Database Utilities

Oracle® Database

Database Utilities

12c Release 2 (12.2)

E85946-02
January 2018
Oracle Database Database Utilities, 12c Release 2 (12.2)
E85946-02
Copyright © 1996, 2018, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Primary Author: Rhonda Day
Contributors: Lee Barton, George Claborn, Steve DiPirro, Dean Gagne, John Kalogeropoulos, Joydip Kundu,
Rod Payne, Ray Pfau, Rich Phillips, Mike Sakayeda, Marilyn Saunders, Jim Stenoish, Roy Swonger, Randy
Urbano, William Wright, Hui-ling Yu
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Contents
Preface
Audience xliii
Documentation Accessibility xliii
Related Documentation xliv
Syntax Diagrams xliv
Conventions xliv
Changes in This Release for Oracle Database Utilities

Changes in Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1) xlv
Part I Oracle Data Pump
1 Overview of Oracle Data Pump

1.1 Data Pump Components 1-2
1.2 How Does Data Pump Move Data? 1-3
1.2.1 Using Data File Copying to Move Data 1-3
1.2.2 Using Direct Path to Move Data 1-4
1.2.3 Using External Tables to Move Data 1-6
1.2.4 Using Conventional Path to Move Data 1-7
1.2.5 Using Network Link Import to Move Data 1-7
1.3 Using Data Pump With CDBs 1-8
1.3.1 Using Data Pump to Move Databases Into a CDB 1-8
1.3.2 Using Data Pump to Move PDBs Within Or Between CDBs 1-9
1.4 Required Roles for Data Pump Export and Import Operations 1-10
1.5 What Happens During Execution of a Data Pump Job? 1-11
1.5.1 Coordination of a Job 1-11
1.5.2 Tracking Progress Within a Job 1-12
1.5.3 Filtering Data and Metadata During a Job 1-12
1.5.4 Transforming Metadata During a Job 1-13
1.5.5 Maximizing Job Performance 1-13
iii
1.5.6 Loading and Unloading of Data 1-14
1.6 Monitoring Job Status 1-14
1.6.1 Monitoring the Progress of Executing Jobs 1-15
1.7 File Allocation 1-16
1.7.1 Specifying Files and Adding Additional Dump Files 1-17
1.7.2 Default Locations for Dump, Log, and SQL Files 1-17
1.7.2.1 Oracle RAC Considerations 1-19
1.7.2.2 Using Directory Objects When Oracle Automatic Storage
Management Is Enabled 1-19
1.7.2.3 The DATA_PUMP_DIR Directory Object and Pluggable
Databases 1-20
1.7.3 Using Substitution Variables 1-20
1.8 Exporting and Importing Between Different Database Releases 1-21
1.9 SecureFiles LOB Considerations 1-23
1.10 Data Pump Exit Codes 1-23
1.11 Auditing Data Pump Jobs 1-24
1.12 How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data? 1-25
1.12.1 TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE Restrictions 1-25
1.12.1.1 Time Zone File Versions on the Source and Target 1-26
1.12.1.2 Data Pump Support for TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE Data 1-26
1.12.2 TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE Restrictions 1-27
1.13 Character Set and Globalization Support Considerations 1-27
1.13.1 Data Definition Language (DDL) 1-28
1.13.2 Single-Byte Character Sets and Export and Import 1-28
1.13.3 Multibyte Character Sets and Export and Import 1-28
1.14 Oracle Data Pump Behavior with Data-Bound Collation 1-29
2 Data Pump Export

2.1 What Is Data Pump Export? 2-1
2.2 Invoking Data Pump Export 2-2
2.2.1 Data Pump Export Interfaces 2-2
2.2.2 Data Pump Export Modes 2-3
2.2.2.1 Full Mode 2-4
2.2.2.2 Schema Mode 2-5
2.2.2.3 Table Mode 2-5
2.2.2.4 Tablespace Mode 2-6
2.2.2.5 Transportable Tablespace Mode 2-7
2.2.3 Network Considerations 2-7
2.3 Filtering During Export Operations 2-8
2.3.1 Data Filters 2-8
2.3.2 Metadata Filters 2-9
iv
2.4 Parameters Available in Export's Command-Line Mode 2-10
2.4.1 ABORT_STEP 2-13
2.4.2 ACCESS_METHOD 2-14
2.4.3 ATTACH 2-14
2.4.4 CLUSTER 2-15
2.4.5 COMPRESSION 2-16
2.4.6 COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM 2-17
2.4.7 CONTENT 2-18
2.4.8 DATA_OPTIONS 2-19
2.4.9 DIRECTORY 2-20
2.4.10 DUMPFILE 2-21
2.4.11 ENCRYPTION 2-23
2.4.12 ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM 2-25
2.4.13 ENCRYPTION_MODE 2-25
2.4.14 ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD 2-26
2.4.15 ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT 2-28
2.4.16 ESTIMATE 2-29
2.4.17 ESTIMATE_ONLY 2-30
2.4.18 EXCLUDE 2-31
2.4.19 FILESIZE 2-33
2.4.20 FLASHBACK_SCN 2-33
2.4.21 FLASHBACK_TIME 2-34
2.4.22 FULL 2-35
2.4.23 HELP 2-37
2.4.24 INCLUDE 2-37
2.4.25 JOB_NAME 2-39
2.4.26 KEEP_MASTER 2-39
2.4.27 LOGFILE 2-40
2.4.28 LOGTIME 2-41
2.4.29 METRICS 2-42
2.4.30 NETWORK_LINK 2-43
2.4.31 NOLOGFILE 2-44
2.4.32 PARALLEL 2-45
2.4.33 PARFILE 2-46
2.4.34 QUERY 2-47
2.4.35 REMAP_DATA 2-49
2.4.36 REUSE_DUMPFILES 2-50
2.4.37 SAMPLE 2-51
2.4.38 SCHEMAS 2-51
2.4.39 SERVICE_NAME 2-52
2.4.40 SOURCE_EDITION 2-53
v
2.4.41 STATUS 2-54
2.4.42 TABLES 2-54
2.4.43 TABLESPACES 2-57
2.4.44 TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK 2-58
2.4.45 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES 2-58
2.4.46 TRANSPORTABLE 2-60
2.4.47 VERSION 2-62
2.4.48 VIEWS_AS_TABLES 2-63
2.5 Commands Available in Export's Interactive-Command Mode 2-65
2.5.1 ADD_FILE 2-66
2.5.2 CONTINUE_CLIENT 2-66
2.5.3 EXIT_CLIENT 2-67
2.5.4 FILESIZE 2-67
2.5.5 HELP 2-67
2.5.6 KILL_JOB 2-68
2.5.7 PARALLEL 2-68
2.5.8 START_JOB 2-69
2.5.9 STATUS 2-69
2.5.10 STOP_JOB 2-70
2.6 Examples of Using Data Pump Export 2-70
2.6.1 Performing a Table-Mode Export 2-71
2.6.2 Data-Only Unload of Selected Tables and Rows 2-71
2.6.3 Estimating Disk Space Needed in a Table-Mode Export 2-71
2.6.4 Performing a Schema-Mode Export 2-72
2.6.5 Performing a Parallel Full Database Export 2-72
2.6.6 Using Interactive Mode to Stop and Reattach to a Job 2-72
2.7 Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Export 2-73
3 Data Pump Import

3.1 What Is Data Pump Import? 3-1
3.2 Invoking Data Pump Import 3-2
3.2.1 Data Pump Import Interfaces 3-2
3.2.2 Data Pump Import Modes 3-3
3.2.2.1 Full Import Mode 3-4
3.2.2.2 Schema Mode 3-5
3.2.2.3 Table Mode 3-5
3.2.2.4 Tablespace Mode 3-6
3.2.2.5 Transportable Tablespace Mode 3-6
3.2.3 Network Considerations 3-7
3.3 Filtering During Import Operations 3-8
vi
3.3.1 Data Filters 3-8
3.3.2 Metadata Filters 3-9
3.4 Parameters Available in Import's Command-Line Mode 3-9
3.4.1 ABORT_STEP 3-13
3.4.2 ACCESS_METHOD 3-14
3.4.3 ATTACH 3-15
3.4.4 CLUSTER 3-16
3.4.5 CONTENT 3-17
3.4.6 DATA_OPTIONS 3-17
3.4.7 DIRECTORY 3-19
3.4.8 DUMPFILE 3-20
3.4.9 ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD 3-21
3.4.10 ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT 3-23
3.4.11 ESTIMATE 3-23
3.4.12 EXCLUDE 3-24
3.4.15 FULL 3-28
3.4.16 HELP 3-29
3.4.17 INCLUDE 3-30
3.4.18 JOB_NAME 3-31
3.4.19 KEEP_MASTER 3-32
3.4.20 LOGFILE 3-32
3.4.21 LOGTIME 3-33
3.4.22 MASTER_ONLY 3-34
3.4.23 METRICS 3-34
3.4.24 NETWORK_LINK 3-35
3.4.25 NOLOGFILE 3-37
3.4.27 PARFILE 3-39
3.4.28 PARTITION_OPTIONS 3-40
3.4.29 QUERY 3-41
3.4.30 REMAP_DATA 3-43
3.4.31 REMAP_DATAFILE 3-44
3.4.32 REMAP_DIRECTORY 3-45
3.4.33 REMAP_SCHEMA 3-46
3.4.34 REMAP_TABLE 3-48
3.4.35 REMAP_TABLESPACE 3-48
3.4.36 REUSE_DATAFILES 3-49
3.4.37 SCHEMAS 3-50
3.4.38 SERVICE_NAME 3-51
vii
3.4.39 SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES 3-52
3.4.40 SOURCE_EDITION 3-53
3.4.41 SQLFILE 3-54
3.4.42 STATUS 3-55
3.4.43 STREAMS_CONFIGURATION 3-55
3.4.44 TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION 3-56
3.4.45 TABLES 3-57
3.4.47 TARGET_EDITION 3-60
3.4.48 TRANSFORM 3-61
3.4.49 TRANSPORT_DATAFILES 3-65
3.4.50 TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK 3-67
3.4.51 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES 3-68
3.4.52 TRANSPORTABLE 3-70
3.4.53 VERSION 3-72
3.4.54 VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Network Import) 3-73
3.4.55 VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Non-Network Import) 3-75
3.5 Commands Available in Import's Interactive-Command Mode 3-76
3.5.1 CONTINUE_CLIENT 3-77
3.5.2 EXIT_CLIENT 3-77
3.5.3 HELP 3-77
3.5.4 KILL_JOB 3-78
3.5.5 PARALLEL 3-78
3.5.6 START_JOB 3-79
3.5.7 STATUS 3-79
3.5.8 STOP_JOB 3-80
3.6 Examples of Using Data Pump Import 3-80
3.6.1 Performing a Data-Only Table-Mode Import 3-80
3.6.2 Performing a Schema-Mode Import 3-81
3.6.3 Performing a Network-Mode Import 3-81
3.7 Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Import 3-81
4 Data Pump Legacy Mode

4.1 Parameter Mappings 4-1
4.1.1 Using Original Export Parameters with Data Pump 4-2
4.1.2 Using Original Import Parameters with Data Pump 4-5
4.2 Management of File Locations in Data Pump Legacy Mode 4-9
4.3 Adjusting Existing Scripts for Data Pump Log Files and Errors 4-11
4.3.1 Log Files 4-12
4.3.2 Error Cases 4-12
viii
4.3.3 Exit Status 4-12
5 Data Pump Performance

5.1 Data Performance Improvements for Data Pump Export and Import 5-1
5.2 Tuning Performance 5-2
5.2.1 Controlling Resource Consumption 5-2
5.2.2 Effect of Compression and Encryption on Performance 5-3
5.2.3 Memory Considerations When Exporting and Importing Statistics 5-3
5.3 Initialization Parameters That Affect Data Pump Performance 5-3
5.3.1 Setting the Size Of the Buffer Cache In a Streams Environment 5-4
6 The Data Pump API

6.1 How Does the Client Interface to the Data Pump API Work? 6-1
6.1.1 Job States 6-2
6.2 What Are the Basic Steps in Using the Data Pump API? 6-4
6.3 Examples of Using the Data Pump API 6-4
Part II SQL*Loader
7 SQL*Loader Concepts
7.1 SQL*Loader Features 7-1
7.2 SQL*Loader Parameters 7-3
7.3 SQL*Loader Control File 7-3
7.4 Input Data and Data Files 7-4
7.4.1 Fixed Record Format 7-4
7.4.2 Variable Record Format 7-5
7.4.3 Stream Record Format 7-6
7.4.4 Logical Records 7-7
7.4.5 Data Fields 7-8
7.5 LOBFILEs and Secondary Data Files (SDFs) 7-8
7.6 Data Conversion and Data Type Specification 7-9
7.7 Discarded and Rejected Records 7-9
7.7.1 The Bad File 7-10
7.7.1.1 Records Rejected by SQL*Loader 7-10
7.7.1.2 Records Rejected by Oracle Database During a SQL*Loader
Operation 7-10
7.7.2 The Discard File 7-10
7.8 Log File and Logging Information 7-11
ix
7.9 Conventional Path Loads, Direct Path Loads, and External Table Loads 7-11
7.9.1 Conventional Path Loads 7-12
7.9.2 Direct Path Loads 7-12
7.9.2.1 Parallel Direct Path 7-12
7.9.3 External Table Loads 7-13
7.9.4 Choosing External Tables Versus SQL*Loader 7-13
7.9.5 Behavior Differences Between SQL*Loader and External Tables 7-14
7.9.5.1 Multiple Primary Input Data Files 7-14
7.9.5.2 Syntax and Data Types 7-14
7.9.5.3 Byte-Order Marks 7-15
7.9.5.4 Default Character Sets, Date Masks, and Decimal Separator 7-15
7.9.5.5 Use of the Backslash Escape Character 7-15
7.10 Loading Objects, Collections, and LOBs 7-15
7.10.1 Supported Object Types 7-16
7.10.1.1 column objects 7-16
7.10.1.2 row objects 7-16
7.10.2 Supported Collection Types 7-16
7.10.2.1 Nested Tables 7-17
7.10.2.2 VARRAYs 7-17
7.10.3 Supported LOB Data Types 7-17
7.11 Partitioned Object Support 7-17
7.12 Application Development: Direct Path Load API 7-18
7.13 SQL*Loader Case Studies 7-18
7.13.1 Case Study Files 7-19
7.13.2 Running the Case Studies 7-20
7.13.3 Case Study Log Files 7-20
7.13.4 Checking the Results of a Case Study 7-21
8 SQL*Loader Command-Line Reference

8.1 Invoking SQL*Loader 8-1
8.1.1 Specifying Parameters on the Command Line 8-1
8.1.2 Alternative Ways to Specify SQL*Loader Parameters 8-2
8.1.3 Using SQL*Loader to Load Data Across a Network 8-3
8.2 Command-Line Parameters for SQL*Loader 8-3
8.2.1 BAD 8-4
8.2.2 BINDSIZE 8-5
8.2.3 COLUMNARRAYROWS 8-6
8.2.4 CONTROL 8-7
8.2.5 DATA 8-7
8.2.6 DATE_CACHE 8-9
x
8.2.7 DEFAULTS 8-10
8.2.8 DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM 8-11
8.2.9 DIRECT 8-12
8.2.10 DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT 8-12
8.2.11 DISCARD 8-13
8.2.12 DISCARDMAX 8-14
8.2.13 DNFS_ENABLE 8-14
8.2.14 DNFS_READBUFFERS 8-15
8.2.15 EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL 8-16
8.2.16 ERRORS 8-17
8.2.17 EXTERNAL_TABLE 8-17
8.2.18 FILE 8-19
8.2.19 HELP 8-20
8.2.20 LOAD 8-20
8.2.21 LOG 8-20
8.2.22 MULTITHREADING 8-21
8.2.23 NO_INDEX_ERRORS 8-22
8.2.25 PARFILE 8-23
8.2.26 PARTITION_MEMORY 8-23
8.2.27 READSIZE 8-24
8.2.28 RESUMABLE 8-25
8.2.29 RESUMABLE_NAME 8-25
8.2.30 RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT 8-26
8.2.31 ROWS 8-26
8.2.32 SDF_PREFIX 8-27
8.2.33 SILENT 8-28
8.2.34 SKIP 8-29
8.2.35 SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE 8-30
8.2.37 STREAMSIZE 8-31
8.2.38 TRIM 8-32
8.2.39 USERID 8-33
8.3 Exit Codes for Inspection and Display 8-34
9 SQL*Loader Control File Reference

9.1 Control File Contents 9-2
9.1.1 Comments in the Control File 9-4
9.2 Specifying Command-Line Parameters in the Control File 9-4
9.2.1 OPTIONS Clause 9-4
xi
9.2.2 Specifying the Number of Default Expressions to Be Evaluated At One
Time 9-5
9.3 Specifying File Names and Object Names 9-5
9.3.1 File Names That Conflict with SQL and SQL*Loader Reserved Words 9-6
9.3.2 Specifying SQL Strings 9-6
9.3.3 Operating System Considerations 9-6
9.3.3.1 Specifying a Complete Path 9-7
9.3.3.2 Backslash Escape Character 9-7
9.3.3.3 Nonportable Strings 9-7
9.3.3.4 Using the Backslash as an Escape Character 9-7
9.3.3.5 Escape Character Is Sometimes Disallowed 9-8
9.4 Identifying XMLType Tables 9-8
9.5 Specifying Field Order 9-9
9.6 Specifying Data Files 9-10
9.6.1 Examples of INFILE Syntax 9-11
9.6.2 Specifying Multiple Data Files 9-12
9.7 Specifying CSV Format Files 9-12
9.8 Identifying Data in the Control File with BEGINDATA 9-13
9.9 Specifying Data File Format and Buffering 9-14
9.10 Specifying the Bad File 9-14
9.10.1 Examples of Specifying a Bad File Name 9-15
9.10.2 How Bad Files Are Handled with LOBFILEs and SDFs 9-16
9.10.3 Criteria for Rejected Records 9-16
9.11 Specifying the Discard File 9-17
9.11.1 Specifying the Discard File in the Control File 9-18
9.11.1.1 Limiting the Number of Discard Records 9-18
9.11.2 Examples of Specifying a Discard File Name 9-18
9.11.3 Criteria for Discarded Records 9-19
9.11.4 How Discard Files Are Handled with LOBFILEs and SDFs 9-19
9.11.5 Specifying the Discard File from the Command Line 9-19
9.12 Specifying a NULLIF Clause At the Table Level 9-19
9.13 Specifying Datetime Formats At the Table Level 9-20
9.14 Handling Different Character Encoding Schemes 9-21
9.14.1 Multibyte (Asian) Character Sets 9-21
9.14.2 Unicode Character Sets 9-21
9.14.3 Database Character Sets 9-22
9.14.4 Data File Character Sets 9-22
9.14.5 Input Character Conversion 9-23
9.14.5.1 Considerations When Loading Data into VARRAYs or Primary-
Key-Based REFs 9-24
9.14.5.2 CHARACTERSET Parameter 9-24
9.14.5.3 Control File Character Set 9-25
xii
9.14.5.4 Character-Length Semantics 9-26
9.14.6 Shift-sensitive Character Data 9-27
9.15 Interrupted Loads 9-28
9.15.1 Discontinued Conventional Path Loads 9-28
9.15.2 Discontinued Direct Path Loads 9-29
9.15.2.1 Load Discontinued Because of Space Errors 9-29
9.15.2.2 Load Discontinued Because Maximum Number of Errors
Exceeded 9-30
9.15.2.3 Load Discontinued Because of Fatal Errors 9-30
9.15.2.4 Load Discontinued Because a Ctrl+C Was Issued 9-30
9.15.3 Status of Tables and Indexes After an Interrupted Load 9-30
9.15.4 Using the Log File to Determine Load Status 9-30
9.15.5 Continuing Single-Table Loads 9-30
9.16 Assembling Logical Records from Physical Records 9-31
9.16.1 Using CONCATENATE to Assemble Logical Records 9-31
9.16.2 Using CONTINUEIF to Assemble Logical Records 9-32
9.17 Loading Logical Records into Tables 9-35
9.17.1 Specifying Table Names 9-36
9.17.1.1 INTO TABLE Clause 9-36
9.17.2 Table-Specific Loading Method 9-37
9.17.2.1 Loading Data into Empty Tables 9-37
9.17.2.2 Loading Data into Nonempty Tables 9-37
9.17.3 Table-Specific OPTIONS Parameter 9-39
9.17.4 Loading Records Based on a Condition 9-39
9.17.4.1 Using the WHEN Clause with LOBFILEs and SDFs 9-40
9.17.5 Specifying Default Data Delimiters 9-40
9.17.5.1 fields_spec 9-40
9.17.5.2 termination_spec 9-41
9.17.5.3 enclosure_spec 9-41
9.17.6 Handling Short Records with Missing Data 9-41
9.17.6.1 TRAILING NULLCOLS Clause 9-42
9.18 Index Options 9-42
9.18.1 SORTED INDEXES Clause 9-43
9.18.2 SINGLEROW Option 9-43
9.19 Benefits of Using Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses 9-43
9.19.1 Extracting Multiple Logical Records 9-44
9.19.1.1 Relative Positioning Based on Delimiters 9-45
9.19.2 Distinguishing Different Input Record Formats 9-45
9.19.2.1 Relative Positioning Based on the POSITION Parameter 9-46
9.19.3 Distinguishing Different Input Row Object Subtypes 9-46
9.19.4 Loading Data into Multiple Tables 9-48
xiii
9.19.5 Summary of Using Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses 9-48
9.20 Bind Arrays and Conventional Path Loads 9-48
9.20.1 Size Requirements for Bind Arrays 9-49
9.20.2 Performance Implications of Bind Arrays 9-49
9.20.3 Specifying Number of Rows Versus Size of Bind Array 9-49
9.20.4 Calculations to Determine Bind Array Size 9-50
9.20.4.1 Determining the Size of the Length Indicator 9-51
9.20.4.2 Calculating the Size of Field Buffers 9-52
9.20.5 Minimizing Memory Requirements for Bind Arrays 9-53
9.20.6 Calculating Bind Array Size for Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses 9-53
10 SQL*Loader Field List Reference

