--- title: dbt - Artifacts description: "The artifacts of a Snowflake dbt or Databricks dbt project are a complete dbt project: models, model YAML files and macros." --- [Skip to content](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dbt-artifacts#main-content) [Contact us](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [Go to Customer Portal](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/customer-portal?hsLang=en) [![TRI\_Logo\_biGENIUS\_2020\_RGB\_s](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing/TRI_Logo_biGENIUS_2020_RGB_s.png?width=150&height=42&name=TRI_Logo_biGENIUS_2020_RGB_s.png)](https://www.bigenius-x.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Contact us](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/kb-tickets/new) - [Go to Customer Portal](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/customer-portal) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [biGENIUS-X Knowledge Base](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Generators](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/generators?hsLang=en) 3. [Artifacts](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/generators?hsLang=en#artifacts) # dbt - Artifacts **Applies to** Platform: Snowflake dbt · Databricks dbt The artifacts of a Snowflake dbt or Databricks dbt project are a complete dbt project: models, model YAML files and macros. This article explains its folders, the models of each model object and the file you edit. Use it to find the model of a model object and to see what `dbt run` builds. The dbt artifacts contain no deployment scripts, no load control, no `replace_placeholders.ps1` and no `replacement_config.json`. You set the values as described in [dbt - Placeholder values](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dbt-placeholder-values?hsLang=en), and dbt creates and loads the tables as described in [dbt - Deployment](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dbt-deployment?hsLang=en). ### Files and folders - `dbt_project.yml`: the project name, the schema of each layer, one pair of variables per source system and the name of the connection profile. - `README.md`: generator version, project, branch and the number of model objects and validation warnings. - `ParseError.log`: present when generation reported validation warnings, with the text of each warning. - `models///`: the models of a layer, one folder per model object type, for example `models/rawvault/hub`. Stage models are in `models/stage//`. - `models//models_.yml`: the columns, data types and constraints of the models of the layer. - `models/stage/sources_.yml`: the dbt source of a source system with its tables and columns. Its catalog and schema come from the variables in `dbt_project.yml`. - `macros/`: the materializations, such as `bg_append`, and helper macros, such as `bg_close_validity_merge`. The project contains no dbt tests, no `packages.yml` and no `selectors.yml`. You do not need `dbt deps`. ### Models of a model object Model names are in lower case and start with the prefix of the model object type, for example `stg_`, `rdv_hub_`, `rdv_sat_` or `bdv_hub_`. - Source: `_source`, the view that prepares the rows to load. - Storage: ``, the table or view of the model object. - Result: `_result`, the result view, only with [Create Result Views](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-result-views-project?hsLang=en) on. - Dataflow source: `__source`, the view of one dataflow. - Loader: `__loader`, which inserts the rows of one dataflow. Notes on these models: - With more than one dataflow, the storage model only creates the table. Each loader inserts into it after the loader of the previous dataflow. - The materialization follows the [Implementation Type](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/implementation-type-model-object?hsLang=en). `Permanent` uses `bg_append`: the first run creates the table, later runs insert new rows. `Cached` uses the dbt materialization `table`, which rebuilds the table on every run. `Virtual` gives a view. - Historized satellite types, such as Satellite, Link Satellite and Effectivity Satellite, and PITs carry the post-hook `bg_close_validity_merge`. It sets `BG_ValidToTimestamp` of the previous version of a key, see [Persist Validity](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/persist-validity-project?hsLang=en). ### Constraints and contracts `dbt_project.yml` sets `+contract: enforced: true`, so dbt checks the columns and data types of each model against the model YAML file. The YAML files declare `not_null` columns and the constraints `primary_key`, `unique` and `foreign_key`. [Use Unique Constraints](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/use-unique-constraints-project?hsLang=en) controls the unique constraints, and [Foreign Key Mode](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/foreign-key-mode-model-object?hsLang=en) the foreign keys. The `bg_` materializations apply the constraints to the tables. With [Target Object Comment Type](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/target-object-comment-type-project?hsLang=en) set to `Tables and Views`, `dbt_project.yml` also sets `+persist_docs`. With [Apply Sensitivity Level