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Chains

A chain, shown in the web interface as Linked Tasks, runs several Prep flows one after another on one schedule, each step starting when the previous one finishes.

How a chain runs

  • The chain fires on its schedule like a task. Its priority applies to the whole chain.
  • Step 1 starts. When it finishes, step 2 starts, and so on.
  • Each step has its own output steps, run mode and parameter values.
  • A step with Stop remaining tasks if this step fails selected ends the chain when it fails: the remaining steps are recorded as SKIPPED and the chain as FAILED.
  • A failed step without that option does not stop the chain: the next step starts, and the chain run is still recorded as FAILED at the end.
  • A cancelled step ends the chain as CANCELLED; the remaining steps are skipped.
  • A step that Tableau does not start because the same flow is already running ends the chain as COALESCED; the remaining steps are skipped and no failure e-mail is sent.
  • Notifications are sent once for the whole chain, not for each step.

Before you begin

  • You are signed in on the site where the flows live.
  • The schedule exists. See Schedules.

Steps

  1. Open a flow and click + Add Schedule, then choose Linked Tasks at the top of the dialog.
  2. In Schedule, pick the schedule. Set Priority (Flow Scheduler admins) and Owner.
  3. Click + Add Next Task and choose the flow for the step under Run flow. Repeat for each step.

  4. For each step, set:

    Setting Options
    Output steps All output steps, or Select output steps
    Run mode Default, Full refresh, Incremental refresh
    Flow parameters (gear button) Values for this step's flow parameters. See Flow Parameters.
    Stop remaining tasks if this step fails Selected by default for a new step

  5. Reorder steps with Move up, Move down, Move to beginning and Move to end.

  6. Optional: open the Notifications tab. See Notifications.
  7. Click Create Tasks. The chain appears on Scheduled Tasks as "Linked - N steps".

Change or delete a chain

  • Open the chain to see all steps and a "Stop on failure: X of N steps" summary.
  • Edit opens Edit Linked Tasks; save with Save.
  • Disable / Enable and Run work as for a task. See Tasks.
  • Deleting asks "Delete this linked task chain? All tasks in the chain will be removed."

When a chain is interrupted

Event Result
The Flow Scheduler restarts, or leadership moves to another node, during the chain The chain run is recorded as FAILED ("Service restarted mid-chain..."); the remaining steps do not fire. Run it again when the Flow Scheduler is back.
Tableau Server goes down during the chain The chain fails. It is not held for later.
A step fails because Tableau rejected the environment's service-account sign-in The failure does not count toward automatic disable. Update the Tableau credentials; see Tableau Credentials API.

Verify

  • The chain shows as enabled with a Next Run.
  • After it fires, Run History shows the chain run and its steps in order.

Troubleshooting

A later step started although an earlier one failed

Stop remaining tasks if this step fails was cleared for the failing step. Edit the chain and select it for every step whose failure should stop the rest.

The chain shows COALESCED

Tableau refused to start a step because the same flow was already running. Avoid putting the same flow on overlapping schedules.

Next steps