Databricks
Connect Databricks via a SQL warehouse with OAuth or a personal access token.
Reads tables and views from Databricks SQL warehouses. Two auth methods: OAuth (per user) and personal access token (service accounts).
Data connections
A workspace admin sets up authentication at Settings → Data connections. One-time setup per auth method:
- OAuth: a Databricks account admin (Premium or Enterprise) creates an app connection in the Databricks Account Console, then registers the Client ID and Client Secret.
- Personal access token: register the PAT credentials.
Add a source
After Data connections is set up, each team member can add a Databricks connection from the Data page.
Prerequisites
- A running Databricks SQL warehouse.
- The server hostname and HTTP path.
In your Databricks workspace, SQL → SQL Warehouses, pick the warehouse, open Connection details:
- Server hostname (e.g.
dbc-abc1-d234.cloud.databricks.com). - HTTP path (e.g.
/sql/1.0/warehouses/abc123).
Open the form
Go to Data → Add → Databricks, pick OAuth.
Paste connection details
- Server hostname.
- HTTP path.
- Catalog: optional. Leave blank for
hive_metastore. - Schema: optional.
Sign in with Databricks
Popup completes OAuth.
Pick datasets
Tick the tables and views.
Generate a token
In Databricks, User settings → Developer → Access tokens → Generate new token. Set an expiration. For production, prefer a service principal token over a personal one.
Open the form
Go to Data → Add → Databricks, pick Personal access token.
Paste connection details
- Server hostname.
- HTTP path.
- Personal access token.
- Catalog, Schema: optional.
Test and save
Token encrypted at rest.
Unity Catalog
Three level naming (catalog.schema.table) supported. Pick the catalog at connect time.
For the legacy Hive metastore, leave the catalog blank.
Refresh
Refresh is off by default. Every dashboard load runs a live query. Enable refresh to schedule a background refresh and serve from cache between runs. See Refresh.
SQL warehouses charge for compute time. Longer refresh intervals mean fewer wake-ups; AUTO STOP keeps idle cost low.
Troubleshooting
Connection failed: 401. Token invalid or expired. Generate a new one.
Warehouse stopped. Auto stopped from inactivity. Next query starts it (~30s cold start).
Table not found. User behind the token lacks SELECT. Grant via Unity Catalog or the legacy ACL.