I am sure you've heard this over and over but you are FANTASTIC at explaining Tableau and I look forward to learning more from your videos! Thank you SOOOO much for your content!!!!!!
i really need to give the tableau product team a thumb up for this feature. for so long we cry for the ability to join or relate a published datasources. came out the proper way is to make a virtual connection on top of it, seems like this approach also makes external metadata solutions easier to integrate with tableau. so inspiring. thanks for introduce this feature Tim!
Virtual connections are just for database based connections. link here: help.tableau.com/current/online/en-us/dm_vconn_create_conn.htm#:~:text=Virtual%20connections%20support%20connecting%20to%20one%20database%20per%20connection.
Hello Tim, I have a question about the virtual connection extracts, is it normal that everytime that I access to edit the virutal connection I have to run an extract to be able to configure it?
Hi Tim, I'm working with a client and I currently am not able to create an extract for my virtual connection, we are connecting to Snowflake but I've created a view with a join that I've created. It's taking quite a long time to even create the extract. From here I'm hoping to leverage RLS and create a condensed data source that I can leverage for creating other data models.
Great video Tim! Do you know if the VC Extracts will have the option of scheduled refresh? Also can you setup User filters in the VC and edit it or add more in the VC?
@@TableauTim Hi Tim, does Tableau Virtual Connections would cost extra? I'm confused about that. We're about to deploy an embedded analytics portal and we are wondering if having the VC functionality would cost a premium?
@@adolfohc78 In Centralized RLS video it was mentioned virtual connections is a feature limited to Data Management Add-on suscribers. Too bad isn't it ?
Can you summarize the differences between published connectors and virtual connections other than the ability to facilitate centralized row level security.
The other main feature is you can add tables to the connection without specifying their relationship or joins or unions allowing authors to use one connection but build their own connections. You can't do that with published data sources. It's also behind the data management add on.
Hi Tim, this is really useful. I am currently using 2021.3.4 desktop version, and unfortunately in the connections for Tableau server i don't have the option for a drop down with Virtual connection option, there is no drop down. Is this normal? i suppose this is because im not in 2021.4, correct?
Nice video! Would you happen to know if you can connect to an Excel file that's in our Microsoft Teams? Can't figure out the address of where the file resides. Thank you.
So in order to do this you likely need something like a UNC location (universal naming convention for file paths) tabsoft.co/3Jnzyum but I'm not sure teams supports this but the logic here is the excel file probably isn't in teams it would be in a shared drive path which you can use the guide I've linked to to connect to it. Alot of moving parts would want to test this.
I just upgraded tableau server 2021. 4.4 however the snowflake connector under virtual connections was missing, can you please tell me how it is showing in tableau online?
@@TableauTim I installed the snowflake driver in my tableau server VM, and now it's showing. I was finally able to test virtual connections, policy, row level and much more thanks to your detailed videos 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Trying to establish a virtual connection on Tableau Server...following the steps given on instructions but opening the windows to connect to source there are no connectors listed and there is a little pop out window that says "Unknown Error". Anyone have suggestions on how to get the connectors listed? What i found out is when we create a data source for publishing from server we can see list of connectors available but while creating a virtual connection cant see any of the connectors. Did somebody know how to fix this?
@@TableauTim yes the data management is enabled. As one of the user in tableau server has created the virtual connection earlier, he might be seen the connectors but for me i can't see. Pops up an error. I have creator license
I checked TSM... it turns out there are still pending changes from when I installed the data management addon. One of these is changing the Query Gateway Service from 0 to 1, so I am going to restart and that should fix my issue.
Well now I am able to see the connections menu, but I can't connect to Athena... yet these same connection credentials are being used for other datasources on the server :/ ...for some reason the virtual connection needs to be in a top-level folder, otherwise it won't connect... ...that was pure conjecture. There is no rhyme or reason to any of the bugs I am experiencing, I don't think this feature is ready for production. Everything works fine and then 5 minutes later "Hyper was unable to resolve the database file path. Directory does not exist". So I try to create a new virtual connection and I am having my original connection issue (for some reason this connects like 10% of the time)
MS projects doesn't have a native connector. You'd need to google around and get some guidance on MS projects itself and how to connect external applications. www.cdata.com/kb/tech/msproject-odbc-polybase.rst somethign like that with ODBC. once you setup odbc then you can then connect tableau to it using odbc connection.
