topic Re: remote_query() is not working in Data Engineering

remote_query() is not working

vr — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 02:31:33 GMT

I am trying to experiment with remote_query() function according to the documentation. The feature is in public preview, so I assume it should be available to everyone now.

select * from remote_query( 'my_connection', database => 'mydb', dbtable => 'my_table' )

Whenever I query, I am getting one of two errors:

[INVALID_USAGE_OF_STAR_OR_REGEX] Invalid usage of '*' in Project. SQLSTATE: 42000 == SQL (line 2, position 8) == select * from remote_query( ^

If I change `*` to a column name, say, `id`, I get the following:

[UNRESOLVED_COLUMN.WITHOUT_SUGGESTION] A column, variable, or function parameter with name `id` cannot be resolved. SQLSTATE: 42703 == SQL (line 2, position 8) == select id from remote_query( ^^

All prerequisites are satisfied: connection is live, which is confirmed by a Lakehouse Federation catalog built on top of the same connection. Runtime is 17.3 RTS, have USE CONNECTION (I am also the owner).

Can anyone please explain what I am doing wrong?

Re: remote_query() is not working

GA4 — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:35:08 GMT

Does the cluster (what you have used to run the query) have manage permission on the connection?

Re: remote_query() is not working

vr — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 18:25:59 GMT

In Databricks, identities can be users, groups, and service principals. Cluster cannot be granted a permission. But the user of the cluster – yes, it has USE CONNECTION, and also the owner of connection.

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 20:41:29 GMT

Which sql database are you trying to connect to? Depending on source, maybe you need to reference schema in addition to database and table. You can check, this is only a guess.

Re: remote_query() is not working

vr — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 22:32:33 GMT

Database is Postgres. I tried to prefix tables with schema, such as "public", but with no avail. Even something as trivial as "SELECT 1" returns the same error.

Database log also shows no activity – no successful or failed queries.

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:42:24 GMT

So, you mean, same connection working fine in SQL federated queries is not working with remote_query()? Really, really strange, it seems as if that function was not available in your environment... Not played yet with remote_query() but I'll do and let you know!

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:40:26 GMT

Same issues from my end, both using All-purpose or SQL Warehouse clusters over a connection that works with SQL federation:

Re: remote_query() is not working

vr — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:57:18 GMT

Thanks for testing @Coffee77. Yeah, that's really strange:

Federated queries over the same connection – work.
Spark JDBC directly to DB – works (this does not really use the connection, but just to add more evidence for proper connectivity).

Contacted Microsoft Support.

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:44:55 GMT

A little bit frustrating as there is no more we can do or test. I'll be also waiting for a response as it seems to be a bug or at least something is missing out in the documentation.

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:01:03 GMT

Latest feedback from my end, just in case it could help to troubleshoot or solve the issue:

remote_query table value function (TVF) is not reachable from clusters.

Re: remote_query() is not working

vr — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:26:28 GMT

I have the same error if I query SELECT 1 from remote_query(). From documentation:

> To use the remote_query function, you first need to create a Unity Catalog connection

So, not sure why it rebels against creators 🙂

Re: remote_query() is not working

tansgun — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 06:48:52 GMT

I was also facing the same issue last week.
Then I went into previews page from where i can enable/disable preview features in workspace.
Kindly enable below preview and then this error will disappear (atleast this worked for me)

Enables remote query table-valued function (remote_query).

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 07:26:14 GMT

Thanks @tansgun , here is @vr what we need to enable from Workspace - Previews to make it work:

I had looked for that in Previews at account level and hence, I didn't find it.

After enabling that, it should work.

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 07:52:42 GMT

Checked and it really works:

I had to edit my cluster to use 17.3 LTS as DBR:

Re: remote_query() is not working

szymon_dybczak — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 08:04:04 GMT

Hi @tansgun ,

Thanks for sharing the solution with us 🙂

Re: remote_query() is not working

vr — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:45:10 GMT

You was right, I did not realize we have the Previews page for such settings. My colleague enabled it and now it works!

Thank you, dear community.

Re: remote_query() is not working

GA4 — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 01:08:12 GMT

Hi @Coffee77 are you giving the foreign catalog details in the remote query function? coffee77.sampleDB

Re: remote_query() is not working

Coffee77 — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:30:17 GMT

My SQL database was called "Coffee77.SampleDB". Maybe not the best name indeed, removing "." from it would have been better! Is due to that you confusion/ question?