# Deployment requirements, licensing, ATR and add-ons

*Tableau Architect Study Guide · Design a Tableau Infrastructure · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-architect/design-a-tableau-infrastructure/deployment-requirements-licensing-atr-and-add-ons*

Turn user, workload, growth and availability requirements into a Tableau Server design: role-based versus core-based licensing, Server ATR leases, the cluster constraints behind high availability, recovery objectives, and what Advanced Management needs and provides.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Architect
- Exam section: Design a Tableau Infrastructure
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> 1.1 Gather requirements for implementing a complex Tableau deployment: 1.1.1 Evaluate requirements for users and their role distributions; 1.1.2 Identify relevant constraints and requirements, including future growth; 1.1.3 Identify requirements for and recommend a strategy for licensing, including Authorization-to-Run (ATR); 1.1.4 Assess the need for high availability and disaster recovery; 1.1.5 Map the features and capabilities of the Tableau Server Add-Ons to requirements.

## What the exam expects

- Evaluate users, role distributions and workload change (not just headcount), including future growth.
- Recommend role-based or core-based licensing, predict which accounts consume licenses, and count cores.
- Plan Server Authorization-to-Run (ATR): lease trade-offs, the permanent activation choice, and USL updates.
- Decide whether a requirement needs high availability, disaster recovery or both, and name the constraints on each.
- Map Advanced Management and Data Management capabilities to requirements and state their prerequisites.

Key terms:
- **Licensed process**: a process that needs a valid license; its node's cores count under core licensing.
- **Server ATR**: activation through short-term leases from a Tableau-hosted service.
- **USL (Updatable Subscription License)**: one product key for all roles and features.
- **RPO / RTO**: how much data loss, and how much downtime, the business can tolerate.
- **Advanced Management**: Server features plus two separately installed tools (Content Migration Tool, Resource Monitoring Tool).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Core count basis | All cores on any computer running a licensed process | [License Models and Product Keys](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_product_keys.htm) |
| Core licensing alone | No Creator seats; Guest User account allowed | [License Models and Product Keys](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_product_keys.htm) |
| Server Administrators | Always consume the highest role available | [License Models and Product Keys](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_product_keys.htm) |
| TSM administrators | Do not require licenses | [License Models and Product Keys](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_product_keys.htm) |
| USL with Server ATR | Same key; updates obtained automatically, no refresh | [License Models and Product Keys](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_product_keys.htm) |
| ATR duration | Default 432000 s (5 days); 3600 s to 7776000 s | [ATR Service](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/atr_service.htm) |
| Activation type | Permanent; change by backup, remove, reinstall | [ATR Service](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/atr_service.htm) |
| Cluster operating systems | Same type and major version on every node | [Distributed and HA Installations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/distrib_ha.htm) |
| Initial-node-only processes | License Service, Activation Service, TSM Controller | [Distributed and HA Installations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/distrib_ha.htm) |
| HA minimum | Three nodes; two-node baselines are not HA | [Baseline Configurations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_baseline_config.htm) |
| RPO floor | No shorter than a full backup takes to complete | [Baseline Configurations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_baseline_config.htm) |
| Advanced Management order | Base user- or core-based key first | [About Advanced Management](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/itm_intro.htm) |
| Content Migration Tool licensing | Advanced Management on source and target Server | [About Advanced Management](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/itm_intro.htm) |

## Check yourself

- What is the default Server ATR duration on a non-container installation, and what range does it accept?
- When the ATR duration is set to 48 hours, how often does Tableau Server attempt an authorization check?
- Why does Tableau advise keeping an ATR-activated server running as much as possible?
- When the initial node fails, for how long can licensed processes keep running before the missing licensing service affects them?

## Sources

- [Understanding License Models and Product Keys](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_product_keys.htm)
- [Licensing Overview](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_server_overview.htm)
- [Activate Tableau Server Using the Authorization-To-Run (ATR) Service](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/atr_service.htm)
- [Recommended Baseline Configurations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_baseline_config.htm)
- [Distributed and High Availability Tableau Server Installations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/distrib_ha.htm)
- [Tableau Server Processes](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/processes.htm)
- [About Tableau Advanced Management on Tableau Server](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/itm_intro.htm)
- [About Data Management](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/dm_overview.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 14 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams