When building a data source on Google Sheets in Tableau Desktop 10mb is the max per Google Sheet. However, what if we could connect to more than one Google Sheet at the same time?
Google Sheets works wonders with Tableau Public because it allows for Tableau Public to read data from Google Sheets once per day. This enables everyone the capability to use an online cloud data source to update their Tableau Desktop dashboards.
Introduction
In this blog, we will discuss connecting to multiple Google Sheets in one connection. If “large sheets removed” is not sufficient, and you’re willing to break apart your sheets into multiple sheets manually or with an engineer, we will find this article helpful. We break apart each element, how it works, and explain how your engineer may begin breaking down the solution.
Tableau currently has no built in feature to allow this to happen, however they do have a feature you can setup to make it automatically connect to Google Sheets! Tableau suggests this isn’t possible and the only way to make it work is to use LESS DATA, but what if you have big data?
We built this blog to help you begin the journey of connecting to many sheets. You will want to demo this as a possible solution to show your engineering team to automatically create these Google Sheets (we are here to help too).
Error explained
If you begin connecting to a Google Sheet in Tableau Desktop >10mb, you will see various popups, depending on your operating system, explaining an error has occurred with Google Sheets.
Unable to complete action error message
Did you recently see this error?
Unable to complete action The Google Sheets service reported an unrecognized error when processing this request. This file is too large to be exported.
An error occurred while communicating with Google Sheets, <10mb Google sheets error message in Tableau desktop.
A good question to start asking, “will my data split into other sheets easily?”
In the example below we are going to speak towards an 80mb Google Sheet that will not work in Tableau.
TechWorkaround explained
The Tableau Desktop Wildcard (automatic) feature will capture Google Workbooks (contains google sheets) and google sheets in a workbook(s). It will “automate” building connections to multiple 10mb workbooks or sheets, by establishing a stack of data that will resemble your end goals. Similar to using Union All in SQL.
Stone Working Analogy
If you’re unfamiliar with union in SQL, think of your data stacking on each other like bricks on a brick wall. Data engineers and brick wall experts have similar jobs. They are solving a problem by stacking side by side or on top of each other.
We will focus on a “workbooks” example, where we will stack bricks of data on each other.
Using a matching pattern(xxx*), we are able to union similar named data storage.
Example; there are four regions in our data, each region is <10mbs, about 80mb total.
Four regions:
SOUTH 10mb
NORTH 10mb
EAST 10 mb
WEST 50 mb*
A Use Case Explaining the Solution
Step 0; union means the sheets need the same column headers. Thanks for learning about unions!
Step 1; build 8 googlesheets… (new workbooks, not new sheets, this works with sheets however I’m using workbooks for now)
Step2; name each google sheet workbook “Table-Demo_EXAMPLE” etc… and you will have the following.
Table-Demo_SOUTH
Table-Demo_NORTH
Table-Demo_EAST
Table-Demo_WEST_1
Table-Demo_WEST_2
Table-Demo_WEST_3
Table-Demo_WEST_4
Table123-Demo_WEST_5
Protip; Table123-Demo_WEST_5 will not be included in this exercise because it’s not named Table-Demo_. Wildcard allows you the ability to filter to the things you need. If you name your Google Sheets “Table-Demo_” our wildcard solution automates connection to that google sheet, there’s no need to connect to the extra google sheet if you’re setting up the solution as explained.
Now that we have an understanding of how a wildcard will work, let’s discuss the end to end.
How to setup >10mb union
To increase size of google sheets greater than 10 megabytes, and increase your overall Google Sheets insights in tableau desktop, you need to get good with the Union wildcard!
Connect to the googlesheet. Tableau desktop made this workflow a one click button on left side of opening screen. Requiring two clicks in total.
Walk through the Google authentication, choose which email with many similar tables for wildcard. This means you need to go and change the names of the Tables you wish to put together.
