Tableau Server Client File Service


The Client File Service (CFS) stores and distributes files needed by TSM (e.g. certificates, customisation files, etc.). Files that are managed by the Client File Service are renamed and obfuscated before they are distributed across the deployment. This process also parametrises the file attributes that are required by Tableau services. As a result, files are not mapped to a single file location on the file system. Be sure you have an off-box backup of all files managed by CFS.

The following files are managed by CFS:

  • SAML certificate file
  • SAML key file
  • SAML IdP metadata file
  • OpenID.static.file
  • Kerberos.keytab file
  • LDAP Kerberos keytab file
  • LDAP Kerberos conf file
  • Mutual SSL certificate file
  • Mutual SSL revocation file
  • Customisation header logo file
  • Customisation sign-in logo file
  • Customisation compact logo file

The following files are not managed or distributed by CFS:

  • External SSL files. The certificate and key files for external SSL are stored and managed by the Coordination Service. You do not need to manually distribute these files.
  • SSL files for LDAP external identity store. You must distribute the SSL certificate file manually to each node in the cluster. See Configure Encrypted Channel to LDAP External Identity Store.

The Client File Service functions much like the File Store does for files needed by business services. By default, CFS is only installed on the initial node of your Tableau Server installation. To configure CFS to for high availability, we recommend that you configure an instance of CFS on each of the nodes where you deploy the Coordination Service.

In a cluster, if a node that is running your only instance of CFS fails, any files being managed by CFS will be lost, and you will need to repopulate CFS those files by reimporting certs and custom images, and making any related configuration changes.

Process

Client File Service

StatusStatus of the Client File Service process is not visible on the Status Page. Use the TSM CLI to view status. For more information, see View Server Process Status
LoggingLogs generated by the Client File Service process are located in /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/logs/clientfileservice. For more information, see Tableau Server Logs and Log File Locations

What happens when a CFS process fails? Nothing, as long as there is still at least one functioning CFS process in the cluster. The controller will redirect file transfer requests to the other working CFS process.

Failed Client File Service processes automatically restart as long as the computer itself is otherwise healthy.

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