FAQs

• How frequently is the data in Snowflake refreshed?
  Data in Snowflake is refreshed every 15 minutes.
   

• Who should I contact for Support?
  Leverage Snowflake’s robust Knowledge Base Documentation along with BenchPrep’s Data Dictionary to guide you in using Snowflake and understanding your data.  If you have questions related to data coherency or data discrepancies, please contact the BenchPrep Support team for additional assistance.
   

• Are we able to have a customer LMS connect directly to Snowflake via an API?
  The only connection that is allowed - taking data from Snowflake into a BenchPrep customer data warehouse.
   

• I want to take data from Snowflake into my data warehouse, how do I start?
  Review Snowflake’s connector documentation as you plan on moving data from Snowflake to your data warehouse.
   

• What functions are available to a Reader account (Delete, Insert, Create, Update, etc.)? Can I create temporary tables in Snowflake?
  Please consult the What is Restricted/Allowed in a Reader Account? Snowflake documentation for all the details.

Resources

Snowflake Knowledge Base

For in-depth documentation on using Snowflake, visit Snowflake’s robust Knowledge Base Documentation. It includes guides on a wealth of topics, including:

 

Getting Started sections includes the following:
 

• Before you begin
• Logging into Snowflake
• Quick Tour of the Web Interface
• Snowflake in 20 Minutes
   

Introduction to Snowflake will introduce the Key Concepts of Snowflake.  Some Key Concepts below include:

 

• Learning how data is stored and queries are processed within the Architecture section of the Knowledge Base.
• Compare cloud platforms and regions in which Snowflake is supported and hosted.  Each can be found in their respective section.
• Learn what features and level of service each edition of Snowflake provides within the Snowflake Edition article.
• Snowflake Releases section will provide the process used for deploying new Snowflake releases.
• Overview of Key Features within Snowflake.

 

Learn how your data is managed within the Manage Your Data section.  This section provides the following information:

 

• Overview of the Data life cycle
• Learn about Snowflakes Continuous Data Protection
• View how Snowflake meets industry-standard regulatory compliance requirements.

 

The Snowflake Knowledge base has many Tutorial, Videos, and Other Resources such as:

 

• Tutorials & Scripts
• Best Practices
• Feature Demonstration Videos
• Getting Started Videos
• Architecture & Key Concepts
• Introduction to Virtual Warehouses
• Introduction to Worksheets & Queries

Snowflake Releases

 

Snowflake deploys new releases each week. This allows us to regularly deliver service improvements in the form of new features, enhancements, and fixes. The deployments happen transparently in the background; users experience no downtime or disruption of service, and are always assured of running on the most-recent release with access to the latest features.  To learn more about the releases click on the link above.

 

Connecting to Snowflake

Snowflake Ecosystem works with a wide array of industry-leading tools and technologies, enabling you to access Snowflake through an extensive network of connectors, drivers, programming languages, and utilities.  The Snowflake ecosystem contains the following information and more:

 

• All Partners & Technologies
• Data Integration
• Business Intelligence (BI)
• Machine Learning & Data Science
• Security & Governance
• SQL Development & Management
• Native Programmatic Interfaces

 

Snowflake Partner Connect lets you easily create trial accounts with selected Snowflake business partners and integrate these accounts with Snowflake. This feature provides a convenient option for trying various 3rd-party tools and services, and then adopting the ones that best meet your business needs.  This section covers the following about Partner Connect:

 

• Supported Partners
• Security Requirements
• Adding Partner IP Addresses to Network Policies
• Launching a Partner Application
• Disconnecting from a Partner Account
• Connecting with a Snowflake Partner
• Objects Created for the Partner
• Automated Application Features and Resources Usage
• Troubleshooting a Connection

 

General Configuration

The following articles will assist in configuring basic setting and preferences:
 

• SnowCD (Connectivity Diagnostic Tool)
• Allowing Hostnames
• Limits on Query Text Size
• OCSP Configuration
• Snowflake Client Repository
• SQL Statements Supported for Preparation

 

SnowSQL (CLI Client) is the command line client for connecting to Snowflake to execute SQL queries and perform all DDL and DML operations, including loading data into and unloading data out of database tables.  Follow the guide linked above to learn more about:

 

• Installing
• Configuring
• Connecting
• Using

 

Resources for Connectors and Drivers

 

Snowflake Connector for Python provides an interface for developing Python applications that can connect to Snowflake and perform all standard operations. It provides a programming alternative to developing applications in Java or C/C++ using the Snowflake JDBC or ODBC drivers.

