How to Use BigQuery on Azure in PostgreSQL

How do I run Google BigQuery queries directly from Azure PostgreSQL?

BigQuery on Azure lets you query Google BigQuery datasets directly from Azure-hosted PostgreSQL by using the bigquery_fdw extension.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

Why run BigQuery from Azure-hosted PostgreSQL?

Keeping analytics close to application data avoids egress fees, reduces latency, and lets engineers reuse familiar SQL against multi-cloud datasets without moving data.

How do I enable BigQuery access?

Install the bigquery_fdw extension in your Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server instance, create a foreign server that points at your BigQuery project, supply a service-account key, and map BigQuery tables as foreign tables.

Step 1 – Install the extension

Connect as an admin and run: CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS bigquery_fdw;

Step 2 – Create the foreign server

Use CREATE SERVER with your project, region, and JSON credentials stored in Azure Key Vault or a local file.

Step 3 – Create user mapping

Grant each PostgreSQL role a mapping that references the same service-account key or an OAuth token.

Step 4 – Import tables

Run IMPORT FOREIGN SCHEMA or define individual CREATE FOREIGN TABLE statements for Customers, Orders, and related datasets in BigQuery.

Can I join Azure tables with BigQuery data?

Yes. Once the foreign tables exist, treat them like local tables. PostgreSQL’s planner decides when to push filters to BigQuery, minimizing transferred rows.

What are performance best practices?

Select only required columns, push predicates early, use LIMIT during exploration, and schedule heavy joins during off-peak hours to control BigQuery on-demand costs.

How do I secure credentials?

Store the JSON key in Azure Key Vault and reference it through an environment variable set at cluster startup. Revoke or rotate keys via IAM without changing SQL.

Why How to Use BigQuery on Azure in PostgreSQL is important

How to Use BigQuery on Azure in PostgreSQL Example Usage


--Find top 10 customers by lifetime spend, joining Azure and BigQuery data
SELECT c.id,
       c.name,
       SUM(o.total_amount) AS lifetime_value
FROM   Customers  c                   --local Azure table
JOIN   Orders     o ON o.customer_id = c.id   --BigQuery foreign table
GROUP  BY c.id, c.name
ORDER  BY lifetime_value DESC
LIMIT  10;

How to Use BigQuery on Azure in PostgreSQL Syntax


--Install extension (once per database)
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS bigquery_fdw;

--Create a foreign server pointing at BigQuery
CREATE SERVER bq_server
  FOREIGN DATA WRAPPER bigquery_fdw
  OPTIONS (
    project_id    'ecommerce-prod',
    dataset_id    'sales',
    location      'US',
    json_key_file '/var/secrets/bq_key.json'
  );

--Map Azure PostgreSQL role to BigQuery service account
CREATE USER MAPPING FOR analyst
  SERVER bq_server
  OPTIONS (json_key_file '/var/secrets/bq_key.json');

--Import BigQuery tables
IMPORT FOREIGN SCHEMA sales
  LIMIT TO (Customers, Orders, Products, OrderItems)
  FROM SERVER bq_server INTO public;

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Forgetting to push filters to BigQuery. Selecting an entire 100 GB table then filtering in PostgreSQL drives egress costs. Fix: Add <code>WHERE</code> clauses in the foreign query so BigQuery returns only needed rows.
Mistake: Storing the JSON key in plain text on the VM. This risks credential leakage. Fix: Store keys in Azure Key Vault or Managed Identities and reference a secure path in the server definition.