Cloud cost
Auto-suspend / resume minimum
Snowflake's default of suspending an idle warehouse to stop billing, then resuming it on the next query. Each resume bills at least 60 seconds, however short the query is.
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Definition
Auto-suspend and auto-resume are both on by default. A warehouse suspends after its configured idle timeout. It wakes on its own when the next query needs it. This is good for a workload with long gaps between queries.
It cuts the other way for a workload with frequent, short bursts of queries, such as a dashboard that polls every couple of minutes. A short auto-suspend timeout means constant suspending and resuming. Every resume bills the 60-second minimum, even if the query took far less time. No single timeout is right for every warehouse. It depends on the query pattern.
Where it shows up
The auto-suspend and auto-resume settings live in a Snowflake warehouse's own configuration. Whoever administers the warehouse sets the idle timeout for each one. The 60-second resume minimum is documented behavior. It applies automatically each time a suspended warehouse wakes to serve a new query from any client.
What makes it expensive
A short auto-suspend timeout is a trap for a workload with frequent, short bursts of queries. A dashboard that polls every couple of minutes is one example. The warehouse suspends and resumes constantly. Each resume bills the 60-second minimum on its own. With that setup, a mostly idle warehouse and a busy one can cost about the same.
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