• Method 1: Using the Connector
  • Step 1: Installing the Connector
    • Tableau Desktop
    • Tableau Server
  • Step 2: Connecting to CData Connect
• Method 2: Using Virtual SQL Server
  • Prerequisites
  • Connecting to CData Connect
• Learn More

This page outlines the steps to connect Tableau Desktop to CData Connect.

Note: Before you can configure and use Tableau Desktop with CData Connect, you must first connect a data source to your CData Connect account. See Connections for more information.

There are two ways to establish this connection, each with its own benefits and drawbacks:

• Using the Tableau Desktop Connector: This method provides the best performance for your reports. However, reports created using this method cannot be published, so they are limited to the local environment. This method is recommended unless you need to publish your reports.

• Using the Virtual SQL Server API: This method allows you to publish your reports outside the local environment. However, the performance of this method might not meet the same standard as the connector. This method is only recommended if you need to publish your reports.

Follow the steps below for your chosen connection method.

Method 1: Using the Connector

The Tableau Desktop Connector for CData Connect can be used to establish a connection in both the desktop and server editions of Tableau. The connector includes comprehensive high-performance data access, real-time integration, extensive metadata discovery, and robust SQL-92 support.

Step 1: Installing the Connector

Follow the directions below for your environment.

Tableau Desktop

Prerequisites

Before you start, you must have a supported Tableau application installed. Supported applications include:

• Tableau Desktop 2020.1 or later
• Tableau Prep 2020.4.1 or later.

For older versions of Tableau Desktop, please use either ODBC or JDBC instead.

Install Instructions

Once the prerequisites are satisfied, follow these steps to install the connector:

1. Open the Client Tools page of CData Connect.

2. In the BI and Reporting Tools section, click Tableau Desktop.

3. Download and run the setup file. If Tableau Desktop is running during installation, you will need to close and reopen it after the installation finishes.

4. Once the installation is complete, click Finish.

If you have Tableau Desktop 2020.3 or later, the setup automatically attempts to register the driver with your Tableau install. By default, the driver .jar file is placed into:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\Tableau\Drivers
• Mac: /Users/myuser/Library/Tableau/Drivers

By default, the connector .taco file is placed into:

• Windows: C:\Users\myuser\Documents\My Tableau Repository\Connectors
• Mac: /Users/myuser/Documents/My Tableau Repository/Connectors

Manual Registration

If you are using Tableau Prep or a version of Tableau Desktop earlier than 2020.3, the CData Connect Connector setup will not be able to detect your Tableau install. After completing setup, you will need to register the connector manually by following these steps:

1. Find the connector install directory. By default, this is C:\Program Files\CData\Tableau Connector for CData Connect 2021 for Windows and /Applications/Tableau Connector for CData Connect 2021 for MacOS.

2. Find your Tableau repository. Your repository is usually located in your documents folder with the name My Tableau Repository. If you are using Prep, it is called My Tableau Prep Repository.

3. Open the Tableau install directory and open the lib directory. Copy cdata.Cloud.legacy.taco into the Connectors directory within your Tableau repository.

Note: As of Tableau Prep 21.2+, standard taco files are supported instead of legacy taco files.

Tableau Server

Prerequisites

Before you start, you must have a supported Tableau application installed. This includes Tableau Server 2020.1 or later.

For older versions of Tableau Server, please use either the CData ODBC Driver or the JDBC driver for CData Connect instead.

Note: If a connector has the same class as a connector previously registered, the new one will be rejected.

Install Instructions

Once the prerequisites are satisfied, follow these steps to install the connector:

1. Open the Client Tools page.

2. In the BI and Reporting Tools section, click Tableau Desktop.

3. Download and run the setup file. If Tableau Server is running during installation, you will need to close and reopen it after the installation finishes.

4. Once the installation is complete, click Finish.

5. A JAR file will be automatically placed in the Drivers directory, which is C:\Program Files\Tableau\Drivers by default. This file needs to remain here for the connector to function properly.

6. Make sure that the license file (.lic) is placed alongside the JAR in the Drivers folder.

7. Drop the .taco file into [RootDirectory]/data/tabsvc/vizqlserver/Connectors. The root directory is likely to be ProgramData on the drive Tableau Server is installed on.

8. Restart the server.

9. To use an unsigned packaged connector, optionally disable signature verification by setting native_api.disable_verify_connector_plugin_signature to true via TSM.

Step 2: Connecting to CData Connect

Once the connector is installed, open Tableau Desktop or Tableau Server and perform the following steps:

1. In the Connect sidebar menu, under the To a Server category, click More…

2. Use the search field or locate and click CData Connect by CData.

3. A sign-in prompt appears. Click Sign In.

4. Sign in to your CData Connect account.

5. After signing in, or if you are already signed in, your connection appears in the Connections pane on the left.

You can now use the desired Schema in Tableau.

Method 2: Using Virtual SQL Server

As an alternative to downloading and installing the connector, you can connect to the CData Connect Virtual SQL Server API. This method is only recommended if you need to publish your reports.

Prerequisites

Before you connect, you must first generate a Personal Access Token (PAT) on the Settings page of CData Connect. Copy this down, as it acts as your password during authentication.

Connecting to CData Connect

To establish a connection from Tableau Desktop to the CData Connect Virtual SQL Server API, follow these steps.

1. In Tableau Desktop, open a new book. Under To a Server, select More, then Microsoft SQL Server.

   

2. Enter your credentials:

   • Server—enter the Virtual SQL Server endpoint and port separated by a comma: tds.cdata.com,14333

   • Database—enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect data source you want to connect to (for example, Salesforce1).

   • Authentication—select Use a specific username and password.

   • Username—enter your CData Connect username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect interface. For example, test@cdata.com.

   • Password—enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.

   • Require SSL—leave this selected.

     

3. Click Sign In. The authentication process may take a few minutes.

After you successfully sign in, you can access your data in the Tableau Desktop sidebar to create and publish reports.

Learn More

To learn more information about using the Tableau Connector for CData Connect, click here.