Tableau SCA-C01 Tableau Server Certified Associate Exam Exam Practice Test

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.

In a high-availability (HA) Tableau Server setup, theRepository(PostgreSQL) has an active and passive instance. Failover occurs if the active Repository fails. Let’s dive into the process:

HA Setup:

Two Repository instances across nodes (active/passive).

Failover switches to the passive instance if the active one becomes unavailable (e.g., crash, network issue).

Cluster Controller:

Role: Monitors all processes (e.g., Repository, File Store) across nodes, detecting failures via heartbeats and status checks.

Failover Decision: If the active Repository stops responding, Cluster Controller initiates failover, promoting the passive instance to active.

Coordination: Works with Coordination Service (ZooKeeper) to update topology but makes the initial detection call.

Option A (Cluster Controller): Correct.

Why: It’s the watchdog process, constantly monitoring Repository health and triggering failover when needed.

Option B (Coordination Service): Incorrect.

Role: ZooKeeper maintains cluster state and coordinates topology updates post-failover, but doesn’t detect the failure—Cluster Controller does.

Option C (Gateway): Incorrect.

Role: Routes client requests—unrelated to internal process monitoring or failover.

Option D (Backgrounder): Incorrect.

Role: Executes background tasks—no involvement in Repository failover decisions.

Why This Matters: Understanding failover ensures HA reliability—Cluster Controller is the linchpin for resilience.

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.

Installing Tableau Server on Windows requires an account with sufficient privileges to configure services, write to the file system, and manage registry settings. Let’s analyze this in depth:

Installation Requirements:

The installer creates services (e.g., Tableau Server Gateway), writes to Program Files and ProgramData, and configures TSM.

It needslocal administrative privilegeson the machine to perform these tasks.

Post-install, a "Run As" account can be set for services (e.g., NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService), but this is separate from the install account.

Option C (An account in the local administrator group): Correct.

Why: The account must be in the local Administrators group to:

Install software (UAC elevation).

Configure services and ports.

Write to protected directories (e.g., C:\Program Files\Tableau).

Examples: A local admin (e.g., Administrator) or a domain user added to the Administrators group (e.g., DOMAIN\AdminUser).

Process: Log in as this account, run the installer, and provide TSM admin credentials during setup.

Option A (A local user account): Incorrect.

A standard local user (not in Administrators) lacks permissions—installation would fail with "Access Denied" errors.

Option B (A domain user account): Incorrect unless clarified.

A domain user without local admin rights can’t install. If it’s in the Administrators group, it qualifies, but C is more specific.

Option D (NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService): Incorrect.

This is a built-in service account for running services (default "Run As" post-install), not for executing the installer—an interactive user account is required.

Why This Matters: Using the right account prevents install failures and ensures secure configuration—critical for production setups.

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 provides multiple methods to creategroups(collections of users) andprojects(content containers), catering to UI, CLI, and programmatic needs. Let’s dissect each option with depth:

Option B (Tableau Server browser interface): Correct.

Groups: Go toUsers > Groups > Add Group, name it, and optionally sync with Active Directory.

Projects: Go toContent > Projects > New Project, set name, description, and permissions.

Details: The web UI is intuitive, requiring server/site administrator rights. It’s ideal for manual, ad-hoc creation with immediate visibility.

Permissions: For projects, you can set default permissions or lock them here.

Option C (tabcmd): Correct.

Groups: tabcmd creategroup "GroupName" creates a local group. Add users with tabcmd addusers "GroupName" --users "user1,user2".

Projects: tabcmd createproject -n "ProjectName" -d "Description" creates a project.

Details: tabcmd is a command-line tool for batch operations or scripting (e.g., automating group/project setup). It requires a server admin login (tabcmd login).

Limitation: No AD sync via tabcmd—that’s UI or REST API territory.

Option D (REST API): Correct.

Groups: Use the POST /api/api-version/sites/site-id/groups endpoint with a payload (e.g., {"group": {"name": "GroupName"}}). Supports AD import too.

Projects: Use POST /api/api-version/sites/site-id/projects (e.g., {"project": {"name": "ProjectName", "description": "Desc"}}).

Details: The REST API is programmatic, ideal for integration with external systems or bulk automation. Requires authentication via a token and server/site admin rights.

Power: Offers full control, including nested projects and custom permissions.

Option A (tsm customize): Incorrect.