10.1 Field List Contents 10-2
10.2 Specifying the Position of a Data Field 10-3
10.2.1 Using POSITION with Data Containing Tabs 10-4
10.2.2 Using POSITION with Multiple Table Loads 10-4
10.2.3 Examples of Using POSITION 10-4
10.3 Specifying Columns and Fields 10-5
10.3.1 Specifying Filler Fields 10-5
10.3.2 Specifying the Data Type of a Data Field 10-7
10.4 SQL*Loader Data Types 10-7
10.4.1 Nonportable Data Types 10-8
10.4.1.1 INTEGER(n) 10-9
10.4.1.2 SMALLINT 10-9
10.4.1.3 FLOAT 10-10
10.4.1.4 DOUBLE 10-10
10.4.1.5 BYTEINT 10-10
10.4.1.6 ZONED 10-10
10.4.1.7 DECIMAL 10-11
10.4.1.8 VARGRAPHIC 10-11
10.4.1.9 VARCHAR 10-12
10.4.1.10 VARRAW 10-13
10.4.1.11 LONG VARRAW 10-13
10.4.2 Portable Data Types 10-14
10.4.2.1 CHAR 10-14
10.4.2.2 Datetime and Interval Data Types 10-15
10.4.2.3 GRAPHIC 10-18
10.4.2.4 GRAPHIC EXTERNAL 10-18
10.4.2.5 Numeric EXTERNAL 10-19
10.4.2.6 RAW 10-19
xiv
10.4.2.7 VARCHARC 10-20
10.4.2.8 VARRAWC 10-20
10.4.2.9 Conflicting Native Data Type Field Lengths 10-20
10.4.2.10 Field Lengths for Length-Value Data Types 10-21
10.4.3 Data Type Conversions 10-21
10.4.4 Data Type Conversions for Datetime and Interval Data Types 10-22
10.4.5 Specifying Delimiters 10-23
10.4.5.1 Syntax for Termination and Enclosure Specification 10-23
10.4.5.2 Delimiter Marks in the Data 10-25
10.4.5.3 Maximum Length of Delimited Data 10-25
10.4.5.4 Loading Trailing Blanks with Delimiters 10-25
10.4.6 How Delimited Data Is Processed 10-26
10.4.6.1 Fields Using Only TERMINATED BY 10-26
10.4.6.2 Fields Using ENCLOSED BY Without TERMINATED BY 10-26
10.4.6.3 Fields Using ENCLOSED BY With TERMINATED BY 10-27
10.4.6.4 Fields Using OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY With TERMINATED
BY 10-27
10.4.7 Conflicting Field Lengths for Character Data Types 10-28
10.4.7.1 Predetermined Size Fields 10-29
10.4.7.2 Delimited Fields 10-29
10.4.7.3 Date Field Masks 10-29
10.5 Specifying Field Conditions 10-30
10.5.1 Comparing Fields to BLANKS 10-31
10.5.2 Comparing Fields to Literals 10-32
10.6 Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses 10-32
10.7 Examples of Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses 10-34
10.8 Loading Data Across Different Platforms 10-36
10.9 Byte Ordering 10-36
10.9.1 Specifying Byte Order 10-38
10.9.2 Using Byte Order Marks (BOMs) 10-38
10.9.2.1 Suppressing Checks for BOMs 10-40
10.10 Loading All-Blank Fields 10-41
10.11 Trimming Whitespace 10-41
10.11.1 Data Types for Which Whitespace Can Be Trimmed 10-43
10.11.2 Specifying Field Length for Data Types for Which Whitespace Can Be
Trimmed 10-44
10.11.2.1 Predetermined Size Fields 10-44
10.11.2.2 Delimited Fields 10-44
10.11.3 Relative Positioning of Fields 10-45
10.11.3.1 No Start Position Specified for a Field 10-45
10.11.3.2 Previous Field Terminated by a Delimiter 10-45
10.11.3.3 Previous Field Has Both Enclosure and Termination Delimiters 10-46
xv
10.11.4 Leading Whitespace 10-46
10.11.4.1 Previous Field Terminated by Whitespace 10-46
10.11.4.2 Optional Enclosure Delimiters 10-47
10.11.5 Trimming Trailing Whitespace 10-47
10.11.6 Trimming Enclosed Fields 10-47
10.12 How the PRESERVE BLANKS Option Affects Whitespace Trimming 10-48
10.13 How [NO] PRESERVE BLANKS Works with Delimiter Clauses 10-48
10.14 Applying SQL Operators to Fields 10-49
10.14.1 Referencing Fields 10-51
10.14.2 Common Uses of SQL Operators in Field Specifications 10-52
10.14.3 Combinations of SQL Operators 10-53
10.14.4 Using SQL Strings with a Date Mask 10-53
10.14.5 Interpreting Formatted Fields 10-53
10.14.6 Using SQL Strings to Load the ANYDATA Database Type 10-54
10.15 Using SQL*Loader to Generate Data for Input 10-54
10.15.1 Loading Data Without Files 10-55
10.15.2 Setting a Column to a Constant Value 10-55
10.15.2.1 CONSTANT Parameter 10-55
10.15.3 Setting a Column to an Expression Value 10-56
10.15.3.1 EXPRESSION Parameter 10-56
10.15.4 Setting a Column to the Data File Record Number 10-56
10.15.4.1 RECNUM Parameter 10-56
10.15.5 Setting a Column to the Current Date 10-57
10.15.5.1 SYSDATE Parameter 10-57
10.15.6 Setting a Column to a Unique Sequence Number 10-57
10.15.6.1 SEQUENCE Parameter 10-57
10.15.7 Generating Sequence Numbers for Multiple Tables 10-58
10.15.7.1 Example: Generating Different Sequence Numbers for Each
Insert 10-58
11 Loading Objects, LOBs, and Collections

11.1 Loading Column Objects 11-1
11.1.1 Loading Column Objects in Stream Record Format 11-2
11.1.2 Loading Column Objects in Variable Record Format 11-3
11.1.3 Loading Nested Column Objects 11-3
11.1.4 Loading Column Objects with a Derived Subtype 11-4
11.1.5 Specifying Null Values for Objects 11-5
11.1.5.1 Specifying Attribute Nulls 11-5
11.1.5.2 Specifying Atomic Nulls 11-6
11.1.6 Loading Column Objects with User-Defined Constructors 11-7
11.2 Loading Object Tables 11-10
xvi
11.2.1 Loading Object Tables with a Subtype 11-12
11.3 Loading REF Columns 11-13
11.3.1 Specifying Table Names in a REF Clause 11-13
11.3.2 System-Generated OID REF Columns 11-14
11.3.3 Primary Key REF Columns 11-15
11.3.4 Unscoped REF Columns That Allow Primary Keys 11-15
11.4 Loading LOBs 11-16
11.4.1 Loading LOB Data from a Primary Data File 11-17
11.4.1.1 LOB Data in Predetermined Size Fields 11-18
11.4.1.2 LOB Data in Delimited Fields 11-18
11.4.1.3 LOB Data in Length-Value Pair Fields 11-20
11.4.2 Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs 11-21
11.4.2.1 Dynamic Versus Static LOBFILE Specifications 11-22
11.4.2.2 Examples of Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs 11-22
11.4.2.3 Considerations When Loading LOBs from LOBFILEs 11-26
11.4.3 Loading Data Files that Contain LLS Fields 11-26
11.5 Loading BFILE Columns 11-28
11.6 Loading Collections (Nested Tables and VARRAYs) 11-29
11.6.1 Restrictions in Nested Tables and VARRAYs 11-29
11.6.2 Secondary Data Files (SDFs) 11-31
11.7 Dynamic Versus Static SDF Specifications 11-32
11.8 Loading a Parent Table Separately from Its Child Table 11-32
11.8.1 Memory Issues When Loading VARRAY Columns 11-33
12 Conventional and Direct Path Loads

12.1 Data Loading Methods 12-1
12.1.1 Loading ROWID Columns 12-2
12.2 Conventional Path Load 12-2
12.2.1 Conventional Path Load of a Single Partition 12-2
12.2.2 When to Use a Conventional Path Load 12-2
12.3 Direct Path Load 12-3
12.3.1 Data Conversion During Direct Path Loads 12-4
12.3.2 Direct Path Load of a Partitioned or Subpartitioned Table 12-4
12.3.3 Direct Path Load of a Single Partition or Subpartition 12-5
12.3.4 Advantages of a Direct Path Load 12-5
12.3.5 Restrictions on Using Direct Path Loads 12-6
12.3.6 Restrictions on a Direct Path Load of a Single Partition 12-6
12.3.7 When to Use a Direct Path Load 12-7
12.3.8 Integrity Constraints 12-7
12.3.9 Field Defaults on the Direct Path 12-7
xvii
12.3.10 Loading into Synonyms 12-7
12.4 Using Direct Path Load 12-8
12.4.1 Setting Up for Direct Path Loads 12-8
12.4.2 Specifying a Direct Path Load 12-8
12.4.3 Building Indexes 12-8
12.4.3.1 Improving Performance 12-9
12.4.3.2 Temporary Segment Storage Requirements 12-9
12.4.4 Indexes Left in an Unusable State 12-10
12.4.5 Using Data Saves to Protect Against Data Loss 12-10
12.4.5.1 Using the ROWS Parameter 12-11
12.4.5.2 Data Save Versus Commit 12-11
12.4.6 Data Recovery During Direct Path Loads 12-11
12.4.6.1 Media Recovery and Direct Path Loads 12-12
12.4.6.2 Instance Recovery and Direct Path Loads 12-12
12.4.7 Loading Long Data Fields 12-12
12.4.7.1 Loading Data As PIECED 12-13
12.4.8 Auditing SQL*Loader Operations That Use Direct Path Mode 12-13
12.5 Optimizing Performance of Direct Path Loads 12-14
12.5.1 Preallocating Storage for Faster Loading 12-14
12.5.2 Presorting Data for Faster Indexing 12-15
12.5.2.1 SORTED INDEXES Clause 12-15
12.5.2.2 Unsorted Data 12-15
12.5.2.3 Multiple-Column Indexes 12-16
12.5.2.4 Choosing the Best Sort Order 12-16
12.5.3 Infrequent Data Saves 12-16
12.5.4 Minimizing Use of the Redo Log 12-17
12.5.4.1 Disabling Archiving 12-17
12.5.4.2 Specifying the SQL*Loader UNRECOVERABLE Clause 12-17
12.5.4.3 Setting the SQL NOLOGGING Parameter 12-18
12.5.5 Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of Stream
Buffers 12-18
12.5.6 Specifying a Value for the Date Cache 12-19
12.6 Optimizing Direct Path Loads on Multiple-CPU Systems 12-20
12.7 Avoiding Index Maintenance 12-21
12.8 Direct Path Loads, Integrity Constraints, and Triggers 12-21
12.8.1 Integrity Constraints 12-22
12.8.1.1 Enabled Constraints 12-22
12.8.1.2 Disabled Constraints 12-22
12.8.1.3 Reenable Constraints 12-23
12.8.2 Database Insert Triggers 12-24
12.8.2.1 Replacing Insert Triggers with Integrity Constraints 12-24
xviii
12.8.2.2 When Automatic Constraints Cannot Be Used 12-24
12.8.2.3 Preparation 12-24
12.8.2.4 Using an Update Trigger 12-25
12.8.2.5 Duplicating the Effects of Exception Conditions 12-25
12.8.2.6 Using a Stored Procedure 12-25
12.8.3 Permanently Disabled Triggers and Constraints 12-26
12.8.4 Increasing Performance with Concurrent Conventional Path Loads 12-26
12.9 Parallel Data Loading Models 12-26
12.9.1 Concurrent Conventional Path Loads 12-27
12.9.2 Intersegment Concurrency with Direct Path 12-27
12.9.3 Intrasegment Concurrency with Direct Path 12-27
12.9.4 Restrictions on Parallel Direct Path Loads 12-28
12.9.5 Initiating Multiple SQL*Loader Sessions 12-28
12.9.6 Parameters for Parallel Direct Path Loads 12-29
12.9.6.1 Using the FILE Parameter to Specify Temporary Segments 12-29
12.9.7 Enabling Constraints After a Parallel Direct Path Load 12-30
12.9.8 PRIMARY KEY and UNIQUE KEY Constraints 12-30
12.10 General Performance Improvement Hints 12-30
13 SQL*Loader Express
13.1 What is SQL*Loader Express Mode? 13-1
13.2 Using SQL*Loader Express Mode 13-1
13.2.1 Default Values Used by SQL*Loader Express Mode 13-2
13.2.1.1 How SQL*Loader Express Mode Handles Byte Order 13-3
13.3 SQL*Loader Express Mode Parameter Reference 13-4
13.3.1 BAD 13-5
13.3.2 CHARACTERSET 13-6
13.3.3 CSV 13-7
13.3.4 DATA 13-7
13.3.5 DATE_FORMAT 13-9
13.3.6 DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM 13-9
13.3.7 DIRECT 13-10
13.3.8 DNFS_ENABLE 13-11
13.3.10 ENCLOSED_BY 13-12
13.3.11 EXTERNAL_TABLE 13-13
13.3.12 FIELD_NAMES 13-14
13.3.13 LOAD 13-15
13.3.14 NULLIF 13-16
13.3.15 OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY 13-16
xix
13.3.16 PARFILE 13-17
13.3.17 SILENT 13-17
13.3.18 TABLE 13-18
13.3.19 TERMINATED_BY 13-19
13.3.20 TIMESTAMP_FORMAT 13-19
13.3.21 TRIM 13-20
13.3.22 USERID 13-21
13.4 SQL*Loader Express Mode Syntax Diagrams 13-21
Part III External Tables
14 External Tables Concepts

14.1 How Are External Tables Created? 14-1
14.1.1 Location of Data Files and Output Files 14-4
14.1.2 Access Parameters 14-5
14.2 Data Type Conversion During External Table Use 14-5
15 The ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver

15.1 access_parameters Clause 15-2
15.2 record_format_info Clause 15-3
15.2.1 FIXED length 15-6
15.2.2 VARIABLE size 15-6
15.2.3 DELIMITED BY 15-7
15.2.4 XMLTAG 15-8
15.2.5 CHARACTERSET 15-9
15.2.6 EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA 15-10
15.2.7 PREPROCESSOR 15-11
15.2.7.1 Using Parallel Processing with the PREPROCESSOR Clause 15-14
15.2.7.2 Restrictions When Using the PREPROCESSOR Clause 15-15
15.2.8 LANGUAGE 15-15
15.2.9 TERRITORY 15-15
15.2.10 DATA IS...ENDIAN 15-16
15.2.11 BYTEORDERMARK (CHECK | NOCHECK) 15-16
15.2.12 STRING SIZES ARE IN 15-17
15.2.13 LOAD WHEN 15-17
15.2.14 BADFILE | NOBADFILE 15-17
15.2.15 DISCARDFILE | NODISCARDFILE 15-18
15.2.16 LOGFILE | NOLOGFILE 15-18
15.2.17 SKIP 15-18
xx
15.2.18 FIELD NAMES 15-18
15.2.19 READSIZE 15-19
15.2.20 DISABLE_DIRECTORY_LINK_CHECK 15-19
15.2.21 DATE_CACHE 15-20
15.2.22 string 15-20
15.2.23 condition_spec 15-21
15.2.24 [directory object name:] [filename] 15-21
15.2.25 condition 15-22
15.2.25.1 range start : range end 15-22
15.2.26 IO_OPTIONS clause 15-23
15.2.27 DNFS_DISABLE | DNFS_ENABLE 15-23
15.3 field_definitions Clause 15-24
15.3.1 delim_spec 15-28
15.3.1.1 Example: External Table with Terminating Delimiters 15-30
15.3.1.2 Example: External Table with Enclosure and Terminator
Delimiters 15-30
15.3.1.3 Example: External Table with Optional Enclosure Delimiters 15-30
15.3.2 trim_spec 15-31
15.3.3 MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL 15-32
15.3.4 field_list 15-32
15.3.5 pos_spec Clause 15-33
15.3.5.1 start 15-34
15.3.5.2 * 15-34
15.3.5.3 increment 15-34
15.3.5.4 end 15-34
15.3.5.5 length 15-34
15.3.6 datatype_spec Clause 15-35
15.3.6.1 [UNSIGNED] INTEGER [EXTERNAL] [(len)] 15-37
15.3.6.2 DECIMAL [EXTERNAL] and ZONED [EXTERNAL] 15-37
15.3.6.3 ORACLE_DATE 15-38
15.3.6.4 ORACLE_NUMBER 15-38
15.3.6.5 Floating-Point Numbers 15-38
15.3.6.6 DOUBLE 15-38
15.3.6.7 FLOAT [EXTERNAL] 15-38
15.3.6.8 BINARY_DOUBLE 15-39
15.3.6.9 BINARY_FLOAT 15-39
15.3.6.10 RAW 15-39
15.3.6.11 CHAR 15-39
15.3.6.12 date_format_spec 15-40
15.3.6.13 VARCHAR and VARRAW 15-42
xxi
15.3.6.14 VARCHARC and VARRAWC 15-43
15.3.7 init_spec Clause 15-43
15.3.8 LLS Clause 15-44
15.4 column_transforms Clause 15-45
15.4.1 transform 15-45
15.4.1.1 column_name FROM 15-46
15.4.1.2 NULL 15-46
15.4.1.3 CONSTANT 15-46
15.4.1.4 CONCAT 15-47
15.4.1.5 LOBFILE 15-47
15.4.1.6 lobfile_attr_list 15-47
15.4.1.7 STARTOF source_field (length) 15-48
15.5 Parallel Loading Considerations for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver 15-49
15.6 Performance Hints When Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver 15-49
15.7 Restrictions When Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver 15-50
15.8 Reserved Words for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver 15-51
16 The ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver

16.1 access_parameters Clause 16-1
16.1.1 comments 16-3
16.1.2 COMPRESSION 16-3
16.1.3 ENCRYPTION 16-4
16.1.4 LOGFILE | NOLOGFILE 16-4
16.1.4.1 Log File Naming in Parallel Loads 16-5
16.1.5 VERSION Clause 16-5
16.1.6 Effects of Using the SQL ENCRYPT Clause 16-6
16.2 Unloading and Loading Data with the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver 16-6
16.2.1 Parallel Loading and Unloading 16-9
16.2.2 Combining Dump Files 16-10
16.3 Supported Data Types 16-11
16.4 Unsupported Data Types 16-12
16.4.1 Unloading and Loading BFILE Data Types 16-12
16.4.2 Unloading LONG and LONG RAW Data Types 16-14
16.4.3 Unloading and Loading Columns Containing Final Object Types 16-15
16.4.4 Tables of Final Object Types 16-16
16.5 Performance Hints When Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver 16-17
16.6 Restrictions When Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver 16-17
16.7 Reserved Words for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver 16-18
xxii
17 ORACLE_HDFS and ORACLE_HIVE Access Drivers
17.1 Syntax Rules for Specifying Properties 17-1
17.2 ORACLE_HDFS Access Parameters 17-2
17.2.1 Default Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HDFS 17-2
17.2.2 Optional Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HDFS 17-3
17.3 ORACLE_HIVE Access Parameters 17-3
17.3.1 Default Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HIVE 17-4
17.3.2 Optional Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HIVE 17-4
17.4 Descriptions of com.oracle.bigdata Parameters 17-4
17.4.1 com.oracle.bigdata.colmap 17-5
17.4.2 com.oracle.bigdata.datamode 17-6
17.4.3 com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt 17-7
17.4.4 com.oracle.bigdata.fields 17-8
17.4.5 com.oracle.bigdata.fileformat 17-10
17.4.6 com.oracle.bigdata.log.exec 17-11
17.4.7 com.oracle.bigdata.log.qc 17-12
17.4.8 com.oracle.bigdata.overflow 17-12
17.4.9 com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat 17-13
17.4.10 com.oracle.bigdata.tablename 17-15
18 External Tables Examples

18.1 Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver to Create Partitioned External
Tables 18-2
18.2 Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver to Create Partitioned
External Tables 18-4
18.3 Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to Create Partitioned External
Tables 18-7
18.4 Using the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver to Create Partitioned External
Tables 18-9
18.5 Loading LOBs From External Tables 18-12
18.6 Loading CSV Files From External Tables 18-14
Part IV Other Utilities
19 ADRCI: ADR Command Interpreter

