implementing tableau server in an enterprise environment

All rights reserved. © 2009 Tableau Software Inc.All rights reserved. © 2009 Tableau Software Inc.All rights reserved. © 2009 Tableau Software Inc.

Implementing Tableau Server in an Enterprise Environment

Andrew Beers and Jeff SolomonTableau Software

All rights reserved. © 2009 Tableau Software Inc.All rights reserved. © 2009 Tableau Software Inc.

From workgroup…

In the beginning: a product for workgroups:• Collaboration aid for teams working with data• Easy publish + share workflow• Ease of deployment• Something a business user can maintain


…to enterprise

Enterprise-class features added:• Integration and automation• Scalability• Managing data• Scheduling• Analysis / monitoring


Related talks

“Understanding and Improving Server Performance” (Thu 9:45am)

“Making Any Data Fast: Tips, Tricks & Extracts” (Wed 3:15pm)

“Extracts: Fast Data to Go” (Thu 11:00am)


Tableau Server Primer



Publish a Tableau Workbook…



…to a Tableau Server instance for Sharing.



Web-based interaction with Tableau views.



Collaborate through discussions, tags, and customizations.



Control access and interactive capabilities


Integration and Automation


Authentication

•Local authentication• Easiest – manage users, passwords, groups in Server• No integration• We can automate management of this somewhat

•Active Directory• Simple configuration• Browser auto-login


Multiple domain support

Large organizations may have multiple AD domains:


Multi-domain support


Embedding into other applications

Easy to place a Tableau view into other web applications• SharePoint web part

• Easy HTML code to embed elsewhere:

<iframe src=“http://server/views/Analysis/MyDashboard?:embed=y”

width=“400” height=“600”>

</iframe>

Embedding flexibility:• AD or non-AD-based authentication

• Dynamic filtering of embedded view

• Linking to other web applications


Automation

New command-line tool: tabcmd.exe

Allows scripting of common administrative tasks:- User/group management

- Publishing workbooks

- Retrieving information from the server

Applications:- Bulk loading users or modifying groups

- Moving workbooks between servers

- Nightly image delivery


Demo

•Creating new users•Adding users to a group•Publishing a workbook•Getting a view as an image


Demo: tabcmd

Deliver the downloaded image by email:


Takeaways

•Active Directory integration- Easy configuration, best experience across enterprise

- Easy multiple domain for large organizations with two-way trusts

- Auto-login, embedding a snap

-Automation with tabcmd- User maintenance

- Reporting?

-Embedding and linking- Simple iframe-based embedded for your web applications

- Control the view via filtering, link to other apps


Security


Permissions


Demo

•Defaults for permissions


SSL


Takeaways

•Use permissions to craft who can do / see what- Secure sensitive underlying data from prying eyes

- Prevent workbook downloads for those who don’t need it

•Use projects to segment workbooks & set defaults- One set of permissions / project is easiest to manage

- SSL supported if you are really concerned with privacy

- Even without SSL, passwords always encrypted


Scalability


Server 4.x: Single-machine Architecture

Tableau Server 4.x was composed of a set of services on a single machine…

Tableau Server

Data Sources

SearchWeb App

Web App

Web App Repository

HTTP Server

Tableau Professiona

l

Web App

Web App

VizQL Server


Server 5.0: Distributed architecture

Tableau Server Web Browser

From this in version 4


To this in version 5


Easy configuration


Takeaways

Server 5.0 can scale to multiple machines- Easy to add and remove machines to the cluster- Out-of-the box

For more information:

“Understanding and Improving Server Performance” (Thu 9:45am)


Managing data


Sharing data models

•Tableau Server can act as a data source repository for desktop users

Admin: publish data sources

Users: download data sources and build then publish workbooks with them

Any changes to the data source is reflected automatically in dependent workbooks if the user so chooses

•Demo


Managing credentials

•Remember passwords for each user, self-service•Author publishes passwords – keeps DB passwords secret from users put provides access via Tableau views

•Credentials are stored and transmitted encrypted•See Settings section on Server Maintenance page


Managing connections

•Updating published credentials in bulk (plus other properties of data sources)


Extracts review

•Why publish with extracts?

Can be faster

Can take load off database servers•However…

Data is no longer live

Can be expensive to update


Extract storage engines

•By default, extract storage is off (4.x behavior)•Less memory & faster than Tableau 4.x extracts•Built-in vs. external

Built-in is completely black box for users

External can be dedicated hardware

1. PostgresSQL

2. MySQL

3. Microsoft SQL Server•Refreshable

Published extractfiles are expanded

into a shareddatabase



Configuring extract storage engines


Scheduled updates to extracts

•Admin-defined schedules

Centralized scheduling

Admin knows when it is best to load DB servers•Old data available during extracts – when done, immediately available

•Downloaded workbooks have refreshed data•Demo


Analysis and Monitoring


Built-in monitoring

•Analysis views from the Maintenance page•Demo


DIY monitoring

•You can build your own analysis views•Nominally at:

DB type: PostgresSQL

Host: localhost:8060

Database: workgroup

Username: tableau

Password:set with “tabadmin dbpass <password>”•Only permission to access relations starting with “_”•Demo


Summary takeaways

• Integration, automation, security• Active Directory for cross-enterprise authentication

• tabcmd tool for user management automation

• Embed views into other web applications

• Permissions on projects for defaults

• Use SSL for heightened security

•Scalable to multiple servers•Managing data

• Publish data sources to establish common data models

• External extract storage for performance

• Schedule refreshes of extracted data

•Build you own monitoring views


Thanks!

implementing tableau server in an enterprise environment

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