What is the primary function of the Application Server in Tableau?

The primary function of the Application Server in Tableau is to handle web application and REST API calls. This component of Tableau Server is responsible for managing user interactions with the server through web applications, ensuring that requests are processed and responses are sent back to the client. It facilitates communication between users and the underlying data sources, providing a user-friendly interface for data visualization and management.

By effectively managing these interactions, the Application Server plays a critical role in the overall performance and responsiveness of the Tableau environment, ensuring that users can access and interact with visualizations and dashboards seamlessly. This capability is essential for maintaining a robust and user-friendly experience, especially in collaborative settings where multiple users may be accessing data simultaneously.

The other options, while important in various contexts, do not reflect the primary role of the Application Server. For instance, storing data locally is more related to the database or data storage components, running SQL queries typically falls under the responsibilities of the data engine, and processing background tasks is associated with the backgrounder service within Tableau Server.