Using an extract filter is an effective way to reduce the amount of data in a Tableau extract. Extract filters allow you to specify a subset of the data to include, which can significantly decrease the size of the extract by excluding unnecessary data. This is particularly useful when you only need partial data from a larger SQL Server data source.
References:The recommendation to use extract filters to reduce data size is supported by Tableau's best practices for optimizing extracts.These practices suggest keeping the extract's data set short through filtering1.Additionally, discussions in the Tableau Community confirm that hiding fields and using extract filters before extracting data can help reduce the extract size2.
When dealing with large datasets in SQL Server and needing to create a manageable extract in Tableau, using an extract filter is the most direct and effective method to limit the data included:
* Extract Filter: This involves setting filters that apply directly when the data is extracted from the source. This means that only the data meeting the specified criteria will be extracted and loaded into Tableau, significantly reducing the size of the extract.
* To apply an extract filter, in the Data Source page in Tableau, drag the fields you want to filter by to the Filters shelf. Then, configure the desired filter criteria. When you create the extract, choose the option to
* "Add Filters to Extract" and select the configured filters. This ensures that only the data that meets these conditions is extracted from the SQL Server.
This approach not only minimizes the data volume but also speeds up performance in Tableau because it processes a smaller subset of the full dataset.
ReferencesThis procedure is described in detail in Tableau's help documentation on managing extracts and optimizing performance by using extract filters, which is recommended for scenarios involving large datasets or when specific subsets of data are required for analysis.