Storage
Buckets are the object storage locations Altertable uses for lakehouse data.
You use buckets in three common places:
- Altertable catalogs store their managed data in a selected bucket.
- Bucket Tables external catalogs map logical table names to files that already live in a bucket.
- Iceberg Tables external catalogs resolve Iceberg metadata and data files from a bucket.
Every environment includes a built-in bucket so you can get started immediately. You can also connect additional buckets when you want to control the provider, region, or endpoint yourself.
Supported providers
Altertable can connect buckets from:
Connecting a bucket
- Open your Organization Settings and select Manage in the Buckets section.
- Click New bucket.
- Choose the storage provider.
- Enter the bucket name and credentials.
- Choose a region when the provider requires it, then test the connection before saving.
Once connected, the bucket becomes available anywhere Altertable asks for bucket-backed storage.
Where buckets are used
Buckets show up in two main workflows:
- Altertable catalogs: choose which bucket should store a managed catalog's files.
- External catalogs: use a connected bucket as the source for file-backed catalogs such as Bucket Tables and Iceberg Tables.
This page focuses on connecting and managing buckets themselves. The catalog pages explain how each workflow uses them in more detail.
Security
Bucket credentials are encrypted before storage and are only used within isolated runtime environments when Altertable needs to access the bucket.
See Encryption for platform-wide details.
Regions
Managed buckets are provisioned in:
- Europe (Germany) by default
- United States (US East - Virginia, coming soon)
Connected external buckets use the provider and region you configure.
This behavior supports data residency and governance requirements such as GDPR and CCPA. You remain responsible for configuring cross-region workflows according to your compliance obligations.
Learn More
- Altertable Catalogs: Create managed catalogs backed by a bucket
- External Catalogs: Connect databases, warehouses, and file-backed catalogs
- Encryption: How Altertable protects credentials and stored data