Configure Snowflake

Snowflake is a cloud-based data warehouse. This guide uses the Snowflake free trial which lasts 30 days and requires no credit card.

Create a Free Trial Account

1. Go to https://signup.snowflake.com and fill in your details
2. Choose the cloud provider and region closest to you — any provider works for this course, AWS is a safe default
3. Select the Standard edition — this is sufficient for SQL 101
4. Check your email and activate the account
5. On first login you will land in the Snowflake web UI called Snowsight
6. Note your account identifier from the browser URL — it looks like https://app.snowflake.com/yourregion/youraccountid/. You will need youraccountid for the DBeaver connection

Connect via DBeaver

1. Open DBeaver and click the New Database Connection button in the top left
2. Search for Snowflake, select it, and click Next
3. Fill in the connection fields:
   • Host: youraccountid.snowflakecomputing.com (replace youraccountid with your actual account identifier)
   • Port: 443
   • Database: leave blank for now
   • Warehouse: COMPUTE_WH (the default warehouse on the free trial)
   • Username: your Snowflake login email
   • Password: your Snowflake password
4. Click Test Connection — if prompted, download the Snowflake JDBC driver
5. Click Finish
6. The Snowflake connection will appear in the Database Navigator on the left

Creating the Database Schema

Now that the connection is established you can create the database schema found here. Before running the schema, make sure a warehouse is active and you have the right role:

1. Ensure COMPUTE_WH is running. In Snowsight go to Admin → Warehouses and confirm it is resumed. Or run:

ALTER WAREHOUSE COMPUTE_WH RESUME;

2. Run the following before executing the schema script to ensure sufficient privileges:

USE ROLE SYSADMIN;

3. After the schema is created, run the following before running course queries:

USE DATABASE SQL101;

Notes

• Account identifier format: some older Snowflake accounts use orgname-accountname format — check under Admin → Accounts in Snowsight if unsure
• Warehouse suspended: free trial warehouses auto-suspend after inactivity — resume with ALTER WAREHOUSE COMPUTE_WH RESUME;
• Trial expiry: the free trial lasts 30 days — export any work before it expires. The course content can be completed well within the trial period
• DBeaver driver error: if the Snowflake driver fails to auto-download, manually download the JDBC driver from https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/jdbc-download and add it via Driver Manager in DBeaver
• Role permissions: if schema creation fails, ensure you are using the SYSADMIN role — run USE ROLE SYSADMIN; before the schema script