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      Snowflake

      This document outlines the integration with the Snowflake connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling, profiling, querying, data preview, and lineage building (both automatic and manual). It also ensures secure authentication via Credential Manager.

      Overview

      Connector Details

      Connector Category

      RDBMS

      Connector Version

      Release6.3.4

      Releases Supported (Available from)

      Legacy Connector

      Connectivity

      [How the connection is established with Snowflake]

      JDBC driver

      Connector Features

      Feature Availability
      Crawling ✅
      Delta Crawling ❌
      Profiling ✅
      Query Sheet ✅
      Data Preview ✅
      Auto Lineage ✅
      Manual Lineage ✅
      Secure Authentication via Credential Manager ✅
      Data Quality ✅
      DAM (Data Access Management) ✅
      Bridge ✅

      Metadata Mapping

      The following objects are crawled from Snowflake and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.

      Snowflake Object Snowflake Attribute OvalEdge Attribute OvalEdge Category OvalEdge Type
      Table Table Name Table Tables Table
      Table Table Type Table Tables Table
      Table Table Comments Source Description Descriptions Table
      Columns Column Name Column Table Columns Columns
      Columns Data Type Column Type Table Columns Columns
      Columns Description Source Description Table Columns Columns
      Columns Ordinal Position Column Position Table Columns Columns
      Columns Length Data Type Size Table Columns Columns
      Views View Name View Tables Views
      Views VIEW_DEFINITION / definition View Query Views Views
      Procedures nspname Name Procedures Procedures
      Procedures nspname Source Description Descriptions Procedures
      Procedures PROSRC Procedure Procedures Procedures
      Functions nspname Name Functions Functions
      Functions FUNCTION_DEFINITION Function Functions Functions
      Functions DESCRIPTION Source Description Descriptions Functions

      Set up a Connection

      Prerequisites

      The following are the prerequisites to establish a connection:

      Whitelisting Ports

      Make sure that inbound port “443” is whitelisted to enable successful connectivity with the Snowflake database.

      Important: The default port number for Snowflake data source is 443. If a different port is used, ensure that the updated port number is specified during connection setup, the port is whitelisted, and communication between the system and Snowflake data source is properly established.

      Service Account User Permissions

      Important: It is recommended to use a separate service account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.

      Note: 👨‍💻Who can provide these permissions? These permissions are typically granted by the Snowflake administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.

      Operation Objects Sys Tables Access Permissions
      Crawling

      Databases

      		 information_schema.schemata USAGE
      Crawling Databases SHOW DATABASES

      USAGE
      Crawling Databases SHOW DATABASES USAGE
      Crawling Schemas information_schema.schemata USAGE
      Crawling & Profiling Tables information_schema.tables SELECT
      Crawling & Profiling

      Table Columns

      		 information_schema.columns

      SELECT
      Crawling Table Columns SHOW PRIMARY KEYS SELECT
      Crawling, Profiling , & Lineage Building Views SHOW VIEWS IN SCHEMA SELECT

      Crawling, Profiling

      Functions

      		 SHOW USER FUNCTIONS IN SCHEMA

      SELECT
      Crawling, Profiling Functions DESC FUNCTION SELECT

      Crawling, Profiling , & Lineage Building

      Stored Procedures

      		 SHOW USER PROCEDURE IN SCHEMA

      SELECT
      Crawling, Profiling , & Lineage Building Stored Procedures DESC PROCEDURE SELECT
      Crawling File Formats SHOW FILE FORMATS IN DATABASE SELECT
      Crawling Pipes SHOW PIPES IN DATABASE SELECT

      Crawling

      Tasks

      		 SHOW TASKS IN DATABASE

      SELECT
      Crawling Tasks SHOW STREAMS IN DATABASE SELECT

      Crawling

      Stages

      		 SHOW STAGES IN SCHEMA

      SELECT
      Crawling Stages infromation_schema.STAGES SELECT
      Crawling Column Relationships SHOW IMPORTED KEYS SELECT

      Connection Configuration Steps

      Important: Users are required to have the Connector Creator role in order to configure a new connection.

      • Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for Snowflake, and complete the required parameters.

      Note: Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.

      Field Name

      Description

      Connector Type

      By default, "Snowflake" is displayed as the selected connector type.

      Connector Settings

      Authentication

      The following two types of authentication are supported for Snowflake:

      • Username & Password

      • Key Pair Authentication

      Credential Manager*

      Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on the selection.

