SNOW-CSA Database Administration and CMDB Practice Question
An administrator notices that a reference field on the cmdb_ci table, 'vendor', points to the 'core_company' table. However, some users report that they cannot select certain companies in the reference field. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse reference qualifiers (which filter available records) with display fields (which control what is shown in the field) or mandatory settings (which enforce data entry), leading them to pick option A or B instead of C.
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
✓
The 'vendor' field has a reference qualifier that filters companies
Reference qualifiers are used to filter the records displayed in a reference field. If the 'vendor' field has a reference qualifier condition (e.g., 'active=true' or 'vendor_type=hardware'), only companies meeting that condition will appear in the dropdown, preventing users from selecting certain companies. This is the most likely cause when users cannot see specific records in a reference field.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The 'display field' property is incorrectly configured
Why it's wrong here
Display field affects what is shown, not which records are selectable.
- ✗
The 'vendor' field is marked as mandatory
Why it's wrong here
Mandatory forces a value but does not restrict options.
- ✓
The 'vendor' field has a reference qualifier that filters companies
Why this is correct
Reference qualifiers limit the selectable records in a reference field.
- ✗
The database view permission is set to 'none' for some users
Why it's wrong here
View permission on the table would prevent seeing the field, not restrict selection.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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