What is Teradata ?

It is basically a database that is designed to handle queries. It is a relational database management system for the world’s largest commercial databases. Other RDBMS takes enormous time to process and execute the data. But Teradata RDBMS handles massive amount of data with ease.

The main attraction of is its scalability, parallel processing and high performance. It generates an optimal plan for the query within few seconds.

Teradata can save upto Teradata bytes in size. The concept of parallelism makes It the industry giant in data warehousing applications.

It is based on the shared nothing architecture.

Features of Teradata

1. Faster response

It has the most intelligent optimizer and smartest features to answer to any query dynamically

1. Saves IT effort and time

It is easy to set up and simple to use. It will save a lot of time for your IT department letting them to concentrate on the main goals of business. It’s simple set up, automation processes and intelligent design are more attracted features of the IT people

1. Analytical Needs

It is ready to solve any type of query and at any time. It deals with complex business trends to customizing web offers. It works with multiple queries at the same time making it easy for the user to derive at a decision

1. Manage Data Warehouse at a single click

It contains features that enables faster data warehouse deployment that combines with software controls of memory space, CPU and security. It has a defined data warehouse that quickly responds to the changing business requirements. Teradata’s Defined Warehouse includes three major sections

• Teradata Workload Management
• Teradata Database Secure Zones
• Teradata Data Lab

1. Language choice

You have an option to choose your favourite language which you think will handle the type of questions at its best. You can select Java, Perl, Ruby, Python, R or any other language script installed in your system to run custom analytics.

1. Structured and Multi Structured Data

It lets you store and analyze structured and multi structured data in the same database engine. It offers effortless use of all data types within the queries and offers workload management, in database analytics and easy administration process.

1. Security

The database offers a high level of security which can be customized as per the need of your business. Few of the security measures are listed below

• User and system level password controls
• Wallet for securing credentials
• IP filters
• Row and column level security
• Full disk encryption
• User authorization and authentication
• Audit logs

1. Row/Column data storage

Teradata has an element called Teradata Columnar which helps in integrating column and row based tables within its Database. It supports advanced workload management, rich SQL and in database analytics.

1. All types of users

It can be used by all types of users from business users to application developers. It is best suited for business users because of its features of leading BI and flexible custom written business SQL. It is best for application developers because of its language choice and flexible application architecture.

1. Bi temporal

You will not need any complex SQL condition clauses. Teradata makes it more simple for you. It offers full bi temporal tables and queries.

Benefits of Teradata

• Automatic data distribution – It automatically distributes even or uniform or random data
• High scalability
• Optimizer – It has powerful optimizer to perform a lot of operations
• Highly flexible
• Easy to install, use and maintain
• Acts like a single data store
• Low cost of ownership
• Bulk load facilities
• Full support to GUI

Teradata Architecture and Components

The architecture of Teradata RDBMS is designed using shared nothing architecture.

Teradata database system are of two types

• SMP (Symmetric Multi Processing)
• MPP (Massively Parallel Processing)

SMP system means a single NODE system that has multiple CPU sharing memory pool

MPP system has two or more NODES connected by a component called BYNET

Teradata architecture contains the following components

1. NODE

This is the collection of hardware and software components and it is the building block of its database system where the processing occurs. Channel system and network system can be integrated with NODE.

1. PE

Parsing Engine (PE) is a component that interprets SQL requests               , receives input and transforms the data. The data is transferred through the BYNET to the AMP

1. PDE

Parallel Database Extension (PDE) runs the operating system on each NODE. It runs Teradata Component in parallel

1. AMP

Access Module Processor (AMP) is a virtual processor designed to manage the database. It sorts, aggregates and formats data. Each AMP is associated with one virtual disk where there is data stored. It helps to retrieve or update data.

1. System disks

System disks are a part of the NODE that stores data rows. It includes

• Operating system software
• Teradata software
• Application software
• System dump software

The activities of the database are stored on the disk arrays

1. VPROC (Virtual Processor)

VPROC is a combination of one or more software processes in the OS multi tasking environment. In the windows OS, VPROC is single software process. The two types of VPROC are AMP and PE.

1. BYNET (Banyan Network)

BYNET is a combination of hardware and software that provides high performance networking between the NODES. BYNET is a message passing layer. It helps the NODES to communicate in a faster way. BYNET hardware and software components handle the communication between the VPROCs. Hardware of BYNET includes boards and cables. Software of BYNET includes an interface between PDE and BYNET hardware

The important features of BYNET includes

• Fault Tolerance
• Load Balances
• High Scalability

Teradata Data Warehouse System Components

1. Teradata Database Server

Its Database Server manages large number of data. It helps in scalability and ensures the integrity of the data.

