Cloud-Based ETL Tools for Snowflake: Advantages and Challenges

A data warehouse is a central information repository that enables corporate intelligence and analytics. Until recently, establishing one required investing in expensive, purpose-built hardware equipment and managing a private data center. As the volume, variety, and velocity of data continue to increase, businesses have looked for innovative ways to store and manage the deluge of data. As a result of this need, cloud-based data warehouses with adaptability, scalability, and high performance have emerged. Snowflake and some best ETL snowflake tools are now one of the most well-liked choices because it satisfies these and many other crucial business needs.

What is Snowflake?

A cloud-based data platform featuring a novel SQL query engine, Snowflake was conceptualized in 2012 and released to the public in 2014. Snowflake, in contrast to more conventional options, is an app that was not built to be deployed locally but rather on the cloud. The platform’s data storage, processing, and analysis choices are quick, adaptable, and simple to use.

PROS

Layer for Storing Databases

The database storage layer is responsible for storing data from various sources in a safe, reliable, and scalable manner. Snowflake allows users to schedule data imports via ETL or ELT operations. Additionally, data can be continuously ingested from source files in micro-batches, allowing for nearly real-time access to data. Datawarehouse ETL tools can be used to handle these database.

Layer for Processing Queries

Different SQL statements can be carried out thanks to the query processing or compute layer. It is made up of numerous autonomous compute clusters wherein individual nodes process queries in parallel. These groups are referred to as “virtual warehouses” by Snowflake. Each warehouse has an abundance of CPU, memory, and temporary storage to facilitate Data Manipulation Language (DML) and Structured Query Language (SQL) queries.

Layer for Cloud Services

Many of the services that enable Snowflake to function as a whole are hosted in the cloud or on the client layer. The layer is also deployed on compute instances from several cloud providers provided by Snowflake. All Snowflake parts are brought together by these services.

Safety Measures and Privacy Safeguards

Data is extremely safe in Snowflake’s hands. HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 1, and SOC 2 compliance can all be achieved by allowing users to specify data storage zones in accordance with these standards. The degree of protection available can be modified to meet specific needs. Data encryption, access control, and management of IP allow/block lists are just some of the capabilities integrated into the solution.

Miniature Divisions

Snowflake’s micro-partitioning of data storage is a particularly potent feature. Continual units of storage are the actual containers for one’s data. They are named “micro” because their uncompressed sizes are between 50 and 500 MB. Moreover, both users and Snowflake can automatically resize the micro-partition blocks to meet their needs.

Easy Ramp to Mastery

There’s a common misconception that understanding a wide range of technologies is necessary to successfully install and operate a data warehouse. Well, the former phrases will make sense if we take some Hadoop or Spark, both of which have a severe learning curve due to completely different syntax. Snowflake differs from other options since it is built entirely on top of SQL.

Controlled Chaos

Snowflake’s server less functionality is a major selling point. Almost completely devoid of servers, to be precise. As was previously indicated, using Snowflake doesn’t need any investigation into its inner workings. Management, upkeep, upgrades, and fine-tuning are all taken care of by the platform itself. In addition, it handles the process of updating and installing software. This applies to everyone from casual consumers to professional business analysts and data scientists.

Affordable Prices

Snowflake, in contrast to conventional data warehouses, allows you to pay for only the storage space you actually need. With on-demand pricing, you only pay for the data storage and processing time you really use. The minimum payment for using our computing resources is 60 seconds. It’s important to note that the warehouse can be automatically shut down if it will be unoccupied for an extended period of time.

CONS

No matter how well-designed a solution is, it will inevitably include flaws that could be deal-breakers for businesses looking to implement a certain technology.

Localized Data Storage

Snowflake was first conceived as a cloud-based service. Until recently, Snowflake’s service has relied solely on public cloud infrastructures for its computational requirements and persistent storage of data. As a result, customers have not been able to use Snowflake with on-premises or hosted private cloud infrastructures.

Pricing on Demand might be Very Expensive

While the solution’s pay-as-you-go pricing model is attractive, it may make Snowflake more expensive than alternatives like Amazon Redshift. This is because your individual usage habit has a significant impact on the cost you pay for Snowflake. One Redshift comparison found that the on-demand price for Redshift was 1.3 times less expensive than the competition, and that the cost of a 1- or 3-year reserved instance was even lower. Again, this is highly usage dependent and not indicative of the overall picture of the transparent and fully accountable expenses of using Snowflake.

Small Community

No matter how fantastic a technology is, questions about how to put it into practice or address any issues that may arise are to be expected. And here is when having a large user base of seasoned pros might come in handy.

While these stats may indicate a smaller community, the Snowflake user base is still very much alive and expanding. Furthermore, users may experience less issues using Snowflake because of its relative simplicity. Fill out the online form if you have any inquiries, and a representative will get in touch with you via phone or email. Contacting the Snowflake group by email is another way to join a community of like-minded individuals.