SnowPro Associate: Platform Question 60
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. For security, they want the stage definition stored centrally so multiple users and pipelines can reference it without each user creating their own personal stage. They also want the stage to be organized with the rest of the raw ingestion objects for the SALES database. Which action best meets these requirements?
- A
Create a named external stage in a schema in the SALES database that points to the S3 bucket.
- B
Create a user stage for each engineer and have the pipelines reference those user stages.
- C
Create a table stage on the target raw table so all ingestion jobs can share the S3 location.
- D
Create a temporary stage in a worksheet session and use it for all future daily loads.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Snowflake supports several types of stages, including user stages, table stages, and named stages. For enterprise ingestion patterns, a named stage is typically the best choice because it is a persistent schema object that can be referenced by multiple users, roles, and pipelines. Since the files are in Amazon S3, the stage should be an external stage. This aligns with Snowflake best practices for reusable ingestion objects and logical object organization within databases and schemas. User stages are per-user and not centrally managed, table stages are tied to a single table rather than a broader shared ingestion design, and temporary stages are not persistent. See Snowflake documentation for CREATE STAGE, external stages, and stage types.
- A. Correct.
Correct. A named external stage is the appropriate object when files reside in cloud storage such as Amazon S3 and the stage definition should be reusable by multiple users and processes. Creating it in a schema within the SALES database keeps the object centrally managed and logically organized with other ingestion objects. Named stages are schema-level objects and are designed for shared, persistent use.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A user stage is tied to a specific Snowflake user and is intended for that user's personal file staging needs. It is not ideal for shared operational pipelines because it creates dependency on individual user accounts and does not provide a centrally managed schema object for the team.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A table stage is associated with a specific table and is generally used for files related to that table. While it can hold staged files, it is not where you define a reusable shared external location for broader ingestion workflows. The requirement is to centrally store the S3 stage definition for multiple users and pipelines, which is better met by a named external stage.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A temporary stage created for a session is not suitable for recurring daily loads because it is session-scoped and not persistent. Once the session ends, the temporary object is dropped, making it inappropriate for shared, long-term ingestion processes.