Design and Troubleshoot Calculations and Workbooks40% of the exam
Query caching, data freshness policies and VizQL scaling
Balance cache reuse against freshness on Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud: the tsm data-access caching values, workbook data freshness policies for live connections, Server and Cloud defaults, VizQL and Cache Server process tuning, parameters that defeat the cache, and the retired View Acceleration feature.
Maximize caching for Tableau Server.
~7 min read · 6 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Choose the tsm data-access caching value that meets a stated freshness tolerance, and know how the change is applied.
- Choose a workbook data freshness policy for a live-connected workbook, and recognize when no policy can be set.
- Contrast the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud cache defaults and who sets each level.
- Tune VizQL Server, Cache Server and Backgrounder processes for user traffic, one change at a time.
- Spot workbook designs that defeat the cache, and treat View Acceleration as a 2024.2 feature that is now retired.
Key terms:
- Query cache: stored results of queries used to fetch data, reused by later visits.
- Refresh frequency: the server-wide caching value set with tsm data-access caching set.
- Data freshness policy: a workbook-level setting that decides when cached data is too old to show.
- VizQL Server process: the process that loads and renders views, usually the first to strain under user traffic.
Key facts
Server default caching
- Detail
- Cache and reuse data for as long as possible (low)
Numeric -r value
- Detail
- Maximum number of minutes data is cached
always or 0
- Detail
- Cache refreshed each time a page is reloaded
Applying the change
- Detail
- tsm pending-changes apply, which restarts Tableau Server
Policy prerequisites
- Detail
- Workbook owner; live connection
Not available
- Detail
- Tableau Desktop; extract and file-based data sources
Tableau Cloud default
- Detail
- Cached data refreshed every 12 hours
VizQL tuning
- Detail
- Add one VizQL server process at a time and measure
Session timeout default
- Detail
- vizqlserver.session.expiry.timeout is 30 minutes
View Acceleration
- Detail
- Retired: Cloud June 2026, Server 2026.2
- Why does tsm pending-changes apply need planning after a cache change?
- What units can the Ensure data is fresh every option use?
- When did View Acceleration refuse to accelerate a view because it was already quick?
- Why can a slow view at every hour of the day point away from server tuning?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
Keep reading with the Tableau Consultant pack
- Core concepts
- Exam traps
- Worked scenario
The pack includes:
- All 38 lessons of the Tableau Consultant guide, with reading progress
- Interactive decision walks and step-by-step sequence steppers
- Practice exams purchase adds inline bank questions and topic practice (6 questions for this lesson)
- An official source cited for every claim
- An AI tutor that answers from the guide
- Choose guide-only, practice-only, or save $4 with both