Snowflake Data Source Will Require Key-Pair Authentication - Connector Update Inquiry

[kathybootsri]

The Snowflake data source connector has previously used username and password as the authentication method. We typically use a service account in Snowflake to connect to Snowflake. However, beginning sometime in April 2025, they will no longer accept single-factor password authentication and require key-pair authentication. They will block all attempts to log into Snowflake using a password. Will the Snowflake connector begin rolling out an authentication option to allow us to use key-pair authentication instead? We want to get ahead of this issue before all our gateways fail.  

Source: https://www.snowflake.com/en/blog/blocking-single-factor-password-authentification/

[reubwork]

Just to say that an alternative is to use a PAT token. This can be done for a Snowflake SERVICE login, and works for PowerBI connections. I've just been testing it and it works a treat.

The (arguably) drawback is that the token has an expiry date of a maximum of 12months, so any connections will need updating at least every 12months. 

I say "arguably", because forcing a token expiry is a little more secure than depending on a private key. 

https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/programmatic-access-tokens

Even better would be the ability to use a workspace scoped managed identity. I assume that will come along in the future. 

[jbaba]

See Fabric Roadmap under Data Factory:
https://roadmap.fabric.microsoft.com/?product=datafactory

Connectors - Snowflake Key-Pair Auth type
Planned
General availability
Q3 2025

Connectors - Snowflake Key-Pair Auth type
We will enhance the Snowflake connector to support Snowflake's Key-Pair Authentication type.

Release Date:
Q3 2025
Release Type:
General availability

[v-ssriganesh]

Hi @kathybootsri,
I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions. If my response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.
Thank you.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hi @kathybootsri,

Thank you for posting your query in the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum, and thanks to @austin_clark for sharing valuable insights.

Could you please confirm if your query has been resolved by the provided solution? If so, please mark it as the solution. This will help other community members solve similar problems faster.

Thank you.

[kathybootsri]

No - I believe the resolution for this is if Microsoft will confirm how key-pair authentication will be handled in the Snowflake connector for Power BI.

[v-ssriganesh · Accepted solution]

Hi @kathybootsri,
Thank you for your response. We understand that you're looking for confirmation on whether key-pair authentication will be supported in the Snowflake connector for Power BI.

Currently, there is no official confirmation from Microsoft regarding this feature. However, we recommend:

• Voting on the existing Idea request for key-pair authentication in the Microsoft Fabric Ideas forum: Want to use key pair authentication access from Po... - Microsoft Fabric Community More votes increase visibility and the chances of this feature being prioritized.
  
  
• Keep an eye on for any official announcements: What's New? - Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn
  
  

If you find this information useful, please “Accept it as a solution” and give it a “Kudos” to assist others in locating it easily.
Thank you.

[v-ssriganesh]

Hi @kathybootsri,
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you'd like to discuss this further. If this answers your question, please accept it as a solution and give it a 'Kudos' so other community members with similar problems can find a solution faster.
Thank you.

[austin_clark]

Agreed! There is an Idea you can vote on at the link below to help get the attention needed to impliment this new feature request. In the mean time, you can change the Type for the User(s) that connects to Snowflake from PowerBI to a "LEGACY_SERVICE" Type, which buys us some more time for Microsoft to (hopefully!) add key pair auth for the Snowflake connector. IIRC users with LEGACY_SERVICE can still use username/password authentication without MFA until November 2025

https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Fabric-Ideas/Want-to-use-key-pair-authentication-access-fr...