> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.streamnative.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SQLWorkspace

> Understand the SQLWorkspace resource, engine model, lifecycle, and query endpoints.

A SQLWorkspace is a managed environment for processing StreamNative streams with SQL. It owns the lifecycle and placement of a SQLWorkspace engine and provides endpoints for SQL Studio and native PostgreSQL clients.

## Pluggable engine architecture

SQLWorkspace is designed around a pluggable engine architecture. During Private Preview, every workspace uses [RisingWave](/sql/overview/engine/risingwave). You cannot currently select or replace the engine.

RisingWave provides PostgreSQL-compatible SQL and continuously maintained materialized views. StreamNative manages its deployment, its [metadata store](/sql/overview/engine/metadata-store), its [object storage](/sql/overview/engine/object-storage), and its connections to your SQLCatalog resources.

During Private Preview, SQLWorkspace engine infrastructure is supported only on AWS. Other cloud providers are not currently supported.

## What a workspace contains

A SQLWorkspace contains:

* One managed SQLWorkspace engine.
* Zero or more SQLCatalog databases.
* Managed source objects created for eligible topics within those databases.
* SQL Studio and native PostgreSQL query paths.

## Placement

When you create a workspace, select an eligible AWS hosted location or ready AWS BYOC Cloud Environment. The Cloud Console displays only placements available to your organization during Private Preview.

## Lifecycle

A workspace must reach **Ready** before you can open SQL Studio, connect through the native endpoint, or use its catalogs. You can add SQLCatalogs during creation or after the workspace is ready.

Before deleting a workspace, remove its SQLCatalog resources. Deleting a workspace removes the managed SQL runtime and makes its query endpoints unavailable, but engine metadata and object-storage data are retained by default. It does not delete any connected Pulsar or Kafka cluster. See [Data Retention](/sql/operations/data-retention).

## Access

Cloud roles control who can manage the SQLWorkspace resource. Engine permissions control what a user can do inside the workspace. During Private Preview, Organization Admin users (`org-admin`, or legacy `admin`) are synchronized as engine superusers.

For details, see [Access control overview](/sql/access-control/access-control-overview).