User needs write privilege on system.catalog to create table in Phoenix

[#1]

PROBLEM : Customers create namespace and assign users "RX" permission , however users are not able to create tables in namespace and require "RWX" permission.

CREATE TABLE example_datapipe.table_test1 ( id BIGINT not null primary key); Error: org.apache.hadoop.hbase.security.AccessDeniedException: Insufficient permissions (user=g0123434@ABC.EXAMPLE.COM, scope=SYSTEM:CATALOG, family=0:SALT_BUCKETS, params=[table=SYSTEM:CATALOG,family=0:SALT_BUCKETS],action=WRITE) 

ROOT CAUSE : Yes this is an expected behavior. To create a Phoenix table, you MUST have the ability to create the HBase table and you MUST have the ability to write to the SYSTEM.CATALOG table.

WORKAROUND : If you do not want normal users to have write access on system.catalog, try one of the following alternatives :-

1) Let an admin manually create the Phoenix tables for the unprivileged users.

2) Temporarily grant them write access to the SYSTEM.CATALOG table and revoke later.

REFERENCE: Internal discussion under EAR-5831