Metabase
Metabase is an open source data visualization and business intelligence tool that allows companies to visualize, analyze and explore data.
Why Connect Metabase to Altertable?
Connecting Metabase to Altertable enables you to:
- Visualize Real-Time Data: Create dashboards and charts on live data in your Altertable lakehouse
- Federated Queries: Query across multiple data sources connected to Altertable (Postgres, MariaDB, Redshift, and more) without moving data
- Performant Analytics: Leverage Altertable's high-performance query engine for fast analytics on large datasets
Connection Methods
You can connect Metabase to Altertable using two methods:
Method 1: Arrow Flight SQL (Recommended)
Arrow Flight SQL is the preferred connection method for Altertable, providing native support for high-performance data access. However, Metabase doesn't support Arrow Flight SQL by default, so you'll need to install a community driver.
Installation
Install the metabase-flightsql-driver to add Arrow Flight SQL support to Metabase:
- Download the driver JAR file from the GitHub repository
- Place it in your Metabase plugins directory
- Restart Metabase
Configuration
- In Metabase, navigate to Admin settings → Databases
- Click Add database
- Select Arrow Flight SQL as the database type
- Configure the connection with the following details:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Display name | Altertable (or your preferred name) |
| Host | flight.altertable.ai |
| Port | 443 |
| Database name | Your Altertable catalog name |
| Username | Your Altertable username |
| Password | Your Altertable password |
| Use TLS/SSL | ✓ Enabled |
- Click Save
Method 2: Postgres Adapter (Alternative)
If you prefer not to install the Arrow Flight SQL driver, you can connect Metabase to Altertable through our Postgres adapter, which works with Metabase's built-in PostgreSQL database support.
Configuration
- In Metabase, navigate to Admin settings → Databases
- Click Add database
- Select PostgreSQL as the database type
- Configure the connection with the following details:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Display name | Altertable (or your preferred name) |
| Host | postgres.altertable.ai |
| Port | 443 |
| Database name | Your Altertable catalog name |
| Username | Your Altertable username |
| Password | Your Altertable password |
| Use a secure connection (SSL) | ✓ Enabled |
- Click Save
Notes
- SQL Dialect: While the connection uses the Postgres protocol, queries are executed using DuckDB SQL dialect. PostgreSQL-specific functions may not be available.
- SSL/TLS Required: Make sure to enable SSL/TLS in the connection settings
- Catalog Name: Use your Altertable connection's catalog name as the database name