The database has a number of modules which are mentioned below

• Teradata Database Window – Has a control over the operation of Teradata Database
• Teradata Gateway – Controls communications, client messages and encryption
• Parallel Data Extensions – Enables parallel processing in the Database
• Teradata Database Management Software – This includes Parsing Engine, Access Module Processor and the File System

1. Teradata Tools and Utilities (TTU)

The important Teradata client tools are listed below

• Teradata SQL Assistant – Is a graphical tool that helps database development and administration process easy
• Basic Teradata Query (BTEQ) – Is a batch query processing facility
• Loading tools – Helps in loading and unloading applications like TPump, FastExport, Parallel Transporter and others
• ODBC driver – Is used to access database from other tools and environments.
• OLE DB – Is an interface for manipulating data
• Administrator – Is a database administration interface
• CLIv2 (Call Level Interface) – Is an interface between the applications and Teradata Gateway
• Teradata Manager – Is a set of graphical database management and control tools
• Performance Monitor – Used for monitoring database sessions, resources usage and performance statistics
• Visual Explain – Graphical presentation of SQL scripts
• Index Wizard – Increase the index’s performance
• Statistics Wizard – Generates statistics automatically
• Teradata Archive and Recovery (ARC) – Provides tape archive and recovery process
• Meta Data Services – Metadata Management System that includes Metadata respiratory, MDS engine, Meta models, Teradata Metasurf
• Warehouse Builder (WB) – Executes multiple instances of extract, transform and load processes in Teradata environment

1. Teradata Resources

Below listed are few resources

• Teradata MultiLoad Guide
• Teradata TPump Tutorial
• Teradata Presentation
• Teradata Express Edition
• Teradata Meta Data Services (MDS)
• Teradata Enterprise Data Warehouse
• Teradata Tutorial
• Teradata String Operations
• Date and Time Manipulation in Teradata
• Select Queries In Teradata SQL

Becoming a Teradata Professional

If you are a Teradata developer or undergone training in It and looking for a job then this section will help you to give an answer to your thoughts and questions about your career.

You will know what it means to be a Teradata Professional or Analytics Professional.

The first thing you should know is Data Analytics is a broader term and it includes a lot of names under it. There are a lot of things a analytics professional can do. There are several names given for such professionals like Statistician, Analyst, Data miner and others.

Teradata usually includes exploring data to get a deeper insight using various sophisticated techniques. Teradata professional exist under many titles but all share some core skills and traits. For example, they will be from different educational background but still everyone will know to code in languages like Python, SQL and others. The difference is that some might know only 2 languages while some might know more than two.

Teradata analysts should have a unique and raw talent profile. They should be dominated by creativity and curiosity. These qualities are prioritized when people are filling up jobs for data analytics . These qualities will help one to understand the newer technologies better.

As we see more and more business intelligence solutions are coming up with advanced techniques. So you need to be adaptable to this environment to become a right Teradata professional.

The distance between the old and new, structured and unstructured data are now breaking down. You should be creative and more flexible with the developments to make the workflow seamless.

Keep all this in mind as you go ahead.

Career Path in Teradata

Is there a career path?

Yes definitely there is

Teradata is a company as well as it offers a product in the same name.

It is not a simple database. It is used in many top rated companies where huge data need to be stored. World’s biggest database systems use Teradata.

In India only few top rated companies use it so the job opportunities are little less. But it is likely to increase in the future. So definitely Teradata has a better scope.

Particularly if you are into Data Warehousing then it is the best choice for your career. Teradata warehousing also lets you Work From Home.

Whether you are technically fit or not depends on you.

You should have a deeper understanding of the process and systems. Understanding about the data more deeply will make you a better developer for a long term.

You should also continuously update yourself to the recent technologies. There are few certificate courses available in it and if you learn them then you will have a high demand in market.

Teradata is a rare skill so you can definitely demand the salary from companies

Teradata Developer

The roles and responsibilities of a Teradata developer are as follows

• Maintaining all DBA functions
• Performance tuning which includes collecting statistics and analyzing it
• Create and manage various user accounts
• Move databases between machines
• Upgrade and install patch sets
• Work with data warehousing and data mart
• Create and manage partitions
• Perform database health checks using its Manager
• Provide new and high quality solutions to clients
• Install its drivers
• Use its Administrator and Manager tools to monitor and control the system
• Use fastexport and fastload utilities to refresh the data
• Load data from various sources and legacy systems into Teradata production and development warehouse using certain tools
• Analyze and improve query performance using Teradata Explain and Visual Explain
• Create and modify MULTI LOADS for Informatica using UNIX
• Load data into IDW
• Work as an On-site Teradata Lead DBA
• Act as a bridge between the offshore and on-site Teradata teams

Conclusion

Thus It helps many businesses to achieve its objectives with ease. Hope this article would have helped you to know about your career in Teradata.

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