Do I need an Alteryx license to connect to Alteryx server?

[Mwatts23]

Hi,

I am new to Alteryx server and my company is planning to get a license.

My question is if users don't have an Alteryx Designer license, can they connect to the Alteryx server for the output file where their Tableau dashboard will be updated automatically that is publish in Tableau Server?

Sorry for the noob question. I hope you can share a detailed diagram/process on where Alteryx Server will be used in automation process from getting the data from a data warehouse ---> creating a module ---->scheduling the module update automatically -----> Dashboard updates on Tableau Server based on the schedule from Alteryx server.

Many Thanks!

Michael

[mbarone]

I can give a high level overview.  Your company purchases an Alteryx Server license.  That means at least one person will also have an Alteryx Designer license.  That person is considered (by me anyway) the Alteryx developer.  The developer will create a module.  They can then schedule that module to run automatically.  The module will produce output and store it "somewhere" (probably a network location or the Server itself).  That output could be used in an Alteryx App which can be shared with non-Alteryx users via the Gallery option that comes with the Server license.  Just like on a phone, you'd go to an internal website for your company, find an app, and run it.

Or, that output can be a TDE file and be used by some Tableau process (I'm not a Tableau user so I don't know how that's deployed).

[Mwatts23]

Thank you @mbarone  for the information. This a good start for me to understand where the Alteryx Server will fit in our process.

Do you know if the file in the Gallery will be automatically updated once the module will run according to its schedule?

Regards,

Michael

[mbarone · Accepted solution]

Well, what's in the Gallery isn't a file.  It's an app that people could run or a module they can run and/or schedule on a recurring basis.  That app/module (whether it's on a schedule or not) is what actually creates/updates any files.  Those files can live anywhere on your network.  But, since it's the Server running the app/module and ultimately producing the files, the Server must have access to wherever those files will be output.  

And assuming the Alteryx developer sets up the app/module correctly, then yes, those files (wherever they live) will be updated.  But they have to do something very specific when publishing the app/module to the Gallery to make that happen (they have to mark those outputs as "assets" to be "sent" to the Gallery along with the app/module).

[Mwatts23]

Thank you @mbarone correct me if I'm wrong, For the Tableau dashboard to be updated automatically in Tableau Server, does it have to connect to the Gallery? or to the location of the .tde file where it was saved? 

[mbarone · Accepted solution]

Hmm....I'm not a Tableau user, but knowing what I do about Alteryx - it can output a TDE file just like any other file type (excel, csv, etc.).  The TDE file will just sit there - somewhere.  Assuming the Alteryx Server has access to the Tableau server, it should be able to output a TDE there, and have the module that does it be schedule to run on whatever cadence you like.  And then I'd guess that TDE file will be an input for the Tableau dashboard.  So that whenever you run the dashboard, it will just refence that TDE file, so it will be as current as whenever the TDE file was updated.  It's not a "live" feed though.  But I suppose you could schedule the module that updates the TDE file to run every 10 minutes or something like that (assuming the module takes less than 10 minutes to complete).

[Mwatts23]

Thank you @mbarone  this is great information you shared. I am now starting to take a mental picture on how we can put this into action. I hope you can also answer... Will the the IT Team set up the Alteryx Server or the one in our team that has an Alteryx Designer license? 

[mbarone · Accepted solution]

No problem.

Regarding how the server will be set up - that's an internal question for your company.  I can tell you "what" has to be done, but not "who" is to do it.  Once the software is paid for, a Server license key and a Designer license key will be issued.  Someone will go to the download site and download the server software to the server, and the designer software to a non-server machine.  Then it's just a matter of running the install executable that is contained in the download.  How those installs are done is again up to your company.  Some centralize it and IT installs the server and pushes the designer install to a user's machine.  Sometimes the user will install the designer on their machine and IT will handle just the server.  

But basically it's just (1) download server software to a server and install; and then (2) download designer software to a non-server machine and install.

[Mwatts23]

Again, Thank you so much @mbarone  this is a big help for us. All the information your shared are very helpful!

[mbarone]

No problem!