Snowflake Certification Practice Test

What type of cache resides on the Compute instance?

1. Server cache

2. Results cache

3. Warehouse cache

4. Metadata cache

The correct answer is: Warehouse cache

The cache that resides on the Compute instance is known as the warehouse cache. This type of cache is specifically designed to improve the performance of queries executed within a warehouse, allowing for faster access to frequently used data and reducing the computational resources required for repeated queries. The warehouse cache stores the results of queries, enabling the compute instance to quickly return responses without needing to recalculate or reprocess the same data repeatedly. This can significantly enhance performance, especially for workloads that involve repetitive queries on similar datasets. While there are other types of caches in Snowflake, such as results cache and metadata cache, these do not reside directly on the Compute instance. The results cache operates at the account level, storing the results of queries along with their execution plans, which the system can use across different sessions and users. The metadata cache keeps track of database objects and schema information to facilitate faster lookups and access during query execution. Understanding the specific roles of each type of cache within Snowflake is essential for optimizing performance and ensuring that resources are used efficiently, particularly when managing large datasets and high query loads.