Databricks or Snowflake: Which One?

Databricks and Snowflake are used to manage and analyze large and complex datasets. They both provide a location to store and analyze data, handle large datasets, and offer tools for complex data manipulation. Traditional methods often store data in different places, which slows down and limits the process. But both Databricks and Snowflake improve decision-making by simplifying finding and analyzing the required information. In a nutshell, Databricks and Snowflake help businesses reach their full data potential. This leads to improved efficiency, innovation, and better decision-making.

In this post, you’ll learn what Databricks and Snowflake are, when to use them, and how to integrate both Databricks and Snowflake. 

What is Databricks?

Databricks is a cloud-based lakehouse platform that provides a unified analytics platform for data management, engineering, and business. It offers a managed version of various data processing and machine learning tools. The creators of Apache Spark founded it in 2013. Databricks enables data engineers, data scientists, and analysts to collaborate effectively. Because it offers tools for various stages of data work, Databricks also supports various programming languages such as Python, SQL, and R, making it a go-to for many users.

With Databricks, your data can live anywhere and in any format because it runs on Amazon S3, Blob Storage, and Cloud Storage. It is also compatible with all data types, structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. 

What is Snowflake?

Snowflake is a cloud-based data software company that specializes in data warehousing and analytics. It uses an SQL engine to manage stored information in the database.

Data analysts use Snowflake, founded in 2012, for analyzing and storing data using Azure resources. It separates the processing and storage layers, which allows for independent scaling. It is a versatile tool for storing and analyzing data because it can handle different data formats (structured, semi-structured, and unstructured). Role-based access control features and encryption assure data security, allowing you to share data securely with others. Snowflake is synonymous with simplicity, as it is accessible to all data professionals (data analysts and data scientists) with little to no prior experience with the platform. 

All in all, Snowflake is a powerful tool for a secure and scalable solution for data warehousing and analytics in the cloud for businesses. 

Comparing Databricks vs Snowflake

Both Databricks and Snowflake are powerful tools in the data management space. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of both platforms, you will make an informed decision on which platform best suits your data management needs. 

When to Use Databricks

Databricks is used in many instances, and it's ideal for the following businesses: 

• Businesses working with structured data sets
• Businesses seeking cost-effective solutions for data storage and basic analysis
• Organizations that prioritize data warehousing applications

These features make Databricks useful:

1. Advanced analytics: Databricks offers a set of libraries that perform complex analytics tasks. Users can perform tasks, such as data analysis, machine learning, and real-time analytics. It also provides a wide range of support to programming languages like Python, Scala, and R, making it suitable for diverse data work.
2. Big data processing: Databricks' Apache Spark engine allows for easy processing of massive datasets across the board.
3. Cloud-based analytics: Databricks is a cloud-based platform that saves money and time. Databricks analytics are seamless and easy to scale.
4. Collaboration: With features like version control and integrated development environments, data scientists, engineers, and analysts can all work on a project.
5. Scalable: Databricks can scale up to meet your data processing needs.

Databricks is a well-suited and versatile platform for organizations that deal with big data. It efficiently streamlines the data operations of the organizations 

When to Use Snowflake

Snowflake is a popular cloud-based data warehousing platform for managing and analyzing large volumes of data. It's ideal for the following use cases and scenarios: 

• Organizations where efficient data management and sharing of large data are crucial
• A manufacturer that analyzes data for machinery and equipment in real time

These features make Snowflake useful:

1. Ease of use: Snowflake has a friendly user interface. This makes it easy for organizations without in-house data warehousing experts to use it.
2. Scalable: Snowflake can allow for dynamic allocation of resources to meet your needs, whether the data volumes are small or big.
3. Big data sets: Snowflake is primarily designed to handle large data sets. This is suitable for organizations that analyze and store big data.
4. Affordable: Snowflake is cost-effective because you pay only for the storage and resources you use.
5. Security: Snowflake's robust security features make it a trusted platform for some of the highly regulated industries. Industries such as healthcare, finance, or government use Snowflake for sensitive data workloads.

