Tableau Server, Prep Conductor Services Are In Error State After Running Tsm Import With --Force-Keys Option

Issue

After upgrading Tableau Server or running tsm import command with --force-keys option, Prep Flow Authoring and Prep Conductor are in an error states.
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Environment

Tableau Server 2020.4 or newer
Windows Server

Resolution

Clear the value of telemetry.servicepassword configuration parameter.
1. tsm configuration set -k telemetry.servicepassword -v ""
2. tsm pending-changes apply

Do a settings.json export and look for any of the following keys:

telemetry.servicepassword
recommendations.servicepassword
authentication.servicepassword
vizportal.servicepassword
authorization.servicepassword

These keys were deprecated as of 2018.1 (pre-tsm) and may cause issues in later installations.

Cause

Tableau Server cannot decrypt the unused passwords.

Additional Information

When importing a configuration from an old .json file after upgrading or installing a new environment, pay attention to the --force-keys option. On the safe side, we recommend removing the configuration parameters from the .json file that is not recognized by default. The following is an example.

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When upgrading versions, backing up and restoring, or adding new nodes to a cluster, Tableau Server can manage secrets storage and related processes automatically. For more information see Managing secrets.