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1. Introduction

Today's growing data warehouses demand fast, reliable tools are help to acquire and
manage data and flexibility to load large volumes of data from any source at any
time. Challenges come from everywhere: more data sources, growing data volumes,
dynamically changing business requirements and user demands for fresher data.

Teradata is a global technology leader in enterprise data warehousing, business

analytics, and data warehousing services. Teradata provides a powerful suite of
software that includes the Teradata Database, data access and management tools,
and data mining applications. PowerCenter works with the Teradata Database and
Teradata tools to provide a data integration solution that allows integrating data from
virtually any business system into Teradata as well as leveraging Teradata data for
use in other business systems.

PowerCenter uses the following techniques when extracting data from and loading
data to the Teradata database:

ETL

(Extract, transform, and load). This technique extracts data from the source systems,
transforms the data within PowerCenter, and loads it to target tables.

ELT

(Extract, load, and then transform). This technique extracts data from the source
systems, loads it to user-defined staging tables in the target database, and
transforms the data within the target system using generated SQL. The SQL queries
include a final insert into the target tables.

ETL-T

(ETL and ELT hybrid). This technique extracts data from the source systems,
transforms the data within PowerCenter, loads the data to user-defined staging tables
in the target database, and further transforms the data within the target system using
generated SQL. The SQL queries include a final insert into the target tables. The ELT-T
technique is optimized within PowerCenter, so that the transformations that better
perform within the database system can be performed there and the Integration
Service performs the other transformations.

To perform ETL operations, configure PowerCenter sessions to use a Teradata

relational connection, a Teradata standalone load or unload utility, or Teradata Parallel
Transporter. To use ELT or ETL-T techniques, configure PowerCenter sessions to use
pushdown optimization.
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2. Teradata standalone Load and Unload Utilities

Teradata standalone load and unload utilities are fast, reliable tools that help to
export large amounts of data from Teradata databases and load session target files
into Teradata databases. Use a standalone load or unload utility when PowerCenter
sessions extract or load large amounts of data. Standalone load and unload utilities
are faster than Teradata relational connections because they load or extract data
directly from a file or pipe rather than run SQL commands to load or extract the data.
PowerCenter works with the following Teradata standalone load and unload utilities:

2.1. Teradata FastLoad

· Teradata FastLoad is a command-line utility that quickly loads large amounts

of data to empty tables in a Teradata database. Use FastLoad for a high-
volume initial load or for high-volume truncate and reload operations.
FastLoad is the fastest load utility, but it has the following limitations:
· FastLoad uses multiple sessions to load data, but it can load data to only one
table in a Teradata database per job.
· It locks tables while loading data, preventing others and other instances of
FastLoad from accessing the tables during data loading.
· FastLoad only works with empty tables with no secondary indexes.
· It can only insert data.

2.2. Teradata MultiLoad

Teradata MultiLoad is a command-driven utility for fast, high-volume

maintenance on multiple tables and views of a Teradata database. Each
MultiLoad instance can perform multiple data insert, update, and delete
operations on up to five different tables or views. MultiLoad optimizes operations
that rapidly acquire, process, and apply data to Teradata tables. Use MultiLoad
for large volume, incremental data loads.

2.2.1. MultiLoad has the following advantages:

· MultiLoad is very fast. It can process millions of rows in a few minutes.

· MultiLoad supports inserts, updates, upserts, deletes, and data-driven
operations in PowerCenter.
· We can use variables and embed conditional logic into MultiLoad control
files.
· MultiLoad supports sophisticated error recovery. It allows load jobs to be
restarted without having to redo all of the prior work.
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2.2.2. MultiLoad has the following limitations:

· MultiLoad is designed for the highest possible throughput, so it can be very

resource intensive.
· It locks tables while loading data, preventing others and other instances of
MultiLoad from accessing the tables during data loading.
· Because of its “phased” nature, there are potentially inconvenient windows
of time when MultiLoad cannot be stopped without losing access to target
tables.

2.3. Teradata TPump

Teradata TPump is a highly parallel utility that can continuously move data from
data sources into Teradata tables without locking the affected table. TPump
supports inserts, updates, deletes, and data-driver updates. TPump acquires row
hash locks on a database table instead of table-level locks, so multiple TPump
instances can load data simultaneously to the same table. TPump is often used to
“trickle-load” a database table. Use TPump for low volume, online data loads.

