DBT DBT Deployment & CI/CD 2

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

profiles.yml

Answer

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

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Environments

Answer

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

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

`+schema` defines a custom schema suffix that dbt appends to the target schema, allowing logical separation (e.g., `dbt_<user>_staging`).

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

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

DBT - Certified Data Build Tool Developer Practice Test

DBT - Certified Data Build Tool Developer Practice Test

DBT DBT Deployment & CI/CD 2