You can self-deploy Tableau Server on an Amazon EC2 instance that you provision, deploy Tableau Server using the AWS CloudFormation templates in the Tableau Server on AWS Quick Start, or deploy Tableau Server on AWS using an AWS CloudFormation template in the AWS Marketplace. The following table shows the differences between each option.
| Tableau Server | AWS Self-Deployment | AWS Quick Start | AWS Marketplace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production ready |  |  | |
| Upgradable | | | |
| Install on Linux | | | |
| Install on Windows | | | |
| Scale-up | | | |
| Scale-out (add nodes) | | | |
| Active Directory support | | | |
| 14-day trial licence | | | |
| BYOL licence | | | |
| Supports latest version of Tableau | | | |
Each of the deployment options are described in more detail below:
Self-Deploy to an Amazon EC2 Instance – Provides the most flexibility and options to customise Tableau Server to your environment. If you want to quickly launch a system, use the Tableau Server on AWS Quick Start or the Tableau Server (BYOL) offering in AWS Marketplace instead.
Self-deployment of Tableau Server to an Amazon EC2 instance is recommended for development, test, and production environments that start simple but may need to scale-up or scale-out later. You can upgrade Tableau Server without having to replace your VM.
For more information about self-deployment, see Self-Deploy a Single Tableau Server on AWS. For more information about deploying in a distributed environment, see Self-Deploy Tableau Server on AWS in a Distributed Environment.
Tableau Server on AWS Quick Start – Installs Tableau Server on a standalone Amazon EC2 instance or on a cluster of standalone Amazon EC2 instances running Microsoft Windows Server, CentOS, or Ubuntu Server using an AWS CloudFormation template. This deployment strategy allows you to go live quickly and limit your overall costs.
The Tableau Server on AWS Quick Start is recommended for development, test, and production environments that start simple but may need to scale-up or scale-out later. You can use your own licence (BYOL) or a free 14-day trial version. You can upgrade Tableau Server without having to replace your VM. For more information about installing Tableau Server using the Quick Start, see the Tableau Server on AWS Quick Start(Link opens in a new window).
For other, specialised Tableau Server on AWS Quick Starts, see:
Tableau Server (BYOL) in AWS Marketplace – Installs a single-node instance of Tableau Server (BYOL) on AWS in just a few clicks. This solution uses AWS CloudFormation scripts that deploy Tableau Server at launch to better align with how the AWS Quick Starts work today and to ensure a uniform customer experience.
You can use a 14-day free trial or, after Tableau Server is up-and-running on the Amazon EC2 instance, you can purchase a Tableau Server licence and activate the associated product key. For more information about AWS Marketplace, see the AWS Marketplace(Link opens in a new window). The Tableau Server AWS Marketplace offerings have the following limitations:
Single machine, scale-up (vertical scaling) only.
No Active Directory. Local authentication only. If you need Active Directory authentication, see Self-Deploy a Single Tableau Server on AWS(Link opens in a new window).
May be deployed to a specific set of optimal Amazon EC2 instance types and sizes.
Supports Windows and Linux.
Supports the latest versions of Tableau.
Upgrade Tableau Server without having to replace your VM.
For more information about licensing options for Tableau Server, see Licensing Overview(Link opens in a new window).