Purpose: Learn how to harness the Metadata API to explore and manage metadata in your Tableau environment.

Scope:

• Getting Started: Understand prerequisites for both Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server.
• Querying: Dive into constructing GraphQL queries and exploring the metadata schema.
• Permissions: Clarify who can access what, including licensing nuances and View capabilities.

Key Takeaways:

• Visibility into both Tableau content and external assets.
• Differences between Tableau Cloud (always enabled) and Tableau Server (requires manual enablement).
• How permissions and derived permissions shape metadata visibility.

For Tableau Cloud:

• Authentication: An authentication token is required (same process as Tableau REST API).
• API Availability: The Metadata API is always enabled; no manual activation needed.

For Tableau Server:

• Version Requirement: Must be running Tableau Server 2019.3 or later.
• REST API Requirement: The Tableau REST API must be active as it shares the authentication mechanism with the Metadata API.
• Enabling the API:
  • A server admin must enable the Metadata API using the Tableau Services Manager (TSM) CLI command:
  • tsm maintenance metadata-services enable
  • Note: This method applies to Tableau Server as there is no equivalent settings-based alternative.
• Initial Ingestion: Running the TSM command triggers an initial metadata ingestion process, indexing your content.

Access Fundamentals:

• Authorized Users: Any user with valid credentials on your Tableau Cloud or (enabled) Tableau Server instance can run queries.

Licensing Impact:

• With Data Management: You can view both Tableau content and related external assets. External assets that you have explicit permissions for (or those granted via derived permissions) are fully visible.
• Without Data Management: Access is limited to Tableau content only. If “derived permissions” is enabled, some related external assets may be visible, but editing or management is not available.

Content Ownership & Viewing Permissions:

• Non-admin Users: Typically, visibility is restricted to content you own or that has been explicitly shared with you. Without ownership or proper permissions, the Metadata API may not return full details.
• Admins: Administrators have broader access across all content on the server.

Implication: Ensure your account has the necessary permissions or content ownership to view the metadata you need.

Permissions Basics:

• View Capabilities: Permissions determine which metadata elements you can see. If you lack the necessary View rights, sensitive details are obfuscated.
• Filter Mode: When enabled in your query, only the metadata you have permission to view is returned, omitting sensitive details completely.

Management Capabilities:

• With Data Management: You can edit metadata and manage permissions for external assets if granted explicit rights.
• Without Data Management: Editing or permission management for external assets is not supported.

Key Considerations:

• Permissions for Tableau content (workbooks, data sources, etc.) follow the same rules as within the Tableau UI.
• The same View capability mechanism controls metadata visibility via the API.

Understanding External Assets:

• Definition: External assets include databases, tables, and other data sources connected to your Tableau content. Their metadata (e.g., schema, lineage, descriptions) is available via the Metadata API.

Metadata Exposure:

• Lineage: Understand relationships between assets (e.g., how a Sales table is used across data sources).
• Schema Details: View table names, column names, types, and more. For example, a database may include detailed column data types.
• User-Curated Information: Asset descriptions, certifications, and data quality warnings provide additional context.

Derived Permissions:

• Automatic Granting: For sites licensed with Data Management, derived permissions automatically grant View access to external assets.
• Manual Adjustments: In Tableau Server without Data Management, administrators may enable derived permissions manually.
• Editing Rights: When you own a flow (and derived permissions are enabled), you may have Overwrite and Set Permissions capabilities on external assets after a successful flow run.

Clarification on API Enablement:

• Tableau Server: The Metadata API is enabled via the TSM command (tsm maintenance metadata-services enable) since no settings-based alternative exists.
• Tableau Cloud: The Metadata API is always enabled, so no manual configuration is required.