Snowsight Cloud

This guide explains how to connect Snowsight, Snowflake’s administrative user interface, as a cloud resource to StrongDM. Note that the configuration allows single sign-on (SSO).

Limitations #

• For the configuration to work, you must be able to connect to your Snowflake interface via SnowSQL. An admin or web interface does not work.
• Due to the limitations of this resource type, StrongDM does not log user interactions after authentication occurs. StrongDM logs activities such as setup or modification of the resource within StrongDM, or authentication of a user to the resource, but StrongDM does not log the queries performed by the user on the resource itself. We recommend the use of the Snowsight Activity area for logging further interactions with the resource once a user is authenticated.
• Similarly, some organization-level behaviors are also different for this resource type:
  • Inactivity timeouts are not enforced.
  • Current connections to resources are not severed instantly when access is revoked.
• StrongDM must be the only identity provider (IdP) configured for authentication to this resource.

Prerequisites #

• Before enabling this resource, ensure the Login Name for each Snowflake user (that is, not Username or Email) is set to match a StrongDM email. An email address serves as the ID StrongDM sends to Snowflake to log in a user. The following process disables identity provider (IdP) logins via any other method. Password logins still work.
• We recommend that you reach out to Snowflake support and request that users are not allowed to change their own passwords. Otherwise, once a user logs in to Snowflake via StrongDM, they may change their password and retain access to Snowflake even after their access is revoked in StrongDM.

Get StrongDM’s IdP Metadata #

StrongDM’s IdP metadata is required for creating an integration account with Snowsight.

1. Go to app.strongdm.com/saml/idp_metadata. This is a public URL that returns a XML blob. Within this output, note the value of the X509Certificate. The value is present twice. Both instances should have the same value.
2. Copy the certificate value. You will need it to create a StrongDM integration account.

Create a StrongDM Integration Account #

This integration account sets StrongDM information, including the IdP certificate.

1. Note your Snowflake account identifier, which identifies your Snowflake account within your organization, Snowflake-supported cloud platforms, and cloud regions. The account identifier may consist of your Snowflake organization name and account name, in the format <ORGANIZATION_NAME>-<ACCOUNT_NAME> (for example, myorg-account123). Alternatively, the account identifier may consist of your account locator, region ID, and cloud, and be in the format <ACCOUNT_LOCATOR>.<CLOUD_REGION_ID>.<CLOUD> (for example, xy12345.us-east-2.aws). The account identifier makes up part of your Snowflake base URL (for example, https://myorg-account123.snowflakecomputing.com or https://xy12345.us-east-2.aws.snowflakecomputing.com).

2. In SnowSQL, execute the following command, being sure to replace the placeholders with your own values.

   create security integration strongdm_idp
     type = saml2
     enabled = true
     saml2_issuer = 'https://app.strongdm.com/saml/idp_metadata'
     saml2_sso_url = '<ANY_STRING_IN_URL_FORMAT>'
     saml2_provider = 'Custom'
     saml2_x509_cert='<STRONGDM_IDP_X509_CERTIFICATE>'
     saml2_sp_initiated_login_page_label = '<ANY_STRING>'
     saml2_enable_sp_initiated = true
     saml2_force_authn = false
     saml2_requested_nameid_format = 'urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.1:nameid-format:unspecified'
     saml2_snowflake_issuer_url = 'https://<ACCOUNT_IDENTIFIER>.snowflakecomputing.com'
     saml2_snowflake_acs_url = 'https://<ACCOUNT_IDENTIFIER>.snowflakecomputing.com/fed/login';
   

Get the Snowsight Metadata XML Blob #

The Snowsight metadata XML blob allows connection to StrongDM.

1. Run desc security integration strongdm_idp; in SnowSQL.
2. Copy the SAML2_SNOWFLAKE_METADATA value. You will need it to configure the Snowsight cloud resource.

Configure the Snowsight Cloud Resource #

When you configure this cloud resource in the Admin UI, you use the Snowsight metadata XML blob to allow connection between Snowsight and StrongDM.

1. Log into the Admin UI.
2. Go to Resources > Clouds.
3. Click the Add cloud button.
4. For Cloud Type, select Snowsight (Snowflake Web Console) and set the other resource properties.

Resource properties #

Configuration properties are visible when you add a cloud resource or when you click to view its settings. The following table describes the settings available for Snowsight (Snowflake Web Console).

Secret store options #

By default, resource credentials are stored in the Strong Vault. However, these credentials also can be saved in a third-party secrets management tool.

Non-StrongDM options appear in the Secret Store dropdown if they are configured for your organization. For more details, see Configure Secret Store Integrations.