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Only read access to databricks delta tables

marc88
New Contributor II

Hi,
Is it possible to make delta shares work for a Matlab client (Just the way we share delta tables to a PowerBI workbench)?
We have Unity Catalog enabled and I wanted to explore more about data governance with aforesaid integration.


Wanted to discuss and hear experiences, if someone in this forum has already played around with sharing delta tables (not dbfs files) to Matlab. 🙂

Regards

2 REPLIES 2

Kaniz
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @marc88, Certainly! Let’s explore the integration of Delta Sharing and Unity Catalog with a focus on sharing data with a Matlab client

 

Here are some insights:

 

Unity Catalog and Data Governance:

  • Unity Catalog is a powerful solution for data governance and management within Azure Databricks. It simplifies security, access control, and auditing of data by providing a central place to administer data assets.
  • Within Unity Catalog, you can define catalogs, which represent logical groupings of schemas (tables, views, and volumes). Catalogs are the primary unit of data isolation in a typical data governance model.
  • For example, you might have separate catalogs for production data, development data, or sensitive customer data. These catalogs help organize and secure your data assets.

Delta Sharing:

  • Delta Sharing is a secure data sharing platform built into Azure Databricks. It allows you to share data with users outside your organization.
  • Key features of Delta Sharing include:
    • Notebook Sharing: You can share notebooks containing code, visualizations, and insights.
    • Unity Catalog Integration: Delta Sharing uses Unity Catalog to manage and audit sharing behavior. This simplifies setup and governance for both data providers and recipients.
    • Auditing and Usage Tracking: Delta Sharing provides detailed tracking of data sharing activities.
    • Performance Improvements: The integration with Unity Catalog enhances performance.

Sharing Delta tables to Matlab:

  • While Delta Sharing is primarily designed for sharing data with external users, it can also be used for internal sharing.
  • To share Delta tables with a Matlab client, follow these steps:
    • Configure Delta Sharing: Set up Delta Sharing for the desired tables in your Unity Catalog. Define the sharing rules, access permissions, and recipients.
    • Matlab Integration: In your Matlab environment, use appropriate libraries or connectors to access the shared Delta tables. You’ll need to authenticate and provide necessary credentials.
    • Query and Analyze: Once connected, you can query the shared data directly from Matlab. Retrieve the data, perform analyses, and visualize results.

Experiences and Considerations:

  • While I don’t have specific experiences with sharing Delta tables to Matlab, consider the following:
    • Data Volume: Ensure that the data volume you’re sharing is suitable for Matlab’s processing capabilities.
    • Data Types: Verify that the data types (e.g., numeric, text, datetime) align well with Matlab’s data handling.
    • Authentication: Set up secure authentication mechanisms (e.g., tokens, OAuth) between Matlab and Azure Databricks.
    • Delta Table Compatibility: Confirm that the Delta tables you’re sharing are compatible with Matlab’s data structures.

Remember that combining Delta Sharing, Unity Catalog, and Matlab can enhance your data governance and collaboration. Feel free to explore this integration further and adapt it to your specific use case! 😊🚀

marc88
New Contributor II

Hello Kaniz,

Thanks for the pointers. I had the delta sharing option in mind but, I am not sure if Matlab is capable to handling delta format and views from databricks.

Delta sharing has been around for a couple of years now but, I've only seen direct dbfs-to-matlab integrations in the documentation.

Given the above challenges, I wanted to understand if anyone has faced similar challenges and if they could solve it.

Regards

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