unable to see create workspace button at Databricks azure

RajeshKumar1

Why I am unable to see create workspace button at Databricks Account Console at azure

In Azure Databricks, the reason you don’t see the “Create Workspace” button in the Databricks Account Console is usually because of a concept mismatch between how workspaces are created in AWS/GCP Databricks and Azure Databricks.

Here’s the key difference:

1️⃣ Azure Databricks doesn’t let you create workspaces from the Databricks Account Console

The Databricks Account Console (accounts.databricks.com) is primarily used in AWS/GCP to manage multiple workspaces, identity federation, and account-level configurations.
In Azure Databricks, workspace creation is completely handled via the Azure Portal, not the Databricks Account Console.
That’s why the “Create Workspace” button is absent — Microsoft’s integration moves that functionality into Azure Resource Manager (ARM).

2️⃣ How to Create a Workspace in Azure Databricks

Instead of looking in the Databricks account console:

Go to Azure Portal → https://portal.azure.com
Click Create a Resource → search for Azure Databricks.
Click Create.
Fill in:
- Subscription
- Resource Group
- Workspace name
- Region
- Pricing Tier
Click Review + Create → Create.
Wait for deployment → then click Launch Workspace.

3️⃣ Why Microsoft Designed It This Way

Azure tightly couples Databricks workspaces with Azure networking, billing, and RBAC through Azure Resource Manager.
You cannot create an Azure Databricks workspace directly from Databricks Account Console — that portal will only let you manage users, groups, SCIM provisioning, and Unity Catalog after the workspace exists.

4️⃣ Common Misunderstanding

If you followed AWS or GCP Databricks documentation, it will say “Click Create Workspace in the account console.”
That does not apply to Azure. For Azure, workspace provisioning is always via the Azure Portal, Azure CLI, ARM templates, or Terraform.

✅ Quick Tip:
If you already have a workspace and want to see it in the Databricks Account Console, you’ll need to link your Azure Databricks workspace to your account by enabling E2 architecture with account console access via Azure support.

If you want, I can share a step-by-step with Azure CLI and Terraform so you can skip the Azure Portal and automate workspace creation.
That way you’ll also understand how the Azure ARM integration differs from AWS/GCP.

RajeshKumar1

When you deploy an Azure Databricks workspace, it does not automatically create or assign a default Unity Catalog metastore unless Databricks has enabled this automatic process for new workspaces in your region (a feature gradually rolled out since November 2023). In most cases, especially for enterprise setups or existing tenants, you must manually create a metastore and connect it to your workspace.[1][2][3]

How Metastore Assignment Works in Azure Databricks

Legacy Behavior:
- When you create a workspace, a default Hive metastore is available, which is isolated within that workspace.
- For Unity Catalog, you need a separate, account-level Unity Catalog metastore to enable centralized governance.
Current Unity Catalog Rollout:
- Databricks may auto-enable Unity Catalog for new workspaces by creating and attaching a metastore automatically—but only if your region/account is included in the rollout. You should check if this applies to your workspace.

Steps to Connect Workspace and Metastore (Unity Catalog)

1. Check Existing Metastore Assignment

Go to the Databricks Account Console → Workspaces.
Look in the Metastore column for your workspace.
- If a metastore name appears, your workspace is already linked.[2]

Alternatively, run SQL in your Databricks notebook:

  SELECT CURRENT_METASTORE();

If you get a metastore ID, the workspace is connected.

2. Manual Creation and Assignment (If not present)

Create a Metastore:
- In the Account Console, go to Catalog → Create metastore.
- Specify a name, region (must match your workspace), and optionally provide an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 path and Access Connector ID for managed storage.[3][1]
Assign Workspace to Metastore:
- In the Account Console under the desired metastore, select Workspaces tab.
- Click Assign to workspace and select your workspace.
- Confirm assignment.
- Your workspace is now enabled for Unity Catalog. You will see Catalogs, Schemas, and Tables exposed through Unity Catalog in the data explorer.

3. Automatic Assignment (If enabled by Databricks)

If your account has “auto-assignment” of the Unity Catalog metastore, new workspaces in the same region will be automatically assigned to that metastore.[4]

Important Notes

Managed Storage: You can control where your metastore stores managed table data by providing your own ADLS Gen2 storage account—highly recommended for enterprise data governance and compliance.[5]
Only one Unity Catalog metastore per region is allowed. All workspaces in that region share the same metastore and data governance policies.[6]
Workspace ↔ Metastore assignment is done in the Account Console, NOT in the Azure Portal.

Summary

Deploying a workspace does NOT automatically create a Unity Catalog metastore (unless auto-enabled).
To connect your workspace to Unity Catalog, manually create a metastore in the Account Console, then assign your workspace.
Use your own storage account for managed tables if needed for compliance.
Check connectivity in Account Console (Metastore column) or using SQL.

This way, your workspace will have access to Unity Catalog’s governance, sharing, audit, and data management features, centralizing data management across clouds and workspaces in your organization.[1][2][5]