teradata-connection

name	teradata-connection
description	Connect to a source Teradata database for full migration to Snowflake using scai CLI (code, scai test, cloud table data migration/validation). Requires a user-provided Teradata driver (NuGet package). Triggers: teradata, source connection, source database, connect to teradata, add teradata connection.

Teradata Connection Skill

On Entry

Tell the user:

Setting up Teradata connection — I'll configure and test a connection to your source Teradata database. This requires a driver download on first use.

Prerequisites

• Network access to the Teradata database instance
• Teradata credentials (username/password) — standard or LDAP-backed
• The scai CLI installed and available
• The Teradata .NET driver NuGet package (Teradata.Client.Provider.nupkg) — see Step 1

Required Connection Details

Parameter	Required	Description
-s, --source-connection	Yes	Friendly name for this connection
--auth	Yes	Authentication method (standard or ldap)
--host	Yes	Teradata hostname or IP
--database	Yes	Teradata database name
--port	No	Port number (default: 1025)
--user	Yes	Teradata username
--password	Yes	Teradata password (prompted securely)
--connection-timeout	No	Connection timeout in seconds (default: 30)

Workflow

Step 1: Provision the Teradata Driver

The required driver is the Teradata.Client.Provider NuGet package. Resolve it by following the canonical bootstrap flow:

Driver bootstrap: see ../references/driver-bootstrap.md with parameters <dialect>=teradata, <package>=Teradata.Client.Provider, <driver_file>=Teradata.Client.Provider.nupkg, <cache_dir>=~/.snowflake/scai/drivers/teradata/, <nuget_url>=https://www.nuget.org/api/v2/package/Teradata.Client.Provider.

That doc walks through cache check → ask-on-miss → user-provided path or download → first SCAI invocation with --driver-path if needed. Follow it silently — don't narrate "the bootstrap flow" or step labels to the user.

Naming guard: the driver is a .NET NuGet package, not a JDBC driver. Refer to it only as "the Teradata driver" or "the Teradata NuGet package" when talking to the user.

For this skill specifically, the first SCAI invocation called out by the bootstrap is the configure tool call in Step 4 below — pass driver_path=<PATH> there if the driver wasn't already cached. The MCP server invokes scai connection test --driver-path <PATH> internally, which seeds the driver cache.

Step 2: Ask How to Provide Credentials

Ask the user:

"I need the following to connect to Teradata:

• Host (hostname or IP)
• Database name
• Username and Password
• Authentication method — standard (username/password) or ldap (LDAP-backed credentials)

How would you like to provide these?"

Options:

1. Enter manually - Provide values interactively

Step 3: Add the Connection (Manual Entry)

Interactive mode (recommended):

scai connection add-teradata

Inline mode (standard auth):

scai connection add-teradata \
  -s <CONNECTION_NAME> \
  --auth standard \
  --host <HOST> \
  --database <DATABASE> \
  --port 1025 \
  --user <USERNAME>

Inline mode (LDAP auth):

scai connection add-teradata \
  -s <CONNECTION_NAME> \
  --auth ldap \
  --host <HOST> \
  --database <DATABASE> \
  --user <USERNAME>

Password will be prompted securely.

Step 4: Save and Test Source Connection

This is the "first SCAI invocation" called out as 1e in the bootstrap reference. Use the path resolved in Step 1.

Call the configure tool with source_connection set to <CONNECTION_NAME>. The MCP server runs scai connection test internally and only persists the connection if the test passes.

• First use (driver not yet cached): also pass driver_path=<PATH_TO_NUPKG>. The first call copies the driver into ~/.snowflake/scai/drivers/teradata/, so every subsequent configure call (in this project or any other) can omit driver_path.

  configure(source_connection=<CONNECTION_NAME>, driver_path=<PATH_TO_NUPKG>)
  

• Driver already cached: omit driver_path.

  configure(source_connection=<CONNECTION_NAME>)
  

• On success: the response includes connection_test: ok.

• On failure: the tool returns an error containing the scai message. Surface it to the user, help them fix the issue, then re-run configure(...). See ./references/REFERENCE.md for detailed troubleshooting.

Common errors:

Error	Cause	Solution
Socket closed	Invalid host or port	Verify host and port (default 1025)
Logon failed	Wrong credentials	Check username and password
Database does not exist	Invalid database name	Verify the database name
Connection timed out	Network/firewall issue	Check VPN, firewall rules, security groups
Driver not found	Missing or invalid driver_path	Re-download the NuGet package and verify the file path
LDAP authentication failed	Invalid LDAP credentials	Verify LDAP username and password with your admin

CHECKPOINT

Confirm with user:

• Teradata driver resolved via one of:
  • Already cached in ~/.snowflake/scai/drivers/teradata/ (Step 1a)
  • User-provided local path supplied via driver_path (Step 1c)
  • Downloaded by the agent and supplied via driver_path (Step 1d)
• configure returned connection_test: ok
• Connection appears in scai connection list -l teradata --json
• Source connection saved to session config

Supported Operations

Teradata is a full-migration source (project_type: full_migration). After connection setup:

• Code pipeline: scai code extract, scai code convert, scai code deploy
• 2-sided testing: scai test capture, scai test validate (baseline capture and Snowflake result comparison)
• Cloud table data: scai data migrate and cloud data validation via the Data Exchange Worker

For cloud data paths, align worker TOML [connections.source.teradata].database with workflow YAML source.databaseName (the --database value from this connection). LDAP connections map to worker TOML authentication = "LDAP". See ./references/REFERENCE.md for worker setup and troubleshooting.

Legacy projects: If an older project has project_type: code_conversion_only in project.yml, the CLI honors that setting and routes through the code-conversion-only flow. New Teradata projects default to full_migration.

On Completion

After the CHECKPOINT passes, tell the user:

Connection configured — Successfully connected to Teradata using connection <connection_name>.

Then return to the calling skill.

Security Rules

• NEVER log or display passwords in plain text
• NEVER include passwords in command-line arguments that might be logged
• Use interactive mode to avoid password exposure

Quick Reference

Action	Command
Check driver cache	List .nupkg/.dll files in ~/.snowflake/scai/drivers/teradata/ (POSIX) or %USERPROFILE%\.snowflake\scai\drivers\teradata\ (Windows)
Use existing local driver	scai project defaults set -s <CONNECTION_NAME> --driver-path <PATH_TO_NUPKG>
Download driver (macOS/Linux)	curl -L -o Teradata.Client.Provider.nupkg https://www.nuget.org/api/v2/package/Teradata.Client.Provider
Download driver (Windows PowerShell)	curl.exe -L -o Teradata.Client.Provider.nupkg https://www.nuget.org/api/v2/package/Teradata.Client.Provider
Add connection (interactive)	scai connection add-teradata
Add connection (standard)	scai connection add-teradata -s NAME --auth standard --host HOST --database DB --user USER
Add connection (LDAP)	scai connection add-teradata -s NAME --auth ldap --host HOST --database DB --user USER
Test connection (first time)	configure(source_connection=NAME, driver_path=<PATH_TO_NUPKG>)
Test connection (driver cached)	configure(source_connection=NAME)
List connections	scai connection list -l teradata --json
Set default	scai connection set-default -l teradata -s NAME
Extract code	scai code extract -s NAME --json