DEA-C02 Storage and Data Protection Practice Question
A data engineer needs to retain a point-in-time copy of a large permanent table SALES_HISTORY for regulatory purposes. The table is 5 TB. The engineer runs CREATE TABLE SALES_HISTORY_BACKUP CLONE SALES_HISTORY. What is the initial storage cost impact of this operation?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming cloning a table duplicates its data and doubles storage, when clones share micro-partitions until data diverges.
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 clone consumes no additional storage initially because it shares the source table's micro-partitions.
Zero-copy cloning creates a new table that references the same micro-partitions as the source, so no data is physically copied at clone time and initial storage impact is effectively zero. Additional storage is charged only when the source or the clone is modified, generating new micro-partitions. This behavior is central to using clones for backups and dev environments without doubling storage.
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 clone consumes additional storage equal to the table's metadata size only.
Why it's wrong here
Metadata overhead exists but is negligible and not the meaningful cost driver here. The key point is that data micro-partitions are shared, not copied, so there is no large storage charge at creation. Describing the impact as 'metadata size only' understates the sharing model and mischaracterizes how Snowflake bills cloned tables, which is based on diverged data, not metadata.
- ✗
The clone consumes additional storage only after the source table is dropped.
Why it's wrong here
Dropping the source does not trigger a storage charge for the clone. Storage accrues when either table's data diverges through DML, creating new micro-partitions. The clone's cost is tied to divergence, not to the lifecycle of the source. This option invents a drop-triggered billing event that Snowflake does not implement for zero-copy clones.
- ✓
The clone consumes no additional storage initially because it shares the source table's micro-partitions.
Why this is correct
Snowflake zero-copy cloning creates a new table that shares the same micro-partitions as the source without copying data. Storage is only charged for new micro-partitions created when the source or clone is modified after cloning. This makes the initial storage impact effectively zero, which is the defining benefit of the CLONE keyword for large tables.
- ✗
The clone immediately consumes an additional 5 TB of storage because all micro-partitions are copied.
Why it's wrong here
Zero-copy cloning does not duplicate micro-partitions at creation time. The clone references the same underlying micro-partitions as the source, so no additional 5 TB is consumed initially. Additional storage is only charged when either the source or the clone modifies data, producing new micro-partitions. This option reflects a traditional full-copy backup mindset that Snowflake's clone avoids.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Snowflake exam blueprint
This DEA-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Snowflake certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DEA-C02 exam.