2.3.1. TPump has the following advantages:

· TPump can refresh database tables in near real-time.

· TPump continuously loads data into Teradata tables without locking the
affected tables, so users can run queries when TPump is running.
· TPump is less resource-intensive than MultiLoad because it does not write to
temporary tables.
· Users can control the rate at which statements are sent to the Teradata
database, limiting resource consumption.
· It supports parallel processing.
· TPump can always be stopped and all of its locks dropped with no effect.
· TPump is not as fast as the other standalone loaders for large volume loads
because it changes the same data block multiple times.

2.4. Teradata FastExport

Teradata FastExport is a command-driven utility that uses multiple sessions to

quickly transfer large amounts of data from Teradata sources to PowerCenter.
Use FastExport to quickly extract data from Teradata sources.

2.4.1. FastExport has the following advantages:

· It is faster than Teradata relational connections when extracting large

amounts of data.
· FastExport can be run in streaming mode, which avoids the need to stage
the data file.
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· We can encrypt the data transfer between FastExport and the Teradata
server.
· FastExport is available for sources and pipeline lookups.

When we create a FastExport connection, verify the settings of the following

connection attributes:

· Data encryption.

Enable this attribute to encrypt the data transfer between FastExport and
the Teradata server so that unauthorized users cannot access the data being
transferred across the network.

· Fractional seconds.

This attribute specifies the precision of the decimal portion of timestamp

data. To avoid session failure or possible data corruption, make sure this
value matches the timestamp precision of the column in the Teradata
database. For date column filed selects from Teradata to Informatica we
need to match the Teradata date format with Informatica date format

To use FastExport in a session, configure the mapping to extract from a Teradata

source, configure the session to read from FastExport instead of a relational
database, and select the FastExport connection for the session. When a session
transfers data between Teradata and PowerCenter, the following files are
created:

· A staging file or pipe.

PowerCenter creates a staging file or named pipe for data transfer based on
how we configure the connection. Named pipes are generally faster than
staging files because data is transferred as soon as it appears in the pipe. If
we use a staging file, data is not transferred until all data appears in the file.

· A control file.

PowerCenter generates a control file that contains instructions for loading or

extracting data. PowerCenter creates the control file based on the loader or
FastExport attributes we configure for the connection and the session.

· A log file.

The load or unload utility creates a log file and writes error messages to it.
The PowerCenter session log indicates whether the session ran successfully,
but does not contain load or unload utility error messages. Use the log file to
debug problems that occur during data loading or extraction.
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By default, loader staging, control, and log files are created in the target file
directory. The FastExport staging, control, and log files are created in the
PowerCenter temporary files directory.

All of these load and unload utilities are included in the Teradata Tools and Utilities
(TTU), available from Teradata.PowerCenter supports these entire standalone load
and unload utilities. Before we can configure a session to use a load or unload utility,
create a loader or FastExport (application) connection in the PowerCenter Workflow
Manager and enter a value for the TDPID in the connection attributes.

For more information about creating connection objects in PowerCenter, see the
APPENDIX A, APPENDIX-B and PowerCenter Workflow Basics Guide.

3. Teradata Parallel Transporter

Teradata Parallel Transporter (TPT) is a client application that provides scalable, high-
speed, parallel data extraction, loading, and updating. It uses and expands upon the
functions and capabilities of the standalone Teradata load and unload utilities.

Teradata PT supports a single scripting environment with different system operators

for extracting and loading data. It also supports massive parallel extraction and
loading, so if we partition a Teradata PT session, multiple Teradata PT instances can
extract or load large amounts of data in the same database tables at the same time.
To provide the functionality of the standalone load and unload utilities, Teradata PT
extracts or loads data using one of the following system operators:

· Export. Exports large data sets from Teradata tables or views and imports the
data to file or Informatica pipe using the FastExport protocol.
· Load. Bulk loads large volumes of data into empty Teradata database tables using
the FastLoad protocol.
· Update. Batch updates, inserts, upserts, and deletes data in Teradata database
tables using the MultiLoad protocol.
· Stream. Continuously updates, inserts, upserts, and deletes data in near real-time
using the TPump protocol.

