---
title: "How To Search a Snowflake Database"
url: "https://dm0bkdes5q7a2ls.productfruits.help/en/article/how-to-scan-a-snowflake-database"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-10-01T14:57:46.825Z"
---

# How To Search a Snowflake Database

This article covers the requirements and steps necessary to scan a Snowflake database using Spirion Sensitive Data Platform.

## Overview

Spirion Sensitive Data Platform users have two ways to scan a Snowflake database:

1.  **Native Connector (recommended)** 
2.  1.  Built into Sensitive Data Platform
    2.  This method supports multi-factor authentication (MFA)
3.  **ODBC with a CData Connector**
4.  1.  Requires a CData connector license
    2.  This may require additional cost and is not recommended

📌 If you need help with **AnyScan** and **CData** connectors, see the article "Spirion AnyScan™ Connector Install Guide: Salesforce" on the [archTIS Support Portal](https://archtis.help.com/).

## Before You Start

-   When forming your connection string ensure that `DB Type=13`
-   Ensure the Snowflake database has a direct connection with the agent
-   Permissions do not transfer from data lake to data lake in Snowflake
-   -   The Agent must have a connection to each data lake for every database you want to scan
-   If you are using a certificate you must alter your connection string to account for the certificate
-   The native connector can scan a Snowflake database behind MFA
-   To scan Snowflake, you must use Agent version 13.2.2 or later
-   The Snowflake ODBC driver is required (both the 32 and 64-bit version of the driver to scan Snowflake using either the native or ODBC connector)
-   -   See the **ODBC Downloads** page here: [ODBC Driver - Developer Resources](https://www.snowflake.com/en/developers/downloads/odbc/)

## How to Create a Snowflake Connection String

Unlike other databases, Snowflake does **not** have a built-in connection string builder in the Spirion Sensitive Data Platform Agent.

-   The connection string must be manually created.
-   Manually paste the connection string into the "Target" field.

## Example Connection String

-   The connection string below is a sample.
-   You must modify the example connection string if you are using it for your own needs.
-   To configure [connecting to Snowflake through a proxy](https://dm0bkdes5q7a2ls.productfruits.help/en/article/how-to-scan-a-snowflake-database#how-to-connect-to-a-snowflake-database-via-proxy) see the topic below

```plain
DRIVER={SnowflakeDSIIDriver};Server=your snowflake server address;Database=Showflakedatabasename;Warehouse=warehousename;UID=Username;PWD=password;DB Type=13;
```

## Key Parameters

In this connection string the following parameters are specified as:

-   **DRIVER** – This specifies the driver being used will always be SnowflakeDSIIDriver
-   **Server** – Name of your Snowflake server.
-   **Database** – Name of the Database being scanned.
-   **Warehouse** – Warehouse location of the database being scanned.
-   **UID** – Username used to authenticate to Snowflake.
-   **PWD** – Password of that user.
-   **DB Type** – The database scan type for Spirion Sensitive Data Manager customers. Set this value to **13**.

## Additional Parameters (if using a certificate)

If you are using a certificate, you may also need to add the following information to your connection string.

**Note**: The following is not the exhaustive list of variables:

-   **Priv\_Key\_File** – The file path location of the private key
-   **Priv\_Key\_PWD** – The password to the private key
-   **Role** – User Role if the UID in the Snowflake database
-   **Authenticator** \- Snowflake\_JWT

## How to Scan Using the Native Spirion Sensitive Data Platform Snowflake Connector

Procedure:

1.  From the left side navigation menu select **Data Asset Inventory > Data Assets and Targets**.
2.  The "Data Assets and Targets" page opens.
3.  Select the **TARGETS** tab at the top of the screen.
4.  Select the blue **Actions** button at the top right corner of the page.
5.  Select **Add Target** from the drop-down menu that appears.  
      
    ![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/d07cbd54-79f2-4a09-a21a-ab5a8dff160d)
6.  The **Add New Target** pop-up box appears.
7.  1.  Enter a descriptive Target name in the "Target Name" field.
8.  Next, select the **Database** tile under the Target Type section.  
      
    ![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/14697e89-8a53-49f7-838c-0bb32402a8ed)
9.  The **Select a Database to Configure** pop-up box appears.
10.  Select the **Snowflake** tile under the "Select a Database to Configure" section.  
       
     ![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/e818f00a-7325-4c82-88bc-01a6055dc0e7)
11.  Paste the connection string you created in the section above into the "Connection String" field.  
       
     ![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/c7d74a76-613f-4a4d-ae3e-b56537924fe5)
12.  To create a search, follow the article [How to Create a New Sensitive Data Scan](https://dm0bkdes5q7a2ls.productfruits.help/en/article/create-a-new-sensitive-data-scan).

## How to Connect to a Snowflake Database via Proxy

Connecting to your Snowflake database through a proxy requires additional configuration, described below.

### About Required Proxy Parameters and Format

-   `db type=13`
-   -   Without this parameter the Agent uses a generic ODBC driver instead of `SnowflakeDSIIDriver`
    -   The generic ODBC driver doesn't support Snowflake-specific proxy parameters, so proxy settings are silently ignored
-   **Wrong proxy parameter format**
-   -   The Snowflake ODBC driver doesn't accept `Proxy` + `ProxyPort` as separate parameters — those are rejected as invalid keys.
    -   The correct parameter is a single `proxy=host:port` in lowercase. For example:
    -   -   `proxy=192.168.1.1:8080`

### Connection String and Parameters

Both parameters must be set correctly in the connection string.

-   For example, assume the proxy is running on 192.168.1.17.

The connections string with the correct **db type** and **proxy address** appears in the following partial connection string example:

```plain
db type=13; DRIVER={SnowflakeDSIIDriver}; Server=...;proxy=192.168.1.17:8080
```

### Proxy Server Installation and Information

-   Use the following command to install the proxy:

```powershell
pip install proxy.py
```

-   Then start an interactive Python session and load the helper functions:

```powershell
python
```

This launches a python interactive session:

```py
%run proxy.py          # load start_proxy() and stop_proxy()
proc = start_proxy2()   # starts proxy on 127.0.0.1:8080
# ... test the agent using proxy=127.0.0.1:8080 in the connection string ...
# ... traffic will be logged in this terminal ...
stop_proxy2(proc)       # stop the proxy when done
```

## How to Troubleshoot a Failed Connection

Sometimes when attempting to connect to a Snowflake database the connection fails.

The following errors may occur.

### ERROR: Unable to open database

#### Module error:28000

To troubleshoot these errors, note the following:

-   Module error:28000 means that an incoming request with IP/Token is not allowed to access snowflake.
-   Contact your account administrator.
-   In this case the agent does not have a direct connection to the database or the Data lake being scanned.
-   Your organization's Snowflake admin must grant access.