Commvault partners with Databricks on governed data access

Commvault and Databricks have introduced Commvault Data Activate for Databricks, a joint solution intended to make more governed enterprise data available within Databricks. The solution is designed to help organizations apply that data to business insights and to build more accurate, context-aware AI applications and agents while maintaining governance.

Much of an organization's most valuable data is unstructured and dispersed across systems. According to a 2026 BARC study cited by DataHub, 70% of data and AI leaders say less than half of their unstructured data can be located and used for AI. Commvault already provides data protection for the Databricks Data + AI Platform and holds certified partner status with Databricks.

The solution is built on Databricks and prepares enterprise data managed by Commvault. That data is shared through OpenSharing as governed tables, which organizations manage with Unity Catalog. Those tables can be used across Databricks analytics and AI applications, and the approach relies on Commvault's built-in policy governance and automation.

Under the planned scope, selected data protected by Commvault becomes available in Databricks without a separate connection to each original source. Each delivered dataset carries its source, ownership, access permissions, and lineage, and retention and recoverability are preserved. New, changed, and deleted content is reflected over time, keeping insights and AI applications aligned with current source data.

“Commvault protects the data enterprises depend on,” said Alan Atkinson, Chief Business Development Officer, Commvault. “Together with Databricks, we aim to make more of that trusted data available for AI while preserving the context that gives it value. This is about turning protected data into an active business asset.”

“Customers tell us their data is most valuable in Databricks when that data's context travels with it,” said Stephen Orban, SVP Product Partnerships and Ecosystem, Databricks. “Working with Commvault can expand the governed, trusted data available across Databricks, giving search, analytics, and AI applications more to work with across the business.” Early access is planned for December 2026 in select Azure regions.