Create and manage workbook warehouse views

Create warehouse views based on data elements and input tables to simplify queries and retrieve relevant and up-to-date subsets of data directly from your database.

Warehouse views are virtual tables in Snowflake that you can query using Sigma or any other application in your data ecosystem. Instead of storing data in a Snowflake database table, a view saves a SQL statement that expresses specific query logic defined by the data element or input table in Sigma.

When you create a warehouse view, you establish a live link between Snowflake and Sigma. The view references the data element or input table as the source of truth and automatically updates to reflect the most recent version of the element’s underlying data. 

This document explains how to create and manage workbook warehouse views for data elements and input tables. For information about the Warehouse Views page in the Administration portal, see Review warehouse view details.

Contents

System and user requirements

Create a view

Rename a view

Delete a view

Warehouse view statuses

Frequently asked questions

Related resources

System and user requirements

The ability to create and manage a workbook warehouse view requires the following:

  • The element’s data source (dataset or connection table) must retrieve data from a Snowflake connection with Write access enabled.
  • You must be assigned an account type with the Create Warehouse View permission enabled.
  • You must be the workbook owner or be granted Can edit workbook permission.

Create a view

You cannot create warehouse views for data elements and input tables affected by parameters or row-level security. For more information, see Frequently asked questions.

  1. Open a workbook in any mode and locate the element for which you want to create a warehouse view.
  2. In the element toolbar, click the action icon to open the element menu, then select Create warehouse view.

    Sigma creates warehouse views for elements in published workbooks only. If you’re currently working in an exploration, save it as a workbook before attempting to create a view.

  3. In the Create Warehouse View modal, Sigma auto-generates a name for the view. Edit the name, if needed, then click Create.

    Sigma creates a warehouse view from the latest published element data and automatically updates the view each time the workbook is re-published.

    • If the workbook was last published before the element was added, Sigma creates the view when the workbook is re-published and the element data is saved.
    • If the workbook was published after the element was added, but the element has unsaved changes, Sigma creates a view for the last published element data.
    • If the workbook was published after the element was added, and the element doesn’t have unsaved changes, Sigma creates a view for the element data as you currently see it in the workbook.
  4. Sigma notifies you when the view is successfully created (see Warehouse view statuses). You can also preview the status in the element toolbar or click View warehouse view info to see details about the view.

Rename a view

  1. Open a workbook in any mode and locate the element associated with the warehouse view you want to rename.
  2. In the element toolbar, click the action icon to open the element menu, then select Manage warehouse view.
  3. In the Manage Warehouse View modal, enter a new name in the Name field, then click Update.
  4. Sigma notifies you when the view is successfully updated (see Warehouse view statuses). You can also preview the status in the element toolbar or click View warehouse view info to see details about the view.

Delete a view

  1. Open a workbook in any mode and locate the element associated with the warehouse view you want to delete.
  2. In the element toolbar, click the action icon to open the element menu, then select Manage warehouse view.
  3. In the Manage Warehouse View modal, click Delete.
  4. In the Confirm Delete modal, click Delete.

Warehouse view statuses

Sigma assigns the following statuses to warehouse views:

Pending
The view will be created or updated when the workbook is published.
Successful
The view was successfully created or updated in the database.
In Progress
The view is currently being created or updated.
Failed
The view couldn’t be created or updated.1

1To view the cause of a failed status, hover over the Failed status indicator in the warehouse view details.

Frequently asked questions

Can I create multiple warehouse views for one element in the same or different workbook versions?

No. A data element or input table can support a single warehouse view based on the element’s underlying data table in the workbook’s published version. Workbook drafts and tagged versions don’t support views.
If you need to create multiple views of the same data, you can duplicate the element, adjust the data as needed, and create a separate warehouse view for any purpose.

Can I create a warehouse view for a materialized element?

Yes. When you create a warehouse view for a materialized element, the view queries the element’s materialized underlying data table.

Are warehouse view configurations saved in the workbook version history?

No. A workbook’s version history doesn’t store prior configurations of a warehouse view.

Can a warehouse view be defined by a grouping level?

No. You cannot define fixed grouping levels specifically for a warehouse view. A view represents the data as it’s displayed in the element’s published state, which may or may not include grouped data. If groupings and grouping levels are edited in the element, those changes are applied to the view once the workbook is published.

Why am I unable to create a warehouse view for my element?

There are several reasons why you may be unable to create a warehouse view for a particular element, including the following:

  • You’re currently working in an exploration and must save it as a workbook prior to creating a view.
  • You’re attempting to create a view for a data element or input table sourced from another view, and views cannot query other views.
  • The element is affected by parameters or row-level security.
  • The element type doesn’t currently support warehouse views.

Why am I unable to create a warehouse view for an element affected by parameters or row-level security?

Parameters and row-level security aren’t explicitly defined in an element’s SQL statement because the query depends on the input or user, respectively. When these conditions affect an element, Sigma dynamically generates the SQL at the time it executes the query. Therefore, there’s no predefined SQL statement to save as a warehouse view.

Related Resources

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