Free ARA-C01 Snowflake Updates

In Snowflake, data sharing capabilities allow a Business Critical edition account to share data with an Enterprise edition consumer account. The ability to share data is contingent upon the role permissions within the provider account. If a user has the necessary role authority (like ACCOUNTADMIN or a role with similar privileges to create or manage shares), they can add an Enterprise edition account as a consumer. This feature enables flexibility in data sharing across different Snowflake account editions, facilitating broader data collaboration and accessibility.References: Snowflake's data sharing documentation and the specifics of edition-based capabilities discussed in SnowPro Advanced: Architect certification materials.

• Snowflake supports data sharing across regions and cloud platforms using account replication and share replication features. Account replication enables the replication of objects from a source account to one or more target accounts in the same organization. Share replication enables the replication of shares from a source account to one or more target accounts in the same organization1.
• To share data from the MARKET_DB database in the ACCOUNTA account in AWS us-east-1 region with the PARTNERB account in Azure East US 2 region, the following steps must be performed:
• Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

References: : Replicating Shares Across Regions and Cloud Platforms : Working with Organizations and Accounts : Replicating Databases Across Multiple Accounts : Replicating Shares Across Multiple Accounts

This is the best practice recommendation for the order of priority when applications authenticate to Snowflake, according to the Snowflake documentation and the web search results. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or application that connects to Snowflake. Snowflake supports multiple authentication methods, each with different advantages and disadvantages. The recommended order of priority is based on the following factors:

• Security: The authentication method should provide a high level of security and protection against unauthorized access or data breaches. The authentication method should also support multi-factor authentication (MFA) or single sign-on (SSO) for additional security.
• Convenience: The authentication method should provide a smooth and easy user experience, without requiring complex or manual steps. The authentication method should also support seamless integration with external identity providers or applications.
• Flexibility: The authentication method should provide a range of options and features to suit different use cases and scenarios. The authentication method should also support customization and configuration to meet specific requirements.

Based on these factors, the recommended order of priority is:

• OAuth (either Snowflake OAuth or External OAuth): OAuth is an open standard for authorization that allows applications to access Snowflake resources on behalf of a user, without exposing the user’s credentials. OAuth provides a high level of security, convenience, and flexibility, as it supports MFA, SSO, token-based authentication, and various grant types and scopes. OAuth can be implemented using either Snowflake OAuth or External OAuth, depending on the identity provider and the application12.
• External browser: External browser is an authentication method that allows users to log in to Snowflake using a web browser and an external identity provider, such as Okta, Azure AD, or Ping Identity. External browser provides a high level of security and convenience, as it supports MFA, SSO, and federated authentication. External browser also provides a consistent user interface and experience across different platforms and devices34.
• Okta native authentication: Okta native authentication is an authentication method that allows users to log in to Snowflake using Okta as the identity provider, without using a web browser. Okta native authentication provides a high level of security and convenience, as it supports MFA, SSO, and federated authentication. Okta native authentication also provides a native user interface and experience for Okta users, and supports various Okta features, such as password policies and user management56.
• Key Pair Authentication: Key Pair Authentication is an authentication method that allows users to log in to Snowflake using a public-private key pair, without using a password. Key Pair Authentication provides a high level of security, as it relies on asymmetric encryption and digital signatures. Key Pair Authentication also provides a flexible and customizable authentication option, as it supports various key formats, algorithms, and expiration times. Key Pair Authentication is mostly used for service account users, such as applications or scripts that connect to Snowflake programmatically7 .
• Password: Password is the simplest and most basic authentication method that allows users to log in to Snowflake using a username and password. Password provides a low level of security, as it relies on symmetric encryption and is vulnerable to brute force attacks or phishing. Password also provides a low level of convenience and flexibility, as it requires manual input and management, and does not support MFA or SSO. Password is the least recommended authentication method, and should be used only as a last resort or for testing purposes .

References:

• Snowflake Documentation: Snowflake OAuth
• Snowflake Documentation: External OAuth
• Snowflake Documentation: External Browser Authentication
• Snowflake Blog: How to Use External Browser Authentication with Snowflake
• Snowflake Documentation: Okta Native Authentication
• Snowflake Blog: How to Use Okta Native Authentication with Snowflake
• Snowflake Documentation: Key Pair Authentication
• [Snowflake Blog: How to Use Key Pair Authentication with Snowflake]
• [Snowflake Documentation: Password Authentication]
• [Snowflake Blog: How to Use Password Authentication with Snowflake]

For ingesting a large volume of CSV data into Snowflake using Snowpipe, especially for a substantial amount like 10 TB, the on error = SKIP_FILE option in the COPY INTO command can be highly effective. This approach allows Snowpipe to skip over files that cause errors during the ingestion process, thereby not halting or significantly slowing down the overall data load. It helps in maintaining performance and cost-effectiveness by avoiding the reprocessing of problematic files and continuing with the ingestion of other data.