SQL Warehouse and Unity Catalog

[Senga98]

Hello,

Is SQL warehouses managed by Unity Catalog? My understanding is that since SQL Warehouse is part of the compute layer, Unity Catalog doesn't manage it as it only manages data layers.

[szymon_dybczak · Accepted solution]

Hi @Senga98 ,

Your understanding is correct. Unity Catalog governs:

• Data objects (catalogs, schemas, tables, views, functions)

• Permissions (grants on the above)

• Lineage

• Governed storage locations & external locations

• Model serving endpoints (UC Volumes / AI models)

SQL Warehouses, Clusters, Jobs compute fall under Databricks workspace compute, not UC.

But keep in mind that Unity Catalog governs data access permissions on SQL warehouses for most assets. Administrators configure most data access permissions. SQL warehouses can have custom data access configured instead of or in addition to Unity Catalog.

[Shivam7788775]

@Senga98 SQL warehouses themselves are not governed by Unity Catalog, since they belong to the compute layer rather than the data layer. Unity Catalog focuses on managing data assets and how access to those assets is controlled, not on managing compute resources.

What Unity Catalog does cover includes catalogs, schemas, tables, views, and functions, along with their permissions, lineage, and governed storage or external locations. Compute components such as SQL warehouses, clusters, and jobs are instead administered at the Databricks workspace level.

However, when a SQL warehouse is used to run queries, Unity Catalog still applies the data access rules. The warehouse executes the query, but Unity Catalog determines whether the user is authorized to access the referenced data. Administrators can control the warehouse permissions independently of Unity Catalog using the Manage Permissions settings.