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Database / Snowflake Interview Questions

What is Fail-safe in Snowflake and how does it differ from Time Travel?

Fail-safe is an additional 7-day data protection period that begins after a table's Time Travel retention window expires. It is Snowflake's last-resort disaster recovery safety net — but unlike Time Travel, it is not accessible to customers directly. Only Snowflake Support personnel can initiate a Fail-safe recovery, and only for genuine disaster scenarios.

Time Travel vs Fail-safe
DimensionTime TravelFail-safe
Who can accessThe account owner / any authorized userSnowflake Support only
Retention duration0–90 days (configurable per object)Fixed 7 days (not configurable)
TriggerAT/BEFORE syntax; UNDROP commandSupport ticket to Snowflake
Use caseAccidental DML recovery, cloning, historical analysisData centre-level disaster recovery
Applies toPermanent tables, schemas, databasesPermanent tables only
Transient/temp tables0 or 1 day0 days (no Fail-safe)
Storage costYes — old micro-partitions billedYes — same rate as active storage

A practical implication: after you drop a table and the Time Travel window closes, you cannot recover it yourself. If the data is critical, open a Snowflake Support case within the 7-day Fail-safe window before it expires permanently.

Which statement correctly describes who can access Snowflake Fail-safe data?
What is the fixed duration of Snowflake's Fail-safe period for permanent tables?

More Related questions...

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