Data Loading and Unloading
Knowing how to efficiently load and unload data into Snowflake is essential. Some important topics to study include:
- Loading Data : Use the
Snowflake Web UI, command-line tools, or Snowpipe to load data from
external sources (eg, Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage). - Unloading Data :
Understanding the methods for unloading data, especially when sharing data
between Snowflake and external systems, will also be tested.
Data Transformation
Snowflake makes it easy to transform data using SQL. The exam tests your understanding of:
- Creating and using views :
Views are crucial for data transformation and can be used to
simplify complex queries. - Using tasks : Snowflake
tasks automate SQL query execution, which is essential for regularly
scheduled data transformations.
Data Security and Governance
Snowflake’s security features are critical for compliance, and you’ll need to know:
- Access Control : Understand
the concepts of user roles,
grants, and access privileges. - Data Masking : Snowflake’s
dynamic data masking feature protects sensitive data by limiting access to
certain values. - Encryption : Learn how
Snowflake ensures data security with end-to-end encryption.
Performance Optimization
Performance optimization is another crucial area for SnowPro certification. Focus on:
- Clustering and Partitioning :
Learn how to optimize queries by clustering large tables based on commonly
used keys. - Caching : Snowflake uses
result caching to speed up query execution. Understanding how this works
will help you optimize performance.