Do you normally deploy dbt code/models from one environment to another? For example, working in a dev instance of Databricks and then moving to production. How do you manage environment variables, connections, and passwords to keep them secure and easy to manage?

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Deploying dbt models across environments typically follows a three‑tier approach: dev, staging, and prod. In Databricks, each environment has its own cluster, database, and secrets.

1. **Profiles and environment variables**: dbt uses a `profiles.yml` file to define connection parameters. Instead of hard‑coding values, we reference Databricks secrets using the `{{ env_var('VAR_NAME') }}` syntax. Each environment has its own set of secrets stored in Databricks Secret Scope.

2. **Secrets management**: Store credentials (token, password, JDBC URL) in Databricks Secret Scopes. In the CI/CD pipeline, inject the appropriate secret scope name via an environment variable. dbt will resolve `{{ env_var('DBT_SECRET_SCOPE') }}` to the correct scope.

3. **CI/CD integration**: Use a tool like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Azure Pipelines. The pipeline checks out the repo, sets the `DBT_PROFILE` environment variable to point to the target environment, and runs `dbt run --target <env>`. The `--target` flag selects the profile section.

4. **Versioned deployments**: Tag releases in Git. The pipeline pulls the tag, runs `dbt test` to validate, then executes `dbt run`. If the run succeeds, the models are materialized in the target environment.

5. **Rollback strategy**: Keep a history of dbt snapshots or use Databricks Delta tables’ time travel to revert to a previous state.

By externalizing secrets, using environment‑specific profiles, and automating the flow with CI/CD, we keep credentials secure, avoid duplication, and ensure consistent deployments across dev, staging, and prod.

Do you normally deploy dbt code/models from one environment to another? For example, working in a dev instance of Databricks and then moving to production. How do you manage environment variables, connections, and passwords to keep them secure and easy to manage?

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