Snowflake: Add Database Connection

To define a new connection from the Connection parameter in a Snowflake format:

  • Select Add Database Connection. See database-specific parameters below, as well as the section Adding a Database Connection in a Workspace in Using Database Connections The new connection can be made visible only to the current user, or can be shared among multiple users.
Note  To select an existing, previously defined connection, see the section Reusing a Database Connection in Using Database Connections

Database Connection

Snowflake

Name

Enter a name for the new connection.

Connection Parameters

Parameter

Description

Account Name

The full name of your Snowflake account.

For example, if you access your Snowflake System in a web browser using a URL like this: 

https://mycompanyinc.snowflakecomputing.com/

then your full account name is mycompanyinc.

Note  Your full account name might include additional segments that identify the region and cloud platform where your account is hosted. For detailed information and examples, see Connection Parameters in Snowflake Documentation.

Warehouse

The virtual warehouse to use once connected. The specified warehouse should be an existing warehouse. This parameter is case-sensitive.

Database

Specifies the default database to use once connected. The specified database should be an existing database. This parameter is case-sensitive.

Schema

Specifies the default schema to use once connected. The specified schema should be an existing schema. This parameter is case-sensitive.

Role

Specifies the default access control role to use in the session. The specified role should be an existing role that is already assigned to the specified user.

Note  This parameter is case-sensitive.

Authentication Parameters

 

Parameter

Authentication Method

Description

Authentication

 

 

The method used for authentication.

  • Basic uses Snowflake username and password.
  • Browser-based SSO uses Single Sign-On (with a username and password) to connect via an external web browser. This method supports MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication).
  • Key Pair uses an RSA key pair to connect. A public key must be assigned to the user, and a file path to the file containing the private key must be accessible by FME.
  • OAuth Connection connects using one of the following web services:

    • Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Client Credentials) – This OAuth 2.0 web service is suitable for FME Flow automated, server-to-server workflows where user interaction is not required. This web service does not prompt for Microsoft Entra authentication.

    • Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Template) – This web service is suitable for FME Form. It is ideal for interactive workflows where the user manually runs the workspace and can authenticate when prompted.

    • Snowflake OAuth uses Snowflake’s built-in OAuth service to provide OAuth-based authentication.
  • Snowpark Container Service is available when FME is running in a Snowpark Container Service container. All communication between FME and Snowflake occurs inside Snowflake’s environment, ensuring that only trusted users and workloads can access its container services. The only recommended scenario for running FME inside Snowpark Container Services is for use with remote engines.
Note  Browser-based SSO is not supported on FME Flow.

Key File

Enabled with Key Pair authentication.

The path to the private key file required to connect via Key Pair authentication.

Username and Password

Enabled with Basic authentication.

The username and password to connect to the specified account, warehouse, database, and schema.

OAuth Connection

Enabled with OAuth Connection authentication.

The web connection to use to obtain a valid OAuth token. This option is enabled when the OAuth Connection authentication method is selected.

Note  To connect using Microsoft Azure Active Directory OAuth 2, make sure that a valid Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AD) web service has been configured before creating a web connection.
  • For Client Credentials authentication, please create a new web connection using the provided Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Client Credentials) web service.
  • Snowflake OAuth uses Snowflake’s built-in OAuth service to provide OAuth-based authentication. To configure a new Snowflake OAuth web service, select Snowflake OAuth in the Web Service parameter. You can also import credentials from a web service file.

For more information, see Snowflake OAuth overview on the Snowflake documentation website.

When enabled, this parameter will allow the JDBC connection string and properties to be specified directly, in order to connect to the database.

Input

Description

Connection String

The connection string for the database to which you are connecting.

Password

An optional parameter if the connection requires a password.

Mask Connection Details

  • When this option is checked (set to Yes) – Connection strings and properties for database connections are masked in translation and error logs.

Connection details may contain sensitive information, such as passwords. A masked connection string appears as:

jdbc:<subprotocol>:************

While masked connection properties appear as:

{<property_name1>=************,
<property_name2>=************, ...}

Connection strings for connections whose parameters are embedded in the workspace are not masked, regardless of this setting.

  • When this option is left unchecked (set to No) – Connection strings and properties are logged in plain text.

Connection Property and Value

JDBC connections can be configured with driver-specific arbitrary name/value pairs. The name/value pairs can often be specified in either the Connection String or a Properties object (sometimes only in one way or the other).

Name/value pairs entered here will be set in the order specified, then passed on in a Properties object. They do not require manual encoding of characters that are not safe in Connection Strings.