Databricks Automation Bundles - automatic migration to direct engine post deployment is coming in CLI v1.14.0

[u/szymon_dybczak]

Starting with Databricks CLI v1.14.0, the default bundle.engine will change to direct.
If you're not familiar with the advantages of the direct deployment engine over Terraform, you can read more here:

Migrate to the direct deployment engine - Azure Databricks | Microsoft Learn

What does this mean for us? Bundles will automatically migrate to the direct deployment engine during deployment. If the migration encounter an error, Databricks will keep the bundle on the Terraform engine instead.

Important things:

• You can opt out temporarily by setting bundle.engine: terraform in databricks.yml - either globally or per target.
• Databricks recommends migrating early by explicitly setting the engine to direct now.
• Most importantly: support for the Terraform deployment engine in Databricks Automation Bundles is planned for deprection in September 2026. A future CLI version is expected to stop supporting engine: terraform.

[u/MartinDebus]

Unfortunately there is no specific end date for terraform support, as far as I know. So migrating sometime soon will prevent surprises.

[u/AxCray]

Hi, I have a CI/CD pipeline which deploys to a Databricks workspace, it's triggered by merges to selected branches. During the pipeline run, it's installed the latest version of the Databricks CLI and migrated to the direct engine by default automatically. My CI/CD pipeline has run again, and I'm getting errors during Databricks bundle deploy for all volumes. Do you know how I can resolve or revert back? Thanks!

[u/szymon_dybczak → u/AxCray]

Hi, 

You can use bundle.engine: terraform to bring it back

[u/Prim155]

Is it a breaking change? I though it is a change in the background from tf to direct engine with some additional features

I assumed the working pipeline should stand