How to Upgrade Tableau 10.3 to 10.4

Upgrading your Tableau Server from version 10.3 to 10.4 is a straightforward process, but it requires careful preparation to ensure a smooth transition with no data loss. This guide will walk you through every step of a standard in-place server upgrade, from the initial checklist to post-upgrade validation, following best practices to give you peace of mind.

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Before You Begin: Your Pre-Upgrade Checklist

Diving straight into the installation is a recipe for trouble. A successful upgrade starts with good preparation. Taking 30 minutes to run through this checklist will save you hours of potential headaches later.

1. Understand the "Why": What's New in Tableau 10.4?

Before you commit to the upgrade, it's helpful to know what benefits you're getting. Tableau 10.4 wasn't just a maintenance release, it introduced some significant features your team will appreciate:

• Viz in Tooltip: This was a game-changer, allowing you to embed a relevant visualization directly inside a tooltip that appears when you hover over a mark in your primary view.
• Data Source Recommendations: Making it easier for users to find the right data, Tableau started recommending popular and certified data sources.
• PDF Connector: You could now connect directly to tables within PDF files, unlocking data from static reports.
• Enhanced Controls: Features like linear and radial dashboards, support for Denodo, and better control over dashboard spacing were added.

Knowing the benefits helps you communicate the value of the short downtime to your users and get everyone excited about the new possibilities.

2. Check System Requirements and Get Admin Access

While minor version upgrades typically don't have major shifts in system requirements, it's always a best practice to double-check. Confirm that your server's hardware (CPU, RAM, disk space) and operating system are still supported by Tableau 10.4. Most importantly, you will need local administrator permissions on the server machine to run the installer and the necessary commands.

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3. Schedule Downtime and Communicate with Your Team

The upgrade requires stopping the Tableau Server, meaning users won't be able to access their dashboards. Inform your users well in advance about the upgrade window. A simple email detailing the timing and the key benefits of the new version is usually sufficient. There's nothing worse than getting messages from confused users wondering why the server is down.

4. Gather Your Resources

Make sure you have everything you need before starting:

• Current Product Keys: Ensure your product maintenance is current. You'll need your keys to activate the new version. You can find them in your Tableau Customer Portal.
• Tableau Server 10.4 Installer: Download the correct installer file for your operating system from the Tableau website's product downloads archive. Store it somewhere easily accessible on the server.

The Core Upgrade Process: Step-by-Step for Tableau Server

With your preparation complete, it's time to start the upgrade. Follow these steps carefully. The most critical part is performing a full backup, which ensures you have a safe restore point if anything unexpected happens.

Step 1: Create a Full Backup (Non-Negotiable)

Before making any changes to your environment, you must create a complete backup of your current Tableau Server 10.3 instance. This backup saves your workbooks, users, data extracts, and configuration information.

Here's how to do it using the tabadmin command line tool:

1. Open the Command Prompt on your Tableau Server as an Administrator.
2. Navigate to the Tableau Server bin directory. The default location is usually something like: C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Server\10.3\bin
3. Run the backup command. We recommend using the -d flag, which adds the date to the filename for easy identification.

tabadmin backup C:\TableauBackups\backup10-3 -d

This command creates a .tsbak file. The process can take some time, depending on the size of your repository and data extracts. Once complete, find the generated .tsbak file (e.g., backup10-3-2023-10-27.tsbak).

Crucial Extra Step: Copy this .tsbak backup file to a safe, separate network location—somewhere that is not on the Tableau Server machine itself. Now, if something goes catastrophic with the machine, your data is still safe.

Step 2: Note Custom Settings and Collect External Assets

The tabadmin backup is comprehensive, but it's wise to manually jot down specific configurations and save copies of external assets. This includes:

• Custom Logo Images: If you use a custom logo, find the image file and save a copy.
• SSL Certificates: If you have SSL configured, make sure you have copies of your certificate and key files.
• Non-Default Configuration: Take note of any specific settings you've changed via tabadmin configure, such as port numbers or timeout settings.

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Step 3: Stop Tableau Server

Before you can uninstall the old version, you must completely stop the Tableau Server. In the same command prompt window, run:

tabadmin stop

Wait for the command to finish and confirm that all services have been stopped.

Step 4: Uninstall Tableau Server 10.3

Go to the Windows Control Panel, find "Programs and Features," locate Tableau Server 10.3 in the list, and uninstall it. Don't worry—the uninstaller is designed to leave the Tableau data directory intact. This is the magic that enables a smooth, in-place upgrade. Your data, workbooks, and extracts are not being deleted during this step.

Step 5: Install Tableau Server 10.4

Now, run the Tableau Server 10.4 installer file you downloaded earlier. The key here is consistency:

• Accept the license agreement.
• When prompted for an installation directory, install it in the exact same location as the previous version. This allows the new version to detect and use the existing data directory.

The installer will recognize that this is an upgrade. It will proceed to install the new program files and then automatically launch scripts to upgrade your existing repository and data. This part can take a few minutes, so be patient. You might be prompted to reboot the server at the end.

Step 6: Activate and Verify the Server

Once the installation is complete, the Configuration utility should open. If not, you can open it manually. Here, you'll need to enter and activate your product keys. After activation, open the Command Prompt as an administrator again and start the server:

tabadmin start

Once the services are running, open a web browser and navigate to your Tableau Server URL. Log in as an administrator. It's time for a quick spot-check:

• Do you see all your users and groups?
• Are critical workbooks and dashboards loading correctly?
• Can you still see and connect to your published data sources?

A quick sanity check of a few key items is all you need at this stage.

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Upgrading Tableau Desktop and Reader

Upgrading your server is only half the battle. Your users also need to upgrade their client tools—Tableau Desktop and Tableau Reader—to take full advantage of the new features and ensure compatibility.

Luckily, this is much simpler. Users can actually have multiple versions of Tableau Desktop installed on the same computer. However, to publish to a 10.4 Server, they'll need Desktop 10.4. The upgrade process is simple:

1. Download the 10.4 Tableau Desktop or Reader installer.
2. Run the installer. There is no need to uninstall the old version first.

Once installed, users will be able to connect to the upgraded server and start using new features like Viz in Tooltip in their workbooks.

Post-Upgrade Best Practices

You've done it! The server is up and running. But a true professional sticks around to ensure everything is perfect.

• Encourage User Testing: Reach out to a few of your power users or key business stakeholders and ask them to test their most critical dashboards. They are the best people to spot if something feels off.
• Communicate Success: Send a follow-up email to your users, letting them know the upgrade is complete. Include a link to Tableau's "What's New in 10.4" page to help them explore the new features.
• Review Configurations: Double-check that all your custom settings (SSL, logos, authentication) are working as expected after the upgrade.
• Clean Up: Once you're confident everything is stable—perhaps after a week—you can safely delete the .tsbak backup file and the old 10.3 installer to free up disk space.

Final Thoughts

By following a clear and structured process focused on preparation, diligent backup, and careful execution, upgrading Tableau Server is a manageable task, not a daunting one. Taking these methodical steps ensures your valuable data analytics environment remains stable, secure, and ready to deliver new insights with version 10.4's powerful capabilities.

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