ADA-C01 Question 526
Single answerAnalyze the impact of account replication on:A global retailer uses Snowflake account replication to maintain a secondary account in another region for disaster recovery. The primary account contains production databases, several internal stages that hold files for COPY operations, external stages that point to cloud storage, and task-based ELT pipelines. During a failover test, administrators notice that some replicated objects are present in the secondary account, but parts of the data loading workflow are not usable without additional reconfiguration. Which statement best explains the impact of account replication in this scenario?
- A
Internal stage files are replicated with the account, but integrations and cloud storage credentials referenced by external stages may require separate setup in the target account.
- B
External stage definitions and the underlying cloud storage data are fully copied by account replication, so no additional configuration is needed after failover.
- C
Tasks cannot exist in a replicated account, so all task objects must be recreated manually in the secondary account after failover.
- D
Account replication automatically synchronizes all network policies, cloud provider IAM roles, and external storage permissions needed for data loading workflows.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question tests the practical impact of account replication on disaster recovery readiness. In Snowflake, replication and failover can copy supported account and database metadata, and for replicated databases, internal stage files are included. However, external stages point to storage outside Snowflake, so replication does not duplicate the external cloud data or automatically guarantee that integrations, credentials, and permissions will work in the secondary account after failover. Administrators must validate these dependencies separately. This reflects Snowflake best practices for business continuity: replicate supported Snowflake objects, but also document and test non-Snowflake dependencies such as cloud storage access, IAM configuration, and network/security settings. Candidates should distinguish between replicated Snowflake metadata and externally managed resources that remain outside the scope of replication.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Account replication can replicate supported metadata objects, including databases and their contained objects, and internal stage data is included for replicated databases. However, external stages reference storage outside Snowflake, and their usability in a failover environment depends on separately managed components such as storage integrations, cloud credentials, and external permissions. This is a common operational gap during disaster recovery planning.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. While external stage objects themselves may be replicated as metadata when they are part of replicated databases, Snowflake does not copy the underlying external cloud storage data as part of account replication. Access to that storage is external to Snowflake and must already exist and be valid from the failover environment.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Tasks are supported database objects and can be present in replicated databases, so the statement that tasks cannot exist in a replicated account is false. The real concern is whether dependent resources and operational state are ready after failover, not that task objects are categorically unsupported.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Account replication does not automatically reproduce every external dependency required by a workflow. Network policies, IAM role relationships, storage permissions, and other cloud-side security configurations are not universally and transparently synchronized simply because Snowflake metadata is replicated.