KB16070: How to define nonaggregatable metrics in MicroStrategy Developer 9.x-10.x

What is a nonaggregatable metric?
A nonaggregatable metric is a metric that should not be aggregated across an attribute. An example is an inventory metric. While the data warehouse records inventory every month, these monthly numbers are not added together to calculate the yearly inventory. Instead, a user may want to use the end-on-hand and beginning-on-hand inventory numbers to see how the total inventory changed over the year. These grouping options are as follows:
 

• Beginning lookup - uses the first value of the lookup table.
• Ending lookup - uses the last value of the lookup table.
• Beginning fact - accesses the first value of the fact table.
• Ending fact - accesses the last value contained in the fact table.

Setting a metric level to one of the options listed above defines the metric as nonaggregatable. Whether a user selects a fact or lookup table largely depends on how the necessary information is stored. Examples can be found in the Advanced Reporting Guide.
 
How does one set a metric as nonaggregatable?
To set a metric as nonaggregatable, follow the steps below:
 

• Open the Metric Editor.
• Define the expression to be used.
• Click on the Level(Dimensionality) option. From here, after the Target Level(s) are set for the metric, then the user can select the different grouping for each Level that has been defined, as shown below: