topic Re: How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces? in Data Engineering

How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

VicS — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:01:26 GMT

How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

When I create an external location with Terraform, I do not see any option to directly link workspaces. it also only links to the workspace of the databricks profile that I use to deploy Terraform.

I can assign a second workspace manually with the UI, but how do I do it with Terraform?

My current Terraform code looks like this:

resource "databricks_external_location" "extloc" { name = "external-location-name" url = "abfss://%s@%s.dfs.core.windows.net" credential_name = "xxxxxxx" owner = "xxxxxxx" isolation_mode = "ISOLATION_MODE_ISOLATED" comment = "Created by Terraform" } resource "databricks_grants" "ggggggg" { external_location = databricks_external_location.extloc.id grant { principal = "xyz" privileges = ["ALL_PRIVILEGES"] } grant { principal = "abc" privileges = ["ALL_PRIVILEGES"] } depends_on = [databricks_external_location.extloc] }

Re: How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

Walter_C — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 14:36:25 GMT

Currently, managing multi-workspace bindings for external locations entirely through Terraform is a limitation.

Re: How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

TheRealOliver — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 01:20:18 GMT

@Walter_C I think you need to use databricks_workspace_binding resource for that multi-workspace binding. I was able to achieve it in Terraform. The resource docs seem to agree with result that I have. My Databricks runs on Google Cloud.

My Terraform configuration: GitHub Gist

@VicS I think the reason your external location gets assigned to the "current" workspace - by which I mean the workspace you referenced in your Databricks Terraform provider configuration (host parameter) - is because you've specified

isolation_mode = "ISOLATION_MODE_ISOLATED"

By default, Databricks assigns the securable to all workspaces attached to the current metastore but when you set this parameter then you get the behaviour that you see in your case. At least that's what databricks_external_location docs say.

Re: How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

VicS — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 05:46:30 GMT

I can't create two databricks_external_location for the same external location (within one metastore), so that won't work.

Re: How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

VicS — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 06:16:44 GMT

The isolation mode setting was required as I do not want to give access to every other workspace, only those specific two. Your solution to extend the access to another workspace with the "databricks_workspace_binding" worked though, thank you!

Re: How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

TheRealOliver — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 11:22:11 GMT

But I don't have two `databricks_external_location`s in my Terraform? I create two bindings to a single location.

Re: How can I use Terraform to assign an external location to multiple workspaces?

VicS — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:47:40 GMT

It was in response to the comment by "omwer21s" 🙂 Your solution works.