SnowPro Associate: Platform Question 57
Single answer○ Create objects (for example: databases, schemas, stages)A data engineering team needs to load daily CSV files from an Amazon S3 bucket into Snowflake. They want a Snowflake object that stores the S3 location and credentials once, so multiple users and COPY INTO commands can reuse it without specifying the URL each time. Which Snowflake object should the team create?
- A
An external stage
- B
A file format
- C
A schema
- D
A stream
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is an external stage. In Snowflake, stages are database objects used to reference data files for loading and unloading. An external stage specifically points to files in external cloud storage, such as S3, and can store connection details through credentials or a storage integration. This supports the practical requirement of reusing the same storage location across users and COPY INTO commands. A file format is often associated with a stage, but it only defines parsing rules for the files. A schema organizes objects, and a stream is used for change tracking. Snowflake documentation on stages and data loading describes external stages as the standard reusable object for referencing cloud storage locations.
- A. Correct.
Correct. An external stage stores the reference to external cloud storage such as Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, or Google Cloud Storage. It can also store related credentials or integration settings, allowing users to reuse the location in COPY INTO and other data loading operations. This is the appropriate object when the goal is to centralize and reuse the external file location.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A file format defines how Snowflake should interpret the files, such as CSV delimiter, compression, header rows, and null handling. Although file formats are commonly used together with stages, a file format does not store the S3 location or access details.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A schema is a logical container for database objects such as tables, views, and stages. It helps organize objects but does not itself represent or store an external storage location.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A stream tracks change data capture information for a table, view, directory table, or external table. It is used for processing changed rows, not for defining reusable cloud storage locations for file loading.