Question $1$: Optimizing a Snowflake Data Warehouse $(10$ Marks$)$

Scenario: XYZ Analytics has implemented Snowflake as their cloud data warehouse solution. However, as their data volume has grown, they have noticed that query performance has started to degrade. The data engineering team is considering using clustering to optimize query performance.

Questions:

$1.$ Understanding Clustering:

a$)$ Explain how clustering in Snowflake can improve query performance. What types of queries benefit the most from clustering? $(3$ Marks$)$

b$)$ XYZ Analytics has a large table with data that is frequently queried based on a date column. How should they approach clustering to optimize these queries? $(3$ Marks$)$

$2.$ Implementing and Maintaining Clustering:

a$)$ Discuss the potential trade$-$offs or downsides of implementing clustering in Snowflake, including any impact on storage costs or maintenance complexity. $(2$ Marks$)$

b$)$ Suggest strategies for monitoring and maintaining clustering performance over time to ensure continued optimization as data grows. $(2$ Marks$)$