 

Connectors and Drivers within Snowflake include:

 

• Snowflake Connector for Spark
• Snowflake Connector for Kafka
• Node.js Driver
• Go Snowflake Driver
• .NET Driver
• JDBC Driver
• ODBC Driver
• PHP PDO Driver for Snowflake

 

Unloading Data from Snowflake

Data unloading consideration will provide some best practices about unloading data like:

 

• Overview of Data Unloading
• Summary of Data Unloading Features
• Data Unloading Considerations

 

Overview of supported data file formats for unloading data

• Preparing to Unload Data
   

Detailed instructions for unloading data in bulk using the COPY command.

• Unloading into a Snowflake Stage
• Unloading into Amazon S3
• Unloading into Google Cloud Storage
• Unloading into Microsoft Azure

 

Using Snowflake

These topics describe the concepts and tasks associated with using Snowflake.

 

• New Web Interface
• Databases, Tables & Views
• Semi-structured Data
• Binary Data
• Snowflake Time Travel & Fail-safe
• Sample Data Sets

 

Classic Web Interface provides basic usage information for the Classic Console, as well as more detailed usage information for the worksheets and history pages.

 

• General Usage Notes
• Changing Your Password / Switching Your (Session) Role / Logging Out
• Managing Your User Preferences
• Worksheet page - Using for Queries
• History page - Monitoring Queries

 

Queries in Snowflake support standard SQL, including a subset of ANSI SQL:1999 and the SQL:2003 analytic extensions. Snowflake also supports common variations for a number of commands where those variations do not conflict with each other.  Learn more about queries with the guides below:

 

• Working with Subqueries
• Querying Hierarchical Data
• Working with CTEs (Common Table Expressions)
• Querying Semi-structured Data
• Using Window Functions
• Identifying Sequences of Rows That Match a Pattern
• Using Sequences
• Using Persisted Query Results
• Estimating Number of Distinct Values
• Estimating Similarity of Two or More Sets
• Estimating Frequent Values
• Estimating Percentile Values
• Analyzing Queries Using Query Profile
• Canceling Statements

 

Snowflake supports data types for managing dates, times, and timestamps (combined date + time). Snowflake also supports formats for string constants used in manipulating dates, times, and timestamps.  Data & time data type guides are available for reference. 

 

• Date and Time Input / Output
• Using Dates and Timestamps

 

Snowflake supports Continuous Data Pipelines with streams and tasks.

 

• Change Tracking Using Table Streams
• Executing SQL Statements on a Schedule Using Tasks

 

Secure Data Sharing lets you share selected objects in a database in your account with other Snowflake accounts.  The following items can be shared:

 

• Databases
• Tables
• Dynamic tables
• External tables
• Apache Iceberg™ tables
• Secure views
• Secure materialized views
• Secure user-defined functions (UDFs)
• Models without code (such as CORTEX_FINETUNED) - Preview

 

Managing Your Snowflake Account topics describe the administrative concepts and tasks associated with managing your account in Snowflake. These topics are intended primarily for administrators (i.e. users with the ACCOUNTADMIN, SYSADMIN, or SECURITYADMIN roles).

 

• Account Identifiers
• Trial Accounts
• Parameter Management
• User Management
• Behavior Change Release Management

 

General Reference topics provide general reference information for using Snowflake. Such topics include:

 

• Parameters
• Data Types
• Collation Support
• SQL Format Models
• Object Identifiers
• Constraints
• SQL Variables
• Transactions
• Table Literals
• Information Schema
• Organization Usage
• Account Usage
• Data Sharing Usage

 

SQL Command Reference topics provide reference information for all the Snowflake SQL commands (DDL, DML, and query syntax). 

 

Summary of Commands - use as a quick reference.

 

• DML (Data Manipulation Language) Commands
• Query Syntax & Operators
• TCL (Transaction Control Language) Commands
• DDL (Data Definition Language) Commands
• Account-based and Session-based
• Account Object
• Database / Schema Object

 

All Commands (Alphabetical)

 

• DDL Commands
• DML Commands

 

Query Syntax supports querying using standard SELECT statements and basic syntax.

 

• Structure of SQL queries in Snowflake using the Query Syntax guide linked above.

 

Query Operators include arithmetic operators (such as + and -), set operators (such as UNION), subquery operators (such as ANY), and so on.

 

• Arithmetic Operators
• Comparison Operators
• Logical & Boolean Operators
• Set Operators
• Subquery Operators

 

SQL Function Reference provides reference information for the system-defined functions and system-defined stored procedures.

 

• Summary of Functions
• All Functions (Alphabetical)
• Scalar Functions
• Aggregate Functions
• Window Functions
• Table Functions
• System Functions

 

Appendices

 

• Notational Conventions
• Reserved & Limited Keywords