--- layout: docs page_title: Snowflake - Database - Secrets Engines description: |- Snowflake is one of the supported plugins for the database secrets engine. This plugin generates database credentials dynamically based on configured roles for Snowflake hosted databases. --- # Snowflake Database Secrets Engine Snowflake is one of the supported plugins for the database secrets engine. This plugin generates database credentials dynamically based on configured roles for Snowflake-hosted databases and supports [Static Roles](/docs/secrets/databases#static-roles). See the [database secrets engine](/docs/secrets/databases) docs for more information about setting up the database secrets engine. The Snowflake database secrets engine uses [gosnowflake](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/snowflakedb/gosnowflake). ## Capabilities | Plugin Name | Root Credential Rotation | Dynamic Roles | Static Roles | Username Customization | Credential Types | | --------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------- | ------------ | ---------------------- |---------------------------| | `snowflake-database-plugin` | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (1.8+) | password, rsa_private_key | ## Setup 1. Enable the database secrets engine if it is not already enabled: ```shell-session $ vault secrets enable database Success! Enabled the database secrets engine at: database/ ``` By default, the secrets engine will enable at the name of the engine. To enable the secrets engine at a different path, use the `-path` argument. 1. Configure Vault with the proper plugin and connection information: ```shell-session $ vault write database/config/my-snowflake-database \ plugin_name=snowflake-database-plugin \ allowed_roles="my-role" \ connection_url="{{username}}:{{password}}@ecxxxx.west-us-1.azure/db_name" \ username="vaultuser" \ password="vaultpass" ``` A properly formatted data source name (DSN) needs to be provided during configuration of the database. This DSN is typically formatted with the following options: ```shell-session {{username}}:{{password}}@account/db_name ``` `{{username}}` and `{{password}}` will typically be used as is during configuration. The special formatting is replaced by the username and password options passed to the configuration for initial connection. `account` is your Snowflake account identifier. You can find out more about this value by reading the `server` section of [this document](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/odbc-parameters.html#connection-parameters). `db_name` is the name of a database in your Snowflake instance. ~> **Note:** The user being utilized should have `ACCOUNT_ADMIN` privileges, and should be different from the root user you were provided when making your Snowflake account. This allows you to rotate the root credentials and still be able to access your account. ## Usage After the secrets engine is configured, configure dynamic and static roles to enable generating credentials. ### Dynamic Roles #### Password Credentials 1. Configure a role that creates new Snowflake users with password credentials: ```shell-session $ vault write database/roles/my-password-role \ db_name=my-snowflake-database \ creation_statements="CREATE USER {{name}} PASSWORD = '{{password}}' DAYS_TO_EXPIRY = {{expiration}} DEFAULT_ROLE=myrole; GRANT ROLE myrole TO USER {{name}};" \ default_ttl="1h" \ max_ttl="24h" Success! Data written to: database/roles/my-password-role ``` 1. Generate a new credential by reading from the `/creds` endpoint with the name of the role: ```shell-session $ vault read database/creds/my-password-role Key Value --- ----- lease_id database/creds/my-password-role/2f6a614c-4aa2-7b19-24b9-ad944a8d4de6 lease_duration 1h lease_renewable true password SsnoaA-8Tv4t34f41baD username v_root_my_password_role_fU0jqEy4wMNoAY2h60yd_1610561532 ``` #### Key Pair Credentials 1. Configure a role that creates new Snowflake users with key pair credentials: ```shell-session $ vault write database/roles/my-keypair-role \ db_name=my-snowflake-database \ creation_statements="CREATE USER {{name}} RSA_PUBLIC_KEY='{{public_key}}' DAYS_TO_EXPIRY = {{expiration}} DEFAULT_ROLE=myrole; GRANT ROLE myrole TO USER {{name}};" \ credential_type="rsa_private_key" \ credential_config=key_bits=2048 \ default_ttl="1h" \ max_ttl="24h" Success! Data written to: database/roles/my-keypair-role ``` 1. Generate a new credential by reading from the `/creds` endpoint with the name of the role: ```shell-session $ vault read database/creds/my-keypair-role Key Value --- ----- lease_id database/creds/my-keypair-role/2f6a614c-4aa2-7b19-24b9-ad944a8d4de6 lease_duration 1h lease_renewable true rsa_private_key -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- ... -----END PRIVATE KEY----- username v_token_my_keypair_role_n20WjS9U3LWTlBWn4Wbh_1654718170 ``` You can directly use the PEM-encoded `rsa_private_key` value to establish a connection to Snowflake. See [connection options](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/key-pair-auth.html#step-6-configure-the-snowflake-client-to-use-key-pair-authentication) for a list of clients and instructions for establishing a connection using key pair authentication. ### Static Roles #### Password Credentials 1. Configure a static role that rotates the password credential for an existing Snowflake user. ```shell-session $ vault write database/static-roles/my-password-role \ db_name=my-snowflake-database \ username="snowflake_existing_user" \ rotation_period="24h" \ rotation_statements="ALTER USER {{name}} SET PASSWORD = '{{password}}'" Success! Data written to: database/static-roles/my-password-role ``` 1. Retrieve the current password credential from the `/static-creds` endpoint: ```shell-session $ vault read database/static-creds/my-password-role Key Value --- ----- last_vault_rotation 2020-08-07T16:50:48.393354+01:00 password Z4-KH8F-VK5VJc0hSkXQ rotation_period 24h ttl 23h59m39s username my-existing-couchbase-user ``` #### Key Pair Credentials 1. Configure a static role that rotates the key pair credential for an existing Snowflake user: ```shell-session $ vault write database/static-roles/my-keypair-role \ db_name=my-snowflake-database \ username="snowflake_existing_user" \ rotation_period="24h" \ rotation_statements="ALTER USER {{name}} SET RSA_PUBLIC_KEY='{{public_key}}'" \ credential_type="rsa_private_key" \ credential_config=key_bits=2048 Success! Data written to: database/static-roles/my-keypair-role ``` 1. Retrieve the current key pair credential from the `/static-creds` endpoint: ```shell-session $ vault read database/static-creds/my-keypair-role Key Value --- ----- last_vault_rotation 2022-06-08T13:13:02.355928-07:00 rotation_period 24h rsa_private_key -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- ... -----END PRIVATE KEY----- ttl 23h59m55s username snowflake_existing_user ``` You can directly use the PEM-encoded `rsa_private_key` value to establish a connection to Snowflake. See [connection options](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/key-pair-auth.html#step-6-configure-the-snowflake-client-to-use-key-pair-authentication) for a list of clients and instructions for establishing a connection using key pair authentication. ## Key Pair Authentication Snowflake supports using [key pair authentication](https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/key-pair-auth.html) for enhanced authentication security as an alternative to username and password authentication. The Snowflake database plugin can be used to manage key pair credentials for Snowflake users by using the `rsa_private_key` [credential_type](/api-docs/secret/databases#credential_type). See the [usage](/docs/secrets/databases/snowflake#usage) section for examples using both dynamic and static roles. ## API The full list of configurable options can be seen in the [Snowflake database plugin API](/api-docs/secret/databases/snowflake) page. For more information on the database secrets engine's HTTP API please see the [Database secrets engine API](/api-docs/secret/databases) page.