Fig1. TPT operators for Informatica job

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3.1. Teradata PT advantages:

Teradata PT is up to 20% faster than the standalone Teradata load and unload
utilities, even though it uses the underlying protocols from the standalone
utilities.

Teradata PT supports recovery for sessions that use the Stream operator when
the source data is repeatable. This feature is especially useful when running real-
time sessions and streaming the changes to Teradata.

Users can invoke Teradata PT through a set of open APIs that communicate with
the database directly, eliminating the need for a staging file or pipe and a control
file.

Teradata PT includes added features are enabled by users and some are
improvements made behind the scenes. They include:

3.1.1. Parallel Reading:

Allowing multiple instances of a single operator to read from the same input
file takes advantage of the file I/O cache monitored and maintained by the
operating system (OS). As long as all instances run at the same relative
speed, the OS will read a block from the file into memory and all instances
will be accessing the same memory. Dramatic improvements in performance
have been seen when using up to five or six instances reading from a single
(very large) file.

3.1.2. Exporting of Data:

The normal operating procedure for consumer operators is for the first
instance to get as much work as possible, provided it can keep up with the
rate at which data arrives through the data streams. The default behavior is
to only write to a single output file.

3.1.3. Parallel Writing:

If multiple instances are specified for the DataConnector operator (as a file
writer) and indicated that each instance should write to a different file, then
there can be some parallelism in data output. However, when exporting data
to flat files, this results in an uneven distribution of data across output files.

3.1.4. Round-Robin Data Distribution:

This new parallel writing feature allows for the ability to switch to a round-
robin fashion of file writing. This can evenly distribute data across multiple
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files, thereby improving the performance of writing to disk even more. That
performance improvement can be further enhanced by specifying each
output file on a separate disk.

PowerCenter communicates with Teradata PT using PowerExchange for Teradata

Parallel Transporter, which is available through the Informatica-Teradata Enterprise
Data Warehousing Solution. PowerExchange for Teradata Parallel Transporter provides
integration between PowerCenter and Teradata databases for data extraction and
loading.

Fig2. Informatica communicates with Teradata using TPT API Interface

PowerExchange for Teradata Parallel Transporter executes Teradata PT operators

directly through API [Fig2] calls. This improves performance by eliminating the
staging file or named pipe. It also improves security by eliminating the control file, so
there is no need to overwrite or store passwords in the control file. PowerExchange for
Teradata Parallel Transporter supports session and workflow recovery. It also captures
Teradata PT error messages and displays them in the session log, so do not need to
check the utility log file when errors occur. Before we can configure a session to use
Teradata PT, we must create a Teradata PT (relational) connection in the Workflow
Manager and enter a value for the TDPID in the connection attributes.

For more information about creating Teradata PT connection objects in PowerCenter,

see the APPENDIX A and APPENDIX B
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3.2. Selecting the Load utility based on records counts

For loading data into table, we will use different kinds of Teradata load utilities
based on data volume. Below table explains the best load utility to use in
Informatica based on data volume.

Task First Choice Second Choice

Insert a small number of rows into TPT-Load, FastLoad TPump, TPT-Steam, or
an empty table Relational from Informatica
Insert a large number of rows into TPT-Load, FastLoad TPump, TPT-Steam, or
an empty table Relational from Informatica
Insert a small number of rows into TPT-Update, TPT-
small populated table Stream, Relational,
Multiload, or TPump
Insert a small number of rows into TPump, TPT-Steam,
large populated table or Relational
Insert a moderate number of rows TPT-Update, Multiload TPT-Update, TPT-Stream,
into large populated table Relational, Multiload, TPump
Insert a large number of rows into TPT-Update, Multiload TPump, TPT-Steam, or
an multiple populated tables Relational
Insert a large number of rows into TPT-Update, Multiload
large populated table
Update/Delete large number of rows TPT-Update, Multiload Relational
Update/Delete small number of rows Relational TPump, TPT-Steam, or
Relational

3.3. Using TPT connection with Load and Update operator in session:

To configure a session to extract data, configure the associated mapping to read

from Teradata, change the reader type for the session to Teradata Parallel
Transporter Reader, and select the Teradata PT connection.

