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UniForm technology enables multi-format lakehouse with read-only Iceberg views of Delta tables via Unity Catalog REST endpoint
Key Features
Unity Catalog REST Integration
Unity Catalog exposes Iceberg REST catalog at /api/2.1/unity-catalog/iceberg, enabling external engines to read UniForm tables with standard Iceberg clients
UniForm Multi-Format Technology
UniForm enables the same table to be accessible as both Delta and Iceberg simultaneously, generating Iceberg metadata on every Delta commit
Read-Only Iceberg Access
External Iceberg engines get full SELECT and time-travel capabilities while Delta users retain complete DML operations within Databricks
Copy-on-Write Semantics
Delta commits use Copy-on-Write semantics with no Iceberg delete files; external readers always see fully merged, materialized snapshots
Metadata Generation & Sync
Iceberg metadata generated asynchronously on every Delta commit with manual sync option via MSCK REPAIR TABLE … SYNC METADATA
Time Travel & Snapshot Queries
External engines can time-travel using standard Iceberg syntax with snapshot-ID or timestamp, enhanced with Delta version mapping properties
Enterprise Security & Governance
Unity Catalog RBAC governs access with credential vending providing temporary, scoped cloud-storage credentials to external Iceberg clients
Current Limitations & Requirements
Tables with deletion vectors, streaming writes, or materialized views require purging/upgrade before Iceberg compatibility; Runtime 14.3 LTS+ required
Databricks Iceberg Feature Matrix
Comprehensive breakdown of Iceberg capabilities in Databricks Runtime 14.3 LTS+. The matrix shows feature support levels, implementation details, and minimum version requirements for your lakehouse architecture.
Dimension | Support Level | Implementation Details | Min Version |
|---|---|---|---|
Catalog Integration | REST OnlyUnity Catalog | Unity Catalog REST endpoint for external engines; UniForm tables generate Iceberg metadata on Delta commits | 14.3 LTS+ |
Read Operations | FullExternal Engines | Complete SELECT support via REST catalog or direct metadata paths for all Iceberg-compatible engines | 14.3 LTS+ |
Write Operations | PartialDelta Internal | Managed Iceberg Tables support external writes; UniForm Delta tables read-only for Iceberg clients | 16.4 LTS+ |
UniForm Technology | FullMulti-Format | Same table accessible as Delta and Iceberg simultaneously with automatic metadata generation | 14.3 LTS+ |
Time Travel | FullStandard Syntax | Standard Iceberg time travel with snapshot-ID/timestamp plus Delta version mapping properties | 14.3 LTS+ |
Storage Strategy | CoW OnlyCopy-on-Write | Copy-on-Write semantics with no Iceberg delete files; fully materialized snapshots | 14.3 LTS+ |
Metadata Sync | AsyncAuto + Manual | Asynchronous generation on Delta commits with MSCK REPAIR TABLE … SYNC METADATA for immediate sync | 14.3 LTS+ |
Security & Governance | FullUnity Catalog | Unity Catalog RBAC with credential vending for scoped, temporary cloud storage access | 14.3 LTS+ |
Streaming Support | InternalDelta Only | Structured Streaming and Change Data Feed inside Databricks; no Iceberg streaming endpoints | 14.3 LTS+ |
Format V3 Support | NoneV2 Only | UniForm targets Iceberg spec v2 only; no public v3 roadmap announced | N/A |
Table Compatibility | LimitedUpgrade Required | Tables with deletion vectors, streaming writes, or materialized views need REORG/upgrade | 14.3 LTS+ |
External Write Access | Read-OnlyREST Limitation | REST catalog provides read-only access; no external Iceberg DML operations | N/A |
Showing 12 entries
For issues, click here (GitHub)Use Cases
Multi-Engine Lakehouse
Enable external analytics tools and engines to access Delta tables via standard Iceberg APIs
- Practical example: A data science team at a Fortune 500 company maintains their core data in Databricks Delta tables for internal analytics. When external partners need access to this data, they enable UniForm to expose the tables via Iceberg REST catalog. External partners can now query the data using Apache Spark or Trino in their own infrastructure without requiring Databricks access or data duplication
- Business intelligence tools requiring Iceberg connectivity for reporting
- Data science platforms with Iceberg client libraries for ML workflows
- External Spark clusters needing read access to Delta tables for processing
Data Sharing & Federation
Share Delta table data across organizational boundaries with standardized Iceberg access
- Practical example: A healthcare consortium shares patient outcome data across 15 hospitals. Each hospital uses different analytics tools (some use Databricks, others use Trino or Presto). By enabling UniForm on Delta tables, the central data warehouse provides Iceberg-compatible access, allowing each hospital to query shared data using their preferred tools while maintaining strict Unity Catalog security controls
- Cross-team data sharing with different tool preferences and requirements
- Partner organizations requiring standard data access without vendor dependencies
- Data marketplace implementations with unified access patterns
Migration & Modernization
Gradually migrate from legacy systems while maintaining backward compatibility
- Practical example: A retail company is migrating from legacy Hive tables to Databricks Delta. During the 6-month transition period, they enable UniForm to allow their existing Tableau dashboards (which connect via Iceberg) to continue working while they gradually migrate reports to use native Delta connections. This phased approach eliminates 'big bang' migration risks
- Transitioning from Hive tables to Delta with external tool support
- Legacy analytics tools requiring Iceberg compatibility during migration
- Hybrid architectures during platform modernization initiatives
Compliance & Governance
Provide auditable, read-only access for compliance and regulatory scenarios
- Practical example: A financial institution must provide read-only access to their transaction data for external auditors during quarterly reviews. Using UniForm with Unity Catalog, they expose specific tables via Iceberg REST catalog with time-bound credentials, ensuring auditors can verify data independently without granting write access or exposing sensitive internal systems
- Regulatory reporting with external audit tools and compliance frameworks
- Compliance teams requiring independent data access with audit trails
- Data governance with Unity Catalog integration for fine-grained control