19.1 About the ADR Command Interpreter (ADRCI) Utility 19-1
19.2 Definitions 19-2
19.3 Starting ADRCI and Getting Help 19-4
19.3.1 Using ADRCI in Interactive Mode 19-5
xxiii
19.3.2 Getting Help 19-5
19.3.3 Using ADRCI in Batch Mode 19-6
19.4 Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before Using ADRCI Commands 19-7
19.5 Viewing the Alert Log 19-8
19.6 Finding Trace Files 19-9
19.7 Viewing Incidents 19-10
19.8 Packaging Incidents 19-11
19.8.1 About Packaging Incidents 19-11
19.8.2 Creating Incident Packages 19-12
19.8.2.1 Creating a Logical Incident Package 19-13
19.8.2.2 Adding Diagnostic Information to a Logical Incident Package 19-14
19.8.2.3 Generating a Physical Incident Package 19-15
19.9 ADRCI Command Reference 19-15
19.9.1 CREATE REPORT 19-18
19.9.2 ECHO 19-18
19.9.3 EXIT 19-19
19.9.4 HOST 19-19
19.9.5 IPS 19-19
19.9.5.1 Using the <ADR_HOME> and <ADR_BASE> Variables in IPS
Commands 19-21
19.9.5.2 IPS ADD 19-21
19.9.5.3 IPS ADD FILE 19-23
19.9.5.4 IPS ADD NEW INCIDENTS 19-24
19.9.5.5 IPS COPY IN FILE 19-24
19.9.5.6 IPS COPY OUT FILE 19-25
19.9.5.7 IPS CREATE PACKAGE 19-25
19.9.5.8 IPS DELETE PACKAGE 19-28
19.9.5.9 IPS FINALIZE 19-28
19.9.5.10 IPS GENERATE PACKAGE 19-28
19.9.5.11 IPS GET MANIFEST 19-29
19.9.5.12 IPS GET METADATA 19-29
19.9.5.13 IPS PACK 19-30
19.9.5.14 IPS REMOVE 19-32
19.9.5.15 IPS REMOVE FILE 19-33
19.9.5.16 IPS SET CONFIGURATION 19-34
19.9.5.17 IPS SHOW CONFIGURATION 19-34
19.9.5.18 IPS SHOW FILES 19-37
19.9.5.19 IPS SHOW INCIDENTS 19-38
19.9.5.20 IPS SHOW PACKAGE 19-39
19.9.5.21 IPS UNPACK FILE 19-39
19.9.6 PURGE 19-39
xxiv
19.9.7 QUIT 19-41
19.9.8 RUN 19-41
19.9.9 SELECT 19-41
19.9.9.1 AVG 19-44
19.9.9.2 CONCAT 19-45
19.9.9.3 COUNT 19-45
19.9.9.4 DECODE 19-46
19.9.9.5 LENGTH 19-46
19.9.9.6 MAX 19-47
19.9.9.7 MIN 19-47
19.9.9.8 NVL 19-47
19.9.9.9 REGEXP_LIKE 19-48
19.9.9.10 SUBSTR 19-48
19.9.9.11 SUM 19-49
19.9.9.12 TIMESTAMP_TO_CHAR 19-49
19.9.9.13 TOLOWER 19-50
19.9.9.14 TOUPPER 19-50
19.9.10 SET BASE 19-51
19.9.11 SET BROWSER 19-51
19.9.12 SET CONTROL 19-52
19.9.13 SET ECHO 19-52
19.9.14 SET EDITOR 19-53
19.9.15 SET HOMEPATH 19-53
19.9.16 SET TERMOUT 19-54
19.9.17 SHOW ALERT 19-54
19.9.18 SHOW BASE 19-57
19.9.19 SHOW CONTROL 19-57
19.9.20 SHOW HM_RUN 19-58
19.9.21 SHOW HOMEPATH 19-59
19.9.22 SHOW HOMES 19-60
19.9.23 SHOW INCDIR 19-60
19.9.24 SHOW INCIDENT 19-61
19.9.25 SHOW LOG 19-65
19.9.26 SHOW PROBLEM 19-66
19.9.27 SHOW REPORT 19-67
19.9.28 SHOW TRACEFILE 19-68
19.9.29 SPOOL 19-69
19.10 Troubleshooting ADRCI 19-70
xxv
20 DBVERIFY: Offline Database Verification Utility
20.1 Using DBVERIFY to Validate Disk Blocks of a Single Data File 20-1
20.1.1 DBVERIFY Syntax When Validating Blocks of a Single File 20-2
20.1.2 DBVERIFY Parameters When Validating Blocks of a Single File 20-2
20.1.3 Sample DBVERIFY Output For a Single Data File 20-3
20.2 Using DBVERIFY to Validate a Segment 20-4
20.2.1 DBVERIFY Syntax When Validating a Segment 20-4
20.2.2 DBVERIFY Parameters When Validating a Single Segment 20-4
20.2.3 Sample DBVERIFY Output For a Validated Segment 20-5
21 DBNEWID Utility
21.1 What Is the DBNEWID Utility? 21-1
21.2 Ramifications of Changing the DBID and DBNAME 21-1
21.2.1 Considerations for Global Database Names 21-2
21.3 DBNEWID Considerations for CDBs and PDBs 21-2
21.4 Changing the DBID and DBNAME of a Database 21-3
21.4.1 Changing the DBID and Database Name 21-3
21.4.2 Changing Only the Database ID 21-5
21.4.3 Changing Only the Database Name 21-6
21.4.4 Troubleshooting DBNEWID 21-7
21.5 DBNEWID Syntax 21-8
21.5.1 DBNEWID Parameters 21-9
21.5.2 Restrictions and Usage Notes 21-10
21.5.3 Additional Restrictions for Releases Earlier Than Oracle Database 10g 21-10
22 Using LogMiner to Analyze Redo Log Files

22.1 LogMiner Benefits 22-2
22.2 Introduction to LogMiner 22-2
22.2.1 LogMiner Configuration 22-3
22.2.1.1 Sample LogMiner Configuration 22-3
22.2.1.2 Requirements 22-4
22.2.2 Directing LogMiner Operations and Retrieving Data of Interest 22-5
22.3 Using LogMiner in a CDB 22-6
22.3.1 LogMiner V$ Views and DBA Views in a CDB 22-7
22.3.2 The V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS View in a CDB 22-7
22.3.3 Enabling Supplemental Logging in a CDB 22-8
22.3.4 Using a Flat File Dictionary in a CDB 22-8
22.4 LogMiner Dictionary Files and Redo Log Files 22-8
22.4.1 LogMiner Dictionary Options 22-8
xxvi
22.4.1.1 Using the Online Catalog 22-10
22.4.1.2 Extracting a LogMiner Dictionary to the Redo Log Files 22-10
22.4.1.3 Extracting the LogMiner Dictionary to a Flat File 22-11
22.4.2 Redo Log File Options 22-12
22.5 Starting LogMiner 22-13
22.6 Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS for Redo Data of Interest 22-14
22.6.1 How the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS View Is Populated 22-16
22.6.2 Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS Based on Column Values 22-17
22.6.2.1 The Meaning of NULL Values Returned by the MINE_VALUE
Function 22-18
22.6.2.2 Usage Rules for the MINE_VALUE and COLUMN_PRESENT
Functions 22-18
22.6.2.3 Restrictions When Using the MINE_VALUE Function To Get an
NCHAR Value 22-19
22.6.3 Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS Based on XMLType Columns and
Tables 22-19
22.6.3.1 Restrictions When Using LogMiner With XMLType Data 22-21
22.6.3.2 Example of a PL/SQL Procedure for Assembling XMLType Data 22-21
22.7 Filtering and Formatting Data Returned to V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS 22-24
22.7.1 Showing Only Committed Transactions 22-24
22.7.2 Skipping Redo Corruptions 22-26
22.7.3 Filtering Data by Time 22-27
22.7.4 Filtering Data by SCN 22-28
22.7.5 Formatting Reconstructed SQL Statements for Re-execution 22-28
22.7.6 Formatting the Appearance of Returned Data for Readability 22-29
22.8 Reapplying DDL Statements Returned to V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS 22-30
22.9 Calling DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR Multiple Times 22-30
22.10 Supplemental Logging 22-31
22.10.1 Database-Level Supplemental Logging 22-32
22.10.1.1 Minimal Supplemental Logging 22-32
22.10.1.2 Database-Level Identification Key Logging 22-33
22.10.1.3 Procedural Supplemental Logging 22-34
22.10.2 Disabling Database-Level Supplemental Logging 22-34
22.10.3 Table-Level Supplemental Logging 22-35
22.10.3.1 Table-Level Identification Key Logging 22-35
22.10.3.2 Table-Level User-Defined Supplemental Log Groups 22-36
22.10.3.3 Usage Notes for User-Defined Supplemental Log Groups 22-37
22.10.4 Tracking DDL Statements in the LogMiner Dictionary 22-37
22.10.5 DDL_DICT_TRACKING and Supplemental Logging Settings 22-38
22.10.6 DDL_DICT_TRACKING and Specified Time or SCN Ranges 22-39
22.11 Accessing LogMiner Operational Information in Views 22-40
22.11.1 Querying V$LOGMNR_LOGS 22-41
xxvii
22.11.2 Querying Views for Supplemental Logging Settings 22-42
22.12 Steps in a Typical LogMiner Session 22-43
22.12.1 Typical LogMiner Session Task 1: Enable Supplemental Logging 22-44
22.12.2 Typical LogMiner Session Task 2: Extract a LogMiner Dictionary 22-45
22.12.3 Typical LogMiner Session Task 3: Specify Redo Log Files for
Analysis 22-45
22.12.4 Typical LogMiner Session Task 4: Start LogMiner 22-46
22.12.5 Typical LogMiner Session Task 5: Query V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS 22-47
22.12.6 Typical LogMiner Session Task 6: End the LogMiner Session 22-47
22.13 Examples Using LogMiner 22-47
22.13.1 Examples of Mining by Explicitly Specifying the Redo Log Files of
Interest 22-48
22.13.1.1 Example 1: Finding All Modifications in the Last Archived Redo
Log File 22-48
22.13.1.2 Example 2: Grouping DML Statements into Committed
Transactions 22-51
22.13.1.3 Example 3: Formatting the Reconstructed SQL 22-52
22.13.1.4 Example 4: Using the LogMiner Dictionary in the Redo Log
Files 22-55
22.13.1.5 Example 5: Tracking DDL Statements in the Internal Dictionary 22-62
22.13.1.6 Example 6: Filtering Output by Time Range 22-65
22.13.2 Examples of Mining Without Specifying the List of Redo Log Files
Explicitly 22-67
22.13.2.1 Example 1: Mining Redo Log Files in a Given Time Range 22-68
22.13.2.2 Example 2: Mining the Redo Log Files in a Given SCN Range 22-70
22.13.2.3 Example 3: Using Continuous Mining to Include Future Values
in a Query 22-71
22.13.3 Example Scenarios 22-72
22.13.3.1 Scenario 1: Using LogMiner to Track Changes Made by a
Specific User 22-72
22.13.3.2 Scenario 2: Using LogMiner to Calculate Table Access
Statistics 22-73
22.14 Supported Data Types, Storage Attributes, and Database and Redo Log
File Versions 22-74
22.14.1 Supported Data Types and Table Storage Attributes 22-74
22.14.1.1 Compatibility Requirements 22-76
22.14.2 Unsupported Data Types and Table Storage Attributes 22-77
22.14.3 Supported Databases and Redo Log File Versions 22-77
22.14.4 SecureFiles LOB Considerations 22-77
23 Using the Metadata APIs

23.1 Why Use the DBMS_METADATA API? 23-1
23.2 Overview of the DBMS_METADATA API 23-2
xxviii
23.3 Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve an Object's Metadata 23-4
23.3.1 Typical Steps Used for Basic Metadata Retrieval 23-4
23.3.2 Retrieving Multiple Objects 23-6
23.3.3 Placing Conditions on Transforms 23-7
23.3.4 Accessing Specific Metadata Attributes 23-9
23.4 Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Re-Create a Retrieved Object 23-12
23.5 Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve Collections of Different Object
Types 23-14
23.5.1 Filtering the Return of Heterogeneous Object Types 23-15
23.6 Using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API to Compare Object Metadata 23-16
23.7 Performance Tips for the Programmatic Interface of the DBMS_METADATA
API 23-25
23.8 Example Usage of the DBMS_METADATA API 23-25
23.8.1 What Does the DBMS_METADATA Example Do? 23-26
23.8.2 Output Generated from the GET_PAYROLL_TABLES Procedure 23-28
23.9 Summary of DBMS_METADATA Procedures 23-30
23.10 Summary of DBMS_METADATA_DIFF Procedures 23-32
24 Original Export
24.1 What is the Export Utility? 24-2
24.2 Before Using Export 24-2
24.2.1 Running catexp.sql or catalog.sql 24-2
24.2.2 Ensuring Sufficient Disk Space for Export Operations 24-3
24.2.3 Verifying Access Privileges for Export and Import Operations 24-3
24.3 Invoking Export 24-3
24.3.1 Invoking Export as SYSDBA 24-4
24.3.2 Command-Line Entries 24-4
24.3.3 Parameter Files 24-4
24.3.4 Interactive Mode 24-5
24.3.4.1 Restrictions When Using Export's Interactive Method 24-5
24.3.5 Getting Online Help 24-6
24.4 Export Modes 24-6
24.4.1 Table-Level and Partition-Level Export 24-9
24.4.1.1 Table-Level Export 24-9
24.4.1.2 Partition-Level Export 24-9
24.5 Export Parameters 24-9
24.5.1 BUFFER 24-10
24.5.1.1 Example: Calculating Buffer Size 24-11
24.5.2 COMPRESS 24-11
24.5.3 CONSISTENT 24-12
24.5.4 CONSTRAINTS 24-13
xxix
24.5.5 DIRECT 24-13
24.5.6 FEEDBACK 24-13
24.5.7 FILE 24-14
24.5.8 FILESIZE 24-14
24.5.11 FULL 24-16
24.5.11.1 Points to Consider for Full Database Exports and Imports 24-16
24.5.12 GRANTS 24-17
24.5.13 HELP 24-17
24.5.14 INDEXES 24-17
24.5.15 LOG 24-17
24.5.16 OBJECT_CONSISTENT 24-17
24.5.17 OWNER 24-18
24.5.18 PARFILE 24-18
24.5.19 QUERY 24-18
24.5.19.1 Restrictions When Using the QUERY Parameter 24-19
24.5.20 RECORDLENGTH 24-19
24.5.21 RESUMABLE 24-20
24.5.24 ROWS 24-20
24.5.25 STATISTICS 24-21
24.5.26 TABLES 24-21
24.5.26.1 Table Name Restrictions 24-22
24.5.28 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE 24-23
24.5.29 TRIGGERS 24-23
24.5.30 TTS_FULL_CHECK 24-24
24.5.31 USERID (username/password) 24-24
24.5.32 VOLSIZE 24-24
24.6 Example Export Sessions 24-24
24.6.1 Example Export Session in Full Database Mode 24-25
24.6.2 Example Export Session in User Mode 24-25
24.6.3 Example Export Sessions in Table Mode 24-26
24.6.3.1 Example 1: DBA Exporting Tables for Two Users 24-26
24.6.3.2 Example 2: User Exports Tables That He Owns 24-27
24.6.3.3 Example 3: Using Pattern Matching to Export Various Tables 24-27
24.6.4 Example Export Session Using Partition-Level Export 24-28
24.6.4.1 Example 1: Exporting a Table Without Specifying a Partition 24-28
24.6.4.2 Example 2: Exporting a Table with a Specified Partition 24-29
xxx
24.6.4.3 Example 3: Exporting a Composite Partition 24-29
24.7 Warning, Error, and Completion Messages 24-30
24.7.1 Log File 24-30
24.7.2 Warning Messages 24-30
24.7.3 Nonrecoverable Error Messages 24-31
24.7.4 Completion Messages 24-31
24.9 Conventional Path Export Versus Direct Path Export 24-32
24.10 Invoking a Direct Path Export 24-32
24.10.1 Security Considerations for Direct Path Exports 24-32
24.10.2 Performance Considerations for Direct Path Exports 24-33
24.10.3 Restrictions for Direct Path Exports 24-33
24.11 Network Considerations 24-33
24.11.1 Transporting Export Files Across a Network 24-34
24.11.2 Exporting with Oracle Net 24-34
24.12.1 User Data 24-34
24.12.1.1 Effect of Character Set Sorting Order on Conversions 24-35
24.12.3 Single-Byte Character Sets and Export and Import 24-36
24.12.4 Multibyte Character Sets and Export and Import 24-36
24.13 Using Instance Affinity with Export and Import 24-36
24.14 Considerations When Exporting Database Objects 24-36
24.14.1 Exporting Sequences 24-37
24.14.2 Exporting LONG and LOB Data Types 24-37
24.14.3 Exporting Foreign Function Libraries 24-37
24.14.4 Exporting Offline Locally Managed Tablespaces 24-38
24.14.5 Exporting Directory Aliases 24-38
24.14.6 Exporting BFILE Columns and Attributes 24-38
24.14.7 Exporting External Tables 24-38
24.14.8 Exporting Object Type Definitions 24-38
24.14.9 Exporting Nested Tables 24-39
24.14.10 Exporting Advanced Queue (AQ) Tables 24-39
24.14.11 Exporting Synonyms 24-39
24.14.12 Possible Export Errors Related to Java Synonyms 24-39
24.14.13 Support for Fine-Grained Access Control 24-40
24.15 Transportable Tablespaces 24-40
24.16 Exporting From a Read-Only Database 24-41
24.17 Using Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration 24-41
24.17.1 Advantages of Partitioning a Migration 24-41
24.17.2 Disadvantages of Partitioning a Migration 24-41
xxxi
24.17.3 How to Use Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration 24-42
24.18 Using Different Releases of Export and Import 24-42
24.18.1 Restrictions When Using Different Releases of Export and Import 24-42
24.18.2 Examples of Using Different Releases of Export and Import 24-43
25 Original Import
25.1 What Is the Import Utility? 25-2
25.1.1 Table Objects: Order of Import 25-2
25.2 Before Using Import 25-2
25.2.1 Running catexp.sql or catalog.sql 25-2
25.2.2 Verifying Access Privileges for Import Operations 25-3
25.2.2.1 Importing Objects Into Your Own Schema 25-3
25.2.2.2 Importing Grants 25-4
25.2.2.3 Importing Objects Into Other Schemas 25-4
25.2.2.4 Importing System Objects 25-4
25.2.3 Processing Restrictions 25-5
25.3 Importing into Existing Tables 25-5
25.3.1 Manually Creating Tables Before Importing Data 25-5
25.3.2 Disabling Referential Constraints 25-6
25.3.3 Manually Ordering the Import 25-6
25.4 Effect of Schema and Database Triggers on Import Operations 25-7
25.5 Invoking Import 25-7
25.5.1 Command-Line Entries 25-8
25.5.2 Parameter Files 25-8
25.5.3 Interactive Mode 25-9
25.5.4 Invoking Import As SYSDBA 25-9
25.5.5 Getting Online Help 25-9
25.6 Import Modes 25-9
25.7 Import Parameters 25-13
25.7.1 BUFFER 25-14
25.7.2 COMMIT 25-14
25.7.3 COMPILE 25-15
25.7.4 CONSTRAINTS 25-15
25.7.5 DATA_ONLY 25-15
25.7.6 DATAFILES 25-15
25.7.7 DESTROY 25-16
25.7.8 FEEDBACK 25-16
25.7.9 FILE 25-16
25.7.10 FILESIZE 25-17
25.7.11 FROMUSER 25-17
xxxii
25.7.12 FULL 25-18
25.7.12.1 Points to Consider for Full Database Exports and Imports 25-18
25.7.13 GRANTS 25-19
25.7.14 HELP 25-19
25.7.15 IGNORE 25-19
25.7.16 INDEXES 25-20
25.7.17 INDEXFILE 25-20
25.7.18 LOG 25-21
25.7.19 PARFILE 25-21
25.7.20 RECORDLENGTH 25-21
25.7.21 RESUMABLE 25-21
25.7.24 ROWS 25-22
25.7.25 SHOW 25-22
25.7.27 STATISTICS 25-23
25.7.28 STREAMS_CONFIGURATION 25-24
25.7.29 STREAMS_INSTANTIATION 25-24
25.7.30 TABLES 25-24
25.7.30.1 Table Name Restrictions 25-25
25.7.32 TOID_NOVALIDATE 25-27
25.7.33 TOUSER 25-27
25.7.34 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE 25-28
25.7.35 TTS_OWNERS 25-28
25.7.36 USERID (username/password) 25-29
25.7.37 VOLSIZE 25-29
25.8 Example Import Sessions 25-29
25.8.1 Example Import of Selected Tables for a Specific User 25-29
25.8.2 Example Import of Tables Exported by Another User 25-30
25.8.3 Example Import of Tables from One User to Another 25-30
25.8.4 Example Import Session Using Partition-Level Import 25-31
25.8.4.1 Example 1: A Partition-Level Import 25-31
25.8.4.2 Example 2: A Partition-Level Import of a Composite Partitioned
Table 25-32
25.8.4.3 Example 3: Repartitioning a Table on a Different Column 25-33
25.8.5 Example Import Using Pattern Matching to Import Various Tables 25-34
25.10 Error Handling During an Import 25-36
25.10.1 Row Errors 25-36
xxxiii
25.10.1.1 Failed Integrity Constraints 25-36
25.10.1.2 Invalid Data 25-36
25.10.2 Errors Importing Database Objects 25-37
25.10.2.1 Object Already Exists 25-37
25.10.2.2 Sequences 25-37
25.10.2.3 Resource Errors 25-37
25.10.2.4 Domain Index Metadata 25-38
25.11 Table-Level and Partition-Level Import 25-38
25.11.1 Guidelines for Using Table-Level Import 25-38
25.11.2 Guidelines for Using Partition-Level Import 25-38
25.11.3 Migrating Data Across Partitions and Tables 25-39
25.12 Controlling Index Creation and Maintenance 25-40
25.12.1 Delaying Index Creation 25-40
25.12.2 Index Creation and Maintenance Controls 25-40
25.12.2.1 Example of Postponing Index Maintenance 25-40
25.13 Network Considerations 25-41
25.14.1 User Data 25-42
25.14.1.1 Effect of Character Set Sorting Order on Conversions 25-42
25.14.3 Single-Byte Character Sets 25-43
25.14.4 Multibyte Character Sets 25-43
25.15 Using Instance Affinity 25-43
25.16 Considerations When Importing Database Objects 25-44
25.16.1 Importing Object Identifiers 25-44
25.16.2 Importing Existing Object Tables and Tables That Contain Object
Types 25-45
25.16.3 Importing Nested Tables 25-46
25.16.4 Importing REF Data 25-46
25.16.5 Importing BFILE Columns and Directory Aliases 25-47
25.16.6 Importing Foreign Function Libraries 25-47
25.16.7 Importing Stored Procedures, Functions, and Packages 25-47
25.16.8 Importing Java Objects 25-48
25.16.9 Importing External Tables 25-48
25.16.10 Importing Advanced Queue (AQ) Tables 25-48
25.16.11 Importing LONG Columns 25-48
25.16.12 Importing LOB Columns When Triggers Are Present 25-49
25.16.13 Importing Views 25-49
25.16.14 Importing Partitioned Tables 25-50
25.17 Support for Fine-Grained Access Control 25-50
25.18 Snapshots and Snapshot Logs 25-50
xxxiv
25.18.1 Snapshot Log 25-50
25.18.2 Snapshots 25-51
25.18.2.1 Importing a Snapshot 25-51
25.18.2.2 Importing a Snapshot into a Different Schema 25-51
25.19 Transportable Tablespaces 25-51
25.20 Storage Parameters 25-52
25.20.1 The OPTIMAL Parameter 25-53
25.20.2 Storage Parameters for OID Indexes and LOB Columns 25-53
25.20.3 Overriding Storage Parameters 25-53
25.21 Read-Only Tablespaces 25-53
25.22 Dropping a Tablespace 25-53
25.23 Reorganizing Tablespaces 25-54
25.24 Importing Statistics 25-54
25.25 Using Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration 25-55
25.25.1 Advantages of Partitioning a Migration 25-55
25.25.2 Disadvantages of Partitioning a Migration 25-55
25.25.3 How to Use Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration 25-56
25.26 Tuning Considerations for Import Operations 25-56
25.26.1 Changing System-Level Options 25-56
25.26.2 Changing Initialization Parameters 25-57
25.26.3 Changing Import Options 25-57
25.26.4 Dealing with Large Amounts of LOB Data 25-57
25.26.5 Dealing with Large Amounts of LONG Data 25-58
25.27 Using Different Releases of Export and Import 25-58
25.27.1 Restrictions When Using Different Releases of Export and Import 25-58
25.27.2 Examples of Using Different Releases of Export and Import 25-59
Part V Appendixes
A SQL*Loader Syntax Diagrams
B Instant Client for SQL*Loader, Export, and Import

