LIFE-CAT-001 — Assign or retire the deployed Hive connector
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | Open finding; source and Superset history reviewed, direct clients unverified |
| Severity | Medium |
| Affected surface | Trino catalog configuration, Ranger policy, and external client access |
| Implementation issue | platform-stacks #675 |
| Code-change repository | sparqd/platform-stacks |
Where the problem appears
Inventory Hive catalog objects, Trino audit across all client types, Ranger policy, and supported product journeys before changing the connector.
Concrete observed case
The deployment includes a Hive connector, while product services and the registered Superset connection target Delta. Retained Superset history showed no Hive selection, but direct Trino clients, notebooks, jobs, and service accounts were not fully ruled out.
Expected condition
Every deployed connector has an owner, supported journey, access policy, compatibility tests, and lifecycle decision. If no dependency exists after an agreed observation window, remove Hive through a monitored canary.
Cause and evidence
- No active product journey or owner was identified for Hive.
- Superset history alone does not cover all Trino clients.
- Hive and Delta share the HMS, so removal requires format and dependency inventory.
Why it matters
An unowned connector expands security, governance, testing, and operational surface and can expose confusing duplicate or incompatible table names.
Existing controls and workarounds
Treat Hive as internal and unsupported in Catalog. Do not remove it based only on Superset history.
Alternatives considered
- Recommended: establish ownership and purpose or retire after complete dependency evidence.
- Hide but retain indefinitely — reduces UI confusion but leaves operational surface.
- Immediate removal — rejected without all-client inventory and a monitored canary.
Component involvement
- Platform owns connector lifecycle and canary.
- Operations owns complete usage evidence.
- Ranger and product owners validate dependency and policy impact.
Reproduction and verification
Follow CAT-S009. Record the visible state, request outcome, effective identity, and recovery behavior relevant to this finding.
Resolution conditions
Close when an owner and supported contract are documented, or when all-client evidence, policy review, and monitored removal prove no dependency.
Validation and blockers
Platform is primary. Notebook, jobs, Trino-client, security, and data owners must be consulted.