What type of system architecture does Teradata primarily use?

Teradata primarily utilizes a Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) architecture for its database systems. This approach allows Teradata to process large volumes of data efficiently by distributing the workload across multiple processing units or nodes. Each node operates independently but simultaneously on different parts of a query, which leads to significant performance improvements, especially for complex analytical workloads.

The scalability of MPP is one of its key strengths, as it allows organizations to add more nodes to the system as their data needs grow, facilitating seamless expansion without a complete redesign of the system. Additionally, this architecture supports high levels of concurrency, enabling multiple users to run queries at the same time without performance degradation.

In contrast to the options that focus on alternative architectures, MPP stands out due to its capability to handle vast amounts of data and facilitate efficient query processing through parallel execution. Other architectures, such as single-threaded or monolithic systems, do not provide the same level of performance and scalability that MPP offers, which is crucial for today's data-driven environments.