DEA-C02 Storage and Data Protection Practice Question
A data engineer runs a batch job on a transient table named STG_EVENTS that is loaded from an external stage. The job truncates and reloads the table every night. After a faulty deployment, the engineer needs to restore the table contents from 30 hours ago. The engineer attempts Time Travel but the query returns no historical data. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming Time Travel works the same for all table types, when transient tables are capped at 1 day of retention.
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 table is transient, which has a maximum Time Travel retention of 1 day, so data from 30 hours ago may be outside the retention window.
Transient tables support Time Travel but with a maximum retention of 1 day. Because the requested restore point is 30 hours old, it falls outside that window, so the historical data is unavailable. Permanent tables can be configured with longer DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS values, which would be required for a 30-hour recovery need.
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 table is transient, which has a maximum Time Travel retention of 1 day, so data from 30 hours ago may be outside the retention window.
Why this is correct
Transient tables have a default and maximum Time Travel retention of 1 day. Because 30 hours exceeds that 24-hour window, the historical data is no longer available for Time Travel. The engineer must design the reload process to retain data longer, or use a permanent table with a longer DATA_RETENTION_TIME_IN_DAYS setting.
- ✗
Time Travel queries only work for permanent tables, and transient tables require Fail-safe recovery instead.
Why it's wrong here
Time Travel is supported for permanent, transient, and temporary tables, although the retention periods differ. Transient tables do not use Fail-safe for user-initiated recovery; Fail-safe is a non-configurable period after Time Travel for permanent tables. The incorrect assumption here is that transient tables cannot use Time Travel at all.
- ✗
The TRUNCATE operation removes all historical versions immediately, making Time Travel impossible.
Why it's wrong here
TRUNCATE is a DML-like operation that changes table contents, and Snowflake retains the previous table state within the Time Travel retention period. Time Travel can retrieve data before a TRUNCATE as long as the retention window has not elapsed. The operation itself does not erase history immediately, so this is not the cause.
- ✗
The table is loaded from an external stage, so Time Travel is not supported for tables that use external stages.
Why it's wrong here
Snowflake supports Time Travel for tables regardless of whether data is loaded from an external stage, internal stage, or directly via DML. The source of the data does not disable Time Travel. The limitation in this scenario comes from the table type and its retention period, not from the use of an external stage.
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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
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