What is the purpose of the SYSTEM$CLUSTERING_INFORMATION function?

• A. Returns clustering information, including average clustering depth, for only materialized views, based on one or more columns in the view.
• B. Returns clustering information, including average clustering depth, for a table, based on one or more columns in the table.
• C. Returns clustering information, including average clustering depth, for all database objects (views and tables) based on one or more columns.
• D. Returns clustering information, including average clustering depth, for a view based on one or more columns in the view.

Answer: (B)

The function reports how well data is organized in storage for a table using one or more clustering keys. In Snowflake, clustering keys influence how data is physically laid out across micro-partitions, and the average clustering depth is a metric that shows how tightly the data aligns with those keys. By calling this function on a table, you get insight into whether the current clustering is effective and whether adjustments (like changing keys or reclustering) might improve query performance. It’s specifically about a table’s storage layout, not about views or other database objects, which is why it applies to a table rather than a view, materialized view, or all objects.