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Mohamed Ammar
Mohamed Ammar

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🚀 How to Upgrade Tableau Server from 2023 (CentOS 7) or equivalent to 2025 (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS) Using Blue-Green Deployment

Author: Mohamed Ammar, Senior Data Architect at Vodafone

Last Updated: July 2025

🧭 Why This Guide?

If you're running Tableau Server 2023 or earlier on CentOS 7, you're likely aware that:

  • CentOS 7 is deprecated (EOL: June 2024).
  • Tableau 2023 support is ending, and extended support will cost money.
  • You need a modern, secure, and supported environment—and fast.

This guide walks you through upgrading to Tableau Server 2025 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS using a Blue-Green deployment strategy. This ensures zero downtime and a safe rollback path.

🛠️ Prerequisites

  • A new VM provisioned (e.g., on AWS) with:
    • 16 vCPUs
    • 32 GB RAM
    • 300 GB SSD
  • OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
  • SSH access (e.g., via PuTTY)
  • Tableau license key from your current server
  • Access to the .tsbak backup file from your old server

🌱 Step 1: Prepare the New Environment

🔐 SSH into the VM 

ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-vm-ip
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📦 Update the System 

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
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📥 Download Tableau Server

  1. Register on Tableau’s website to download the .deb package.
  2. Download tableau-server-<version>_amd64.deb\ to your VM.

🧰 Install Dependencies 

sudo apt-get install -y gdebi-core
sudo gdebi -n tableau-server-<version>_amd64.deb
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⚙️ Initialize TSM

After installation, run the command printed by the installer:

sudo ./initialize-tsm --accepteula
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🔑 Step 2: Activate and Register Tableau Server

👤 Switch to Tableau User 

sudo su -l tableau
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🔐 Activate License

Get your license key from the old server’s TSM UI:

tsm licenses activate -k <your_license_key>
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🔒 Set a Password for Tableau User 

sudo -i
passwd tableau
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📝 Step 3: Register the Server

Create a registration file:

nano registration_file.json
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Paste and customize:

{
    "first_name" : "Andrew",
    "last_name" : "Smith",
    "phone" : "311-555-2368",
    "email" : "andrew.smith@mycompany.com",
    "company" : "My Company",
    "industry" : "Finance",
    "company_employees" : "500",            
    "department" : "Engineering",
    "title" : "Senior Manager",
    "city" : "Kirkland",
    "state" : "WA",
    "zip" : "98034",
    "country" : "United States",
    "opt_in" : "false",
    "eula" : "accept"
}
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Register:

tsm register --template > /path/to/registration_file.json
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tsm register --file registration_file.json
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🧩 Step 4: Configure Identity Store

If you're using local identity store, import your config:

tsm settings import -f /opt/tableau/tableau_server/packages/scripts.<version_code>/config.json
tsm pending-changes apply
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🚀 Step 5: Start Tableau Server 

tsm initialize --start-server --request-timeout 1800
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Create the admin user (change admin password!):

tabcmd initialuser --server 'localhost:80' --username 'admin' --password '<your_password>'
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🧱 Step 6: Install PostgreSQL Drivers

  1. Download from: Tableau Driver Downloads
  2. Copy the .jar file to: (create the path it does not exist) 
/opt/tableau/tableau_driver/jdbc
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🔁 Step 7: Restart TSM 

tsm restart
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📦 Step 8: Migrate Data from Old Server

🗃️ Backup on Old Server 

tsm maintenance backup -f backup_file
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This creates a .tsbak file.

📤 Transfer Backup

Use AWS internal networking or S3 bucket to transfer the file to the new VM.

📥 Restore on New Server 

tsm maintenance restore -f backup_file.tsbak
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🧭 Step 9: Reapply Topology and Configuration

Manually replicate settings from the old TSM admin panel to the new one.

✅ Final Notes

  • Test dashboards and data sources before switching DNS or load balancer to the new server.
  • Keep the old server running until you're confident in the new setup.
  • This Blue-Green approach ensures minimal risk and maximum uptime.

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