CREATE ICEBERG TABLE (Iceberg files in object storage)¶

Syntax¶

CREATE [ OR REPLACE ] ICEBERG TABLE [ IF NOT EXISTS ] <table_name>
  [ EXTERNAL_VOLUME = '<external_volume_name>' ]
  [ CATALOG = '<catalog_integration_name>' ]
  METADATA_FILE_PATH = '<metadata_file_path>'
  [ REPLACE_INVALID_CHARACTERS = { TRUE | FALSE } ]
  [ COMMENT = '<string_literal>' ]
  [ [ WITH ] TAG ( <tag_name> = '<tag_value>' [ , <tag_name> = '<tag_value>' , ... ] ) ]

Required parameters¶

table_name

Specifies the identifier (name) for the table; must be unique for the schema in which the table is created.

In addition, the identifier must start with an alphabetic character and cannot contain spaces or special characters unless the entire identifier string is enclosed in double quotes (for example, "My object"). Identifiers enclosed in double quotes are also case-sensitive.

For more information, see Identifier requirements.

METADATA_FILE_PATH = 'metadata_file_path'

Specifies the relative path of the Iceberg metadata file to use for column definitions.

For example, if s3://mybucket_us_east_1/metadata/v1.metadata.json is the full path to your metadata file, and the external volume storage location is s3://mybucket_us_east_1/, specify metadata/v1.metadata.json as the value for METADATA_FILE_PATH.

Before Snowflake version 7.34, this parameter was called METADATA_FILE_NAME.

Optional parameters¶

EXTERNAL_VOLUME = 'external_volume_name'

Specifies the identifier (name) for the external volume where the Iceberg table stores its metadata files and data in Parquet format. Iceberg metadata and manifest files store the table schema, partitions, snapshots, and other metadata.

If you don’t specify this parameter, the Iceberg table defaults to the external volume for the schema, database, or account. The schema takes precedence over the database, and the database takes precedence over the account.

CATALOG = 'catalog_integration_name'

Specifies the identifier (name) of the catalog integration for this table.

If not specified, the Iceberg table defaults to the catalog integration for the schema, database, or account. The schema takes precedence over the database, and the database takes precedence over the account.

REPLACE_INVALID_CHARACTERS = { TRUE | FALSE }

Specifies whether to replace invalid UTF-8 characters with the Unicode replacement character (�) in query results. You can only set this parameter for tables that use an external Iceberg catalog.

• TRUE replaces invalid UTF-8 characters with the Unicode replacement character.

• FALSE leaves invalid UTF-8 characters unchanged. Snowflake returns a user error message when it encounters invalid UTF-8 characters in a Parquet data file.

If not specified, the Iceberg table defaults to the parameter value for the schema, database, or account. The schema takes precedence over the database, and the database takes precedence over the account.

Default: FALSE

COMMENT = 'string_literal'

Specifies a comment for the table.

Default: No value

TAG ( tag_name = 'tag_value' [ , tag_name = 'tag_value' , ... ] )

Specifies the tag name and the tag string value.

The tag value is always a string, and the maximum number of characters for the tag value is 256.

For information about specifying tags in a statement, see Tag quotas for objects and columns.

Access control requirements¶

A role used to execute this SQL command must have the following privileges at a minimum:

Note that operating on any object in a schema also requires the USAGE privilege on the parent database and schema.

For instructions on creating a custom role with a specified set of privileges, see Creating custom roles.

For general information about roles and privilege grants for performing SQL actions on securable objects, see Overview of Access Control.

Usage notes¶

• Considerations for running this command:

  • If you created your external volume or catalog integration using a double-quoted identifier, you must specify the identifier exactly as created (including the double quotes) in your CREATE ICEBERG TABLE statement. Failure to include the quotes might result in an Object does not exist error (or similar type of error).

    To view an example, see the Examples (in this topic) section.

  • With Snowflake versions 7.34 and later, you do not specify a BASE_LOCATION to create a table from Iceberg files in object storage.

    Before version 7.34, a parameter named BASE_LOCATION (also called FILE_PATH in previous versions) was required to create a table from Iceberg files in object storage. The parameter specified a relative path from the EXTERNAL_VOLUME location.

    You can continue to execute a script or statement that uses the old syntax. If you do, the following notes apply:

    • The Parquet data files and Iceberg metadata files for the table must be within the BASE_LOCATION.

    • To refresh the table, you must specify a path relative to the BASE_LOCATION. For example, if the full path to your metadata file is s3://mybucket_us_east_1/my_base_location/metadata/v1.metadata.json, specify metadata/v1.metadata.json as the metadata-file-relative-path.

      For more information, see ALTER ICEBERG TABLE … REFRESH.

• Considerations for creating tables:

  • A schema cannot contain tables and/or views with the same name. When creating a table:

    • If a view with the same name already exists in the schema, an error is returned and the table is not created.

    • If a table with the same name already exists in the schema, an error is returned and the table is not created, unless the optional OR REPLACE keyword is included in the command.

  • CREATE OR REPLACE <object> statements are atomic. That is, when an object is replaced, the old object is deleted and the new object is created in a single transaction.

    This means that any queries concurrent with the CREATE OR REPLACE ICEBERG TABLE operation use either the old or new table version.

  • Similar to reserved keywords, ANSI-reserved function names (CURRENT_DATE, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, etc.) cannot be used as column names.

  • Recreating a table (using the optional OR REPLACE keyword) drops its history, which makes any stream on the table stale. A stale stream is unreadable.

• Regarding metadata:

  Attention

  Customers should ensure that no personal data (other than for a User object), sensitive data, export-controlled data, or other regulated data is entered as metadata when using the Snowflake service. For more information, see Metadata fields in Snowflake.

Examples¶

CREATE ICEBERG TABLE my_iceberg_table
  EXTERNAL_VOLUME='my_external_volume'
  CATALOG='my_catalog_integration'
  METADATA_FILE_PATH='path/to/metadata/v1.metadata.json';

CREATE OR REPLACE ICEBERG TABLE itable_with_quoted_catalog
  EXTERNAL_VOLUME = '"external_volume_1"'
  CATALOG = '"catalog_integration_1"'
  METADATA_FILE_PATH='path/to/metadata/v1.metadata.json';