The renaming part needs to be a part of an automated process, you may want to do, using the Google Sheets API also known as the Google API, we found success automatically creating a new Google Sheet, and automatically naming the sheet similarly, which improved a client engagement during a tableau consulting engagement that had a lot of data engineering consulting to generate the solution. If data is constantly morphing, there may be a need to delete old sheets, we found clearing the sheet and re-populating data was the easiest method for fresh cleans. However lets get focused on the manual process because it’s a similar architecture. We found naming tables differently between tests helped us with testing/troubleshooting, and found Google Sheets had some strange hiccups that are easier to avoid by removing old tests completely.
Discussing Data Structure tips for >10mb Google Sheets
Here’s a good time to start making sure column headers are the same. If not it will continue to make a column, which will lead you down the path of learning how to solve for dynamic parameters due to string values being many to many.
Convert to union…
Very important step, drop down carrot and find the Convert to union click.
This workaround allows you to connect once, to all sheets similarly named (using wild cards) VS connecting to all the different google sheet workbooks. This allows you to remove many data sources and transition into one data source.
The Wildcard Union Screen in Tableau
Tableau offers a feature to union more than one google sheet together, which enables users to quickly build large cloud data storages on Tableau public, or internally.
Example; Tables-Demo_* will find anything with Tables-Demo_ as the start of the sheet name.
Helpful related resources and documentation.
Below are documents, notes, and community posts from other Tableau authors.
The 10mb limit with Google Sheets is ambiguous when testing the number with true CSV file sizes and better to determine a way of “stopping” the data before it gets big.
Some interesting things to think through, we found 7mb, 10.3mb, 12.9mb, and 19.1mb CSV files coming from single Google Sheet connections and no popup error stopping Tableau Desktop from connecting to the data. Don’t consider this size to be your break/test.
Screenshot demonstrating various CSV files downloaded from Google Sheets – Tested Oct 28, 2021
Good to note; This is the size of the csv when downloaded via the Google Sheets/Data/. Your team may get hung up on this process, and we found it’s better to focus on a row count if you’re not using full stack engineering to complete the task.
Thank you for reading. If you are interesting in implementing a process that uses Google API, contact us to learn more.
Researched & Written by, Tyler Garrett founder of Dev3lop | Consulting Services.
Need help Finding the Tableau Logo? Want to learn about the data that helped us build Dev3lop? We explain everything below.
Here, you can quickly grab the Tableau logo and many other logos related to the same Tableau Software developed by Tableau partners.
Tableau logo png, found on Tableau Software Home Page. We show you how to get the logo below.
Learn about Tableau Logo and logo usage online. To learn about Tableau – read our Tableau Definition blog.
We built this blog to help others understand the impacts of grabbing logos willy-nilly online.
How to grab the Tableau Logo from Tableau website
How to avoid spam websites
And an explanation of of what’s happening on google
Go to the Headquarters Tableau Website to Download the Tableau Logo!
Googling is not the best bet because most companies manipulate the Google ranking to benefit their website.
We recommend going to the source. As Salesforce has recently purchased Tableau, we may see a subtle change to their logo, if not a mixture of both Salesforce and Tableau.
travel to https://www.tableau.com/
Right-click the top left logo and open the logo in a new window!
A new tab opens, showing Tableau’s company logo. No questions asked – this is the right logo – and will always be the suitable logo for every business worldwide.
Not all tableau logos are created the same.
This logo may be safe, but be sure before using other people’s logos if it’s okay.
Tableau Logo Helpful Tips
Before finding logos, it’s essential to understand a few optimization pieces that seem to have eluded every dashboard we have seen!
4 Easy Steps to use when Optimized Images is important:
don’t let pictures resize; bring them in true values.
JPEG for pictures
PNG simple and tight lines
SVG if you want to optimize your PNG into code – this opens the door for animation with CSS.
Once you have Tableau desktop activated and running – open any data set. We use the Super Store Subset for our tutorial example and want to visualize the running average of profits.
