Tableau Software has a focused vision resulting in a small product line. The main product (and hence the center of the Tableau universe) is Tableau Desktop. Assuming you are a Tableau author, that's where almost all your time will be spent when working with Tableau. But of course you must be able to connect to data and output the results. Thus, as shown in the following figure, the Tableau universe encompasses data sources, Tableau Desktop, and output channels, which include the Tableau Server family and Tableau Reader:
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Data Sources |
Tableau connects to many data sources. Those data sources will be discussed in more detail in the following section. |
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Tableau Desktop |
Tableau Desktop is where visualizations are created. Although, as of Tableau 8.0, some authoring capabilities were introduced into the Tableau Server environment, that environment is limited. (See Chapter 12, Interacting with Tableau Server to learn more about authoring in the Tableau Server environment.) Thus, the heavy lifting is still done in Tableau Desktop. |
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Tableau Server Family |
Once completed in Tableau Desktop, a workbook can be uploaded to Tableau Server for end-user access. Tableau Server provides a secure, web-based environment where end users can access visualizations created in Desktop either through a browser or via the Tableau Mobile app for Android and iPhone.
Tableau Online is a cloud-based version of Tableau Server hosted by Tableau Software. It's an ideal solution for smaller organizations that need the security and flexibility of Server without the associated overheads.
Tableau Public is, in reality, split into two products: the Tableau Public client, and a cloud-based, public-facing version of Tableau Server. The client has the capabilities of Desktop, with a few major exceptions:
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Tableau Reader |
The relationship between Tableau Desktop and Tableau Reader is synonymous to that between Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader. Desktop is used for authoring; Reader is used for viewing. Desktop has an associated cost; Reader is free.
A few brief notes regarding Reader:
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