Snowflake SnowPro Certification Practice Test

What does Metadata Caching store information about?

1. User access permissions

2. Table structures and statistics

3. Network configurations

4. Query execution plans

The correct answer is: Table structures and statistics

Metadata Caching refers to the process of storing information about various database objects to optimize performance. The correct answer, which is related to table structures and statistics, is crucial because it enables faster access to essential data attributes that describe the tables, including their schema, relationships, and statistical metrics such as row counts and distribution of values. This information is valuable when the Snowflake engine processes queries, as it allows for quicker decision-making regarding query execution plans and optimizations. By caching this metadata, Snowflake can reduce the overhead involved in repeatedly retrieving structural information during query planning, thereby enhancing performance and reducing latency. The other options, while involving important elements of database management, do not directly pertain to what is stored within Metadata Caching. User access permissions involve security settings that control access to datasets, network configurations relate to the setup and management of network resources, and query execution plans are generated as part of the query processing phase, rather than being something that is stored as metadata. Thus, the focus of Metadata Caching on table structures and statistics is what supports the efficiency of query execution in Snowflake.