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FAQs on the Databricks Plugin and Unity Catalog Visibility Issues

FAQs - Databricks Plugin

1. The plugin does not show a catalog or schema that does exist in Unity Catalog. What should I check first?

A: Verify that the Application ID configured in the Anjana plugin exactly matches the Service Principal that has the grants in Unity Catalog. It is common for several App Registrations to exist in Azure Entra ID and for a different one to be configured than the one actually associated with the SP. To check this:

  • In Azure Entra ID → Enterprise Applications → search for the SP by name → verify the Application (client) ID.

  • Compare that value with the one configured in the plugin panel (App ID field).

2. The Service Principal's grants are correct (USE CATALOG + USE SCHEMA + SELECT), but the plugin still cannot see the objects. Could this be a workspace binding issue?

A: Yes. If the catalog is in ISOLATED mode, the workspace from which the plugin sends requests must be included in the catalog's binding. To rule this out:

  1. Check the isolation_mode: databricks catalogs get <catalog_name>

  2. If it is ISOLATED, check the linked workspaces: GET /api/2.1/unity-catalog/bindings/catalog/<catalog_name>

  3. Confirm that the workspace_id used by Anjana appears in that binding.

If the catalog is in OPEN mode and the binding is not active, this can be ruled out.

3. How do I run a discriminating test to determine whether the problem is in the plugin or in Databricks permissions?

A: Create a notebook in the same workspace that Anjana connects to, run it with the Service Principal (not with an administrator user), and execute:

SELECT * FROM <catalog>.<schema>.<table> LIMIT 1;

  • If it works in the notebook but not in Anjana → the problem is internal to the plugin (credentials, cache, discovery logic).

  • If it fails in the notebook → the problem is permissions/binding in Databricks, independent of Anjana.

4. The client gives us credentials (App ID + Secret), but when reviewing the logs the plugin fails with authentication errors or does not list catalogs. What could be happening?

A: Most common root cause: misalignment between the App ID provided and the actual SP. Ask the client to confirm:

  1. Exact name of the Service Principal in Databricks.

  2. App ID associated with that SP in Azure Entra ID (not to be confused with the Object ID).

  3. Azure Tenant ID.

  4. That the Secret is valid and has not expired.

It is advisable to request a screenshot of the SP's Enterprise Applications → Properties section for visual comparison.

5. What minimum information should I ask the client for when they report that a catalog is not visible from Anjana?

A: Checklist to speed up diagnosis:

  • [ ] Anjana plugin version

  • [ ] Name of the affected catalog and schema

  • [ ] Catalog isolation_mode (OPEN / ISOLATED)

  • [ ] Workspace ID configured in the plugin

  • [ ] App ID and name of the configured Service Principal

  • [ ] Result of the discriminating test (SELECT from notebook with the SP)

  • [ ] Plugin logs with increased traceability (DEBUG level)

  • [ ] Screenshot of the SP's grants across the full chain (CATALOG → SCHEMA → TABLE)

6. Can there be catalogs that are partially visible (some tables visible, others not) within the same catalog?

A: Yes. Even if the grant at catalog/schema level is correct, if the plugin's discovery process has a pagination or filtering issue, only some objects may be listed. In this case, in addition to checking permissions, it is necessary to review the plugin logs to identify whether the Unity Catalog API returns the full list or whether it is being cut off at some point.