KB10192: How can several reports share a report cache and have different views of the data using the OLAP Services feature for the MicroStrategy Intelligence Server 9.x?

In the Strategy Intelligence Server, report caches can be shared between reports. This is achieved by using shortcuts to templates and filters on the reports. By using Strategy OLAP Services to display different views of the same data, multiple reports may share the same cache and benefit from not having to execute against the data warehouse.
 
Note: Strategy OLAP Services 9.x uses a new structure for Intelligent Cube reports and the view reports accessing their data. The type of cache sharing described in this document is still available in Strategy OLAP Services 9.x; however, the new Intelligent Cube reporting design is more robust, more flexible and offers significant improvements in memory usage over cache sharing by template and filter shortcuts. Consult the Strategy 9 OLAP Services Guide PDF manual for more details on Intelligent Cube reports.
 
Note: Constructing different views of the same base cache, by using the Report Objects window, requires the Strategy OLAP Services product, which is enabled based on the terms of the Strategy licensing contract. To obtain Strategy OLAP Services, users should contact their Strategy account representative. Caches may be shared among different reports without Strategy OLAP Services, but they must all display the same data in that case.
 
The following procedure describes how a report cache may be shared by using shortcuts to filters and templates:

• Users should create a filter to return the desired dataset and a template containing all the objects they would like to see on the template.
• Users should create the first report R1 that will share the cache. To do this, perform the following:
  
• The User should open a new report through the report editor.
• In the Object Browser window, the user should browse to the template which was created in the first step.
• The user can then Right-click the template and select 'Replace with a shortcut to template,' as shown below:
  

• In the Object Browser window, the user can browse to the filter which was created above.
• Right-click the filter and select 'Replace Report Filter with a shortcut to this filter," as shown below:
  

• Save and Close. (Save as report R1.)
• In the Advanced Save options window, select the options to 'Retain the shortcut to the filter' as well as 'Retain the shortcut to the template' and click OK:
  

• Now the second report to share the same cache must be created (R2). To do this, users should perform the following steps:
  
• Open the report editor.
• In the Object Browser window, browse to the filter created in the first step.
• Right-click the filter and select 'Replace Report Filter with a shortcut to this filter.'
• In the Object Browser window, browse to the template created above.
• Right-click the filter and select 'Replace with a shortcut to template.'
• At this point, both reports have the same filter and template, and can share the same cache. However, without the benefit of OLAP services, both reports will also show the same data. In this example users can use the Report Objects window exposed by OLAP Services to move objects off the template and show data aggregated at a different level:
  

• Save and Close. (Save as report R2.)
• In the Advanced Save options window, select the options to 'Retain the shortcut to the filter' as well as 'Retain the shortcut to the template' and click OK.
• A Template Dependency Validator window will appear indicating that the Template is being shared by another report. Click OK:
  

• To prevent other users from modifying the original template or filter and to create local template and filter copies, administrators should follow the detailed steps below:
  
• Preserving Report Cache Sharing.
  
• Uncheck the following privileges for users in the user editor to prevent users from modifying the original template and filter.
  
• `Modify the list of report objects`
• `Web modify the list of report objects`

• Permissions and Report Cache sharing. Permissions prevent changes to reports with linked templates and filters.
  
• In Strategy Desktop, right-click the template and click 'Properties.' The Properties window opens:
• Click the `Security` tab in the Properties window.
• In the User Column, select the user or group which will be denied right to modify this template.
• In the object column, select `View,` as shown below:
  

• Click `OK` to save the permissions for the template.
• Repeat the steps above for the filter.
• To test the setup, login as a user without the privileges discussed in Step 4.
• Run the report R1 to create the cache.
• Now run report R2.
• Check the Cache Monitor.

 
Now, only the report cache for report R1 will appear in the cache monitor: