What the Flow Scheduler Does¶
The Flow Scheduler schedules, runs and tracks Tableau Prep flows on Tableau Server and e-mails people about the results, without the Tableau Data Management add-on.
The Flow Scheduler supports Tableau Server only. You use it from a web interface that the MetaMiner Server (MMS) serves at /flowscheduler/, configure it in the MetaMiner Administrator (MMA), and can automate it through the REST API.
How it works¶
- You sign in to the web interface with your own Tableau identity, pick a Tableau environment and site, and see the Prep flows Tableau lets you see.
- You attach a flow to a schedule. That pairing is a task. Several flows that must run one after another form a chain (shown as Linked Tasks in the web interface).
- When a schedule comes due, the Flow Scheduler asks Tableau Server, through MMS, to run the flow. Schedule times are read in the Tableau server's time zone.
- The Flow Scheduler follows the Tableau background job until it ends and records the result as a run.
- When the run ends, it e-mails the task owner and extra recipients (notifications) and the subscribers (subscriptions), if you set them up.
Your Tableau permissions apply
The web interface browses projects and flows with your own Tableau session, so you see and schedule only what Tableau allows you. Scheduled runs are submitted with the environment's service account configured in MMA.
What you can do¶
| Capability | What it gives you | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Schedules | Hourly (every 15, 30, 60, 120 or 240 minutes, with an optional end time and days), daily, weekly and monthly schedules, stored in the Flow Scheduler; import existing Tableau schedules | Schedules |
| Tasks | One flow on one schedule, with priority, output steps, run mode and flow parameters | Tasks |
| Chains | Several flows in order on one schedule, with a stop-on-failure choice per step | Chains |
| Run Now | Run a configured task, or run a flow directly with one-off parameter values | Tasks, Flow Parameters |
| Import from Tableau | Copy existing Tableau flow tasks, linked tasks and subscribers | Import Tasks from Tableau |
| Run history | Every run with status, trigger, wait, run time, rows, parameters used and error detail; cancel active runs | Run History |
| Notifications | E-mail on success, failure or recovery (and on cancel when notifications are on) to the task owner plus extra recipients | Notifications |
| Subscriptions | E-mail Tableau users and groups a link to the flow output, the first rows, or a CSV or Excel attachment | Subscriptions and Output |
| Admin views | Calendar, Monitor and Load views, HA / Nodes, backup and settings | Web Interface Tour |
| High availability | Two or more nodes; one leader runs flows, the others stand by | High Availability |
Safeguards built in¶
| Situation | What the Flow Scheduler does |
|---|---|
| A task is still running when its next slot comes | Records the new slot as SKIPPED instead of starting a second copy. One run at a time per task. |
| Tableau Server cannot be reached | Holds scheduled and catch-up runs and releases them when Tableau is back, unless the next scheduled run is near (recovery.window.hours). A manual Run is not held: it fails with START_FAILED. |
| MMS is down | Scheduled runs wait for MMS for up to mms.retry.window.minutes, then start when MMS is back. |
| The Flow Scheduler restarts | Runs one missed slot per task if it is recent enough (startup.catchup.window.minutes), and skips it when the task's next scheduled run is within recovery.window.hours. |
| A task keeps failing | Disables the task after auto.disable.after.failures consecutive failed runs. |
Defaults for these settings are in the Configuration Reference.
Key terms¶
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Task | One Prep flow attached to one schedule in one Tableau site |
| Chain | An ordered list of flows that run one after another on one schedule (Linked Tasks in the web interface) |
| Schedule | When tasks fire: frequency, time and days. Stored in the Flow Scheduler, not in Tableau |
| Run | One execution of a task or chain, with its status and timings |
| Environment | A Tableau Server connected to MetaMiner in MMA |
| Flow Scheduler admin | A Tableau user listed on the Admins tab of Tools > FSS Configuration... in MMA; sees the Admin area of the web interface |
More terms: FAQ and Glossary.