Databricks on AWS Virtual Environment (DAVE)

DAVE stands for Databricks on AWS Virtual Environment. It is a HIPAA compliant environment and consists of two main services, namely DAVE Platform and DAVE Data Access.
DAVE Platform is a secure environment where authorized users may have access to tools such as Notebooks, Python, and SQL for data analytics, machine learning, and data science development.
DAVE Data Access is a service that allow authorized users to access identifiable data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DAVE?

DAVE is an advanced data analytics and machine learning platform on AWS Databricks. UC Davis Health leadership's vision is to have a unified data lakehouse platform that provides critical data assets and computing resources to users for operational and research purposes.

What kind of data is available in DAVE?

The following data assets are currently available. We are planning to ingest more data sources in the future from our clinical data warehouse and other departmental data marts.

OMOP (PHI and de-identified) – OMOP stands for "Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership." For more information about common data model, please visit https://www.ohdsi.org/data-standardization/.
Ventilator Waveform (PHI and limited de-identified)

The following data assets are currently in progress or planned to be available in DAVE:

Clinical notes
Medical DICOM images
Clinical data

Who can use DAVE?

Any UC Davis and UC Davis Health personnel with a valid business use case. In order to get access to DAVE platform, the manager of the personnel will need to approve first. In addition to the platform access, the requested user will need to get approval for the corresponding data assets from the data owner by submitting a data access request and have the ticket route to appropriate approvers. Refer to the access request section below to submit a request for both platform and data access.

Most common type of users are:

Researchers
Data Analysts and engineers
Data Scientists
Business Intelligence report developers
Executives and managers

How do I request DAVE access?

Requests can be submitted via ServiceNow catalog. Search for "DAVE" from the UCDH ServiceNow portal. Users will need to submit platform access and corresponding data assets requests. All data access requests will need data owner approval before access is granted.

What tools and features are available in DAVE?

Databricks provide many different features for various use cases. Most common functionalities are:

Machine learning and model development
Use of powerful Compute clusters
Python with ML libraries
R and Scala
Access data via SQL from notebook or SQL Warehouse
Create reports/dashboards

How much does it cost to get access to DAVE?

Currently, it’s free for most operational project. Large scale analytics may require additional funding, and options for departmental recharge are being evaluated.

How long can I have access to DAVE?

It depends on your use case. We may occasionally review usage patterns and send out a survey to understand on how you use the platform and request to share your accomplishments.

Are there DAVE training materials?

Yes. You can sign up for a free Databricks learning academy account with your ucdavis.edu email. Select "Customers and prospects" option to sign up and browse from a huge selection of courses. Depending on your role and experience, you may enroll in a specific set of courses. A few introductory courses are:

Databricks Lakehouse Fundamentals
Data Analysis with Databricks SQL

For more information, please refer to Trainings section.