What is the primary function of the Archive/Recovery Utility Reference (ARC) in Teradata?

The primary function of the Archive/Recovery Utility Reference (ARC) in Teradata is to archive data to tape and disk. This utility is specifically designed to allow users to back up their database objects, including tables and indexes, by transferring data to external storage locations.

By archiving data, organizations can free up space in their primary database environment, which can improve performance and manageability. Additionally, this operation is critical for disaster recovery scenarios, enabling users to restore data in the event of data loss or corruption. The ability to efficiently archive and recover data is a core aspect of managing large databases effectively, allowing for both data preservation and capacity optimization.

The other options relate to different functionalities within Teradata and do not pertain directly to the main purpose of ARC. For instance, managing data stream and query parsing refers to processes related to data retrieval efficiency, while session control and security validation are focused on user access and data security. Communication between AMPs (Access Module Processors) and the PE (Parsing Engine) involves the operational aspect of data processing rather than the archiving of data itself.