Snowpipe: Micro-Batch Loading for Lower Credit Consumption

Snowpipe: Micro-Batch Loading for Lower Credit Consumption

Snowpipe's serverless architecture can be more cost-effective than running dedicated warehouses for continuous data loading. Learn the breakeven point.

Cost Comparison

Warehouse-Based Loading:

Scenario: Load 1GB every 5 minutes (288 times/day)

X-Small warehouse (1 credit/hour):
- 5 minutes = 0.083 credits per run
- 288 runs × 0.083 = 24 credits/day
- Monthly cost: 720 credits = $2,160

Snowpipe Loading:

Same scenario: Load 1GB every 5 minutes

Snowpipe compute:
- Per-second billing
- 30 seconds to load 1GB
- 288 loads × 30 seconds = 2.4 hours compute
- 2.4 hours × 1.0 credits/hour = 2.4 credits/day
- Monthly cost: 72 credits = $216

Savings: $2,160 - $216 = $1,944/month (90% reduction)

When Snowpipe is More Cost-Effective

• Continuous, small-batch loading (files arriving constantly)
• Variable data arrival (unpredictable timing)
• Small file sizes (10MB - 100MB optimal)
• Low latency requirements (minutes, not hours)
• Want to avoid warehouse management

Setting Up Snowpipe

-- Create external stage
CREATE STAGE my_s3_stage
URL = 's3://my-bucket/data-files/'
CREDENTIALS = (AWS_KEY_ID = '...')
FILE_FORMAT = (TYPE = CSV COMPRESSION = GZIP);

-- Create Snowpipe
CREATE PIPE my_data_pipe
AUTO_INGEST = TRUE
AS
COPY INTO target_table
FROM @my_s3_stage
FILE_FORMAT = (TYPE = CSV SKIP_HEADER = 1);

Best Practices

• Optimal file sizes: 10-100MB compressed
• Always use compression (GZIP provides 5-10x reduction)
• Configure error handling appropriately
• Monitor Snowpipe credits usage
• Use for small, continuous loads (not large batches)

Real-World Example

A streaming data platform ingests 5TB daily. Before Snowpipe (warehouse-based): Task runs every 1 minute on Small warehouse, 1,440 executions/day, 48 hours/day compute, cost $8,640/month.

After Snowpipe: Processes files as they arrive, 12 hours/day actual compute, cost $1,080/month. Savings: $7,560/month (87% reduction).

Key Takeaways

• Snowpipe is serverless - pay only for compute seconds used
• 80-90% cost reduction vs continuous warehouse
• Optimal for continuous, small-batch loading (10-100MB files)
• Per-second billing eliminates warehouse idle time
• Event-driven (no polling/scheduling needed)