64-Bit BI FAQ

What does 64-bit mean?

64-bit is a generic term given to a generation of computers with 64-bit processors. Therefore, a 64-bit computer processor has direct support for 64 bit instructions through registers that are 64 bits wide.

What are the advantages of having a 64-bit system?

A 64-bit system provides the following advantages:
- Faster performance through enhanced caching and in-memory capabilities.
- Cost reductions due to superior hardware and software stability, and hardware consolidation.
- Reduced overhead and lower costs per application through virtualization.
- Higher system availability and less unplanned downtime.
- Improved self-service. Business people are able to conduct analysis quicker, take advantage of more BI functionality, and create their own reports and analysis without help from the information technology (IT) organization.

Why should you move to 64-bit Universal option for your BI needs?

The top 5 reasons why MicroStrategy customers are moving to 64-bit are:
1. 64-bit BI is cost effective. The vastly improved stability inherent in 64-bit BI pays for itself in reduced staffing expenses and the ability to consolidate servers.
2. 64-bit BI delivers faster performance. The expanded computing resources of a 64-bit system, particularly memory, makes BI run faster.
3. 64-bit BI improves self-service so that business people are able to conduct analysis quicker, take advantage of more BI functionality, and create their own reports and analysis without help from the information technology (IT) organization.
4. 64-bit BI is mainstream. The risk with moving to 64-bit BI is minimal. MicroStrategy Universal offers flexible hardware and operating system options and provides a straightforward path to 64-bit BI.
5. 64-bit technology is mature, widely available, powerful, and inexpensive.

What benefits have our customers seen when they moved their BI applications to 64-bit?

Over 40% of the MicroStrategy customer base is on 64-bit. For MicroStrategy customers, 64-bit BI means more information for more users with higher performance and higher BI system availability.
How can I evaluate 64-bit BI with MicroStrategy?

MicroStrategy provides a 30-day free trial of our business intelligence platform. You can evaluate MicroStrategy in two ways:
1. 64-bit Windows: Download the 30-day trial version and install the software on your 64-bit Windows machine
2. 64-bit Linux: Download the MicroStrategy Evaluation Edition virtual appliance on your system (32-bit or 64-bit) and load the virtual appliance on VMware player or VMware server to evaluate MicroStrategy.
Both evaluation editions can be found on the free MicroStrategy evaluation software page.

What are the limitations of 32-bit systems?

32-bit systems offer up to 4 GB in addressable space leading to instability and unreliability of the system. Furthermore, this physical limitation of memory prevents users from moving large amounts of data in-memory, reducing the ability to conduct sophisticated analysis. Finally, applications that are memory intensive will most likely need their own dedicated hardware, resulting in increased hardware and software costs.

How much virtual memory is available on 64-bit system?
In theory, 64-bit systems can address up to 16 Exabytes (more than 17 billion GB), compared to just 4 GB with 32-bit computing. Current BI systems typically have between 16 GB and 1 TB of memory, providing virtually unlimited memory space for today's applications.

When did MicroStrategy start developing the 64-bit Universal Option?
Recognizing that 64-bit computing would be a norm in the future, MicroStrategy released MicroStrategy Intelligence Server Universal with 64-bit support in 2003. This allowed a number of MicroStrategy customers to be early adopters of MicroStrategy BI applications on 64-bit systems. These customers were able to leverage the advantages of 64-bit systems to expand the scope of BI applications from a small set to a huge number of users. The Universal Option was developed on a single code base in order to provide a smooth and transparent transition from 32-bit to 64-bit. Today, the widely available, powerful, and inexpensive 64-bit processors and memory – together with proven 64-bit operating systems – have established the era of 64-bit computing.

What is a single code base?
A single code base means that close to 90% of the code is the same across all operating systems, 32-bit as well as 64-bit. There is only a thin layer of code (~10%) that is specific to each operating system. MicroStrategy implemented a single code base to ensure consistent quality and functional parity across all platforms.

What 64-bit operating systems are supported by MicroStrategy Universal Edition?
Currently, MicroStrategy Universal Edition is certified to run on the following operating systems:
- Windows: Windows 2003, Windows 2008
- Solaris: Solaris 9.x, Solaris 10.x, Solaris Zones for Solaris 10.x
- IBM AIX: AIX 5.3, AIX 6.1, LPAR for AIX
- Linux: Red hat Enterprise Linux 4 & 5, Oracle Enterprise Linux, Linux SUSE Enterprise Server 9 & 10
- HP-UX: HP-UX 11i v2 & v3

How easy is a typical upgrade from a 32-bit BI system to 64-bit Universal Edition?
Upgrade to MicroStrategy 64-bit is very easy and completely transparent to users. Once MicroStrategy Universal is installed, it simply needs to be pointed to the existing metadata and all reports and dashboards are immediately ready for use.

How long does a typical upgrade from a 32-bit system to 64-bit system take?
Our customers report their upgrades typically took just a few days. Some customers have even upgraded over a single weekend.

Can you connect MicroStrategy desktop applications from 32-bit hardware to a 64-bit Intelligence Server?
Yes, MicroStrategy provides full compatibility between 32-bit and 64-bit systems. Your end users can continue to run MicroStrategy applications such as Desktop or Web from 32-bit hardware while seamlessly connecting to a 64-bit Intelligence Server.