We like using running averages to smooth out the lines and clearly show what’s happening per Category.
#2 Building a Sparkline chart – Make a line chart.
Usually, we would drag this part of the tutorial out, but if you’ve made it this far, you already know to double-click your measure, change the marks to a line chart, and have a date on the other axis.
If you need more assistance building a line chart, check out Tableau’s extensive Online Help.
#3 Building a Sparkline chart – Build a calculation.
We’ve seen a slew of scary-looking calculations over the years – especially regarding sparklines.
You don’t need anything complex for this portion of the work.
if last()=0 then MEASURE end
//that’s all folks.
You can drag and drop any table calculation you’ve generated into a calculation and be done with it! Here’s what our running average calculation looks like in the screenshot below.
Understanding Tableau Calculations is the first step to offering quality user experiences.
For the sake of the demo, let’s call your sparkline calculation spark.
Drag this next to your measure value – your current line chart in Tableau.
#4 Building a Sparkline chart – Dual axis your measure with your spark calc.
Next, to create the “sparkline in Tableau desktop,” you must add both measure values, dual axis, and synchronized.
Dual axis your measures.
Dual axis your measure with your sparkline calculation.
Right-click your measure
And click dual-axis
#5 Building a Sparkline chart – Synchronize axis.
Step 5 – synchronize the axis to ensure your upcoming sparkline chart is on point on your line chart.
If you don’t see your header, right-click on the measure and show the header.
Click on Synchronize Axis, and you will probably see the light now.
To ensure your sparkline circle lines up with your line – synchronize the axis.
#6 Building a Sparkline chart – Hide Indicator.
You’re nearly completely done! There’s an indicator showing your ‘lack of an else’ in your if statement. Avoiding the ELSE is essentially fewer computations for your computer and Tableau. Leaving off else lets us avoid bothering with writing extra code, too.
if last()=0 then MEASURE //ELSE 0 — not necessary end
And because there’s a clear void in the data, the indicator will appear – we didn’t break anything, and the product is working as intended!
The Tableau definition from every darn place on the internet.
Why did we consider this?
Because a lot of people are interested, what does Tableau mean?
We know the tableau definition means; visualizing and understanding data. We are Tableau consultants and have experience using Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server.
However, if you look at #tableau on twitter or instagram, you can see other people around the world use the word Tableau when speaking about artwork!
Learning about Tableau definition? What is this Tableau everyone is talking about? This is the company logo for a data visualization company called Tableau.
We remember the first time looking up the Tableau definition too!
Several different sources explain the Tableau definition throughout the internet. Google defines Tableau and also offers a visual representation of the usage of the word in three different formats, really spectacular insights. Google does the best job at not only defining the term but also offering analytics regarding the usage of the word since the 1800s.
tab·leau
ˌtaˈblō/
noun
a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or history; a tableau vivant.
What can we take from Google’s Tableau definition and analytics?
Something interesting to notice is even though the products of Tableau have proliferated the usage of the word, it has steadily declined and not seen an increase due to the companies usage of the name. Even though you’d believe it would be spiking because of the usage of the product, rather it’s steadily been in decline since 1980.
Thesaurus.com goes at this from the plural version, or I just clicked on the wrong thing, regardless let’s comprehend what tableaux symbolizes. Maybe it can help us paint a picture.
Tableau Desktop is a living data picture generator. It’s the life of your business.
We can reach that the usage of the word in google searches is due to the products evolution and growing user base. The founders of tableau did a superb job picking the name Tableau.
They chose a brand name from an old term that is declining in usage, defined similar to the products, and not impacted by the company picking it up. Genius.
A well-executed brand name pick, and something to take note of before deciding your next company name. Hats off to the founders at Tableau for doing their due diligence.
Tableau Desktop is freedom from the traditional business intelligence projects, waiting around to get started because the data is not prepared, one data source is not clean enough to use in a report, the data needs further classification to add more value, and then someone says maybe we need to build a “data warehouse” for reporting purposes.