Snowflake is a go-to platform for organizations seeking a scalable, flexible, and cost-effective data warehousing solution. 

Steps to Integrate Databricks

As defined above, Databricks is a cloud-based data processing platform. With Databricks, you can configure your data processing clusters with a few clicks.

This guide will explain adding Databricks as anAccelData Data Observability Cloud(ADOC) data source. 

Adding Databricks as a Data Source 

• Locate and click the register from the left pane.
• Next, click Add Data Source. 

• Locate and select the Databricks Data Source.

• Enter Connections details.

The parameters to be inserted in the Connection Details are as follows: 

• The data source name in the Data Source name input field
• Description for the data source in the Description field (optional)
• Enable Compute Observability (optional)
• Enable Data Reliability (optional)

Note: Selecting either the Compute Observability or the Data Reliability capability is necessary to add Databricks as a data source.

• Select Data Plane from the drop-down menu.
• The Databricks Connection Details page will pop up.

A screenshot of "Connections"

• Enter the name of the Databricks in the Workspace Name field.
• Enter your Databricks URL in the  Databricks URL field. Check Databricks for more.
• Enter your Databricks token in the Token field. Check this link for more information.

Start by selecting one of either AWS or Azure from the drop-down.

Connect to your Databricks workspace by providing the Service Principal Client ID. 

Provide Principal Tenant ID for the cloud provider. 

• Enter the JDBC URL in the JDBC URL field if you enabled the Data Reliability capability.
• Click to test the connection with Test Connection to validate your credentials.

A message with the connection status will pop up. This allows you to check your connection’s status.

Steps to Integrate Snowflake

As stated above, Snowflake is a cloud-based organization that offers various cloud-based services. Data-intensive can be hosted on Snowflake without operational complexities.

This guide will explain adding Snowflake as an AccelData Data Observability Cloud (ADOC) data source. ADOC will monitor your Snowflake account and display critical information.   Adding Snowflake as a Data Source: 

• Locate and click the register from the left pane.
• Next, click Add Data Source.

• Locate and select the Snowflake Data Source.

Enter Connections details.

The parameters to be inserted in the Connection Details are as follows: 

• The data source name in the Data Source name field
• Description for the data source in the Description field (optional)
• Enable Compute Observability (optional)
• Enable Data Reliability (optional)

Note: Selecting either the Compute Observability or the Data Reliability capability is necessary to add Snowflake as a data source.

• Select Data Plane from the drop-down menu.
• The Snowflake Connection Details page will pop up.

• Specify the URL meant to locate database schema in the Snowflake URL field.
• Input username in the Username field.
• In the Password field, specify the password to connect to the Snowflake database.
• Enter your role in the Role field.
• You can check if the created connection is working by clicking the Test Connection.

A message with the connection status will pop up. This allows you to check your connection’s status.

Benefits of Integration

By integrating Databricks and Snowflake, several benefits are attached especially for companies dealing with large-scale data analytics and data warehousing tasks. Below are some of the attached benefits. 

1. Real-time insights: By integrating Snowflake and Databricks, organizations are empowered to derive real-time insights and make data-driven decisions faster.
2. Analytics platform: By integrating Snowflake and Databricks, It's easier for organizations to create a unified analytics platform.Which allows data professionals to work seamlessly within the same environment.
3. Affordable: Snowflake and Databricks offer cost-effective pricing options, which organizations can use to optimize their cloud spend and maximize the value derived from the data.
4. Scalable: Snowflake and Databricks allow users to leverage the distributed computing power of Spark to process large datasets efficiently.

Conclusion: Databricks vs Snowflake

With this detailed guide, you now have a clearer understanding of Databricks vs Snowflake, when to use them, and how to integrate them using AccelData Data Observability Cloud (ADOC). 

AccelData is the home for an all-in-one enterprise data system either in motion, at rest, or the consumption level.     

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This post was written by Kamaldeen Lawal. Kamaldeen is a frontend JavaScript developer that loves writing a detailed guide for for developers in his free time. He loves to share knowledge about his transition from mechanical engineering to software development to encourage people who love software development and don’t know where to begin