SCA-C01 Tableau Server Certified Associate Exam Questions and Answers

Tableau Server is designed for production environments and is supported only on server-class operating systems, not desktop operating systems. As of the latest documentation (aligned with knowledge up to March 21, 2025), the supported operating systems for Tableau Server on Windows are:

Windows Server 2016

Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2022 (added in later versions, but relevant as of 2025).

Desktop operating systems like Windows 7 or Windows 10 are not supported for production installations due to stability, security, and performance requirements.

Option A (Windows 7): Incorrect. Windows 7 is a desktop OS and is not supported for Tableau Server. It’s also end-of-life as of January 2020.

Option B (Windows 10): Incorrect. Windows 10 is a desktop OS and not supported for production Tableau Server deployments, though it may be used for testing in non-production scenarios.

Option C (Windows Server 2019): Correct. This is a supported server OS for Tableau Server.

Option D (Windows Server 2016): Correct. This is also a supported server OS for Tableau Server.

In Tableau Server,projectsorganize content (workbooks, data sources) and use permissions to control access. "Locking permissions" restricts how permissions are managed within a project—let’s explore this exhaustively:

Permission Management Modes:

Managed by Owner: Default mode. Content owners (e.g., workbook publishers) can set permissions on their items, inheriting project defaults as a starting point.

Locked to the Project: Project-level permissions are enforced, and content owners cannot modify them. This ensures consistency across all items in the project.

How to Lock:

In the Tableau Server web UI:

Go toContent > Projects.

Select a project, clickActions > Permissions.

In the Permissions dialog, changePermissions Managementfrom "Customizable" (Managed by Owner) to "Locked."

Set the desired permissions (e.g., Viewer, Editor) for users/groups, which then apply uniformly to all content.

Via REST API: Use the updateProject endpoint with "permissionsLocked": true.

Option B (You can lock permissions to a project by changing Customizable to Locked): Correct.

Details: This is the precise action in the UI—switching from "Customizable" to "Locked" locks permissions at the project level.

Impact: Owners lose the ability to override permissions on individual workbooks/data sources, enforcing governance.

Example: Set "All Users" to Viewer (Locked)—all content in the project is view-only, regardless of owner intent.

Option A (Locking permissions must be enabled on the Server Settings page): Incorrect.

Why: Locking is a per-project setting, not a server-wide toggle. The Server Settings page (via TSM) controls global configs (e.g., authentication), not project permissions.

Option C (Content permissions are locked by default): Incorrect.

Default: New projects are "Managed by Owner" (Customizable), allowing flexibility unless explicitly locked by an admin.

Option D (By setting the appropriate Project permission role): Incorrect.

Confusion: "Project permission role" isn’t a term—permissions are set via rules (e.g., Viewer, Editor), but locking is a separate action (Customizable → Locked).

Why This Matters: Locking permissions ensures uniform access control, critical for regulated environments or large teams where consistency trumps flexibility.

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 toSerial. This is done in the Tableau Server web interface:

Go toSchedules.

Select the schedule, clickActions > Edit Schedule.

UnderExecution, chooseSerialinstead ofParallel.

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.

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.

Backing up Tableau Server ensures recovery from failures or migrations. A full backup includes multiple data types—let’s dissect this comprehensively:

Backup Components:

Repository Data: PostgreSQL database with metadata (users, permissions, workbooks). Backed up via tsm maintenance backup -f .tsbak.

Configuration Data: Server settings (e.g., ports, authentication) also in the .tsbak file.

Server Secrets: Encryption keys, internal tokens, Repository passwords—critical for restoring functionality.

Extracts: .hyper files in File Store (optional, separate backup).

Option A (Server secrets and Repository passwords): Correct.

Details: Includes encryption keys (for extracts), internal tokens (process communication), and Repository credentials. Backed up separately or stored securely (e.g., tsm security export-keys).

Why Critical: Without these, restored data may be inaccessible or services may fail.

Option C (Configuration data): Correct.

Details: Ports, authentication settings, process topology—part of the .tsbak file.

Why Critical: Restores server behavior and connectivity post-recovery.

Option D (Repository data): Correct.

Details: Core metadata database—also in .tsbak.

Why Critical: Without it, all content and user data is lost.

Option B (Topology data): Incorrect.

Details: Topology (process distribution) is part of configuration data in the .tsbak, not a separate entity. It’s not distinctly backed up as “topology data.”

Why This Matters: A complete backup (secrets, config, repository) ensures full restoration—missing any piece risks an unusable server.

Tableau Server uses a PostgreSQL database as its repository to store metadata, user information, and permissions. In a high-availability (HA) setup with multiple nodes, there are typically two repository instances: one active and one passive. The "preferred active repository" refers to designating which repository instance should take priority as the active one. This is managed through Tableau Services Manager (TSM).

The correct method to set the preferred active repository is by using the tsm configuration set command. Specifically, you would use a command like:

tsm configuration set -k pgsql.preferred_host -v

This command allows an administrator to specify the preferred host for the active repository, ensuring control over which node takes precedence in an HA environment.

Option B (tabcmd set command) is incorrect because tabcmd is a command-line utility primarily used for administrative tasks like managing users, groups, and content (e.g., publishing workbooks), not for configuring server topology or repository settings.

Option C (TSM browser client's Maintenance page) is incorrect because the Maintenance page in the TSM web interface is used for tasks like backups, restores, and cleanup, but it does not provide an option to set the preferred active repository.

