TeraData Architecture

Teradata architecture is based on Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) architecture. The major components of Teradata are Parsing Engine, BYNET and Access Module Processors (AMPs). The following diagram shows the high level architecture of a Teradata Node.

Physical Components of the Teradata System:

• PE(Parsing Engine)
• MPL(Message Passing Layer)
• AMP(Access Module Processor)
• V-disk (Virtual Disk)

Teradata relies on three architectural components that have set the rules for parallel processing.

• The Parsing Engine, which is also called the PE or the Optimizer
• Access Module Processors, which are referred to as the AMPs, and two BYNETs to communicate between PE‘s and AMPs. The PE is the boss and tells the AMPs exactly what to do. 
• The AMPs each have their own virtual disk, which no other AMP can read, and they merely read and write to their respective disks. 
• When a user logon to Teradata their logon is accepted or rejected by a Parsing Engine. The Parsing Engine will take care of that user for the entire session, which really means until that user Logs Off.

In Teradata land it never gets too crowded because Teradata can easily scale by adding additional AMPs and PEs. This is considered to be something called Linear Scalability. That means if you double your AMPs you will double your speed. A  4-AMP system can double its speed by adding 4 more AMPs to become an 8-AMP system. This can theoretically go on forever.

The functions of AMP can be classified as the following:

   1. BYNET interface, or Boardless BYNET interface;
   2. Database management:
         1. Locking;
         2. Joining;
         3. Sorting;
         4. Aggregation;
         5. Output data conversion;
         6. Disk space management;
         7. Accounting;
         8. Journaling;
   3. File-subsystem management;
   4. Disk-subsystem management.

Teradata Storage Architecture

Teradata Retrieval Architecture 

Teradata Advanced  Architecture