1. In 'writers' select 'Teradata Parallel Transporter Writer'.

2. Once we select the above option in 'Connections' two types of connections will
appear.
i. The first connection defines the connection to Teradata PT API i.e., TPT
connection. The PowerCenter Integration Service uses Teradata PT API
connection to extract from or to load data to Teradata.

ii. The second connection defines an optional ODBC connection to the target
database. The PowerCenter Integration Service uses the target ODBC
connection to drop log, error, and work tables, truncate target tables, and
create recovery tables in the target database. The PowerCenter Integration
Service does not use the ODBC connection to extract from or load data to
Teradata.
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Fig3. Selecting TPT connection type and connection name

3. Select appropriate TPT and ODBC connections for the two types as shown
below
4. Make sure the following session properties are set when using TPT
connections:
i. Specify the database and table name for work table.
ii. Truncate table option can be used for Load, stream and update system
operator.
5. We can select any of the following options for 'Mark missing rows' option as
per requirement which specifies how TPT handles rows if it is not present in
the target table.

· Mark Missing Rows:

i. None - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for update or delete but it
is missing in the target table, it does not mark the row in the error table.
ii. For Update - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for update but it is
missing in the target table, it marks the row as an error row.
iii. For Delete - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for delete but it is
missing in the target table, it marks the row as an error row.
iv. Both - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for update or delete but it
is missing in the target table, it marks the row as an error row.

6. Similarly we can select the following options for Mark Duplicate Rows option
as well.
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· Mark Duplicate Rows:

i. None - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for insert or update that
causes a duplicate row in the target table, it does not mark the row in the
error table.
ii. For Insert - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for insert but it exists
in the target table, it marks the row as an error row.
iii. For Update - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for update that
causes a duplicate row in the target table, Teradata PT API marks the row as
an error row.
iv. Both - If Teradata PT API receives a row marked for insert or update that
causes a duplicate row in the target table, Teradata PT API marks the row as
an error row.

Fig4. Selecting TPT (Load or update) connection Options

7. Specify the database name and the table name for log table to be created
8. Specify the database name and the table name for error tables to be created.
9. Drop work/log/error tables option is available. This option can be checked
when we wish to drop the intermediate tables that are created during session
run.
10. Pack, Pack minimum and buffers options are all used when we use Stream
load operator.
11. Tracing options can be selected as per needs. Usually we use the default
values
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3.4. TPT Connection with export operator:

Connection that uses export operator can be used only as a source connection.

The below image shows, how to select The TPT export operator for Teradata
source tables in Informatica session

Fig5. Selecting TPT Export connection for Source

3.5. TPT connection using Stream system operator:

Stream operator uses macros to modify tables. So macro database has to be
specified in the session properties while using this type of connection.

3.5.1. Macro Database:

Name of the database that stores the macros Teradata PT API creates when
we select the Stream system operator. The Stream system operator uses
macros to modify tables. It creates macros before Teradata PT API begins
loading data and removes them from the database after Teradata PT API
loads all rows to the target.
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3.6. Restart in case of failure:-

3.6.1. Restart for System Operators- Update, Export or Stream

In case there is a session failure where the session uses one of the operators
like Update, Export or Stream then the session can rerun successfully once
all the intermediate tables are dropped.

3.6.2. Restart for System Operator - Load

In case of a session failure where it uses System operator as 'Load' then we

need to follow the below mentioned steps to rerun the session successfully:
There is no need to drop and recreate the target table for load operator,
instead a simple checkout of the session and an ' uncheck ' for the below
options in session properties to run the failed TPT job is sufficient.

· Drop Error/Work/Log Tables

· Truncate Table options

Also, there is no need to drop the intermediate tables. And there is no

manual intervention required at the Database side. Once the session reruns
successfully after the failure one must keep in mind that the session has to
be 'Undo checkout’ for the next future successful runs.

3.7. Comparison of loading Teradata table using Informatica with

Teradata Relational Connection and Teradata TPT Connection

The Teradata RDBMS offers several tools to load external data into database. The
Teradata load utilities can be divided into two main groups:

The first group of utilities makes use of the transient journal but loading of data
is slower, while the second group is thought to bring the data as fast as possible
into the target tables because of bypassing the transient journal.