B.1 What is the Tools Instant Client? B-1
B.2 Choosing the Instant Client to Install B-2
B.3 Installing Tools Instant Client by Downloading from OTN B-2
B.4 Installing Tools Instant Client from the 12c Client Release Media B-4
B.5 Configuring Tools Instant Client Package B-5
B.6 Connecting to a Database with the Tools Instant Client Package B-6
xxxv
B.7 Uninstalling Instant Client B-7
Index
xxxvi
List of Examples
2-1 Performing a Table-Mode Export 2-71
2-2 Data-Only Unload of Selected Tables and Rows 2-71
2-3 Estimating Disk Space Needed in a Table-Mode Export 2-72
2-4 Performing a Schema Mode Export 2-72
2-5 Parallel Full Export 2-72
2-6 Stopping and Reattaching to a Job 2-73
3-1 Performing a Data-Only Table-Mode Import 3-81
3-2 Performing a Schema-Mode Import 3-81
3-3 Network-Mode Import of Schemas 3-81
6-1 Performing a Simple Schema Export 6-5
6-2 Importing a Dump File and Remapping All Schema Objects 6-7
6-3 Using Exception Handling During a Simple Schema Export 6-8
6-4 Displaying Dump File Information 6-11
7-1 Loading Data in Fixed Record Format 7-5
7-2 Loading Data in Variable Record Format 7-6
7-3 Loading Data in Stream Record Format 7-7
9-1 Sample Control File 9-3
9-2 Identifying XMLType Tables in the SQL*Loader Control File 9-8
9-3 CONTINUEIF THIS Without the PRESERVE Parameter 9-34
9-4 CONTINUEIF THIS with the PRESERVE Parameter 9-34
9-5 CONTINUEIF NEXT Without the PRESERVE Parameter 9-34
9-6 CONTINUEIF NEXT with the PRESERVE Parameter 9-35
10-1 Field List Section of Sample Control File 10-2
10-2 DEFAULTIF Clause Is Not Evaluated 10-34
10-3 DEFAULTIF Clause Is Evaluated 10-35
10-4 DEFAULTIF Clause Specifies a Position 10-35
10-5 DEFAULTIF Clause Specifies a Field Name 10-35
11-1 Loading Column Objects in Stream Record Format 11-2
11-2 Loading Column Objects in Variable Record Format 11-3
11-3 Loading Nested Column Objects 11-3
11-4 Loading Column Objects with a Subtype 11-4
11-5 Specifying Attribute Nulls Using the NULLIF Clause 11-5
11-6 Loading Data Using Filler Fields 11-6
11-7 Loading a Column Object with Constructors That Match 11-7
11-8 Loading a Column Object with Constructors That Do Not Match 11-8
xxxvii
11-9 Using SQL to Load Column Objects When Constructors Do Not Match 11-9
11-10 Loading an Object Table with Primary Key OIDs 11-10
11-11 Loading OIDs 11-11
11-12 Loading an Object Table with a Subtype 11-12
11-13 Loading System-Generated REF Columns 11-14
11-14 Loading Primary Key REF Columns 11-15
11-15 Loading LOB Data in Predetermined Size Fields 11-18
11-16 Loading LOB Data in Delimited Fields 11-19
11-17 Loading LOB Data in Length-Value Pair Fields 11-20
11-18 Loading LOB DATA with One LOB per LOBFILE 11-22
11-19 Loading LOB Data Using Predetermined Size LOBs 11-23
11-20 Loading LOB Data Using Delimited LOBs 11-24
11-21 Loading LOB Data Using Length-Value Pair Specified LOBs 11-25
11-22 Example Specification of an LLS Clause 11-27
11-23 Loading Data Using BFILEs: Only File Name Specified Dynamically 11-28
11-24 Loading Data Using BFILEs: File Name and Directory Specified Dynamically 11-28
11-25 Loading a VARRAY and a Nested Table 11-30
11-26 Loading a Parent Table with User-Provided SIDs 11-32
11-27 Loading a Child Table with User-Provided SIDs 11-33
12-1 Setting the Date Format in the SQL*Loader Control File 12-4
12-2 Setting an NLS_DATE_FORMAT Environment Variable 12-4
14-1 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver 14-2
14-2 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver 14-3
14-3 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver 14-3
14-4 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver 14-3
17-1 Setting Multiple Access Parameters for ORACLE_HDFS 17-3
17-2 Setting Multiple Access Parameters for ORACLE_HIVE 17-4
18-1 Using ORACLE_LOADER to Create a Partitioned External Table 18-2
18-2 Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables 18-4
18-3 Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables 18-7
18-4 Using the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables 18-9
18-5 Loading LOBs From External Tables 18-13
18-6 Loading Data From CSV Files With No Access Parameters 18-14
18-7 Default Date Mask For the Session Does Not Match the Format of Data Fields in the
Data File 18-15
18-8 Data is Split Across Two Data Files 18-16
18-9 Data Is Split Across Two Files and Only the First File Has a Row of Field Names 18-17
xxxviii
18-10 The Order of the Fields in the File Match the Order of the Columns in the Table 18-18
18-11 Not All Fields in the Data File Use Default Settings for the Access Parameters 18-19
23-1 Using the DBMS_METADATA Programmatic Interface to Retrieve Data 23-5
23-2 Using the DBMS_METADATA Browsing Interface to Retrieve Data 23-6
23-3 Retrieving Multiple Objects 23-6
23-4 Placing Conditions on Transforms 23-7
23-5 Modifying an XML Document 23-8
23-6 Using Parse Items to Access Specific Metadata Attributes 23-9
23-7 Using the Submit Interface to Re-Create a Retrieved Object 23-12
23-8 Retrieving Heterogeneous Object Types 23-14
23-9 Filtering the Return of Heterogeneous Object Types 23-15
23-10 Comparing Object Metadata 23-17
xxxix
List of Figures
7-1 SQL*Loader Overview 7-2
10-1 Example of Field Conversion 10-42
10-2 Relative Positioning After a Fixed Field 10-45
10-3 Relative Positioning After a Delimited Field 10-45
10-4 Relative Positioning After Enclosure Delimiters 10-46
10-5 Fields Terminated by Whitespace 10-46
10-6 Fields Terminated by Optional Enclosure Delimiters 10-47
22-1 Sample LogMiner Database Configuration 22-3
22-2 Decision Tree for Choosing a LogMiner Dictionary 22-9
xl
List of Tables
1-1 Data Pump Exit Codes 1-24
2-1 Supported Activities in Data Pump Export's Interactive-Command Mode 2-65
3-1 Supported Activities in Data Pump Import's Interactive-Command Mode 3-76
4-1 How Data Pump Export Handles Original Export Parameters 4-2
4-2 How Data Pump Import Handles Original Import Parameters 4-5
6-1 Valid Job States in Which DBMS_DATAPUMP Procedures Can Be Executed 6-3
7-1 Case Studies and Their Related Files 7-19
8-1 Exit Codes for SQL*Loader 8-34
9-1 Parameters for the INFILE Keyword 9-11
9-2 Parameters for the CONTINUEIF Clause 9-32
9-3 Fixed-Length Fields 9-52
9-4 Nongraphic Fields 9-52
9-5 Graphic Fields 9-53
9-6 Variable-Length Fields 9-53
10-1 Parameters for the Position Specification Clause 10-3
10-2 Data Type Conversions for Datetime and Interval Data Types 10-23
10-3 Parameters Used for Specifying Delimiters 10-24
10-4 Parameters for the Field Condition Clause 10-31
10-5 Behavior Summary for Trimming Whitespace 10-42
10-6 Parameters Used for Column Specification 10-57
17-1 Special Characters in Properties 17-2
17-2 Variables for com.oracle.bigdata.log.exec 17-11
17-3 Variables for com.oracle.bigdata.log.qc 17-12
18-1 Where to Find Examples of Using External Tables 18-1
19-1 ADRCI Command Line Parameters for Batch Operation 19-6
19-2 List of ADRCI commands 19-16
19-3 IPS Command Set 19-20
19-4 Arguments of IPS ADD command 19-22
19-5 Arguments of IPS CREATE PACKAGE command 19-26
19-6 Arguments of IPS PACK command 19-30
19-7 Arguments of IPS REMOVE command 19-33
19-8 IPS Configuration Parameters 19-36
19-9 Flags for the PURGE command 19-40
19-10 Flags for the SELECT command 19-42
19-11 ADRCI Utility Functions for the SELECT Command 19-44
xli
19-12 Flags for the SHOW ALERT command 19-54
19-13 Alert Fields for SHOW ALERT 19-55
19-14 Fields for Health Monitor Runs 19-58
19-15 Flags for SHOW INCIDENT command 19-61
19-16 Incident Fields for SHOW INCIDENT 19-62
19-17 Flags for SHOW LOG command 19-65
19-18 Log Fields for SHOW LOG 19-65
19-19 Flags for SHOW PROBLEM command 19-66
19-20 Problem Fields for SHOW PROBLEM 19-67
19-21 Arguments for SHOW TRACEFILE Command 19-68
19-22 Flags for SHOW TRACEFILE Command 19-69
21-1 Parameters for the DBNEWID Utility 21-9
23-1 DBMS_METADATA Procedures Used for Retrieving Multiple Objects 23-30
23-2 DBMS_METADATA Procedures Used for the Browsing Interface 23-31
23-3 DBMS_METADATA Procedures and Functions for Submitting XML Data 23-31
23-4 DBMS_METADATA_DIFF Procedures and Functions 23-32
24-1 Objects Exported in Each Mode 24-6
24-2 Sequence of Events During Updates by Two Users 24-12
24-3 Maximum Size for Dump Files 24-14
24-4 Exit Codes for Export 24-31
24-5 Using Different Releases of Export and Import 24-43
25-1 Privileges Required to Import Objects into Your Own Schema 25-3
25-2 Privileges Required to Import Grants 25-4
25-3 Objects Imported in Each Mode 25-11
25-4 Exit Codes for Import 25-35
25-5 Using Different Releases of Export and Import 25-59
B-1 Instant Client Files in the Tools Package B-3
xlii
Preface
This document describes how to use Oracle Database utilities for data transfer, data
maintenance, and database administration.
• Audience
• Documentation Accessibility
• Related Documentation
• Syntax Diagrams
• Conventions
Audience
The utilities described in this book are intended for database administrators (DBAs),
application programmers, security administrators, system operators, and other Oracle
users who perform the following tasks:
• Archive data, back up an Oracle database, or move data between Oracle
databases using the Export and Import utilities (both the original versions and the
Data Pump versions)
• Load data into Oracle tables from operating system files using SQL*Loader, or
from external sources using the external tables feature
• Perform a physical data structure integrity check on an offline database, using the
DBVERIFY utility
• Maintain the internal database identifier (DBID) and the database name
(DBNAME) for an operational database, using the DBNEWID utility
• Extract and manipulate complete representations of the metadata for database
objects, using the Metadata API
• Query and analyze redo log files (through a SQL interface), using the LogMiner
utility
• Use the Automatic Diagnostic Repository Command Interpreter (ADRCI) utility to
manage Oracle Database diagnostic data.
To use this manual, you need a working knowledge of SQL and of Oracle
fundamentals. You can find such information in Oracle Database Concepts. In
addition, to use SQL*Loader, you must know how to use the file management facilities
of your operating system.
Documentation Accessibility
xliii
Preface
For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle

Accessibility Program website at http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?
ctx=acc&id=docacc.
Access to Oracle Support

Oracle customers that have purchased support have access to electronic support
through My Oracle Support. For information, visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/
lookup?ctx=acc&id=info or visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=trs
if you are hearing impaired.
Related Documentation
For more information, see these Oracle resources:
The Oracle Database documentation set, especially:
• Oracle Database Concepts
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference
Some of the examples in this book use the sample schemas of the seed database,
which is installed by default when you install Oracle Database. Refer to Oracle
Database Sample Schemas for information about how these schemas were created
and how you can use them yourself.
Syntax Diagrams
Syntax descriptions are provided in this book for various SQL, PL/SQL, or other
command-line constructs in graphic form or Backus Naur Form (BNF). See Oracle
Database SQL Language Reference for information about how to interpret these
descriptions.
Conventions
The following text conventions are used in this document:
Convention Meaning
boldface Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated
with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.
italic Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for
which you supply particular values.
monospace Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code
in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.
xliv
Changes in This Release for Oracle
Database Utilities
This preface lists changes in Oracle Database Utilities for Oracle Database 12c.
• Changes in Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1)
Changes in Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1)

This topic lists changes in Oracle Database Utilities for Oracle Database 12c Release
2 (12.2.0.1).
Oracle Data Pump Export and Import

• The Data Pump Import PARALLEL parameter has been extended to include
metadata during import operations. See Loading and Unloading of Data and also
the Import PARALLEL parameter.
• The Data Pump Export PARALLEL parameter has been extended to include
metadata during export operations. See Loading and Unloading of Data .
• You can now use wild cards when specifying file names on the Data Pump Import
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter. See TRANSPORT_DATAFILES.
• A new Data Pump import REMAP_DIRECTORY parameter lets you remap directories
when you move databases between platforms. See REMAP_DIRECTORY.
• A new TRUST_EXISTING_TABLE_PARTITIONS flag on the Data Pump Import
DATA_OPTIONS parameter enables data from multiple partitions to be loaded in
parallel into a pre-existing table, which reduces the import time. See
DATA_OPTIONS.
• A new VALIDATE_TABLE_DATA flag on the Data Pump Import DATA_OPTIONS parameter
verifies the format number and date data types in table data columns. See the
Import DATA_OPTIONS parameter.
• A new ENABLE_NETWORK_COMPRESSION option (for direct-path network imports only) on
the Data Pump DATA_OPTIONS parameter tells Data Pump to compress data before
sending it over the network. See the Import DATA_OPTIONS parameters.
• The DIRECT_PATH option on the Import ACCESS_METHOD parameter is now available for
network imports. See ACCESS_METHOD.
• A new GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA flag on the Data Pump Export DATA_OPTIONS
parameter enables data for all partitions to be loaded at once and in parallel. This
can reduce the time to import the table data. See the Export DATA_OPTIONS
parameter.
• Encrypted columns are now supported during transportable tablespace exports.
See the Export TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES and the Import
xlv
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameters for more information about

transportable tablespace mode.
• A new VERIFY_STREAM_FORMAT choice on the Data Pump Export DATA_OPTIONS
parameter validates the format of a data stream before it is written to the Data
Pump dump file. See DATA_OPTIONS.
• It is now possible to export 128-byte identifiers and import them into databases
that support them.
• The DUMPFILE parameters for Data Pump Export and Import have new options
available for substitution variables. See the Export DUMPFILE parameter and the
Import DUMPFILE parameter.
• Oracle Data Pump Export and Oracle Data Pump Import support Data-Bound
Collation.
See Oracle Data Pump Behavior with Data-Bound Collation
• The length limit for most types of names has been increased to 128 bytes. The
Data Pump ENCRYPTION and JOB_NAME parameters support this new maximum. The
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter also supports it, with some restrictions. See
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD.
• Data Pump Export and Data Pump Import support the new big SCN size of 8
bytes. See the Export FLASHBACK_SCN and the Import FLASHBACK_SCN
parameters.
• The contents of the Data Pump Export PARFILE and Import PARFILE parameters are
now written to the Data Pump log file. See the Export PARFILE parameter and the
Import PARFILE parameter.
• Network imports now support LONG columns.
See NETWORK_LINK.
Oracle SQL*Loader
• A new SQL*Loader SDF_PREFIX parameter lets you specify a directory prefix which
will be added to file names of LOBFILEs and secondary data files (SDFs) that are
opened as part of a load operation. See SDF_PREFIX.
• A new SQL*Loader DEFAULTS parameter lets you control evaluation of default
expressions. See DEFAULTS.
• A new SQL*Loader DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT parameter instructs direct path loads to
wait for table locks before proceeding with the load. See
DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT.
• A new SQL*Loader EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL clause sets to NULL any LOB column for
which there is no data available. See EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL.
• A new SQL*Loader control file clause, DEFAULT EXPRESSION CACHE n , allows you to
specify how many default expressions are evaluated at a time by a direct path
load. See Specifying the Number of Default Expressions to Be Evaluated At One
Time.
• SQL*Loader now supports 128-byte identifiers. This allows for longer table and
column names and lets you load databases that use 128-byte identifiers.
• A new LLS clause is available for SQL*Loader control files which lets you indicate
that a field in the data file is a LOB location specifier (LLS) field. See Loading Data
Files that Contain LLS Fields.
xlvi
• In SQL*Loader express mode, the ENCLOSED_BY, OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY, and

TERMINATED_BY command-line parameters now accept strings as a value. See the
following parameter descriptions: ENCLOSED_BY,
OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY, and TERMINATED_BY.
Oracle External Tables

• You can now create partitioned external tables using the ORACLE_HDFS or
ORACLE_HIVE access drivers. See Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to
Create Partitioned External Tables and Using the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver to
Create Partitioned External Tables.
• A new XMLTAG clause for the ORACLE_LOADER access driver allows loading of
subdocuments from an XML document. See XMLTAG.
• The ORACLE_LOADER and ORACLE_DATAPUMP access drivers now support 128-byte
identifiers. This allows for longer table and column names and lets you load
databases that use 128-byte identifiers.
• A new LLS clause is available for ORACLE_LOADER access parameters which lets you
indicate that a field in the data file is a LOB location specifier (LLS) field. See LLS
Clause.
Oracle LogMiner
• LogMiner now captures changes for objects with long identifiers (128 bytes).
• The UTL_FILE_DIR initialization parameter is deprecated. It is still supported for
backward compatibility, but Oracle recommends that you instead use directory
objects. This deprecation affects extracting LogMiner dictionaries to flat files. See
Extracting the LogMiner Dictionary to a Flat File .
• LogMiner supports multitenant container databases (CDBs) that have pluggable
databases (PDBs) with different character sets. See Using LogMiner in a CDB.
DBMS_METADATA and DBMS_METADATA_DIFF PL/SQL Packages

• As an aide to using the DBMS_METADATA PL/SQL package, there are three new views
available that document valid Oracle-supplied transforms
(DBMS_METADATA_TRANSFORMS), parameters for each transform
(DBMS_METADATA_TRANSFORM_PARAMS), and valid parse items
(DBMS_METADATA_PARSE_ITEMS). See Overview of the DBMS_METADATA API.
xlvii
Part I
Oracle Data Pump
The topics discussed in this part include Data Pump Export, Data Pump Import, legacy
mode, performance, and the Data Pump API DBMS_DATAPUMP.
These topics are discussed:

• Overview of Oracle Data Pump
Oracle Data Pump technology enables very high-speed movement of data and
metadata from one database to another.
• Data Pump Export
The Oracle Data Pump Export utility is used to unload data and metadata into a
set of operating system files called a dump file set.
• Data Pump Import
The Oracle Data Pump Import utility is used to load an export dump file set into a
target database. You can also use it to perform a network import to load a target
database directly from a source database with no intervening files.
• Data Pump Legacy Mode
Data Pump legacy mode lets you use original Export and Import parameters on
the Data Pump Export and Data Pump Import command lines.
• Data Pump Performance
Reasons why the performance of Data Pump Export and Import is better than that
of original Export and Import, and specific steps you can take to enhance
performance of export and import operations.
• The Data Pump API
The Data Pump API, DBMS_DATAPUMP.
1
Overview of Oracle Data Pump
Oracle Data Pump technology enables very high-speed movement of data and
metadata from one database to another.
An understanding of the following topics can help you to successfully use Oracle Data
Pump to its fullest advantage:
• Data Pump Components
Oracle Data Pump is made up of three distinct components. They are the
command-line clients, expdp and impdp, the DBMS_DATAPUMP PL/SQL package (also
known as the Data Pump API), and the DBMS_METADATA PL/SQL package (also
known as the Metadata API).
• How Does Data Pump Move Data?
This the methods that Data Pump uses to move data in and out of databases, and
when each of the methods is used.
• Using Data Pump With CDBs
Data Pump can migrate all, or portions of, a database from a non-CDB into a PDB,
between PDBs within the same or different CDBs, and from a PDB into a non-
CDB.
• Required Roles for Data Pump Export and Import Operations
Many Data Pump Export and Import operations require the user to have the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role or the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role or both.
• What Happens During Execution of a Data Pump Job?

