using databricks sql warehouse as web app backend

[AhsanKhawaja]

Hi,

I wanted to ask if anyone is using Databricks SQL Warehouse as backend for small to large scale web application?

What are your thoughts about it, specially what Databricks team thinks of it ?

Kind Regards,

A

[-werners-]

it is possible but:

• you need to have a cluster running all the time. Sql serverless spins up fast, but it takes several seconds nonetheless which can be too long of a wait for a web app.
• calculate the cost. It might be cheaper to run a classic RDBMS
• think about optimizations that might be necessary for your app (indexing mainly) that are not always possible in databricks
• do not forget labour cost for maintenance/development (this is probably a pro for databricks)

I might think of more things later.

[Hubert-Dudek]

Also, you need to provide more details. If you want to load for user report with 1000 rows is excellent. If you want to load the last news for your webpage, you need something with low latency.

[stefnhuy]

Hey AhsanKhawaja,

Yeah, I've played around with using Databricks SQL Warehouse as a backend for a web app. It's got its perks, but like anything, it depends on your needs.

From my experience, it's slick for handling big data and crunching numbers. If your web app deals with heavy analytics or large datasets, it could be a solid choice. The SQL integration is smooth, and the performance is decent.

Speaking of trends in the tech space, have you checked out the latest insights on mobile app development? I recently came across an interesting article titled 'Mobile Apps Future: Unveiling the Top Trends Shaping the Next Generation' It delves into the evolving landscape of mobile apps and could offer some valuable insights for your considerations.

As for what the Databricks team thinks, well, they're obviously on board with their own product. They'll highlight the scalability and analytics prowess. But remember, every tool has its sweet spot.

Just a heads-up: keep an eye on costs as you scale. Sometimes, those bills can surprise you. Also, ensure your team is comfortable with the learning curve.

Give it a spin in a smaller project first, see how it fits.

[Robert-Scott]

Using Databricks SQL Warehouse as a backend for a web application involves integrating Databricks with your web app to handle data processing, querying, and analytics. Here are the steps to achieve this:

1. Set Up Databricks SQL Warehouse

1. Create a Databricks Account: If you don't already have a Databricks account, sign up for one.
2. Create a Cluster: Set up a Databricks cluster to run SQL queries. You can do this from the Databricks workspace by navigating to the "Clusters" section and creating a new cluster.
3. Set Up SQL Warehouse: Go to the "SQL" tab in the Databricks workspace and create a new SQL warehouse. This will be used to execute your SQL queries.

2. Connect to Databricks SQL Warehouse

1. Get Connection Details: Obtain the JDBC/ODBC connection details from the Databricks workspace. You can find these details in the "SQL Endpoints" section.
2. Install JDBC/ODBC Drivers: Ensure that your web application environment has the necessary JDBC or ODBC drivers installed to connect to Databricks. You can download these from the Databricks website.

3. Develop Your Web Application Backend

1. Choose Your Web Framework: Select a web framework for your application backend (e.g., Flask or Django for Python, Express for Node.js, Spring Boot for Java).

2. Establish a Connection to Databricks:

   • For Python, you might use a library like pyodbc or sqlalchemy.
   • For Node.js, you could use the odbc package.
   • For Java, you can use JDBC.

3. Execute Queries: Write functions in your backend to execute SQL queries against the Databricks SQL warehouse. Here is an example using Python and SQLAlchemy:

   python

   Copy code

   from sqlalchemy import create_engine from sqlalchemy.engine import URL # Connection details databricks_url = URL.create( "databricks", username="YOUR_USERNAME", password="YOUR_PASSWORD", host="YOUR_HOST", port="YOUR_PORT", database="YOUR_DATABASE", query={"HTTPPath": "YOUR_HTTP_PATH"} ) # Create an engine and connect to Databricks engine = create_engine(databricks_url) # Example function to execute a query def execute_query(query😞 with engine.connect() as connection: result = connection.execute(query) return result.fetchall() # Example query query = "SELECT * FROM your_table" results = execute_query(query) print(results)

4. Integrate with Frontend

1. Create API Endpoints: Develop API endpoints in your backend to handle requests from your web application's frontend. These endpoints will call the functions that execute queries on the Databricks SQL warehouse.
2. Handle Data Requests: Implement data fetching and manipulation logic in your frontend to interact with these API endpoints.

5. Deploy Your Application

1. Deploy Backend: Host your backend on a platform like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or any other cloud service provider.
2. Deploy Frontend: Host your frontend on a web server or use a platform like Vercel or Netlify.
3. Ensure Security: Secure your connection to Databricks using appropriate authentication mechanisms and encrypt sensitive data.

By following these steps, you can effectively use Databricks SQL Warehouse as the backend for your web application, enabling powerful data processing and analytics capabilities.