Clarification on databricks-labs-ucx sync-workspace-info Command for Syncing Workspaces

[jv_v]

I am currently working on syncing workspaces in Databricks Accounts console, and I came across the command databricks-labs-ucx sync-workspace-info. I am wondering if this command is suitable for both UCX (Unity Catalog) assessments and other non-UCX jobs and other customizes scripts.

Specifically, I would like to confirm:

1. Will this command effectively sync all necessary workspace information for both UCX assessments and other non-UCX jobs?
2. Are there any prerequisites or additional steps I need to be aware of before using this command?
3. Are there any specific configurations or parameters that need to be set for it to function correctly in different scenarios (UCX and non-UCX also customized scripts)?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[Kaniz_Fatma]

Hi @jv_v, The command is primarily intended for UCX assessments, but it can also be used for other non-UCX jobs and customized scripts. Ensure you are authenticated at the account level. You can do this using the Databricks CLI. Also, make sure you have the necessary permissions to access and sync workspace information.

[Kaniz_Fatma]

Hi @jv_v, The command is tailored for UCX environments, ensuring that workspace configurations align with UCX requirements. While it’s effective for UCX operations, it is not intended for non-UCX jobs or custom scripts. For non-UCX tasks, ensure that configurations are managed separately.

Prerequisites

1. Administrator Privileges: You must have Databricks Account Administrator rights.
2. Authentication: Authenticate your machine with the Databricks account using the appropriate CLI commands for AWS or Azure.
3. CLI Version: Ensure you’re using Databricks CLI version 0.213 or later.

No specific configurations are needed for the command itself, but ensure your workspace settings are correctly defined in your Databricks account profile to avoid issues.

 

[holly]

Hi there, you can use UCX sync to get an inventory of everything in your workspaces and track it as you upgrade to avoid cross workspace duplication where there's not a 1:1 mapping. It's designed for Unity Catalog upgrades, so whilst it's battle tested for old workspaces moving to UC ones, you may find it lacks coverage for those already with UC installed. 

What it won't do is make changes to a workspaces based on config for a separate workspace, ie workspace A has logging enabled, so workspace B should 'sync' to it. The 'sync' is between the workspace and the UCX state (think of it like a terraform state).

I would advise severe caution with using UCX for any purpose it's not intended for. It has the potential to make one way changes to workspaces that are impossible to roll back. 

I'm not sure what project you're doing, but using terraform might be a more lightweight, easy to maintain, way to enable consistency between workspaces. If you want to use UCX as inspiration, that's fine, but as-is it's probably not going to do everything you need, and could lead you susceptible to some nasty surprises.