Tableau Server on Linux Help

Role-based license model

Tableau offers role-based term licenses that grant a range of capabilities at various price points. Four types of role-based term licenses are available: Display, Viewer, Explorer, and Creator.

• Display licenses let users share and display Tableau content with a broad, internal audience of users who consume dashboards via shared displays with no interaction. There is no separate site role for Display licenses; when using a Display license, administrators create a dedicated login account for each licensed Display location, which is not the same as an individual user’s login account, and assign the maximum site role of Viewer.
• Viewer licenses let users view and interact with workbooks in Tableau Server. Viewer licenses also let users access Tableau Mobile, add comments to workbooks, export visuals in various formats, download workbook summary data, create subscriptions for themselves, and receive data-driven alerts.
• Explorer licenses are similar to the user-based licenses available in previous Tableau Server releases, and include the capabilities provided with Viewer licenses, and additional capabilities. An Explorer license allows access to workbook authoring capabilities using a web browser, as well as a full set of collaboration features.
• Creator licenses permit a wide range of capabilities when using Tableau Server, and also grant use of Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder. A Creator license allows all of the capabilities available under the Explorer license, as well as the following capabilities when using Tableau Server:
  • Create and publish new workbooks from a new data source.
  • Edit embedded data sources in the Data pane.
  • Create and publish new data connections.
  • Use login-based license management activation on Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder.

Note: Tableau Server Administrators will always consume the highest role available. If you activate a product key that contains the Creator role, the Tableau Server Administrator(s) will take this role. If the highest role available on Tableau Server is an Explorer, the Server Administrator will take the Explorer role. If a Creator role is added to a server where no Creators are currently activated, any existing Server Administrator accounts using Explorer licenses will automatically convert to use Creator licenses.

TSM administrator accounts do not require licenses.

For non-USL licenses, product keys are used to activate and add licenses to Tableau Server. When an update to capacity or functionality is purchased with a non-USL product key, the Tableau Server Administrator can activate these additional product keys. For USL product key(s), one product key is activated that contains all roles and features. If a USL license has been updated to change functionality, features, or role counts, no additional product keys will be issues or need to be activated.

For Updatable Subscription License (USL) product key(s), when a key has been updated with a new subscription term, feature, or role count change, the Server ATR service automatically obtains these updates and no additional key(s) need to be activated. USL licenses and Server ATR activations do not require refreshes to obtain these changes. Everything will be handled by the Server ATR service. For a USL product key using the non-Server ATR activation method, refreshes need to occur to obtain the update to the USL product key. For non-USL product keys, when an update to capacity or functionality is purchased, additional product keys are provided in the Tableau Customer Portal that you need to activate on Tableau Server.

If you're using non-USL product keys, select a Tableau Server Creator product key from the Tableau Customer Portal to ensure that you can create a Tableau Server Administrator. Explorer and Viewer product keys can then be activated to add additional licenses. Once the product keys have been activated, administrators can add users and assign them site roles, which automatically consume available licenses.

In the output returned by tsm licenses list, the CREATOR, EXPLORER, VIEWER fields display the number of licenses for each role license type. For non-USL product keys, each role is governed by it's own product key. Therefore, if your organization has purchased licenses for all three roles, then you must activate three product keys. For USL product key(s), one key has all roles and features which is reflected in TSM.

Core-based license model

In a core licensing model, the license defines the number of total computer cores the server can run on, instead of how many users can be added. This means the server can support virtually unlimited users (as Explorers or Viewers; the legacy term for these types of roles was "interactors"). Core-based license also allows a Guest User account, which is not possible with role-based licensing.

However, core licensing on its own does not include Creator seats on the server (those site roles will be grayed out when adding users).

