# Repository queries and Admin Insights dashboards

*Tableau Architect Study Guide · Monitor and Maintain a Tableau Deployment · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-architect/monitor-and-maintain-a-tableau-deployment/repository-queries-and-admin-insights-dashboards*

Build custom administrative views on the Tableau Server repository (access, retention, historical event tables, safe connection practice) and long-lived Admin Insights dashboards on Tableau Cloud (project rules, Starter updates, data source fields and joins).

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Architect
- Exam section: Monitor and Maintain a Tableau Deployment
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> 3.1 Create custom administrative views: 3.1.1 Interpret the repository schema and the event types; 3.1.2 Build admin dashboards for common scenarios; 3.1.3 Utilize Admin Insights on Tableau Cloud.

## What the exam expects

- Enable and connect to the Tableau Server repository safely, and keep custom views working through restarts and repository failover.
- Interpret the repository schema: historical event types and action types, `hist_*` tables, actor and target references, retention per table.
- Build admin dashboards for common scenarios (deletions audit, view traffic, job queue wait, inactive users, login-based licence use).
- Use Admin Insights on Tableau Cloud: project and Starter workbook rules, sharing, data source choice, fields, joins and data history limits.

Key terms: **repository** (the `workgroup` PostgreSQL database that stores Tableau Server data); **custom administrative view** (a workbook you build on repository data); **Data Dictionary** (Tableau's As-Is reference to repository tables); **Admin Insights** (a Tableau Cloud-only project of curated data sources plus the Admin Insights Starter workbook); **Tableau System Account** (owner and updater of Admin Insights content).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Enable repository access | `tsm data-access repository-access enable`; restarts Tableau Server | [Collect repository data](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_collect_server_repo.htm) |
| Connection | PostgreSQL, port 8060, database `workgroup`, repository node name | [Collect repository data](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_collect_server_repo.htm) |
| Modifying the repository | Unsupported; can break Tableau Server | [Tableau Server Repository](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_process_repository.htm) |
| Preferred active repository | `pgsql.preferred_host`, case-sensitive, as in `tsm status -v` | [Tableau Server Repository](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_process_repository.htm) |
| `hist_` retention | `wgserver.audit_history_expiration_days`, default 183 | [Custom admin views](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_postgres.htm) |
| `_background_tasks` | Cleaned automatically; last 30 days | [Custom admin views](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_postgres.htm) |
| Template workbook | Temporary workbook generated by a built-in admin view | [Custom admin views](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_postgres.htm) |
| Data Dictionary support | As-Is; community forums | [Data Dictionary](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/data_dictionary.htm) |
| Admin Insights history | 90 days default, 365 with Advanced Management | [Manage Admin Insights](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_manage.htm) |
| Moved Admin Insights project | Updates stop; delete it, new project next day | [Manage Admin Insights](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_manage.htm) |
| Removed user in TS Users | Gone within 36 hours; Unlicensed users stay | [TS Users](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_users.htm) |
| Multi-site joins | Add Site LUID = Site LUID | [TS Events](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_events.htm) |

## Check yourself

- Why can a TS Events row have an empty Item Type?
- When is Job Queued Duration NULL in Job Performance?
- When Tableau replaced the Admin Insights Starter before you moved or renamed it, how can you get your version back?
- How can you find which PostgreSQL version the repository runs?

## Sources

- [Create Custom Administrative Views](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_postgres.htm)
- [Collect Data with the Tableau Server Repository](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_collect_server_repo.htm)
- [Tableau Server Repository](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/server_process_repository.htm)
- [About the Tableau Server Data Dictionary](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/data_dictionary.htm)
- [Tableau Server Data Dictionary 2024.2](https://tableau.github.io/tableau-data-dictionary/2024.2/data_dictionary.htm)
- [Login-based License Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_login_based_license_usage.htm)
- [Manage Admin Insights](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_manage.htm)
- [Use Admin Insights to Create Custom Views](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights.htm)
- [TS Events Data Source](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_events.htm)
- [TS Users Data Source](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_users.htm)
- [Job Performance Data Source](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_job_performance.htm)
- [Site Content Data Source](https://help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/adminview_insights_site_content.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 21 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams