Not all databases are built the same, and that distinction becomes critical when enforcing access control. 

Cloud data warehouses and OLTP (online transaction processing) systems serve fundamentally different purposes. Cloud data warehouses, like Snowflake, are optimized for large-scale analytics, massive data aggregation, complex queries, and performance across billions of rows. OLTP systems, on the other hand, are engineered for high-speed, real-time transactions, processing thousands of small, concurrent updates, and inserts with minimal latency. 

Those architectural differences aren’t just theoretical, they directly influence how access control operates. Analytical systems rely on shared, read-heavy workloads where fine-grained access policies must scale across vast datasets without slowing performance. Transactional systems prioritize consistency and concurrency, demanding access controls that safeguard sensitive data without disrupting critical operations. 

ALTR bridges these two worlds by enforcing consistent, auditable, and performant access control policies across both architectures, ensuring that no matter how or where data is stored, it’s always protected and governed with precision. 

How Cloud Data Warehouses Handle Access 

Cloud data warehouses are optimized for running big, complex queries across huge datasets. 

Typical access patterns: Analysts and data engineers send queries that return large result sets. 

Built-in controls: Warehouses provide ways to mask sensitive columns, filter rows by role and restrict access to specific schemas or datasets. 

Connection model: Access happens through a direct database connection, which makes it straightforward for ALTR to sit in that path and enforce masking, filtering and other rules. 

Because cloud warehouses are managed by providers, access control is part of a shared responsibility model: the vendor maintains the infrastructure, while customers focus on defining who can see what data. 

How OLTP Databases Handle Access 

OLTP databases, by contrast, are built for fast, row-level operations like inserts, updates, and deletes. 

Typical access patterns: Applications connect constantly to write or update single records in real time. 

Built-in controls: OLTP databases use roles and permissions to manage access, and users logging in with the same role, see the same privileges no matter how they connect. But applications sometimes add their own rules on top, and those don’t always match what the database enforces. ALTR fills that gap by applying consistent policies across every connection. 

Connection model: Applications usually connect directly, which makes consistent policy enforcement harder. 

Because OLTP systems are often on-premises or business-managed, access control is a dedicated responsibility, owned entirely by the team running the database. 

How ALTR Works with Both 

ALTR adapts its enforcement approach to match how each type of system works under the hood: 

For cloud warehouses: ALTR enforces policies through the standard database connection. Because warehouses already support broad, query-level controls, ALTR can extend those capabilities with fine-grained masking, filtering and monitoring. 

For OLTP databases: ALTR uses a proxy-based approach. Instead of connecting directly, applications go through the ALTR sidecar, which evaluates each request before it reaches the database. This design fits OLTP’s transaction-heavy workloads, ensuring policies are applied consistently without requiring you to rebuild roles, views or application logic inside the database. 

In other words: ALTR doesn’t force OLTP to behave like a warehouse, or vice versa. We meet each database where it is and extend access control in the way that works best with its architecture. 

Why This Matters 

The differences between OLTP and cloud data warehouses aren’t just technical details—they directly affect how organizations protect sensitive data. 

Cloud warehouses: Policies are broad and shared with the cloud provider. 

OLTP systems: Policies are fine-grained, application-driven and fully owned by the business. 

With ALTR, you don’t have to juggle two completely different approaches. We give you a consistent way to enforce access control across both environments, while still respecting how each database is built to work.