ClickHouse Taps Google Lakehouse Iceberg Tables Directly

Unlocking Data Lakehouse Analytics

The integration between ClickHouse and Google's Lakehouse Runtime Catalog, leveraging Apache Iceberg's REST Catalog, marks a substantial step forward in democratizing access to data residing in cloud data lakes. The ability for ClickHouse to directly query Iceberg tables in Google Cloud Storage without data movement or proprietary connectors is a key differentiator. This eliminates common data engineering friction points, allowing analysts to leverage ClickHouse's high-performance analytical capabilities on data managed by BigQuery or Spark. The introduction of a beta feature in ClickHouse 26.2 and planned availability in ClickHouse Cloud signal a commitment to this interoperability. The native integration with Google's Application Default Credentials (ADC) simplifies authentication, making deployment more straightforward for users already invested in the Google Cloud ecosystem. The immediate utility of read-only access, coupled with the future promise of write support, positions this as a compelling development for organizations seeking unified data access and analysis across diverse storage solutions.

However, the current beta status of the integration implies potential for bugs or performance tuning needs. While the article highlights the no-data-movement aspect, it also points out the ability to load data into ClickHouse's native format for enhanced performance. This introduces a potential trade-off between immediate access and optimized query latency, which users will need to evaluate based on their specific use cases. The reliance on Google Cloud's Lakehouse Runtime Catalog means this integration is primarily beneficial for users within that ecosystem. While Iceberg itself is cross-platform, the REST Catalog endpoint is specific to Google Cloud. Future enhancements, particularly write support, will be crucial for realizing the full potential of this integration, enabling bidirectional data flow and more complex data manipulation scenarios directly within ClickHouse against the data lakehouse.

Key Points

• ClickHouse now supports direct querying of Google Cloud Lakehouse Iceberg tables via the Apache Iceberg REST Catalog.
• This integration eliminates the need for data movement or proprietary connectors for accessing data lakehouse tables.
• It allows analysts to use ClickHouse for fast, complex analytics on data managed by Spark or BigQuery.
• The feature is available as a beta in ClickHouse 26.2 and will be in ClickHouse Cloud shortly.
• Authentication is handled natively through Google's Application Default Credentials (ADC).
• Users can either load data into ClickHouse's native format for lower latency or query directly from the lakehouse.
• Future enhancements include write support from ClickHouse back to Lakehouse Iceberg tables and UI integration in ClickHouse Cloud.

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📖 Source: ClickHouse integrates with Lakehouse Runtime Catalog