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ODBC

Apache Spark ODBC Driver

Read, write, and update Spark through ODBC

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The Spark ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live data from Spark, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity. Access Spark data like you would a database - read, write, and update Spark data through a standard ODBC Driver interface.

Spark

See what you can do with Spark ODBC Driver

Server

SQL Server Linked-Server

Connect to Spark from SQL Server as Linked-Server. You can query Spark from familiar Transact-SQL without need of setting up another application.

Data Integration & ETL

Integrate Spark to your system through popular ETL / EAI tools such as Informatica PowerCenter. Standard SQL and Stored Procedures enable fast delivery of your integration projects.

Reporting & BI

Connect Spark from any ODBC compatible tools:

Desktop

MS Access / Excel / PowerQuery

Your familiar tools can connect to Spark using CData ODBC.

Spark ODBC Connectivity Features

Maps SQL to Spark SQL, enabling direct standard SQL-92 access to Apache Spark
Fully compatible with the DataBricks Enterprise Platform
Connect to live Apache Spark SQL data, for real-time data access with the Apache Spark SQL ODBC Driver
Full support for data aggregation and complex JOINs in SQL queries
Secure connectivity through modern cryptography, including TLS 1.2, SHA-256, ECC, etc.
Seamless integration with leading BI, reporting, and ETL tools and with custom applications via the Spark Connector.

Target Service, API

The driver connects to Apache Spark via Spark SQL. Big data processing.

Schema, Data Model

Models Spark tables and DataFrames. Supports various data sources.

Key Objects

Databases, Tables, and Views. Spark SQL catalog access.

Operations

Spark SQL queries. Read/write to various formats. No direct Spark job control.

Authentication

Varies by deployment. Kerberos for secure clusters.

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Spark ODBC Driver Download

Robust ODBC access to Apache Spark SQL

Full-featured and consistent SQL access to any supported data source through ODBC

Standards-Compliant ODBC

ODBC 3.8 compliant native protocol based drivers.
Unicode, 32-bit and 64-bit support

Support 32-bit and 64-bit applications and unicode ODBC APIs.
Cross-platform ODBC (Windows/Linux/Mac)

Available for Microsoft Windows, Unix, and Mac (macOS / OS X) platforms.
Certified ODBC Compatibility*

Our drivers undergo extensive testing and are certified to be compatible with leading analytics and reporting applications like Tableau, Microsoft Excel, and many more.
* Please visit our knowledge base to access how-to articles.
Embedded Remoting Capabilities

Our exclusive Remoting feature allows hosting the ODBC connection on a server to enable connections from various clients on any platform (Java, .NET, C++, PHP, Python, etc.), using any standards based technology (ODBC, JDBC, etc.). ODBC Remoting is enabled using the popular MySQL and SQL (TDS) wire protocol server.

String, Date, Numeric SQL Functions

The driver includes a library of 50 plus functions that can manipulate column values into the desired result. Popular examples include Regex, JSON, and XML processing functions.
Collaborative Query Processing

Our drivers enhance the data source's capabilities by additional client-side processing, when needed, to enable analytic summaries of data such as SUM, AVG, MAX, MIN, etc.
Easily Customizable and Configurable

The data model exposed by our ODBC Drivers can easily be customized to add or remove tables/columns, change data types, etc. without requiring a new build. These customizations are supported at runtime using human-readable schema files that are easy to edit.
Enterprise-class Secure Connectivity

Includes standard Enterprise-class security features such as TLS/ SSL data encryption for all client-server communications.
Replication and Caching

Our replication and caching commands make it easy to copy data to local and cloud data stores such as Oracle, SQL Server, Google Cloud SQL, etc. The replication commands include many features that allow for intelligent incremental updates to cached data.

Connect to Spark—empower every team

Management & data consumer
- Easiest way to connect to Spark
- Dashboard / Reports that connect with Spark
- Data drives business, but IT teams are overwhelmed by accessing numerous siloed sources like Spark. CData ODBC Drivers offer the fastest, easiest way to connect Spark to BI tools like SAP BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Qlik, or Access.
IT Department
Integrate Spark to your system:
- Custom application integration with SQL
- SQL Server Linked Server
- Informatica PowerCenter
Need to integrate your internal systems with Spark? CData ODBC Drivers let you do it easily—access Spark as a SQL Server Linked Server or connect via tools like Informatica PowerCenter using an SQL-based driver, no extra middleware required.
IT Pro, Infrastructure
- Data Client of your choice
- Excel, MS Access Linked-table, PowerQuery
Still exporting and importing CSVs manually or with scripts? CData ODBC Drivers give you live access to Spark—no middleware or files needed. Use your preferred tools and stay in control of your Spark data.

AI-assisted development with CData CLI

Build Spark integrations faster with AI that understands your schema

Schema-aware AI

CData CLI gives AI coding tools access to your Spark schema. No more guessing table names or column types—AI sees the same metadata in your ODBC Drivers.

Your AI Knows SQL

How to find table names, column names, and how to generate SQL syntax are things that AI knows well from millions of training data. No need for customization, no hallucinations. Your AI acts like a domain specialist to Spark.

More Accurate, More Token-Efficient

With CData CLI's queryable schema detection and highly efficient queries with filters, aggregation, joins with correct pushdown, your AI will achieve more accuracy with less token usage.

Supported AI Coding Tools

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FAQs

Frequently asked Spark ODBC driver questions

Learn more about Spark ODBC drivers for data and analytics integration

Does Spark support ODBC?
Not natively. However, CData offers an ODBC driver for Spark that allows you to connect to Spark data from any ODBC-compliant application, just like you would access a traditional database. This can be useful for tasks like:
- Accessing Spark from applications: Connect to Spark data in popular tools and applications including Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Power BI, and many others.
- Real-time data: You can work with live Spark data within these applications, enabling tasks like reporting and analysis.
- Connecting systems: Build data integrations between Spark and other systems.
The Spark ODBC driver is an ODBC 3.8 compliant native protocol-based driver with comprehensive ANSI SQL-92 support. This means that virtually any application that can connect to data via ODBC, can use the CData ODBC driver for real-time integration. Download a fully functional free trial of the Spark ODBC driver today to get started.
Is there an ODBC driver for Spark?

Yes, the CData ODBC driver for Spark provides universal ODBC data connectivity for Spark. The Spark ODBC driver offers a simple SQL-based layer of abstraction that simplifies real-time data access for users and applications, enabling them to communicate with Spark using a standardized set of functions. Virtually any application on any platform (including Windows, macOS, or *nix) can use the CData ODBC driver for real-time integration.
How do I connect to Spark via ODBC?

Connectivity to Spark via ODBC is easy. First, download and install the Spark ODBC driver. The download page includes separate installers for Windows, macOS, and Unix, so please select the Spark ODBC driver that matches the platform where you intend to use the driver.

Once the installation is complete, navigate to the ODBC driver documentation page. Here, you'll find a wealth of information about the installed driver. The step-by-step instructions for creating a DSN and using it to connect to Spark via ODBC are just the beginning. The documentation also provides extensive configuration details for using the Spark ODBC driver with all your favorite applications and development tools, ensuring you have all the support you need.
Where can I download an ODBC driver for Spark?

All of the CData ODBC drivers, including the Spark ODBC driver are available for download online. To get started, download a fully functional free trial of the Spark ODBC driver today.
How do I install an ODBC driver for Spark?

To install the Spark driver, simply download one of the Spark ODBC driver installers available online. The download page includes separate Windows, macOS, and Unix installers, so please select the Spark ODBC driver that matches the platform where you intend to use the driver. The installers are comprehensive setup utilities that will install all the components required to use the Spark ODBC driver on your system.
Is the Spark ODBC driver 32-bit or 64-bit?

The Spark ODBC driver is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries. The Spark driver installer will allow you to install both options, and you can select the ODBC driver binary that is appropriate for the system where you intend to use the driver.
Does pyODBC work with Spark?

Absolutely. The Spark ODBC driver seamlessly supports pyODBC connectivity. For example, check out this article on our online knowledgebase that demonstrates how you can connect to Spark from PyCharm using pyODBC and the Spark ODBC driver.

However, besides ODBC support, we also provide native Python data connectivity for Spark. To learn more, check out the Spark Python Connector online.
Does the ODBC connector support ARM64 devices?

Yes, our ODBC connector supports ARM64 Windows.