy.com/Support/ContactUs.asphttp://www.microstrategy.com/Support/ContactUs.asphttp://www.microstrategy.com/Support/ContactUs.asphttp://www.microstrategy.com/Support/ContactUs.asphttp://www.microstrategy.com/Support/ContactUs.asp


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Yes, standard MicroStrategy Technical Support is included in the price of the MicroStrategy Cloud

offering.

51.Are there self-service options for support?

MicroStrategy offers full access for MicroStrategy Cloud customers toMicroStrategys online

knowledge base and product documentation.

In addition, MicroStrategy Cloud customers can access the MicroStrategy Cloud Section of

theMicroStrategy Discussion Forums. The Discussion Forums are an online community for peer-to-

peer technical support and knowledge sharing. These Forums are a place where MicroStrategy

customers and partners can exchange knowledge, best practices, and experience. They are

moderated by MicroStrategy technical specialists, who contribute to ongoing discussions as needed.

Participation in the Forums requires registration. The Forums can be accessedhere.

MISCELLANEOUS

52.Is there a way to try MicroStrategy Cloud Services before committing to a purchase?MicroStrategy Cloud pilots are available to qualified prospects. Please contact your account

executive for additional information.

53.Can I run my existing MicroStrategy licenses in your cloud?

MicroStrategy Cloud is an integrated solution that bundles software, hardware, network, and

operational services. At the current time, MicroStrategy does not offer hosting services for existing

owners of MicroStrategy licenses.
https://resource.microstrategy.com/support/https://resource.microstrategy.com/support/https://resource.microstrategy.com/support/https://resource.microstrategy.com/support/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/http://www.microstrategy.com/Support/Forum/https://resource.microstrategy.com/support/https://resource.microstrategy.com/support/

Micro Strategy Cloud- Faq

Documents