Snowflake Editions, Releases, and Features

Written by Dylan Powell on December 27, 2023

#Snowflake Concepts#Beginner

Snowflake’s platform stands out in the data warehousing landscape with its suite of editions, continuous releases, and comprehensive features. Each edition is tailored to specific organizational needs, while regular releases ensure the platform remains cutting-edge. Let’s dive into what Snowflake offers.

Snowflake Editions

Snowflake’s range of editions caters to various organizational needs, scaling up in features and services from the Standard Edition to the Virtual Private Snowflake (VPS). Each edition builds on the last, offering more specialized features and higher service levels, ensuring a smooth transition as your organization grows.

Overview of Editions:

Standard Edition

• Full access to standard Snowflake features.
• Ideal for cost-effectiveness and essential functionality.

Enterprise Edition

• All Standard Edition features.
• Additional enterprise-centric features for large-scale needs.

Business Critical Edition

• Previously “Enterprise for Sensitive Data”.
• Enhanced security for sensitive data, including HIPAA and HITRUST CSF compliance.

Virtual Private Snowflake (VPS)

• Ultimate security level for strict compliance requirements.
• Isolated environment, with optional data sharing capabilities.

Note on Editions:

• Edition choice impacts unit costs for credits and data storage.
• Available in “On Demand” or “Capacity” account types.

Snowflake Releases

Snowflake is committed to innovation and regularly updates its services through weekly releases. These updates, which include new features, enhancements, and fixes, are deployed seamlessly without service disruption.

Release Types:

Full Release

• Includes new features, enhancements, and fixes.
• Deployed weekly, with release notes provided.

Patch Release

• Primarily for fixes.
• Scheduled weekly, following the full release.

Behavior Changes

• Monthly introduction of behavior changes.
• Bundled changes provided for testing and adaptation.

Pre-release Testing

• Extensive internal testing before deployment.
• Staged release process for a smooth transition.

Snowflake Features

Snowflake offers a broad array of features, ensuring robust security, governance, and data protection. Its support for standard and extended SQL, coupled with various tools and interfaces, makes it a versatile platform for diverse data needs.

Security, Governance, and Data Protection

• Geographical data storage location selection.
• Comprehensive authentication and encryption methods.
• Object-level access control and Time Travel features.

SQL Support

• Broad support for SQL standards, including DDL and DML operations.
• User-defined functions and stored procedures for extended functionality.

Tools and Interfaces

• Includes Snowsight, SnowSQL, and virtual warehouse management.
• Extension support for Visual Studio Code.

Apps and Extensibility

• APIs for Java, Python, Scala.
• RESTful API for data access and updates.
• Snowpark Container Services for containerized application management.

Connectivity

• Extensive third-party partner ecosystem.
• Support for trials with selected partners.

Data Import and Export

• Bulk loading and unloading capabilities.
• Support for continuous data loading with Snowpipe.

Data Sharing

• Secure data sharing features within Snowflake accounts.

Replication and Failover

• Replication and failover support across different regions and cloud platforms.

FAQ: Snowflake Editions and Features

1. What are the different Snowflake editions available? Snowflake offers several editions: Standard, Enterprise, Business Critical, and Virtual Private Snowflake (VPS), each with increasing levels of features and services.

2. How do Snowflake releases work? Snowflake conducts weekly releases, including full releases with new features and enhancements, and patch releases primarily for fixes. They also introduce behavior changes monthly for user testing and adaptation.

3. What key features does Snowflake provide? Snowflake’s features encompass security, data protection, extensive SQL support, various tools and interfaces, apps and extensibility, robust connectivity options, and comprehensive data import/export capabilities.

4. Can I choose where my data is stored in Snowflake? Yes, Snowflake allows users to select the geographical location for data storage based on regional needs.

5. Does Snowflake support data sharing? Snowflake enables secure data sharing between different Snowflake accounts, enhancing collaboration and data accessibility.

Snowflake’s offerings, from its varied editions to regular updates and extensive features, make it a comprehensive, adaptable solution for modern data warehousing and analytics needs.