Lab 00 · Day 1 morning · You are Priya

Build Alpine Retail’s workshop

Read every Teach first section before you copy SQL. This lab is the empty store building — warehouse, database, folders (schemas), and your lab-admin badge. Story optional but Morgan makes more sense if you skim it.

Already saw “ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN is not assigned”? You created the role but never attached it to your login. As ACCOUNTADMIN, run sql/00_privilege_repair.sql (or the Step 1b block below), then open a new worksheet and continue.

Business problem Alpine has no dedicated Snowflake home. Files and half-built tables live in random places. Morgan (manager) says: “Give us one building, a cheap engine, and a clear owner — today. Then study for Core.”

Solution you will build Database ALPINE_RETAIL, warehouse WH_CORE_XS, lab role ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN, schemas LAB / SECURE / PIPELINE / SHARE_DEMO, and sample customers + orders for later labs.

Before

No Alpine home

Random tables, no owner
No cheap auto-suspend warehouse
Nothing named for the exam story

After

One building + engine

ALPINE_RETAIL with labeled schemas
WH_CORE_XS auto-suspend 60s
Daily work as ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN

Episode 00 · Start here

Morgan wants a building. Dev draws one.

MorganManager — deadline

I hear “data platform” and see twenty random tables. Where does Alpine’s data live?

DevCoach — explains why

Think of a building. Database = the building name ALPINE_RETAIL. Schemas = rooms. Warehouse = the engine that runs when we ask questions — then sleeps so we don’t burn money.

If you remember only one picture today: building → rooms → engine.

See it — don’t memorize definitions

Container

Database = the building

Everything Alpine owns lives inside one named database.

random tables →
ALPINE_RETAIL

Folder

Schema = a room

Groups related tables — like floors in the building.

LAB = practice floor
SECURE = locked room

Engine

Warehouse runs queries

Compute you turn on — credits while it’s running. It does not store your tables.

USE WAREHOUSE WH_CORE_XS;
X-Small · auto-suspend 60s

Badges

Two roles today

Mayor bootstraps; Priya wears lab-admin badge for daily labs.

ACCOUNTADMIN (5 min)
→ ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN

ACCOUNTADMIN vs lab admin — why both?

Snowflake separates who can spin up account-wide powers from who runs the store day to day. Only ACCOUNTADMIN can create warehouses and stamp “CREATE ROLE” on Priya’s badge. After bootstrap, Priya wears ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN — same person, narrower powers (exam-realistic).

1 · Mayor ACCOUNTADMIN create WH + stamp lab admin

2 · Builder ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN own DB + schemas + tables

3 · Exam you Daily labs never live as ACCOUNTADMIN

Before Step 1

Kai: “Is the warehouse where my data sits?”

KaiAnalyst — still learning

So if I create a bigger warehouse, I get more storage space, right?

DevCoach

Nope. Warehouse = compute engine (CPU). Your tables live in the storage layer. Exam trap #1: never say “the warehouse stores data.”

1 Bootstrap as ACCOUNTADMIN (warehouse + role + powers)

What this does: Creates the cheap warehouse, Priya’s lab-admin role, and the account grants later labs need (tasks, shares, policies).

SQL · bootstrap objects (ACCOUNTADMIN)

USE ROLE ACCOUNTADMIN;

CREATE WAREHOUSE IF NOT EXISTS WH_CORE_XS
  WAREHOUSE_SIZE = 'XSMALL'
  AUTO_SUSPEND = 60
  AUTO_RESUME = TRUE
  INITIALLY_SUSPENDED = TRUE;

CREATE WAREHOUSE IF NOT EXISTS WH_CORE_M
  WAREHOUSE_SIZE = 'MEDIUM'
  AUTO_SUSPEND = 60
  AUTO_RESUME = TRUE
  INITIALLY_SUSPENDED = TRUE;

CREATE ROLE IF NOT EXISTS ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;

GRANT USAGE, OPERATE ON WAREHOUSE WH_CORE_XS
  TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT USAGE, OPERATE ON WAREHOUSE WH_CORE_M
  TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT CREATE DATABASE ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
GRANT CREATE ROLE ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
GRANT MANAGE GRANTS ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
GRANT EXECUTE TASK ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
GRANT CREATE SHARE ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
GRANT APPLY MASKING POLICY ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
GRANT APPLY ROW ACCESS POLICY ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
GRANT APPLY TAG ON ACCOUNT TO ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;

✓ Warehouse + role created — role is not on your user yet (next step)

Before Step 1b — do not skip

Creating a role ≠ wearing the role

KaiAnalyst

I ran CREATE ROLE. Why does USE ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN explode?