The second group utilities include the BTEQ, TPUMP and relational/native
connections to load the data into Teradata tables. These will insert the data
record by record into target table, allowing full transaction handling and rollback
functionality.

These are still quite useful for loading small amounts of data, but as it were
missing some important features like the usage of several parallel load sessions.
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Fig6. Session load statistics with Teradata relational connection

The Image Fig5, it is Informatica Workflow monitor workflow load statics. Here the
source, target are Teradata tables and relational connections are used. The
relational connection uses the transient journal and loads the data record by
record into target table, so the throughput of target loading is less and it was
taken around 5 hours of time to load the 1.7 millions of records.

The second group utilities include the Teradata standalone Load and Unload
Utilities. These are the fastest way of getting external data into Teradata.it will
bypass transaction handling and data is loaded in big chunks, namely blocks of 64
kilobytes of data.

Bypassing the transaction log (transient journal) means several restrictions:

· It does not support target tables with unique secondary indexes (USI), join
indexes (JI), referential integrity (RI) or triggers. FastLoad even goes a step
further and requires the target table to be empty.

· In the case of a SET target table, a duplicate row check would be required.
FastLoad by default remove the record level duplicates

· Multiload, as the second tool in the set of fast loading utilities can take over
additional tasks such as UPDATE, DELETE, UPSERT etc. but all again on a block
level. Multiload uses temporary work tables for this purpose and does not reach
the load performance like FastLoad but still is a pretty good choice to get in
huge amounts of data very fast.

TPT is to integrate with the infrastructure in a plug-in fashion to perform Teradata

standalone Load and Unload Utilities.
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Fig7. Session load statistics with Teradata relation connection

The Image Fig6, it is Informatica Workflow monitor workflow load statistics. Here
the source, targets are Teradata tables and TPT connection used. The TPT
operators load data by block level, so the throughput of target loading is huge and
it was taken few seconds to load the 1.7 millions of records.

Each group has its own advantages and disadvantages and depending on load
requirements. The decision, when we should use which tool for loading depends on
the amount of data records and the number of bytes a data records is consuming.

3.8. Loading the Teradata target table using Informatica update else
insert logic by using TPT connection.

In Informatica session, we can update the target table against to source table
data. Generally we will use the two flows for insert else update operation one flow
is for bulk insert and another one is for update.

The TPT update operator (Multiload) will lock the target table to load the data.
When we will use the two or more target instances in single session, the TPT will
lock the target table while loading the data using one of the targets instance and
session will try to load the data using another target instance, here again the
MultiLoad job try to lock the same target table, which is already locked by insert
instance so session will fail with the TPT error.

“Error Code 2652: Operation not allowed - Table is being mloaded”

To avoid this kind of error, we need to make use of Informatica Update else Insert
option from session properties and treat source rows as update. We will update
the record based on key columns and we will not update some fields like
Create_Timestamp. If we want to use single instance for insert and update the
record then we need to update record with previous (target) values for some
fields which we don’t want to update with new values. i.e., Create_Timestamp.
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3.9. Loading the PPI indexed Teradata table with Informatica by using
TPT connection.

Whenever we need to Load and select incremental data from a huge table, we can
use Multiload jobs to load data and create index to select data. But when we create
index like Secondary index or join index Teradata Bulk load utilities doesn’t work.

We can overcome this issue by using the partitioned primary index on the table.
Teradata Multiload job will work on partitioned primary indexed tables.

For MultiLoad job, the table should contain the primary index for update the table
records and we need another index on table for fast selecting of incremental data.
We can use PI for MultiLoad job and PPI for selecting incremental data. For
portioned primary index tables, Teradata MultiLoad tasks require all values of the
primary index column set and all values of the partitioning column set for deletes
and updates. The table creation statement will be:

CREATE TABLE <TABLE>

(
Primary_key_field INTEGER,
Field_1 INTEGER,
Field_2 Varchar (10),
CREATE_DT TIMESTAMP (0),
UPDATE_DT TIMESTAMP (0))
PRIMARY INDEX (Primary_key_field, UPDATE_DT)
PARTITION BY (
RANGE_N (UPDATE_DT BETWEEN DATE ‘2014-01-01′ AND DATE ‘2020-12-31′ EACH
INTERVAL ‘1’ DAY, NO RANGE, UNKNOWN));

We will load data with CREATE_DT and UPDATE_DT values as current_date for
inserting records and for updating records UPDATE_DT will be updated with
current_date.

