Snowflake SnowPro Certification Practice Test

What is the maximum size of VARIANT data in a single column in Snowflake?

1. 8 MB

2. 16 MB compressed

3. 32 MB

4. 64 MB compressed

The correct answer is: 16 MB compressed

The maximum size of VARIANT data in a single column in Snowflake is 16 MB when compressed. VARIANT is designed to store semi-structured data such as JSON, Avro, XML, etc. It allows for flexible schema definitions, which is particularly useful in analytical contexts. When considering storage, VARIANT data can store extensive amounts of information, but the size limit primarily pertains to its storage in a compressed format. Snowflake utilizes a columnar storage approach, and compression plays a significant role in how data is stored. This means that while the uncompressed variant data can potentially take up more space, when compressed, the limit stands at 16 MB for efficient query performance and storage management. Understanding this limit is crucial for designing your data model, especially when planning to leverage VARIANT for handling diverse datasets. It sets expectations for the maximum size of individual records in terms of storage and can directly affect the performance of queries and data retrieval processes within Snowflake.