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Data & Analytics · Advanced

Liquid Clustering

A Delta Lake data layout feature that incrementally clusters data by chosen keys, which can be changed without rewriting the table.

Definition

Declared with CLUSTER BY (or CLUSTER BY AUTO, which lets Databricks choose keys), liquid clustering replaces Hive-style partitioning and Z-ordering, handles skew and high cardinality, and is maintained by OPTIMIZE.

Example

CREATE TABLE events (...) CLUSTER BY (event_date, user_id);

Exam tip

Liquid clustering keys can be changed later; partition columns cannot be changed without a rewrite.

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