What are the benefits and limitations of each method?
Here are the benefits and limitations of each method of sharing data on Snowflake:
Listings
Benefits:
- Listings can be made public, so that they can be discovered and consumed by any Snowflake account.
- Listings can include additional metadata about the data, such as a description, usage statistics, and tags.
- Listings can be managed centrally, making it easy to track and control access to data.
Limitations:
- Listings can only be shared with Snowflake accounts.
- Listings can be expensive to create and maintain.
- Listings can be difficult to manage if you have a large number of them.
Direct shares
Benefits:
- Direct shares can be used to share data with specific accounts in your region.
- Direct shares are not visible to other accounts, and they cannot be made public.
- Direct shares are easy to create and manage.
Limitations:
- Direct shares can only be shared with Snowflake accounts in your region.
- Direct shares do not include any metadata about the data.
- Direct shares cannot be managed centrally.
Data exchanges
Benefits:
- Data exchanges can be used to share data with a group of accounts that you invite.
- Data exchanges can be made public, so that they can be discovered and consumed by any Snowflake account.
- Data exchanges can include additional metadata about the data, such as a description, usage statistics, and tags.
- Data exchanges can be managed centrally, making it easy to track and control access to data.
Limitations:
- Data exchanges can be expensive to create and maintain.
- Data exchanges can be difficult to manage if you have a large number of them.
Reader accounts
Benefits:
- Reader accounts can be used to share data with accounts that do not have Snowflake accounts.
- Reader accounts give users read-only access to shared data.
- Reader accounts are easy to create and manage.
Limitations:
- Reader accounts cannot write to shared data.
- Reader accounts cannot create or manage data.
- Reader accounts are not subject to the same security controls as Snowflake accounts.
The best way to share data on Snowflake will depend on your specific needs. If you need to share data with a large number of accounts, or if you need to make data public, then listings are a good option. If you need to share data with a specific account in your region, then direct shares are a good option. And if you need to share data with a group of accounts that you invite, then data exchanges are a good option.
No matter which method you choose, Snowflake's Secure Data Sharing ensures that your data is always protected.