DevCoach

Because Snowflake never auto-pins new roles to your login. You must GRANT ROLE … TO USER. We use CURRENT_USER() so you don’t mistype the name.

1b Attach the lab-admin role to your user

What this does: Pins ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN to the login you’re using right now. Skip this and every later lab’s USE ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN fails.

SQL · grant role to you (ACCOUNTADMIN)

USE ROLE ACCOUNTADMIN;

SET uname = (SELECT CURRENT_USER());
GRANT ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN TO USER IDENTIFIER($uname);

-- Proof: you should see ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN in the list
SHOW GRANTS TO USER IDENTIFIER($uname);

Snowsight tip After the grant, open a new worksheet (or refresh the role dropdown) before Step 2. Still broken? Run sql/00_privilege_repair.sql as ACCOUNTADMIN.

✓ SHOW GRANTS lists ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN for your user

Before Step 2

Why leave ACCOUNTADMIN?

PriyaYou

Can’t I just stay ACCOUNTADMIN for the whole course? It’s easier.

DevCoach

Easier ≠ correct. The exam (and real jobs) expect least privilege. Break-glass for bootstrap; lab admin for daily work.

2 Open the building as lab admin

What this does: Creates ALPINE_RETAIL and the four schemas you’ll reuse all course. Only works after Step 1b.

SQL · database + schemas

USE ROLE ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN;
USE WAREHOUSE WH_CORE_XS;

CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ALPINE_RETAIL;
USE DATABASE ALPINE_RETAIL;

CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS LAB;
CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS SECURE;
CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS PIPELINE;
CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS SHARE_DEMO;

SELECT CURRENT_USER(), CURRENT_ROLE(), CURRENT_WAREHOUSE(), CURRENT_DATABASE();

✓ Role = ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN · WH = WH_CORE_XS · DB = ALPINE_RETAIL

3 Load sample customers (tiny)

What this does: Puts five customers with PII into LAB.CUSTOMERS so later security labs have something real to lock.

SQL · sample customers

USE SCHEMA LAB;

CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE CUSTOMERS (
  CUSTOMER_ID NUMBER,
  FULL_NAME   STRING,
  EMAIL       STRING,
  PHONE       STRING,
  COUNTRY     STRING,
  SSN_LAST4   STRING
);

INSERT INTO CUSTOMERS VALUES
  (1, 'Ava Patel', 'ava.patel@example.com', '+1-555-0101', 'US', '1234'),
  (2, 'Ben Okonkwo', 'ben.okonkwo@example.com', '+1-555-0102', 'US', '5678');

Finish the other three rows + orders from sql/00_sample_data.sql (or run that whole file).

SQL · proof

SELECT * FROM CUSTOMERS ORDER BY CUSTOMER_ID;

✓ Rows with emails and SSN_LAST4 visible while you’re still lab admin

Exam presses further — say these out loud

Basics got you the workshop. Cover each answer before you open it. These are Core traps.

Q1. Does a virtual warehouse store table data?

Say: No. Warehouses are compute. Table data lives in the storage layer as compressed micro-partitions. Bigger warehouse ≠ more storage.

Q2. Why auto-suspend 60 seconds — what’s the failure mode?

Say: Saves idle credits. Too aggressive + chatty short queries = resume latency. No suspend = idle burn. Tune suspend separately from size.

Q3. Why not leave every object under ACCOUNTADMIN?

Say: ACCOUNTADMIN is break-glass. Daily DDL under an owned platform/lab role matches least privilege and how the exam frames RBAC.

Q4. Database vs schema — which is the “building”?

Say: Database is the building; schemas are rooms/folders. You can have many schemas in one database without splitting billing or replication scopes.

Q5. What three layers must you name on Architecture questions?

Say: Database Storage, Query Processing (virtual warehouses), and Cloud Services (auth, metadata, optimizer). Lab 01 drills this harder.

Priya’s wrap-up (say this out loud)
“Alpine had no Snowflake home. As ACCOUNTADMIN I poured the foundation: warehouse WH_CORE_XS with auto-suspend, role ROLE_CORE_LAB_ADMIN, and database ALPINE_RETAIL with LAB, SECURE, PIPELINE, and SHARE_DEMO schemas. I loaded sample customers with PII so we can prove security later. Outcome: one owned playground, near-zero idle cost, ready for architecture Lab 01.”

Next Lab 01 is the exam’s heaviest domain — three layers + editions. Don’t skip it.