MicroStrategy

Connect MicroStrategy to Delta Forge through a generic ODBC database instance.

Syntax

Database Instance > Generic DBMS > ODBC

Description

## Setup 1. Install the Delta Forge ODBC Driver on every MicroStrategy server host that runs the Intelligence Server. The driver must be visible to the iServer's process; install at the system level (Linux: `dnf install`, Windows: MSI as administrator). 2. In **Developer**, navigate to **Administration** -> **Database Instance Manager** -> **New Database Instance**. 3. Pick **Generic DBMS** and create an **ODBC** connection. 4. Provide the connection string (or pick a system DSN). Save the database instance with a memorable name. 5. Map the database instance to a project via **Project Configuration** -> **Database instances**. ## Generic vs. certified DBMS MicroStrategy ships certified drivers for the most common engines (SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake). Delta Forge connects through the generic ODBC path; this works but loses some of the engine-specific SQL generation MicroStrategy applies for certified drivers. Two consequences: - Some VLDB properties (MicroStrategy's per-DBMS tuning knobs) default conservatively. Adjust them for analytical workloads. - Pass-through SQL functions (the `ApplySimple` family) work, but MicroStrategy does not auto-substitute Delta Forge's native function names. A Delta Forge-specific certification is on the roadmap. ## VLDB properties to review For an analytical workload, set: - **Maximum SQL Size**: at least 64 KB. Default is much smaller and clips long generated queries. - **Use Sub Query**: prefer **Use Sub Query** for IN-list pushdown; MicroStrategy otherwise generates very long IN-lists which hurt parsing. - **Major DB Version**: leave on the SQL92 default. The driver's dialect is close enough for the standard MicroStrategy macros. ## Authentication modes - **Standard**: each user has their own credential pair. The Intelligence Server stores credentials encrypted in the metadata. Users do not enter passwords at run time. - **Pass-through**: the user's MicroStrategy login is used as the Delta Forge `Uid`. Requires an SSO bridge that issues a Delta Forge token from the MicroStrategy session. For most deployments, **Standard** with a service-principal `Uid` is the simplest path; the iServer authenticates as the service principal and the user's identity is tracked in MicroStrategy's audit layer.

Examples

# Sample connection string assembled by MicroStrategy
Driver={DeltaForge ODBC Driver};Server=https://df.example.com;Uid=alice@example.com

Pitfalls

• MicroStrategy's iServer caches the driver list on startup. After installing the Delta Forge driver, restart the iServer service before creating the database instance.
• Generated SQL can include very long IN-lists for in-memory drilldowns. Set the **Use Sub Query** VLDB property to `True` to avoid hitting parser size limits.
• On Windows Server, the iServer runs as a service account. Place credentials in that account's keychain or set `Pwd=` directly on the database instance; the user keychain is not accessible to the service.

See Also

• ODBC_BI_TABLEAU
• ODBC_BI_QLIK
• ODBC_TS_DIAG_CHAIN