Data Pump jobs use a master table, a master process, and worker processes to
perform the work and keep track of progress.
• Monitoring Job Status
The Data Pump Export and Import client utilities can attach to a job in either
logging mode or interactive-command mode.
• File Allocation
Understanding how Data Pump allocates and handles files will help you to use
Export and Import to their fullest advantage.
• Exporting and Importing Between Different Database Releases
Data Pump can be used to migrate all or any portion of a database between
different releases of the database software.
• SecureFiles LOB Considerations
When you use Data Pump Export to export SecureFiles LOBs, the resulting
behavior depends on several things, including the value of the Export VERSION
parameter, whether ContentType is present, and whether the LOB is archived and
data is cached.
• Data Pump Exit Codes
Data Pump reports the results of export and import operations in a log file and in a
process exit code.
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Chapter 1
Data Pump Components
• Auditing Data Pump Jobs

Perform auditing on Data Pump jobs to monitor and record specific user database
actions.
• How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data?
This section describes factors that can affect successful completion of export and
import jobs that involve the timestamp data types TIMESTAMP WITH TIMEZONE and
TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIMEZONE.
• Character Set and Globalization Support Considerations

Globalization support behavior of Data Pump Export and Import.
• Oracle Data Pump Behavior with Data-Bound Collation
Oracle Data Pump supports data-bound collation (DBC).
1.1 Data Pump Components

Oracle Data Pump is made up of three distinct components. They are the command-
line clients, expdp and impdp, the DBMS_DATAPUMP PL/SQL package (also known as the
Data Pump API), and the DBMS_METADATA PL/SQL package (also known as the Metadata
API).
The Data Pump clients, expdp and impdp, start the Data Pump Export utility and Data
Pump Import utility, respectively.
The expdp and impdp clients use the procedures provided in the DBMS_DATAPUMP PL/SQL
package to execute export and import commands, using the parameters entered at the
command line. These parameters enable the exporting and importing of data and
metadata for a complete database or for subsets of a database.
When metadata is moved, Data Pump uses functionality provided by the DBMS_METADATA
PL/SQL package. The DBMS_METADATA package provides a centralized facility for the
extraction, manipulation, and re-creation of dictionary metadata.
The DBMS_DATAPUMP and DBMS_METADATA PL/SQL packages can be used independently of
the Data Pump clients.
Note:
All Data Pump Export and Import processing, including the reading and writing
of dump files, is done on the system (server) selected by the specified
database connect string. This means that for unprivileged users, the
database administrator (DBA) must create directory objects for the Data
Pump files that are read and written on that server file system. (For
security reasons, DBAs must ensure that only approved users are allowed
access to directory objects.) For privileged users, a default directory object is
available. See "Default Locations for Dump_ Log_ and SQL Files" for more
information about directory objects.
1-2
Chapter 1
How Does Data Pump Move Data?
See Also:
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for a description

of the DBMS_DATAPUMP and the DBMS_METADATA packages
• Oracle Database SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide for
information about guidelines to consider when creating directory objects
1.2 How Does Data Pump Move Data?

This the methods that Data Pump uses to move data in and out of databases, and
when each of the methods is used.
Note:
Data Pump does not load tables with disabled unique indexes. To load data
into the table, the indexes must be either dropped or reenabled.
• Using Data File Copying to Move Data

The fastest method of moving data is to copy the database data files to the target
database without interpreting or altering the data. With this method, Data Pump
Export is used to unload only structural information (metadata) into the dump file.
• Using Direct Path to Move Data
After data file copying, direct path is the fastest method of moving data. In this
method, the SQL layer of the database is bypassed and rows are moved to and
from the dump file with only minimal interpretation.
• Using External Tables to Move Data
When data file copying is not selected and the data cannot be moved using direct
path, the external tables mechanism is used.
• Using Conventional Path to Move Data
Where there are conflicting table attributes, Data Pump uses conventional path to
move data.
• Using Network Link Import to Move Data
When the Import NETWORK_LINK parameter is used to specify a network link for an
import operation, the direct path method is used by default.
1.2.1 Using Data File Copying to Move Data

database without interpreting or altering the data. With this method, Data Pump Export
is used to unload only structural information (metadata) into the dump file.
• The TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter is used to specify a transportable
tablespace export. Only metadata for the specified tablespaces is exported.
• The TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS parameter is supplied on a table mode export (specified
with the TABLES parameter) or a full mode export (specified with the FULL
1-3
Chapter 1
parameter) or a full mode network import (specified with the FULL and NETWORK_LINK
parameters).
When an export operation uses data file copying, the corresponding import job always
also uses data file copying. During the ensuing import operation, both the data files
and the export dump file must be loaded.
Note:
During transportable imports tablespaces are temporarily made read/write and
then set back to read-only. This is new behavior introduced as of Oracle
Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.2) to improve performance. However, you
should be aware that this behavior also causes the SCNs of the import job's
data files to change, which can cause issues during future transportable
imports of those files.
For example, if a transportable tablespace import fails at any point after the
tablespaces have been made read/write (even if they are now read-only again),
then the data files become corrupt. They cannot be recovered.
Since transportable jobs are not restartable, the failed job needs to be restarted
from the beginning. The corrupt datafiles must be deleted and fresh versions
must be copied to the target destination.
When transportable jobs are performed, it is best practice to keep a copy of the
data files on the source system until the import job has successfully completed
on the target system. If the import job should fail for some reason, you will still
have uncorrupted copies of the data files.
When data is moved by using data file copying, there are some limitations regarding
character set compatibility between the source and target databases.
If the source platform and the target platform are of different endianness, then you
must convert the data being transported so that it is in the format of the target platform.
You can use the DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER PL/SQL package or the RMAN CONVERT command to
convert the data.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference for information about

the RMAN CONVERT command
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for a description and example
(including how to convert the data) of transporting tablespaces between
databases
1.2.2 Using Direct Path to Move Data

After data file copying, direct path is the fastest method of moving data. In this method,
the SQL layer of the database is bypassed and rows are moved to and from the dump
file with only minimal interpretation.
1-4
Chapter 1
Data Pump automatically uses the direct path method for loading and unloading data
unless the structure of a table does not allow it. For example, if a table contains a
column of type BFILE, then direct path cannot be used to load that table and external
tables is used instead.
The following sections describe situations in which direct path cannot be used for
loading and unloading.
Situations in Which Direct Path Load Is Not Used

If any of the following conditions exist for a table, then Data Pump uses external tables
rather than direct path to load the data for that table:
• A domain index that is not a CONTEXT type index exists for a LOB column.
• A global index on multipartition tables exists during a single-partition load. This
includes object tables that are partitioned.
• A table is in a cluster.
• There is an active trigger on a preexisting table.
• Fine-grained access control is enabled in insert mode on a preexisting table.
• A table contains BFILE columns or columns of opaque types.
• A referential integrity constraint is present on a preexisting table.
• A table contains VARRAY columns with an embedded opaque type.
• The table has encrypted columns.
• The table into which data is being imported is a preexisting table and at least one
of the following conditions exists:
– There is an active trigger
– The table is partitioned
– Fine-grained access control is in insert mode
– A referential integrity constraint exists
– A unique index exists
• Supplemental logging is enabled and the table has at least one LOB column.
• The Data Pump command for the specified table used the QUERY, SAMPLE, or
REMAP_DATA parameter.
• A table contains a column (including a VARRAY column) with a TIMESTAMP WITH TIME
ZONE data type and the version of the time zone data file is different between the
export and import systems.
Situations in Which Direct Path Unload Is Not Used

If any of the following conditions exist for a table, then Data Pump uses external tables
rather than direct path to unload the data:
• Fine-grained access control for SELECT is enabled.
• The table is a queue table.
• The table contains one or more columns of type BFILE or opaque, or an object type
containing opaque columns.
• The table contains encrypted columns.
1-5
Chapter 1
• The table contains a column of an evolved type that needs upgrading.

• The Data Pump command for the specified table used the QUERY, SAMPLE, or
REMAP_DATA parameter.
• Prior to the unload operation, the table was altered to contain a column that is
NOT NULL and also has a default value specified.
1.2.3 Using External Tables to Move Data

When data file copying is not selected and the data cannot be moved using direct
path, the external tables mechanism is used.
The external tables mechanism creates an external table that maps to the dump file
data for the database table. The SQL engine is then used to move the data. If
possible, the APPEND hint is used on import to speed the copying of the data into the
database. The representation of data for direct path data and external table data is the
same in a dump file. Therefore, Data Pump might use the direct path mechanism at
export time, but use external tables when the data is imported into the target database.
Similarly, Data Pump might use external tables for the export, but use direct path for
the import.
In particular, Data Pump uses external tables in the following situations:
• Loading and unloading very large tables and partitions in situations where it is
advantageous to use parallel SQL capabilities
• Loading tables with global or domain indexes defined on them, including
partitioned object tables
• Loading tables with active triggers or clustered tables
• Loading and unloading tables with encrypted columns
• Loading tables with fine-grained access control enabled for inserts
• Loading a table not created by the import operation (the table exists before the
import starts)
Note:
When Data Pump uses external tables as the data access mechanism, it uses
the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver. However, it is important to understand that
the files that Data Pump creates when it uses external tables are not
compatible with files created when you manually create an external table using
the SQL CREATE TABLE ... ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL statement.
See Also:
• The ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver

• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about using the
APPEND hint
1-6
Chapter 1
1.2.4 Using Conventional Path to Move Data

Where there are conflicting table attributes, Data Pump uses conventional path to
move data.
In situations where there are conflicting table attributes, Data Pump is not able to load
data into a table using either direct path or external tables. In such cases, conventional
path is used, which can affect performance.
1.2.5 Using Network Link Import to Move Data

When the Import NETWORK_LINK parameter is used to specify a network link for an import
operation, the direct path method is used by default.
If direct path cannot be used (for example, because one of the columns is a BFILE),
then SQL is used to move the data using an INSERT SELECT statement. (Prior to Oracle
Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1), the default was to use the INSERT SELECT
statement.) The SELECT clause retrieves the data from the remote database over the
network link. The INSERT clause uses SQL to insert the data into the target database.
There are no dump files involved.
When the Export NETWORK_LINK parameter is used to specify a network link for an export
operation, the data from the remote database is written to dump files on the target
database. (Note that to export from a read-only database, the NETWORK_LINK parameter
is required.)
Because the link can identify a remotely networked database, the terms database link
and network link are used interchangeably.
Supported Link Types

The following types of database links are supported for use with Data Pump Export
and Import:
• Public fixed user
• Public connected user
• Public shared user (only when used by link owner)
• Private shared user (only when used by link owner)
• Private fixed user (only when used by link owner)
Unsupported Link Types

The following types of database links are not supported for use with Data Pump Export
and Import:
• Private connected user
• Current user
1-7
Chapter 1
Using Data Pump With CDBs
See Also:
• The Export NETWORK_LINK parameter for information about performing

exports over a database link
• The Import NETWORK_LINK parameter for information about performing
imports over a database link
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about creating
database links and the different types of links
1.3 Using Data Pump With CDBs

Data Pump can migrate all, or portions of, a database from a non-CDB into a PDB,
between PDBs within the same or different CDBs, and from a PDB into a non-CDB.
A multitenant container database (CDB) is an Oracle database that includes zero, one,
or many user-created pluggable databases (PDBs). A PDB is a portable set of
schemas, schema objects, and nonschema objects that appear to an Oracle Net client
as a non-CDB. A non-CDB is an Oracle database that is not a CDB.
You can use Data Pump to migrate all, or portions of, a database from a non-CDB into
a PDB, between PDBs within the same or different CDBs, and from a PDB into a non-
CDB. In general, using Data Pump with PDBs is identical to using Data Pump with a
non-CDB.
Note:
Data Pump does not support any CDB-wide operations. Data Pump issues the
following warning if you are connected to the root or seed database of a CDB:
ORA-39357: Warning: Oracle Data Pump operations are not typically needed when
connected to the root or seed of a container database.
• Using Data Pump to Move Databases Into a CDB

After you create an empty PDB in the CDB, you can use an Oracle Data Pump
full-mode export and import operation to move data into the PDB.
• Using Data Pump to Move PDBs Within Or Between CDBs
Data Pump export and import operations on PDBs are identical to those on non-
CDBs with the exception of how common users are handled.
1.3.1 Using Data Pump to Move Databases Into a CDB

After you create an empty PDB in the CDB, you can use an Oracle Data Pump full-
mode export and import operation to move data into the PDB.
The job can be performed with or without the transportable option. If you use the
transportable option on a full mode export or import, it is referred to as a full
transportable export/import.
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Chapter 1
Using Data Pump With CDBs
When the transportable option is used, export and import use both transportable
tablespace data movement and conventional data movement; the latter for those
tables that reside in non-transportable tablespaces such as SYSTEM and SYSAUX. Using
the transportable option can reduce the export time and especially, the import time,
because table data does not need to be unloaded and reloaded and index structures
in user tablespaces do not need to be re-created.
To specify a particular PDB for the export/import operation, on the Data Pump
command line supply a connect identifier in the connect string when you start Data
Pump. For example, to import data to a PDB named pdb1, you could enter the following
on the Data Pump command line:
impdp hr@pdb1 DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp TABLES=employees
Be aware of the following requirements when using Data Pump to move data into a
CDB:
• To administer a multitenant environment, you must have the CDB_DBA role.
• Full database exports from Oracle Database 11.2.0.2 and earlier may be imported
into Oracle Database 12c (CDB or non-CDB). However, Oracle recommends the
source database first be upgraded to Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.3 or
later) so that information about registered options and components is included in
the export.
• When migrating Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.3 or later) to a CDB (or to
a non-CDB) using either full database export or full transportable database export,
you must set the Data Pump Export parameter VERSION=12 in order to generate a
dump file that is ready for import into Oracle Database 12c. If you do not set
VERSION=12, then the export file that is generated will not contain complete
information about registered database options and components.
• Network-based full transportable imports require use of the FULL=YES,
TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS, and TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=datafile_name parameters. When
the source database is Oracle Database 11g release 11.2.0.3 or later, but earlier
than Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1), the VERSION=12 parameter is also
required.
• File-based full transportable imports only require use of the
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=datafile_name parameter. Data Pump Import infers the
presence of the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS and FULL=YES parameters.
• As of Oracle Database 12c release 2 (12.2), in a multitenant container database
(CDB) environment, the default Data Pump directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is
defined as a unique path for each PDB in the CDB, whether or not the PATH_PREFIX
clause of the CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement is defined for relative paths.
1.3.2 Using Data Pump to Move PDBs Within Or Between CDBs

Data Pump export and import operations on PDBs are identical to those on non-CDBs
with the exception of how common users are handled.
If you have created a common user in a CDB, then a full database or privileged
schema export of that user from within any PDB in the CDB results in a standard
CREATE USER C##common name DDL statement being performed upon import. The
statement will fail because of the common user prefix C## on the user name. The
following error message will be returned:
ORA-65094:invalid local user or role name
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Chapter 1
Required Roles for Data Pump Export and Import Operations
In the PDB being exported, if you have created local objects in that user's schema and
you want to import them, then either make sure a common user of the same name
already exists in the target CDB instance or use the Data Pump Import REMAP_SCHEMA
parameter on the impdp command, as follows:
REMAP_SCHEMA=C##common name:local user name
See Also:
• Oracle Database Concepts for more information about CDBs

• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about using Data
Pump to move a non-CDB into a CDB
• Oracle Database Security Guide for more information about privileges and
roles in CDBs and PDBs
• Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Exports
• Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Imports
• Network Considerations for more information about supplying a connect
identifier on the command line
1.4 Required Roles for Data Pump Export and Import

Operations
Many Data Pump Export and Import operations require the user to have the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role or the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role or both.
These roles are automatically defined for Oracle databases when you run the standard
scripts that are part of database creation. (Note that although the names of these roles
contain the word FULL, these roles actually apply to any privileged operations in any
export or import mode, not only Full mode.)
The DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role affects only export operations. The
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role affects import operations and operations that use the
Import SQLFILE parameter. These roles allow users performing exports and imports to
do the following:
• Perform the operation outside the scope of their schema
• Monitor jobs that were initiated by another user
• Export objects (such as tablespace definitions) and import objects (such as
directory definitions) that unprivileged users cannot reference
These are powerful roles. Database administrators should use caution when granting
these roles to users.
Although the SYS schema does not have either of these roles assigned to it, all security
checks performed by Data Pump that require these roles also grant access to the SYS
schema.
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Chapter 1
What Happens During Execution of a Data Pump Job?
Note:
If you receive an ORA-39181: Only Partial Data Exported Due to Fine Grain
Access Control error message, then see the My Oracle Support note 422480.1
at http://support.oracle.com for information about security during an export of
table data with fine-grained access control policies enabled.
See Also:
Oracle Database Security Guide for more information about predefined roles in
an Oracle Database installation
1.5 What Happens During Execution of a Data Pump Job?

Data Pump jobs use a master table, a master process, and worker processes to
perform the work and keep track of progress.
• Coordination of a Job
A master process is created to coordinate every Data Pump Export and Data
Pump Import job.
• Tracking Progress Within a Job
While the data and metadata are being transferred, a master table is used to track
the progress within a job.
• Filtering Data and Metadata During a Job
You can use the EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters to filter the types of objects that
are exported and imported.
• Transforming Metadata During a Job
Transformations on the metadata can be done using the Data Pump Import
parameters REMAP_DATAFILE, REMAP_SCHEMA, REMAP_TABLE,REMAP_TABLESPACE,
TRANSFORM, and PARTITION_OPTIONS.
• Maximizing Job Performance

Data Pump can employ multiple worker processes, running in parallel, to increase
job performance.
• Loading and Unloading of Data
The worker processes unload and load metadata and table data. For export, all
metadata and data are unloaded in parallel, with the exception of jobs that use
transportable tablespace. For import, objects must be created in the correct
dependency order.
1.5.1 Coordination of a Job

A master process is created to coordinate every Data Pump Export and Data Pump
Import job.
The master process controls the entire job, including communicating with the clients,
creating and controlling a pool of worker processes, and performing logging
operations.
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1.5.2 Tracking Progress Within a Job

While the data and metadata are being transferred, a master table is used to track the
progress within a job.
The master table is implemented as a user table within the database. The specific
function of the master table for export and import jobs is as follows:
• For export jobs, the master table records the location of database objects within a
dump file set. Export builds and maintains the master table for the duration of the
job. At the end of an export job, the content of the master table is written to a file in
the dump file set.
• For import jobs, the master table is loaded from the dump file set and is used to
control the sequence of operations for locating objects that need to be imported
into the target database.
The master table is created in the schema of the current user performing the export or
import operation. Therefore, that user must have the CREATE TABLE system privilege and
a sufficient tablespace quota for creation of the master table. The name of the master
table is the same as the name of the job that created it. Therefore, you cannot
explicitly give a Data Pump job the same name as a preexisting table or view.
For all operations, the information in the master table is used to restart a job. (Note
that transportable jobs are not restartable.)
The master table is either retained or dropped, depending on the circumstances, as
follows:
• Upon successful job completion, the master table is dropped. You can override
this by setting the Data Pump KEEP_MASTER=YES parameter for the job.
• The master table is automatically retained for jobs that do not complete
successfully.
• If a job is stopped using the STOP_JOB interactive command, then the master table
is retained for use in restarting the job.
• If a job is killed using the KILL_JOB interactive command, then the master table is
dropped and the job cannot be restarted.
• If a job terminates unexpectedly, then the master table is retained. You can delete
it if you do not intend to restart the job.
• If a job stops before it starts running (that is, before any database objects have
been copied), then the master table is dropped.
See Also:
JOB_NAME for more information about how job names are formed
1.5.3 Filtering Data and Metadata During a Job

You can use the EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters to filter the types of objects that are
exported and imported.
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Within the master table, specific objects are assigned attributes such as name or
owning schema. Objects also belong to a class of objects (such as TABLE, INDEX, or
DIRECTORY). The class of an object is called its object type. You can use the EXCLUDE and
INCLUDE parameters to restrict the types of objects that are exported and imported. The
objects can be based upon the name of the object or the name of the schema that
owns the object. You can also specify data-specific filters to restrict the rows that are
exported and imported.
See Also:
• Filtering During Export Operations

• Filtering During Import Operations
1.5.4 Transforming Metadata During a Job

Transformations on the metadata can be done using the Data Pump Import
parameters REMAP_DATAFILE, REMAP_SCHEMA, REMAP_TABLE,REMAP_TABLESPACE, TRANSFORM,
and PARTITION_OPTIONS.
When you are moving data from one database to another, it is often useful to perform
transformations on the metadata for remapping storage between tablespaces or
redefining the owner of a particular set of objects.
1.5.5 Maximizing Job Performance

Data Pump can employ multiple worker processes, running in parallel, to increase job
performance.
Use the PARALLEL parameter to set a degree of parallelism that takes maximum
advantage of current conditions. For example, to limit the effect of a job on a
production system, the database administrator (DBA) might want to restrict the
parallelism. The degree of parallelism can be reset at any time during a job. For
example, PARALLEL could be set to 2 during production hours to restrict a particular job
to only two degrees of parallelism, and during nonproduction hours it could be reset to
8. The parallelism setting is enforced by the master process, which allocates work to
be executed to worker processes that perform the data and metadata processing
within an operation. These worker processes operate in parallel. For recommendations
on setting the degree of parallelism, see the Export PARALLEL and Import PARALLEL
parameter descriptions.
Note:
The ability to adjust the degree of parallelism is available only in the Enterprise
Edition of Oracle Database.
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Monitoring Job Status
See Also:
• Using PARALLEL During An Export In An Oracle RAC Environment

• Using PARALLEL During An Import In An Oracle RAC Environment
1.5.6 Loading and Unloading of Data

The worker processes unload and load metadata and table data. For export, all
metadata and data are unloaded in parallel, with the exception of jobs that use
transportable tablespace. For import, objects must be created in the correct
dependency order.
If there are enough objects of the same type to make use of multiple workers, then the
objects will be imported by multiple worker processes. Some metadata objects have
interdependencies which require one worker process to create them serially to satisfy
those dependencies. Worker processes are created as needed until the number of
worker processes equals the value supplied for the PARALLEL command-line parameter.
The number of active worker processes can be reset throughout the life of a job.
Worker processes can be started on different nodes in an Oracle Real Application
Clusters (Oracle RAC) environment.
Note:
The value of PARALLEL is restricted to 1 in the Standard Edition of Oracle
Database.
When a worker process is assigned the task of loading or unloading a very large table
or partition, it may choose to use the external tables access method to make maximum
use of parallel execution. In such a case, the worker process becomes a parallel
execution coordinator. The actual loading and unloading work is divided among some
number of parallel I/O execution processes (sometimes called slaves) allocated from a
pool of available processes in an Oracle RAC environment.
See Also:
• The Export PARALLEL parameter

