Manage Databricks Data Sources

This section describes ALTR’s capabilities for managing Databricks data sources. ALTR must be connected to a data source in order to enforce data access governance and advanced data protection on sensitive data.

Create an ALTR Account

To create an ALTR account, navigate to altr.com, click Login and follow the screen instructions to create an account.

Databricks Connection Overview

ALTR connects to Databricks using two methods: a service principal and an API.

The service principal is a login to the customer’s Databricks account that allows ALTR to create and manage objects for tag-based policy.

The API enables Databricks to interact with ALTR’s cloud-based access control engine to make access decisions for tag-based policy.

Unlike other data security platforms, ALTR is a true cloud-to-cloud SaaS solution. There’s no proxy to install or custom views to maintain. Instead, ALTR integrates directly with Databricks via API, simplifying deployment and reducing latency.

Data Source Connections

When connecting a Databricks metastore to ALTR, there are a few requirements and limitations.

Requirements:

• Databricks Premium Tier
• Databricks on AWS
• Unity Catalog

Not Supported:

• Databricks on Azure
• Databricks on GCP
• Serverless Compute
• Hive Catalog

Connect Databricks Data Sources

When connecting your account to ALTR, you will need the following information:

• Workspace Hostname
• Service Principal ID
• Cluster ID
• OAuth Secret

For assistance locating these fields in your Databricks account, see Locate Required Information to Connect.

Note

The ideal scenario is to have one ALTR organization (tenant) per metastore. It is technically possible to have two organizations connecting the same metastore.

To connect a Databricks metastore:

1. Select Data Configuration > Data Sources in the navigation menu.
2. Click Add Data Source.
3. On the Databricks card, click Select.
4. Enter a user-friendly Display Name for the connection.
5. Enter the Workspace Hostname.
6. Enter the Service Principal ID.
7. Enter the Cluster ID.
8. Enter the OAuth Secret.
9. Click Connect Data Source.

Caution

Once the metastore is connected, you are unable to edit the Cluster ID. If you need to update the Cluster ID, disconnect and reconnect the metastore to ALTR.

Check Databricks Connections

Check the data source connection if you suspect there’s an issue with the connection, such as if you received errors or the data source has changed.

To check the data source connection:

1. Select Data Configuration > Data Sources in the navigation menu.
2. Click the data source that you want to test the connection.
3. Click the Connection Details tab.
4. Click Check Connection.

Remove Databricks Data Sources

Remove a Databricks data source from ALTR if your service user is having problems or some other issue has occurred with the data source.

To remove a data source:

1. Select Data Configuration > Data Sources in the navigation menu.
2. Select the data source you wish to disconnect.
3. Click the Remove Data Source button. The process to remove a data source can take up to several minutes to complete.