New data sources can only be added to the server by publishing from Tableau Desktop or via a browser by a user with a Creator site role on the server. Therefore, there must either be (a) a user with a Creator site role on the server, or (b) a licensed Tableau Desktop and a user with Explorer (can publish) site role. For route (b), there are two ways to license Tableau Desktop in a core-based server organization:

• At least one role-based Creator license (which includes Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder), or
• At least one licensed Tableau Desktop that uses a legacy Tableau Desktop product key.

Note that if a Creator license is stacked on a server with core-based licensing, that role-based Creator license will be consumed by an admin. The only way to give a Creator site role to a non-admin user is to first ensure that all admins have Creator licenses. Only then can additional Creator licenses be used to assign a Creator site role to non-admin users.

In the output returned by tsm licenses list, the TYPE field will display the number of cores that are licensed. Additionally, the GUEST ACCESS field will display true.

Perpetual license model (legacy)

In the past, Tableau sold access to Tableau Server with perpetual licenses. Although these licenses are no longer available, some customers use this licensing arrangement.

In the perpetual license model, customers paid a maintenance subscription that was renewed annually. If maintenance expires, the software continues to work, but the customer loses access to technical support and software upgrades. Purchasing annual maintenance for perpetual licenses is no longer possible.

Perpetual licenses were either sold for a specific number of users, called interactors, or for a specific number of cores:

• Interactor licensing is a named-user model where customers purchased licenses by the seat, similar to current role-based licensing. However, unlike role-based licensing, where different access roles are priced accordingly, in interactor licensing, licenses were unbound by role. Licensed users could be Server admins, Site admins, Publishers, Interactors, or Viewers. User roles were set by the administrator only as a means to manage access to content and server configuration.

  If you activate a valid Server Interactor key on version 2020.4 or later, the Interactor count is mapped to the Explorer role.

  Interactor perpetual core licenses cannot use login-based license management. You must purchase a Creator term license, also called a Creator subscription license, in order to use login-based license management with Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder.

• Perpetual core licensing has the same model as subscription core licensing, it specifies the number of computer cores the software can be run on and supports unlimited users and a guest account.

In the output returned by tsm licenses list, the TYPE filed displays Perpetual. Note also that the MAINT EXP date is also displayed.

License editions

License editions include a suite of features and functionality to which users are entitled. License editions cannot be mixed within a deployment, meaning all users on a deployment must be on the same license edition. Consider the needs of your entire deployment when selecting your license edition.

Feature licenses

Important: As of September 16, 2024, Advanced Management and Data Management are no longer available as independent add-on options. Advanced Management and Data Management capabilities are only available if you previously purchased these, or if you purchase certain license editions - either Tableau Enterprise (for Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud) or Tableau+ (for Tableau Cloud).

Feature licenses are sold differently than other licenses. Features with independent licenses must be licensed for every user (or all cores) in the deployment. A deployment includes a licensed production Tableau Server installation and licensed non-production Tableau Server installations that support the production installation.

These features are licensed annually, and in the context of licensing, the availability of these features to the user base are “all or none:”

• Data Management
• Advanced Management
• Login-based License Management

Note: Updatable subscription licenses include both features and roles in one license. You no longer need to activate multiple licenses and product key(s) for different features and their associated roles.

Data Management

The Data Management license includes Tableau Catalog and Tableau Prep Conductor for a single Tableau Server deployment, which may be role-based or core-based. For more information, see About Data Management.

Data Management may require resource cores, which specifies the computing power that is used to run flows for Prep Conductor. Servers with core-based licensing are required to purchase at least four Resource Cores. See License Data Management.

In the output returned by tsm licenses list, a single product key for Data Management is indicated by the DATA MANAGEMENT field, which displays true under the appropriate license.

Advanced Management

Tableau Server Advanced Management is licensed on a per deployment basis, which may be role-based or core-based. For more information on Advanced Management and the capabilities included, see About Tableau Advanced Management on Tableau Server.

In the output returned by tsm licenses list, a single product key for Advanced Management is indicated by the SERVER MANAGEMENT ADD-ON field, which displays true under the appropriate license.