Snowflake Connection Configuration

This page describes the native method to use Snowflake, by how to setup a Snowflake account and configure QPR ProcessAnalyzer to use the account through an ODBC connection. Alternatively, it's possible to import data from Snowflake to QPR ProcessAnalyzer like in any data source and use the QPR ProcessAnalyzer's in-memory calculation. More information about the traditional method:

• ODBC datasource for models
• Import from ODBC using SQL scripts
• Import from ODBC using expression scripts

Snowflake account configuration

These instructions provide one possible way to configure the Snowflake account for QPR ProcessAnalyzer. Configuration can also be done differently based on requirements, e.g., if there is other use for the same Snowflake account. These instructions set the least possible permissions for the Snowflake user accessing the account (minimum privilege principle).

1. Create a new Snowflake account in the Snowflake site: https://www.snowflake.com/ (or use an existing account). The account is created to the selected cloud platform and site, so consider a location that is close to the QPR ProcessAnalyzer hosting site.
2. Go to https://app.snowflake.com and login in to your Snowflake account.
3. In Account > Roles, click the Role button to create a new role. Define Name QPRPA, and click Create Role.
4. In Account > Users, click the User button to create a new user. Define User Name QPRPA and define a strong password. Check also that the Force user to change password on first time login is disabled. Click the Create User button.
5. Select the created user, and click the Grant Role button. In the Role to grant list, select QPRPA, and click Grant.
6. In Compute > Warehouses, click the Warehouse button to create a new warehouse. Define Name QPRPA, and select a suitable Size for the warehouse. In the Advanced Warehouse Options, check that Auto Resume and Auto Suspend are enabled. Set the Suspend After time based on your performance requirements (for example 5 minutes is a good initial value). Click Create Warehouse.
7. Select the created warehouse and in the Privileges section and click the Privilege button. For Role, select the QPRPA role. For Privileges, select MONITOR, OPERATE and USAGE. Click the Grant Privileges button.
8. In Data > Databases, click the Database button to create a new database. Define Name QPRPA, and click the Create button.
9. Select the created database, and in the Privileges section, click the Privilege button. For Role, select the QPRPA role. For Privileges, select USAGE. Click Grant Privileges.
10. Select the created database, and click the Schema button to create a new schema. Define Name QPRPA, and click the Create button.
11. Select the created schema, and in the Privileges section, click the Privilege button. For Role, select the QPRPA role. For Privileges, select CREATE VIEW, CREATE TABLE, CREATE FILE FORMAT and USAGE. Click the Grant Privileges button.
12. Running a Snowflake warehouse consumes credits in the Snowflake account, and thus it's a good practice to set resource monitoring to control the credit usage: In Compute > Resource Monitors, click the Resource Monitor button to create a new resources monitor. Choose suitable monitor settings for your needs, and click the Create Resource Monitor button.

Set Snowflake ODBC connection

To add the Snowflake ODBC connection to QPR ProcessAnalyzer, following steps are required:

1. Install Snowflake ODBC driver in the machine running QPR ProcessAnalyzer Server. More information about the ODBC driver installation: https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/odbc.html.
2. Configure Snowflake ODBC connection string to the QPR ProcessAnalyzer configuration table. When configuring Snowflake as instructed above, the following connection string can be used:

Driver={SnowflakeDSIIDriver};Application=QPR_ProcessAnalyzer;Server=<account_identifier>.snowflakecomputing.com;Database=QPRPA;Schema=QPRPA;Warehouse=QPRPA;Role=QPRPA;uid=QPRPA;pwd=<password>

Replace <password> with the password of the QPRPA user. In addition, replace <account_identifier> with the account identifier of your Snowflake account. More information about finding your Snowflake account identifier: https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/admin-account-identifier.html.

Please also include the Application tag to the connection string, identifying QPR ProcessAnalyzer related usage for collecting usage statistics.

More information about Snowflake ODBC connection strings: https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/odbc-parameters.html

Snowflake database tables

When users create datatables in QPR ProcessAnalyzer, corresponding tables are created to the Snowflake storing the actual data. The table is not yet created when a new datatable is created, but instead when data is the first time imported to the datatable. The Snowflake tables created by QPR ProcessAnalyzer are named as follows: qprpa_dt_<databaseId>_<datatableId>, where <databaseId> identifies the QPR ProcessAnalyzer environment and <datatableId> identify the datatable within the environment. The database id is set in the QPR ProcessAnalyzer configuration table. Enabled by the naming, it's possible to configure multiple QPR ProcessAnalyzer environments to use the same Snowflake database and schema. Alternatively, there can be different schemas or databases for each environment.

Snowflake tables managed by QPR ProcessAnalyzer should not be modified or deleted directly in the Snowflake, but manage them in the QPR ProcessAnalyzer UI. This is because QPR ProcessAnalyzer maintains metadata of the datatables in its own database, and the Snowflake tables must be in synchronization with the metadata. If connecting QPR ProcessAnalyzer to a Snowflake account, that doesn't have the tables that QPR ProcessAnalyzer assumes, those conflicting datatables need to be deleted in the QPR ProcessAnalyzer UI.