How to Export and Import Tableau Sites: Step-by-Step Guide for Windows and Linux

Managing Tableau Server sites efficiently is crucial for organizations that rely on Tableau for business intelligence and analytics. One of the key tasks administrators may need to perform is exporting and importing Tableau Server sites. This process allows you to back up an entire site, migrate it between different environments, or restore it in case of an emergency. Understanding how to execute these commands on both Windows and Linux platforms ensures that your Tableau Server environment remains flexible, resilient, and easily manageable.

In this article, we'll walk you through the detailed steps to export and import a Tableau Server site, covering the necessary commands and file paths for both Windows and Linux systems. Whether you’re preparing for a site migration, performing routine maintenance, or ensuring your data is safely backed up, mastering these commands will help you streamline your Tableau Server operations.

Why Is It Needed?

Exporting and importing Tableau Server sites is essential for several reasons:

1. Data Backup and Recovery: Regularly exporting your sites ensures that you have up-to-date backups, making it easier to recover in case of data loss or corruption.

2. Site Migration: If you're moving Tableau Server from one environment to another, exporting and importing sites allows you to seamlessly transfer all content and configurations.

3. Testing and Development: Exporting a site from your production environment and importing it into a test or development environment allows for testing without affecting live data.

4. Version Upgrades: During server upgrades, you might need to export sites to ensure data integrity when moving to a newer version of Tableau Server.

Understanding how to perform these tasks is critical for Tableau administrators who need to ensure data availability, reliability, and seamless transitions between different Tableau Server environments.

Here's a detailed explanation of the "Tableau Export and Import Site" process, including Linux paths.

Tableau Export and Import Site Commands

Exporting a Site

To export a site from Tableau Server, use the following command:

tsm sites export --site-id <site-name> --file export-file.zip

This command exports the specified site to a .zip file. By default, Tableau Server saves the <export-file>.zip to the following location on Windows:

C:\ProgramData\Tableau\Tableau Server\data\tabsvc\files\siteexports

For Linux, the corresponding path is:

/var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/siteexports

Moving the Exported File

Once the site has been exported, you need to move the export-file.zip to the import directory. The destination directory for Windows is:

C:\ProgramData\Tableau\Tableau Server\data\tabsvc\files\siteimports

For Linux, the path is:

/var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/siteimports

To move the file, you can use the mv command on Linux:

mv /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/siteexports/export-file.zip /var/opt/tableau/tableau_server/data/tabsvc/files/siteimports/

For Windows, you can manually move the file or use a command prompt with the move command:

move C:\ProgramData\Tableau\Tableau Server\data\tabsvc\files\siteexports\export-file.zip C:\ProgramData\Tableau\Tableau Server\data\tabsvc\files\siteimports\

Importing a Site

To import a site into Tableau Server, use the following command:

tsm sites import --site-id <new-site-name> --file export-file.zip

This command imports the site from the specified .zip file into Tableau Server under the new site ID <new-site-name>.

Additional Information

• For more information on file paths and additional options, refer to the Tableau Server documentation.

Conclusion

Mastering the process of exporting and importing Tableau Server sites is a vital skill for any Tableau administrator. It not only safeguards your data but also provides flexibility in managing site content across different environments. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can confidently handle site migrations, backups, and restorations, ensuring that your Tableau Server remains robust and capable of meeting your organization’s needs. Whether you're working on Windows or Linux, these commands will empower you to maintain the integrity and continuity of your Tableau Server deployments.

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