Tableau Server Certified Associate

The Tableau Server Certified Associate exam is suitable for those candidates who have a thorough understanding of Tableau Server functionality in a single machine and enterprise configuration. After becoming a certified Tableau Server Associate you can work as a System Administrator, System Architect, IT Representative, Implementer, or Consultant.

Exam Prerequisites

This certification will definitely help you grow in your career and also help you get a hike in your salary, however, you are should have knowledge about Tableau varies and you must be an active Tableau Server Certified Associate. Also, it is suggested to have at least nine months of hands-on Tableau Server experience.

Exam Overview

The Tableau Server Certified Associate examination is a 7-hour long examination. The Passing Score is based on a detailed scoring rubric and Tableau Server best practices. These grades are given by the committee. This examination is available in the English language. The exam is delivered in-person delivery only with Windows Virtual Machines. The cost of the examination is $250 USD.

Exam Format

• This is a hands-on, application mastery exam. Questions will be presented in a variety of ways.
• You will be presented with a network/use scenario and asked to design a system that will provide the best performance and functionality for your users. This will be in written form with a detailed explanation expected.
• You will be given a scenario with a number of specific requirements and access to an enclosed network. At the completion of the exam time, a grading committee will review your configuration to verify it matches all requirements and Tableau Server best practices. In the hands-on portion of the exam, you will be asked to create files and other materials that are generated in the day-to-day use of Tableau Server.

Exam Registration

To register yourself for the Tableau Server Certified Associate examination, follow these steps mentioned below:

• Go to the official Tableau Server Certified Associate exam guide page.
• Click on register now.
• You will be redirected to the Loyalist Exam Services page, who is the official exam partner of Tableau.
• The candidate is then required to log in or signup. Then, follow the prompt.
• Complete the registration and make the payment.

For more more information, visit Tableau Server Certified Associate FAQ

Check out the Tableau Server Certified Associate Interview Questions to prepare for your interview.

Awarded Credentials

After the successful completion of this exam, you will be awarded the title of Tableau Server Certified Professional. This title is active for three years from the date achieved.

Course Outline

The Tableau Server Certified Associate covers the following topics –

Domain 1 – Architecture & Planning

Topology

• Identify client components
• Identify server components
• Understand best practices for Tableau scalability and configuration
• Architect Tableau Server configuration based on user requirements and resources

Domain 2 – Preparation

Versions

• Identify the current version of Tableau Server
• Obtain the latest release of Tableau Server
• Access Tableau Server release notes
• Research configuration and installation details with Tableau Online Help

Hardware Requirements

• RAM Requirements
• CPU Requirements
• Hard disk requirements
• Access requirements with Tableau Online Help

Software Requirements

• List the supported Operating Systems
• Understand browser requirements
• Identify the SMTP Server (Tableau Reference: Configure SMTP Setup)
• Explain the purpose and benefits of a dedicated server
• Understand anti-virus issues
• Understand port configurations and potential conflicts for required software or server machines (Tableau Reference: Tableau Services Manager Ports)
• Research software requirements with Tableau Online Help (Tableau Reference: Tableau Online Help)

Licensing

• Explain user-based licensing (Tableau Reference: Understanding License Models and Product Keys)
• Activate and update any type of license key (Tableau Reference: Activate and Register Tableau Server)
• Execute steps for offline activation (Tableau Reference: Activate Tableau Server Offline – Adding a License)

Process Configuration

• Describe the function of each Tableau Services Manager and Tableau Server process (Tableau Reference: Tableau Services Manager Overview, Tableau Server Processes)
• Verify if a process is running (Tableau Reference: View Server Process Status)
• Verify correct processes are running on the appropriate servers
• Understand the difference between simple distributed environments, redundant environments for disaster recovery and high availability.

