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When it comes to data warehouse implementation, there are several options for you to choose from. However, in the last few years, two solutions have come to the forefront. These are Amazon Redshift (a part of Amazon Web Services) and Snowflake, a standalone solution designed by a company under the same name. In this article, we are going to take a closer look at both these data warehouse solutions. What do you need to know about each one of them? And which one should you pick? In a few moments, you will discover answers to these questions.
At Addepto, we work with various data warehouses on a regular basis. These are some of our primary tools that are useful when it comes to projects based on:
You might even say data warehouses are at the very center of what we do every day. And difficult not to mention Amazon Redshift and Snowflake when discussing data warehouse solutions. Many organizations wonder which one is better. Today, you will discover answers to these questions, as we’re going to do a small Snowflake vs. Redshift comparison.
Let’s get down to business!
The very first thing you need to know is that Redshift is a part of the larger AWS environment. It’s a fully managed data warehouse solution that’s available only in the cloud computing model. You should use Redshift to store big data and conduct database migrations, even extensive ones.
One of the biggest advantages of Redshift is that it works brilliantly with diverse data sources and data analytics tools. In order to make the most of Amazon Redshift, you ought to start with the ETL process, which is indispensable when it comes to data warehousing. Some time ago, we talked a lot about the ETL process on our blog.
Image source: aws.amazon.com
And because Redshift is a part of the Amazon AWS platform, you have quick and easy access to other Amazon cloud services, including Amazon S3.
Redshift has a unique architecture that makes this solution stand out from its competition. Let’s examine some of the most important features of this data warehouse solution:
Take a look at how it looks like:
Image source: aws.amazon.com
With Amazon Redshift done, we can switch to Snowflake. What do you need to know about Redshift’s main competitor when it comes to data warehouse solutions?
Generally speaking, there are lots of similarities! Both solutions are cloud-based, both are offered in the SaaS model, and both can be used to store, process, and analyze large volumes of data. Moreover, Snowflake is even built on top of the Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructures![3]
However, when it comes to Snowflake, you should be aware of a couple of differences before making a decision. For starters, Snowflake is based on an SQL database engine that’s designed with cloud computing purposes in mind. Secondly, Snowflake emphasizes the sharing functionality, allowing users to share data freely in real time. And lastly, Snowflake can store different forms of data, including structured and semi-structured data.
Now, let’s talk a bit more about Snowflake’s architecture.
One of the most significant Snowflake’s differentiators is that this platform automatically manages all aspects of data storage, from organization, through compression, up to metadata and statistics.
Interestingly, this advanced storage layer runs independently of computing resources. This means that users get more flexibility and don’t have to pay for the resources or services they don’t need.
Image source: snowflake.com
According to Stitchdata.com, Snowflake is composed of three separate layers. Each of these layers is fully independent and scalable. What do you need to know about them?
Snowflake and redshift are superior in their own distinct ways. And therefore, the choice between the two data warehouses is relative to your data strategy. To help you determine which solution is best for your organization, we are going to compare them against each other based on their pricing, security features, maintenance, and performance. Read on for more insights.
Which solution is more economical than the other? There is no straightforward answer to this question since your bill is tied down to your use case. This means that you pay according to your demand and volume. The only point of distinction here is that the two data warehouses have varied pricing models for different plans.
Snowflake uses a pay-as-you-use pricing strategy. This may be an appropriate option for minimal query usage spread across a wide time interval. The clusters will automatically shut down when no queries are running and resume after you load the queries. This can significantly reduce your expenditure when your query load decreases.
However, it’s hard to predict Snowflake’s cost since its computational processes are isolated from the warehousing process. This also means that the computational pricing is discrete. The platform offers seven grades of data warehousing options, with each grade having different prices. And since the computation pricing is discreet, it can be hard and confusing to calculate the overall price. Consequently, this makes Snowflakes more expensive in most use cases.
Redshift, on the other hand, offers a more flexible payment model. Its pricing is based on the total number of clusters and the total number of hours. To calculate your monthly price, you multiply the size of the cluster by the cost per hour and the number of hours in a month. The hourly price is standard for all users, while the size of clusters varies from one business to another.
Big data security is a crucial aspect that you should keenly scrutinize when choosing a data warehouse. Even with security systems that offer a lot of scrutiny, data breaches still occur. This mainly happens due to a lack of two-factor authentication or when employees share login credentials through social media.
When it comes to data security, it’s not about Redshift vs. Snowflake, as the two platforms offer stringent data security measures. However, they have slightly different approaches. So, to help you understand how the two platforms differ security-wise, we have compiled a list of their respective features below.
Cloud security is a top priority for Redshift. It offers a data center and an architecture built to satisfy the needs of security-sensitive businesses. Access to the platform is controlled at four levels:
Both Snowflake and Redshift offer two-factor authentication, but the key point of differentiation is that Snowflake’s scope of compliance options and security depends on the edition that you’ve opted for.
Previously, Snowflake had an added advantage over Redshift due to its automated maintenance.
However, the playground was leveled after Redshift introduced its auto vacuuming, improved queues leveraging machine learning, auto workload management (WLM), and more. These tools have drastically reduced Redshift’s maintenance.
Snowflake, however, still has the upper hand when it comes to scaling up and down. With this platform, you can resize in a matter of seconds, something which takes a lot of time in Redshift. This is because Snowflake has separate compute and storage space, so it doesn’t have to copy any data to scale up and down.
Snowflake or Redshift? The choice between the two data warehouses is subject to your business needs.
For example, if your business manages massive workloads, then the best choice would be Redshift because it’s cost-effective and its pricing structure is flexible.
You should take time and evaluate whether a particular data warehouse solution matches your needs. Set up a free trial to taste the waters before settling for a solution. And if you’re looking for help with your choice –remember that the Addepto team is at your service!
[1] AWS.Amazon.com. Columnar Storage. URL: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/redshift/latest/dg/c_columnar_storage_disk_mem_mgmnt.html. Accessed Oct 18, 2021.
[2] TowardsDataScience.com. Amazon Redshift Architecture. URL: https://towardsdatascience.com/amazon-redshift-architecture-b674513eb996. Accessed Oct 18, 2021.
[3] Stitchdata.com. What is a Snowflake Data Warehouse? 5 Benefits to Your Business. URL: https://www.stitchdata.com/resources/snowflake/. Accessed Oct 18, 2021.
[4] Techtarget.com. How to Create Amazon EC2 Security Groups. URL: https://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/tip/How-to-create-Amazon-EC2-security-groups. Accessed Oct 18, 2021.
[5] Upguard.com. What is Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)? URL: https://www.upguard.com/blog/rbac. Accessed Oct 18, 2021.
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