The Snowflake Native App Framework revolutionizes app development for the modern enterprise. Enabling developers to build faster, deploy more easily, and operate effortlessly, the Snowflake Native App Framework combines secured data and controlled code to accelerate customer adoption and drive application success.
Gilberto Hernandez, lead developer advocate at Snowflake, joined DBTA’s webinar, Build and Deploy Your First Snowflake Native App - Virtual Hands on Lab, to walk webinar viewers through the process of creating a Snowflake Native App that runs directly in the end-customer’s Snowflake accounts.
Hernandez kicked off the conversation by offering some context as to what the Snowflake Native App Framework is: a solution that allows developers to build apps using Snowflake functionalities, distribute and monetize that app on the Snowflake Marketplace, and install and run apps in the consumer’s Snowflake account.
“If you’ve created an app and published it on the Snowflake Marketplace, you are an app provider. By being able to publish it on Snowflake Marketplace, you can monetize it, which means you can drive revenue,” Hernandez explained.
Leveraging the Snowflake Native App Framework offers advantages in both ease of use and security. Developers build apps faster because they are using Snowflake components that are already familiar to them and can deploy apps effortlessly by not having to worry about managing their own infrastructure. Furthermore, since this is all occurring within Snowflake, developers and end-users alike are awarded peace of mind that their data is secure within Snowflake’s data perimeter.
Hernandez then dove into the process of building a Snowflake Native App from the app provider perspective. Developers can bring their own tools of choice and build with the most popular coding languages, ensuring that the process is as streamlined as it is familiar. Additionally, apps can be developed with Snowflake primitives, which allows apps to be locally developed and tested.
Once the developer decides their app is ready to be consumed by a broader audience, the app can then be published on the Snowflake Marketplace as a private or public listing (this capability is only available in Private Preview, with Public Preview coming soon). Developers can then dictate the billing model of their app, selecting from a list of models (i.e., fixed or custom event).
Regarding app maintenance and versioning, customers can opt-in to sharing events with providers to help the troubleshooting process.
“Let’s say something is constantly crashing or there’s a bug, end users can share these logs and events to help you maintain your app,” said Hernandez.
Snowflake Native App developers can also utilize staged rollouts and auto upgrades for publishing new changes to their app.
Hernandez continued the discussion by switching gears to the consumer’s perspective of using a Snowflake Native App. End-users can discover and browse Snowflake Snowflake Native Apps on the Snowflake Marketplace without ever leaving the Data Cloud. Once a consumer decides on an app, it can be purchased and installed within the consumer’s Snowflake account.
Regarding permissions, consumers can grant account-level and object-level privileges, then reviewable by admins. Hernandez further emphasized that the data of these apps never moves; apps run entirely in the consumer’s Snowflake account, ensuring the security of its data.
Hernandez then walked webinar viewers through a hands-on lab using a quickstart guide, illustrating the ways that the Snowflake Native App Framework can revolutionize proprietary app development.
For an in-depth overview of using the Snowflake Native App Framework, featuring examples and a live demo, you can view an archived version of the webinar here.