Patterns and best practices for using Lakebase Provisioned (Databricks managed PostgreSQL) for OLTP workloads.
Scanned 6/6/2026
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---
name: databricks-lakebase-provisioned
tags: [cloud, databricks]
---
# Lakebase Provisioned
Patterns and best practices for using Lakebase Provisioned (Databricks managed PostgreSQL) for OLTP
workloads.
## When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Building applications that need a PostgreSQL database for transactional workloads
- Adding persistent state to Databricks Apps
- Implementing reverse ETL from Delta Lake to an operational database
- Storing chat/agent memory for LangChain applications
## Overview
Lakebase Provisioned is Databricks' managed PostgreSQL database service for OLTP (Online Transaction
Processing) workloads. It provides a fully managed PostgreSQL-compatible database that integrates
with Unity Catalog and supports OAuth token-based authentication.
| Feature | Description |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Managed PostgreSQL** | Fully managed instances with automatic provisioning |
| **OAuth Authentication** | Token-based auth via Databricks SDK (1-hour expiry) |
| **Unity Catalog** | Register databases for governance |
| **Reverse ETL** | Sync data from Delta tables to PostgreSQL |
| **Apps Integration** | First-class support in Databricks Apps |
**Available Regions (AWS):** us-east-1, us-east-2, us-west-2, eu-central-1, eu-west-1, ap-south-1,
ap-southeast-1, ap-southeast-2
## Quick Start
Create and connect to a Lakebase Provisioned instance:
```python
from databricks.sdk import WorkspaceClient
import uuid
# Initialize client
w = WorkspaceClient()
# Create a database instance
instance = w.database.create_database_instance(
name="my-lakebase-instance",
capacity="SMALL", # SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE
stopped=False
)
print(f"Instance created: {instance.name}")
print(f"DNS endpoint: {instance.read_write_dns}")
```
## Common Patterns
### Generate OAuth Token
```python
from databricks.sdk import WorkspaceClient
import uuid
w = WorkspaceClient()
# Generate OAuth token for database connection
cred = w.database.generate_database_credential(
request_id=str(uuid.uuid4()),
instance_names=["my-lakebase-instance"]
)
token = cred.token # Use this as password in connection string
```
### Connect from Notebook
```python
import psycopg
from databricks.sdk import WorkspaceClient
import uuid
# Get instance details
w = WorkspaceClient()
instance = w.database.get_database_instance(name="my-lakebase-instance")
# Generate token
cred = w.database.generate_database_credential(
request_id=str(uuid.uuid4()),
instance_names=["my-lakebase-instance"]
)
# Connect using psycopg3
conn_string = f"host={instance.read_write_dns} dbname=postgres user={w.current_user.me().user_name} password={cred.token} sslmode=require"
with psycopg.connect(conn_string) as conn:
with conn.cursor() as cur:
cur.execute("SELECT version()")
print(cur.fetchone())
```
### SQLAlchemy with Token Refresh (Production)
For long-running applications, tokens must be refreshed (expire after 1 hour):
```python
import asyncio
import os
import uuid
from sqlalchemy import event
from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import create_async_engine, AsyncSession
from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
from databricks.sdk import WorkspaceClient
# Token refresh state
_current_token = None
_token_refresh_task = None
TOKEN_REFRESH_INTERVAL = 50 * 60 # 50 minutes (before 1-hour expiry)
def _generate_token(instance_name: str) -> str:
"""Generate fresh OAuth token."""
w = WorkspaceClient()
cred = w.database.generate_database_credential(
request_id=str(uuid.uuid4()),
instance_names=[instance_name]
)
return cred.token
async def _token_refresh_loop(instance_name: str):
"""Background task to refresh token every 50 minutes."""
global _current_token
while True:
await asyncio.sleep(TOKEN_REFRESH_INTERVAL)
_current_token = await asyncio.to_thread(_generate_token, instance_name)
def init_database(instance_name: str, database_name: str, username: str) -> AsyncEngine:
"""Initialize database with OAuth token injection."""
