Discuss Databricks Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate Exam Topic 3 Question 48

A data analyst is attempting to drop a table my_table. The analyst wants to delete all table metadata and data.

They run the following command:

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS my_table;

While the object no longer appears when they run SHOW TABLES, the data files still exist.

Which of the following describes why the data files still exist and the metadata files were deleted?

AThe table's data was larger than 10 GB

BThe table did not have a location

CThe table was external

DThe table's data was smaller than 10 GB

EThe table was managed
An external table is a table that is defined in the metastore, but its data is stored outside of the Databricks environment, such as in S3, ADLS, or GCS. When an external table is dropped, only the metadata is deleted from the metastore, but the data files are not affected. This is different from a managed table, which is a table whose data is stored in the Databricks environment, and whose data files are deleted when the table is dropped. To delete the data files of an external table, the analyst needs to specify the PURGE option in the DROP TABLE command, or manually delete the files from the storage system.Reference:DROP TABLE,Drop Delta table features,Best practices for dropping a managed Delta Lake table

Suggested Answer: C

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26 comments · newest first

Novella 1 month ago

Definitely! Need to PURGE to delete files.

Wenona 1 month ago

Right! Metadata gone, but data stays.

Lavera 2 months ago

Agreed! External tables keep data outside.

Josue 2 months ago

I think it's C) The table was external. Makes sense.

Minna 2 months ago

Right! It's all about how the table is defined. External vs managed is key.

Luis 2 months ago

I feel like A) or D) could be misleading. Size doesn't matter here.

Azalee 2 months ago

Agreed! External tables keep the data files intact.

Nu 3 months ago

I think the answer is C) The table was external. Makes sense.

Fatima 3 months ago

Definitely C. Managed tables delete everything.

Shawnta 3 months ago

I feel confused about managed vs external.

Salome 3 months ago

Agreed! External tables keep data files intact.

Willodean 3 months ago

I think the answer is C. The table was external.

Twana 3 months ago

Managed tables delete everything, right?

Vannessa 4 months ago

I think it’s about the table's location, not size.

Tora 5 months ago

Wait, so the data files just stay there? That's weird.

Lachelle 5 months ago

Yeah, that makes sense!

Galen 5 months ago

The table was probably external.

Josphine 6 months ago

No way, it can't be because of the size!

Osvaldo 6 months ago

Wait, so the data files just stay there?

Kathrine 6 months ago

I thought dropping a table would delete everything.

Annice 6 months ago

Yeah, that makes sense!

Jesus 6 months ago

The table was probably external.

Deeanna 6 months ago

I thought managed tables would delete everything, but I guess if it was external, the data would remain. I need to double-check that!

Leeann 7 months ago

I feel like the answer could be C, since external tables don't delete data files when dropped. I just can't recall the specifics.

Edda 7 months ago

I think I practiced a question about managed vs. external tables, but I'm not entirely sure if the size of the data affects this.

Eve 7 months ago

I remember that external tables keep their data outside the database, so that might explain why the files are still there after dropping the table.

Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate Exam - Topic 3 Question 48 Discussion