Book Image

Data Modeling with Tableau

By : Kirk Munroe
Book Image

Data Modeling with Tableau

By: Kirk Munroe

Overview of this book

Tableau is unlike most other BI platforms that have a single data modeling tool and enterprise data model (for example, LookML from Google’s Looker). That doesn’t mean Tableau doesn’t have enterprise data governance; it is both robust and highly flexible. This book will help you effectively use Tableau governance models to build a data-driven organization. Data Modeling with Tableau is an extensive guide, complete with step-by-step explanations of essential concepts, practical examples, and hands-on exercises. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll learn the role that Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Desktop each play in data modeling. You’ll also explore the components of Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud that make data modeling more robust, secure, and performant. Moreover, by extending data models for Ask and Explain Data, you’ll gain the knowledge required to extend analytics to more people in their organizations, leading to better data-driven decisions. Finally, this book will guide you through the entire Tableau stack and the techniques required to build the right level of governance into Tableau data models for the correct use cases. By the end of this Tableau book, you’ll have a firm understanding of how to leverage data modeling in Tableau to benefit your organization.
Table of Contents (22 chapters)
1
Part 1: Data Modeling on the Tableau Platform
4
Part 2: Tableau Prep Builder for Data Modeling
9
Part 3: Tableau Desktop for Data Modeling
14
Part 4: Data Modeling with Tableau Server and Online

Summary

In this chapter, we took the time to understand live connections and extracts and when to use each. We looked at data source filters and extract filters and how each is used in the Tableau order or operations.

Then, we looked at both embedded data sources and published data sources. We created and published both types to our Tableau Server or Cloud and explored the use cases for each approach. We also created a published data source from the web interface of Tableau Server or Cloud.

In the last section of this chapter, we looked at extending the Tableau data model with calculations, folders, hierarchies, grouping, and descriptions. We also looked at how to update published data sources once they are already being used in others’ workbooks and what an analyst can and can’t do to extend the data model in their workbooks that use published data sources.

In the next chapter, we are going to look at the options available to us to secure our data models in...