Secure Data Sharing for an International Payments Technology Company
Client:
International payments technology company.
Challenge:
The client needed rapid access to more than 4 TB of data across three core tables. Traditional transfer methods would require separate data-transfer processes and duplicate copies, adding engineering, maintenance, and storage requirements.
Key Success Metrics:
- Provisioned access to more than 4 TB of data across three core tables in one business day.
- Enabled same-region access without copying the shared dataset or building additional data-transfer infrastructure.
- Avoided duplicate storage for the shared dataset in the client's account, with query compute costs borne by the client.
- Provided access to current shared data while the provider retained control over sharing permissions.
Business Challenge
The client needed fast access to a large dataset while avoiding a separate transfer process, duplicate copies, and the engineering and storage they would require. The provider also needed to keep control over what was shared and for how long.
Large-volume data access
The client required access to more than 4 TB of data across three core tables.
Additional transfer and storage requirements
An export to AWS S3, SFTP transfer, or custom API would require a separate data-transfer process and duplicate copies of the data, adding engineering, maintenance, and storage requirements.
Governance and control
The data provider needed to control which tables were shared, which consumer account could access them, and when access could be revoked.
Architecture and Tech Stack
Both Snowflake environments operated in the same AWS region.
Snowflake Secure Data Sharing
Snowflake Direct Share
AWS
Implementation and Solution
The implementation used Snowflake Direct Share to provide access to data between two existing Snowflake environments in the same AWS region without copying the shared dataset.
Validated regional compatibility
Confirmed that both environments operated in the same AWS region, enabling direct sharing without moving the data.
Created the secure share
Provisioned access to the three agreed core tables through Snowflake Secure Data Sharing.
Avoided data duplication
No extracts, replication pipelines, S3 staging areas, or custom APIs were required. The shared data remained in the provider's Snowflake environment.
Retained governance controls
The provider retained control over the shared objects and sharing permissions, including the ability to revoke access at any time. The client accessed current data through the share.
Used consumer compute for queries
The client queried the shared data using its own Snowflake compute clusters.
One business day. Team size and roles were not provided.
Results (ROI)
Snowflake Direct Share provided access to more than 4 TB across three core tables in one business day, without copying the dataset or building a separate transfer pipeline.
Access provisioned in one business day
The client gained access to the three agreed core tables in one business day without building a separate transfer pipeline.
More than 4 TB shared without duplication
The shared dataset remained in the provider's environment, avoiding duplicate storage in the client's account.
No additional data-transfer infrastructure required
The same-region share required no extracts, replication pipelines, S3 staging areas, or custom APIs.
Query compute paid by the client
Queries ran on the client's own Snowflake compute, with query compute costs borne by the client.
Current data with provider-controlled sharing permissions
The client accessed current shared data without a separate batch-transfer process. The provider retained control over the shared objects and could revoke access at any time.
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