Purpose: tsm customize modifies TSM UI branding (e.g., logos, colors) via commands like tsm customize --logo "path/to/logo.png".

Why Wrong: It’s unrelated to creating groups or projects—it’s for cosmetic server configuration, not content/user management.

Why This Matters: Offering UI, CLI, and API options ensures flexibility—manual for small tasks, automation for scale—critical in enterprise deployments.

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.

Tableau Server has specific hardware requirements for production environments to ensure stability and performance. The minimum recommended free disk space for a production installation is50 GB. This accounts for:

The installation itself (approximately 1–2 GB).

Space for log files, temporary files, and extracts managed by the File Store and Data Engine.

Room for backups and operational overhead.

The full minimum hardware recommendations for a single-node production deployment are:

8 CPU cores(2.0 GHz or faster).

32 GB RAM.

50 GB free disk space(on the system drive, typically C: on Windows).

Option A (32 GB): Incorrect. While 32 GB is the minimum RAM requirement, it’s insufficient for disk space in production.

Option B (50 GB): Correct. This matches Tableau’s official recommendation for production environments.

Option C (15 GB): Incorrect. 15 GB is the minimum for a non-production or trial installation, not production.

Option D (64 GB): Incorrect. While 64 GB exceeds the minimum, it’s not the specified requirement—50 GB is sufficient.

In a high-availability (HA) Tableau Server setup, theRepository(PostgreSQL) has an active and passive instance. Failover occurs if the active Repository fails. Let’s dive into the process:

HA Setup:

Two Repository instances across nodes (active/passive).

Failover switches to the passive instance if the active one becomes unavailable (e.g., crash, network issue).

Cluster Controller:

Role: Monitors all processes (e.g., Repository, File Store) across nodes, detecting failures via heartbeats and status checks.

Failover Decision: If the active Repository stops responding, Cluster Controller initiates failover, promoting the passive instance to active.

Coordination: Works with Coordination Service (ZooKeeper) to update topology but makes the initial detection call.

Option A (Cluster Controller): Correct.

Why: It’s the watchdog process, constantly monitoring Repository health and triggering failover when needed.

Option B (Coordination Service): Incorrect.

Role: ZooKeeper maintains cluster state and coordinates topology updates post-failover, but doesn’t detect the failure—Cluster Controller does.

Option C (Gateway): Incorrect.

Role: Routes client requests—unrelated to internal process monitoring or failover.

Option D (Backgrounder): Incorrect.

Role: Executes background tasks—no involvement in Repository failover decisions.

Why This Matters: Understanding failover ensures HA reliability—Cluster Controller is the linchpin for resilience.

Tableau Server’s installer configures process instances based on hardware and deployment type (single-node vs. multi-node). For a single-node installation with 4 cores, we need to consider thedefault process topology. Let’s break this down exhaustively:

Key Processes:

Gateway: Handles incoming requests (1 instance).

Application Server (VizPortal): Manages UI and sessions (1 instance).

VizQL Server: Renders visualizations (2 instances).

Backgrounder: Runs extract refreshes, subscriptions (1 instance).

Data Server: Manages data connections (1 instance).

File Store: Stores extracts (1 instance).

Repository: Metadata database (1 instance, active).

Cluster Controller, Cache Server, etc.: Supporting processes (typically 1 each).

Default Configuration:

On a single-node install, Tableau sets1 instance per processunless specified otherwise, except for VizQL, which defaults to 2.

The installer doesn’t scale instances linearly with cores (e.g., 4 cores ≠ 4 instances). Post-install, TSM can adjust this (e.g., tsm topology set-process), but the question asks for theinstalled default.

Minimum hardware (8 cores, 32 GB RAM) suggests higher defaults, but 4 cores still triggers a minimal setup.

Option B (1): Correct with Caveat.

Most processes (e.g., Backgrounder, Gateway, Data Server) default to 1 instance on install, regardless of 4 cores.

VizQL defaults to 2, but the question’s phrasing ("each process") implies a general rule. Historically (and per docs), 1 is the baseline for most, with VizQL as the exception.

Interpretation: Assuming "each" means the typical case, 1 fits most processes on a 4-core single-node setup.

Option A (2): Incorrect. Only VizQL defaults to 2; others don’t.

Option C (8): Incorrect. Far exceeds defaults—8 cores might justify more, but not 4.

Option D (4): Incorrect. Not tied to core count by default; manual config would be needed.

Why This Matters: Understanding defaults aids capacity planning—4 cores is below production minimum (8), so performance tuning may be needed post-install.

Tableau Server’s user-based licensing model assigns licenses to individual users (Creator, Explorer, Viewer) rather than machines or cores. Key features include:

Subscription license: Licenses are typically subscription-based, renewed annually or monthly, aligning with Tableau’s pricing model.

Distinct user roles: It supports three roles (Creator, Explorer, Viewer), each with specific capabilities, enabling granular access control.

Option A (A subscription license): Correct. User-based licenses are subscription-based by default.

Option B (Enables distinct user roles): Correct. The model defines Creator, Explorer, and Viewer roles.

Option C (Restricts the number of machine cores): Incorrect. This applies to core-based licensing, not user-based.

Option D (A perpetual license): Incorrect. Perpetual licenses were phased out; user-based licenses are subscription-based as of recent models.

Tableau Services Manager (TSM) is the administrative tool for managing Tableau Server’s configuration, processes, and topology. To log in to TSM (via the web UI at https:// :8850 or CLI), you need:

TSM administrator credentials: These are distinct from site roles and are set during installation or reset via tsm reset.

Local administrative rights: On Windows, the account used to access TSM must be in the local Administrators group on the initial node, as TSM interacts with system-level services.

In a test cluster, the engineer’s inability to log in suggests they lack either the correct TSM credentials or sufficient OS-level permissions. Since the question focuses on a Windows environment and “initial node,” the most immediate requirement is local administrative rights to run TSM commands or access the UI.

Option C (An account with administrative rights to the computer): Correct. The engineer must use an account in the local Administrators group on the initial node to authenticate to TSM. After that, they’ll need the TSM admin username/password set during installation.

Option A (An account with a Creator site role): Incorrect. Site roles (e.g., Creator) apply to content access within Tableau Server, not TSM administration.

Option B (An account with a Site Administrator role): Incorrect. Site Administrators manage site content, not server-level TSM functions.

Option D (An account for the Tableau Server administrator): Partially correct but incomplete. This likely refers to the TSM admin account, but without local admin rights on the machine, login will fail. Option C is more precise.

Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to authenticate once (e.g., via a corporate identity provider) and access Tableau Server without re-entering credentials. Tableau Server supports several SSO methods:

OpenID Connect (OIDC): An OAuth 2.0-based protocol for SSO, configured via Tableau’s SAML settings with an OIDC-compatible IdP (e.g., Google, Okta).

Kerberos with Active Directory: A ticket-based SSO protocol, widely used in Windows environments with AD integration.

SAML: A flexible SSO standard using XML assertions, supporting various IdPs (e.g., ADFS, PingFederate).

Let’s evaluate:

Option A (OpenID Connect): Correct. OIDC is an SSO method, implemented as a SAML variant in Tableau Server, enabling seamless login.

Option C (Kerberos with Active Directory): Correct. Kerberos provides SSO in AD environments, delegating authentication to the domain controller.

Option D (Security Assertion Markup Language - SAML): Correct. SAML is a core SSO method in Tableau, widely adopted for enterprise integrations.

Option B (Local Authentication): Incorrect. Local Authentication uses Tableau’s internal user database, requiring manual credential entry—no SSO support.

Why This Matters: SSO enhances user experience and security by leveraging existing identity systems, reducing password fatigue.

To force Tableau Server to require the setup of a new administrator account (e.g., resetting the server to an initial setup state), the tsm reset command is the appropriate tool. This command resets Tableau Server’s administrative configuration, including the TSM administrator account, while preserving content like workbooks and data sources.

Option B (Run the tsm reset command): Correct. Running tsm reset clears the current TSM administrator credentials and configuration settings. The next time you access TSM (e.g., via the web interface or CLI), it prompts you to set up a new administrator account, mimicking the initial setup process. Command: tsm reset --username --password .

Option A (Edit tabsvc.yml): Incorrect. The tabsvc.yml file contains service configuration data, but manually editing it is not supported or recommended for resetting the administrator account. It could also corrupt the installation.

Option C (Run the tsm register command): Incorrect. The tsm register command is used to register Tableau Server with a new product key or identity store, not to reset the administrator account.

Option D (Reinstall Tableau Server): Incorrect. Reinstallation wipes the entire server, including content, and is overkill for this task. The tsm reset command achieves the goal without data loss.

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: http://server/#/site/my-site/views/workbook/view?:iid=1

Modified URL: http://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.

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.