Data Engineering Associate with Databricks Practice Exam

What is the advantage of external tables over managed tables?

1. They require less system resources.

2. They are easier to set permissions for.

3. They prevent accidental deletion of underlying files.

4. They can be queried faster.

The correct answer is: They prevent accidental deletion of underlying files.

External tables offer a significant advantage in that they prevent accidental deletion of the underlying files. Unlike managed tables, where both the metadata and the data are controlled by the system and deleting the table also removes the associated data from storage, external tables have their data stored outside of the system's control. This means that the underlying data files remain intact even if the external table itself is dropped. This feature is particularly useful in scenarios where data is shared across multiple datasets or applications, ensuring that important data remains safe from unintentional loss during table management operations. Consequently, external tables are a more flexible choice for organizations wanting to safeguard their data while still leveraging SQL for querying and interacting with datasets.