3 Replies Latest reply on Feb 26, 2016 4:39 PM by James Baker

    Block Server Admins from Downloading Workbooks

    Sarah Slattery
    Sarah Slattery Feb 26, 2016 3:52 PM

      We have dashboards that users would like to publish to Tableau Server that contain very sensitive data. We don't want Tableau Server admins to be able to view the workbooks or data in the workbooks. We tested using user filters/row level security and this works well by preventing server admins from viewing the data; however, server admins can still download the workbooks. This would probably be fine if the data sources were databases and we had a live data connection, but the data source is Excel.

       

      Is there a good way to block Tableau server admins from accessing highly sensitive workbooks that connect to Excel files?

       

      Thanks,

      Sarah

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        • 1. Re: Block Server Admins from Downloading Workbooks
          James Baker
          James Baker Employee Feb 26, 2016 4:24 PM (in response to Sarah Slattery)

          It's really not possible within Tableau Server configuration to deny Server Admins any permissions.  If that permission modality existed, the Server Admin could simply go in and re-grant themselves the permission to download.

           

          It sounds like you're looking for a role, sort of an "IT stuff only" role that doesn't currently exist in Tableau.  Another thing to consider... do server admins have access to the machine (or cluster of machines) upon which Tableau Server is installed?  If so... well, the data is there.

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          • 2. Re: Block Server Admins from Downloading Workbooks
            Sarah Slattery
            Sarah Slattery Feb 26, 2016 4:36 PM (in response to Sarah Slattery)
            do server admins have access to the machine (or cluster of machines) upon which Tableau Server is installed?  If so... well, the data is there.

             

            Does that only apply to extracts or live connections as well?

            • 3. Re: Block Server Admins from Downloading Workbooks
              James Baker
              James Baker Employee Feb 26, 2016 4:39 PM (in response to Sarah Slattery)

              It definitely applies to your Excel files when published.  Extracts are stored in Tableau Server also, as one might expect.  Live connections are not, otherwise it wouldn't be live - Tableau Server is only possibly (via published/Data Server data sources) a pass-through there to the "live" data wherever that lives.  There are potentially some data caches and/or "shadow" extracts in certain situations that the truly paranoid would need to beware of.

               

              Possibly your solution would be to put your Excel data into whatever database you have row-level security on?

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