Grant Usage vs Grant Select in Redshift: Everything You Need to Know
Structured Query Language (SQL) is a fundamental language for managing relational databases. Amazon Redshift, a managed cloud data warehouse product, uses SQL as its primary querying language. When you first start working with Redshift, you will come across two authorization levels: grant usage and grant select. These authorization levels play a vital role in controlling user access to tables in Redshift. In this blog post, we’ll explore the differences between grant usage and grant select in Redshift.
What is Grant Usage in Redshift?
Grant usage is the lowest level of authorization in Redshift. It allows users to connect to the database, but they can’t access any data from it. This level of authorization is given to users who are allowed to connect to the database but aren’t allowed to perform any operations on it. They can’t view, modify or delete any data.Here’s an example of how to grant usage in Redshift:“`GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA schema_name TO user_name;“`The above command gives user_name the permission to connect to schema_name. However, they won’t be able to access any data from it. This is mainly used for creating a restricted user.
What is Grant Select in Redshift?
Grant select is a higher level of authorization in Redshift. It enables users to access data from a particular table or view. It’s used to grant read-only access to users. It allows users to read data from a table but not modify or delete it. Grant select helps you control who can see data and who can’t, preventing unauthorized access to critical data.Here’s an example of how to grant select in Redshift:“`GRANT SELECT ON TABLE table_name TO user_name;“`This command gives user_name the permission to read data from the table_name.
Key Differences between Grant Usage and Grant Select in Redshift
Now that we have a basic understanding of grant usage vs grant select let’s explore the key differences between these two authorization levels.
Level of Access
The main difference between grant usage and grant select is the level of access they provide. Grant usage provides the lowest level of access that only allows users to connect to the database, while grant select provides higher-level access that enables users to access data from a particular table or view.
Read-Only Permission
Grant select provides users with read-only permission. This means users can’t modify or delete any data from the table. It’s useful in situations where you want particular users to access data without worrying about them modifying it.
Extended Access Control
With grant select, you can control who has access to your data. This helps you maintain data security and prevent unauthorized access. In contrast, grant usage allows anyone to connect to the database, but they can’t access any data. This is primarily used to create a restricted user.
How to Grant Usage vs Grant Select in Redshift
The process of granting usage and select is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to grant usage and grant select in Redshift.
Grant Usage
Grant usage is the lowest level of authorization granted to users. Here’s how you can grant usage to a user in Redshift.1. First, connect to your Redshift cluster.2. Go to the SQL editor and run the following command: “` GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA schema_name TO user_name; “` In this command, replace schema_name with the name of the schema you want the user to have access to, and user_name with the name of the user you want to grant usage to.3. Hit the run command, and you’re done.
Grant Select
Grant select is a higher level of authorization that allows users to access your data. Here’s how you can grant select in Redshift:1. Connect to your Redshift cluster2. Go to the SQL editor and run the following command: “` GRANT SELECT ON TABLE table_name TO user_name; “` In this command, replace table_name with the name of the table you want the user to have access to, and user_name with the name of the user you want to grant select to.3. Hit the run command, and you’re done.
When to Use Grant Usage vs Grant Select in Redshift
In general, you should use grant usage for a user who should have limited access to the Redshift cluster. They can be given access to the database but won’t be able to perform any operations on it.On the other hand, use grant select in Redshift for users who require read-only access to your data. You can use grant select to give users access to a particular table and not worry about them accidentally modifying or deleting your data.You might also consider using grant select to create persistent roles with granting permissions without using the superuser access.
Conclusion
Grant usage vs grant select in Redshift provides different levels of access to users. Grant usage allows users to connect to the database while grant select enables them to read data from a particular table while remaining read-only. By leveraging these authorization levels effectively, you can ensure your data is secure and only accessible by authorized users. We hope this blog post has given you a better understanding of grant usage and grant select in Redshift.