Free Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate Actual Exam Questions - Question 4 Discussion
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?
This definitely seems like option C. External tables usually keep the data separate from the metadata, so dropping the table only removes the metadata, leaving the data files intact. If it were a managed table (E), both would disappear. The size or location of the table (A, B, D) shouldn't affect this behavior here.
C imo, external tables keep data separate from metadata, so dropping just removes the metadata but leaves data files intact. Managed tables would delete both.
Makes sense that the data files stick around because the table was external, so dropping it just deletes metadata, not the actual data. This points to option C. If it was managed (E), both data and metadata would be gone.
C/D? External tables keep data files, managed drop both metadata and data.
C. The fact that the data files remain after dropping the table suggests it’s an external table. External tables keep their data separate, so when you drop them, only metadata is removed. If this were a managed table (E), both metadata and data would be deleted automatically. The size of the data or having a location doesn’t usually affect whether the data files get deleted, so A, B, or D don’t really explain this behavior.
It’s C because external tables store data outside the system, so dropping the table only removes metadata, leaving the actual data files untouched. Managed tables would delete both.
That stuck out to me too—if data files are still there after DROP TABLE, it sounds like the table was external, so C makes the most sense here. Managed tables would clean up data as well.
C vs E? Since the data files remain, it matches external tables behavior, where DROP TABLE only deletes metadata. Managed tables would remove both data and metadata, so E doesn't fit here.
Option C fits here since external tables usually separate data storage from the catalog. Dropping them removes metadata only, so data files stay put, unlike managed tables which delete everything.
Makes sense that it’s C since external tables usually keep data separate. Dropping them just clears metadata, so data files remain untouched.
C makes sense since dropping an external table usually removes the metadata but leaves the actual data files untouched, unlike managed tables that delete both. That explains why the data files are still there.
It’s C because external tables keep data separate from metadata, so dropping the table only removes metadata, leaving data files intact. Managed tables would delete both metadata and data.
Is this question assuming a specific data platform like Hive or Spark? Because behavior for DROP TABLE differs between managed and external tables depending on the system, so context would help clarify why data files remain.