Understanding Amazon Redshift Data Sharing Solutions: A Comprehensive Comparison

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Content level: Foundational
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In today's data-driven landscape, AWS offers multiple ways to share and govern data through Redshift. This article compares three key solutions: Amazon Redshift Data Sharing, Amazon DataZone and Amazon Data Exchange. The three solutions will share data from Amazon Redshift but each service delivers their own purpose. In this article I’ll highlight the key aspects of each and how to choose.

Amazon Redshift Data Sharing: Direct Database Access

Amazon Redshift Data Sharing provides straightforward, SQL-based sharing between Redshift clusters without duplicating the storage:

  • Object-level sharing (tables, views, schemas)
  • Cross-cluster and cross-account capabilities at no extra cost
  • Cross-region sharing capabilities (data transfer charges applies)
  • Read-only or multi-DW write data sharing

Best For: Same company workload isolation (charge back and/or resources isolation) with real-time data access across Redshift environments.

Example

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Amazon DataZone: Enterprise Data Governance

Amazon DataZone serves as the governance powerhouse, focusing on internal data management and security:

  • Comprehensive data cataloging and classification
  • Fine-grained access control mechanisms
  • Built-in compliance and audit capabilities
  • Policy-driven data governance

Best For: Organizations prioritizing data governance, compliance, and creation of a business catalog for internal data discovery.

Example

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AWS Data Exchange: Marketplace-Style Sharing

AWS Data Exchange facilitates secure data sharing beyond organizational boundaries:

  • Cross-account and cross-organization sharing capabilities
  • AWS Marketplace integration
  • Monetization opportunities
  • Provider-controlled access management

Best For: Organizations looking to share or monetize data assets with external parties.

Example

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Conclusion

Each sharing solution serves distinct purposes:

  • Amazon Redshift Data Sharing provides workload isolation with read/write capability
  • Amazon DataZone excels in governance and security
  • AWS Data Exchange facilitates external sharing and monetization

Organizations should evaluate their specific requirements around data sharing, governance, and technical complexity when selecting the appropriate solution. Often, these solutions can be used complementarity to create a comprehensive data sharing strategy. The choice ultimately depends on factors such as:

  • Security requirements
  • Sharing scope (internal vs. external)
  • Technical expertise
  • Maintenance capacity
  • Cost considerations

By understanding these differences, organizations can better align their data sharing strategy with their business objectives and technical capabilities.

Useful Links:

Amazon Redshift Data Sharing:

Documentation

Product Page

Pricing

AWS Blog about Amazon Redshift data sharing

Amazon DataZone:

Documentation

Product Page

Pricing

AWS Blog about Amazon Redshift and Amazon DataZone

AWS Data Exchange:

Documentation

Product Page

Pricing

AWS Blog about Amazon Redshift and Amazon Data Exchange

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