• The Import PARALLEL parameter
1.6 Monitoring Job Status

The Data Pump Export and Import client utilities can attach to a job in either logging
mode or interactive-command mode.
In logging mode, real-time detailed status about the job is automatically displayed
during job execution. The information displayed can include the job and parameter
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descriptions, an estimate of the amount of data to be processed, a description of the

current operation or item being processed, files used during the job, any errors
encountered, and the final job state (Stopped or Completed).
In interactive-command mode, job status can be displayed on request. The information
displayed can include the job description and state, a description of the current
operation or item being processed, files being written, and a cumulative status.
A log file can also be optionally written during the execution of a job. The log file
summarizes the progress of the job, lists any errors that were encountered during
execution of the job, and records the completion status of the job.
An alternative way to determine job status or to get other information about Data Pump
jobs, would be to query the DBA_DATAPUMP_JOBS, USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS, or
DBA_DATAPUMP_SESSIONS views. See Oracle Database Reference for descriptions of
these views.
• Monitoring the Progress of Executing Jobs

Data Pump operations that transfer table data (export and import) maintain an
entry in the V$SESSION_LONGOPS dynamic performance view indicating the job
progress (in megabytes of table data transferred). The entry contains the
estimated transfer size and is periodically updated to reflect the actual amount of
data transferred.
See Also:
• The Export STATUS parameter for information about changing the

frequency of the status display in command-line Export
• The Import STATUS parameter for information about changing the
frequency of the status display in command-line Import
• The interactive Export STATUS command
• The interactive Import STATUS command
• The Export LOGFILE parameter for information on how to set the file
specification for an export log file
• The Import LOGFILE parameter for information on how to set the file
specification for a import log file
1.6.1 Monitoring the Progress of Executing Jobs

Data Pump operations that transfer table data (export and import) maintain an entry in
the V$SESSION_LONGOPS dynamic performance view indicating the job progress (in
megabytes of table data transferred). The entry contains the estimated transfer size
and is periodically updated to reflect the actual amount of data transferred.
Use of the COMPRESSION, ENCRYPTION, ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM, ENCRYPTION_MODE,
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD, QUERY, and REMAP_DATA parameters are not reflected in the
determination of estimate values.
The usefulness of the estimate value for export operations depends on the type of
estimation requested when the operation was initiated, and it is updated as required if
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exceeded by the actual transfer amount. The estimate value for import operations is
exact.
The V$SESSION_LONGOPS columns that are relevant to a Data Pump job are as follows:
• USERNAME - job owner
• OPNAME - job name
• TARGET_DESC - job operation
• SOFAR - megabytes transferred thus far during the job
• TOTALWORK - estimated number of megabytes in the job
• UNITS - megabytes (MB)
• MESSAGE - a formatted status message of the form:
'job_name: operation_name : nnn out of mmm MB done'
1.7 File Allocation

Understanding how Data Pump allocates and handles files will help you to use Export
and Import to their fullest advantage.
Data Pump jobs manage the following types of files:
• Dump files to contain the data and metadata that is being moved.
• Log files to record the messages associated with an operation.
• SQL files to record the output of a SQLFILE operation. A SQLFILE operation is
started using the Data Pump Import SQLFILE parameter and results in all the SQL
DDL that Import would be executing based on other parameters, being written to a
SQL file.
• Files specified by the DATA_FILES parameter during a transportable import.
Note:
If your Data Pump job generates errors related to Network File Storage (NFS),
then consult the installation guide for your platform to determine the correct
NFS mount settings.
• Specifying Files and Adding Additional Dump Files

For export operations, you can specify dump files at the time the job is defined,
and also at a later time during the operation.
• Default Locations for Dump, Log, and SQL Files
Data Pump is server-based rather than client-based. Dump files, log files, and
SQL files are accessed relative to server-based directory paths.
• Using Substitution Variables
Instead of, or in addition to, listing specific file names, you can use the DUMPFILE
parameter during export operations to specify multiple dump files, by using a
substitution variable in the file name. This is called a dump file template.
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1.7.1 Specifying Files and Adding Additional Dump Files

For export operations, you can specify dump files at the time the job is defined, and
also at a later time during the operation.
If you discover that space is running low during an export operation, then you can add
additional dump files by using the Data Pump Export ADD_FILE command in interactive
mode.
For import operations, all dump files must be specified at the time the job is defined.
Log files and SQL files overwrite previously existing files. For dump files, you can use
the Export REUSE_DUMPFILES parameter to specify whether to overwrite a preexisting
dump file.
1.7.2 Default Locations for Dump, Log, and SQL Files

Data Pump is server-based rather than client-based. Dump files, log files, and SQL
files are accessed relative to server-based directory paths.
Data Pump requires that directory paths be specified as directory objects. A directory
object maps a name to a directory path on the file system. DBAs must ensure that only
approved users are allowed access to the directory object associated with the
directory path.
The following example shows a SQL statement that creates a directory object named
dpump_dir1 that is mapped to a directory located at /usr/apps/datafiles.
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY dpump_dir1 AS '/usr/apps/datafiles';
The reason that a directory object is required is to ensure data security and integrity.
For example:
• If you were allowed to specify a directory path location for an input file, then you
might be able to read data that the server has access to, but to which you should
not.
• If you were allowed to specify a directory path location for an output file, then the
server might overwrite a file that you might not normally have privileges to delete.
On UNIX and Windows operating systems, a default directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is
created at database creation or whenever the database dictionary is upgraded. By
default, it is available only to privileged users. (The user SYSTEM has read and write
access to the DATA_PUMP_DIR directory, by default.) The definition of the DATA_PUMP_DIR
directory may be changed by Oracle during upgrades or when patches are applied.
If you are not a privileged user, then before you can run Data Pump Export or Data
Pump Import, a directory object must be created by a database administrator (DBA) or
by any user with the CREATE ANY DIRECTORY privilege.
After a directory is created, the user creating the directory object must grant READ or
WRITE permission on the directory to other users. For example, to allow the Oracle
database to read and write files on behalf of user hr in the directory named by
dpump_dir1, the DBA must execute the following command:
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY dpump_dir1 TO hr;
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Note that READ or WRITE permission to a directory object only means that the Oracle
database can read or write files in the corresponding directory on your behalf. You are
not given direct access to those files outside of the Oracle database unless you have
the appropriate operating system privileges. Similarly, the Oracle database requires
permission from the operating system to read and write files in the directories.
Data Pump Export and Import use the following order of precedence to determine a
file's location:
1. If a directory object is specified as part of the file specification, then the location
specified by that directory object is used. (The directory object must be separated
from the file name by a colon.)
2. If a directory object is not specified as part of the file specification, then the
directory object named by the DIRECTORY parameter is used.
3. If a directory object is not specified as part of the file specification, and if no
directory object is named by the DIRECTORY parameter, then the value of the
environment variable, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is used. This environment variable is defined
using operating system commands on the client system where the Data Pump
Export and Import utilities are run. The value assigned to this client-based
environment variable must be the name of a server-based directory object, which
must first be created on the server system by a DBA. For example, the following
SQL statement creates a directory object on the server system. The name of the
directory object is DUMP_FILES1, and it is located at '/usr/apps/dumpfiles1'.
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY DUMP_FILES1 AS '/usr/apps/dumpfiles1';
Then, a user on a UNIX-based client system using csh can assign the value
DUMP_FILES1 to the environment variable DATA_PUMP_DIR. The DIRECTORY parameter
can then be omitted from the command line. The dump file employees.dmp, and the
log file export.log, are written to '/usr/apps/dumpfiles1'.
%setenv DATA_PUMP_DIR DUMP_FILES1
%expdp hr TABLES=employees DUMPFILE=employees.dmp
4. If none of the previous three conditions yields a directory object and you are a
privileged user, then Data Pump attempts to use the value of the default server-
based directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR. This directory object is automatically
created at database creation or when the database dictionary is upgraded. You
can use the following SQL query to see the path definition for DATA_PUMP_DIR:
SQL> SELECT directory_name, directory_path FROM dba_directories
2 WHERE directory_name='DATA_PUMP_DIR';
If you are not a privileged user, then access to the DATA_PUMP_DIR directory object
must have previously been granted to you by a DBA.
Do not confuse the default DATA_PUMP_DIR directory object with the client-based
environment variable of the same name.
• Oracle RAC Considerations
Considerations to keep in mind when working in an Oracle RAC environment.
• Using Directory Objects When Oracle Automatic Storage Management Is Enabled
You can use Data Pump Export or Import with Oracle Automatic Storage
Management (Oracle ASM) enabled. You must define the directory object used for
the dump file so that the Oracle ASM disk group name is used (instead of an
operating system directory path).
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• The DATA_PUMP_DIR Directory Object and Pluggable Databases

The default Data Pump directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is defined as a unique path
for each PDB in the CDB.
1.7.2.1 Oracle RAC Considerations

Considerations to keep in mind when working in an Oracle RAC environment.
• To use Data Pump or external tables in an Oracle RAC configuration, you must
ensure that the directory object path is on a cluster-wide file system.
The directory object must point to shared physical storage that is visible to, and
accessible from, all instances where Data Pump and/or external tables processes
may run.
• The default Data Pump behavior is that worker processes can run on any instance
in an Oracle RAC configuration. Therefore, workers on those Oracle RAC
instances must have physical access to the location defined by the directory
object, such as shared storage media. If the configuration does not have shared
storage for this purpose, but you still require parallelism, then you can use the
CLUSTER=NO parameter to constrain all worker processes to the instance where the
Data Pump job was started.
• Under certain circumstances, Data Pump uses parallel query slaves to load or
unload data. In an Oracle RAC environment, Data Pump does not control where
these slaves run, and they may run on other instances in the Oracle RAC,
regardless of what is specified for CLUSTER and SERVICE_NAME for the Data Pump job.
Controls for parallel query operations are independent of Data Pump. When
parallel query slaves run on other instances as part of a Data Pump job, they also
require access to the physical storage of the dump file set.
1.7.2.2 Using Directory Objects When Oracle Automatic Storage Management

Is Enabled
You can use Data Pump Export or Import with Oracle Automatic Storage Management
(Oracle ASM) enabled. You must define the directory object used for the dump file so
that the Oracle ASM disk group name is used (instead of an operating system
directory path).
A separate directory object, which points to an operating system directory path, should
be used for the log file. For example, you would create a directory object for the Oracle
ASM dump file as follows:
SQL> CREATE or REPLACE DIRECTORY dpump_dir as '+DATAFILES/';
Then you would create a separate directory object for the log file:
SQL> CREATE or REPLACE DIRECTORY dpump_log as '/homedir/user1/';
To enable user hr to have access to these directory objects, you would assign the
necessary privileges, for example:
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY dpump_dir TO hr;
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY dpump_log TO hr;
You would then use the following Data Pump Export command (you will be prompted
for a password):
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> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir DUMPFILE=hr.dmp LOGFILE=dpump_log:hr.log
Note:
If you simply want to copy Data Pump dump files between ASM and disk
directories, you can use the DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER PL/SQL package.
See Also:
• The Export DIRECTORY parameter

• The Import DIRECTORY parameter
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about the
CREATE DIRECTORY command
• Oracle Automatic Storage Management Administrator's Guide for more

information about Oracle ASM
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for more
information about the DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER PL/SQL package
1.7.2.3 The DATA_PUMP_DIR Directory Object and Pluggable Databases

The default Data Pump directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is defined as a unique path for
each PDB in the CDB.
As of Oracle Database 12c release 2 (12.2), in a multitenant container database (CDB)
environment, the default Data Pump directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is defined as a
unique path for each PDB in the CDB, whether or not the PATH_PREFIX clause of the
CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE statement is defined for relative paths.
1.7.3 Using Substitution Variables

Instead of, or in addition to, listing specific file names, you can use the DUMPFILE
parameter during export operations to specify multiple dump files, by using a
substitution variable in the file name. This is called a dump file template.
Note:
This section uses %U to explain how Data Pump uses substitution variables.
For information about other available substitution variables, see the Data Pump
Export DUMPFILE parameter and the Data Pump Import DUMPFILE
parameter.
New dump files are created as they are needed. For example, if you are using the
substitution variable %U, then new dump files are created as needed beginning with 01
for %U, then using 02, 03, and so on. Enough dump files are created to allow all
processes specified by the current setting of the PARALLEL parameter to be active. If
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Exporting and Importing Between Different Database Releases
one of the dump files becomes full because its size has reached the maximum size
specified by the FILESIZE parameter, then it is closed and a new dump file (with a new
generated name) is created to take its place.
If multiple dump file templates are provided, they are used to generate dump files in a
round-robin fashion. For example, if expa%U, expb%U, and expc%U were all specified for a
job having a parallelism of 6, then the initial dump files created would be expa01.dmp,
expb01.dmp, expc01.dmp, expa02.dmp, expb02.dmp, and expc02.dmp.
For import and SQLFILE operations, if dump file specifications expa%U, expb%U, and
expc%U are specified, then the operation begins by attempting to open the dump files
expa01.dmp, expb01.dmp, and expc01.dmp. It is possible for the master table to span
multiple dump files, so until all pieces of the master table are found, dump files
continue to be opened by incrementing the substitution variable and looking up the
new file names (for example, expa02.dmp, expb02.dmp, and expc02.dmp). If a dump file
does not exist, then the operation stops incrementing the substitution variable for the
dump file specification that was in error. For example, if expb01.dmp and expb02.dmp are
found but expb03.dmp is not found, then no more files are searched for using the expb%U
specification. Once the entire master table is found, it is used to determine whether all
dump files in the dump file set have been located.
1.8 Exporting and Importing Between Different Database

Releases
Data Pump can be used to migrate all or any portion of a database between different
releases of the database software.
The Data Pump Export VERSION parameter is typically used to do this. This will
generate a Data Pump dump file set compatible with the specified version.
The default value for VERSION is COMPATIBLE, indicating that exported database object
definitions will be compatible with the release specified for the COMPATIBLE initialization
parameter.
In an upgrade situation, when the target release of a Data Pump-based migration is
higher than the source, the VERSION parameter typically does not have to be specified
because all objects in the source database will be compatible with the higher target
release. An exception is when an entire Oracle Database 11g (release 11.2.0.3 or
higher) is exported in preparation for importing into Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1.0.1) or later. In this case, explicitly specify VERSION=12 in conjunction with FULL=YES
in order to include a complete set of Oracle internal component metadata.
In a downgrade situation, when the target release of a Data Pump-based migration is
lower than the source, the VERSION parameter should be explicitly specified to be the
same version as the target. An exception is when the target release version is the
same as the value of the COMPATIBLE initialization parameter on the source system; then
VERSION does not need to be specified. In general however, Data Pump import cannot
read dump file sets created by an Oracle release that is newer than the current release
unless the VERSION parameter is explicitly specified.
Keep the following information in mind when you are exporting and importing between
different database releases:
• On a Data Pump export, if you specify a database version that is older than the
current database version, then a dump file set is created that you can import into
that older version of the database. For example, if you are running Oracle
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Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.2) and specify VERSION=11.2 on an export, then

the dump file set that is created can be imported into an Oracle 11.2 database.
Note:
Note the following about importing into earlier releases:
– Database privileges that are valid only in Oracle Database 12c Release
1 (12.1.0.2) and later (for example, the READ privilege on tables, views,
materialized views, and synonyms) cannot be imported into Oracle
Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1) or earlier. If an attempt is made to
do so, then Import reports it as an error and continues the import
operation.
– When you export to a release earlier than Oracle Database 12c
Release 2 (12.2.0.1), Data Pump does not filter out object names
longer than 30 bytes. The objects are exported and at import time, an
error is returned if you attempt to create an object with a name longer
than 30 bytes.
• If you specify a database release that is older than the current database release,
then certain features and data types may be unavailable. For example, specifying
VERSION=10.1 causes an error if data compression is also specified for the job
because compression was not supported in Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1).
Another example would be if a user-defined type or Oracle-supplied type in the
source database is a later version than the type in the target database, then it will
not be loaded because it does not match any version of the type in the target
database.
• Data Pump Import can always read Data Pump dump file sets created by older
releases of the database.
• When operating across a network link, Data Pump requires that the source and
target databases differ by no more than two versions. For example, if one
database is Oracle Database 12c, then the other database must be 12c, 11g, or
10g. Note that Data Pump checks only the major version number (for example,
10g,11g, 12c), not specific release numbers (for example, 12.2, 12.1, 11.1, 11.2,
10.1, or 10.2).
• Importing Oracle Database 11g dump files that contain table statistics into Oracle
Database 12c Release 1 (12.1) or later may result in an Oracle ORA-39346 error.
This is because Oracle Database 11g dump files contain table statistics as
metadata, whereas Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1) and later expect table
statistics to be presented as table data. The workaround is to ignore the error and
after the import operation completes, regather table statistics.
See Also:
• The Export VERSION parameter

• The Import VERSION parameter
• Oracle Database Security Guide for more information about the READ and
READ ANY TABLE privileges
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SecureFiles LOB Considerations
1.9 SecureFiles LOB Considerations

When you use Data Pump Export to export SecureFiles LOBs, the resulting behavior
depends on several things, including the value of the Export VERSION parameter,
whether ContentType is present, and whether the LOB is archived and data is cached.
The following scenarios cover different combinations of these variables:
• If a table contains SecureFiles LOBs with ContentType and the Export VERSION
parameter is set to a value earlier than 11.2.0.0.0, then the ContentType is not
exported.
• If a table contains SecureFiles LOBs with ContentType and the Export VERSION
parameter is set to a value of 11.2.0.0.0 or later, then the ContentType is exported
and restored on a subsequent import.
• If a table contains a SecureFiles LOB that is currently archived and the data is
cached, and the Export VERSION parameter is set to a value earlier than 11.2.0.0.0,
then the SecureFiles LOB data is exported and the archive metadata is dropped.
In this scenario, if VERSION is set to 11.1 or later, then the SecureFiles LOB
becomes a vanilla SecureFiles LOB. But if VERSION is set to a value earlier than
11.1, then the SecureFiles LOB becomes a BasicFiles LOB.
• If a table contains a SecureFiles LOB that is currently archived but the data is not
cached, and the Export VERSION parameter is set to a value earlier than 11.2.0.0.0,
then an ORA-45001 error is returned.
• If a table contains a SecureFiles LOB that is currently archived and the data is
cached, and the Export VERSION parameter is set to a value of 11.2.0.0.0 or later,
then both the cached data and the archive metadata is exported.
See Also:
Oracle Database SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide for more
information about SecureFiles
1.10 Data Pump Exit Codes

Data Pump reports the results of export and import operations in a log file and in a
process exit code.
Oracle Data Pump provides the results of export and import operations immediately
upon completion. In addition to recording the results in a log file, Data Pump may also
report the outcome in a process exit code. This allows you to check the outcome of a
Data Pump job from the command line or a script.
Table 1-1 describes the Data Pump exit codes for Linux, Unix, and Windows operating
systems.
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Table 1-1 Data Pump Exit Codes
Exit Code Meaning

EX_SUCC 0 The export or import job completed successfully. No errors are displayed to the
output device or recorded in the log file, if there is one.
EX_SUCC_ERR 5 The export or import job completed successfully but there were errors
encountered during the job. The errors are displayed to the output device and
recorded in the log file, if there is one.
EX_FAIL 1 The export or import job encountered one or more fatal errors, including the
following:
• Errors on the command line or in command syntax
• Oracle database errors from which export or import cannot recover
• Operating system errors (such as malloc)
• Invalid parameter values that prevent the job from starting (for example, an
invalid directory object specified in the DIRECTORY parameter)
A fatal error is displayed to the output device but may not be recorded in the log
file. Whether it is recorded in the log file can depend on several factors, including:
• Was a log file specified at the start of the job?
• Did the processing of the job proceed far enough for a log file to be opened?
1.11 Auditing Data Pump Jobs

Perform auditing on Data Pump jobs to monitor and record specific user database
actions.
You can perform auditing on Data Pump jobs to monitor and record specific user
database actions. Data Pump uses unified auditing, in which all audit records are
centralized in one place.
To set up unified auditing you create a unified audit policy or alter an existing policy.
An audit policy is a named group of audit settings that enable you to audit a particular
aspect of user behavior in the database. To create the policy, use the SQL CREATE
AUDIT POLICY statement.
After creating the audit policy, use the AUDIT and NOAUDIT SQL statements to,
respectively, enable and disable the policy.
See Also:
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more information about the
SQL CREATE AUDIT POLICY,ALTER AUDIT POLICY, AUDIT, and NOAUDIT
statements
• Oracle Database Security Guide for more information about using auditing
in an Oracle database
1-24
Chapter 1
How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data?
1.12 How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data?