We will select the Incremental data using

SELECT * FROM <TABLE>

WHERE UPDATE_DT= current_date

This will select both inserted and updated records for the day.

4. Issues Affecting Loading to and Unloading from Teradata

This section describes issues might encounter when we move data between
PowerCenter and Teradata.

4.1. Increasing Lookup Performance

Applies to: Teradata relational connections, FastExport
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Sessions that perform lookups on Teradata tables must use Teradata relational
connections. If we experience performance problems when running a session that
performs lookups against a Teradata database, we might be able to increase
performance in the following ways:

· Use FastExport to extract data to a flat file and perform the lookup on the flat file.
· Enable or disable the Lookup Cache.

4.2. Using FastExport to Extract Lookup Data

If a session performs a lookup on a large, static Teradata table, we might be able

to increase performance by using FastExport to extract the data to a flat file and
configuring the session to look up data in the flat file. To do this, redesign the
mapping as follows:

1. Create a simple, pass-through mapping to pass the lookup data to a flat file.
Configure the session to extract data to the flat file using FastExport.
2. Configure the original mapping to perform the lookup on the flat file.

Note: If we redesign the mapping using this procedure, we can further increase
performance by specifying an ORDER BY clause on the FastExport SQL and
enabling the Sorted Input property for the lookup file. This prevents Power
Center from having to sort the file before populating the lookup cache.

4.3. Restarting a Failed MultiLoad Job Manually

Applies to: MultiLoad

When loading data, MultiLoad puts the target table into the “MultiLoad” state and
creates a log table for the target table. After successfully loading the data, it
returns the target table to the normal (non-MultiLoad) state and deletes the log
table. When we load data using MultiLoad, and the MultiLoad job fails for any
reason, MultiLoad reports an error, and leaves the target table in the Multi-Load
state. Additionally, MultiLoad queries the log table to check for errors. If a target
table is in the MultiLoad state or if a log table exists for the target table, we
cannot restart the job.

To recover from a failed MultiLoad job, we must release the target table from the
MultiLoad state and drop the Multiload log, error and work tables.

To release the target table from Multi-load state:

Release mload <target table>;

4.4. Configuring Sessions that Load to the Same Table

Applies to: MultiLoad

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While Teradata MultiLoad loads data to a database table, it locks the table.
MultiLoad requires that all instances handle wait events so they do not try to
access the same table simultaneously.

If we have multiple PowerCenter sessions that load to the same Teradata table
using MultiLoad, set the Tenacity attribute for the session to a value that is
greater than the expected run time of the session. The Tenacity attribute controls
the amount of time a MultiLoad instance waits for the table to become available.
Also configure each session to use unique log file names.

For more information about the Tenacity, see the PowerCenter Advanced
Workflow Guide.

4.5. Loading from Partitioned Sessions

Applies to: FastLoad, MultiLoad

When we configure multiple partitions in a session that uses staging files, the
Integration Service creates a separate flat file for each partition. Since FastLoad
and MultiLoad cannot load data from multiple files, use round-robin partitioning
to route the data to a single file. When we do this, the Integration Service writes
all data to the first partition and starts only one instance of FastLoad or
MultiLoad. It writes the following message in the session log:

MAPPING> DBG_21684 Target [TD_INVENTORY] does not support multiple partitions. All
data will be routed to the first partition.
If we do not route the data to a single file, the session fails with the following
error:

WRITER_1_*_1> WRT_8240 Error: The external loader [Teradata Mload Loader] does not
support partitioned sessions.
WRITER_1_*_1> Thu Jun 16 11:58:21 2005
WRITER_1_*_1> WRT_8068 Writer initialization failed. Writer terminating.

For more information about loading from partitioned sessions, see the
PowerCenter Advanced Workflow Guide.

4.6. Using Error Tables to Identify Problems during Loading

Applies to: FastLoad, MultiLoad, TPump

When problems occur during loading data, the Teradata standalone load utilities
generate error tables. (FastExport generates an error log file.) The load utilities
generate different errors during the different phases of loading data.
FastLoad jobs run in two main phases: loading and end loading. During the
loading phase, FastLoad initiates the job, locks the target table, and loads the
data. During the end loading phase, the Teradata database distributes the rows
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of data to the target table and unlocks it. FastLoad requires an exclusive lock on
the target table during the loading Phase.
MultiLoad also loads data during two main phases: acquisition and application.
In the acquisition phase, MultiLoad reads the input data and writes it to a
temporary work table. In the application phase, MultiLoad writes the data from
the work table to the actual target table. MultiLoad requires an exclusive lock on
the target table during the application phase.
TPump loads data in a single phase. It converts the SQL in the control file into a
database macro and applies the macro to the input data. TPump uses standard
SQL and standard table locking.
The following table lists the error tables can check to troubleshoot load or unload
utility errors:

Data Loading
Default Error table Name
Utility Phase Error types

· Loading · INFA_ET1_<SEQ_no> · Constraint violations, conversion

errors, unavailable AMP conditions
FastLoad
· Unique Primary index violations
· INFA_ET2_<SEQ_no>
· End Loading

· Acquisition · INFA_ET1_<SEQ_no> · All Acquisition phase errors,

application phase errors if the
Teradata database cannot build a
MultiLoad valid primary index

· Application · INFA_ET2_<SEQ_no> · Uniqueness violations, field overflow

on columns other than primary
index fields, constraints errors

TPump Single phase · INFA_ET_<SEQ_no> · All TPump errors

When a load fails, check the “ET1_” error table first for specific information. The
Error Field or Error Field Name column indicates the column in the target table
that could not be loaded. The Error Code field provides details that explain why
the column
· 2689: Trying to load a null value into a non-null field
· 2665: Invalid date format
In the MultiLoad “ET2_” error table, we can also check the DBC Error Field
column and DBC Error Code field. The DBC Error Field column is not initialized in
the case of primary key uniqueness violations. The DBC Error Code that
corresponds to a primary key uniqueness violation is 2794.
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5. Conclusion

Teradata Parallel Transporter provides flexible, high-performance load and unload

facilities that enable population of the data warehouse. It supports many traditional
functions of Teradata utilities, as well as many that are new and advanced. Through its
parallel execution design, Teradata Parallel Transporter improves ETL performance
while providing a uniform interface. It also facilitates active data warehousing by
allowing continuous and scalable access to data sources and targets, thus keeping the
data fresh and with maximum throughput. In all, Teradata Parallel Transporter drives
business value by enabling real-time decision making as required by enterprise-wide
business intelligence (BI) applications.

APPENDIX-A
Before we run sessions that move data between PowerCenter and Teradata, we might
want to install Teradata client tools. We also need to locate the Teradata TDPID.

1. Teradata Client Tools

Teradata client tools help to communicate with the Teradata database and debug
problems that occur when session loads data to or extracts data from the Teradata
database. We can install the following Teradata client tools:

2. BTEQ.
A general-purpose, command-line utility (similar to Oracle SQL*Plus) that enables to
communicate with one or more Teradata databases.

3. Teradata SQL Assistant.

A GUI-based tool that allows retrieving data from any ODBC-compliant database
server and manipulating and storing the data in desktop applications. Teradata
Quarryman is the older version of this tool. Install BTEQ or Teradata SQL Assistant to
help we debug problems that occur when loading to and extracting from Teradata.
Both tools are included in the Teradata Utility Pack, which is available from Teradata.

4. TDPID
The Teradata TPDID indicates the name of the Teradata instance and defines the
name a client uses to connect to a server. When we use a Teradata Parallel
Transporter or a standalone load or unload utility with PowerCenter, we must specify
the TDPID in the connection properties. The Teradata TDPID appears in the hosts file
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on the machines on which the Integration Service and PowerCenter Client run. By
default, the hosts file appears in the following location:

UNIX: /etc/hosts

Windows: %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts*

* The actual location is defined in the Registrykey

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\DataB
asePath

The hosts file contains client configuration information for Teradata. In a hosts file
entry, the TDPID precedes the string“cop1.”

