PDE Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads Practice Question
A data team needs to share a BigQuery dataset with another business unit. They want to provide a point-in-time snapshot of the data without incurring additional storage costs for the copy. Which BigQuery feature should they use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
BigQuery table clones
Clones use the same underlying storage as the source table; snapshots also share storage but are immutable. Both are cost-effective. For regular updates, clones are more flexible.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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BigQuery table snapshots
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots are immutable; if the source changes, the snapshot remains static. For ongoing sharing, clones are better.
- ✓
BigQuery table clones
Why this is correct
Clones are writable and share storage with the base table, so no extra cost for the initial copy. They can be updated independently.
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BigQuery authorized views
Why it's wrong here
Authorized views allow querying the latest data but do not provide a point-in-time snapshot.
- ✗
BigQuery export to Cloud Storage
Why it's wrong here
Exporting incurs costs and creates a separate copy, not a zero-copy clone.
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