Tableau Server on Linux Help

Default locations for files

During the tsm maintenance backup, restore, and ziplogs processes, and the tsm sites export and sites import processes, Tableau Server uses default locations for the files created or used by these commands.

For details on disk space requirements for backing up Tableau Server, see Disk Space Usage for Backup.

By default:

• tsm maintenance commands:

  • backup—The backup .tsbak file is created in a temporary location in the data directory on the initial node and then saved in:

    /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/backups/

    • backup—Temporary staging location. The backup .tsbak file is created in a temporary location in the data directory on the initial node.

      Beginning with version 2026.2.0 you can specify an alternate temporary location for the creation of the backup file. This can be useful if your backup file is large or you have limited space on the initial node. For more information, see backuprestore.use_custom_staging_dir.enabled.

  • restore—The restore process restores a backup file from:

    /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/backups/

  • ziplogs—The ziplogs file is generated in:

    /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/log-archives

• tsm sites

  • export—The export .zip file is generated to the following directory:

    /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/siteexports

  • import—During the import process, Tableau Server looks for files in:

    /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/siteimports

Get the current file location

You can see the current file location for a specific command using tsm configuration get:

• For tsm maintenance commands:

  • backup and restore:

    tsm configuration get -k basefilepath.backuprestore

  • ziplogs:

    tsm configuration get -k basefilepath.log_archive

• For tsm sites commands:

  • export

    tsm configuration get -k basefilepath.site_export.exports

  • import

    tsm configuration get -k basefilepath.site_import.exports

Change current basefilepath locations

You can change some locations used by TSM for file actions using the tsm configuration set command to update the basefilepath variables. For details about specific base file paths, see tsm configuration set Options.

Changing a basefilepath variable does not move existing files from the original directory to the new directory. If you want existing backup, restore, log files, or site export or import files to reside in the new directory you specify, you must move them manually. You are responsible for creating the new location and for setting the correct permissions to allow tsm access to any files that will be placed there, and to the directory structure containing those files. For more information about permissions and tsm, see Files and Permissions in TSM. If you change the backup/restore base file path, you should run the tsm maintenance validate-backup-basefilepath command (available in version 2022.1 and later) to verify the permissions are properly set.

The tsm maintenance backup command uses a temporary staging location in the data directory for file actions (assembly, extraction) before saving the backup file to the location specified by the basefilepath.backuprestore variable. Starting in version 2026.2.0, if you configure TSM to use the location specified by basefilepath.backuprestore, and the backup is assembled in temporary subdirectories under the location specified by basefilepath.backuprestore. For versions older than 2026.2.0, changing the basefilepath does not impact where the tsm maintenance backup command assembles the backup file.

• For tsm maintenance commands:

  • backup and restore

    To change the directory used by the backup and restore commands, run the following command:

    tsm configuration set -k basefilepath.backuprestore -v "/new/directory/path"

  • backup staging location

    Note: The ability to change the staging location is available starting with version 2026.2.0.

    To change the temporary staging location used by backup to subdirectories under the basefilepath.backuprestore location, run the following command:

    tsm configuration set -k backuprestore.use_custom_staging_dir.enabled -v true

    When set to true, the backup command uses temporary directories under the location specified by the basefilepath.backuprestore value.

  • To change the ziplogs directory:

    tsm configuration set -k basefilepath.log_archive -v "/new/directory/path"

• For tsm sites commands:

  • To change the sites export directory:

    tsm configuration set -k basefilepath.site_export.exports -v "/new/directory/path"

  • To change the sites import directory:

    tsm configuration set -k basefilepath.site_import.exports -v "/new/directory/path"

After you change a default file location you need to do the following:

1. Apply pending changes:

   tsm pending-changes apply

   If the pending changes require a server restart, the pending-changes apply command will display a prompt to let you know a restart will occur. This prompt displays even if the server is stopped, but in that case there is no restart. You can suppress the prompt using the --ignore-prompt option, but this does not change the restart behavior. If the changes do not require a restart, the changes are applied without a prompt. For more information, see tsm pending-changes apply.

2. Stop Tableau Server:

   tsm stop

3. Restart the TSM Controller (as tableau system account):

   sudo su -l tableau -c "systemctl --user restart tabadmincontroller_0.service"

4. Wait several minutes for the controller to restart. You can confirm the controller has restarted with this command:

   tsm status -v

   When you can run that command and the Tableau Server Administration Controller is listed as 'running' the controller has restarted.

5. Start Tableau Server:

   tsm start