For example, the hosts file contains the following entries:

127.0.0.1 Localhost demo1099cop1

192.168.80.113 td_1 custcop1
192.168.80.114 td_2 custcop2
192.168.80.115 td_3 custcop3
192.168.80.116 td_4 custcop4

The first entry has the TDPID “demo1099.” This entry tells the Teradata database that
when a client tool references the Teradata instance “demo1099,” it should direct requests
to “localhost” (IP address 127.0.0.1).The following entries have the same TDPID, “cust.”
Multiple hosts file entries with the same TDPID indicate the Teradata instance is
configured for load balancing among nodes. When a client tool attempts to reference
Teradata instance “cust,” the Teradata database directs requests to the first node in the
entry list, “td_1.” If it takes too long for the node to respond, the database redirects the
request to the second node, and so on. This process prevents the first node, “td_1” from
becoming overloaded.

APPENDIX-B
a. Teradata Connections
Teradata relational connections use ODBC to connect to Teradata. PowerCenter
uses the ODBC Driver for Teradata to retrieve metadata and read and write to
Teradata. To establish ODBC connectivity between Teradata and PowerCenter,
install the ODBC Driver for Teradata on each PowerCenter machine that
communicates with Teradata. The ODBC Driver for Teradata is included in the
Teradata Tools and Utilities (TTU). We can download the driver from the Teradata
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web site. PowerCenter works with the ODBC Driver for Teradata available in the
following TTU versions:

Informatica Teradata
Version Version(s)
TD 14.0
9.5
TD 13.10
TD 13.10
9.1 TD 13.0
TD 12.0
TD 13.10
9.0.1 TD 13.0
TD 12.0
TD 13.0
8.6.1
TD 12.0
8.6.0 TD 12.0
8.1.1 SP1 -SP5 TD 12.0

To load or extract data using a Teradata relational connection on UNIX, we must

verify the configuration of environment variables and the odbc.ini file on the
machine on which the Integration Service runs. To verify the environment variable
configuration, ensure the Teradata ODBC path precedes the Data Direct driver
path information in the PATH and shared library path environment variables. Place
the Teradata path before the Data Direct path because both sets of ODBC software
use some of the same file names. To verify the odbc.ini file configuration, make
sure there is an entry for the Teradata ODBC driver in the “[ODBC Data Sources]”
section of odbc.ini. The following excerpt from an odbc.ini file shows a Teradata
ODBC driver (tdata.so) entry on Linux:

[ODBC Data Sources]intdv14=tdata.so

[intdv14]

Driver=/usr/odbc/drivers/tdata.so
Description= running Teradata V14DBCName=intdv14
SessionMode=Teradata
CharacterSet=UTF8
StCheckLevel=0
DateTimeFormat=AAA
LastUser=
Username=
Password=
Database=
DefaultDatabase=
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ODBC is a native interface for Teradata. Teradata provides 32- and 64-bit ODBC
drivers for Windows and UNIX platforms. The driver bit mode must be compatible with
the bit mode of the platform on which the PowerCenter Integration Services runs. For
example, 32-bit PowerCenter only runs with 32-bit drivers.

For more information about configuring odbc.ini, see the PowerCenter Configuration
Guide and the ODBC Driver for Teradata User Guide.

b. Creating a Teradata Relational Connection

When we create a Teradata (relational) connection object in the Workflow Manager,

choose “Teradata,” and not “ODBC,” as the connection type in the connection
properties

.
Fig8. Teradata relational connection creation

When we choose Teradata as the connection type, the Integration Service still uses
Teradata ODBC to connect to Teradata. Although both ODBC and Teradata connection
types might work, the Integration Service communicates with the Teradata database
more efficiently when we choose the Teradata connection type.

c. Creating a Teradata Parallel Transporter Connection

When we create a Teradata (TPT) connection object in the Workflow Manager,

choose “Teradata PT connection”. The Teradata PT connection will ask for
connection attributes.

1. In connections → relational → select Type as 'Teradata PT Connection' → click on

New.
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2. Configure the connection as per the requirement as shown in the screen shot
below:

Here we can specify the TDPID, Database name and the system operator that we
need for a specific connection.

Fig9. Teradata TPT connection creation

3. System operator drop down has all 4 operators as shown in the screen shot:

Fig10. Selecting the TPT connection System operator