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# Connect to AlloyDB

> Connect to AlloyDB in Sigma. Set up secure database connections so your organization can query AlloyDB data in workbooks and analyses.

Sigma supports secure connections to AlloyDB.

This document explains how to connect your organization to a AlloyDB database.

For information about Sigma feature compatibility with AlloyDB connections, see [Region, warehouse, and feature support](/docs/region-warehouse-and-feature-support).

## Requirements

* You must be assigned the Admin [account type](/docs/create-and-manage-account-types) or an account type with the **Manage connections** feature permission enabled.
* An AlloyDB data warehouse, and an account there.
* We recommend that you avoid granting excessive permissions to the account you use when connecting to your data store; for example, you do not require SYSADMIN-level access.

## Create an AlloyDB Connection

If your AlloyDB instance is on a VPC, you must take additional steps. For more information, see [Configure VPC Service Controls](https://cloud.google.com/alloydb/docs/vpc-sc/configure-vpc-service-controls).

Follow these steps to create a connection:

1. Click the user icon at the top right of your screen.\
   The user icon is usually composed of your initials.
2. In the drop-down menu, select **Add connection**.
3. The **Add new connections** page appears.
4. In the **Connection details**, specify the following:

   |          |                                                                                           |
   | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   | **Name** | Enter a **Name** for the new connection. Sigma displays this name in the connection list. |
   | **Type** | Select **AlloyDB**.                                                                       |
5. In the **Connection Credentials** section, specify the following:

<dl>
  <dt>
    Host
  </dt>

  <dd>
    The path to your database. This can be a URL, or an IP address.
  </dd>

  <dd id="host-example">
    Enter your cluster's Endpoint URL. Sigma connects from IPs 104.197.169.18, and 104.197.193.23.
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Port
  </dt>

  <dd>
    The port that Sigma uses to connect to the host.
  </dd>

  <dt>
    User
  </dt>

  <dd>
    The username, or account, for connecting to AlloyDB.
  </dd>

  <dd id="user-example">
    For example, 

    <code>test</code>

    .
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Password
  </dt>

  <dd>
    Enter the password that corresponds to the 

    <strong>User</strong>

     on the AlloyDB account.
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Database
  </dt>

  <dd>
    The name of the database you plan to query.
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Enable TLS
  </dt>

  <dd id="tls-optional">
    Optional.
  </dd>

  <dd>
    This switch enables or disables TLS encryption on your connection.
  </dd>

  <dd id="tls-default">
    Enabled by default.
  </dd>

  <dt>
    SSH Tunnel
  </dt>

  <dd id="ssh-optional">
    Optional.
  </dd>

  <dd>
    This switch enables the SSH protocol for secure remote login. For details, see 

    <a href="/docs/connect-through-ssh">Connect through SSH</a>

    .
  </dd>

  <dd id="ssh-default">
    Disabled by default.
  </dd>

  <dd>
    If on, specify the 

    <strong>Tunnel host</strong>

     and 

    <strong>Tunnel port</strong>

     fields.
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Tunnel host
  </dt>

  <dd>
    The path to the tunnel server.
  </dd>

  <dd>
    This can be a URL, or an IP address.
  </dd>

  <dd>
    Appears only if 

    <strong>SSH Tunnel</strong>

     is on.
  </dd>

  <dt>
    Tunnel port
  </dt>

  <dd>
    The port where the tunnel connects.
  </dd>

  <dd>
    Appears only if 

    <strong>SSH Tunnel</strong>

     is on.
  </dd>
</dl>

6. In the **Connection Features** section, specify the following:

   <dl>
     <dt>
       Connection timeout
     </dt>

     <dd>
       The time before timeout (or cancellation), in seconds, that Sigma waits for the query to return results.
     </dd>

     <dd id="timeout-default">
       Default is 120, or 2 minutes.
     </dd>

     <dd>
       Maximum is 600, or 10 minutes.
     </dd>

     <dt>
       Use friendly names
     </dt>

     <dd>
       This toggle makes column names from the data source more readable.
     </dd>

     <dd id="names-example">
       For example, a database column ORDER_NUMBER or OrderNumber appears as Order Number.
     </dd>

     <dd id="names-default">
       On by default.
     </dd>
   </dl>

7. (Optional) In the **Write Access** section, configure write access. See [Set up write access](/docs/set-up-write-access).

   <dl>
     <dt>
       Enable write access
     </dt>

     <dd>
       Necessary for 

       <a href="/docs/upload-csvs">CSV upload</a>

        and 

       <a href="/docs/materialization">Materialization</a>

       .
     </dd>

     <dd>
       Off by default.
     </dd>

     <dd>
       If on, specify the 

       <strong>Write schema</strong>

        field.
     </dd>

     <dt>
       Write schema
     </dt>

     <dd>
       The schema where Sigma writes tables. 
     </dd>

     <dd>
       Appears only if 

       <strong>Enable write access</strong>

        is on.
     </dd>
   </dl>

   When you designate a schema as the write access destination, Sigma reserves it for internal write-back objects and doesn’t expose it as a data source in the connection explorer (data catalog). To avoid restricting user access to analytical data, use a dedicated write-back database or schema that doesn’t store data used for analysis and reports.

8. After you specify all the parameters of the connection, click **Create.**

9. After you successfully create your connection, Sigma displays it on the screen.

10. To verify your connection, click **Browse Connection**, and then explore the visible databases and tables.

11. Click **Add Permission** to grant data access for users in your organization. See [Data permissions](/docs/data-permissions-overview).

12. The new connection also appears in the list of connections you have in your account.

## Locate your AlloyDB cluster credentials

1. In the Google Cloud console, navigate to the **Clusters** page.
2. Click the cluster that you plan to connect to Sigma.
3. A cluster page appears.\
   It lists the required credentials for connecting to Sigma.

## Related resources

* [Connect to data sources](/docs/connect-to-data-sources)
* [Connect through SSH](/docs/connect-through-ssh)
* [Set up write access](/docs/set-up-write-access)
* [Data permissions](/docs/data-permissions)