Burst Protector

A safety net for Smart Pulse that automatically handles sudden query spikes by temporarily scaling up warehouse capacity.

Overview

Smart Pulse optimizes your Snowflake warehouses by right-sizing them according to a schedule. However, downsizing introduces a risk: sudden spikes in query volume can overwhelm the reduced capacity, causing queries to queue up and degrade performance.

Burst Protector is a safety net that automatically and temporarily reverses Smart Pulse's downsizing when sustained query queue pressure is detected. Once the pressure subsides, it scales back down to the optimized configuration.

Scaling is always capped by the original (pre-optimization) cost — the system never scales beyond what you were already paying for.

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How to enable

Navigate to a warehouse details page, then Configuration Settings > Schedule. Toggle the "Query Burst Protector" switch.

Toggle switch to enable Burst Protector per warehouse

Prerequisites

• The warehouse must have an active Smart Pulse schedule with at least one activated config type (e.g., vertical sizing).

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Sampling interval

When you enable Burst Protector, you can configure the sampling interval -- how frequently the system checks for queued queries. The available options range from 5 seconds to 60 seconds (in 5-second increments), with a default of 15 seconds.

Burst detection uses three consecutive samples, so the total time before a scale-up is triggered equals three times the sampling interval. For example:

Sampling interval	Time before scale-up
5 sec	~15 seconds
15 sec (default)	~45 seconds
30 sec	~90 seconds
60 sec	~180 seconds

A shorter interval means faster reaction to bursts but more frequent checks. A longer interval is more conservative and avoids reacting to very brief spikes.

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How it works

Burst Protector continuously monitors your warehouses and detects bursts based on the number of queued queries versus the warehouse's concurrency capacity.

Burst detection

A burst is detected when queued queries exceed the warehouse's concurrency capacity. The system requires 3 consecutive detections before triggering a scale-up, preventing unnecessary reactions to brief spikes. The time between each detection is determined by your configured sampling interval.

Scale-up

When a sustained burst is confirmed:

• The warehouse is scaled up to handle the additional load.

• After each scale-up, the burst counter resets to enforce a new cooldown period before further scaling.

Scale-down

When no burst is detected and the warehouse was previously scaled up:

• The system automatically scales back down toward the optimized (recommended) configuration.

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Scaling modes

Burst Protector adapts its behavior based on your Snowflake edition:

Mode	Scale-up action	Scale-down action	Cost cap
Multi-cluster (Enterprise+)	Increase cluster count by 1	Decrease cluster count by 1	Capped at equivalent compute of original config
Single-cluster (Standard)	Restore to original warehouse size	Set back to recommended size	Never exceeds original size

Cost cap guarantee

The maximum capacity allowed is calculated so total compute never exceeds what the original (pre-optimization) configuration provided. For multi-cluster warehouses, this accounts for the size ratio (e.g., Large to Small = 4x) and generation differences, ensuring the total cluster capacity stays within the original cost envelope.

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Monitoring

Slack notifications

Burst Protector sends real-time notifications to your configured Slack channel with four event types:

Slack notification example showing burst protector activity

Event	When
Activated	First scale-up triggered
Scaling Up	Additional scale-up step
Scaling Down	Scaling back toward recommended config
Resolved	Fully returned to recommended state

Each notification includes the warehouse name, action details (cluster count or size change), the default state, a UTC timestamp, and a link to the warehouse in Seemore.

Change log

Burst Protector actions appear in the warehouse change log with a dedicated "SmartPulse Burst Protector" badge, so you can easily distinguish automated burst responses from other changes.

Change log entries showing Burst Protector actions

Real-time stats

Burst Protector activity is also visible in the warehouse's real-time stats view, giving you immediate visibility into active burst responses.

Real-time stats showing burst protector indicator

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FAQ

Does Burst Protector cost extra?

No. Burst Protector is included with Smart Pulse. The scaling it performs is always capped at your original warehouse cost, so you never pay more than you were paying before Smart Pulse optimization.

Can I use Burst Protector without Smart Pulse?

No. Burst Protector requires an active Smart Pulse schedule because it works by temporarily reversing Smart Pulse's optimizations when bursts are detected.

How quickly does Burst Protector react?

That depends on the sampling interval you configure. With the default 15-second interval, a scale-up is triggered after 3 consecutive detections (~45 seconds of sustained pressure). You can lower the interval to 5 seconds for faster reactions (~15 seconds), or increase it up to 60 seconds for a more conservative approach. See Sampling interval for details.

What if my warehouse is not running?

Burst Protector only monitors warehouses that are currently running. Suspended or idle warehouses are not affected.

Can Burst Protector scale my warehouse beyond its original size?

No. The cost cap guarantee ensures that the total compute capacity never exceeds the original (pre-optimization) configuration.