Organizations sometimes manage multiple Iceberg catalogs, each tailored to specific workloads, teams, regulatory requirements, or operational needs. While this diverse array of catalogs allows organizations to optimize their data strategies, it also introduces challenges in unifying access and ensuring seamless integration. Apache Polaris addresses this problem by enabling connections to external Iceberg catalogs by integrating those using the Apache Iceberg REST Catalog Specification. This innovative feature enables Polaris to serve as a central access point for all Iceberg tables, regardless of the underlying catalog, thereby simplifying multi-catalog use cases and enhancing operational flexibility.
With Polaris, users can query and manage Iceberg tables from external catalogs as if they were part of Polaris. By connecting their Polaris catalog to their favorite engines, end users gain unified access to datasets across multiple catalogs without managing separate credentials or interfaces (Figure 4-1). This capability makes it significantly easier to leverage the best features of different catalogs while maintaining a cohesive and user-friendly experience.
Figure 4-1. Access to Polaris can be access to all catalogs on the lakehouse
Organizations across industries often find themselves managing multiple Iceberg catalogs, sometimes due to regional ...
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