The big 2 questions when considering a Snowflake Cloud Data Warehouse migration
A modern cloud data warehouse.
The decision to migrate to a modern cloud-based data warehousing solution is a significant one. It promises enhanced performance, scalability, and agility. Yet, amidst the excitement of embracing innovative platforms like Snowflake, two pivotal questions invariably take center stage for every forward-thinking organisation:
How do I know my data is secure?
How can I have certainty about the ongoing costs?
In this article, we'll delve into these fundamental questions, providing insights and perspectives to help you navigate your journey with confidence.
How do I know my data is secure with Snowflake?
Migrating from an on-premises data warehouse to a cloud-based solution like Snowflake is a significant step forward in modernising your data infrastructure. However, concerns about data security are often top of mind during this transition. Fortunately, Snowflake recognises the paramount importance of data security and has built a robust framework to address these concerns.
Security Model
Snowflake employs a multi-layered security model that encompasses every aspect of your data. At its core is a strong foundation of security protocols and encryption mechanisms. Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, safeguarding it from potential threats at all times. This encryption extends to backups and even within the SnowFlake cloud services, ensuring end-to-end protection.
Access control is another key aspect of Snowflake's security model. Role-based access control (RBAC) allows you to define who can access your data and what actions they can perform. This fine-grained control ensures that only authorised personnel can interact with your data, minimising the risk of unauthorised access.
Advanced Capabilities
Snowflake offers advanced security capabilities to bolster your data protection strategy. These include:
Data Masking: You can implement data masking policies to redact sensitive information, allowing you to share data with external parties while keeping critical information confidential.
Tokenisation: Is the process of removing sensitive data by replacing it with an undecipherable token. Snowflake enables accounts to tokenise data before loading it into Snowflake and detokenise the data at query runtime.
"Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, safeguarding it from potential threats at all times. This encryption extends to backups and even within the SnowFlake cloud services, ensuring end-to-end protection."
Certifications and Compliance
Snowflake is dedicated to meeting stringent industry standards and regulatory requirements. The platform has achieved numerous certifications, including SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, and HIPAA compliance. These certifications demonstrate Snowflake's commitment to upholding the highest security and compliance standards.
Snowflake also complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), making it an ideal choice for businesses with international data privacy concerns.
Migrating to Snowflake doesn't mean sacrificing security; in fact, it enhances it. With a robust security model, advanced capabilities like data masking and tokenisation, and a host of industry certifications and compliance standards, Snowflake provides the peace of mind you need to confidently migrate your data and continue your analytics journey in a secure environment.
How can I have certainty about the cost of Snowflake?
When considering a migration to a modern cloud-based data warehouse like Snowflake, concerns about the ongoing costs often come to the forefront. Many businesses are accustomed to the traditional model of sizing on-premises data warehouses to handle peak situations, which means paying for a substantial amount of capacity that is only utilised a fraction of the time.
Separation of Compute and Storage
Snowflake takes a different approach, one that can revolutionise your cost management strategy. One of its defining features is the separation of compute and storage. Unlike on-premises systems, where you need to provision both storage and compute resources together, Snowflake allows you to scale these components independently.
This means that you can keep your historical data, which is stored cost-effectively, without worrying about paying for unnecessary computational power. You pay only for the compute resources you use when you need them.
Cost-Efficient Storage
Snowflake offers highly cost-efficient storage. With cloud-based storage, you can keep your data securely stored without breaking the bank. This enables you to retain historical data, conduct long-term analysis and meet compliance requirements without incurring significant costs.
Granular Compute Pricing
With Snowflake, compute resources are billed per second, giving you precise control over your expenses. You can scale up or down your compute power in response to your workload, ensuring that you're only paying for what you use. This dynamic approach to resource allocation optimises costs, particularly in fluctuating workloads.
Exploring Cost with a Free Trial
To address concerns about cost and get an accurate estimation of ongoing expenses, Snowflake offers a free trial. This trial allows you to test the platform with your specific usage scenario, providing certainty for your ongoing costs. It's an excellent way to explore the cost dynamics of Snowflake before committing fully.
Migrating to Snowflake doesn't just offer superior performance and scalability; it also brings cost advantages that can transform your data management strategy. The separation of compute and storage, cost-effective storage options, granular compute pricing, and the opportunity to test it all out with a free trial make Snowflake a compelling choice for businesses looking to optimise their data warehouse costs while maximising value.
"This free trial allows you to test the platform with your specific usage scenario, providing certainty for your ongoing costs."
Striking a Balance
Migrating to Snowflake from a legacy data warehouse is a pivotal decision, and one that brings two key questions to the forefront. How to ensure ongoing data security and how to understand ongoing operational costs in a pay-as-you-go environment.
Snowflake's multi-layered approach, encryption standards, and advanced capabilities provide a robust framework for safeguarding your data. With certifications that underscore their commitment to compliance, Snowflake prioritises data security as a cornerstone of its service. A move to Snowflake can often provide a more secure environment than current legacy systems.
Snowflake's approach of separating compute and storage offers cost-effective storage solutions and granular compute pricing, empowering businesses to efficiently allocate resources and control expenses. Additionally, the inclusion of a free trial enhances transparency in cost estimation, facilitating well-informed decision-making.
In essence, the migration to Snowflake doesn't entail a leap of faith. It's a strategic move, one that allows you to embrace modern data management while addressing critical concerns. By offering robust data security and a cost-efficient model, Snowflake empowers businesses to modernise their data infrastructure, while pragmatically managing business risk.
For more information head to our Snowflake Services page or get in touch with us via email at info@pivotanalytics.com.au or calling 1300 475 510.
