Free Tableau SCA-C01 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers

Tableau Server uses caching to speed up workbook loading by storing query results. After a scheduled extract refresh updates the data, the cache may need recomputing—let’s dive into the mechanics:

Caching Basics:

VizQL Cache: Stores rendered views and query results for faster access.

Refresh Trigger: A scheduled refresh updates the underlying extract (.hyper), but the cache isn’t automatically invalidated—it’s demand-driven.

Recompute Conditions: Tableau recomputes the cache when the workbook is accessed (viewed) and its data has changed (e.g., via refresh).

Evaluation:

Option B (The workbook has upcoming scheduled refresh tasks): Correct.

Why: An upcoming refresh task indicates the workbook relies on an extract with a schedule. After the refresh runs, the data changes, priming the cache for recomputation on next view. Without a schedule, no refresh occurs, so this is a prerequisite.

Detail: Schedules are set inSchedules > Tasks—e.g., "Daily at 2 AM."

Option D (The workbook has been viewed recently): Correct.

Why: Viewing triggers cache recomputation if the data has changed (e.g., post-refresh). Tableau uses a "lazy caching" model—cache updates only when a user loads the workbook, ensuring fresh results.

Detail: "Recently" isn’t strictly defined but implies post-refresh access.

Option A (Published in the last month): Incorrect.

Why: Publish date is irrelevant—cache recomputation ties to data changes and access, not publication timing.

Option C (All Users group has permission rule allowing access): Incorrect.

Why: Permissions enable viewing, but recomputation requires actual access (viewing) and a refresh event, not just potential access.

Why This Matters: Caching balances performance and freshness—understanding triggers prevents stale data surprises.

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.

In Tableau Server, schedules manage tasks like extract refreshes and subscriptions. Each task within a schedule has a priority value (ranging from 1 to 100, where 1 is the highest priority and 100 is the lowest). Tasks with higher priority (lower numbers) are executed before tasks with lower priority (higher numbers) when queued by the Backgrounder process. If the Backgrounder is overloaded or delayed, lower-priority tasks may not complete on time, leading to inconsistent refreshes.

In this scenario:

The 7:00 AM Extract Refresh task is critical for the CEO’s workbook, but the data is only refreshed 70% of the time by 9:00 AM.

The server has a single node, meaning a single Backgrounder process handles all tasks. With five schedules (some overlapping in the early morning), contention or delays could prevent the 7:00 AM task from completing reliably before 9:00 AM.

Option C (Set the priority of this task to 1): Correct. Setting the task priority to 1 ensures it has the highest priority among all queued tasks. This increases the likelihood that the Backgrounder executes it promptly at 7:00 AM, completing the refresh before the CEO accesses the workbook at 9:00 AM. You can adjust task priority in the Tableau Server web interface under Schedules > Tasks > Edit Priority.

Option A (Set the default priority of this schedule to 50): Incorrect. The default priority for schedules is already 50, and this option refers to the schedule’s default, not the specific task. It wouldn’t address the contention issue.

Option B (Set the priority for all other tasks to 50): Incorrect. This keeps all tasks at the default priority (50), leaving the 7:00 AM task without a relative advantage. It doesn’t prioritize the CEO’s task.

Option D (Set the priority of this task to 100): Incorrect. Priority 100 is the lowest, which would deprioritize the task, making the refresh even less reliable.

Tableau Server’s minimum hardware recommendations for a production single-node deployment ensure reliable performance for small to medium workloads. As of the latest documentation:

CPU: 8 cores (2.0 GHz or higher) to handle concurrent users, rendering, and background tasks.

RAM: 32 GB to support in-memory processing (e.g., VizQL, Data Engine) and caching.

Disk Space: 50 GB free for installation, logs, extracts, and temporary files.

Let’s break it down:

Option C (8-Core CPU, 32 GB RAM, 50 GB free disk space): Correct. This matches Tableau’s official minimum for production:

8 cores ensure sufficient parallelism for processes like Backgrounder and VizQL.

32 GB RAM supports multiple users and extract refreshes.

50 GB disk space accommodates growth (initial install is ~1–2 GB, but logs and extracts expand).

Option A (4-Core, 16 GB RAM, 50 GB): Incorrect. Too low for production—4 cores and 16 GB RAM are below the threshold for reliable performance under load.

Option B (2-Core, 8 GB RAM, 15 GB): Incorrect. This is for non-production (e.g., trial) setups, insufficient for production stability.

Option D (4-Core, 64 GB RAM, 50 GB): Incorrect. 4 cores are inadequate, though 64 GB RAM exceeds the minimum (32 GB).

Why This Matters: Under-spec hardware can lead to slow performance, failed refreshes, or crashes in production—adhering to the minimum ensures stability.

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.

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 supports multi-tenancy via sites, each with customizable settings managed by server or site administrators. Let’s analyze what’s configurable per site:

Site Settings: Found in the web UI underSite > Settings > General. Server admins can override site admin settings.

Option B (Limitation on storage space): Correct.

Details: Server admins can set astorage quotaper site (e.g., 100 GB) to cap disk usage for extracts and workbooks.

How: In TSM or site settings (if enabled)—e.g., tsm configuration set -k site.storage.quota -v 100000.

Impact: Prevents one site from monopolizing resources in multi-site deployments.

Option D (Language and locale): Correct.

Details: Each site can set itslanguage(e.g., English, French) andlocale(e.g., date/number formats).

How: Site settings UI—e.g., "Language: French, Locale: France."

Impact: Tailors the user experience per site’s audience.

Option A (Ability to embed credentials): Incorrect.

Details: Embedding credentials (e.g., in data sources) is a server-wide setting (tsm data-access), not per-site. Site admins can’t override it.

Option C (Limitation on number of users): Incorrect.

Details: User limits are tied to licenses (server-wide), not configurable per site. Site admins manage user assignments, not quotas.

Why This Matters: Site-specific settings enable tailored governance and resource allocation in multi-tenant environments.

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.

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 an HA Tableau Server cluster, theCoordination Service(ZooKeeper ensemble) maintains cluster state—let’s find the best way to check it:

Coordination Service:

Runs on multiple nodes (3 or 5 in HA) to ensure quorum and failover.

Status indicates if it’s running and synced—critical for cluster health.

Option C (Run tsm status -v): Correct.

Details: tsm status --verbose lists all processes across nodes, including Coordination Service (e.g., "Coordination Service: RUNNING").

Why Best: Provides detailed, node-specific status in the CLI—e.g., "Node 1: RUNNING, Node 2: RUNNING."

Use: Run on the initial node; -v ensures full output.

Option A (TSM web client Status page): Incorrect.

Why: The TSM UI (Server > Status) shows process counts (e.g., "Coordination Service: 3 instances"), but not detailed per-node status—less granular than CLI.

Option B (tsm maintenance ziplogs): Incorrect.

Why: Generates log archives for troubleshooting, not a real-time status check.

Option D (Tableau Server Status page): Incorrect.

Why: The Server Status page (Server > Statusin the web UI) monitors application processes (e.g., VizQL), not TSM’s Coordination Service.

Why This Matters: Coordination Service health ensures HA stability—tsm status -v is the admin’s go-to for precision.