      Supported Credential Managers:

      • OE Credential Manager
      • AWS Secrets Manager
      • HashiCorp
      • Azure Key Vault

      License Add Ons

      Auto Lineage

      Supported

      Data Quality

      Supported

      Data Access

      Supported
      • Select the checkbox for Auto Lineage Add-On to build data lineage automatically.
      • Select the checkbox for Data Quality Add-On to identify data quality issues using data quality rules and anomaly detection.
      • Select the checkbox for Data Access Add-On to enable the data access functionality.

      Connector Name*

      Enter a unique name for the Snowflake connection              

      (Example: "Snowflake_Prod").

      Connector Environment

      Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector.

      Connector description

      Enter a brief description of the connector.

      Server*

      Enter the Snowflake database server name or IP address (Example: xxxx-sxxxxxx.xxxx4ijtzasl.xx-south-1.rxs.xxxxx.com or 1xx.xxx.1.xx).

      Port*

      By default, the port number for the Snowflake, "1433" is auto-populated. If required, the port number can be modified as per custom port number that is configured for the Snowflake.

      Database

      Enter the database name to which the service account user has access within the Snowflake.

      Warehouse

      Enter the Snowflake virtual warehouse to run queries and operations. Ensure the service account has the required usage permissions.

      Role

      Enter the Snowflake role assigned to the service account. This role governs access to metadata crawling, profiling, and lineage building.

      Driver*

      By default, the Snowflake driver details are auto-populated. 

      Source Code View

      Provide the view in the format Database.Schema.View to enable source code access.

      Username*

      Enter the service account username set up to access the Snowflake database (Example: "oesauser").

      Password*

      Enter the password associated with the service account user.

      Note: This field is available only when Username & Password is selected as the authentication type.

      Private Key file path*

      Enter the full file path to the private key file used for Snowflake authentication. Ensure the file is accessible from the connector environment.

      Note: This field is available only when Key Pair Authentication is selected as the authentication type.

      Private key pass phrase*

      Enter the pass phrase associated with the private key file. This is required if the private key is encrypted.

      Note: This field is available only when Key Pair Authentication is selected as the authentication type.

      Connection String

      Configure the connection string for the Snowflake database:

      • Automatic Mode: The system generates a connection string based on the provided credentials.
      • Manual Mode: Enter a valid connection string manually.

      Replace placeholders with actual database details.

      {sid} refers to Database Name

      Default Governance Roles

      Default Governance Roles*

      Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.

      Admin Roles

      Admin Roles*

      Select one or more users from the dropdown list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.

      No of Archive Objects

      No Of Archive Objects*

      This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive.

      Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.

      Bridge

      Select Bridge*

      If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list.

      The drop-down list displays all active bridges that have been configured. These bridges facilitate communication between data sources and the system without requiring changes to firewall rules.
      • After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:
        • Click Validate to verify the connection.
        • Click Save to store the connection for future use.
        • Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.
      • The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.

      Manage Connector Operations

      Crawl/Profile

      Important: To perform crawl and profile operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.

          The Crawl/Profile button allows users to select one or more schemas for crawling and profiling. 

          • Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.
          • Select the schemas to be crawled.
          • The Crawl option is selected by default. To perform both operations, select the Crawl & Profile radio button.
          • Click Run to collect metadata from the connected source and load it into the Data Catalog.
          • After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Databases tab.

          The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling and profiling at defined intervals, from a minute to a year.

          • Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.
          • Select a time interval for the operation from the drop-down menu.
          • Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.
          • The system will automatically execute the selected operation (Crawl or Crawl & Profile) at the scheduled time.

          Other Operations

          The Connectors page provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, along with their health status.

          Managing connectors includes:

          • Connectors Health: Displays the current status of each connector using a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping to monitor the connectivity with data sources.
          • Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details, including databases, tables, columns, and codes.

          Nine Dots Menu Options:

          To view, edit, validate, build lineage, configure, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.

            • Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.
            • Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.
            • Settings: Modify connector settings.
              • Crawler: Configure data extraction.
              • Profiler: Customize data profiling rules and methods.
              • Query Policies: Define query execution rules based on roles.
              • Access Instructions: Add notes on how data can be accessed.
              • Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.
              • Anomaly Detection Settings: Configure anomaly detection preferences at the connector level.
              • Others: Configure notification recipients for metadata changes.
          • Build Lineage: Automatically build data lineage using source code parsing.
          • Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.

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