Skip to content

Glossary

reference
TL;DR

Use these terms to distinguish resource identity, permissions and data progress. A catalog UUID identifies a resource; a display name or session alias does not grant access. Admission, local commit and published history describe different stages. Keeping those distinctions clear helps avoid unsafe retries and misleading durability assumptions.

ComparisonKeep identity, data and completion terms distinct
Keep identity, data and completion terms distinctA catalog is an authorized database context, a topic holds streaming rows and publication exposes stored files through metadata. These terms name different objects and events.Refers toDoes not meanCatalogDatabase and access contextA separate copy for everyuserTopicStreaming data collectionA durable clientsubscriptionPublicationMetadata exposes data filesEvery downstream clientprocessed themKeep identity, data and completion terms distinctA catalog is an authorized database context, a topic holds streaming rows and publication exposes stored files through metadata. These terms name different objects and events.Refers toDoes notmeanCatalogDatabase andaccesscontextA separatecopy forevery userTopicStreamingdatacollectionA durableclientsubscriptionPublicationMetadataexposes datafilesEverydownstreamclientprocessedthem
Use these distinctions when interpreting protocol responses and troubleshooting visibility.
Jump to reference ↓

Term Meaning
DuckLake A table format for analytical data stored in files, with a catalog that tracks tables and snapshots.
Streaming catalog A catalog whose name ends in __stream; its tables accept streaming ingestion.
Managed DuckDB Native DuckDB using the BoilStream extension to sign in, attach a catalog and run SQL remotely.
Hot data Recent streaming rows available on a server before or alongside published history.
Cold publication Making stored data files available through table queries. An upload alone is not publication.
Admission Acceptance of rows for processing. It does not establish durable storage or query visibility.
Clustered metadata Catalog and access information shared by the servers in a cluster.
Tenant An administrative scope for users and resources.
Catalog owner The tenant that owns a catalog and its data.
Requester The signed-in user requesting access.
Access mode The catalog-specific reader, writer or admin permission.

A catalog’s UUID identifies it. A display name helps users find it; a local alias names an attachment in one SQL session. Neither a name nor an alias grants access. Sharing uses the existing catalog without making another copy.