COF-C03 Question 112
Single answerStandardA company is evaluating whether the Snowflake Standard Edition will meet its needs for a new analytics platform. The team has the following requirements: load data continuously from cloud storage, protect a small set of sensitive columns from most analysts, and provide a 1-day window to recover accidentally deleted data. They do not need cross-region replication or advanced governance features. Which Snowflake edition best fits these requirements at the lowest cost?
- A
Standard Edition, because it supports continuous data loading, Time Travel, and column-level security using dynamic data masking
- B
Standard Edition, because it supports Snowpipe for continuous loading and Time Travel up to 1 day, and basic role-based access control can restrict access to sensitive data
- C
Enterprise Edition, because Snowpipe is only available outside Standard Edition and Time Travel requires Enterprise Edition
- D
Business Critical Edition, because protecting sensitive columns requires Business Critical even when basic access control is sufficient
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The key to this scenario is matching required capabilities to the lowest Snowflake edition that provides them. Standard Edition supports Snowpipe for continuous data loading and provides Time Travel with up to 1 day of retention, which aligns with the recovery requirement. Standard also includes core security capabilities such as role-based access control, which can be combined with object design patterns like secure views to limit exposure of sensitive data. However, advanced governance features such as dynamic data masking are associated with higher editions, notably Enterprise Edition. Since the scenario explicitly states that advanced governance and cross-region replication are not needed, Standard Edition is the most cost-effective choice. This aligns with Snowflake documentation on edition-based features, especially differences in Time Travel retention and availability of advanced data protection and governance capabilities.
- A. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Standard Edition does support continuous data loading with Snowpipe and includes Time Travel with a shorter retention period than higher editions. However, dynamic data masking is not a Standard Edition feature; it is an Enterprise Edition feature. This option mixes a valid Standard capability with an advanced feature from a higher edition.
- B. Correct.
Correct. Standard Edition is the lowest-cost edition that satisfies these stated requirements. Snowpipe can be used for continuous data loading from cloud storage. Standard Edition includes Time Travel with up to 1 day of retention, which meets the requirement to recover recently deleted data. For protecting a small set of sensitive columns, if the requirement can be met through standard role-based access control, secure views, or limiting which users can query certain objects, Standard can be sufficient. Since the scenario explicitly says advanced governance features are not needed, Standard is the best fit.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Snowpipe is available in Standard Edition, so the claim that it requires Enterprise Edition is false. Also, Time Travel exists in Standard Edition, though with a more limited retention period than higher editions. This option reflects a common misconception that ingestion and recovery features are reserved for higher editions.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Business Critical Edition is intended for organizations with stronger security, compliance, and data protection requirements, but it is not required simply because some data is sensitive. If the company can meet its needs with basic access control and does not require advanced security or governance capabilities, Business Critical would add unnecessary cost.