Resolving AAD Token Issues When Querying Databricks Model Serving Endpoints

Discover why querying Databricks Model Serving Endpoints with AAD tokens fails and learn about the alternatives, such as personal access tokens, while awaiting future updates.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/76094204/ asked by the user 'kanimbla' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/5098711/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/77282803/ provided by the user 'Alex Ott' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/18627/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Troubleshooting AAD Token Failures with Databricks Model Serving Endpoint

When working with Azure Databricks, you may encounter challenges while trying to access model serving endpoints using Azure Active Directory (AAD) tokens. This issue is particularly frustrating as it can hinder the development and deployment of machine learning models. In this guide, we will explore the problem and provide guidance on solutions that can help you navigate this situation.

The Problem: AAD Token Request Failure

You might be trying to execute a query against the Databricks model serving endpoint using an AAD token, as demonstrated in the sample code provided. The first step is to generate the AAD token, which can be performed through a simple HTTP POST request to the Azure login URL. Here's a brief snippet of how you might be generating the token:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Once you have the token, you might use it to make a GET request to list available serving endpoints, which works successfully. However, when you try to send a POST request to invoke a specific model, you encounter an error indicating a problem with the aud claim in your token:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This error means that the AAD token you are using does not align with what the Databricks model serving endpoint expects.

Solution: Use Personal Access Tokens (PATs)

Although it's clear that AAD tokens are not functioning as intended for querying model serving endpoints, there's a viable alternative: Personal Access Tokens (PATs). Currently, Databricks supports PATs for authentication when dealing with model serving, but AAD support is not yet available. Here’s how to implement PATs:

Step 1: Generate a Personal Access Token

Log into your Databricks workspace.

Click on your username in the top right corner and select "User Settings."

Navigate to the "Access Tokens" tab.

Click on "Generate New Token" and copy the generated token for later use.

Step 2: Use the Personal Access Token in Your Code

Replace the authorization header in your code with the PAT for your HTTP requests. For example:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Make Your API Call

Now, you can use the adjusted headers to invoke models at the serving endpoint without encountering the AAD authentication issue.

Conclusion

While it’s disappointing that AAD authentication does not yet support querying Databricks model serving endpoints, leveraging Personal Access Tokens serves as an effective workaround. It’s important to keep an eye on updates from Databricks regarding AAD support in the future.

Final Thoughts

Using the correct authentication method is crucial to accessing Databricks features seamlessly. Implementing PATs now will allow you to continue your work without interruptions while awaiting future enhancements. If you have any questions or further issues, feel free to reach out to the community for support.