Note:
The information in this section applies only to Oracle Data Pump running on
Oracle Database 12c and later.
• TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE Restrictions

Export and import jobs that have TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data are restricted.
• TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE Restrictions
Moving tables using a transportable mode is restricted.
1.12.1 TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE Restrictions

Export and import jobs that have TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data are restricted.
Successful job completion can depend on:

• The version of the Oracle Database time zone files on the source and target
databases.
• The export/import mode and whether the Data Pump version being used supports
TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data. (Data Pump 11.2.0.1 and later provide support for
TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data.)
To identify the time zone file version of a database, you can execute the following SQL
statement:
SQL> SELECT VERSION FROM V$TIMEZONE_FILE;
• Time Zone File Versions on the Source and Target

Successful job completion can depend on whether the source and target time
zone file versions match.
• Data Pump Support for TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE Data
Data Pump supports TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data during different export and
import modes like non-transportable mode, transportable tablespace and
transportable table mode, and full transportable mode.
See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for more information about time
zone files
1-25
Chapter 1
How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data?
1.12.1.1 Time Zone File Versions on the Source and Target

Successful job completion can depend on whether the source and target time zone file
versions match.
• If the Oracle Database time zone file version is the same on the source and target
databases, then conversion of TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data is not necessary.
The export/import job should complete successfully.
The exception to this is a transportable tablespace or transportable table export
performed using a Data Pump release earlier than 11.2.0.1. In that case, tables in
the dump file that have TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE columns are not created on
import even though the time zone file version is the same on the source and
target.
• If the source time zone file version is not available on the target database, then the
job fails. The version of the time zone file on the source may not be available on
the target because the source may have had its time zone file updated to a later
version but the target has not. For example, if the export is done on Oracle
Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.2) with a time zone file version of 17, and the
import is done on 11.2.0.2 with only a time zone file of 16 available, then the job
fails.
1.12.1.2 Data Pump Support for TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE Data
Data Pump supports TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data during different export and import
modes like non-transportable mode, transportable tablespace and transportable table
mode, and full transportable mode.
This section describes Data Pump support for TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data during
different export and import modes when versions of the Oracle Database time zone file
are different on the source and target databases.
Non-transportable Modes
• If the dump file is created with a Data Pump version that supports TIMESTAMP WITH
TIME ZONE data (11.2.0.1 or later), then the time zone file version of the export
system is recorded in the dump file. Data Pump uses that information to determine
whether data conversion is necessary. If the target database knows about the
source time zone version, but is actually using a later version, then the data is
converted to the later version. TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data cannot be
downgraded, so if you attempt to import to a target that is using an earlier version
of the time zone file than the source used, the import fails.
• If the dump file is created with a Data Pump version prior to Oracle Database 11g
release 2 (11.2.0.1), then TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data is not supported, so no
conversion is done and corruption may occur.
Transportable Tablespace and Transportable Table Modes

• In transportable tablespace and transportable table modes, if the source and
target have different time zone file versions, then tables with TIMESTAMP WITH TIME
ZONE columns are not created. A warning is displayed at the beginning of the job
showing the source and target database time zone file versions. A message is
also displayed for each table not created. This is true even if the Data Pump
1-26
Chapter 1
Character Set and Globalization Support Considerations
version used to create the dump file supports TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data.
(Release 11.2.0.1 and later support TIMESTAMP WITH TIMEZONE data.)
• If the source is earlier than Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.1), then the
time zone file version must be the same on the source and target database for all
transportable jobs regardless of whether the transportable set uses TIMESTAMP WITH
TIME ZONE columns.
Full Transportable Mode

Full transportable exports and imports are supported when the source database is at
least Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.3) and the target is Oracle Database 12c
release 1 (12.1) or later.
Data Pump 11.2.0.1 and later provide support for TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data.
Therefore, in full transportable operations, tables with TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE
columns are created. If the source and target database have different time zone file
versions, then TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE columns from the source are converted to the
time zone file version of the target.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about

transportable tablespaces
• Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Exports for more
information about full transportable exports
• Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Imports for more
information about full transportable imports
1.12.2 TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE Restrictions

Moving tables using a transportable mode is restricted.
If a table is moved using a transportable mode (transportable table, transportable
tablespace, or full transportable), and the following conditions exist, then a warning is
issued and the table is not created:
• The source and target databases have different database time zones.
• The table contains TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE data types.
To successfully move a table that was not created because of these conditions, use a
non-transportable export and import mode.
1.13 Character Set and Globalization Support

Considerations
Globalization support behavior of Data Pump Export and Import.
The following sections describe the globalization support behavior of Data Pump
Export and Import with respect to character set conversion of user data and data
definition language (DDL).
1-27
Chapter 1
• Data Definition Language (DDL)

The Export utility writes dump files using the database character set of the export
system.
• Single-Byte Character Sets and Export and Import
Ensure that the export database and the import database use the same character
set.
• Multibyte Character Sets and Export and Import
During character set conversion, any characters in the export file that have no
equivalent in the import database character set are replaced with a default
character. The import database character set defines the default character.
1.13.1 Data Definition Language (DDL)

The Export utility writes dump files using the database character set of the export
system.
When the dump file is imported, a character set conversion is required for DDL only if
the database character set of the import system is different from the database
character set of the export system.
To minimize data loss due to character set conversions, ensure that the import
database character set is a superset of the export database character set.
1.13.2 Single-Byte Character Sets and Export and Import

Ensure that the export database and the import database use the same character set.
If the system on which the import occurs uses a 7-bit character set, and you import an
8-bit character set dump file, then some 8-bit characters may be converted to 7-bit
equivalents. An indication that this has happened is when accented characters lose
the accent mark.
To avoid this unwanted conversion, ensure that the export database and the import
database use the same character set.
1.13.3 Multibyte Character Sets and Export and Import

equivalent in the import database character set are replaced with a default character.
The import database character set defines the default character.
If the import system has to use replacement characters while converting DDL, then a
warning message is displayed and the system attempts to load the converted DDL.
If the import system has to use replacement characters while converting user data,
then the default behavior is to load the converted data. However, it is possible to
instruct the import system to reject rows of user data that were converted using
replacement characters. See the Import DATA_OPTIONS parameter for details.
To guarantee 100% conversion, the import database character set must be a superset
(or equivalent) of the character set used to generate the export file.
1-28
Chapter 1
Oracle Data Pump Behavior with Data-Bound Collation
Caution:
When the database character set of the export system differs from that of the
import system, the import system displays informational messages at the start
of the job that show what the database character set is.
When the import database character set is not a superset of the character set
used to generate the export file, the import system displays a warning that
possible data loss may occur due to character set conversions.
1.14 Oracle Data Pump Behavior with Data-Bound Collation

Oracle Data Pump supports data-bound collation (DBC).
Data Pump Export always includes all available collation metadata into the created
dump file. This includes:
• Current default collations of exported users' schemas
• Current default collations of exported tables, views, materialized views and
PL/SQL units (including user-defined types)
• Declared collations of all table and cluster character data type columns
When importing a dump file exported from an Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2)
database, Data Pump Import's behavior depends on the effective value of the Data
Pump VERSION parameter at the time of import and on whether the data-bound collation
(DBC) feature is enabled in the target database. The effective value of the VERSION
parameter is determined by how it is specified. The parameter may be specified as
follows:
• VERSION=n, which means the effective value is the specific version number n, for
example, VERSION=12.2
• VERSION=LATEST, which means the effective value is the currently running database
version
• VERSION=COMPATIBLE, which means the effective value is the same as the value of
the database initialization parameter COMPATIBLE. This is also true if no value is
specified for VERSION.
For the DBC feature to be enabled in a database, the initialization parameter
COMPATIBLE must be set to 12.2 or higher and the initialization parameter
MAX_STRING_SIZE must be set to EXTENDED.
If the effective value of the Data Pump Import VERSION parameter is 12.2 and DBC is
enabled in the target database, then Data Pump Import generates DDL statements
with collation clauses referencing collation metadata from the dump file. Exported
objects are created with the original collation metadata that they had in the source
database.
No collation syntax is generated if DBC is disabled or if the Data Pump Import VERSION
parameter is set to a value lower than 12.2.
1-29
2
Data Pump Export
The Oracle Data Pump Export utility is used to unload data and metadata into a set of
operating system files called a dump file set.
• What Is Data Pump Export?
Data Pump Export (hereinafter referred to as Export for ease of reading) is a utility
for unloading data and metadata into a set of operating system files called a dump
file set.
• Invoking Data Pump Export
The Data Pump Export utility is started using the expdp command.
• Filtering During Export Operations
Data Pump Export provides data and metadata filtering capability.
• Parameters Available in Export's Command-Line Mode
This section describes the parameters available in the command-line mode of
Data Pump Export.
• Commands Available in Export's Interactive-Command Mode
In interactive-command mode, the current job continues running, but logging to the
terminal is suspended and the Export prompt (Export>) is displayed.
• Examples of Using Data Pump Export
These sections provides examples of using Data Pump Export.
• Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Export
This section provides syntax diagrams for Data Pump Export.
2.1 What Is Data Pump Export?

Data Pump Export (hereinafter referred to as Export for ease of reading) is a utility for
unloading data and metadata into a set of operating system files called a dump file set.
The dump file set can be imported only by the Data Pump Import utility. The dump file
set can be imported on the same system or it can be moved to another system and
loaded there.
The dump file set is made up of one or more disk files that contain table data,
database object metadata, and control information. The files are written in a
proprietary, binary format. During an import operation, the Data Pump Import utility
uses these files to locate each database object in the dump file set.
Because the dump files are written by the server, rather than by the client, the
database administrator (DBA) must create directory objects that define the server
locations to which files are written.
Data Pump Export enables you to specify that a job should move a subset of the data
and metadata, as determined by the export mode. This is done using data filters and
metadata filters, which are specified through Export parameters.
2-1
Chapter 2
Invoking Data Pump Export
See Also:
• Default Locations for Dump_ Log_ and SQL Files for more information
about directory objects.
• Filtering During Export Operations for more information about using filters.
• Examples of Using Data Pump Export for examples of the various ways in
which you can use Data Pump Export.
2.2 Invoking Data Pump Export

The Data Pump Export utility is started using the expdp command.
The characteristics of the export operation are determined by the Export parameters
that you specify. These parameters can be specified either on the command line or in
a parameter file.
Note:
Do not start Export as SYSDBA, except at the request of Oracle technical
support. SYSDBA is used internally and has specialized functions; its behavior is
not the same as for general users.
• Data Pump Export Interfaces

You can interact with Data Pump Export by using a command line, a parameter
file, or an interactive-command mode.
• Data Pump Export Modes
Export provides different modes for unloading different portions of the database.
• Network Considerations
You can specify a connect identifier in the connect string when you start the Data
Pump Export utility. This identifier can specify a database instance that is different
from the current instance identified by the current Oracle System ID (SID).
2.2.1 Data Pump Export Interfaces

You can interact with Data Pump Export by using a command line, a parameter file, or
an interactive-command mode.
• Command-Line Interface: Enables you to specify most of the Export parameters
directly on the command line. For a complete description of the parameters
available in the command-line interface.
• Parameter File Interface: Enables you to specify command-line parameters in a
parameter file. The only exception is the PARFILE parameter, because parameter
files cannot be nested. The use of parameter files is recommended if you are
using parameters whose values require quotation marks.
• Interactive-Command Interface: Stops logging to the terminal and displays the
Export prompt, from which you can enter various commands, some of which are
2-2
Chapter 2
specific to interactive-command mode. This mode is enabled by pressing Ctrl+C

during an export operation started with the command-line interface or the
parameter file interface. Interactive-command mode is also enabled when you
attach to an executing or stopped job.
Related Topics
• Parameters Available in Export's Command-Line Mode
Data Pump Export.
• Commands Available in Export's Interactive-Command Mode
2.2.2 Data Pump Export Modes

Export provides different modes for unloading different portions of the database.
The mode is specified on the command line, using the appropriate parameter. The
available modes are described in the following sections:
Note:
Several system schemas cannot be exported because they are not user
schemas; they contain Oracle-managed data and metadata. Examples of
system schemas that are not exported include SYS, ORDSYS, and MDSYS.
• Full Mode
A full database export is specified using the FULL parameter.
• Schema Mode
A schema export is specified using the SCHEMAS parameter. This is the default
export mode.
• Table Mode
A table mode export is specified using the TABLES parameter.
• Tablespace Mode
A tablespace export is specified using the TABLESPACES parameter.
• Transportable Tablespace Mode
A transportable tablespace export is specified using the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
parameter.
Related Topics
See Also:
Examples of Using Data Pump Export
2-3
Chapter 2
2.2.2.1 Full Mode

A full database export is specified using the FULL parameter.
In a full database export, the entire database is unloaded. This mode requires that you
have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Exports

If you specify the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS parameter along with the FULL parameter, then
Data Pump performs a full transportable export. A full transportable export exports all
objects and data necessary to create a complete copy of the database. A mix of data
movement methods is used:
• Objects residing in transportable tablespaces have only their metadata unloaded
into the dump file set; the data itself is moved when you copy the data files to the
target database. The data files that must be copied are listed at the end of the log
file for the export operation.
• Objects residing in non-transportable tablespaces (for example, SYSTEM and SYSAUX)
have both their metadata and data unloaded into the dump file set, using direct
path unload and external tables.
Performing a full transportable export has the following restrictions:
• The user performing a full transportable export requires the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE privilege.
• The default tablespace of the user performing the export must not be set to one of
the tablespaces being transported.
• If the database being exported contains either encrypted tablespaces or tables
with encrypted columns (either Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) columns or
SecureFiles LOB columns), then the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter must also be
supplied.
• The source and target databases must be on platforms with the same endianness
if there are encrypted tablespaces in the source database.
• If the source platform and the target platform are of different endianness, then you
must convert the data being transported so that it is in the format of the target
platform. You can use the DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER package or the RMAN CONVERT
command to convert the data.
• A full transportable export is not restartable.
• All objects with storage that are selected for export must have all of their storage
segments either entirely within administrative, non-transportable tablespaces
(SYSTEM / SYSAUX) or entirely within user-defined, transportable tablespaces. Storage
for a single object cannot straddle the two kinds of tablespaces.
• When transporting a database over the network using full transportable export,
auditing cannot be enabled for tables stored in an administrative tablespace (such
as SYSTEM and SYSAUX) if the audit trail information itself is stored in a user-defined
tablespace.
• If both the source and target databases are running Oracle Database 12c, then to
perform a full transportable export, either the Data Pump VERSION parameter must
be set to at least 12.0. or the COMPATIBLE database initialization parameter must be
set to at least 12.0 or later.
2-4
Chapter 2
Full transportable exports are supported from a source database running release
11.2.0.3. To do so, set the Data Pump VERSION parameter to at least 12.0 as shown in
the following example:
> expdp user_name FULL=y DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp DIRECTORY=data_pump_dir
TRANSPORTABLE=always VERSION=12.0 LOGFILE=export.log
Related Topics
• FULL
• TRANSPORTABLE
See Also:
• Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference for information about

the RMAN CONVERT command
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for an example of performing a full
transportable export
2.2.2.2 Schema Mode

A schema export is specified using the SCHEMAS parameter. This is the default export
mode.
If you have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role, then you can specify a list of
schemas, optionally including the schema definitions themselves and also system
privilege grants to those schemas. If you do not have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE
role, then you can export only your own schema.
The SYS schema cannot be used as a source schema for export jobs.
Cross-schema references are not exported unless the referenced schema is also
specified in the list of schemas to be exported. For example, a trigger defined on a
table within one of the specified schemas, but that resides in a schema not explicitly
specified, is not exported. This is also true for external type definitions upon which
tables in the specified schemas depend. In such a case, it is expected that the type
definitions already exist in the target instance at import time.
Related Topics
• SCHEMAS
See Also:
SCHEMAS for a description of the Export SCHEMAS parameter
2.2.2.3 Table Mode

A table mode export is specified using the TABLES parameter.
2-5
Chapter 2
In table mode, only a specified set of tables, partitions, and their dependent objects
are unloaded. Any object required to create the table, such as the owning schema, or
types for columns, must already exist.
If you specify the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS parameter with the TABLES parameter, then only
object metadata is unloaded. To move the actual data, you copy the data files to the
target database. This results in quicker export times. If you are moving data files
between releases or platforms, then the data files may need to be processed by
Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN).
You must have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role to specify tables that are not in
your own schema. Note that type definitions for columns are not exported in table
mode. It is expected that the type definitions already exist in the target instance at
import time. Also, as in schema exports, cross-schema references are not exported.
To recover tables and table partitions, you can also use RMAN backups and the
RMAN RECOVER TABLE command. During this process, RMAN creates (and optionally
imports) a Data Pump export dump file that contains the recovered objects.
Related Topics
• TABLES
• TRANSPORTABLE
See Also:
Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide for more information on
transporting data across platforms
2.2.2.4 Tablespace Mode

A tablespace export is specified using the TABLESPACES parameter.
In tablespace mode, only the tables contained in a specified set of tablespaces are
unloaded. If a table is unloaded, then its dependent objects are also unloaded. Both
object metadata and data are unloaded. In tablespace mode, if any part of a table
resides in the specified set, then that table and all of its dependent objects are
exported. Privileged users get all tables. Unprivileged users get only the tables in their
own schemas.
Related Topics
• TABLESPACES
See Also:
• "TABLESPACES" for a description of the Export TABLESPACES parameter
2-6
Chapter 2
2.2.2.5 Transportable Tablespace Mode

A transportable tablespace export is specified using the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
parameter.
In transportable tablespace mode, only the metadata for the tables (and their
dependent objects) within a specified set of tablespaces is exported. The tablespace
data files are copied in a separate operation. Then, a transportable tablespace import
is performed to import the dump file containing the metadata and to specify the data
files to use.
Transportable tablespace mode requires that the specified tables be completely self-
contained. That is, all storage segments of all tables (and their indexes) defined within
the tablespace set must also be contained within the set. If there are self-containment
violations, then Export identifies all of the problems without actually performing the
export.
Type definitions for columns of tables in the specified tablespaces are exported and
imported. The schemas owning those types must be present in the target instance.
Transportable tablespace exports cannot be restarted once stopped. Also, they cannot
have a degree of parallelism greater than 1.
Note:
You cannot export transportable tablespaces and then import them into a
database at a lower release level. The target database must be at the same or
later release level as the source database.
Related Topics
See Also:
• How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data? for information about
special considerations concerning timestamp data when using
transportable tablespace mode
2.2.3 Network Considerations

Pump Export utility. This identifier can specify a database instance that is different
from the current instance identified by the current Oracle System ID (SID).
The connect identifier can be an Oracle*Net connect descriptor or a net service name
(usually defined in the tnsnames.ora file) that maps to a connect descriptor. Use of a
2-7
Chapter 2
Filtering During Export Operations
connect identifier requires that you have Oracle Net Listener running (to start the
default listener, enter lsnrctl start). The following is an example of this type of
connection, in which inst1 is the connect identifier:
expdp hr@inst1 DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp TABLES=employees
Export then prompts you for a password:

Password: password
The local Export client connects to the database instance defined by the connect
identifier inst1 (a net service name), retrieves data from inst1, and writes it to the
dump file hr.dmp on inst1.
Specifying a connect identifier when you start the Export utility is different from
performing an export operation using the NETWORK_LINK parameter. When you start an
export operation and specify a connect identifier, the local Export client connects to the
database instance identified by the connect identifier, retrieves data from that
database instance, and writes it to a dump file set on that database instance.
Whereas, when you perform an export using the NETWORK_LINK parameter, the export is
performed using a database link. (A database link is a connection between two
physical database servers that allows a client to access them as one logical
database.)
Related Topics
• NETWORK_LINK
See Also:

database links
• Oracle Database Net Services Administrator's Guide for more information
about connect identifiers and Oracle Net Listener
2.3 Filtering During Export Operations

Data Pump Export provides data and metadata filtering capability.
This capability helps you limit the type of information that is exported.
• Data Filters
Data-specific filtering is implemented through the QUERY and SAMPLE parameters,
which specify restrictions on the table rows that are to be exported.
• Metadata Filters
Metadata filtering is implemented through the EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters.
The EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters are mutually exclusive.
2.3.1 Data Filters

Data-specific filtering is implemented through the QUERY and SAMPLE parameters, which
specify restrictions on the table rows that are to be exported.
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Filtering During Export Operations
Data filtering can also occur indirectly because of metadata filtering, which can include
or exclude table objects along with any associated row data.
Each data filter can be specified once per table within a job. If different filters using the
same name are applied to both a particular table and to the whole job, then the filter
parameter supplied for the specific table takes precedence.
2.3.2 Metadata Filters

Metadata filtering is implemented through the EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters. The
EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters are mutually exclusive.
Metadata filters identify a set of objects to be included or excluded from an Export or

Import operation. For example, you could request a full export, but without Package
Specifications or Package Bodies.
To use filters correctly and to get the results you expect, remember that dependent
objects of an identified object are processed along with the identified object. For
example, if a filter specifies that an index is to be included in an operation, then
statistics from that index will also be included. Likewise, if a table is excluded by a
filter, then indexes, constraints, grants, and triggers upon the table will also be
excluded by the filter.
If multiple filters are specified for an object type, then an implicit AND operation is
applied to them. That is, objects pertaining to the job must pass all of the filters applied
to their object types.
The same metadata filter name can be specified multiple times within a job.
To see a list of valid object types, query the following views: DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS
for full mode, SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS for schema mode, and TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for
table and tablespace mode. The values listed in the OBJECT_PATH column are the valid
object types. For example, you could perform the following query:
SQL> SELECT OBJECT_PATH, COMMENTS FROM SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS
2 WHERE OBJECT_PATH LIKE '%GRANT' AND OBJECT_PATH NOT LIKE '%/%';
The output of this query looks similar to the following:

OBJECT_PATH
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRANT
Object grants on the selected tables
OBJECT_GRANT
Object grants on the selected tables
PROCDEPOBJ_GRANT
Grants on instance procedural objects
PROCOBJ_GRANT
Schema procedural object grants in the selected schemas
ROLE_GRANT
Role grants to users associated with the selected schemas
SYSTEM_GRANT
System privileges granted to users associated with the selected schemas
2-9
Chapter 2
Parameters Available in Export's Command-Line Mode
Related Topics
• EXCLUDE
• INCLUDE
Related Topics
• EXCLUDE
• INCLUDE
See Also:
"EXCLUDE" and "INCLUDE"
2.4 Parameters Available in Export's Command-Line Mode

This section describes the parameters available in the command-line mode of Data
Pump Export.
Be sure to read the following sections before using the Export parameters.
Many of the parameter descriptions include an example of how to use the parameter.
Specifying Export Parameters

For parameters that can have multiple values specified, the values can be separated
by commas or by spaces. For example, you could specify TABLES=employees,jobs or
TABLES=employees jobs.
For every parameter you enter, you must enter an equal sign (=) and a value. Data
Pump has no other way of knowing that the previous parameter specification is
complete and a new parameter specification is beginning. For example, in the
following command line, even though NOLOGFILE is a valid parameter, it would be
interpreted as another dumpfile name for the DUMPFILE parameter:
expdp DIRECTORY=dpumpdir DUMPFILE=test.dmp NOLOGFILE TABLES=employees
This would result in two dump files being created, test.dmp and nologfile.dmp.
To avoid this, specify either NOLOGFILE=YES or NOLOGFILE=NO.
Case Sensitivity When Specifying Parameter Values

