KB16776: How to create a baseline versus project integrity test in MicroStrategy Integrity Manager 9.x

In a baseline-versus-project integrity test, Strategy Integrity Manager 9.x executes selected reports from a project and compares them against a previously established baseline. The baseline can be established by running a single project integrity test.
 
Some example situations where a baseline-versus-project integrity test would be useful include:
 

• Running against a production Strategy Intelligence Server would be too costly in terms of system resources.
• Only having one test server to work with. Users can generate a baseline (by executing a single-project integrity test), apply the changes, and then execute a baseline-versus-project integrity test to see if any reports have changed.
• Modifying the results for a single report (by replacing that report's files in the baseline) instead of re-executing the entire baseline.

Users can compare the report data, the generated SQL code, and the graphs for the tested reports, as well as Excel and PDF output. Strategy Integrity Manager 9.x informs reports are different between the two projects and highlights the discrepancies. Users must visually inspect any graphs pr ex[prts marked as different to determine where the differences are located.
 
Prerequisites for comparing reports to a previously established baseline:
 

• Users must first establish a baseline to compare the selected reports against.
• To execute an integrity test on a project, users must have the 'Use Integrity Manager' privilege for that project. Users must also have the Execute permission for any reports to be tested. For information on privileges and permissions, see the Strategy System Administration Guide.
• Strategy Integrity Manager 9.x can only test three-tier projects, that is, projects that are attached to a Strategy Intelligence Server. Projects in Direct Connection (two-tier) mode cannot be tested with this tool.

To compare reports to a previously established baseline:
 

• Open Strategy Integrity Manager 9.x from the Start menu > Programs > Strategy > Integrity Manager.
• From the File menu, select Create Test. The Integrity Manager Wizard opens and the Welcome page is displayed, as shown below:
  

• Select Baseline versus Project test and click Next, as shown below:
  

• In the Select baseline XML file field, enter the complete path to the baseline.xml file for the previously saved baseline test, as shown below:
  

•  
  By default, the baseline files are saved under the test folder > Server name. A baseline.xml file is created per server basis.
   
  
• Click Next. The Enter Target Project Information page opens.
• In the Server Name field, specify the name of the Strategy Intelligence Server machine on which the target project resides. This project contains the reports to be compared against the baseline. The Integrity Manager Wizard automatically populates the Server Port field. If Strategy Intelligence Server is running on a different port, enter that port number in the Server Port field, as shown below:
  

• From the Authentication drop-down list, select the type of authentication to use with the login and also provide a Strategy Login and Password to connect to the project.
• From the Project drop-down list select the target project and click Next.
• From the list provided, select the reports to be compared. These reports are retrieved from the baseline file, as shown below:
  

• To provide a default answer for one of the three types of value prompt, in case that the selected reports have value prompts, select its check box and then enter the desired default answer in its field. Other types of prompts are answered automatically. For more information about value prompts, see the Strategy Basic Reporting Guide.
• The user will be presented with some execution settings that he can adjust depending on their environment, as shown below:
  

• Max Timeout: Enter the maximum number of minutes to wait for a report to finish executing.
  Note: If the timeout setting for Strategy Intelligence Server is less than Strategy Integrity Manager 9.x timeout setting, reports may time out before the time allotted in this field.
   
  
• Concurrent Jobs: Enter the maximum number of reports to execute at the same time.
  Warning: Setting this number higher than the default value, especially on a Strategy Intelligence Server that is being used in production, may cause an extreme load on Strategy Intelligence Server. This may cause reports to time out or, in severe cases, may cause the Strategy Intelligence Server to shut down unexpectedly.
   
  
• Output Directory: Specify the location in which the results of the test are stored. To store the results of the test in a location specified by the date and time of execution, select the Store output in a time-stamped subfolder of this directory option.
• Logging Options: To enable logging, select the Enable logging check box. Specify the name and location of the log file in the field below the check box and click Next.
• Select the type of report data for Strategy Integrity Manager 9.x to analyze. More than one may be selected.
   
  
• To analyze the generated SQL for each report, select Compare SQL.
• To analyze the grid data for each report, select Compare Data.
• To analyze the generated graph for each report, select Compare Graph.
• To analyze Excel and PDF output, select the appropriate checkboxes.
•  
  Note: Only reports that have been saved in Graph or Grid/Graph view can be compared as graphs. To compare Excel output, Microsoft Excel must be installed on the machine running Strategy Ingetrity Manager.
   
  
• Click Next. The Summary page opens. The user can review the information presented. To make changes, click Back until the page that contains the information that needs to be changed is displayed.
• When users are satisfied that the test settings shown on the Summary page are correct, click Run. The Integrity Manager wizard closes and Strategy Integrity Manager 8.1.1 begins to execute the selected reports. As the reports execute, the results of each report appear in the Results Summary area of the Strategy Integrity Manager 9.x interface, as shown below:
  

To save the test for later use, go to File > Save Test. Navigate to the desired directory, enter the file name, and click OK. Users can then execute the now-saved test by clicking Run.