Mainframe Environment - Teradata Database

Teradata utilities and software programs support Teradata Database access in mainframe environments. These utilities and programs run under the operating system of the client and provide the functionality for a user to access the database system.

Background

The Teradata Mainframe Interface enables communication between a mainframe client and a Teradata Database server using a channel with either a parallel or serial I/O interface. In the case of the Extended Channel Solution (ECS), the Teradata Mainframe Interface uses either a channel plus TCP/IP, or TCP/IP instead of a channel.

The ECS interface includes:

The TCHN software on the TPA node, which manages channel devices and communicates with Teradata Database

The APSV software on the ECS node, which encapsulates channel write blocks and sends them to the Teradata system via TCP/IP

The Teradata Channel Interface hardware and the driver may be located on a TPA node or on the Extended Channel Solution (ECS) node. The ECS node provides the following benefits:

Reduces exposure to Teradata outages induced by adapter faults

Enables improved mainframe connectivity to a greater number of nodes within the Teradata Database system

Creates more options for users connecting Teradata Database to a mainframe

Current platforms can be connected with the PEFA—PCI Bus FICON Host Channel Adapter.