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Tableau Server supports multiple authentication methods, including Local Authentication, Active Directory, Kerberos, SAML, and OpenID Connect. OpenID Connect (OIDC) is an identity layer built on OAuth 2.0, commonly used for single sign-on (SSO). In Tableau Server, OIDC is implemented as a variant of SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) authentication because both are SSO protocols managed through the same configuration workflow.

To use OpenID Connect:

Configure Tableau Server for SAML/SSO.

Provide an OIDC-compatible identity provider (IdP) configuration (e.g., Google, Okta).

Set up the IdP metadata and certificates in TSM.

Option D (SAML): Correct. Tableau Server treats OIDC as a subset of its SAML authentication framework, so you configure it under the SAML settings in TSM.

Option A (Local Authentication): Incorrect. Local Authentication uses Tableau’s internal user database, not an external SSO protocol like OIDC.

Option B (Kerberos): Incorrect. Kerberos is a network authentication protocol for Windows environments, unrelated to OIDC.

Option C (Active Directory): Incorrect. AD uses LDAP or Kerberos, not OIDC, for authentication.

In Tableau Server, schedules manage tasks such as extract refreshes and subscriptions. The execution mode of a schedule determines how tasks within that schedule are processed by the Backgrounder process:

Parallel: Tasks run simultaneously (up to the Backgrounder’s capacity), which is the default setting.

Serial: Tasks run one-at-a-time in sequence, ensuring that one task completes before the next begins.

To ensure tasks associated with a particular schedule run one-at-a-time, you must configure the schedule’s execution mode to Serial. This is done in the Tableau Server web interface:

Go to Schedules.

Select the schedule, click Actions > Edit Schedule.

Under Execution, choose Serial instead of Parallel.

Option A (Set Execution to Serial): Correct. This directly addresses the requirement by forcing tasks to execute sequentially.

Option B (Set Default priority to 0): Incorrect. Priority (1–100) determines the order of task execution across all schedules, not whether tasks run one-at-a-time within a single schedule. Also, 0 is not a valid priority value (minimum is 1).

Option C (Set Frequency to Hourly): Incorrect. Frequency (e.g., hourly, daily) controls when the schedule runs, not how tasks within it are executed.

Option D (Set Execution to Parallel): Incorrect. Parallel execution allows tasks to run simultaneously, which contradicts the requirement.

Tableau Server’s licensing ties product keys to specific machines. Moving an environment requires managing activations to stay compliant. Let’s break this down:

Licensing Rules:

A product key can be activated on multiple machines (e.g., Dev, Test, Prod), but only up to the licensed limit (typically 3 for such setups).

Deactivation frees the key for reuse elsewhere.

Recommended Workflow:

Deactivate first: Use tsm licenses deactivate on the old Test machine to release the key.

Then activate: Install on the new hardware and activate with tsm licenses activate -k .

Why: Ensures compliance and avoids activation conflicts (e.g., exceeding the key’s limit).

Option B (Deactivate on Test, then install/activate on new hardware): Correct.

Steps:

On old Test: tsm licenses deactivate.

Install Tableau Server on new hardware.

On new Test: tsm licenses activate -k .

Benefit: Clean, compliant transfer—preserves license integrity.

Option A (Activate new, then deactivate old): Incorrect.

Risk: If the key’s limit is reached (e.g., 3 activations), the new activation fails until deactivation occurs. Order matters.

Option C (Activate new, keep old as backup): Incorrect.

Issue: Exceeds license limit (4 activations) and risks non-compliance. Backup requires deactivation or a separate key.

Option D (Activate new, obliterate old): Incorrect.

Details: tableau-server-obliterate.cmd wipes the entire install (data, config)—overkill and doesn’t formally deactivate the key via TSM, potentially leaving licensing inconsistent.

Why This Matters: Proper license management prevents activation errors and ensures legal use across environments.

Registering Tableau Server from the command line involves providing configuration details (e.g., identity store, license) via the tsm register command. Let’s explore this fully:

Registration Process:

Run during initial setup or to update settings (e.g., after changing AD/LDAP config).

Uses a configuration file to pass parameters to TSM.

Command: tsm register --file .

File Format:

Tableau Server uses JSON for configuration files in TSM commands like tsm register.

Example:

json

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{

"identityStore": {

"type": "local",

"domain": "example.com"

}

}

JSON is structured, machine-readable, and aligns with Tableau’s modern CLI design.

Option C (JSON): Correct.

Official format for tsm register, per documentation and practical use.

Option A (YML): Incorrect.

While tabsvc.yml exists internally, it’s not for registration—tsm register uses JSON.

Option B (XML): Incorrect.

Older Tableau configs used XML (e.g., workgroup.yml pre-TSM), but TSM standardized on JSON.

Option D (HTTP): Incorrect.

HTTP is a protocol, not a file format—irrelevant here.

Why This Matters: Correct file format ensures seamless registration, avoiding CLI errors in setup or migrations.

Data-driven alerts in Tableau Server allow users to receive notifications when data in a view meets certain conditions (e.g., a sales metric exceeds a threshold). By default, this feature is disabled for a site unless explicitly enabled by an administrator.

Option C (Change the data-driven alerts setting on the new site's Settings page): This is the correct answer. In the Tableau Server web interface, a site administrator can navigate to the site’s Settings > General page and enable the option "Let users create data-driven alerts." This must be done manually because the default setting for a new site is disabled. Once enabled, users with appropriate permissions (e.g., Viewer, Explorer, or Creator roles) can create alerts on views they have access to.

Option A (Enable data-driven alerts on the TSM Configuration page): This is incorrect because the TSM Configuration page (accessed via the TSM web UI or CLI) manages server-wide settings like ports, authentication, and processes, not site-specific features like data-driven alerts.

Option B (Run the tsm configuration set -k dataAlerts.checkIntervalInMinutes -v 60 command): This is incorrect. The dataAlerts.checkIntervalInMinutes key controls how frequently Tableau Server checks alert conditions (default is 60 minutes), but it does not enable the feature itself. The feature must first be turned on at the site level.

Option D (No action is necessary): This is incorrect because the default setting for data-driven alerts is off for new sites, requiring explicit action to enable it.

Tableau Server uses internal secrets (tokens) for secure communication between its processes (e.g., Repository, File Store). These are automatically generated during installation and can be regenerated if compromised or for security maintenance. The command to update these is:

tsm security regenerate-internal-tokens: This regenerates the internal security tokens, ensuring all processes use the new tokens after a restart.

Option C (tsm security regenerate-internal-tokens): Correct. This is the documented command for updating internal secrets.

Option A (tsm data-access caching set -r 1): Incorrect. This command configures caching behavior, not security tokens.

Option B (tsm licenses refresh): Incorrect. This refreshes license data, unrelated to internal secrets.

Option D (tsm security validate-asset-keys): Incorrect. This validates encryption keys for assets, not internal tokens.

TSM commands manage Tableau Server maintenance—let’s validate their syntax:

Command Requirements:

Some need arguments (e.g., file paths); others are standalone.

Valid and Complete: Must work as-is without errors.

Option C (tsm maintenance cleanup): Correct.

Details: Removes temporary files and old logs—no arguments required (optional flags like -l exist).

Use: tsm maintenance cleanup—runs fully.

Option D (tsm maintenance ziplogs): Correct.

Details: Creates a zip of logs (e.g., tsm-logs.zip)—no arguments needed (optional -d for date range).

Use: tsm maintenance ziplogs—complete and valid.

Option A (tsm maintenance backup): Incorrect.

Why: Requires -f .tsbak (e.g., tsm maintenance backup -f backup.tsbak)—incomplete without it.

Option B (tsm maintenance restore): Incorrect.

Why: Needs -f .tsbak (e.g., tsm maintenance restore -f backup.tsbak)—not standalone.

Why This Matters: Correct syntax ensures maintenance tasks execute without errors—critical for server health.

When a user reports slow performance for a newly-published workbook on Tableau Server, troubleshooting requires isolating the cause—e.g., data source issues, server load, workbook design, or caching. The first question should establish a baseline to narrow the scope. Let’s analyze this step-by-step with depth:

Performance Context:

A workbook’s speed depends on:

Data Source: Query complexity, size, network latency (e.g., database vs. extract).

Workbook Design: Filters, calculations, dashboard complexity.

Server Resources: VizQL rendering, Backgrounder load, caching.

"Newly-published" implies it’s not yet optimized or cached on the server.

Option A (Does it run any faster in Tableau Desktop?): Correct.

Why First: Comparing Desktop vs. Server performance is the most foundational diagnostic step:

Desktop Baseline: If it’s slow in Desktop (local machine), the issue likely lies in the workbook (e.g., complex queries, large data) or data source (e.g., slow database)—not Server-specific.

Server Difference: If it’s fast in Desktop but slow on Server, the problem could be server-side (e.g., resource contention, network latency to the data source from Server).

Practical Next Steps:

Slow in Desktop: Optimize workbook (e.g., simplify calcs, use extracts).

Fast in Desktop: Check Server (e.g., caching, VizQL load).

Why Critical: Establishes whether the issue is inherent to the workbook/data or introduced by Server—guides all further investigation.

Option B (Does the workbook always run slowly or does performance vary?): Useful but secondary.

Why Not First: Variability (e.g., slow at peak times) points to server load, but without a Desktop baseline, you can’t rule out workbook design. It’s a follow-up question after A.

Detail: Variability might suggest caching or concurrent user impact, but it assumes Server-side causation prematurely.

Option C (How many times have you opened the workbook in Tableau Server?): Less relevant initially.

Why Not First: Frequency of access might affect caching (first load is slower, subsequent loads faster), but it’s too specific and doesn’t isolate Desktop vs. Server. It’s a niche follow-up.

Option D (Did you enable caching on the workbook?): Misleading and incorrect.

Why Not First: Caching is server-managed (e.g., VizQL cache settings via tsm data-access caching set), not a user-toggle per workbook. Users don’t "enable" it—admins do. Plus, it’s premature without a baseline.

Why This Matters: Starting with Desktop performance cuts through assumptions, pinpointing whether the root cause is client-side (workbook/data) or server-side—essential for efficient resolution in production.

Kerberos delegation allows Tableau Server to pass a user’s Kerberos credentials to a data source for seamless authentication (SSO)—let’s explore which sources support it:

Kerberos Overview:

Used with Active Directory (AD) for SSO in Windows environments.

Tableau Server delegates the user’s ticket to the data source, avoiding embedded credentials.

Requires:

Data source support for Kerberos.

Proper configuration (e.g., SPN, constrained delegation).

Supported Data Sources: Per Tableau’s documentation:

Option A (Teradata): Correct.

Details: Supports Kerberos delegation—common in enterprise data warehouses.

Config: Enable in TSM (tsm authentication kerberos configure) and set SPN for Teradata.

Option C (SQL Server): Correct.

Details: Fully supports Kerberos—widely used with AD-integrated SQL Server instances.

Config: Requires AD setup and "Trustworthy" delegation in SQL Server.

Option D (SAP HANA): Correct.

Details: Supports Kerberos SSO via delegation—popular in SAP ecosystems.

Config: Needs HANA Kerberos setup (e.g., keytab) and Tableau Server integration.

Option B (PostgreSQL): Incorrect.

Why: Supports Kerberos authentication natively, but Tableau Server doesn’t enable delegation to PostgreSQL—users must embed credentials or use other methods (e.g., OAuth).

Why This Matters: Kerberos delegation enhances security by avoiding stored passwords—knowing supported sources ensures SSO feasibility.

In an HA Tableau Server cluster, the Coordination Service (ZooKeeper ensemble) maintains cluster state—let’s find the best way to check it:

Coordination Service:

Runs on multiple nodes (3 or 5 in HA) to ensure quorum and failover.

Status indicates if it’s running and synced—critical for cluster health.

Option C (Run tsm status -v): Correct.

Details: tsm status --verbose lists all processes across nodes, including Coordination Service (e.g., "Coordination Service: RUNNING").

Why Best: Provides detailed, node-specific status in the CLI—e.g., "Node 1: RUNNING, Node 2: RUNNING."

Use: Run on the initial node; -v ensures full output.

Option A (TSM web client Status page): Incorrect.

Why: The TSM UI (Server > Status) shows process counts (e.g., "Coordination Service: 3 instances"), but not detailed per-node status—less granular than CLI.

Option B (tsm maintenance ziplogs): Incorrect.

Why: Generates log archives for troubleshooting, not a real-time status check.

Option D (Tableau Server Status page): Incorrect.

Why: The Server Status page (Server > Status in the web UI) monitors application processes (e.g., VizQL), not TSM’s Coordination Service.

Why This Matters: Coordination Service health ensures HA stability—tsm status -v is the admin’s go-to for precision.