ADA-C01 Question 252
Single answerCreate and configure the Polaris CatalogA global retail company wants to centralize governance for Apache Iceberg tables that are created in Snowflake and accessed by multiple external engines. The Snowflake administrator has been asked to create and configure a Polaris Catalog so teams can discover and access Iceberg metadata through a standards-based catalog interface. Which action should the administrator take first to correctly set up the Polaris Catalog in Snowflake?
- A
Create an external volume and a catalog integration, then create the Polaris Catalog that uses them
- B
Create a replication group and failover group, then attach them to the Polaris Catalog
- C
Create a storage integration and a notification integration, then enable Polaris on the account
- D
Create a database, schema, and external function, then publish the schema as a Polaris Catalog
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is to create the required storage and catalog-related objects first, then create the Polaris Catalog that uses them. In Snowflake, Polaris Catalog is intended to support open catalog access patterns for Apache Iceberg, so the setup must begin with the supporting infrastructure that enables Snowflake to manage and expose the table metadata appropriately. Administrators should distinguish Polaris Catalog configuration from unrelated account features such as replication, notification integrations, or external functions. This aligns with Snowflake best practices for Iceberg administration and the documented workflow for creating and configuring catalog objects used for open table access.
- A. Correct.
Correct. To configure a Polaris Catalog for Iceberg tables in Snowflake, the administrator must first establish the underlying storage and catalog connectivity requirements. In practice, this involves creating an external volume for managed access to cloud object storage and a catalog integration used for the catalog connection pattern, then creating the Polaris Catalog to use those objects. This reflects the real administrative workflow for setting up standards-based Iceberg catalog access in Snowflake.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Replication groups and failover groups are used for business continuity and disaster recovery scenarios, not for the initial creation or configuration of a Polaris Catalog. A candidate might choose this option because governance and availability are often discussed together, but these objects do not provide the metadata catalog foundation required for Polaris.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Storage integrations and notification integrations are valid Snowflake objects, but they are not the primary first-step combination for creating a Polaris Catalog. Notification integrations are used for event messaging patterns, not for catalog definition. This option mixes legitimate Snowflake concepts in a way that sounds plausible but does not match the required setup sequence for Polaris Catalog.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A database and schema are common logical objects in Snowflake, and external functions integrate with external services, but they are unrelated to creating a Polaris Catalog. Publishing a schema through an external function is not how Polaris Catalog is created or exposed. This distractor targets candidates who confuse general metadata organization with standards-based Iceberg catalog configuration.