Tableau Desktop is an application that lives on your Windows or Mac computer, it enables the end users to quickly develop data products to change the way they think about viewing, understanding, and slicing their data.
Tableau offers native features that allow anyone to connect to multiple data sources live, you can extract data to your local to speed up the discovery process, and there are an infinite amount of ways to build data stories because Tableau Software listened to their end users and made updates to their product accordingly.
What did they make Tableau desktop?
Building a report turns into a lot of custom development when you’re not utilizing a product like Tableau desktop.
Tableau desktop gives everyone the ability to become a data visualization hero. A gamer changer. Anyone can be the data person who makes data products, which requires no code.
A world before Tableau Desktop.
Building custom connections to database in code is hard if you have never done it before.
Learning to utilize an API to gain data from an unstructured data source is not easy if you’ve never done it before.
Implementing any connection to any relational database can take a lot of time without a tool like Tableau Desktop. Also, Tableau offers the ability to connect to non-acid compliant databases, which enables deeper development capabilities to any technical resource.
Back to our analytics team…
Days go by and no one developed a single dashboard. Why? Because we are waiting for a data warehouse to be developed, the API isn’t deployed yet, and the database for reporting isn’t deployed for your team.
Tableau desktop helps you avoid the waiting for things to magically work within an organization.
Our favorite; “A stored procedure has to be built to kick off a job, a script that does some magic, or some other various term that the DBA or data engineer makes up for fun.”
Zoom into tableau desktop…
Tableau desktop offers the ability to jump into the front-end, the portion of the work that executives, scientists, analysts, managers, and everyone cares about from an analytics point of view.
The front-end is where your end users are experiencing the solutions being developed, deployed, and overall built to help end users see and understand data. Leading us to our ultimate goal of being able to visually gain a competitive edge in your industry, drive optimization, remove expenses, or maybe you didn’t know tables take longer than chairs because of the size of the box in region A. And with Tableau desktop, you can visually see the differences between region A and B.
Back to our Analytics team…
Waiting 6 months for a data architect to model data!?
Lots of waiting for 1 player is considered a waterfall, Tableau natively offers the ability to avoid data project waterfalls because it offers ETL within the desktop application. (I’m not talking about Tableau Prep)
Always waiting starts to throw the entire analytics project out of order, and instead of waiting, an analysts can utilize 6 months to prototype dashboards with end users.
A Business analysts can begin the project immediately and help the data architect define what is relevant in the data model before beginning.
Through hundreds of iterations and changing between different granularities and needs, Tableau offers the ability to instantly start developing these calculations and the ability to prototype solutions has turned into an instant transaction.
Tableau desktop lets you jump in and have fun!
Tableau desktop is a fun product and once you get a Tableau champion in your environment, end users will begin using dashboards, user experiences will be formed, new ideas of how to slice data, and different ways to find the competitive edge in your industry.
Tableau desktop is easy to jump into, ad-hoc is knocks down the walls of most data problems, it automates writing amazing SQL behind the scenes, and used by most businesses around the globe.
Tableau desktop is a great way to begin asking questions of your data without needing to wait for “preparedness” of an IT organization, a business analyst with no Tableau training can become data masters in their work environment.
The go-to tool BI software for ad-hoc data geek-out sessions and building right visual data stories takes minutes.
We offer advanced content on the Tableau Community too. For the nerds who scroll fast, check out these advanced pieces.
But before you get too techie; let’s learn about Tableau desktop!
Product Developers and Product Managers Love Tableau Desktop.
We use the product non-stop. Keeping track of bills, photo slideshows, web design mockups, and much more.
Tableau the company did a great job making Tableau Desktop. They are masters of generating amazing user experiences.
I’ve been a Tableau Consultant to these locations.
I’ve had the opportunity to help Tableau Desktop usage at the most advanced engagements when working at Tableau Software.
