# Data connections, schedules, subscriptions and revisions

*Tableau Server Administrator Study Guide · Administration · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator/administration/data-connections-schedules-subscriptions-and-revisions*

Maintain published data-source connections, build schedules that follow Tableau Server's time-alignment and priority rules, manage subscriptions through suspension and resumption, and control workbook and data source revision history on a site.

- 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

- Edit one or many published data-source connections, read the Test Connection state correctly and predict what happens when a bulk edit partly fails.
- Create and modify schedules that obey the time-alignment rules, and predict run order from execution mode and priority.
- Create, edit, unsubscribe, resume and delete subscriptions, knowing which settings can be changed in place and which need a new subscription.
- Set a site's revision-history limit, clear revision history and explain what users need to work with revisions.
- Backup, cleanup, start/stop, tsm and tabcmd are taught in Backup, cleanup, restarts and command-line scripting; analysis, users, licenses, REST API, logs, embedding and Desktop license usage in Server analysis, REST API, embedding and license usage.

Key terms:
- **Task:** a scheduled extract refresh, subscription or flow run; each run it starts is a **job**.
- **Schedule priority:** a number from 1 to 100 where 1 is the highest.
- **Suspended subscription:** a subscription that stopped sending after repeated consecutive failures.
- **Revision:** a previous saved version of a workbook or data source, kept in its revision history.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who edits connections | Server or Site Administrator, or a Creator who owns the data source | [Edit Connections](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/connections_modify.htm) |
| Test Connection | Disabled in 2021.4 and later when Prompt user for password is selected | [Edit Connections](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/connections_modify.htm) |
| Closed progress dialog | Edits continue in the background; failures are skipped | [Edit Connections](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/connections_modify.htm) |
| Schedule priority range | 1 to 100, 1 is the highest | [Create or Modify a Schedule](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/schedule_manage_create.htm) |
| Same-workbook schedules | Always serial, even when set to Parallel | [Create or Modify a Schedule](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/schedule_manage_create.htm) |
| Subscription priority | Uses the schedule priority, not a task priority | [Jobs are Prioritized](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/task_prioritization.htm) |
| Subscription recipients | Need View and Download Image/PDF permissions and an email address | [Create a Subscription](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/subscribe_user.htm) |
| Suspension threshold | 5 consecutive failures by default, set server-wide with tsm | [Set Up a Site for Subscriptions](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/subscribe.htm) |
| Subscription message | Changing it requires unsubscribing and creating a new subscription | [Create a Subscription](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/subscribe_user.htm) |
| Revision limit default | Enabled, 25 revisions per content resource | [Revision History](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/revision_history_maintain.htm) |
| Clear Revision History | Deletes previous revisions, keeps the most recent version | [Revision History](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/revision_history_maintain.htm) |

## Check yourself

- When does a daily schedule need a start time but no end time?
- Why does a filter applied to the open view not appear in a subscription email?
- Why can a data source's task priority change after its owner republishes it?
- Which workbook permissions does an Explorer (Can Publish) need to see revision history?

## Sources

- [Edit Connections on Tableau Server](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/connections_modify.htm)
- [Create or Modify a Schedule](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/schedule_manage_create.htm)
- [How Scheduled Server Jobs are Prioritized](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/task_prioritization.htm)
- [Create a Subscription to a View or Workbook](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/subscribe_user.htm)
- [Set Up a Site for Subscriptions](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/subscribe.htm)
- [Allow Users to Save Revision History](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/revision_history_maintain.htm)
- [Work with Content Revisions](https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/qs_revision_history.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 8 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Server Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams