Implementation of Row Level Security in Tableau for Enhanced Security
It is not a good idea to make all of the Tableau data available to all of the users. In order to protect users’ privacy and maintain their confidentiality, businesses should only show users the information that is relevant to their needs. Because of this, it is essential to place limits on the ways in which data can be accessed in Tableau workbooks. Tableau Row Level Security is the answer you’ve been looking for. Users of Tableau can benefit from this feature by restricting the manner in which data is accessed in Tableau workbooks. You will be going into detail about Tableau Row Level Security throughout the course of this article.
What exactly is Tableau?
Tableau is a program that is widely used in corporations as well as by individuals as a means of data visualization and business intelligence. It assists its consumers in visualizing their data in a manner that makes it simple for all individuals to comprehend. Users of Tableau have the ability to construct numerous kinds of visuals and include them in dashboards. After that, many persons in different parts of the world can access these dashboards using their respective login credentials.
Tableau’s Most Notable Characteristics
Let’s have a look at a few of the incredible features that Tableau has to offer :
- Tableau empowers users with the ability to deploy interactive models and dashboards.
- Tableau is able to connect to and import data from a wide variety of external sources thanks to its support for a variety of data sources.
- Users of Tableau can easily collaborate with their teams for the purposes of working together or reviewing their work.
- Users also have the option of sharing the dashboard to the cloud, which makes it accessible from any location.
- Users of Tableau have access to over 200 different connectors that enable them to connect safely to various data sources.
Row Level Security in Tableau
Row Level Security in Tableau is a method for limiting access to data contained within Tableau workbooks by a select group of users. Take note that this is not the same as Tableau permissions, which are used to either allow or prevent access to content. You can only control who can see or update a worksheet if you give them permission to do so. Users that have permissions comparable to one another can access a variety of data thanks to row-level security. For instance, one user would see data originating in the United States, while another user might view data originating in Asia.
Users of Tableau who have access to a workbook are able to view all of the data contained in a view by default. When you implement Row Level Security in Tableau, you will have the ability to determine which rows each user will be able to view after they have successfully logged into the server. It is applicable to data sources that have live connections as well as extracting sources that have tables that are stored as numerous tables.
How Should Row Level Security in Tableau Be Implemented?
Tableau offers a variety of options for the implementation of row-level security. Let’s discuss it.
1) Customized Filtering with Manual Mapping
Let’s say you have the following information, which shows the percentage of the population in each country that has received all of their recommended vaccinations.
You want each country manager to only be able to view information pertaining to their own country, and not the vaccination rates of other nations. You have the option of generating a user filter and then manually associating each user with the countries they should view. Take the following steps in order to create the user filter:
- Step 1: Select “Server” from the Menu Bar.
- Step 2: Select the “Create User Filter” option. You will then be shown a list of possible fields from which you may construct the user filter form. It is possible that you will be asked to login into your Tableau Online or Server account if you haven’t already done so.
- Step 3: Place each user in the relevant geographical region.
If there are only a few users, you should deploy Row Level Security in Tableau using this strategy because it is the most effective. Having a large number of users, on the other hand, will cause you to spend an excessive amount of time mapping. Again, in the event that a new user registers for Tableau, you will be required to change the workbook in order to add the mapping.
2) A Dynamic Filter That Utilizes Security Field
The combining of a data source and a security table is required for this method of implementing Row Level Security in Tableau. The list of usernames, together with the countries to which they have access, may be found in the security table.
After that, a join should be formed between the table containing the users and the data. It is recommended that a calculated field be created in order to add the dynamic filter. It is recommended that you use the following formula:
The value returned by USERNAME() is the name of the user who is currently logged into Tableau. After that, you should add the safety filter, and you should only permit results that are TRUE.
Because there is no need for manual mapping with this approach to Row Level Security in Tableau, it is ideal to utilize it when you are certain that users and groups will be added to tableau. However, in comparison to the user filter, it has a bad performance because it requires you to join the security table to the data source it was derived from in the first place.
3) Security Groups
Implementing Row Level Security in Tableau can also be accomplished with the help of Security Groups. Tableau grants users the ability to form groups and add other users to those groups. This strategy proposes the establishment of one group for each nation, followed by the assignment of each group to the nation to which it belongs. The Groups tab of Tableau Server is where you’ll find the option to create new groups.
Launch the Users tab, and add people to the group from there. After you have finished creating the groups and users for each country, you need to make a user filter inside the workbook. Just make sure to follow the instructions that are listed below:
- Step 1: Select the Server tab from the menu.
- Step 2: Choose “Create User Filter” from the menu drop down option.
- Step 3: Choose the dimension that will be mapped to each of the groups. “Country” is going to be the dimension that applies to my situation.
- Step 4: Place the filter on the shelf designated for filters.
In the earlier illustration, a mapping was performed between the users and the countries. In this instance, it will be between different groups and different nations. This step needs to be repeated for each and every group that you’ve made.
After completing this step, you will have a group of users that you can replicate in other workbooks that contain the Country dimension without having to go through the mapping process again.
Although the User Filter strategy and the Security Group approach are somewhat comparable to one another, the Security Group approach should be prioritized if you anticipate having to add additional users. You simply need to add the users to the groups rather than updating all of the workbooks that have Row Level Security in Tableau applied to them. Because the group is already mapped to one country, the mapping will be done automatically and there will be no need to update the workbooks in order to complete it.
These are the most effective strategies for putting Row Level Security in Tableau into practice.
Bottom Line
You have discovered that Tableau is a tool for the visualization of data. Users are able to generate dashboards based on their own data. Row Level Security in Tableau is a method for limiting the access that users have to the data included in Tableau workbooks. Users with the same permissions can access a variety of data thanks to this feature.
