Frequently Asked Questions

Installation

What are the requirements to install the Workbench Native App?

Installation requires a user with the ACCOUNTADMIN role on your Snowflake account.
A Posit advanced license file is required. Please reach out to sales@posit.co to obtain a license.

Can I install multiple copies of the Workbench Native App?

No, Snowflake Native App listings can only be installed once per account. Contact your Snowflake representative for updates on this feature’s availability.

Which cloud platforms support the Workbench Native App?

Currently, only AWS regions are supported. Azure and Google Cloud will be announced in the Snowflake SPCS docs. Contact your Snowflake representative for updates.

Does the Workbench Native App support Private Link?

No, Snowflake SPCS and Native Apps do not currently support private link. Refer to the Snowflake Private-link documentation for more details. Contact your Snowflake representative for updates.

Security

Does my data leave Snowflake?

No. Data accessed within Workbench remains within Snowflake unless explicitly sent outside via egress. All egress is controlled by network rules detailed in the Snowflake Network Policies Guide.

What is the default egress policy for the Workbench Native Application?

The default is an open egress policy that can be restricted by modifying network rules. Refer to Changing the Egress Policy for more information.

Is Multi-Factor Auth (MFA) supported?

Yes. Posit Workbench relies on your account’s existing authentication methods, including MFA, for ingress and OAuth integration.

Is FIDO2 Auth supported?

Snowflake Authentication does not support FIDO2. However, it supports various methods detailed in the Snowflake Authentication docs.

Functionality

Which version of Workbench is installed?

The Workbench version matches the latest stable release pushed by Posit.Refer to Posit Workbench Release Notes for the latest published version.

What else comes pre-installed within the Workbench Native App?

The Workbench Native App installs essential Snowflake packages for R, Python, and the command line:

	Packages
Python	All non-EOL python versions
System	`jq`, `nano`, `odbcinst`, `vim`
R versions	`4.3`, `4.4`
Quarto
Posit Pro ODBC	Latest version
R packages	`DBI`, `dplyr`, `dbplyr`, `httpgd`, `languageserver`, `odbc`, `rmarkdown`
Python packages	`pyodbc`, `snowflake`, `snowflake-cli-labs`, `snowflake-connector-python`, `snowflake-ingest`, `snowflake-ml-python`, `snowflake-snowpark-python`, `snowflake-sqlalchemy`

How do I add additional packages or software?

Users can install R and Python packages via CRAN, PyPi, and Posit Package Manager, assuming internet access is configured via egress policies. Adding system dependencies requires contacting Posit support.

Which types of sessions support Snowflake Auth?

VS Code and RStudio Pro sessions support managed credentials. Ensure the OAuth integration step is complete.

Does the Native App automatically scale or suspend?

Scaling and suspension require manual intervention via the ACCOUNTADMIN role or the POSIT_ADMIN role. Use stored procedures like app.workbench_stop() to suspend and app.workbench_start() to resume. See stored procedures for available procedures.

Can I resize the Workbench Compute Pool for larger workloads?

Yes, resizing is supported via stored procedure detailed in the administration docs. The Native App is currently limited to single-node deployments due to pending Snowflake feature requests. Snowflake has a wide variety of instance sizes ranging from 1 CPU, 6 GB to 124 CPU, 984 GB. For more information, see the Snowflake compute pools documentation.

Can I resize Workbench Storage?

No, storage resizing is not currently supported. The Workbench Native App uses block storage for the user /home directory and database, detailed in the Snowflake Block Volume docs. Please contact Posit Support for assistance.

Integrating with other Posit Products

Can I run Posit Connect or Posit Package Manager as a Native App?

Not yet. However, you can access Public Posit Package Manager at https://packagemanager.posit.co/client/#/ from your Workbench Native App.

How do I connect to existing Posit Connect or Posit Package Manager?

Ensure your Workbench Native App’s egress policy allows access to the Posit Connect and Package Manager URLs. Add <hostname of connect/package-manager>:443 to the allowed endpoints of your App. See documentation on changing the egress policy for guidance.