# Server analysis, REST API, embedding and license usage

*Tableau Server Administrator Study Guide · Administration · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator/administration/server-analysis-rest-api-embedding-and-license-usage*

How to collect PerfMon data and adapt Tableau's sample performance workbook, remove users from a site, refresh and deactivate product keys, address the REST API with LUIDs and JSON bodies, find the right log, choose a compatible Embedding API library, and collect and filter Desktop license usage.

- 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

- Collect server resource data with Windows Performance Monitor and adapt Tableau's sample performance workbook to it.
- Predict what removing a user from one site does, and what term and perpetual product keys do when they expire.
- Build classic REST API requests: sign in, site LUID in the URI, XML or JSON bodies, version numbers.
- Find the log a component writes, and pick an Embedding API library compatible with the server release.
- Enable Desktop license reporting and read the Desktop License Usage view and its filters.

Key terms:
- **PerfMon data collector set**: how Windows Performance Monitor stores the counters it gathers.
- **LUID**: a locally unique identifier for a site or resource in REST API URIs.
- **Content URL**: the site's subpath, called the Site ID on Tableau Server.
- **Embedding API v3**: the JavaScript library for embedding views from Tableau 2021.4 or later.
- **Desktop license reporting**: product-key Tableau Desktop installations sending usage to Tableau Server.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Process counters | Tableau Server must be running when the data collector set is created | [Collect Data with Windows Performance Monitor](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_collect_perfmon.htm) |
| PerfMon log format | Comma separated; sample interval 30 seconds | [Collect Data with Windows Performance Monitor](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_collect_perfmon.htm) |
| Sample workbook | Remap host-named fields, add process instances, remove the date filter | [Analyze Data with the Sample Performance Workbook](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_analyze_sample_workbook.htm) |
| Remove from site | Other sites' memberships unchanged | [Add Users to a Site](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/sites_addusers.htm) |
| Expired term key | Tableau stops; activate a new key from the Customer Portal | [Refresh Expiration Date and Attributes for the Product Key](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_refresh.htm) |
| Expired perpetual maintenance | Keeps running; no upgrades until renewed | [Refresh Expiration Date and Attributes for the Product Key](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_refresh.htm) |
| REST version | 2022.3 = API 3.17 | [REST API and Resource Versions](https://help.tableau.com/current/api/rest_api/en-us/REST/rest_api_concepts_versions.htm) |
| Credentials token | 240 minutes by default; signed-in site only | [Signing In and Signing Out (Authentication)](https://help.tableau.com/current/api/rest_api/en-us/REST/rest_api_concepts_auth.htm) |
| TSM client log | `C:\Users\<user>\.tableau\tsm\tsm.log` | [Tableau Server Logs and Log File Locations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/logs_loc.htm) |
| Embedding API for 2022.3 | v3.3 (`tableau.embedding.3.3.0`) | [Access Tableau Embedding API v3](https://help.tableau.com/current/api/embedding_api/en-us/docs/embedding_api_get.html) |
| Desktop reporting setup | Enable on Server, and set each Desktop's reporting server | [Manage Tableau Desktop License Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/desktopdeploy/en-us/desktop_deploy_reporting_admin.htm) |
| Top bar graph | Empty when Use is not selected in Action | [Tableau Desktop License Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_desktop_license_usage.htm) |

## Check yourself

- When does a REST API credentials token expire if the server keeps its default setting?
- Why can PerfMon fail to collect counters from a second node even after they were selected?
- Which HTTP status does a successful REST DELETE return?
- Why can't a web page load the Embedding API library from a local `file://` copy?

## Sources

- [Collect Data with Windows Performance Monitor](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_collect_perfmon.htm)
- [Analyze Data with the Sample Performance Workbook](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_analyze_sample_workbook.htm)
- [Performance Monitoring Overview](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/perf_monitor.htm)
- [Add Users to a Site](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/sites_addusers.htm)
- [Refresh Expiration Date and Attributes for the Product Key](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_refresh.htm)
- [Deactivate Product Key](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/license_deactivate.htm)
- [Fundamentals of the Tableau Server REST API](https://help.tableau.com/current/api/rest_api/en-us/REST/rest_api_concepts_fundamentals.htm)
- [Signing In and Signing Out (Authentication)](https://help.tableau.com/current/api/rest_api/en-us/REST/rest_api_concepts_auth.htm)
- [REST API and Resource Versions](https://help.tableau.com/current/api/rest_api/en-us/REST/rest_api_concepts_versions.htm)
- [Tableau Server Logs and Log File Locations](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/logs_loc.htm)
- [Access Tableau Embedding API v3](https://help.tableau.com/current/api/embedding_api/en-us/docs/embedding_api_get.html)
- [Manage Tableau Desktop License Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/desktopdeploy/en-us/desktop_deploy_reporting_admin.htm)
- [Tableau Desktop License Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_desktop_license_usage.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 10 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Server Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams