How to Connect DBeaver to Databricks via a JDBC Driver



Manage Databricks data with visual tools in DBeaver like the query browser.

The CData JDBC Driver for Databricks implements JDBC standards that enable third-party tools to interoperate, from wizards in IDEs to business intelligence tools. This article shows how to connect to Databricks data with wizards in DBeaver and browse data in the DBeaver GUI.

About Databricks Data Integration

Accessing and integrating live data from Databricks has never been easier with CData. Customers rely on CData connectivity to:

  • Access all versions of Databricks from Runtime Versions 9.1 - 13.X to both the Pro and Classic Databricks SQL versions.
  • Leave Databricks in their preferred environment thanks to compatibility with any hosting solution.
  • Secure authenticate in a variety of ways, including personal access token, Azure Service Principal, and Azure AD.
  • Upload data to Databricks using Databricks File System, Azure Blog Storage, and AWS S3 Storage.

While many customers are using CData's solutions to migrate data from different systems into their Databricks data lakehouse, several customers use our live connectivity solutions to federate connectivity between their databases and Databricks. These customers are using SQL Server Linked Servers or Polybase to get live access to Databricks from within their existing RDBMs.

Read more about common Databricks use-cases and how CData's solutions help solve data problems in our blog: What is Databricks Used For? 6 Use Cases.


Getting Started


Create a JDBC Data Source for Databricks Data

Follow the steps below to load the driver JAR in DBeaver.

  1. Open the DBeaver application and, in the "Database" menu, select the "Driver Manager" option. Click "New" to open the "Create new driver" form.
  2. In the Settings tab:
    • Set Driver Name to a user-friendly name for the driver (e.g. CData JDBC Driver for Databricks).
    • Set Class Name to the class name for the JDBC driver: cdata.jdbc.databricks.DatabricksDriver.
    • Set URL Template to jdbc:databricks:.
  3. In the Libraries tab, click "Add File," navigate to the "lib" folder in the installation directory (C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] XXXX\) and select the JAR file (cdata.jdbc.Databricks.jar).

Create a Connection to Databricks Data

Follow the steps below to add credentials and other required connection properties.

  1. In the "Database" menu, click "New Database Connection."
  2. In the "Connect to a database" wizard that results, select the driver you just created (e.g. CData JDBC Driver for Databricks) and click "Next >."
  3. On the Main tab of the configuration wizard, set the JDBC URL, using the required connection properties:

    To connect to a Databricks cluster, set the properties as described below.

    Note: The needed values can be found in your Databricks instance by navigating to Clusters, and selecting the desired cluster, and selecting the JDBC/ODBC tab under Advanced Options.

    • Server: Set to the Server Hostname of your Databricks cluster.
    • HTTPPath: Set to the HTTP Path of your Databricks cluster.
    • Token: Set to your personal access token (this value can be obtained by navigating to the User Settings page of your Databricks instance and selecting the Access Tokens tab).

    Built-in Connection String Designer

    For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Databricks JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.databricks.jar

    Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

    Below is a typical connection string:

    jdbc:databricks:Server=127.0.0.1;Port=443;TransportMode=HTTP;HTTPPath=MyHTTPPath;UseSSL=True;User=MyUser;Password=MyPassword;
  4. Click "Test Connection ..." to ensure you have configured the connection properly.
  5. Click "Finish."

Query Databricks Data

You can now query information from the tables exposed by the connection: Right-click a Table and then click View Table. The data is available on the Data tab.

More Information & Free Trial

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Databricks and start working with your live Databricks data in DBeaver. Join the CData Community or reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

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