ADA-C01 Question 466
Single answerCreate and maintain reader accountsA data provider shares a secure share with an external partner that does not have its own Snowflake account. To support the partner, the provider creates a reader account and grants access to a warehouse so the partner can query shared data. Two months later, the provider notices unexpectedly high compute charges coming from the reader account and wants to reduce ongoing administration while ensuring the partner can continue to access only the shared data. Which action should the provider take?
- A
Alter the reader account to assign a smaller warehouse, then let the partner manage warehouse suspend and resume settings within the reader account.
- B
Move the partner from the reader account to a standard Snowflake account created by the provider in the partner's name so the partner can manage its own users and billing.
- C
Create or assign a warehouse with tighter resource sizing and auto-suspend settings for the reader account, because the provider controls compute resources and is billed for reader account usage.
- D
Convert the existing reader account into a full Snowflake account so the partner can continue using the same shared objects without migration.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The key concept is that reader accounts are provider-managed accounts for data consumers that do not already have a Snowflake account. The provider creates and maintains the reader account, including its users and warehouses, and the provider pays for any compute consumed there. Therefore, when compute costs increase, the provider should tune the warehouse assigned to the reader account and use cost-control settings such as smaller sizing and auto-suspend. Reader accounts are intentionally limited: they allow querying shared data but do not provide the full independence of a normal Snowflake account. If a consumer requires broader capabilities, the correct long-term approach is to have that consumer use its own Snowflake account and receive the share directly. This aligns with Snowflake documentation and best practices for Secure Data Sharing and reader account administration.
- A. Incorrect.
Incorrect. While assigning a smaller warehouse could reduce cost, the partner cannot be expected to manage warehouse settings as an independent customer in a reader account. In a reader account, the provider retains administrative control, including management of compute resources. Reader account users have limited capabilities compared with users in a full Snowflake account.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A provider cannot simply create a standard customer-owned Snowflake account on behalf of the partner as a replacement for a reader account in the way described. If the partner needs independent administration and direct billing, the partner should obtain its own Snowflake account and then consume the share as a normal data consumer. This option also does not address the immediate reader account administration model correctly.
- C. Correct.
Correct. Reader accounts are designed for consumers who do not have their own Snowflake account. The data provider is responsible for creating and maintaining the reader account, including users, warehouses, and resource controls. Because compute used in a reader account is billed to the provider, a best practice is to assign an appropriately sized warehouse and configure auto-suspend/auto-resume to control costs while still enabling access to shared data.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Snowflake does not support converting a reader account into a full standard Snowflake account. If the consumer later needs full Snowflake capabilities, they must obtain their own Snowflake account, and the provider would then share data to that account through standard data sharing.