During this phase, the installer is writing the DSNs (Data Source Names). This is the moment the software learns how to speak to the outside world. A failure here—a typo in a connection string, a blocked port—is not a bug; it is a syntax error in the language of business.

Before you start the installation process, complete the following tasks:

The installation guide is the map, but the territory is the enterprise data. Successfully navigating the MicroStrategy 11 installation is the act of turning silicon and SQL into insight. It is the invisible engineering that allows the CEO to see the future on a tablet screen.

The MicroStrategy 11 installer introduces a modularity that previous versions lacked. It forces the architect to decide: Will this be a two-tier environment (heavy, client-heavy) or a three-tier, web-based architecture (light, scalable)? This decision dictates the flow of data for years to come.