Download Redshift JDBC Driver

Download the Redshift JDBC driver, copy the JDBC URL into DbSchema, and start designing schemas with ER diagrams — free Community Edition.

About the Redshift JDBC driver

A JDBC driver is a Java .jar library that lets applications connect to Redshift. DbSchema uses JDBC to reverse engineer schemas, run SQL, and generate documentation. Driver files are usually published by the database vendor or an open-source project.

JDBC URL format

Host, port, database name, and SSL options are passed in a URL starting with jdbc:. Each Redshift driver uses its own syntax — see the connection details below.

The Redshift JDBC driver

Amazon Redshift is AWS's cloud data warehouse, built on a modified PostgreSQL core optimized for columnar storage and massively parallel processing (MPP). It integrates natively with S3, Glue, and Spectrum for petabyte-scale analytics.

The Amazon Redshift JDBC URL

• Required File(s): RedshiftJDBC42.jar
• Java Driver Class: com.amazon.redshift.jdbc.Driver
• JDBC URL: jdbc:redshift://HOST:PORT/DB
• Website: Amazon Redshift

We use the Amazon Redshift driver.

Download Redshift JDBC Driver

The driver archive is a zip file. Extract it and load the .jar files using DbSchema's Driver Manager.

Set Up the Redshift Connection

A Redshift cluster lives in a VPC and is closed to the outside by default. Two AWS settings open it, and both are needed — one without the other still fails.

1. Make the cluster publicly accessible. In the Redshift console select the cluster, then Actions → Modify publicly accessible → Enable. Without it the endpoint resolves to a private address that means nothing from outside the VPC.
2. Allow your address in the security group. Under the cluster's Properties → Network and security settings, follow the VPC security group link into the EC2 console and add an inbound rule for your IP address on the cluster's port.
3. Check which port the cluster actually uses. 5439 is the default, but Redshift allows 5431–5455 and 8191–8215, so a cluster may have been created on another one. The console shows the real value as part of the endpoint.
4. Take the endpoint from the console. The cluster's General information shows the endpoint as host, port and database together; for Redshift Serverless the same details are on the workgroup page. Fill those three fields in, or set Connection Mode to Edit the JDBC URL Manually and paste the whole jdbc:redshift:// string the console offers.
5. Or sign in with IAM. The IAM entry in the Connection Mode combo builds a jdbc:redshift:iam:// URL, which takes temporary credentials from your AWS profile instead of a database password, and can create the database user on first use.
6. Open port 5439 in the server's firewall. The database listens on port 5439 unless it was installed with a different one. A host firewall on the server blocks incoming connections on that port until a rule allows them. The firewall guide has the commands for Windows, ufw, firewalld and iptables.
7. Connect from DbSchema. In the Connection Dialog choose Remote computer or custom port, fill in the server host and the port, then press Test Connection to check that the server answers before you connect.

• Or reach the server through SSH. When the database port is deliberately closed to the internet, press Setup SSH Tunnel... in the Connection Dialog and connect through a host that is exposed. The database host and port are then the ones seen from the SSH host — often localhost. See the SSH tunnel guide.

DbSchema and Amazon Redshift

DbSchema connects to Redshift clusters using the Amazon Redshift JDBC driver and renders distribution keys, sort keys, and interleaved sort orders in the schema diagram. Use the SQL Editor to run distribution-aware queries and inspect query execution plans.