Have you ramped up on visualizations data in 2017? Along with Tableau Desktop, visualization in our business intelligence space has made a lot of interesting changes.
Tableau Desktop is a Magical BI Product
Tableau Desktop never fails. Projects go without a hitch. I’ve done Tableau consulting for 150+ clients and the product always works.
For the times it doesn’t work, having worked at Tableau, we learned the support channels.
My first time using Tableau desktop was a mind explosion, and I’ve been working in Data for nearly a decade. You need a SQL twirling Tableau Developer to progress your serious data environment.
Tableau Consulting with Tableau Desktop completely dominates legacy reporting environments!
Tableau Software’s Desktop tool is more than software. Tableau Desktop is an opportunity to work from anywhere at any time and add tremendous value.
Tableau Desktop and Your Brain Building Dashboards
Creative Tableau Developers is where the right hemisphere of your artistic brain meets the left logical side, and work together with mouse and keyboard to build data stories.
Beautiful artwork by our friend on Ello. Tableau Desktop is the first Artistic BI product.
You can work online or offline, dive deep into analyzing data faster than any product before it, and the company Tableau heavily documents the software!
The software has a massive following and a growing community of product experts!
Downloading Tableau Desktop is quick, easy, and free for 15 days.
If you need help – follow our two-step tutorial. Download Tableau Desktop and then prepare to install.
It takes less than 5 minutes for the entire process if your internet is somewhat fast. The file size is between 300-450 depending on PC (32bit or 64bit) or MAC.
Installing Tableau Desktop is also straightforward and quick.
If you are having trouble with the installation process, use our quick tutorial and learn how to Install Tableau Desktop on your computer right now!
Use Tableau Desktop Offline?
Extract your data!
You can extract data your data and host it on your local computer.
The extract lives on your computer; it’s faster than connecting live to the data source, which means it takes advantage of your computer’s hardware.
Wait, So you’re saying I can use Tableau Desktop without the Internet?
Once you’ve extracted your data, you’re free to move around the cabin.
Extract data with Desktop to report offline. Also, extracts speed up your data connection by 80% to 90% plus in most cases.
Yes, Tableau Desktop, used without being online.
When you’re connected to an extract or source on your computer, without a connection to the database (unless you install MySQL on your Mac), you can freely go to the coffee shop, or get on an airplane and work 100% offline.
No Vpn, no database connection, just plug and play with the extract offline. Brilliant!
While you’re offline, you can use this extracted data to build visualizations that will help you see and understand your data.
When you’re connected to the internet – you have direct access to every happening database!
This BI software helps users quickly generate interactive visualizations and dashboards.
Tableau Desktop makes a Tableau Data Extract?
A Tableau Data Extract generates from most data sources with Tableau Desktop; it lets you take data offline and use your computer’s hardware VS a live connection to a database.
The extract process generates a file called .tde or Tableau Data Extract. This Extract can live on your machine, it’s 80-90% smaller and faster in most cases, and can be published to Tableau Server to be consumed by end users on the web.
For the fastest usage of Tableau, extract the data to your computer, and enjoy!
SQL Experience in Tableau Desktop
Get transparent tableau advice from Dev3lop. Art found on Ello – and approved by the artist.
SQL Experience in Tableau Consulting means you’re going to be a 1% user quickly.
SQL allows you to do anything with Tableau Desktop outside of the usual.
If you’re coming into Desktop with a background in SQL, you’re in luck. Tableau Desktop and SQL means anything is now possible – and if you’re not awesome at SQL – have no fear!
Tableau software developers built every possible thing you will need, and it’s only a couple of clicks away.
The desktop is packed with user-friendly clicks, which offer everyone advanced analysis calculations. AKA Table Calculations.
Is Tableau Desktop like Excel?
If you’ve made a living building content in Excel and now tasked with ramping up in Tableau Desktop, that’s great news for you. Almost every Tableau Desktop calculation resembles the same usage and functionality as an Excel calculation.