Data Source Identification and Administration

• Identify required ports (Tableau Reference: Tableau Services Manager Ports)
• Verify runtime user permissions on the database (Tableau Reference: Required Run As Service Account Settings)
• Identify, locate, and install database drivers
• Understand file, relational, and cube differences (Tableau Reference: Cube Data Sources)
• Understand extract and live connection differences
• Know the benefits of published data sources (Tableau Reference: Best Practices for Published Data Sources)
• Publish live data source connections and extracts using Tableau Desktop
• Administer published data sources and embedded passwords (Tableau Reference: Set Credentials for Accessing Your Published Data)

Infrastructure Network

• Understand network latency implications
• Explain the risks of Dynamic IP addressing
• Create and troubleshoot a Run As Service account (Tableau Reference: Troubleshoot Run As User)

Domain 3 – Installation

• Installation steps and options (including path to install, gateway port, etc.) (Tableau Reference: Tableau Server Gateway Process, Running Setup)
• Authentication options (Tableau Reference: Authentication)
• Install Tableau Server components with various authentication options
• Know the impact of the automatic login option
• Set up SSL security (Tableau Reference: Configure SSL for External HTTP)

Understand Tableau best practices

• Single machine environment (Tableau Reference: Recommended Baseline Configurations)
• Distributed configuration
• High availability configuration

Install Tableau Server

• Single machine environment
• Distributed configuration (Tableau Reference: Distributed and High Availability Tableau Server Installations)
• High-availability configuration (Tableau Reference: Distributed and High Availability Tableau Server Installations)

Domain 4 – Configuration

Windows Server Configuration

• Configure cache settings for the desired performance (Tableau Reference: Configure Data Cache)
• Apply process distribution
• Configure email alerts and subscriptions and SSL (Tableau Reference: Configure Server Event Notification, Set Up a Site for Subscriptions)
• Configure optional customizations (Tableau Reference: Customize Your Server)

Tableau Server Configuration

• Configure site options (Tableau Reference: Add or Update Sites)
• Configure user quotas
• Understand who can add users (Tableau Reference: Add Users to a Site)
• Set storage quotas (Tableau Reference: Manage Site Role Limits)
• Enable and edit site subscriptions (Tableau Reference: Set Up a Site for Subscriptions)
• Set default page for user or user group (Tableau Reference: Set the Default Start Page for All Users)
• Add and configure projects and nested projects (Tableau Reference: Add Projects and Move Content Into Them)
• Use tsm to modify configuration settings, verify status, stop and start the server (Tableau Reference: tsm configuration set Options)
• Use tabcmd to aid in configuration and daily tasks (Tableau Reference: tabcmd Commands)

Adding Users

• Manually add users (Tableau Reference: Creating Users, Add Users to a Site)
• Set site roles (Tableau Reference: Set Users’ Site Roles)
• Import users via Active Directory or CSV file (Tableau Reference: Import Users, CSV Import File Guidelines)

Security

• Configure security and permissions (Tableau Reference: Authorization, Permissions)
• Sites (Tableau Reference: Sites Overview)
• Projects (Tableau Reference: Configure Projects, Groups, and Permissions for Managed Self-Service)
• Groups (Tableau Reference: Configure Projects, Groups, and Permissions for Managed Self-Service)
• Users
• Data Sources (Tableau Reference: Tableau Server Data Sources)
• Workbooks (Tableau Reference: Configure Workbook Performance)

Understand Permissions

(Tableau Reference: Permissions

• System permission composition
• Ramifications of permission design
• Differences between allow, deny, and none
• Tableau security model

Domain 5 – Maintenance & Administration

• Maintain data connections
• Create schedules (Tableau Reference: Create or Modify a Schedule)
• Edit and delete subscriptions (Tableau Reference: Set Up a Site for Subscriptions, Create a Subscription to a View or Workbook)
• Perform server analysis and cleanup (Tableau Reference: Remove Unneeded Files)
• Mitigate initial-node failure in a cluster (Tableau Reference: Recover from an Initial Node Failure)
• Add, remove, and deactivate users (Tableau Reference: View, Manage, or Remove Users)
• Update licenses
• Start, stop, and restart
• Use the TSM browser client and command line (Tableau Reference: tsm Command Line Reference)

Describe how to:

• View server status in multiple ways (Tableau Reference: View Server Process Status)

• View email alerts

• Set data-driven alerts (Tableau Reference: Set Up for Data-Driven Alerts)

• Use built-in administrative views (Tableau Reference: Administrative Views, Pre-built Administrative Views)

• Create custom admin views (Tableau Reference: Create Custom Administrative Views)

• Create a performance recording (Tableau Reference: Create a Performance Recording)

• Create a nested project (Tableau Reference: Add Projects)

• Work with Sites and Site Admin options (Tableau Reference: Sites Overview)

Understand:

• Table recommendations

• Publishing views and data sources (Tableau Reference: Publish a Data Source)

• Renaming a workbook

• Interacting with a view via the Web (Tableau Reference: Create, Interact with, and Embed Views on the Web)

• Web authoring & editing (Tableau Reference: Web Authoring and Tableau Desktop Feature Comparison)

• How to share views (Tableau Reference: Share Web Content)

• Data Source Certification

Domain 6 – Troubleshooting

• Understand requirements of third party cookies in a browser (Tableau Reference: Cookie Restriction Error)

Understand how to:

• Reset passwords for a Tableau user or Tableau Run-As Service account (Tableau Reference: Change the Run As Service Account, View, Manage, or Remove Users)

• Package log files for reporting (Tableau Reference: Work with Log Files)

• Use tsm to validate site resources (Tableau Reference: tsm maintenance, tsm sites)

• Rebuild the search index

• Use maintenance analysis reports

• Create/open support requests

Domain 7 – Migration & Upgrade

• Understand the upgrade process (Tableau Reference: Upgrade Tableau Server Overview)
• Explain how and why to perform a clean reinstall (Tableau Reference: Troubleshoot Tableau Server Install and Upgrade)
• Describe how to migrate to different hardware (Tableau Reference: Migrate to New Hardware)
• Understand backward compatibility (Tableau Reference: Make Workbooks Compatible with Older Versions)

Preparatory Guide for Tableau Server Certified Associate Exam

Before appearing for Tableau Server Certified Associate exam you need to prepare for thoroughly. But, the confusion is to choose the right resources and how you prepare for the exam. But do not worry, here we provide you with the preparatory guide specially curated by our experts. This guide will help you throughout your journey for this exam and act as a bridge for your career advancements. Let’s get started:

Refer the Exam Guide

Before starting your preparation, it is very important to known the course structure and exam guide. For the Tableau Server Certified Associate examination, you should visit the official website to get the course outline and exam guide for the above examination. Below are the objectives of the Tableau Server Certified Associate examination:

• Architecture & Planning
• Preparation
• Installation
• Configuration
• Maintenance & Administration
• Troubleshooting
• Migration & Upgrade
• Interactions with Tableau Desktop

Learning Resources

After being aware of the course content and outline, the second step towards being a successful Tableau Server Certified Associate is looking and start preparing from the right resources and study material. we have provided you with all the necessary resources and material for the Tableau Server Certified Associate.

Reference Books

There are many books and study guide available in the market. You can try the reference books as prescribed by Tableau. These are:

• How I Passed My Tableau Server Certified Associate Exam by Wise Pen Publications
• Tableau Server Certified Associate Exam Guide by Packt

Live Virtual Course and Trainings

There are plenty of online courses available for Tableau Server Certified Associate. However, Tableau has provided you with official virtual live classes:

Server Architecture

This course provides in-depth coverage of Tableau Server architecture and configuration. The knowledge and skills acquired are best geared toward those architecting and administering a large or complex deployment of Tableau Server, or a consultant who will be involved in many deployments of Tableau Server.

You can schedule your class on the official page.

Join a Community

Engaging oneself in a study group will encourage and help the candidate to learn more. The discussions in the group will help them to develop the necessary knowledge required to clear the examination. Interacting with the people who have the same career path will be an added advantage. Therefore, practice, discuss and study to become a successful Tableau Server Certified Associate

Evaluate yourself with Practice Test

Practice tests play an important role during your exam preparation. They not only help you build your strengths but also direct you to improve the weak areas. The evolution of practice tests has done nothing but added more to its generosity. They are considered as one of the most efficient sources to study for the exam. Therefore, it is highly advised to perform more and more practice tests. Start preparing with Testprep Training now!