Starburst Platform

Tags intermediate guide starburst sql-platform cloud

Starburst Galaxy is a managed Trino service providing serverless distributed SQL query execution. BenchBox provides first-class Starburst support, inheriting Trino’s SQL dialect and federated query capabilities.

Features

• Managed Trino - No cluster management required

• Trino dialect - Inherits SQL dialect from Trino

• Federated queries - Query data across multiple sources

• Built-in catalogs - Pre-configured data connectors

• HTTPS secure - Always encrypted connections

• Multiple table formats - Iceberg, Hive, Delta Lake support

Quick Start

# Install Trino driver
uv add trino

# Set credentials
export STARBURST_HOST=my-cluster.trino.galaxy.starburst.io
export STARBURST_USER=joe@example.com/accountadmin
export STARBURST_PASSWORD=your-password

# Run benchmark
benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0

Authentication

Starburst Galaxy uses a unique username format that combines your email with a role:

username = email/role
# Example: joe@example.com/accountadmin

Configuration Methods

Environment Variables (recommended):

export STARBURST_HOST=my-cluster.trino.galaxy.starburst.io
export STARBURST_USER=joe@example.com/accountadmin
export STARBURST_PASSWORD=your-password

# Optional: separate role configuration
export STARBURST_USER=joe@example.com
export STARBURST_ROLE=accountadmin  # Appended automatically

# Optional: default catalog
export STARBURST_CATALOG=tpch_sf1

benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0

CLI Options:

benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0 \
    --platform-option host=my-cluster.trino.galaxy.starburst.io \
    --platform-option username=joe@example.com/accountadmin \
    --platform-option password=your-password \
    --platform-option catalog=tpch_sf1

Configuration Options

Option	Environment Variable	Required	Default	Description
host	STARBURST_HOST	Yes	-	Galaxy cluster hostname
username	STARBURST_USER / STARBURST_USERNAME	Yes	-	User email or email/role
password	STARBURST_PASSWORD	Yes	-	Password or API key
role	STARBURST_ROLE	No	-	Role (appended to username if not included)
catalog	STARBURST_CATALOG	No	-	Default catalog
port	STARBURST_PORT	No	443	HTTPS port
schema	-	No	default	Default schema
table_format	-	No	iceberg	Table format: memory, hive, iceberg, delta
verify_ssl	-	No	true	SSL certificate verification

Usage Examples

Basic Benchmark

# TPC-H at scale factor 1
benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0

# TPC-DS at scale factor 10
benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpcds --scale 10.0

With Specific Catalog

benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0 \
    --platform-option catalog=my_catalog \
    --platform-option schema=benchmark_data

With Table Format

# Use Iceberg tables (default)
benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0 \
    --platform-option table_format=iceberg

# Use Delta Lake tables
benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0 \
    --platform-option table_format=delta

Python API

from benchbox import TPCH
from benchbox.platforms.starburst import StarburstAdapter

# Initialize adapter
adapter = StarburstAdapter(
    host="my-cluster.trino.galaxy.starburst.io",
    username="joe@example.com/accountadmin",
    password="your-password",
    catalog="tpch_catalog",
    schema="benchmark_data",
    table_format="iceberg",
)

# Load and run benchmark
benchmark = TPCH(scale_factor=1.0)
benchmark.generate_data()
adapter.load_benchmark(benchmark)
results = adapter.run_benchmark(benchmark)

Architecture

Starburst inherits from Trino, which means:

• SQL Dialect: Uses Trino’s SQL dialect for query translation

• Connector Syntax: Same catalog.schema.table naming convention

• Session Properties: Trino session properties are supported

from benchbox.core.platform_registry import PlatformRegistry

# Check platform family
family = PlatformRegistry.get_platform_family("starburst")
# Returns: "trino"

# Check inheritance
parent = PlatformRegistry.get_inherited_platform("starburst")
# Returns: "trino"

Table Formats

Starburst Galaxy supports multiple table formats:

Format	Description	Use Case
memory	In-memory tables	Fast testing, small data
hive	Hive format	Compatibility with Hive ecosystem
iceberg	Apache Iceberg	Production analytics, ACID transactions
delta	Delta Lake	Databricks ecosystem integration

# Iceberg (recommended for analytics)
benchbox run --platform starburst --benchmark tpch --scale 1.0 \
    --platform-option table_format=iceberg

Comparison: Starburst vs Trino

Feature	Starburst Galaxy	Self-Hosted Trino
Deployment	Cloud managed	Self-hosted cluster
Authentication	Password/API key	Configurable
SSL	Always HTTPS	Configurable
Scaling	Automatic	Manual
Catalogs	Pre-configured	Manual setup
Cost	Pay-per-use	Infrastructure cost
Best For	Quick start, production	Full control, customization

When to Use Starburst

Use Starburst when:

• You need managed Trino without cluster management

• Running federated queries across multiple data sources

• Using Iceberg/Delta Lake table formats

• You want built-in catalog management

Use self-hosted Trino instead when:

• You need full control over cluster configuration

• Cost optimization is critical

• You have existing Trino infrastructure

• You need specific Trino plugins/connectors

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failed (401)

Starburst Galaxy authentication failed.

Solutions:

1. Verify username format: email/role (e.g., joe@example.com/accountadmin)

2. Check password is correct

3. Verify credentials at galaxy.starburst.io

Connection Refused

Cannot connect to Starburst Galaxy at {host}:{port}

Solutions:

1. Verify host is correct: {cluster-name}.trino.galaxy.starburst.io

2. Check network connectivity

3. Verify no firewall blocking port 443

SSL Certificate Error

SSL certificate error connecting to Starburst Galaxy.

Solutions:

1. Check network proxy settings

2. Verify SSL certificate chain

3. Use --platform-option verify_ssl=false (not recommended for production)

Catalog Not Found

Catalog 'my_catalog' does not exist

Solutions:

1. Create the catalog in Starburst Galaxy console

2. Use an existing catalog: check available catalogs in the console

3. Omit catalog option to use the default

Related Documentation

• Trino Platform - Self-hosted Trino benchmarking

• Deployment Modes Guide - Platform deployment architecture

• Platform Selection Guide - Choose the right platform

• Getting Started - Quick start guide