Snowflake SnowPro Certification Practice Test

Where does Snowflake store metadata information regarding databases, tables, columns, and files?

1. In the data warehouse

2. Metadata Manager in the Cloud Services Layer

3. Local storage on the server

4. Within each database

The correct answer is: Metadata Manager in the Cloud Services Layer

Snowflake stores metadata information regarding databases, tables, columns, and files within the Metadata Manager, which is a component of the Cloud Services Layer. The Cloud Services Layer in Snowflake is responsible for managing various functions like authentication, infrastructure management, and data governance, including storing and coordinating metadata. This architecture allows Snowflake to efficiently manage metadata separately from the data itself, facilitating quick access and updates while maintaining performance. By centralizing metadata management, Snowflake enables users to query and analyze data structures effectively without needing to access physical data storage locations directly. The other options do not accurately represent where metadata is stored within Snowflake. Storing metadata in the data warehouse or within each database would complicate data management and access operations. Local storage on the server does not align with Snowflake’s cloud-based architecture, which relies on a distributed model for its storage and compute layers. Therefore, the Metadata Manager in the Cloud Services Layer is the correct answer for where Snowflake maintains this critical metadata information.