Add a compute pool to an app with containers

The topic describes how to use compute pools in a Snowflake Native Apps with Snowpark Container Services.

About compute pools in apps with containers

A compute pool is a collection of one or more virtual machine (VM) nodes on which Snowflake runs Snowpark Container Services. Apps with containers uses a compute pool in the consumer account to manage the container images required by the app.

An app can create multiple compute pools and each compute pool is exclusive to the app. Compute pools used by the app cannot be used for other purposes.

Containers within an app can directly access each other, even if they are in different compute pools.

However, using different compute pools allows providers to separate types of services. For example, a provider can separate their frontend services from backend services.

Compute pools are account-level objects, meaning the name of each compute pool must be unique within the consumer account.

Best practices for using compute pools in an app with containers

Providers should consider the following best practices when creating compute pools a consumer account:

  • Compute pools have cost implications. It is important to set values for the min_nodes, max_nodes, and instance_family properties to consume the correct amount of resources. Providers should also set the AUTO_SUSPEND_SECS property to automatically suspend inactive compute pools.

    See CREATE COMPUTE POOL for more information.

  • Compute pools are account-level objects, as such their pool names must be unique within a consumer account. Consider using the application name as a prefix of the compute pool name to ensure uniqueness.

  • When adding a computer pool to an app with containers that is installed on different cloud service providers, the code used to create the compute pool must account for differences in the instance families across different cloud service providers. For example, the HIGHMEM_X64_L instance family has a different configuration for each cloud service provider.

    See CREATE COMPUTE POOL for more information on available instance families. See Choose different instance families for each provider for an example of how to set the instance family for different cloud service providers.

  • Set the uses_gpu property to TRUE only if the app with containers uses a GPU as the instance family of the compute pool. See Set the :code:uses_gpu property in the manifest file for more information.

Create a compute pool for an app

There are two ways to create a compute pool for an app with containers:

  • The app creates the compute pools required during installation. This requires that the consumer grants the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege on the compute pool to the app. A provider can configure the app to request these privileges using Snowsight.

    See Configure an app to request the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege for more information.

  • The consumer manually creates the compute pools required by the app. The consumer must run the CREATE COMPUTE POOL to create the compute pool, then manually grant the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege on the compute pool to the app.

Set the :code:uses_gpu property in the manifest file

If an app with containers specifies a GPU as the instance family for the Compute Pool, providers must set the uses_gpu flag to true in the manifest. The following example shows how to set this flag in the :code`artifacts` block:

artifacts:
  readme: readme.md
  setup_script: scripts/setup.sql
  container_services:
    uses_gpu: true|false
    images:
    - /provider_db/provider_schema/provider_repo/server:prod
    - /provider_db/provider_schema/provider_repo/web:1.0
Copy

The automated security scan uses this flag security scanning framework to validate behavior during the app version scanning process.

Caution

To publish an app with containers on the Snowflake Marketplace, the app must create the required compute pools during installation. See Enforced requirements for the Snowflake Marketplace publication requirements.

Configure an app to request the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege

Providers can configure an app to request the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege. They can also create the compute pool from the setup script when the app is installed or upgraded.

Note

An app can create a maximum of five compute pools in a consumer account. Contact Snowflake support if your app needs to create additional compute pools.

Request the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege

An app can request the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privileges from a consumer. This privilege allows the app to create a compute pool in the consumer account. See Request global privileges from consumers for general information about requesting global privileges from the consumer.

To request the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege from a consumer, add the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege to the manifest.yml file as shown in the following example:

...
privileges:
 - CREATE COMPUTE POOL
   description: "Enable application to create one to five compute pools"
 ...
Copy

See Create the manifest file for an app with containers for more information on creating the manifest.yml file for an app with containers.

Note

The behavior for the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege request within a container app is different than other privilege requests. When you add this privilege to the manifest.yml file, Snowsight displays an interface that allows a consumer to grant the required privileges.

Add the CREATE COMPUTE POOL command to the setup script

To create a compute pool in the consumer account add the CREATE COMPUTE POOL command to the setup script of the app.

The following example shows how to create a compute pool within a stored procedure in the setup script:

CREATE COMPUTE POOL IF NOT EXISTS app_compute_pool
  MIN_NODES = 1
  MAX_NODES = 1
  INSTANCE_FAMILY = standard_1
  AUTO_RESUME = true;
Copy

Note

When creating a compute pool within the app, providers should check that the provider has granted the CREATE COMPUTE POOL privilege before creating the compute pool.

Compute pools that an app creates are owned exclusively by that app. They cannot be used by other applications or by the consumer directly.

In general, users in the consumer account can only see compute pools created by the app in the following situations:

  • The user has been granted the MANAGE GRANTS privilege.

  • The app grants access to the compute pool using application roles.

However, users with the ACCOUNTADMIN role can suspend, stop, and resume a compute pool even if it is owned by an app.

Prefix the compute pool within the setup script

Because compute pools are account-level objects, compute pool names must be unique within the consumer account. The following example shows how to use the application name as a prefix of the compute pool name:

LET POOL_NAME := (select current_database()) || '_app_pool';
CREATE COMPUTE POOL IF NOT EXISTS identifier(:pool_name)
  MIN_NODES = 1
  MAX_NODES = 1
  INSTANCE_FAMILY = STANDARD_2;
Copy

Choose different instance families for each provider

When creating a compute pool for an app that is published across multiple cloud service providers, the code that creates the setup script must be written to account for differences in how instance families are configured.

The following example shows how to write a stored procedure to create a compute pool based on the cloud service provider where the app is being installed:

 CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE public.create_cp()
 RETURNS VARCHAR
 LANGUAGE SQL
 EXECUTE AS OWNER
 AS $$
  BEGIN
      LET POOL_NAME := (select current_database()) || '_app_pool';
      LET INSTANCE_FAMILY := IFF( CONTAINS(current_region(), 'AZURE') , 'GPU_NV_XS' , 'GPU_NV_S' );
      CREATE COMPUTE POOL IF NOT EXISTS identifier(:pool_name)
          MIN_NODES = 1
          MAX_NODES = 1
          INSTANCE_FAMILY = :instance_family;
      RETURN 'Compute Pool Created';
  END;
$$;
Copy
Language: English