# Point an existing model to a new service account project or new schemas with the same structure

**URL:** <https://community.omni.co/t/point-an-existing-model-to-a-new-service-account-project-or-new-schemas-with-the-same-structure/231>\
**Category:** Administration\
**Tags:** databases, schema\
**Created:** [February 10, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.omni.co/t/point-an-existing-model-to-a-new-service-account-project-or-new-schemas-with-the-same-structure/231 "2025-02-10T17:06:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aklance](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/user_avatar/community.omni.co/aklance/32/132_2.png) [@aklance](https://community.omni.co/u/aklance)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.omni.co/t/point-an-existing-model-to-a-new-service-account-project-or-new-schemas-with-the-same-structure/231/1 "2025-02-10T17:06:19Z")

</div>

Do you need to replace an entire catalog (project) or schema reference and essentially have the same tables now in a new service account or project? This article will help guide you through the process.

_ **Please read through all steps and note there are breaking changes that need to be resolved in order to complete this process.** _

**BigQuery:**

### Edit Database Connection Settings:

 ![Screenshot 2025-02-02 at 11.08.13 AM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/omni/original/1X/3a1487751dd3cb6f0582a7ef6c3a991375fa612a.png)

1. If you’re switching to a new project, edit your existing database connection by removing the old Service Account JSON key and upload the JSON key for the new service account.
2. Edit the `Default Dataset` to the new project and include the old project in the `Include Other Projects` parameter. This allows you to see both projects in the same model while you fix any breaking changes to content.
3. In the `Include Schemas` parameter, be sure to include the schemas from both projects that need to be viewed in the model.
4. Make sure to hit `Update` at the bottom of the page for the change to actually happen!
5. You may generate an error like this one:  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex004/uploads/omni/optimized/1X/9d8caeb8ad06a4576949fad5ea63f94aee2a064e_2_690x94.png) - if this happens, make sure that the new service account or project has the same user permissions as the old one.

### Model Changes

1. Copy and paste the contents of the view files from the old connection (these are the view files that are now above the schema folders in the IDE) into the new view files that were generated when the connection was modified.

2. Three options for fixing the broken content references:  
a. Use the [content validator](https://docs.omni.co/docs/modeling/model-management#content-validator) to fix broken references. This option is best if you do not have much content already pointing to the old files.  
b. Use the `renamed_from` parameter in the new view file to reference the old view name. This points any content tied to the old view files to the new view file.  
c. Use the `aliases` [parameter](https://docs.omni.co/docs/modeling/model-management#content-validator) in the new view file to reference the old view name.

3. Once you have made all reference changes then you can modify the included views and schemas parameter to declutter the IDE file navigation. You may also edit the connection again to not have the old project or schemas included.

If you start this process and want to revert the changes, it’s possible to revert the connection to the way it was, reset the model to previous working version and then refresh the schema on that model.