The correct answer is B. Directory table .
A directory table is not a regular user-created table like a permanent, transient, or temporary table. It is an implicit object associated with a stage. It stores file-level metadata about staged files in cloud storage.
Directory tables are useful when users need to query information about files stored in a stage, such as file names, sizes, last modified timestamps, and relative paths.
Why B is correct:
A directory table stores a catalog of staged files in cloud storage. It allows users to query metadata about files in a stage using SQL.
Example concept:
SELECT *
FROM DIRECTORY(@my_stage);
This returns metadata about files stored in the stage.
Why the other options are incorrect:
A). Transient table stores user data but does not store a catalog of staged files.
C). Temporary table stores session-specific user data and disappears at the end of the session.
D). Permanent table stores persistent user data and supports Fail-safe, but it is not specifically used to catalog staged files.
Official Snowflake documentation reference:
Snowflake documentation describes directory tables as objects that store a catalog of staged files in cloud storage. Directory tables are associated with stages and can be queried to retrieve file metadata.
Reference: Snowflake Documentation - Directory tables; Snowflake Documentation - Stages; SnowPro Core Study Guide - Data Loading and Unloading.
==