Hybrid Deployment
In the Hybrid model, the partner owns and operates the Databricks control plane and application layer, while the data plane runs entirely inside the customer's tenant. Compute, storage, and networking remain in the customer's environment, ensuring customer data does not leave their account.
This model enables partners to deliver a fully managed experience while meeting customer requirements for data residency, regulatory compliance, or security.
Key Characteristics
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Control plane | Partner controls the Databricks control plane and workspace configuration |
| Data plane | Compute, storage, and networking run in the customer's cloud account |
| Management | Customers do not manage Databricks directly |
| Application | Partner is responsible for managing the application |
| Data ownership | Customers retain ownership of their data and cloud resources |
Common Use Cases
Regulated Industry Analytics
Partners deliver analytics and reporting solutions for healthcare, financial services, or government customers where regulatory frameworks mandate that data remain within customer-controlled infrastructure. The partner manages the Databricks platform and application while customer data never leaves their cloud account.
Key outcome: Compliance-ready managed analytics without data movement
Enterprise Data Platform as a Service
Partners provide a fully managed data platform for large enterprises with existing cloud investments. The customer benefits from partner expertise in platform operations, upgrades, and optimization while maintaining control over their cloud infrastructure and data governance.
Key outcome: Enterprise-grade managed services with customer infrastructure control
Cloud Provider Variations
Hybrid deployments differ across cloud providers in how the data plane is deployed and how costs are allocated between partner and customer.
| Cloud | Deployment Model | Data Plane Location | Databricks Billing | Cloud Billing | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Customer-managed VPC | Customer account | Partner | Customer | Customer-managed VPC |
| GCP | Customer-managed VPC | Customer project | Partner | Customer | Customer-managed VPC |
| Azure | Azure Managed Application | Customer subscription | Customer | Customer | Managed Applications |
What's Next
- Customer Managed — When customers need full control
- SaaS Workspace Models — Multi-tenant vs per-customer workspace design for Partner Hosted
- Governance — Unity Catalog patterns for hybrid deployments