How is synapse managing vulnerability packages? And is the azure synapse runtime environment changed overtime?

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How is synapse managing vulnerability packages? And is the azure synapse runtime environment changed overtime?

Anonymous

Hi there, This is John Li. We are using Synapse for our analysis, mainly pyspark for Spark job. We have concerns about the potential vulnerability issue of the libraries Synapse is using? (1) How is Synapse managing all the python libraries it is using during run time? (2) Are the libraries getting changed (version change) over time ? I am particularly interested in spark 3.3, which is the version we are using. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/synapse-analytics/spark/apache-spark-33-runtime

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Answer 1

Hi @John Li

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

I understand your concerns about the security of Python libraries used in your Synapse Analytics Spark jobs. Here's how Synapse manages libraries and addresses your specific questions:

1. How is Synapse managing all the Python libraries it is using during runtime? Synapse offers multiple ways to manage libraries for Spark jobs: Pool-level Libraries: You can specify pre-installed libraries for all sessions in a Spark pool using:

Requirements.txt: This file lists packages and their versions.
Environment.yml: This file defines a Conda environment with specific dependencies.

Workspace Packages: Upload custom or private libraries (.whl or .jar files) to your workspace and assign them to specific pools. These libraries are then available to all sessions in those pools. Session-level Libraries: Install libraries for a specific notebook session only using:

Conda environment.yml: Upload this file within the notebook to create a temporary environment.
Spark pip: Use pip install within your notebook to install libraries dynamically.

Security Management:

All uploaded libraries are scanned for potential vulnerabilities before installation.
You can also configure additional security controls like whitelisting specific versions or blocking known-vulnerable packages.

2. Are the libraries getting changed (version change) over time? I am particularly interested in Spark 3.3, which is the version we are using.

Spark Runtime: Synapse Spark pools provide Spark 3.3 runtime by default. You can confirm this in the Spark pool settings under "Spark version".
Pool-level Libraries: Versions specified in your requirements.txt or environment.yml for the pool control library versions. These versions remain fixed unless you update the file and redeploy the pool.
Workspace Packages: Versions in uploaded packages are static unless you overwrite them with newer versions.
Session-level Libraries: You control versions dynamically within each notebook session.

Recommendations:

Regularly review and update your pool-level libraries and workspace packages to address vulnerabilities and benefit from new features.
Leverage session-level libraries for experimentation or testing while maintaining control over dependencies.
Utilize Synapse's security controls to minimize vulnerabilities.

Additional Resources:

Manage libraries for Apache Spark pools: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/synapse-analytics/
Azure Synapse Analytics security: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/synapse-analytics/guidance/security-white-paper-introduction

Hope this helps. Do let us know if you any further queries.

If this answers your query, do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Anonymous

2024-02-05T14:11:02.78+00:00

Thanks for answering my question. This is very helpful.

I have one more question about the run time:

Spark Runtime: Synapse Spark pools provide Spark 3.3 runtime by default. You can confirm this in the Spark pool settings under "Spark version".

I notice there are hundreds of Python libraries in spark 3.3 runtime. Are those libraries under the vulnerability control of Microsoft?
Anonymous

2024-02-05T14:38:23.9533333+00:00

And are those runtime libraries version gets updated over time?
phemanth 15,765 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2024-02-05T19:01:16.45+00:00

@John Li

Vulnerability control:

Microsoft-managed libraries: Yes, hundreds of Python libraries included in the Spark 3.3 runtime are under Microsoft's vulnerability control. Microsoft regularly scans these libraries for known vulnerabilities and patches them as necessary.

External libraries: Some libraries within the runtime might be external, meaning they're not directly maintained by Microsoft. For these, Microsoft relies on the upstream library maintainers to address vulnerabilities. However, Microsoft still has processes in place to identify and mitigate potential risks associated with external libraries.

Version updates:

Microsoft-managed libraries: The versions of these libraries are updated periodically to address security vulnerabilities, bug fixes, and performance improvements. Microsoft typically aligns updates with the upstream library releases while ensuring compatibility with the Spark runtime environment.

External libraries: Version updates for external libraries depend on the upstream maintainers' release schedules. Microsoft monitors these updates and integrates them into the Spark runtime when deemed necessary for security or functionality reasons.

Additional Resources:

Synapse Spark pool settings: To confirm the Spark version you're using, navigate to your Spark pool in the Azure portal and go to "Settings" -> "Spark version".

Synapse library list: While a comprehensive list of all runtime libraries isn't publicly available, you can find information about some included libraries, like Apache Spark itself, in Microsoft documentation.

please don't forget to click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.
phemanth 15,765 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2024-02-07T07:07:08.0566667+00:00

@John Li Following up to see if the above answer was helpful. If this answers your query, do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

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How is synapse managing vulnerability packages? And is the azure synapse runtime environment changed overtime?

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