global _current_token
w = WorkspaceClient()
instance = w.database.get_database_instance(name=instance_name)
# Generate initial token
_current_token = _generate_token(instance_name)
# Build URL (password injected via do_connect)
url = f"postgresql+psycopg://{username}@{instance.read_write_dns}:5432/{database_name}"
engine = create_async_engine(
url,
pool_size=5,
max_overflow=10,
pool_recycle=3600,
connect_args={"sslmode": "require"}
)
# Inject token on each connection
@event.listens_for(engine.sync_engine, "do_connect")
def provide_token(dialect, conn_rec, cargs, cparams):
cparams["password"] = _current_token
return engine
```
### Databricks Apps Integration
For Databricks Apps, use environment variables for configuration:
```python
# Environment variables set by Databricks Apps:
# - LAKEBASE_INSTANCE_NAME: Instance name
# - LAKEBASE_DATABASE_NAME: Database name
# - LAKEBASE_USERNAME: Username (optional, defaults to service principal)
import os
def is_lakebase_configured() -> bool:
"""Check if Lakebase is configured for this app."""
return bool(
os.environ.get("LAKEBASE_PG_URL") or
(os.environ.get("LAKEBASE_INSTANCE_NAME") and
os.environ.get("LAKEBASE_DATABASE_NAME"))
)
```
Add Lakebase as an app resource via CLI:
```bash
databricks apps add-resource $APP_NAME \
--resource-type database \
--resource-name lakebase \
--database-instance my-lakebase-instance
```
### Register with Unity Catalog
```python
from databricks.sdk import WorkspaceClient
w = WorkspaceClient()
# Register database in Unity Catalog
w.database.register_database_instance(
name="my-lakebase-instance",
catalog="my_catalog",
schema="my_schema"
)
```
### MLflow Model Resources
Declare Lakebase as a model resource for automatic credential provisioning:
```python
from mlflow.models.resources import DatabricksLakebase
resources = [
DatabricksLakebase(database_instance_name="my-lakebase-instance"),
]
# When logging model
mlflow.langchain.log_model(
model,
artifact_path="model",
resources=resources,
pip_requirements=["databricks-langchain[memory]"]
)
```
## Reference Files
- [connection-patterns.md](connection-patterns.md) - Detailed connection patterns for different use
cases
- [reverse-etl.md](reverse-etl.md) - Syncing data from Delta Lake to Lakebase
## CLI Quick Reference
```bash
# Create instance
databricks database create-database-instance \
--name my-lakebase-instance \
--capacity SMALL
# Get instance details
databricks database get-database-instance --name my-lakebase-instance
# Generate credentials
databricks database generate-database-credential \
--request-id $(uuidgen) \
--json '{"instance_names": ["my-lakebase-instance"]}'
# List instances
databricks database list-database-instances
# Stop instance (saves cost)
databricks database stop-database-instance --name my-lakebase-instance
# Start instance
databricks database start-database-instance --name my-lakebase-instance
```
## Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Token expired during long query** | Implement token refresh loop (see Pattern 3); tokens expire after 1 hour |
| **DNS resolution fails on macOS** | Use `dig` command to resolve hostname, pass `hostaddr` to psycopg |
| **Connection refused** | Ensure instance is not stopped; check `instance.state` |
| **Permission denied** | User must be granted access to the Lakebase instance |
| **SSL required error** | Always use `sslmode=require` in connection string |
## SDK Version Requirements
- **Databricks SDK for Python**: >= 0.61.0 (0.81.0+ recommended for full API support)
- **psycopg**: 3.x (supports `hostaddr` parameter for DNS workaround)
- **SQLAlchemy**: 2.x with `postgresql+psycopg` driver
```python
%pip install -U "databricks-sdk>=0.81.0" "psycopg[binary]>=3.0" sqlalchemy
```
## Notes
- **Lakebase Autoscaling** is a newer offering with automatic scaling but limited regional
availability. This skill focuses on **Lakebase Provisioned** which is more widely available.
- For memory/state in LangChain agents, use `databricks-langchain[memory]` which includes Lakebase
support.
- Tokens are short-lived (1 hour) - production apps MUST implement token refresh.
<!-- Source: .faos/custom/skills/cloud/databricks/databricks-lakebase-provisioned/SKILL.md -->
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