Option D (TSM browser client's Configuration Topology page) is partially relevant since the Topology page displays the current configuration of services across nodes, including the repository. However, it does not allow direct modification of the preferred active repository; this must be done via the tsm command line.

Tableau Server’suser-based licensing(Creator, Explorer, Viewer) ties licenses to individual users—let’s determine compatible authentication methods:

User-Based Licensing:

Licenses are assigned per user, tracked by username.

Authentication determines how users log in—must integrate with licensing.

Option A (Local authentication): Correct.

Details: Users are managed in Tableau Server’s internal database—username/password set manually or via import.

Why: Directly ties to user accounts, fully compatible with licensing.

Option C (Trusted authentication): Correct.

Details: Allows external apps to authenticate users via tickets (e.g., /trusted/).

Why: Maps to Tableau usernames, integrating with licensing—common for embedded analytics.

Config: Trusted IPs or credentials set in TSM.

Option D (Active Directory): Correct.

Details: Uses AD for authentication (LDAP or Kerberos)—users sync to Tableau Server.

Why: AD usernames align with licensing—supports SSO and user management.

Config: Enable via tsm authentication active-directory configure.

Option B (Reliance authentication): Incorrect.

Why: Not a recognized Tableau authentication method—likely a typo (e.g., for "Resilience" or misheard term). No such feature exists.

Why This Matters: Authentication flexibility ensures user-based licensing fits diverse IT environments—critical for adoption.

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.

Comments on visualizations foster collaboration in Tableau Server—let’s break down the requirements:

Commenting Prerequisites:

Site-Level Enablement: Comments must be activated for the site.

Permission: Users need the "Add Comment" capability on the content.

Site Role: Minimum role of Viewer allows commenting if permissions are set.

Option B (Add Comments must be allowed in permissions): Correct.

Details: In the Permissions dialog (e.g., for a workbook), set "Add Comment" to "Allowed" for users/groups. Default is "Denied" unless explicitly enabled.

How:Content > Workbooks > Actions > Permissions > Edit Rule.

Why: Permissions are granular—site enablement alone isn’t enough.

Option D (Comments must be enabled on the site Settings page): Correct.

Details: Go toSite > Settings > General > Allow Comments—check the box.

Why: This is a site-wide toggle (default: off). Without it, no one can comment, regardless of permissions.

Option A (Minimum site role of Explorer - can publish): Incorrect.

Why: Viewer role suffices if permissions allow—Explorer (can publish) isn’t required (it adds publishing, not commenting).

Option C (Server Settings page): Incorrect.

Why: Comments are a site-level feature, not server-wide—no such toggle exists in TSM’s Server Settings.

Why This Matters: Enabling comments at both site and content levels ensures controlled collaboration—key for team insights.

Tableau Server can record performance metrics for workbooks to troubleshoot slow-loading views. This feature must be enabled at the site level (viaSettings > General > Allow Performance Recording). Once enabled, you can trigger recording for a specific view by modifying its URL.

The correct syntax is to append :record_performance=yes& to the view URL, immediatelyafter the session ID. For example:

Original URL: https://server/#/site/my-site/views/workbook/view?:iid=1

Modified URL: https://server/#/site/my-site/views/workbook/view?:iid=1:record_performance=yes &

After loading the view with this parameter, a performance recording is generated and accessible via thePerformanceoption in the toolbar.

Option B (Type :record_performance=yes& at the end of the view URL, immediately after the session ID): Correct. This follows Tableau’s documented method for enabling performance recording.

Option A (Click the Performance link in the toolbar): Incorrect. The Performance link appears only after recording is triggered via the URL; it’s not the method to enable it.

Option C (Type :record_performance=yes& immediately before the session ID): Incorrect. The parameter must follow the session ID (e.g., :iid=1) to function correctly.

Option D (Delete the session ID in the URL and reload the view): Incorrect. The session ID is required for the view to load properly; removing it breaks the URL.

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. Thefirst questionshould 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.

Tableau Server consists of multiple processes managed by TSM. When you stop Tableau Server (e.g., via tsm stop), most application processes halt, but some TSM-specific processes remain active to manage the server’s infrastructure. Let’s examine each:

TSM Processes: These include the Administration Controller, Administration Agent, and License Manager, which handle configuration, monitoring, and licensing.

Application Processes: These include VizQL Server, Backgrounder, Data Server, etc., which deliver Tableau’s core functionality and stop when the server is stopped.

When tsm stop is executed:

TheAdministration Controller(port 8850) continues running to manage TSM operations (e.g., restarts, status checks).

TheLicense Managerremains active to validate licenses and ensure compliance, even when the server is offline.

Application processes like VizQL Server and Backgrounder shut down, as they’re tied to user-facing services.

Option B (License Manager): Correct. It persists to handle licensing tasks, ensuring the server can restart without license issues.

Option D (Administration Controller): Correct. It’s the core TSM process, always running to accept commands and manage the server state.

Option A (VizQL Server): Incorrect. VizQL stops, as it renders visualizations for users—an application process tied to active server operation.

Option C (Backgrounder): Incorrect. Backgrounder stops, as it processes background tasks (e.g., extract refreshes), which halt when the server is down.

Why This Matters: Understanding which processes persist helps administrators troubleshoot and manage server lifecycle events effectively.