DBT Deployment & CI/CD Flashcards

Which file defines the target warehouse connection details for a dbt Core project?

Answer: profiles.yml

`profiles.yml` (stored in `~/.dbt/` by default) holds named targets with adapter type, credentials, and warehouse-specific settings.

What does `dbt run --target prod` do?

Answer: Switches to the `prod` target defined in profiles.yml

The `--target` flag selects a named output target from profiles.yml, allowing the same project to run against dev or prod warehouses.

Which dbt Cloud concept separates the environment where CI tests run from where production runs land?

Answer: Environments

dbt Cloud Environments (e.g., 'CI', 'Production') hold distinct connection credentials, dbt versions, and custom schemas for isolation.

What does the `+schema` config in dbt_project.yml do when set for a model folder?

Answer: Appends a custom suffix to the target schema for that folder's models

`+schema` defines a custom schema suffix that dbt appends to the target schema, allowing logical separation (e.g., `dbt__staging`).

In GitHub Actions, which `dbt run` flag would you add to run only models changed in a PR versus the production manifest?

Answer: --select state:modified+ --defer --state ./prod-manifest

Combining `state:modified+` (changed model plus its downstream dependents), `--defer`, and `--state` pointing to the production manifest implements Slim CI.

What dbt Cloud feature lets a CI job use prod table results for unmodified models instead of rebuilding them?

Answer: Deferral

Deferral (`--defer`) tells dbt to use a different environment's tables for refs that are not being rebuilt in the current run.