Data Platform · Multi-Cloud
Snowflake
Snowflake runs a proprietary three-layer, multi-cluster shared-data architecture on AWS, Azure, and GCP, separating compressed columnar storage on cloud object stores from MPP compute warehouses and a distributed cloud services control plane.[1][16][19] Internally it is a service-oriented system with independently scalable storage, compute, and metadata/transaction services built for OLAP workloads.[16][19]
Foundation proximity: Native (own / self-hosted weights)
Foundational models & how they consume them
PrimarySnowflake Cortex native models (embedding, classification, search, etc.)· Snowflake (deployed within Cortex AI layer on Snowflake platform) · Native (own / self-hosted weights)
SecondaryOpen-source LLMs (e.g., Llama, Mistral family) used in customer Snowpark Container Services / Model Serving· Self-hosted by Snowflake customers within Snowflake’s model serving and container services · Native (own / self-hosted weights)
TertiaryPartner LLMs (e.g., Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT family) accessible via Snowflake Cortex integrations· Third-party model providers via cloud-hosted APIs integrated into Cortex · Cloud-hosted (Bedrock/Vertex/Azure)
Cloud & datastore
Multi-CloudProprietary multi-cluster shared-data columnar engine on cloud object storage (Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage)[1][16][19]Service-oriented cloud services layer for metadata, transactions, optimization, authentication, and coordination[1][16][19]Massively parallel processing virtual warehouses as independent compute clusters[14][16][19]Compliance
Role-based access control and fine-grained security policies in cloud services layer[1][16]Encryption of data at rest and in transit on public cloud object storage (S3/Blob/GCS)[1][16]Secure data sharing and governance features integrated into the services layer[1][11][16]Similar companies
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FAQ
Does Snowflake use a foundational AI model?
Snowflake uses Snowflake Cortex native models (embedding, classification, search, etc.), Open-source LLMs (e.g., Llama, Mistral family) used in customer Snowpark Container Services / Model Serving, Partner LLMs (e.g., Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT family) accessible via Snowflake Cortex integrations (Native (own / self-hosted weights)).
What cloud does Snowflake run on?
Snowflake runs on Multi-Cloud.
What database does Snowflake use?
Snowflake uses Proprietary multi-cluster shared-data columnar engine on cloud object storage (Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage)[1][16][19], Service-oriented cloud services layer for metadata, transactions, optimization, authentication, and coordination[1][16][19], Massively parallel processing virtual warehouses as independent compute clusters[14][16][19].
How close does Snowflake run to the foundational model?
Snowflake is Native (own / self-hosted weights) — close to the metal, so cheaper tokens and more control over outputs.
Sources
snowflake.com ↗Also on the map
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Architecture inferred from public sources · confidence medium · verify before betting on a detail.