Snowflake Inc.
Storing metadata using data structures in database systems

Abstract:

The subject technology receives first metadata corresponding to a set of micro-partitions. The subject technology stores a first data structure and a second data structure in storage as a first file and a second file, first data structure including the first metadata and a second data structure including second metadata, the first metadata corresponding to a set of micro-partitions, the second metadata for a grouping of the first metadata, the second data structure including information associating the second metadata to the first metadata. The subject technology stores third metadata for a table, the third metadata comprising: cumulative table metadata comprising global information about a plurality of micro-partitions of the table, the cumulative table metadata being stored in a metadata micro-partition associated with the table.