Snowflake - an SQL Compatible database:
- Originally redeveloped on AWS, 2012-2014
- Added other cloud providers
- AWS's customer AND partner
- Designed to be a cloud data warehouse - not a data lake
- Not aimed an analytics use - doesn't have pipeline features
- Lives on S2, Azure Blob storage
- Virtual warehouse - doesn’t mean a w/house, just compute
- Its own meta data store
Consists of:
- Database Layer - Lives on S2, Azure Blob storage
- Query Processing Layer - a virtual warehouse - doesn’t mean a w/house, just compute
- Cloud Services Layer - its own meta data store
Key features:
- Multi-tenant - all customers live in the snowflake VPC
- Not available in EVERY region for EVERY cloud provider
- Data resides in .fdn format - proprietary, columnar, micro-partitions
- Any data loaded - get converted into this format; gets split into columnar micro-partitions
- This is done for query optimization purposes - to scan on related portions and get results faster
- Multiple Editions: Standard, Enterprise, Business Critical, Virtual Private Snowflake
- Higher level editions include all feature of the lower
- Pay As You go on demand - credits; there are discounts for pay-upfront
- Storage - temp tables, transient, permanent - incur cost
- Credits are T-Shirt sized according to the size of DB - M, XL, etc.
