KB483286: Enabling Local Resource Loading for the Export Engine in a Cloud Environment using MicroStrategy

Starting with the release of Strategy ONE (March 2024), dossiers are also known as dashboards.

Summary

In past releases, the export engine was isolated from both the Intelligence and Web servers and deployed in a dedicated environment. During PDF exports, the export engine requested plugins directly from the Web and Library servers.
Starting in 2019 Update 2, the export engine supports redirecting web resource requests to the export engine side. By default, this feature is disabled. See Enable Local Resource Loading and Export Engine Configuration Properties for more information about how to enable this feature. 
Once this feature is enabled, the export engine redirects web resource requests to the export engine side. It then loads those resources from the resources folder that is pre-installed in the root folder of the PDF Export Service. This prevents authentication issues between the export engine and the Web and Library servers since the export engine no longer needs to communicate with those servers directly.
The following plugin widgets are packaged with Strategy Web (in the Strategy.war file) and installed into the new export engine's local resources folder by default: D3WorldCloud, Google Timeline, KPIWidget, MobileBase, and SequencesSunburst.

Issue

In a Cloud Console environment, additional plugins are installed in Web and Library, so they cannot be used when local resource loading is enabled for the export engine.

Resolution

This resolution details how to copy plugins and configure map keys in the correct location for upgrades or new installs. Before you get started, keep in mind that the PDF Export Service is usually installed under the root folder of the Intelligence server. In Windows, the default path is X:/Program Files (x86)/MicroStrategy/Intelligence Server/PDFExportService. In Linux, the default path is <InstallPath>/IntelligenceServer/PDFExportService. If it is installed via a root privilege, it is usually located at opt/mstr/MicroStrategy/install/IngelligenceServer/PDFExportService.

If You Are Upgrading from an Older Build

1. Copy all plugins installed in Web to <PDFExportServiceRootFolder>/resources/plugins.
2. Copy all plugins installed in Library to <PDFExportServiceRootFolder>/resources/plugins.
3. Check to see if any map keys are configured in <Web/LibraryRootFolder>/WEB-INF/xml/config/mapConfig.xml. If they are, copy mapConfig.xml into <PDFExportServiceRootFolder>/resources/WEB-INF/xml/config/mapConfig.xml.
4. Restart the PDFExportService.

If You Are Performing a Fresh Install of Plugins or Map Keys

Installing a New Plugin Widget

1. Install the plugin for Web. Copy the plugin to <StrategyWebRootFolder>/plugins.
2. Install the plugin for Library. Copy the plugin to <LibraryRootFolder>/plugins.
3. Install the plugin for the PDF Export Service. Copy the plugin to <PDFExportServiceRootFolder>/resources/plugins.
4. Restart Web, Library, and the PDF Export Service.

Configuring a Map Key for ESRI, Google Maps, or Geospatial Services

There are two alternatives to configuring a map key. You can either install a ConnectorForMap plugin (follow the steps above) or modify /WEB-INF/xml/config/mapConfig.xml.

1. Modify <StrategyWebRootFolder>/WEB-INF/xml/config/mapConfig.xml.
2. Modify <LibraryRootFolder>/WEB-INF/xml/config/mapConfig.xml.
3. Modify <PDFExportServiceRootFolder>/resources/WEB-INF/xml/config/mapConfig.xml.
4. Restart Web, Library, and the PDF Export Service.

Please note that all procedures performed on Web and LIbrary must also be done for the PDF Export Service.

To Export Images in Your Dossiers to PDF

If there are any images copied into <Web folder>/images or <Web folder>/VisFramework, you also need to copy them to <PDFExportService folder>/resources/images and /resources/VisFramework. Otherwise, images appear in Strategy Web, but not in PDF exports.
See KB483235: Troubleshooting the New Export Engine in 2019 Update 2 for more information about troubleshooting other issues in the new export engine.