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title: Tableau Prep Conductor
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version: current
locale: en-gb
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/tableau/current/en-gb/server-linux/prep_publishserver_overview.md
canonical_url: https://help.tableau.com/current/server-linux/en-gb/prep_publishserver_overview.htm
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description: Overview of Tableau Prep Conductor scheduling and tracking on Tableau Server.
---
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# Tableau Prep Conductor

Tableau Prep Conductor enables you to leverage the scheduling and tracking functionality available in Tableau Server to run your flows automatically to update the flow output. Tableau Prep Conductor is part of Tableau Data Management, introduced in Tableau Server version 2019.1, and must be enabled to schedule your flows to run.

For more information about the Tableau Prep Conductor process on Tableau Server, see [Tableau Prep Conductor](https://help.tableau.com/current/server-linux/en-gb/server_process_prep_conductor.htm)

**Note**: Starting in version 2020.4, the Data Management licence is required to run flows on a schedule and when using REST API to run flows.  
Data Management isn't required to publish flows and manually run them on the web, and as a Creator, create and edit flows directly on your server.  

Flows created in Tableau Prep Builder must be published to Tableau Server before they can be scheduled to run.

Publishing flows is similar to publishing data sources and workbooks with Tableau Desktop. You can package files with the flow or specify a direct connection to data sources to update the flow input as data changes. If your flow connects to databases, specify the authentication type and set credentials to access the data.

You can also publish a flow to share it with others or to continue editing it on the web. For example, publish an incomplete flow to Tableau Server and then open the flow on the web in Edit mode to continue working on it. You could also create a flow with only Input steps (that are properly configured) and share it with colleagues, who can then download the flow to their computers and create and publish their own flows.

For flows to run, they must include output steps and have no errors or incompatible features. For more information about publishing a flow, see [Publish a Flow to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud](https://help.tableau.com/current/prep/en-gb/prep_conductor_publish_flow.htm). For more information about incompatibility, see [Version Compatibility with Tableau Prep](https://help.tableau.com/current/prep/en-gb/prep_conductor_compatibility.htm).

Keeping track of the health of your flows is easy. If a flow fails to run due to errors, such as a calculation that isn’t valid or a connection that’s failed, you can fix the error directly in Tableau Server. You can edit the connection or edit the flow to fix the error, then republish it to pick up where you left off.

The following table shows the flow management features that are available with and without the Data Management and Tableau Prep Conductor enabled.

<table style="width: 100%;" class="simple-table"><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><tbody><tr><th><span class="mc-variable Variables.DM_sku variable">Data Management</span> with Tableau Prep Conductor enabled</th><th>No <span class="mc-variable Variables.DM_sku variable">Data Management</span></th></tr><tr><td><ul><li><p>View and monitor the details about your flow, including recent activity in the <span class="uicontrol">Content</span> pages.</p></li><li><p>Edit your flow (starting in version 2020.4).</p></li><li><p>View the results of the flow runs and any errors in the <span class="uicontrol">Run History</span> tab.</p></li><li><p>Use <span class="uicontrol">Administrative Views</span> to monitor server and site activity, including a new view that tracks flow performance history.</p></li><li><p>Run flows using REST API.</p></li><li><p>View detailed alerts for failed flow runs.</p></li><li><p>Set up email notification alerts to send emails to flow owners notifying them when the flow failed to run and why.</p><p>For more information about setting up alerts, <a href="https://help.tableau.com/current/server/en-gb/prep_conductor_monitor_flow.htm">Monitor Flow Health and Performance</a>.</p></li></ul></td><td><ul><li><p>View the details about your flow, including recent activity in the <span class="uicontrol">Content</span> pages.</p></li><li><p>Edit your flow (starting in version 2020.4).</p></li><li><p>View and edit your connections on the <span class="uicontrol">Connections</span> tab.</p></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Enabling Tableau Prep Conductor on Tableau Server

Before you can start publishing flows to your Tableau Server, there are server-level and site-level settings you must configure or verify to prepare your Tableau Server to allow publishing, scheduling and monitoring flows.

Review the following topics to understand Tableau Prep Conductor licensing, and learn how to enable Tableau Prep Conductor:

- [Enable and Configure Tableau Prep Conductor on Tableau Server](https://help.tableau.com/current/server-linux/en-gb/prep_conductor_config_server_overview.htm): This topic provides step-by-step instructions on how to enable and configure Tableau Prep Conductor, and preparing your Tableau Server to allow publishing, scheduling, managing, and maintaining flows.
- [Licence Data Management](https://help.tableau.com/current/server-linux/en-gb/dm_license.htm)

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