Snowflake Certification Practice Test

Which of these is NOT a benefit of using Snowflake over On-Prem data warehouse databases?

1. Instant data sharing

2. High maintenance costs

3. Cloud-based scalability

4. Support for structured and semi-structured data

The correct answer is: High maintenance costs

The choice indicating high maintenance costs highlights a significant distinction in the comparison between Snowflake and traditional on-premise data warehouse solutions. Snowflake operates as a fully-managed service, meaning that organizations using it do not need to invest in the ongoing maintenance, hardware upgrades, or the physical space requirements typically associated with on-premise databases. In contrast, on-premise data warehouses generally entail high maintenance costs, including the need for dedicated IT staff, regular system updates, and infrastructure management. In the context of the other options, instant data sharing, cloud-based scalability, and support for both structured and semi-structured data are all considerable advantages that Snowflake offers. These features enhance collaboration, enable users to manage data volumes effectively without the constraints of traditional hardware limitations, and allow organizations to handle diverse data types seamlessly, reflecting the modern needs of data analytics. Therefore, identifying high maintenance costs as not a benefit of Snowflake effectively underscores why it is a more attractive option compared to on-premise solutions.