SnowPro Associate: Platform Question 363
Single answer● Data ExchangeA data provider wants to share a curated sales dataset with several external companies using Snowflake Data Exchange. The provider needs consumers to query the latest data without copying files, while ensuring the provider retains control over what is shared. Which action should the provider take to publish the data correctly?
- A
Create a share containing the required database objects, then create or join a Data Exchange and add a listing based on that share for approved consumers.
- B
Export the sales tables to an internal stage and grant consumers READ access to the stage through the Data Exchange.
- C
Replicate the provider database into each consumer account so each consumer has a local writable copy of the sales data.
- D
Create a data marketplace application package and require consumers to install it before they can query shared tables.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The key requirement is live access to current data without copying files, which points directly to Snowflake Secure Data Sharing. In practice, a provider creates a share, grants access to the necessary databases, schemas, and secure objects, and then publishes that share as a listing within a Data Exchange for participating consumers. Consumers then create a database from the shared listing and query the shared objects directly. This matches Snowflake best practices for governed data collaboration: no ETL-based duplication, provider-managed access, and near real-time visibility into current data. Relevant Snowflake documentation covers Secure Data Sharing, Listings, and Data Exchange as the standard mechanisms for sharing governed data across organizations.
- A. Correct.
Correct. In Snowflake, secure data sharing is built on shares that expose specific database objects to consumers without copying the data. In a Data Exchange, providers publish listings so authorized participants can discover and access the shared data. This approach gives consumers live access to the latest data while the provider controls which objects are exposed.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Stages are used for file storage and data loading/unloading, not for live, no-copy table sharing through Data Exchange. Granting access to staged files would require consumers to manage file ingestion themselves and would not provide the governed, queryable, live-sharing model that Data Exchange is designed for.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Database replication is intended for business continuity, disaster recovery, and certain cross-region/cloud scenarios, not for standard data sharing to external consumers. Replication would create separate database copies and is not the primary mechanism behind Data Exchange listings. It also does not align with the requirement to retain tight provider control over shared objects in a no-copy sharing model.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. An application package is associated with Snowflake Native Apps, which is a different capability from standard secure data sharing through Data Exchange. Consumers do not need to install a native app just to query shared tables in a Data Exchange listing.