Before Publishing workbook/data source to a Server
Before publishing workbook/data source to a server, first step is to create a project on Tableau Server. Please read my previous blog Publishing Workbooks/ Dashboards in the Tableau Server (Part-1) – Setting Up the Project. In this blog I will be discussing about the difference between live and extract data sources and how to publish data sources/workbooks on server.
Live vs Extract Data Connection
Depending on the requirement and usage of the Dashboard/ Data Source that is been published on the server, you can set the connections of the data source. If you need to feed the dashboard with live data or have a small table/s, then you should use live connections. Whereas, if you have scheduled a refresh or you don’t want your dataset to be live or the data is quite big, then you must use a extract data source. Below is the way to create extract data source.
Step-1
Click on ‘Data Source’ at the bottom left corner of your workbook.
Step-2
Then, click on ‘Extract’ at the top right as shown above.
Step-3
Finally, click on save button or any sheet/ dashboard. and then save at your desired location.
Publishing workbook/dashboard to the server
Once you have created a project on the server and you have a dashboard or a workbook that you want to share with others in your organization, you can then publish it to the server in the project folder you created.
Step-1
Click on server from the menu option at the top. Then select ‘Publish Workbook’
Step-2
A pop up will appear where you can:
– Select the project folder you created on your server.
– Change the Project name.
– Write a description of your project.
– Add tags for easy search.
– Set permissions on who can get access to your workbook/dashboard you published.
– You can also tick/ untick option from the ‘More Options’ heading as per your preferences.
Step-3
Controlling the sheets to be published:
– You can also control which sheets and dashboard you want to publish. To do that, click on edit under sheet heading and select the sheets or dashboard you want to publish.
Step-4
Publishing workbook/ dashboard with or without data source.
– You can either publish your workbook/dashboard with data source embedded or can publish separately. Under the Data Sources heading, click on edit and change the publish type according to your need.
Once done, click on Publish. Wollah, your workbook is published.
Publishing data source to the server separately
To publish the data source separately, click on server from the menu option at the top. Then select ‘Publish Data Source’ and finally select the data source you want to publish.
Once you have selected your data source, a pop up will appear similar to when publishing workbook.
Similar to steps followed while publishing workbook, follow the same steps like:
– Select the project folder you created on your server.
– Change the Project name.
– Write a description of your project.
– Add tags for easy search.
– Set permissions on who can get access to your data source you published.
– You can also tick/ untick option from the ‘More Options’ heading as per your preferences.
Once done, publish the data source. You will be able to see your dashboard/workbook and/or data source in your project folder in Tableau Server.
To Conclude:
Tableau Server is a great place to share your work with your collogues. It becomes a central platform where teams can work collaboratively. You can create your project and then publish data sources, workbooks in the project folder.
