Snowflake Visual Query Builder misbehaving

[CatheyH]

Hi,

We have 3 installations of Alteryx on: desktop, Windows Virtual Desktop and Server. All 2020.4

When using the Input Data tool we are running into the issue of the Visual Query Builder being completely blank when connecting to Snowflake. We can run queries against Snowflake with no issues using SQL editor, but it is very slow opening if we select VQB.

This is happening on our Desktop install only.

We do not have this issue at all on WVD or Server.

The Snowflake user in all instances is the same.

Snowflake OBDC drivers are different in each case, but the oldest of the drivers (The one on WVD) is working fine. Are there any issues with Snowflake DSIIDriver 2.22.03.00 specifically?

Thanks!

[CatheyH]

Driver has been updated. This is not the issue.

[Luke_C]

Hi @CatheyH 

Seems like this is a known issue - DE 17676. The release notes for Alteryx 2021.3 seem to indicate it might be fixed, but I don't use snowflake so can't confirm.

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Make-Snowflake-s-Views-discoverable-in...

[apathetichell]

@Luke_C- I think that was specific to Views in VQB. @CatheyH is this views/tables/both? It does seem weird. Do you use username/password or SSO for snowflake? I just checked on a username/password/desktop most recent DSII driver/set up for tables and didn't have that issue.

I can try later on a DSII SSO set up. I don't use VQB all that often so TBH I've never really noticed. I do find it slow. I most often use if I'm' copying/pasting larger queries from Looker or equivalent and I want to fix any copy/paste errors. Sometimes toggling back and forth to VQB seems to help Alteryx sort out what the Query is asking.

[CatheyH]

@Luke_C @apathetichell . It is in the VQB only, though a strange bug that shows up suddenly and only on the desktop. I wonder if something has been changed in our Snowflake setup that has triggered it. (Yes we are on SSO). 

Thanks for the pointers - I will go away and see what we can find!

[apathetichell]

Testing VQB on SSO View as we speak - looks fine.

Just to confirm - you are choosing a table first - and then going into VQB - right?

[CatheyH]

If I go into VQB (no previous selections) I should be able to see our DBs and tables on the right hand side to make a selection. (I am aware of ongoing issue with views, this is affecting all DBs, tables and views). The VQB is completely blank as shown above.

If I highlight a table in "Tables" it will come through to the VQB, but I still can't see the usual structured view on the right and I can't select more than one table this way.

I CAN still select from the Tables menu, or enter SQL directly.

We are now having an issue in Snowflake where we can't access worksheets, so I've got my fingers crossed that resolving that one will resolve this!

[jrpaul]

I just noticed this exact same issue that Cathey mentioned using Snowflake and Designer.   I'm sure it all worked fine within the last week or two.  Wondering if there was an update to something that is causing this?  

[jrpaul]

Also, if I specify a database in the ODBC connection config, I will see it on the right side of VQB, but if I click on the "+" to expand, it says "<empty>", no tables are listed.    

I do see all tables under the "Table" tab though.  Is there a table that Designer queries to get the databases/tables; maybe a permission is missing?  

[jrpaul]

Update -- we discovered if we set up the ODBC login to use a Service Account (vs my user account), then everything seems to work correctly. I see the databases/tables in the right-side pane.   Is there some master index VQB accesses that might have different permissions for users vs service accounts?  Not sure I can log into my user account with a password since we use MFA / external browser.  If not, I could make a service account to mirror my permissions but that is just a workaround.   Hopefully someone on Alteryx support +Snowflake can provide some insight on what is causing this behavior in the last month.