Salesforce Analytics-Con-301 Exam - Topic 5 Question 14 Discussion

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

To combine Excel and SQL Server data in the same logical data model, Tableau offers two supported capabilities:

Relationships

Recommended modern method for combining tables from multiple sources.

Supports cross-database relationships between Excel and SQL Server.

Maintains separate physical layers but integrates data at query time.

Cross-Database Joins

Allows joining data from different databases in the physical layer.

Fully supported for Excel + MS SQL Server.

Useful when granular row-level merging is needed.

Why the other options are incorrect:

C . Data Blending

Legacy feature, used only when no direct combination is possible.

Tableau recommends relationships instead.

Produces separate queries and may lose row-level detail.

D . Union

Requires tables to have equivalent structure.

Cannot union Excel with SQL Server unless identical column structure exists.

Not appropriate for most mixed-source reporting.

Therefore, the correct techniques are Relationships and Cross-Database Joins.

Tableau data modeling documentation recommending Relationships for multi-source modeling.

Cross-database join support list including Excel + SQL Server.