Vantage

System Architect Exam

About the exam

Covers the features and functionality of the Advanced SQL Engine through release 16.20.

A successful candidate has the knowledge and skills necessary to architect solutions with rigor centered around the Advanced SQL Engine and its interactions with the surrounding ecosystem. This includes system architecture concepts, information management and data governance, performance design and optimization, data integration, data security, system protection, data residency and portability, information delivery, and workload management. FAQs related to this exam and certification can be found here.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Register for the System Architect Exam

Starting October 1, 2019, to register for the System Architect  Exam, visit home.pearsonvue.com/teradata and select exam: TDBL 6:16.20 System Architect Exam. 

Candidates are able to register and take the System Architect Exam either in a Pearson Vue test center or remotely, at their home or office. FAQs and additional information on this option are available.

Bypass this exam

Already Certified in Teradata 14?

Candidates who hold any Teradata 14 certification can bypass the Associate Exam and go directly to the System Architect exam.  In those cases, passing the System Architect exam will earn you the System Architect certification. If you are not eligible to bypass the Associate exam, you will have to take the exam in order to earn the System Architect certification.

There is no bypass for the System Architect exam. All candidates are required to take this exam (and prerequisites) if they wish to obtain the System Architect certification.

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RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE 

It is recommended that candidates have more than five (5) years of Teradata ecosystem and Advanced SQL Engine experience and more than three (3) years where system architecture has been part of your job role.

PREREQUISITES

Passing the Associate Exam is the prerequisite for the System Architect Exam. Candidates who hold any Teradata 14 certification, can bypass the Associate exam. 

If you are not eligible to bypass the Associate exam, you will have to take the exam in order to earn the System Architect certification. All requirements must be met for a certification to be awarded. 

CREDENTIALS

Successful completion of this exam earns a Vantage Certified System Architect Certification with a Digital Badge once all certification requirements are met.

duration

This exam allows 1 hours and 45 minutes for answering exam questions.

RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

There is NO expiration for this certification.

COST

The cost of the Teradata System Architect Exam is $299. Please visit home.pearsonvue.com/teradata for details. Bulk discount vouchers for 10 or more exams can be purchased through Pearson VUE

For more details regarding specific exam objectives, download this PDF.

System Architecture Concepts - 14%

Candidates should be able to identify the purposes of different types of metadata, the characteristics of conceptual modeling, the uses and benefits of logical and physical models, strategies for managing system expansion and contraction, the components of an analytic ecosystem and given a scenario, identify the logical model that should be created, how to use an extended logical data model, the strategies to extend traditional application deployment and how to architect a non-production environment.

Data Security - 7% 

Candidates should be able to identify the security considerations for multi-system environments, the use cases for secure zones and given a scenario, identify which user authentication mechanism should be used, database mechanisms for controlling access to data and how roles can be used to manage privileges for groups of users.

Information Management and Data Governance - 11%

Candidates should be able to identify the benefits of effective master data management and given a scenario, identify which loading strategy should be used, which Teradata data acquisition tool(s) should be used, how to create data for a non-production environment, and the data retention, placement, and archive strategies that should be used. 

Data Protection and System Availability - 11%

Candidates should be able to, given a scenario, identify the backup and recovery strategy that should be used, design considerations in multi-system data replication and loading, and for disaster recover as well as identify features that provide system protection.

Performance Design - 16%

Candidates should be able to, given a scenario, identify physical design choices for indexes, join indexes, row partitioning, column partitioning, time series data, data types, which statistics should be collected and how often for optimal performance and identify the compression options that should be used along with identifying how to manage tables and their relationship to the MAPS feature.

Data Residency and Portability - 3%

Candidates should be able to, given a scenario, identify the considerations for connectivity and data latency for multiple platforms including those hosted in multiple countries.

Architecting for System Performance - 5% 

Candidates should be able to identify the benefits of Teradata Virtual Storage and Teradata Intelligent Memory and given a scenario, identify the Unity components and strategy that should be used.

Information Delivery - 10%

Candidates should be able to, given a scenario, identify the appropriate business intelligence architectures and the use cases where QueryGrid is beneficial, for different access layers, where sandboxes should be used and where physicalization of the access layer or a dependent datamart is beneficial.

Data Integration - 11%

Candidates should be able to, given a scenario, identify appropriate data transformation strategy(ies), the appropriate method level to organize tightly, loosely and non-coupled data, when and how surrogate keys should be generated or when natural keys should be used, the strategy that should be used to achieve the correct level of data granularity, the design considerations when using complex data types, when integrating temporal data and when integrating geospatial data and including a data model method, identify the benefits and tradeoffs.

Workload Management - 12% 

Candidates should be able to identify capabilities, benefits and tradeoffs of WM COD, how to leverage workload management using various concepts and given a scenario, how to leverage workload management using state matrix to meet service level goals.

preparing for your exam

  • Teradata Certification partners with the Teradata University to provide Teradata courseware and curriculum that relates to each exam.
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  • Please note that these courses are recommended and not required. Taking or passing a course does not guarantee passing of any Teradata Certification exam.
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  • Additional training may need to be taken in order to cover all of the objectives on the exam. You can view course descriptions and schedules, and enroll online.

Sample Questions

  • The Teradata Certification team has created sample questions to help you prepare for the exam. Access the System Architect Sample Questions here.

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Teradata Certification Options: Option 1: Associate Exam - Administrator Exam - Advanced Administrator exam - Vantage Certified Master Option 2: Associate Exam - Developer Exam - Advanced Developer Exam - Vantage Certified Master Option 3: Associate Exam - System Architect Exam - Vantage Certified Master