Chapter 12. Interacting with Tableau Server

Not too long ago I had a Tableau engagement in Houston, Texas with a relatively small company in the oil and gas industry. This company was not ready to purchase a copy of Tableau Server. I spent quite a bit of time considering how best to create and deploy a centralized repository to share packaged workbooks and data sources that could be easily shared among Tableau authors and also downloaded by end users for display on Tableau Reader. The security concerns, maintenance difficulties and functionality limitations caused me to really begin to appreciate Tableau Server. Although Tableau Server is not necessary for every environment in which Tableau Desktop is used, it is necessary for many environments, and even when not strictly required can be very helpful.

This chapter does not assume any knowledge of Tableau Server. Thus, when Tableau Server is the focus of a given section, basic information is provided. When Tableau Desktop is the focus, however...