For improved security as software has moved to the cloud, products like Snowflake must consider how to manage the way users can access and manage their data.
When it comes to being able to begin working in your snowflake warehouse, consider these two concepts:
Identity vs Access
Identity is who you are. In life, things like Employee ID Badges or Passports prove who you are. In the cloud space, the unique combination of your Username and Password identify you to the system you are trying to access.
Access is your ability to take certain actions or enter certain domains. In life, access is determined by membership to a group, say for example your ability to enter a certain department based on your major, or your ability to enter a locked room using a specific key. In the cloud, your access decides what you can do, and what you can access is dictated by your role.
This is an important distinction for cloud based services like Snowflake in order to properly and efficiently govern user access for warehouses of large organizations.
When new users join the organization, their identity is managed through their account. They are allowed to see specific kinds of data or do certain actions by assigning them a role, or multiple roles. When they don't need to access certain things, it is as easy and switching or removing their role, the way a room key is returned.