Snowflake is a cloud-based data warehousing and analytics platform that allows organizations to store, manage, and analyze large volumes of structured and semi-structured data in real-time.
It is designed to handle massive amounts of data and allow users to query and analyze it quickly, efficiently, and securely.
Why Snowflake?
Snowflake separates compute and storage, allowing organizations to scale their data warehousing infrastructure independently. This means that users can add more compute power to run more complex queries without having to move data around, which can be time-consuming and costly.
Snowflake supports multiple cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), giving users the flexibility to choose the cloud provider that best fits their needs.
Snowflake acts as an interface for Marketplace operators to be able to quickly view, analyze and identify the key data points you need from the pool of analytical data we have made available.
This can be achieved within Snowflake with no technical integration and with no data movement (ie. data remains in the snowflake account).
Following an assessment, you can then decide to move the data you need to your existing data platform or continue using Snowflake to achieve your analytical goals.
What benefits does Snowflake provide Marketplacer operators?
Snowflake offers a data-sharing approach that provides customers with analytics-ready tables in a warehouse environment. This approach eliminates the need for pipeline building and extraction, making it easier for operators to access and manipulate data to gain valuable insights for their marketplace.
The Snowflake Data Sharing capability allows for the sharing of data via Zero Copy Clone, making additional datasets available seamlessly. A zero-copy clone is a feature that allows users to create an exact copy of a database or data warehouse without physically duplicating the data. Instead, the clone is created as a "virtual" copy that shares the same underlying data as the original, but with a separate set of metadata.
Zero-copy clones are created almost instantly and are very lightweight since they don't require any additional storage space. This makes it easy for users to experiment with different configurations or test out new data models without having to create new copies of the data every time.
Operators can then easily keep a local copy of the source data and re-run processes as needed. Operators can also egress data out of Snowflake to any other application they use, and they only need to get what they need, as opposed to ingesting vast amounts of data.
How do I get access to Snowflake?
To get started, fill in this form, and a member of the Marketplacer team will be in touch and introduce you to the team at Snowflake.
Please watch this video to see how you can use the Data once you are granted access.
How much does it cost?
Snowflake customers will initially get $200 USD worth of credits for free to identify the queries they want to run and how often. You can then estimate the amount of Snowflake credits you need.
There are two options: pay-as-you-go monthly billing or annual upfront payment for discounted credits.
You can start on a pay-as-you-go model to understand your usage pattern and then sign up for a regular payment option. There is no risk of overcharging by using the Resource Monitor in your Snowflake account to be in full control of your budget.
Marketplacer has configured the pipeline and data transformation process to provide 'ready to go' analytical data and a range of existing analytical capabilities. This means that using Snowflake compares very favorably with the cost of implementing an in-house or customized solution from scratch.
Snowflake is an ideal stepping stone to a customized solution if you have more complex analytical requirements. Snowflake typically charges around $5 USD per compute hour. For example, running a query to see orders and selected information for a marketplace with 1,000,000 invoices will take less than 10 seconds, equivalent to 10 USD Cents.
Why do I need my own Snowflake license?
Having your own Snowflake account means you can fully control all aspects of your data analytics without reliance on Marketplacer. You can also implement easier access controls like Single Sign On (SSO) and enable further Data sharing with 3rd parties and your large sellers.
How often is the data refreshed?
The Data is updated at least once every day. If more frequent updates are required please get in contact with your customer success manager.
Can you use the data in snowflake for business-critical tasks?
Not recommended. The data in the data platform is not real-time, so communication based on that data might not match the events triggered in the core platform. The data platform is an analytics and reporting tool and is not meant to be a replacement for the transactional data obtained from the core Marketplacer application and APIs.
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