SNOW-CSA Database Administration and CMDB Practice Question
A consultant is designing a CMDB for a large enterprise. The data from multiple discovery tools is being imported into the CMDB. Some CIs are being duplicated due to minor differences in serial numbers. Which approach best prevents duplicates without losing data integrity?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse reconciliation rules (which handle existing duplicates) with prevention mechanisms, leading them to choose Option B instead of understanding that a unique constraint blocks duplicates at the database level before they can occur.
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
✓
Set a 'unique' constraint on the Serial Number field
Setting a 'unique' constraint on the Serial Number field prevents duplicate CIs by enforcing that no two records can have the same serial number at the database level. This approach preserves data integrity because it blocks insertion of duplicates rather than merging or overwriting existing data, which could cause loss of attribute history or relationships.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set a 'unique' constraint on the Serial Number field
Why this is correct
Prevents insertion of duplicate serial numbers, enforcing uniqueness at the database level.
- ✗
Configure a reconciliation rule to merge duplicates automatically
Why it's wrong here
Reconciliation merges duplicates after creation, but duplication still occurs and may cause data loss.
- ✗
Use a data certification rule to validate serial numbers
Why it's wrong here
Certification flags data quality issues but does not prevent duplicates.
- ✗
Instruct the discovery teams to manually de-duplicate
Why it's wrong here
Manual process is error-prone and not scalable.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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