Databricks Data Engineer Associate Question 300
Select 3A data engineer is working with Delta Tables in a Databricks workspace and needs to clean up old data files that are no longer needed after updates and deletions. They execute the VACUUM command on the Delta Table. Which of the following statements accurately describe how the VACUUM command commits deletes?
- A
The
VACUUMcommand permanently deletes files that are older than the retention threshold. - B
The
VACUUMcommand can delete data files even if they are referenced by active Delta Table versions. - C
The retention threshold for
VACUUMis set by default to 7 days. - D
Running the
VACUUMcommand creates a new version of the Delta Table. - E
The
VACUUMcommand only removes files that are no longer referenced by any Delta Table version.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, C, E
Explanation
The VACUUM command in Delta Lake is used to clean up old, unreferenced data files based on a retention threshold. It ensures that only files no longer referenced by any version of the Delta Table are permanently deleted. The default retention threshold is 7 days, which protects against accidental deletion of recent changes. VACUUM does not create a new Delta Table version, as its primary focus is on file cleanup and storage optimization.
- A. Correct.
Correct: The
VACUUMcommand permanently deletes files that are older than the retention threshold, effectively committing deletes. - B. Incorrect.
Incorrect: The
VACUUMcommand does not delete data files that are still referenced by active Delta Table versions, ensuring data consistency. - C. Correct.
Correct: By default, the retention threshold for
VACUUMis set to 7 days to provide a safety buffer to prevent accidental data loss. - D. Incorrect.
Incorrect: Running the
VACUUMcommand does not create a new version of the Delta Table. It only cleans up older, unreferenced files. - E. Correct.
Correct: The
VACUUMcommand only removes data files that are no longer referenced by any version of the Delta Table, ensuring no active data is removed.