Tags](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/apply-sensitivity-level-tags-project?hsLang=en) on, it adds the post-hook `apply_column_tags`. ### Data Mart projects on Databricks dbt - [`Databricks Dbt DataMart`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/databricks-dbt-datamart?hsLang=en): the models are in the layer folder `mart`, with one schema entry. The project reads the objects of its linked projects as dbt sources. Each linked source system gets a file `models/stage/sources_.yml` and the variables `_catalog` and `_schema`. - [`Databricks Dbt DataVault & Mart`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/databricks-dbt-datavault-and-mart?hsLang=en): one project with the layer folders `stage`, `rawvault`, `businessvault` and `mart` and four schema entries. Variables exist only for the source systems. The Mart models read the vault models with `ref()`. ### Example Part of the artifacts of a Data Vault project with the source system `bfmmssql`. The Hub `common_customer` has one dataflow. The Satellite `load_customer_sat` has the dataflows `Dataflow1` and `Dataflow2`: ``` dbt_project.yml README.md macros/bg_close_validity_merge.sql macros/materializations/bg_append.sql models/stage/sources_bfmmssql.yml models/stage/bfmmssql/stg_st_customer_source.sql models/stage/bfmmssql/stg_st_customer.sql models/rawvault/models_rawvault.yml models/rawvault/hub/rdv_hub_common_customer_source.sql models/rawvault/hub/rdv_hub_common_customer.sql models/rawvault/satellite/rdv_sat_load_customer_sat.sql models/rawvault/satellite/rdv_sat_load_customer_sat_dataflow1_source.sql models/rawvault/satellite/rdv_sat_load_customer_sat_dataflow1_loader.sql models/rawvault/satellite/rdv_sat_load_customer_sat_dataflow2_source.sql models/rawvault/satellite/rdv_sat_load_customer_sat_dataflow2_loader.sql ``` The Hub has a source view and a table model. The Satellite has an owner model `rdv_sat_load_customer_sat` and a source view and a loader for each dataflow. ### Platform differences - Snowflake dbt: the source variables are `_database` and `_schema`. Each layer also has `+snowflake_warehouse`. The macros include `bg_apply_tags` and no `process_config_changes`. Snowflake dbt is available since Generator 2.4 and offers only the configuration Snowflake Dbt DataVault. - Databricks dbt: the macro `process_config_changes` applies changes of [Optimization Method](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/optimization-method-model-object?hsLang=en) to existing tables, see [dbt - Deployment](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dbt-deployment?hsLang=en). ### Release differences - Generator 2.3: the catalog and schema of each source system are variables in `dbt_project.yml`. Up to Generator 2.2, `sources_.yml` contained `catalog: `. - Generator 2.4: the `bg_` materializations apply the constraints. Generator 2.2 and 2.3 applied them with separate post-hooks. ### Related articles - Previous: [Generate artifacts](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/generate-artifacts?hsLang=en), [Download generated artifacts](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/download-generated-artifacts?hsLang=en) - Next: [dbt - Placeholder values](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dbt-placeholder-values?hsLang=en), [dbt - Deployment](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dbt-deployment?hsLang=en) - Reference: [Implementation Type (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/implementation-type-model-object?hsLang=en), [Create Result Views (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-result-views-project?hsLang=en), [Persist Validity (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/persist-validity-project?hsLang=en), [Use Unique Constraints (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/use-unique-constraints-project?hsLang=en), [Foreign Key Mode (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/foreign-key-mode-model-object?hsLang=en), [Target Object Comment Type (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/target-object-comment-type-project?hsLang=en) - Snowflake dbt: no generator profile article available yet - Databricks dbt: [DataVault](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/databricks-dbt-datavault?hsLang=en), [Datamart](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/databricks-dbt-datamart?hsLang=en), [DataVault and Mart](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/databricks-dbt-datavault-and-mart?hsLang=en) - See also: [Change detection and historization](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/change-detection-and-historization?hsLang=en), [Push the generated artifacts to repository](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/push-the-generated-artifacts-to-repository?hsLang=en) - [Getting started](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Guidelines](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#guidelines) - [Start working](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#start-working) - [Account](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#account) - [General overview](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/general-overview?hsLang=en) - 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