Snowflake

This article outlines the integration with the Snowflake connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling, profiling, querying, data preview, Data Quality, Data Access Management, and lineage building (both automatic and manual).

The Snowflake connector establishes connectivity through a JDBC driver. It supports Username & Password and Key Pair Authentication. The connector enables access to metadata from Snowflake objects, including tables, views, columns, functions, and stored procedures.

Overview

Connector Details

Connector Category	Data Warehouse
OvalEdge Release Supported	Release6.3.4 and later
Connectivity [How the connection is established with Snowflake]	JDBC driver

Connectivity to the Snowflake connector is established using a JDBC driver. The supported driver version is listed below:

Driver Details	Version
JDBC driver	8.2.0

Connector Features

Feature	Availability
Crawling	✅
Delta Crawling	❌
Profiling	✅
Sample Profiling	✅
Query Sheet	✅
Data Preview	✅
Auto Lineage	✅ To learn more, click here.
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	Type	Tables	table
Table	comment	Source Description	Descriptions	Source Description
Columns	COLUMN_NAME	Column	Table Columns	-
Columns	data_type	Column Type	Table Columns	-
Columns	comment	Source Description	Table Columns	-
Columns	ordinal_position	Column Position	Table Columns	-
Columns	character_maximum_length/numeric_precision	Data Type Size	Table Columns	-
Views	name	View	Tables	view
Views	text	View Query	Views	View
Procedures	NAME	Name	Procedures	-
Procedures	COMMENT	Source Description	Descriptions	-
Procedures	body	Procedure	Procedures	-
Functions	NAME	Name	Functions	-
Functions	body	Function	Functions	-
Functions	COMMENT	Source Description	Descriptions	-

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.

The default port number for the 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

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

👨‍💻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

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

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

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.
Authentication	The following two types of authentication are supported for Snowflake: Username & Password Key Pair Authentication Note: If schemas do not appear during Crawl/Profile after successful connection validation using Key Pair Authentication, ensure the required JVM arguments are configured in the Tomcat setenv.sh file.

Username & Password

Field Name	Description
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 For more details, click here.
License Add Ons	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. For more details, click here.
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. For more details, click here.
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, "433" 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.
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 the database name
Plugin Server	Enter the server name when running as a plugin server.
Plugin Port	Enter the port number on which the plugin is running.

Key Pair Authentication

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.

1. After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:

   1. Click Validate to verify the connection.

   2. Click Save to store the connection for future use.

   3. Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.

2. The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.

Manage Connector Operations

Crawl/Profile

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.

1. Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.

2. Select the schemas to be crawled.

3. The Crawl option is selected by default. To perform both operations, select the Crawl & Profile radio button.

4. Click Run to collect metadata from the connected source and load it into the Data Catalog.

5. 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.

1. Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.

2. Select a time interval for the operation from the drop-down menu.

3. Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.

4. 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.

For more details on connector settings, click here.

Limitations

S. No.	Feature	Limitation
1	Profiling	OvalEdge does not support profiling of Snowflake views that contain variables. Views using variables may be skipped during profiling, and the profiling job may complete with a Partial Success status.

Connectivity Troubleshooting

If incorrect parameters are entered, error messages may appear. Ensure all inputs are accurate to resolve these issues. If issues persist, contact the assigned support team.

S. No	Error Message	Error Description & Resolution
1	Schemas are not displayed during Crawl/Profile when using Key Pair Authentication	Connection validation succeeds, but no schemas appear in the Crawl/Profile screen due to JVM access restrictions affecting the Snowflake JDBC driver (Apache Arrow initialization). Resolution: Add the following JVM arguments in the Tomcat setenv.sh file and restart the application services: --add-opens=java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/sun.nio.ch=ALL-UNNAMED
2	Unable to read encrypted data: Error finalizing the cipher	This error occurs when validating a Snowflake connection using Key Pair Authentication if the encrypted private key cannot be decrypted. The most common causes are a missing or incorrect private key passphrase, an invalid or corrupted .p8 private key file, or a mismatch between the encrypted private key and the configured passphrase. Resolution: Verify that the selected private key file is valid and accessible from the configured path. If the private key is encrypted, ensure the correct Private Key Pass Phrase is provided in the connector configuration. Validate that the private key can be successfully decrypted using OpenSSL or an equivalent tool. If the key file is corrupted or invalid, regenerate the encrypted private key and update the connector configuration with the new key and its corresponding passphrase. After updating the configuration, validate the connection again. Once the connection is validated successfully, crawl and profile operations should complete normally.
3	Authentication failed	Indicates invalid authentication credentials or authentication configuration. Resolution: Verify the username, password, or Key Pair Authentication details. Ensure the private key path and passphrase (if applicable) are correct. Confirm the Snowflake user account is active and not locked.
4	Communications link failure / Connection refused	Indicates that the application cannot establish a network connection to the Snowflake server. Resolution: Verify the server hostname and port (default 443). Ensure firewall or proxy settings allow outbound HTTPS connections. Confirm the Snowflake account is reachable from the application server.
5	Invalid number format for port number	Indicates that the configured port value is invalid. Resolution: Enter a valid numeric port value (typically 443). Remove any spaces or non-numeric characters. Verify the configured port matches your Snowflake environment.
6	Database does not exist	Indicates that the specified database name is incorrect or inaccessible. Resolution: Verify the configured database name is correct. Ensure the user has USAGE privilege on the database. Confirm the database exists using SHOW DATABASES.
7	Failed to retrieve DataSource from DataSourceProvider	Indicates that the JDBC datasource or connection pool could not be initialized. Resolution: Verify the JDBC connection details and driver configuration. Confirm the Warehouse and Role values are valid. Recreate the connection if cached connection pool information is corrupted.
8	Unable to view databases, schemas, tables, or views	Usually caused by insufficient privileges or inaccessible warehouse resources. Resolution: Ensure the user has USAGE privileges on the required databases and schemas. Verify SELECT access to metadata objects and required tables/views. Confirm the configured Warehouse is active and accessible.
9	Some columns are missing / Unsupported Data Type for Profile	Certain Snowflake data types are excluded from profiling or require additional permissions. Resolution: Verify the user has SELECT permission on the table. Note that data types such as BINARY, VARBINARY, OBJECT, and ARRAY are not profiled. Review the column data type before running profiling.
10	Stored procedures or functions are not retrieved	Indicates missing permissions or unavailable procedure definitions. Resolution: Ensure the user has access to INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PROCEDURES. Verify USAGE privileges on the database and schema. Confirm the procedure definition is available in Snowflake metadata.
11	Indexes are not fetched	Index metadata retrieval is disabled or required metadata is unavailable. Resolution: Enable Indexes in the crawler configuration. Verify the required metadata permissions. Note that Snowflake primarily uses clustering rather than traditional indexes.
12	Row count is 0 / Could not profile table. No Data found	Indicates that profiling queries returned no usable data or that required permissions are missing. Resolution: Verify the table contains data. Ensure SELECT permission is available on the table. Confirm the Warehouse is active before running profiling.
13	Query execution failed	Indicates that the SQL statement could not be executed successfully. Resolution: Review the complete SQL error message in the application logs. Verify object names, SQL syntax, and required permissions. Execute the same query directly in Snowflake to validate the result.
14	Sample profiling is slow or times out	Indicates insufficient compute resources or large profiling workloads. Resolution: Reduce the configured profiling sample size. Use a larger Warehouse or profile during off-peak hours. Verify network connectivity and Warehouse performance.
15	Connection pool errors	Indicates exhausted, stale, or improperly managed JDBC connections. Resolution: Review the configured connection pool size. Restart the application to clear stale connections if required. Ensure the Warehouse remains active throughout execution.
16	Credential Manager authentication failed	Indicates that credentials could not be retrieved from the configured secret store. Resolution: Verify the selected Credential Manager type and secret name. Ensure the secret contains all required authentication values. Confirm the application has permission to access the secret.
17	Key Pair Authentication failed	Indicates an invalid private key configuration or missing public key registration. Resolution: Verify the private key file path, format (PEM), and passphrase. Ensure the corresponding public key is registered for the Snowflake user. Validate the key independently using SnowSQL or OpenSSL.
18	No active warehouse selected in the current session	Indicates that the configured Warehouse is unavailable or suspended. Resolution: Verify the configured Warehouse name. Resume the Warehouse if it is suspended. Ensure the user has USAGE privilege on the Warehouse.
19	Query logs are not retrieved	Indicates insufficient privileges to access Snowflake query history. Resolution: Grant access to the required query history views. Verify the configured role has the necessary privileges. Allow time for newly executed queries to appear in query history.
20	Error while validateConnection: unable to read encrypted dataError while validateConnection: Invalid Base64 characters	Indicates that the private key file is corrupted, incorrectly encoded, or cannot be decrypted. Resolution: Verify that the private key file is valid and not corrupted. Confirm the correct passphrase is provided for encrypted keys. Validate the key using OpenSSL before configuring the connector.

FAQs

What is the difference between a database and a schema in Snowflake?

A database is the top-level container, while schemas organize objects within a database. The connector expects the database name during configuration and discovers schemas within that database.

Why does the connection string change automatically?

The connector automatically generates the JDBC connection string based on the configured connection properties. This behavior is expected and should not be modified manually unless required.

Why is the nullable status of a column displayed incorrectly?

The connector reads the nullable property from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS. If the metadata returned by Snowflake is incorrect or unavailable, verify the source metadata and connector compatibility.

How do I configure Credential Manager authentication?

Select the appropriate Credential Manager type, provide the secret name or path, and ensure the secret contains the required authentication details and is accessible to the application.

Why are query log filters not returning the expected results?

Verify the configured time range, query types, and excluded users. Also note that Snowflake query history may not reflect recently executed queries immediately.

Why do some connector operations succeed while others fail?

Different connector operations require different Snowflake privileges. A user may have sufficient permissions for metadata discovery but not for profiling, query execution, or query history retrieval.

The connection works in Snowflake, but not in the connector. Why?

The Snowflake web interface and JDBC connections may use different authentication methods, default roles, warehouses, or network paths. Verify that the connector configuration matches the Snowflake environment.

What are the recommended Snowflake privileges for the connector?

Grant only the minimum required privileges, including USAGE on databases, schemas, and warehouses, along with SELECT permissions on the required objects and metadata views.

How can I verify that the connector is configured correctly?

Validate the connection, confirm databases, schemas, and tables are visible, execute a simple query, verify row counts, and ensure the configured Warehouse is active.

Which Snowflake versions are supported?

The connector supports all current Snowflake editions and cloud deployments that are compatible with the supported Snowflake JDBC driver version.

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