The Teradata FastLoad example is a simple, straightforward exercise can be used to quickly create a job script and run Teradata FastLoad. The following information explains some of the more significant functional alternatives that Teradata FastLoad provides, and provides references to where they are described in greater detail.
Mainframe-Attached Client Systems
The Teradata FastLoad example assumes UNIX or Windows OS is the operating system on a workstation-attached client system.
To run the example using z/OS on a mainframe-attached client system, use the standard z/OS JCL control statements (DD) to allocate and create the Teradata FastLoad data sets or files before invoking the utility.
For more information about invoking Teradata FastLoad on mainframe-attached client systems, see Invoking Teradata FastLoad.
- Teradata Director Program (TDP)
- Mainframe Cloud-Network Connectivity (Gateway)
The TDP variant of FastLoad uses the channel-attached CLI to interface with the Analytics Database, which requires a channel connection.
The Gateway variant of FastLoad uses the network-attached CLIv2 to interface with the Analytics Database, which uses the Database Gateway software.
The following table shows differences between the two variants:
| For | TDP Variant | Gateway Variant |
|---|---|---|
| Access to Analytics Database on a cloud | No with direct channel connection | Yes |
| Channel connection | Yes, required | No |
| CLIv2 | Uses channel-attached CLI | Uses network-attached CLI |
| CLIv2 error codes | Uses channel-attached CLI error codes | Uses network-attached CLIv2 error codes |
| Connection string | Not supported | Supported |
| Interface with Gateway software | No | Yes |
| Longer session connection time | No | Possibly |
| <hlq>.ETC.IPNODES member file | Not required | Yes, required |
| Display of variant in FastLoad log | CLIv2 : <Version> (TDP) | CLIv2 : <Version> (GTW) |
| Supported SQL Engine versions | All supported versions | 17.10.00.00 or later 17.05.05.03 or later 16.20.53.31 or later |
The Gateway variant of FastLoad can take a longer time to connect sessions, as there is more overhead between the network-attached CLIv2 and the Database Gateway software for authentication and encryption. This overhead does not exist in the TDP variant of FastLoad.
The Gateway variant of FastLoad requires COP entries in the <hlq>.ETC.IPNODES member file. The entries must define the IP address and COP alias name for each Analytics Database node. <hlq> is the site defined high level qualifier data set name. The TDP variant does not use the <hlq>.ETC.IPNODES member file.
MultiLoad Utility
The Teradata FastLoad example shows a very simple Teradata FastLoad job, loading a very small amount of data into an empty table.
- Insert additional data rows into existing tables
- Update individual rows of existing tables
- Delete individual rows from existing tables
- Load data into multiple tables
- Load data into MULTISET tables
- Load data into tables with nonunique secondary indexes
Input File Formats
The format of the input data source for the Teradata FastLoad example (insert.input) is UNFORMATTED, as specified by the SET RECORD command.
- FORMATTED
- BINARY
- TEXT
- VARTEXT
For descriptions of all the supported input file formats, see SET RECORD.
INMOD Routines
In the Teradata FastLoad example, the utility reads the input data records directly from the specified source file (insert.input).
An alternative would be to write an INMOD routine that Teradata FastLoad could call to obtain input records.
- Read and preprocess records from a file
- Generate data records
- Read data from other database systems
- Validate data records
- Convert data record fields
In this case, use the optional INMOD name specification of the DEFINE command to identify the name of the INMOD routine.
For more information about using INMOD routines, see INMOD and Notify Exit Routines and the INMOD name option in DEFINE.