SnowPro Associate: Platform Question 360
Single answer● Data ExchangeA data provider wants to share a curated set of sales tables with several external companies using Snowflake Data Exchange. The provider's security team requires that consumers see the most current data without the provider having to copy or refresh data into separate consumer environments. The provider also wants to control access centrally and revoke access quickly if a contract ends. Which approach best meets these requirements?
- A
Create a listing in Data Exchange based on a secure share so consumers can access the shared database directly in their own Snowflake accounts
- B
Export the sales tables to cloud storage on a schedule and ask each consumer to load the files into their own Snowflake account
- C
Replicate the sales database into a separate Snowflake account for each consumer and grant them direct access to those replicated copies
- D
Create reader accounts for all external companies because Data Exchange requires every consumer to use a provider-managed Snowflake account
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best solution is to publish the data through Snowflake Data Exchange using a listing backed by a secure share. Snowflake secure data sharing allows providers to share live, read-only access to objects in a database without copying data into consumer environments. This directly satisfies the requirements for current data visibility, no duplicate data pipelines, centralized access management, and rapid revocation. In practice, providers create a share, add the appropriate database objects, and expose it through a listing in a Data Exchange so approved consumers can access it from their own Snowflake accounts. Reader accounts are only needed when a consumer does not already have a Snowflake account; they are not a Data Exchange requirement. Relevant Snowflake documentation includes topics on Secure Data Sharing, Listings, and Data Exchange/Marketplace concepts, all of which emphasize live sharing without data movement.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Data Exchange listings are built on secure data sharing. With a secure share, consumers access live data in their own Snowflake accounts without the provider copying or moving the underlying data. This supports near-immediate visibility of updates, centralized access control by the provider, and fast revocation by removing the share or listing privileges. This is the standard Snowflake approach for sharing live data across organizations.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Exporting data to cloud storage and requiring consumers to reload it introduces data movement, delays, operational overhead, and version management issues. It does not provide live access to the provider's current data and makes centralized revocation more difficult once files have been distributed.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Database replication creates additional copies and is intended for business continuity and cross-region/cloud scenarios, not as the primary mechanism for distributing live shared data to many consumers. This approach increases storage and administration overhead and does not align with the requirement to avoid copying data per consumer.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Reader accounts are an option when a consumer does not have its own Snowflake account, but they are not required for Data Exchange. In Snowflake Data Exchange, consumers commonly access listings from their own Snowflake accounts through secure sharing. Assuming every consumer must use a provider-managed reader account is a misconception.