# Validating resources, search index and disk recovery

*Tableau Server Administrator Study Guide · Troubleshooting · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/tableau-server-administrator/troubleshooting/validating-resources-search-index-and-disk-recovery*

How to validate and repair a site's workbooks and data sources before migration, recognise and rebuild a broken search index on 2022.3 and later releases, read the Server Disk Space view, and recover space or access when the Tableau Server disk fills.

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

**Official exam objective:**

> 4.2 Understand how to: 4.2.1 Reset passwords for a Tableau user or Tableau Run-As Service account; 4.2.2 Package log files for reporting; 4.2.3 Use tsm to validate site resources; 4.2.4 Rebuild the search index; 4.2.5 Use maintenance analysis reports; 4.2.6 Create/open support requests.

## What the exam expects

- Use `tsm maintenance validate-resources` to check and repair a site's workbooks and data sources before a site migration, and handle what it cannot repair.
- Recognise symptoms of a broken search index and pick the rebuild command for 2022.3 versus 2023.3 and later, including after a failed upgrade.
- Read the Server Disk Space administrative view as a maintenance analysis report: who can open it, what it measures and why it differs from the operating system.
- Recover disk space with cleanup, administrative views and the Coordination Service snapshot setting.
- Restore access to Tableau Server and the TSM web UI after the disk has filled.

Key terms:
- **validate-resources:** the `tsm maintenance` command that validates, and optionally repairs, one site's workbooks and data sources.
- **Search index:** the content index behind site lists, project lists and search; on 2022.3 it is rebuilt with `tsm maintenance reset-searchserver`.
- **Server Disk Space:** the administrative view showing disk use on the partition where Tableau Server is installed.
- **Coordination Service:** the ZooKeeper-based service whose transaction logs and snapshots are kept in the `appzookeeper` data folder.
- **`--force-keys`:** a `tsm configuration set` option that lets you set a key that has not been set before.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| `validate-resources` scope | One site; `--site-id` is required | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| `validate-resources -r` | Attempts repairs; unrepaired items are noted in output | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| Index rebuild on 2023.1 and earlier | `tsm maintenance reset-searchserver` | [Troubleshoot Install and Upgrade](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/trouble_install_upgrade.htm) |
| Index rebuild on 2023.3 and later | `tsm maintenance reindex-search`; `reset-searchserver` does nothing | [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm) |
| Failed final upgrade step | Rebuild the index from a new admin prompt on the initial node | [Troubleshoot Install and Upgrade](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/trouble_install_upgrade.htm) |
| Server Disk Space access | Server administrators only, via Manage All Sites | [Server Disk Space](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_space_all_nodes.htm) |
| What the view measures | Tableau Server partition only, in decimal GB | [Server Disk Space](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_space_all_nodes.htm) |
| Disk usage monitoring | On by default | [Troubleshoot Disk Space Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/trouble_disk_space.htm) |
| Coordination Service snapshots | Every 100,000 transaction logs; older than five days deleted | [Troubleshoot Disk Space Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/trouble_disk_space.htm) |
| `zookeeper.config.snapCount` | Default 100,000 transactions | [tsm configuration set Options](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_configuration-set_tsm.htm) |
| Access lost after a full disk | Free space, set a dummy key with `--force-keys`, apply on the initial node | [Troubleshoot Disk Space Usage](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/trouble_disk_space.htm) |

## Check yourself

- When `reset-searchserver` runs, what happens to the existing search information?
- How do you read the exact free disk space at a moment in the Server Disk Space view?
- When does low free disk space stop merely slowing Tableau Server down?
- When you want a configuration key back at its default value, which option do you use?

## Sources

- [tsm maintenance](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_maintenance_tsm.htm)
- [Troubleshoot Tableau Server Install and Upgrade](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/trouble_install_upgrade.htm)
- [Tableau Server Processes](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/processes.htm)
- [Server Disk Space](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/adminview_space_all_nodes.htm)
- [Troubleshoot Disk Space Usage on Tableau Server Nodes](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/trouble_disk_space.htm)
- [tsm configuration set Options](https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-us/cli_configuration-set_tsm.htm)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 13 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Tableau Server Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams