Same as Managed vs External for Hive/Spark. In Delta Lake: managed = Delta manages files in table directory; unmanaged = external location. In Databricks: managed tables stored in default location; unmanaged use external path. Same principle: managed = drop deletes data;...
This easy-level SQL question appears frequently in data engineering interviews at companies like Meesho. While less common, it tests deeper understanding that distinguishes strong candidates. Mastering the underlying concepts (spark) will help you answer variations of this question confidently.
Start by clearly defining the core concept being asked about. Interviewers want to see that you understand the fundamentals before diving into implementation details. Structure your answer with a definition, then explain the practical application with a concise example.
Same as Managed vs External for Hive/Spark. In Delta Lake: managed = Delta manages files in table directory; unmanaged = external location. In Databricks: managed tables stored in default location; unmanaged use external path. Same principle: managed = drop deletes data; unmanaged/external = drop keeps data. Why it matters: Design choices compound at scale—wrong approach can cause 100× overhead. Scalability trade-offs: Profile before optimizing; validate on sample then full. Cost implications: Suboptimal choices multiply at billion-row scale.
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Analyze My Answer — FreeAccording to DataEngPrep.tech, this is one of the most frequently asked SQL interview questions, reported at 1 company. DataEngPrep.tech maintains a curated database of 1,863+ real data engineering interview questions across 7 categories, verified by industry professionals.