Except, Tableau Desktop offers the data integrity of the data source passing you the data, versus Excel, which has an information governance strategy that goes as far as your fingers tips, per cell.
Learn Tableau Desktop File.
Tableau Desktop comes in two file types, a TWBX, and a TWB. The X contains data, and the TWB does not. TWB is a live connection, where the TWBX contains the data with the workbook.
They built this product ready to build visualizations, and tell stories.
Within minutes you’re making impactful dashboards with global filters, connected to any data source, creating meaningful visualizations, and telling stories with your data.Desktop offers instant drag and drop access to a live SQL generation and comes stacked with front-end ETL possibilities with cross-database joins. What I’m trying to say is Tableau Desktop comes with a heavy punch in a small package.
Desktop is an Advanced Tool and Easy to Use
Desktop offers instant drag and drop access to a live SQL generator and comes stacked with front-end ETL. What I’m trying to say is Tableau Desktop comes with a heavy punch in a small package.
A product that allows any modern day Yoda or office Smart-Guy, a platform to shine on.
Tableau Desktop is an Analytical Magical Wand.
When building business intelligence insights, we always lean towards Tableau as the front-end if pricing matches customer needs.
Nothing compares to the speed and agility of the product.
You’re able to cast magic spells at sample data, which can then tell your database administrator how to build the data. We love how this turns the usual business intelligence project upside down.
Tableau Desktop says, ‘Let’s make the insights now!’
If you’re a bit nerdy like us, Tableau Desktop is an excellent way to geek out.
First Time Tableau Desktop User?
If you’ve never used Tableau Desktop before, you will quickly learn they have a suite of data related products. Tableau Desktop is the product that goes on a PC or Mac. It’s where the rubber meets the road.
What does Tableau Desktop do?
Tableau Desktop builds visualizations and paints stories with your data. It’s easy to use and exciting for users to have access to advanced analytics without the usual burden. You do not need to be a programmer to use Tableau Desktop.
Tableau Desktop clickable icon launch point on a Mac.
Tableau Desktop Inputs and Outputs.
Data is your input, and you will be able to connect data across nearly every data source. Storytelling, visualizations, and data analysis will be your output.
Determining your data story is best with the business. Business users are the ones with the logic! Business users the reason for the data to be there in most cases and know why it’s there and what it means.
Then the business relies on IT to facilitate analysis across the organization. Tableau desktop catapults any skill level used to generate massive stories with data is critical and revealing how you progressed from point A to point B is equally important. Tableau carries native storytelling features that allow end-users to explain their journey and how they got there.
What is ETL and can you do it with Tableau Desktop?
Yes, Tableau Desktop does ETL in Tableau Desktop. That’s what I call Front-end ETL.
Where the solution resides in the visualization product.
Extract Transform and Load. You extract the data from a source, you transform the data, and last but not least, you load the data into a target database.
Now you know about ETL, let’s discuss! Try to avoid ETL fixes in Tableau Desktop. Although it can do it, it’s not designed to clean data. Tableau Desktop is designed to visualize data.
Tableau Desktop helps business intelligence teams proof out content ad-hoc.
Tableau desktop carries front-end ETL, and this means companies can now remove old data warehouse licenses and save hundreds of thousands of dollars because of a front end dashboarding tool! Talk about powerful!
ETL in Tableau Desktop – Developed for the Basic and Advanced User
Tableau Desktop – over the past 3-4 years – has made a point to improve all of the ‘major requested’ ideas coming from their community-driven forms.
Building dashboards in Tableau Desktop can be quick and easy!
So, this technique does away with software licenses that cost 100k+. Knowing simple SQL allows you to build your data warehouse, in the product, with cross-database joins, and you can get rid of your old ETL tool.
Start Tableau Desktop
What are the minimum requirements to using Tableau Desktop on my computer?
