Introduction

The TestUC3001 – Catalog Not Found error in Databricks Unity Catalog occurs when a specified catalog does not exist or cannot be accessed. This issue can arise due to missing catalogs, incorrect configurations, or insufficient permissions. If unresolved, it prevents users from running queries, managing data, or creating new schemas and tables.

🚨 Common symptoms of TestUC3001:

• Error: “Catalog Not Found” when running USE CATALOG or SHOW CATALOGS.
• Unable to list or access existing catalogs.
• Cannot create or switch to a new catalog.
• Tables and schemas are missing or inaccessible.

Common Causes and Fixes for TestUC3001

1. Catalog Does Not Exist

Symptoms:

• Error: “Catalog Not Found” when using USE CATALOG <catalog_name>.
• SHOW CATALOGS does not list the expected catalog.

Causes:

• The catalog was never created in Unity Catalog.
• Typos or incorrect catalog names in SQL queries.

Fix:
✅ Verify available catalogs:

SHOW CATALOGS;

✅ Create the catalog if it does not exist:

CREATE CATALOG my_catalog;

✅ Double-check the catalog name for accuracy:

USE CATALOG my_catalog;

2. Insufficient Permissions to Access the Catalog

Symptoms:

• Error: “Permission Denied” when accessing certain catalogs.
• Some catalogs are visible, but others are not.

Causes:

• The user does not have the required permissions to access the catalog.
• Admin privileges are required to manage certain catalogs.

Fix:
✅ Check your permissions on the catalog:

SHOW GRANTS ON CATALOG my_catalog;

✅ Grant permissions to the user or group:

GRANT USAGE ON CATALOG my_catalog TO `user@example.com`;
GRANT CREATE ON CATALOG my_catalog TO `user@example.com`;

✅ If using Azure Databricks, ensure Azure AD roles are assigned correctly.

3. Catalog Not Linked to the Workspace

Symptoms:

• Error: “No metastore configured for this workspace.”
• Catalog commands fail across all clusters and notebooks.

Causes:

• The Unity Catalog metastore is not linked to the Databricks workspace.
• Workspace configuration is incomplete or misconfigured.

Fix:
✅ Verify if a metastore is assigned to your workspace:

SHOW METASTORES;

✅ If no metastore is assigned, create and attach one:

databricks unity-catalog metastores create --region <region> --s3-bucket <bucket-name>
databricks unity-catalog metastores assign --metastore-id <metastore-id> --workspace-id <workspace-id>

4. Using Legacy Hive Metastore Instead of Unity Catalog

Symptoms:

• Error: “Catalog not found” even though the table exists in the Hive metastore.
• Cannot access Unity Catalog features.

Causes:

• The cluster is configured to use the Hive metastore instead of Unity Catalog.
• Legacy clusters do not support Unity Catalog.

Fix:
✅ Ensure the cluster is configured to use Unity Catalog:

• Go to Databricks UI → Clusters → Edit Cluster → Advanced Options.
• Enable Unity Catalog support.

✅ Convert Hive tables to Unity Catalog:

ALTER TABLE hive_metastore.default.my_table CONVERT TO DELTA;

✅ Switch to a Unity Catalog-supported cluster.

5. Catalog Metadata Corruption or Sync Issues

Symptoms:

• Catalogs intermittently appear and disappear.
• SHOW CATALOGS returns inconsistent results.

Causes:

• Catalog metadata is corrupted or out of sync with the metastore.
• Multiple clusters modify the catalog simultaneously, causing conflicts.

Fix:
✅ Restart the affected cluster and re-sync the catalog:

MSCK REPAIR TABLE my_catalog.my_schema.my_table;

✅ Rebuild the catalog metadata if necessary:

databricks unity-catalog repair --catalog my_catalog

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

1. Verify Available Catalogs

SHOW CATALOGS;

2. Check If You Have Permissions to Access the Catalog

SHOW GRANTS ON CATALOG my_catalog;

3. Ensure the Metastore Is Configured

SHOW METASTORES;

4. Verify Cluster Configuration

• Ensure Unity Catalog is enabled in the cluster settings.

5. Rebuild Metadata if Catalogs Are Missing or Corrupted

databricks unity-catalog repair --catalog my_catalog

Best Practices to Avoid TestUC3001 – Catalog Not Found

✅ Use Unity Catalog-Enabled Clusters

• Avoid running Unity Catalog commands on legacy clusters.

✅ Grant Appropriate Permissions to Users and Groups

GRANT USAGE ON CATALOG my_catalog TO `data-engineers`;

✅ Monitor Catalog Metadata for Corruption or Sync Issues

• Use Databricks logs and monitoring tools to track catalog access and modifications.

✅ Assign a Metastore to Every Workspace

• Ensure that all Databricks workspaces have a configured Unity Catalog metastore.

Conclusion

The TestUC3001 – Catalog Not Found error in Databricks Unity Catalog typically occurs due to missing catalogs, insufficient permissions, or misconfigured workspaces. By verifying catalog existence, ensuring proper permissions, and configuring the Unity Catalog metastore, you can resolve this error and ensure smooth catalog access in your Databricks environment.