How to sync a Databricks table into the lakehouse
Steps in this video
Steps in this video
- Open your Databricks catalog and choose Sync to lakehouse
- Pick the target namespace
- Choose how to copy
- Type the tables
- Set the schedule
- Create the sync
- Run it now
- Check the run
- If it pauses, resume it
Prepare your source and destination
- Connect Databricks with your own account using the existing Databricks connection setup.
- Check that your account can read the source tables and use a SQL warehouse.
- Obtain edit access to the destination lakehouse namespace. Lakehouse support must be configured on your deployment.
Create the sync
- Open your connected Databricks catalog and select Sync to lakehouse. You can also open a namespace you can edit and select Sync into this namespace, then choose your catalog under Source.
- Check the Name, which starts as “Sync” plus your catalog’s name, and select Target namespace when it is not already fixed. Only namespaces you can edit are offered.
- Choose Mode. Snapshot (full copy) recopies the selected tables, including source edits and deletes. Incremental (time column) appends rows beyond the previous cursor.
- For incremental mode, enter a Time column set once when a row is created. Avoid a last-modified column: an edited row can be appended again.
- In Tables, type one
catalog.schema.tableper line, using the Unity Catalog names. The Load tables from source button is available to administrators only, so most members type the names. - Choose a Schedule, or use on-demand execution. Custom cron schedules use UTC. Set Freshness target (hours) if you need an explicit target.
- Check Scheduled runs, which is on by default, then select Create sync. The new sync asset opens.
Refresh and inspect results
- Open the sync and select Run now.
- Find the attempt under Runs. Review its status, copied rows, and completed tables.
- Expand the run to inspect each table’s status, row count, watermark, and error.
- To change the refresh definition, select Edit definition, make your changes, and select Save definition.
Recover from a failure
- Read the error on the sync or its failed run.
- Check the connection, source table permissions, and SQL warehouse access. Reconnect your catalog if its credentials are no longer available.
- If repeated failures pause the sync, fix the cause and select Resume before Run now.
- If access is revoked, restore the required access, then edit and save the definition under an account that owns the source catalog.
Good to know
- Viewing a sync does not grant permission to run or edit it. Running checks source access and edit access to the target namespace.
- Incremental mode does not update or delete rows already copied. Use snapshot mode when those changes must arrive.
- Each run resolves a fresh source credential. A run that outlasts that credential can fail; the next attempt resolves it again.
- Archive stops the sync and its schedule. Tables already copied remain in the namespace.