Tableau Desktop Specs on Windows
Windows 7 + (32-bit or 64-bit)
Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Opteron processor or newer
2 GB memory
1.5 GB minimum free disk space
1366 by 768 screen resolution or higher
Tableau Desktop Specs on Mac
Tableau Desktop on Mac requires 10.10! That means if you’re on 10.9, you will need to upgrade to take advantage of Tableau Desktop 10+.
iMac/MacBook computers 2009 or newer
OSX 10.10 or newer
1.5 GB minimum free disk space
1366 by 768 screen resolution or higher
How do I download Tableau Desktop on my computer or Mac?
This is an excellent opportunity to introduce you to the online help. Follow these instructions and begin your trial.
Begin your Tableau desktop download. Then install tableau desktop.
Tableau Desktop – Professional or Personal? Tableau built a mini connection version and a full data connection version. An examination will quickly explain which work best or follow along below.
Use Tableau Desktop Light or Full? Tableau has released a secondary Tableau Desktop for users who don’t need the full swing of Tableau Desktop. You still get the entire product capabilities, and you only lose some connection capabilities to more enterprise-level data sources.
What’s the difference between Tableau Desktop Professional or personal? (LEGACY)
This is no longer a part of the sales or subscription! Keeping here for archive purposes.
Personal – Tableau’s front end – light version.
Professional – Tableau’s front end – full version.
Under the hood, Tableau Desktop is XML
Tableau Desktop is completely XML and with easy to understand folder structures packaged in a TWBX file. You can turn a TWBX to a .zip file, now you have access to the XML in the directory, the data, and images.
Tableau Server is the stomping ground for Tableau Desktop Dashboards! Also, welcome to the fastest growing business intelligence tool ever.
Tableau Server has very natural user functionality and security measures for any enterprise setup. We have experience implementing 80+ tableau servers and these are 1 week engagements, onsite, helping customers like Kroger, Boston Scientific, and many more. For more info ping our Tableau Consulting page.
Tableau Server is where end users come to consume reports, dashboards, administrate over metadata usage, and conduct data discovery.
Tableau Server is an application developed by Tableau Software. Tableau Server is self-service analytics at scale.
Share Tableau Desktop Dashboards on Tableau Server
If you need to share Tableau visualizations, with company data, across your corporation, Tableau Server is a great option. Tableau workbooks shared between desktop licenses, Tableau Reader, on Tableau Public, Tableau Online, and Tableau Server.
If you need to share Tableau visualizations, with company data, across your corporation, Tableau Server is a great option. Tableau workbooks can be shared between Tableau Desktop licenses, Tableau Reader, on Tableau Public, Tableau Online, and Tableau Server.
Tableau Server keeps your proprietary data behind whatever firewall you want or need; Tableau Online is a cheaper alternative that is hosted by Tableau Software. Tableau Public is a public space to share content, and we recommend not posting your company data on Tableau Public.
Last but not least, Tableau Reader can consume a TWBX workbook. It’s a free means of consuming packaged workbooks. Some companies use Tableau Reader as a free workaround to Tableau Server or Online.
Install Tableau Server Internally or Externally?
VPS and Cloud servers will always be a slower options VS Dedicated hardware. A dedicated machine can be a costly expense and also not as easy to scale more hardware on the computer. A double edged blade, choose wisely!
Tableau Server on a Third-party host?
Tableau server can be Installed internally or with hosting company.
If you don’t have a tech team, owning Tableau Server may be difficult. Tableau server is the option when you need to keep your install in-house or on a flexible deployment like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, or Google Cloud Platform.
Can Tableau Server be used as a Data source?
Yes indeed!
Tableau Data Source, aka TDS, can be used as a data source. A major data governance buff to all database admins. A TDS is a viable replacement for database credentials if you’re ever concerned about any users locking up the database with corrupt queries.
Tableau Server is your Safe Place in Business Intelligence
Tableau Server is a safe place to share Tableau Dashboards, and Tableau Server can be used as a data source! Tableau Server as a data source leads to an interesting topic and great workaround for IT teams.
