Snowflake Setup

Updated
  • Updated on May 11, 2025
  • Published on Sep 24, 2024
  • 3 minute(s) read
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Following is a set of prerequisites and instructions to support SaaS Authorization Management for Snowflake:

Prerequisites

Default PlainID User Role

The user assigned to PlainID for connecting to Snowflake (referred to as the POP user) must have sufficient privileges to manage all Orchestration-related operations. We recommend creating a dedicated PLAINID role and assigning it as the default role for the POP user. This role will also act as the owner of all Snowflake policies created from PlainID when operating in Manage Mode.

PlainID Role

Ensure that the PLAINID role is the default role for the User.

Required Privileges for LEARN Mode

To use LEARN mode, users must be granted the following privileges in Snowflake:

Privilege Purpose
APPLY MASKING POLICY Grants the ability to view Masking Policies
APPLY ROW ACCESS POLICY Grants the ability to view Row Access Policies in certain accounts
Integration Grants visibility of the current IDP
USAGE: When IDP is using SCIM
OWNERSHIP: When IDP is using SAML2 or Oauth
Database: USAGE Grants visibility of database objects like schemas or tags.
* Required if granting the Schema: USAGE privilege
Schema: USAGE Grants visibility of schema objects like tables or tags.
* Required if granting the Table: SELECT privilege

Privilege Options:
- Option 1: Grant a privilege on individual schemas
- Option 2: Grant privileges on all existing schemas in the database (recommended)
Note: Usage can also be automated to grant privileges on every future schema created in the database.
EVOLVE SCHEMA Grants visibility for tables and columns within the schema, including future tables. The schema must contain at least one table or View.

Note: In cases when a table or View is used with a select expression in the Policy, the SELECT table/View privilege must be granted for that specific table/View.
Example: Table/View contains additional identity information.
Warehouse: USAGE Grants access to a warehouse to run queries.

Additional Required Privileges for MANAGE Mode

To use MANAGE mode, users must also be granted the following privileges in addition to LEARN mode privileges in Snowflake:

Privilege Purpose
CREATE MASKING POLICY Grants the ability to create Masking Policies.

Privilege Options:
- Option 1: Grant privileges to create Masking Policies on individual schemas.
- Option 2: Grant privileges to create Masking Policies on all existing schemas in the database (recommended).
CREATE ROW ACCESS POLICY Grants the ability to create Row Access Policies.

Privilege Options:
- Option 1: Grant privileges to create Row Access Policies on individual schemas.
- Option 2: Grant privileges to create Row Access Policies on all existing schemas in the database (recommended).

Note: Ensure that you create a new Masking or Row Access Policy for at least one schema.

Policy Ownership

To manage Policies in Snowflake, a user must have the Policy ownership role.
To enable PlainID to manage existing, discovered policies, we recommend that existing Policy ownership roles are connected to the PlainID default Role, so that it inherits ownership. You also have the option to change the ownership of existing policies to the PlainID default role.

Creating a Snowflake Policy Orchestration Point

After setting up a user with all the required privileges for Snowflake, you can now create a Snowflake Policy Orchestration Point (POP).

Authentication Requirements

Before creating a Policy Orchestration Point (POP), ensure you have the necessary credentials for Snowflake authentication. For password-based authentication, make sure the following fields are properly filled out within the Snowflake interface:

  • Server
  • Port
  • Compute Warehouse
  • Username: The account must have the required permissions.
  • Role (optional unless privileges are granted through a role).

Managing a Policy Orchestration Point (POP)

Ensure that you have an Orchestration Workspace before continuing. You can learn how to create a Snowflake POP in Managing POPs and how to switch between modes in Orchestration Workspace.

Snowflake Connection Settings

Snowflake credentials are used to authenticate and authorize access to Snowflake resources through a Policy Orchestration Point (POP). To connect Snowflake with PlainID, enter the following Connection Fields:

Connection Field Description
Authentication Method Use basic_authentication for Snowflake integration.
Compute Warehouse The name of the Snowflake warehouse used for policy evaluation.
Username The Snowflake account username with access to the warehouse and associated objects.
Password The password for the above Snowflake user.
Port The port used to connect to Snowflake (typically 443).
Server The full Snowflake server address (e.g., xy12345.us-central-1.snowflakecomputing.com).

Ensure that you enable Discover Views to include Views along with Tables in the discovery process. (Default is false)

Connection Testing

You can test the connection to Snowflake directly from the PlainID Platform to ensure that the user has all the required privileges.