Intelligent extracts

This section will discuss what a Tableau Data Extract (TDE) is as well as how to efficiently construct an extract.

Understanding the Tableau Data Extract

A Tableau Data Extract (TDE) is a proprietary compressed data source created by Tableau Desktop. A TDE can be stored locally and accessed by Tableau to render visualizations. Consider the following points; they make a .tde file an excellent choice for improved performance:

  • A TDE can be quickly generated at an aggregate level:
    • See the walkthrough of the Extract Data dialog box.

  • A TDE is a columnar store:
    • Relational databases typically store data using a Row store methodology. A columnar store records as sequences of columns.
    • In the following example, note that Row store is excellent ...

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