Server is the safe space for end users to consume approved data sources, without the need to put the end user in a development environment and give them database access, Tableau cut through the usual processes.
Tableau Server as a data source removes the need to give anyone database access; you can schedule refreshes at an appropriate time and give users access to the Tableau Server layer versus the database layer.
How Does Tableau Server Generate Less Support?
Tableau Server as a data source also removes support for end users running rogue queries.
A rogue query is built by anyone who doesn’t understand the database outage schedule. They run a query that will never end and lock up the data source. The rogue query runs during lunch or while they go home. Everyone comes back to work and turns out none of the database jobs worked, and everything is out of sync. What happened?
Less Data Downtime with Tableau Server
Your information technology team can plug this in, and hand it off to the business quickly. Everything is documented online, and if you follow all the steps everything will work! If it doesn’t work, contact the support, and they will help you out quickly and efficiently.
Less Downtime in Business Intelligence?
Less downtime would be great and a challenging business intelligence platform that requires countless hours of training is not beneficial to a fast paced company. Well, this is again where Tableau shines because Tableau Server is an easy GUI platform and you don’t need to be a developer to use it.
Tableau server is revolutionary because it’s not hard to use. Let your IT support the hardware and let the business support Tableau Server. TS now puts the company in action mode. And users can jump in and make instant traction on projects without the usual slow wheel of the IT teams.
Tableau server admins now work harmoniously with end users on a simple web portal. Now, on the front end, just plugging into the web portal, with a user experience easier than any business intelligence product software alive.
Tableau Server is Easy to Install. If you aren’t dealing with a fake team…
Tableau Server is a simple .exe, a few clicks, and installs in a few minutes if you’re passing minimum requirements. Because it’s simple, anyone is taking clients with fake teams!
Do you want to know who is fake? Contact us and we will show you on video chat!
Fake companies onshore and offshore are now pretending to take on clients, but the truth is they outsource their work and clients are starting to complain to us a lot about this new addition of fake firms.
Be on the lookout for blogs that do not explain impacts as we do below. Hundreds if not thousands are using spam metrics to inflate their rank but they are all offshore faking onshore teams. We’ve found several in the top 10 ranking across every top searches on Google.
Our opinion on business intelligence.
If any SAP architect, consultancy, or company ever sat down and did a single hour of making a change in the actual software. Then asked me to do it in Tableau – they would understand why I’ve made a living doing simple solutions in a beautiful product.
Instead of a six-month project to build a single data warehouse, we can generate powerful reporting suites in hours, and because of that I went and worked at the company immediately.
Why Tableau Server?
Tableau Server is a great business intelligence win if you want to avoid unnecessary technology solutions that constantly require support and remediation. And better yet, it allows for front end data warehousing and the expensive ETL suites are typically never necessary.
Installing Tableau Server the First Time
Okay, before you buy it, just test it out. Get IT involved, get networking involved, get database guru involved, and get the administrators taking over the install involved!
All failed projects surrounding the basics fail due to poor project management skills and lack of communication to the important parties.
Check with your IT team to determine if your environment can support it. Check with your local data guru to see if they can determine the connectivity between the data source, Tableau desktop, and Tableau server.
Things to consider before installing Tableau Server.
Let’s start with the first step. Do not rush into the setup clicking next-next-next. I’ve had to reinstall a lot of these after consultants and clients rushed through this process. There are a couple of things to consider before beginning.
Can Tableau Server be Installed on the same machine as the Database?
Tableau Server should not be competing for resources with a Database on the same computer. TS with the Database on the same computer is not a good practice.
Where Can I Install Tableau Server?
Install Tableau Server on the D drive and not the C drive.
Tableau Server native install suggests you install it under program files. Do not do that and always avoid installing software on the same drive as your operating system.
If you installed it on the C drive, it also installs content under the program data directory. /Program Data/ is a hidden directory. If you ever do a reinstall and want to put it on the D drive. Be sure to remove that drive.
