Plan and Prepare Data Connections22% of the exam
Tableau Bridge clients, pools and refresh schedules
Decide which Tableau Cloud data needs Tableau Bridge, then design it: Bridge refresh schedules instead of legacy schedules, named pools mapped through the Private Network Allowlist, Service versus Application mode, UNC paths for files, client sizing from the Bridge FAQ, and the limits on live files and Prep Conductor flows.
Create connections by using Tableau Bridge.
~8 min read · 9 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Identify which data sources need Bridge: private network data Tableau Cloud can't reach directly, on premises or in an isolated private cloud.
- Choose Bridge refresh schedules over Bridge legacy schedules, including for virtual connections and file-based data.
- Design pools: named pools mapped to domains in the Private Network Allowlist, at least two clients for redundancy, clients running as a service.
- Configure the client: Service versus Application mode, local Administrators membership, share access, UNC paths, and the site role the signed-in user needs.
- Size the client count from the Bridge FAQ, and recognize what Bridge can't do (live files, cubes, Prep Conductor flows on flat files).
Key terms:
- Tableau Bridge: a free proxy client behind the firewall that connects private network data to Tableau Cloud over an outbound connection.
- Bridge refresh schedule: a Tableau Cloud-managed schedule that runs extract refreshes on pooled clients.
- Bridge legacy schedule: a schedule tied to one client, with credentials embedded in that client.
- Pool: a set of clients that load balance data freshness tasks for the domains mapped to it.
- Private Network Allowlist: the domains or IPv4 addresses Bridge may reach for each pool.
Key facts
Reachable cloud data
- Detail
- Schedule directly on Tableau Cloud, not through Bridge
Live connections to files
- Detail
- Not supported; files are extract only
Prep Conductor flows on flat files
- Detail
- Not supported through Bridge
Legacy schedules
- Detail
- No virtual connections; credentials embedded in the client
Pool versions
- Detail
- 2021.4+ for virtual connections; 2021.4.3+ for file data
Allowlist
- Detail
- Empty by default; domains plus pools at most 100
Service mode
- Detail
- Local Administrators member; runs with user logged off
Live-connection client user
- Detail
- Site Administrator Creator or Site Administrator Explorer
Clients per Windows machine
- Detail
- One; one site at a time
Client capacity
- Detail
- 10 concurrent extract refreshes by default; 16 live queries
Refresh token
- Detail
- Expires after 14 days unused
- When does a regularly used Bridge refresh token expire?
- Why must the connected clients option stay enabled on the site?
- How many days of refresh activity does the Bridge Extracts admin view keep?
- When may a published file extract keep a local path rather than UNC?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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