SCA-C01 Practice Exam Questions with Answers Tableau Server Certified Associate Exam Certification

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.

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 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.

Table recommendations in Tableau Server suggest popular tables and data sources to users when they create new content in the web authoring environment. This feature is enabled by default but can be disabled at the site level.

Option A (Disable the option using the site Settings page): Correct. A site administrator can disable table recommendations by navigating to the site’s Settings > General page in the Tableau Server web interface and unchecking the option "Enable table recommendations." This prevents users on that site from seeing these suggestions, offering a straightforward UI-based solution.

Option B (Use the command: tsm configuration set -k recommendations.enabled -v false): Incorrect. There is no recommendations.enabled key in the TSM configuration settings. This feature is managed per site, not server-wide via TSM.

Option C (Publish data sources only to projects with permissions locked): Incorrect. Locking permissions restricts access but doesn’t disable the recommendation feature itself. Users with access would still see recommendations.

Option D (Disable the option using the server Settings page): Incorrect. Table recommendations are a site-specific setting, not a server-wide setting. The server Settings page (via TSM) controls global configurations, not this feature.

Trusted Ticketsis an authentication method in Tableau Server for embedding views in external applications (e.g., portals) without requiring users to log in manually. Here’s how it works:

A trusted application (e.g., a web server) authenticates with Tableau Server using a trusted IP or username/password.

Tableau Server issues a temporary ticket (a unique string).

The ticket is embedded in a view URL (e.g., /trusted//views/...), granting access to the view for a short period (configurable, default 5 minutes).

Option A (Access embedded views without being prompted for credentials): Correct. Trusted tickets enable SSO-like behavior for embedded content, bypassing the login prompt if the ticket is valid. This is ideal for seamless integration into external systems.

Option B (Encrypt database connections): Incorrect. Encryption is handled by data source configurations (e.g., SSL), not trusted tickets, which focus on user authentication.

Option C (Save and edit workbooks): Incorrect. Trusted tickets grant view access, not edit permissions—those depend on the user’s site role and permissions.

Option D (Embed database credentials): Incorrect. Trusted tickets authenticate users to Tableau Server, not databases—database credentials are managed separately in the data source.

Why This Matters: Trusted tickets simplify embedding Tableau content securely in custom applications, enhancing user experience.

Tableau Server uses internal secrets (tokens) for secure communication between its processes (e.g., Repository, File Store). These are automatically generated during installation and can be regenerated if compromised or for security maintenance. The command to update these is:

tsm security regenerate-internal-tokens: This regenerates the internal security tokens, ensuring all processes use the new tokens after a restart.

Option C (tsm security regenerate-internal-tokens): Correct. This is the documented command for updating internal secrets.

Option A (tsm data-access caching set -r 1): Incorrect. This command configures caching behavior, not security tokens.

Option B (tsm licenses refresh): Incorrect. This refreshes license data, unrelated to internal secrets.

Option D (tsm security validate-asset-keys): Incorrect. This validates encryption keys for assets, not internal tokens.

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.

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.

In Tableau Server, roles and permissions dictate who can perform specific administrative tasks. A "server administrator" has full control over the entire Tableau Server deployment, while site administrators manage specific sites. Some tasks are restricted to server administrators due to their server-wide impact.

Option B (Adding a site): Creating a new site in a multi-site Tableau Server environment is a server-level task that only a server administrator can perform. Sites are logical partitions within the server, and adding a site affects the overall server structure. Site administrators cannot create new sites; they can only manage existing ones.

Option D (Adding users): Adding users to Tableau Server (e.g., via the TSM interface or tabcmd) is a server administrator task when it involves adding users at the server level or assigning them to the default site. While site administrators can add users to their specific site in a multi-site environment, the initial addition of users to the server requires server administrator privileges. The question’s phrasing (“always require”) suggests a server-wide context, making this a correct choice.

Option A (Creating a schedule): This is incorrect because both server administrators and site administrators can create schedules for tasks like extract refreshes or subscriptions within their scope. It’s not exclusive to server administrators.

Option C (Locking project permissions): This is incorrect because locking project permissions can be done by a site administrator or project leader with appropriate permissions. It’s a project-level action, not a server-level task requiring a server administrator.