In Tableau 2018.1, Tableau changed its Tableau License model, with three new roles: creator, explorer, and viewer. A particularity of the creator role is the ability to create a new Data Source, directly on the web.
When you create a new Workbook in Tableau Server, Tableau opens the web authoring mode and asks you to connect to data. From this page, you can connect to files and servers directly from the web! There are four types of data connections available, as follows:
- File: Drag and drop an Excel file or CSV on the web page; you can choose the sheets and build a new Data Source, just like in Tableau Desktop.
- Connectors: A list of server-hosted databases available directly from Tableau Server.
- On this site: Use an existing, published Data Source.
- Dashboard Starters: Start with pre-built templates of cloud-based systems.
Users that don't have a creator license can always use published Data Sources to create new analyses, but they can't connect to new data from files or servers.
You can also add a new Data Source to an existing workbook in the web authoring, just like in Tableau Desktop.