Traditionally, data warehouse applications have been based on drawing strategic advantage from the data. Strategic queries are often complex, long-running, and broad in scope. The Vantage parallel architecture supports these types of queries by spreading the work across all of the parallel units and nodes in the configuration.
Data warehouse users who require more versatility from data are supplementing their strategic focus with a tactical component. Today, increasing numbers of Vantage users are introducing their quick turnaround tactical queries alongside the classic strategic queries in their Teradata system.
A tactical query is short, highly tuned, and focused on operational decision-making. This class of queries is categorized under Online Complex Processing (OLTP). Tactical queries are similar to classical OLTP in that both are composed of short, typically direct-access queries, with defined response time requirements.
OLTP, however, is more focused on bookkeeping activities and recording operational events, while tactical queries are more focused on decision-making, recording selections or choices made. OLTP typically has a higher ratio of writes to reads, while tactical queries tend to be more read-intensive. OLTP typically has a departmental view and a narrow context, while tactical queries are often more enterprise-wide. With OLTP queries, short latency is critical. Tactical queries are designed for response time requirements that can vary from subseconds up to 10 or 20 seconds or more.