External Database Connections

Read time: ~6 minutes · Series: Platform Admin practice · Previous: Divide of labor · Next: Workspace and data folder

Why connect instead of importing into Lantide

Lantide uses DuckDB ATTACH to mount external databases so analysts can JOIN local files and remote tables in SQL without importing whole databases locally. You provision connections and permissions.

Supported types and flow

Supported: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite.

Sidebar Data → Connections
Choose type; fill host / port / database / credentials and alias (SQL prefix)
Test Connection → Connect on success
Data section shows alias → schema → table tree

Steps and options: USER_GUIDE §4.5.

Reference format (for analysts)

-- PostgreSQL example
SELECT * FROM pg_db.public.orders LIMIT 10;

-- Cross-source JOIN example
SELECT o.order_id, l.name
FROM sdb.main.orders o
JOIN "local.csv" l ON o.customer_id = l.customer_id;

Alias naming: short, unique, team-readable (e.g. pg_warehouse) so SQL stays clear.

Limits and troubleshooting

Item	Notes
Trial	Max 1 active connection; second triggers upgrade toast (English)
Connection errors	Yellow warning on Connections button; check network, firewall, credentials
After disconnect	External tables may disappear from sidebar; reconnect then Data Refresh
Passwords	Not bundled in `.lantide` export; re-enter after import

One thing to do now

Create a test connection with a read-only account; after Test succeeds ask analyst to SELECT 100 rows from sidebar to verify permissions.