4 Replies Latest reply on Aug 7, 2018 11:00 AM by Naveen B

    Up-to-date Excel data does not display on Tableau Server

    Ahmed Imran
    Ahmed Imran Aug 7, 2018 10:29 AM

      I am trying to prove that the updated information in Excel will reflect on the Tableau report, which is available on the Tableau server. I created a simple Excel file with 2 columns, displayed that information on Tableau twb file and published as a Live connection without checking option 'Include External Files'. After that I made modifications to the Excel spreadsheet. Newly made modifications display only when I click on button 'Refresh' on Tableau server. Without refresh, I continue to see stale information. I have reviewed few existing articles related to this issue and none of the answers seem to resolve my issue. Files are attached. Any ideas how I can solve this please?

       

       

      Articles Reviewed: Excel Data Source Not Refreshing - Live Connection

      Data not refreshing

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        • 1. Re: Up-to-date Excel data does not display on Tableau Server
          Michael Gillespie
          Michael Gillespie Employee Aug 7, 2018 10:45 AM (in response to Ahmed Imran)

          This is the normal Tableau behavior. 

           

          The data source that is connected to the Excel spreadsheet is automatically updated when the Excel spreadsheet is updated.

           

          Any visualizations connected to that data source are NOT automatically updated, however.  They use cached data (until the cache expires) or until you click the "refresh" button.

           

          You can adjust the cache settings on Tableau Server to force the vizzes to reload the data whenever someone access the viz; this is a GLOBAL setting however, and applies to all the data sources and workbooks published on the server.

           

          There is also a new "cache warming" setting in 2018.1/2018.2 that will help with this - I have not personally used it but it appears to work based on what I've read.

           

          Lastly, you can set up a subscription to the entire workbook to run just after the Excel data source is updated.  This will force the workbook to refresh its data cache as well.  This only works if the Excel data is updated at a predictable time, though - if there are ad-hoc updates to the data, then this isn't very useful.

          • 2. Re: Up-to-date Excel data does not display on Tableau Server
            Ahmed Imran
            Ahmed Imran Aug 7, 2018 10:56 AM (in response to Michael Gillespie)

            Hi Michael, I am fine with refreshing it once after the update; however, in this case, every time I visit the report on the server, I have to click on refresh to see the updated data. For example, I make changes to spreadsheet, then I go to report on the server, I see stale data. I click on refresh button and report starts to show me new data. After this, I go to another dashboard and come back to Excel dashboard again. I continue to see stale data. Shouldn't I be seeing updated data since I already clicked on refresh button once? If I need to see the previously updated data, again I have to click on Refresh button.

             

             

            Thanks,

            Imran

            • 3. Re: Up-to-date Excel data does not display on Tableau Server
              Michael Gillespie
              Michael Gillespie Employee Aug 7, 2018 10:59 AM (in response to Ahmed Imran)

              Yes, that is odd behavior.  What version of Server are you on?

               

              You CAN see odd behavior sometimes if the Excel file is open in Excel for editing AND you are trying to refresh the worksheet using the Excel data.

               

              I would suggest opening a case with Tableau Support - that sounds like a bug.

              • 4. Re: Up-to-date Excel data does not display on Tableau Server
                Naveen B
                Naveen B Aug 7, 2018 11:00 AM (in response to Ahmed Imran)

                Hi Ahmed ,

                 

                That is due to cache server settings, because your server cache setting are set to refresh less often

                 

                thats why until unless you hit the refresh button , new data is coming up

                 

                Ask the tableau Admin team to change the settings from Refresh less often to more often so whenver user opens the report automatically all the updated data will come up

                 

                or append the url with ?refres=yes it will give the full data

                 

                Hope this helps

                 

                Kindly mark this answer as correct or helpful so that it will help others

                 

                BR,

                NB