A leading U.S. insurance company decided to build a centralized data hub on Amazon Redshift Serverless. They needed a database client that could handle enterprise-grade authentication without disrupting their teams’ workflows. DBeaver Community Edition, which they had been using for 18 months, lacked the Redshift Serverless and IAM support they needed. DBeaver Lite Edition offered those capabilities at a price point that made sense for the project.

Background

Existing use of DBeaver Community Edition

Analysts and engineers across the company had used DBeaver Community Edition as their go-to tool for querying databases. Whether they needed to access SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, DB2, Databricks, or other systems, they could do so from a single interface. It was familiar, reliable, and let multiple teams work independently without coordination overhead.

Challenge

Requirements for the new Redshift Serverless data hub

The company’s data and analytics team decided to build an enterprise-wide “Data Hub” on Redshift Serverless. It would serve as the organization’s single source of truth for data.

Security was non-negotiable given the regulatory requirements and sensitive data involved. The team needed a database client that could:

• Support complex AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) configurations
• Integrate seamlessly with Redshift Serverless
• Feel familiar to hundreds of existing DBeaver Community users, because retraining that many people would delay the project and add high cost.

DBeaver Community Edition lacked support for Redshift Serverless drivers and the IAM authentication capabilities the project required. Without those capabilities, the project couldn’t move forward.

Solution

Moving to DBeaver Lite and standardizing connections

The team chose DBeaver Lite Edition because it offered features that the Community Edition lacked. The rollout worked because of three things:

• IAM authentication. Unlike Community Edition, DBeaver Lite’s connection configuration supported the complex IAM setup the company needed. No workarounds, no security compromises. That solved the core blocker.
• Pre-built templates for users. The team created standardized connection templates and clear documentation. When users added the Data Hub to their setup, they didn’t have to figure out IAM configurations themselves. They just used the template, which meant simpler onboarding.
• Familiar tool, same interface. Users already knew DBeaver features and interface. They didn’t have to learn new software. When they moved to DBeaver Lite, their existing connections to Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, and PostgreSQL automatically appeared in the new application. They simply added the Redshift Data Hub connection and continued working.

Beyond the software itself, the DBeaver team was responsive and collaborative throughout the evaluation process. They provided trial licenses with no feature limitations, understood the company’s procurement requirements, and worked closely with the team to ensure the setup would work in production.

Results

Early rollout and security outcomes

The company is in the first stage of DBeaver Lite Edition adoption. Their team has achieved these critical milestones:

• Ready for scale. The team purchased over 100 licenses, built standardized connection templates, and completed documentation. Full deployment is expected within the first year.
• Zero retraining needed. Since team members were already familiar with DBeaver, the transition was straightforward. Users simply added a new connection to the tool they used every day.
• Security requirements met. The AWS IAM configuration that made Community Edition unsuitable works seamlessly in Lite Edition. Users can configure their own connections without IT support.
• One tool for everything. Users access SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, PostgreSQL, and Redshift Serverless all from the same DBeaver interface.

Conclusion

Ready to scale the data hub across the enterprise

By choosing DBeaver Lite Edition, the insurance company gained the IAM authentication capabilities they needed without requiring users to learn new software. With preparation complete and adoption underway, they’re ready to scale the Data Hub across the organization.