# Backup, cleanup, restarts and command-line scripting

*Tableau Server Administrator Study Guide · Administration · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator/administration/backup-cleanup-restarts-and-command-line-scripting*

How to take a restorable Tableau Server backup, schedule and manage backups, restore within the 2022.3 rules, run tsm maintenance cleanup against the right file types in the right server state, predict start, stop, restart and pending-changes behavior, and script tsm and tabcmd safely on Windows.

- Certification: Salesforce Tableau Server Administrator
- Exam section: Administration
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator

**Official exam objective:**

> 3.1 Understand how to: 3.1.1 Maintain data connections; 3.1.2 Create schedules; 3.1.3 Create, edit and delete subscriptions; 3.1.4 Perform Server analysis; 3.1.5 Complete a backup and restore; 3.1.6 Perform cleanup; 3.1.7 Add, remove, or deactivate users; 3.1.8 Update licenses; 3.1.9 Start, stop or restart; 3.1.10 Utilize tsm and tabcmd; 3.1.11 Use REST API; 3.1.12 Work with Log Files; 3.1.13 Understand Embedding; 3.1.14 Monitor Desktop license usage; 3.1.15 Manage workbook and data source revision history.

## What the exam expects

- Choose a backup that can restore the server and judge whether an archive is eligible for restore on 2022.3.
- Create and manage scheduled backups and predict a scheduled file name.
- Run `tsm maintenance cleanup` with the right option and server state.
- Predict `tsm start`, `stop`, `restart` and `pending-changes apply` on a running or stopped server.
- Script `tsm` and `tabcmd` on Windows in a supported way.

Key terms:
- **TSM (Tableau Services Manager)**: the tool that administers the server; it replaced tabadmin.
- **.tsbak**: the backup file `tsm maintenance backup` writes.
- **Repository**: the PostgreSQL database of workbook and user metadata.
- **Pending changes**: saved configuration or topology changes that take effect when applied.
- **tabcmd**: the utility that automates site administration tasks such as creating users, projects and groups.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Backup contents | Repository (workbook and user metadata) plus extract files; no configuration data | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| `--pg-only` backup | Repository only; cannot restore the server; use only when Tableau Support asks | [Back up Tableau Server Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/db_backup.htm) |
| Pre-TSM backups | Cannot be restored to 2022.3 or later | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| Restore targets | Same identity store type; same or newer version only | [Restore from a Backup](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/db_restore.htm) |
| Scheduled backup name | `<yyyy.mm.dd.hh.mm>-<basename>.tsbak`; `-d` adds a second date | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| Cleanup default | Temp and log files older than one day; crash dumps never deleted | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| `http_requests` cleanup | `-q` deletes (server running only); retention default 7 days | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| `tsm restart` | Stops if necessary, then starts | [tsm restart](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_restart_tsm.htm) |
| Apply while stopped | Restart prompt may display, but no restart occurs | [tsm pending-changes](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_pending-changes.htm) |
| Batch scripts | `call tsm ...` returns control to the calling batch file | [Back up Tableau Server Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/db_backup.htm) |
| tabcmd tasks | Run serially, never in parallel | [tabcmd](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/tabcmd.htm) |

## Check yourself

- Which kind of file does `tsm maintenance cleanup` never remove, whatever options are used?
- Why should a Windows administrator run tabcmd from Command Prompt rather than PowerShell?
- Why can CPU use climb noticeably while a restore runs?
- When does a long backup hit the command's default time limit?

## Sources

- [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm)
- [Back up Tableau Server Data](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/db_backup.htm)
- [Perform a Full Backup and Restore of Tableau Server](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/backup_restore.htm)
- [Restore from a Backup](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/db_restore.htm)
- [Backup and Restore](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/db.htm)
- [tsm restart](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_restart_tsm.htm)
- [tsm start](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_start_tsm.htm)
- [tsm stop](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_stop_tsm.htm)
- [tsm pending-changes](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_pending-changes.htm)
- [tabcmd](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/tabcmd.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 9 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Server Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams