AWS RedShift - How to create a schema and grant access

If you are new to the AWS RedShift database and need to create schemas and grant access you can use the below SQL to manage this process

Schema creation

To create a schema in your existing database run the below SQL and replace

• my_schema_name with your schema name

CREATE SCHEMA my_schema_name; 

If you need to adjust the ownership of the schema to another user - such as a specific db admin user run the below SQL and replace

• my_schema_name with your schema name
• my_user_name with the name of the user that needs access

ALTER SCHEMA my_schema_name OWNER TO my_user_name;

Permissions

Now to allow only SELECT access to the new my_schema_name schema to the user my_user_name run the below SQL and replace

• my_schema_name with your schema name
• my_user_name with the name of the user that needs access

GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA my_schema_name TO my_user_name;
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA my_schema_name TO my_user_name;
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA my_schema_name GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO my_user_name;

To allow ALL access to the new my_schema_name schema to the user my_user_name run the below SQL and replace

• my_schema_name with your schema name
• my_user_name with the name of the user that needs access

GRANT ALL ON SCHEMA my_schema_name TO my_user_name;
GRANT ALL ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA my_schema_name TO my_user_name;
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA my_schema_name GRANT ALL ON TABLES TO my_user_name;

If the user my_user_name does not already have access rights to the database that the schema belongs to run the below SQL and replace

• my_databasea_name with your database name
• my_user_name with the name of the user that needs access

GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE my_database_name TO my_user_name;

Group access

To assign permissions to a user group rather than individual user in RedShift change the abover queriers from TO my_user_name to TO GROUP my_user_group. Replacing my_user_group with the name of your RedShift user group.