WorkspaceClient authentication fails when running on a Docker cluster

[JohanS]

from databricks.sdk import WorkspaceClient
w = WorkspaceClient()

ValueError: default auth: cannot configure default credentials ...

I'm trying to instantiate a WorkspaceClient in a notebook on a cluster running a Docker image, but authentication fails.
The Docker image is based on databricksruntime/python:13.3-LTS, and databricks-sdk 0.24.0 is installed during build.

Running the same code on a non-Docker cluster works, after updating the databricks-sdk.
What else can I do to make this work?

[Kaniz_Fatma]

Hi @JohanS, It seems you’re encountering an authentication issue when trying to instantiate a WorkspaceClient in a Docker image running Databricks.

Let’s troubleshoot this! 😊

The error message you’re seeing, “default auth: cannot configure default credentials,” typically occurs when the Databricks SDK is unable to find valid credentials for authentication.

Here are some steps you can take to resolve this:

1. Check Your Environment Variables:

   • Ensure that the environment variables DATABRICKS_HOST and DATABRICKS_TOKEN are correctly set. These variables are used by the Databricks CLI for authentication.
   • Verify that the token you’re using is valid and has the necessary permissions. Personal access tokens are commonly used for authentication.

2. GitLab Pipeline Considerations:

   • You mentioned that the issue occurs within a GitLab pipeline. It’s possible that interactions within the pipeline are affecting authentication.
   • Make sure that the environment variables are correctly propagated within the pipeline. Double-check how you’re setting these variables and whether they are accessible during the pipeline execution.

3. Debugging the Pipeline:

   • Review your GitLab pipeline script. Ensure that the Databricks CLI is properly initialized with the personal token and that the DATABRICKS_HOST environment variable is correctly set.
   • Consider adding debugging statements to print out the values of relevant variables during pipeline execution. This can help identify any unexpected behaviour.

4. Permissions and Managed Identity:

   • If you’re using managed identity (e.g., in Azure DevOps), ensure that the managed identity has the necessary permissions to access the Databricks workspace.
   • Specifically, the managed identity should have at least “Contributor” permissions on the Databricks ...¹.

5. Update Databricks SDK:

   • You mentioned that the same code works on a non-Docker cluster after updating the Databricks SDK. Consider updating the SDK version within your Docker image as well.
   • Sometimes, older SDK versions may have compatibility issues or bugs that are resolved in newer releases.

6. Verify Token and Host:

   • Double-check that the token and host information in your configuration file (databrickscfg) match the correct values.
   • Confirm that the token is correctly written in the configuration file and that it corresponds to the expected workspace.

Good luck, and I hope you get it working! 🚀

[Srihasa_Akepati · Accepted solution]

@JohanS As discussed, Default auth from a notebook using sdk on DCS is yet to be tested by Engineering. Please use PAT auth for now. I will keep you posted on the progress default auth on DCS.