Prepare for the Snowflake Certification Exam. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions paired with hints and explanations. Excel in your exam preparation!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Are referential integrity constraints enforced in Snowflake?

  1. Yes, they are strictly enforced

  2. No, they are only informational

  3. Yes, but only for primary keys

  4. No, but only for foreign keys

The correct answer is: No, they are only informational

In Snowflake, referential integrity constraints are not strictly enforced but are instead considered informational. This means that while users can define primary keys and foreign keys in the schema, Snowflake does not enforce these constraints at the database level. Consequently, the database allows for operations that may violate these constraints, such as inserting a row with a foreign key that does not match any primary key in the related table. This design choice allows for greater flexibility and performance optimization in scenarios where strict enforcement may hinder data processing workflows, particularly in large data environments. The other options suggest varying degrees of enforcement, but Snowflake operates under the principle that referential integrity is optional and provides informational value rather than enforced behavior, making the understanding of this system crucial for effective data management within the platform.