Overview
Apache Superset is an open-source BI and data visualization tool for creating charts, dashboards, and SQL-based exploration across databases and warehouses.
In a Shakudo environment, Superset sits at the analytics and dashboarding layer. It connects to data produced by Airbyte, dbt, warehouses, object-storage-backed query engines, and operational databases.
This page is written for onboarding and deployment calls. It focuses on what customers need to understand, provide, validate, and troubleshoot in a real environment.
Where it fits in the stack
- Primary role: Superset provides a reusable platform capability rather than a one-off application.
- Typical deployment model: Kubernetes + Helm, with customer-specific values and secrets.
- Typical access model: private internal endpoint or customer-approved external route.
- Typical support model: validate deployment health first, then validate user workflow and integrations.
Getting Started
Start with one safe workflow in Superset before enabling production usage. The goal is to prove connectivity, permissions, and operational ownership.
What the customer needs to provide
- database or warehouse connection strings
- Superset SECRET_KEY and admin credentials
- PostgreSQL metadata database and Redis cache
- dashboard owners and access model
- domain/TLS route for users
First workflow
- Log in as admin
- Add the first database connection
- Create a dataset from a table or SQL query
- Build a chart in Explore
- Add the chart to a dashboard
- Share dashboard access with the right role or user group
Administration and Best Practices
Use these practices to keep Superset reliable after the initial deployment.
- Use database roles and Superset roles together; do not rely on UI permissions alone
- Create certified datasets for commonly used tables
- Avoid putting raw credentials in dashboard descriptions or SQL snippets
- Set cache timeout based on data freshness requirements
- Back up Superset metadata database before upgrades
- Promote dashboards through dev/staging/prod when they are customer-critical
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Use this section during customer debugging calls. Format: Problem → What to check → Fix.
Database connection fails
- What to check: Check SQLAlchemy URI, network access, driver support, SSL, and database user permissions
- Fix: Correct the URI and test connection from Superset before building datasets
Chart shows no data
- What to check: Check dashboard filters, time range, dataset SQL, and row-level security rules
- Fix: Run the query in SQL Lab with the same filters
User cannot see a dashboard
- What to check: Check role assignment, dashboard ownership, dataset permissions, and database access
- Fix: Grant the correct role or publish the dashboard to the right group
Superset pod fails after restart
- What to check: Check SECRET_KEY, metadata DB connection, and migration/init job logs
- Fix: Restore the same SECRET_KEY and verify the metadata database is reachable