For tablespace names, schema names, table names, and so on that you enter as
parameter values, Oracle Data Pump by default changes values entered as lowercase
or mixed-case into uppercase. For example, if you enter TABLE=hr.employees, then it is
changed to TABLE=HR.EMPLOYEES. To maintain case, you must enclose the value within
quotation marks. For example, TABLE="hr.employees" would preserve the table name in
all lower case. The name you enter must exactly match the name stored in the
database.
Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line

Some operating systems treat quotation marks as special characters and will therefore
not pass them to an application unless they are preceded by an escape character,
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such as the backslash (\). This is true both on the command line and within parameter
files. Some operating systems may require an additional set of single or double
quotation marks on the command line around the entire parameter value containing
the special characters.
The following examples are provided to illustrate these concepts. Be aware that they
may not apply to your particular operating system and that this documentation cannot
anticipate the operating environments unique to each user.
Suppose you specify the TABLES parameter in a parameter file, as follows:
TABLES = \"MixedCaseTableName\"
If you were to specify that on the command line, some operating systems would
require that it be surrounded by single quotation marks, as follows:
TABLES = '\"MixedCaseTableName\"'
To avoid having to supply additional quotation marks on the command line, Oracle
recommends the use of parameter files. Also, note that if you use a parameter file and
the parameter value being specified does not have quotation marks as the first
character in the string (for example, TABLES=scott."EmP"), then the use of escape
characters may not be necessary on some systems.
Using the Export Parameter Examples

If you try running the examples that are provided for each parameter, be aware of the
following:
• After you enter the username and parameters as shown in the example, Export is
started and you are prompted for a password. You must enter the password
before a database connection is made.
• Most of the examples use the sample schemas of the seed database, which is
installed by default when you install Oracle Database. In particular, the human
resources (hr) schema is often used.
• The examples assume that the directory objects, dpump_dir1 and dpump_dir2,
already exist and that READ and WRITE privileges have been granted to the hr user
for these directory objects.
• Some of the examples require the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE and
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE roles. The examples assume that the hr user has been
granted these roles.
If necessary, ask your DBA for help in creating these directory objects and assigning
the necessary privileges and roles.
Unless specifically noted, these parameters can also be specified in a parameter file.
• ABORT_STEP
• ACCESS_METHOD
• ATTACH
• CLUSTER
• COMPRESSION
• COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM
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• CONTENT
• DATA_OPTIONS
• DIRECTORY
• DUMPFILE
• ENCRYPTION
• ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM
• ENCRYPTION_MODE
• ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
• ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT
• ESTIMATE
• ESTIMATE_ONLY
• EXCLUDE
• FILESIZE
• FLASHBACK_SCN
• FLASHBACK_TIME
• FULL
• HELP
• INCLUDE
• JOB_NAME
• KEEP_MASTER
• LOGFILE
• LOGTIME
• METRICS
• NETWORK_LINK
• NOLOGFILE
• PARALLEL
• PARFILE
• QUERY
• REMAP_DATA
• REUSE_DUMPFILES
• SAMPLE
• SCHEMAS
• SERVICE_NAME
• SOURCE_EDITION
• STATUS
• TABLES
• TABLESPACES
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• TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK
• TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
• TRANSPORTABLE
• VERSION
• VIEWS_AS_TABLES
Related Topics
• PARFILE
• Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Export
See Also:
• Oracle Database Sample Schemas

• Your Oracle operating system-specific documentation for information about
how special and reserved characters are handled on your system
2.4.1 ABORT_STEP
Default: Null
Purpose
Used to stop the job after it is initialized. This allows the master table to be queried
before any data is exported.
Syntax and Description

ABORT_STEP=[n | -1]
The possible values correspond to a process order number in the master table. The
result of using each number is as follows:
• n: If the value is zero or greater, then the export operation is started and the job is
aborted at the object that is stored in the master table with the corresponding
process order number.
• -1: If the value is negative one (-1) then abort the job after setting it up, but before
exporting any objects or data.
Restrictions
• None
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Example
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp SCHEMAS=hr ABORT_STEP=-1
2.4.2 ACCESS_METHOD
Default: AUTOMATIC
Purpose
Instructs Export to use a particular method to unload data.

ACCESS_METHOD=[AUTOMATIC | DIRECT_PATH | EXTERNAL_TABLE | INSERT_AS_SELECT]
The ACCESS_METHOD parameter is provided so that you can try an alternative method if
the default method does not work for some reason. All methods can be specified for a
network export. If the data for a table cannot be unloaded with the specified access
method, then the data displays an error for the table and continues with the next work
item.
The available options are as follows:
• AUTOMATIC — Data Pump determines the best way to unload data for each table.
Oracle recommends that you use AUTOMATIC whenever possible because it allows
Data Pump to automatically select the most efficient method.
• DIRECT_PATH — Data Pump uses direct path unload for every table.
• EXTERNAL_TABLE — Data Pump uses a SQL CREATE TABLE AS SELECT statement to

create an external table using data that is stored in the dump file. The SELECT
clause reads from the table to be unloaded.
• INSERT_AS_SELECT — Data Pump executes a SQL INSERT AS SELECT statement to
unload data from a remote database. This option is only available for network
mode exports.
Restrictions
• To use the ACCESS_METHOD parameter with network exports, you must be using
Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1) or later.
Example
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp SCHEMAS=hr
ACCESS_METHOD=EXTERNAL_TABLE
2.4.3 ATTACH
Default: job currently in the user's schema, if there is only one
Purpose
Attaches the client session to an existing export job and automatically places you in
the interactive-command interface. Export displays a description of the job to which
you are attached and also displays the Export prompt.
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ATTACH [=[schema_name.]job_name]
The schema_name is optional. To specify a schema other than your own, you must have
the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
The job_name is optional if only one export job is associated with your schema and the
job is active. To attach to a stopped job, you must supply the job name. To see a list of
Data Pump job names, you can query the DBA_DATAPUMP_JOBS view or the
USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS view.
When you are attached to the job, Export displays a description of the job and then
displays the Export prompt.
Restrictions
• When you specify the ATTACH parameter, the only other Data Pump parameter you
can specify on the command line is ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD.
• If the job you are attaching to was initially started using an encryption password,
then when you attach to the job you must again enter the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
parameter on the command line to re-specify that password. The only exception to
this is if the job was initially started with the ENCRYPTION=ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY
parameter. In that case, the encryption password is not needed when attaching to
the job.
• You cannot attach to a job in another schema unless it is already running.
• If the dump file set or master table for the job have been deleted, then the attach
operation will fail.
• Altering the master table in any way will lead to unpredictable results.
Example
The following is an example of using the ATTACH parameter. It assumes that the job,
hr.export_job, already exists.
> expdp hr ATTACH=hr.export_job
See Also:
"Commands Available in Export's Interactive-Command Mode"
2.4.4 CLUSTER
Default: YES
Purpose
Determines whether Data Pump can use Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle
RAC) resources and start workers on other Oracle RAC instances.
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CLUSTER=[YES | NO]
To force Data Pump Export to use only the instance where the job is started and to
replicate pre-Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2) behavior, specify CLUSTER=NO.
To specify a specific, existing service and constrain worker processes to run only on
instances defined for that service, use the SERVICE_NAME parameter with the
CLUSTER=YES parameter.
Use of the CLUSTER parameter may affect performance because there is some
additional overhead in distributing the export job across Oracle RAC instances. For
small jobs, it may be better to specify CLUSTER=NO to constrain the job to run on the
instance where it is started. Jobs whose performance benefits the most from using the
CLUSTER parameter are those involving large amounts of data.
Example
The following is an example of using the CLUSTER parameter:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_clus%U.dmp CLUSTER=NO PARALLEL=3
This example starts a schema-mode export (the default) of the hr schema. Because
CLUSTER=NO is specified, the job uses only the instance on which it started. (If the
CLUSTER parameter had not been specified at all, then the default value of Y would have
been used and workers would have been started on other instances in the Oracle
RAC, if necessary.) The dump files will be written to the location specified for the
dpump_dir1 directory object. The job can have up to 3 parallel processes.
See Also:
• "SERVICE_NAME"
• "Oracle RAC Considerations"
2.4.5 COMPRESSION
Default: METADATA_ONLY
Purpose
Specifies which data to compress before writing to the dump file set.

COMPRESSION=[ALL | DATA_ONLY | METADATA_ONLY | NONE]
• ALL enables compression for the entire export operation. The ALL option requires
that the Oracle Advanced Compression option be enabled.
• DATA_ONLY results in all data being written to the dump file in compressed format.
The DATA_ONLY option requires that the Oracle Advanced Compression option be
enabled.
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• METADATA_ONLY results in all metadata being written to the dump file in compressed
format. This is the default.
• NONE disables compression for the entire export operation.
Restrictions
• To make full use of all these compression options, the COMPATIBLE initialization
parameter must be set to at least 11.0.0.
• The METADATA_ONLY option can be used even if the COMPATIBLE initialization
parameter is set to 10.2.
• Compression of data using ALL or DATA_ONLY is valid only in the Enterprise Edition
of Oracle Database 11g or later, and they require that the Oracle Advanced
Compression option be enabled.
Example
The following is an example of using the COMPRESSION parameter:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_comp.dmp COMPRESSION=METADATA_ONLY
This command will execute a schema-mode export that will compress all metadata
before writing it out to the dump file, hr_comp.dmp. It defaults to a schema-mode export
because no export mode is specified.
See Also:
Oracle Database Licensing Information for information about licensing
requirements for the Oracle Advanced Compression option
2.4.6 COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM
Default: BASIC
Purpose
Specifies the compression algorithm to be used when compressing dump file data.

COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM = {BASIC | LOW | MEDIUM | HIGH}
The parameter options are defined as follows:

• BASIC — Offers a good combination of compression ratios and speed; the
algorithm used is the same as in previous versions of Oracle Data Pump.
• LOW — Least impact on export throughput and suited for environments where CPU
resources are the limiting factor.
• MEDIUM — Recommended for most environments. This option, like the BASIC option,
provides a good combination of compression ratios and speed, but it uses a
different algorithm than BASIC.
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• HIGH — Best suited for situations in which dump files will be copied over slower
networks where the limiting factor is network speed.
The performance of a compression algorithm is characterized by its CPU usage and
by the compression ratio (the size of the compressed output as a percentage of the
uncompressed input). These measures vary on the size and type of inputs as well as
the speed of the compression algorithms used. The compression ratio generally
increases from low to high, with a trade-off of potentially consuming more CPU
resources.
It is recommended that you run tests with the different compression levels on the data
in your environment. Choosing a compression level based on your environment,
workload characteristics, and size and type of data is the only way to ensure that the
exported dump file set compression level meets your performance and storage
requirements.
Restrictions
• To use this feature, database compatibility must be set to 12.0.0 or later.
• This feature requires that the Oracle Advanced Compression option be enabled.
Example 1
This example performs a schema-mode unload of the HR schema and compresses only
the table data using a compression algorithm with a low level of compression. This
should result in fewer CPU resources being used, at the expense of a less than
optimal compression ratio.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp COMPRESSION=DATA_ONLY
COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM=LOW
Example 2
This example performs a schema-mode unload of the HR schema and compresses
both metadata and table data using the basic level of compression. Omitting the
COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM parameter altogether is equivalent to specifying BASIC as the
value.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp COMPRESSION=ALL
COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM=BASIC
2.4.7 CONTENT
Default: ALL
Purpose
Enables you to filter what Export unloads: data only, metadata only, or both.

CONTENT=[ALL | DATA_ONLY | METADATA_ONLY]
• ALL unloads both data and metadata. This is the default.
• DATA_ONLY unloads only table row data; no database object definitions are
unloaded.
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• METADATA_ONLY unloads only database object definitions; no table row data is

unloaded. Be aware that if you specify CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY, then when the dump
file is subsequently imported, any index or table statistics imported from the dump
file will be locked after the import.
Restrictions
• The CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY parameter cannot be used with the
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES (transportable-tablespace mode) parameter or with the
QUERY parameter.
Example
The following is an example of using the CONTENT parameter:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY
This command will execute a schema-mode export that will unload only the metadata
associated with the hr schema. It defaults to a schema-mode export of the hr schema
because no export mode is specified.
2.4.8 DATA_OPTIONS
Default: There is no default. If this parameter is not used, then the special data
handling options it provides simply do not take effect.
Purpose
The DATA_OPTIONS parameter designates how certain types of data should be handled
during export operations.

DATA_OPTIONS= [XML_CLOBS | GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA | VERIFY_STREAM_FORMAT]
• XML_CLOBS — specifies that XMLType columns are to be exported in uncompressed

CLOB format regardless of the XMLType storage format that was defined for them.
Note:
XMLType stored as CLOB is deprecated as of Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1). XMLType tables and columns are now stored as binary XML.
If a table has XMLType columns stored only in CLOB format, then it is not necessary
to specify the XML_CLOBS option because Data Pump automatically exports them in
CLOB format. If a table has XMLType columns stored as any combination of object-
relational (schema-based), binary, or CLOB formats, then Data Pump exports them
in compressed format, by default. This is the preferred method. However, if you
need to export the data in uncompressed CLOB format, you can use the XML_CLOBS
option to override the default.
• GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA — tells Data Pump to unload all table data in one
operation rather than unload each table partition as a separate operation. As a
result, the definition of the table will not matter at import time because Import will
see one partition of data that will be loaded into the entire table.
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• VERIFY_STREAM_FORMAT — validates the format of a data stream before it is written to

the Data Pump dump file. The verification checks for a valid format for the stream
after it is generated but before it is written to disk. This assures that there are no
errors when the dump file is created, which in turn helps to assure that there will
not be errors when the stream is read at import time.
Restrictions
• Using the XML_CLOBS option requires that the same XML schema be used at both
export and import time.
• The Export DATA_OPTIONS parameter requires the job version to be set to 11.0.0 or
later. See "VERSION".
Example
This example shows an export operation in which any XMLType columns in the
hr.xdb_tab1 table are exported in uncompressed CLOB format regardless of the XMLType
storage format that was defined for them.
> expdp hr TABLES=hr.xdb_tab1 DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_xml.dmp
VERSION=11.2 DATA_OPTIONS=XML_CLOBS
See Also:
Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide for information specific to exporting and
importing XMLType tables
2.4.9 DIRECTORY
Default: DATA_PUMP_DIR
Purpose
Specifies the default location to which Export can write the dump file set and the log
file.

DIRECTORY=directory_object
The directory_object is the name of a database directory object (not the file path of an
actual directory). Privileged users have access to a default directory object named
DATA_PUMP_DIR. The definition of the DATA_PUMP_DIR directory may be changed by Oracle
during upgrades or when patches are applied.
Users with access to the default DATA_PUMP_DIR directory object do not need to use the
DIRECTORY parameter.
A directory object specified on the DUMPFILE or LOGFILE parameter overrides any

directory object that you specify for the DIRECTORY parameter.
Example
The following is an example of using the DIRECTORY parameter:
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> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=employees.dmp CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY
The dump file, employees.dmp, will be written to the path that is associated with the
directory object dpump_dir1.
See Also:
• "Default Locations for Dump_ Log_ and SQL Files" for more information
about default directory objects and the order of precedence Data Pump
uses to determine a file's location
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about the
2.4.10 DUMPFILE
Default: expdat.dmp
Purpose
Specifies the names, and optionally, the directory objects of dump files for an export
job.

DUMPFILE=[directory_object:]file_name [, ...]
The directory_object is optional if one has already been established by the DIRECTORY
parameter. If you supply a value here, then it must be a directory object that already
exists and that you have access to. A database directory object that is specified as
part of the DUMPFILE parameter overrides a value specified by the DIRECTORY parameter
or by the default directory object.
You can supply multiple file_name specifications as a comma-delimited list or in
separate DUMPFILE parameter specifications. If no extension is given for the file name,
then Export uses the default file extension of .dmp. The file names can contain a
substitution variable. The following table lists the available substitution variables.
Substitution Meaning
Variable
%U The substitution variable is expanded in the resulting file names into a 2-digit,
fixed-width, incrementing integer starting at 01 and ending at 99. If a file
specification contains two substitution variables, both are incremented at the
same time. For example, exp%Uaa%U.dmp would resolve to exp01aa01.dmp,
exp02aa02.dmp, and so forth.
%d, %D Specifies the current day of the month from the Gregorian calendar in format
DD.
Note: This substitution variable cannot be used in an import file name.
%m, %M Specifies the month in the Gregorian calendar in format MM.
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Substitution Meaning
Variable
%t, %T Specifies the year, month, and day in the Gregorian calendar in this format:
YYYYMMDD.
%l, %L Specifies a system-generated unique file name.
The file names can contain a substitution variable (%L), which implies that
multiple files may be generated. The substitution variable is expanded in the
resulting file names into a 2-digit, fixed-width, incrementing integer starting at
01 and ending at 99 which is the same as (%U). In addition, the substitution
variable is expanded in the resulting file names into a 3-digit to 10-digit,
variable-width, incrementing integers starting at 100 and ending at
2147483646. The width field is determined by the number of digits in the
integer.
For example if the current integer was 1, exp%Laa%L.dmp would resolve to
exp01aa01.dmp
exp02aa02.dmp
and so forth up until 99. Then, the next file name would have 3 digits
substituted:
exp100aa100.dmp
exp101aa101.dmp
and so forth up until 999 where the next file would have 4 digits substituted.
The substitution will continue up to the largest number substitution allowed,
which is 2147483646.
%y, %Y Specifies the year in this format: YYYY.
If the FILESIZE parameter is specified, then each dump file will have a maximum of that
size and be nonextensible. If more space is required for the dump file set and a
template with a substitution variable was supplied, then a new dump file is
automatically created of the size specified by the FILESIZE parameter, if there is room
on the device.
As each file specification or file template containing a substitution variable is defined, it
is instantiated into one fully qualified file name and Export attempts to create it. The file
specifications are processed in the order in which they are specified. If the job needs
extra files because the maximum file size is reached, or to keep parallel workers
active, then additional files are created if file templates with substitution variables were
specified.
Although it is possible to specify multiple files using the DUMPFILE parameter, the export
job may only require a subset of those files to hold the exported data. The dump file
set displayed at the end of the export job shows exactly which files were used. It is this
list of files that is required to perform an import operation using this dump file set. Any
files that were not used can be discarded.
When you specify the DUMPFILE parameter, it is possible to introduce conflicting file
names, regardless of whether substitution variables are used. The following are some
examples of expdp commands that would produce file name conflicts. For all of these
examples, an ORA-27308 created file already exists error is returned:
expdp system/manager directory=dpump_dir schemas=hr DUMPFILE=foo%U.dmp,foo%U.dmp
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expdp system/manager directory=dpump_dir schemas=hr DUMPFILE=foo%U.dmp,foo%L.dmp
expdp system/manager directory=dpump_dir schemas=hr DUMPFILE=foo%U.dmp,foo%D.dmp
expdp system/manager directory =dpump_dir schemas=hr DUMPFILE=foo%tK_%t_%u_%y_P,foo

%TK_%T_%U_%Y_P
Restrictions
• Any resulting dump file names that match preexisting dump file names will
generate an error and the preexisting dump files will not be overwritten. You can
override this behavior by specifying the Export parameter REUSE_DUMPFILES=YES.
• Dump files created on Oracle Database 11g releases with the Data Pump
parameter VERSION=12 can only be imported on Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1) and later.
Example
The following is an example of using the DUMPFILE parameter:
> expdp hr SCHEMAS=hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=dpump_dir2:exp1.dmp,
exp2%U.dmp PARALLEL=3
The dump file, exp1.dmp, will be written to the path associated with the directory object
dpump_dir2 because dpump_dir2 was specified as part of the dump file name, and
therefore overrides the directory object specified with the DIRECTORY parameter.
Because all three parallel processes will be given work to perform during this job,
dump files named exp201.dmp and exp202.dmp will be created based on the specified
substitution variable exp2%U.dmp. Because no directory is specified for them, they will be
written to the path associated with the directory object, dpump_dir1, that was specified
with the DIRECTORY parameter.
See Also:
• "Using Substitution Variables" for more information on how substitution

variables are handled when you specify them in dump file names
2.4.11 ENCRYPTION
Default: The default value depends upon the combination of encryption-related
parameters that are used. To enable encryption, either the ENCRYPTION or
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter, or both, must be specified.
If only the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is specified, then the ENCRYPTION parameter

defaults to ALL.
If only the ENCRYPTION parameter is specified and the Oracle encryption wallet is open,
then the default mode is TRANSPARENT. If only the ENCRYPTION parameter is specified and
the wallet is closed, then an error is returned.
If neither ENCRYPTION nor ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD is specified, then ENCRYPTION defaults to
NONE.
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Purpose
Specifies whether to encrypt data before writing it to the dump file set.

ENCRYPTION = [ALL | DATA_ONLY | ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY | METADATA_ONLY | NONE]
• ALL enables encryption for all data and metadata in the export operation.
• DATA_ONLY specifies that only data is written to the dump file set in encrypted
format.
• ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY specifies that only encrypted columns are written to the
dump file set in encrypted format. This option cannot be used in conjunction with
the ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM parameter because the columns already have an
assigned encryption format and by definition, a column can have only one form of
encryption.
To use the ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY option, you must have Oracle Advanced
Security Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) enabled. See Oracle Database
Advanced Security Guide for more information about TDE.
• METADATA_ONLY specifies that only metadata is written to the dump file set in
encrypted format.
• NONE specifies that no data is written to the dump file set in encrypted format.
SecureFiles Considerations for Encryption

If the data being exported includes SecureFiles that you want to be encrypted, then
you must specify ENCRYPTION=ALL to encrypt the entire dump file set. Encryption of the
entire dump file set is the only way to achieve encryption security for SecureFiles
during a Data Pump export operation. For more information about SecureFiles, see
Oracle Database SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide.
Oracle Database Vault Considerations for Encryption

When an export operation is started, Data Pump determines whether Oracle Database
Vault is enabled. If it is, and dump file encryption has not been specified for the job, a
warning message is returned to alert you that secure data is being written in an
insecure manner (clear text) to the dump file set:
ORA-39327: Oracle Database Vault data is being stored unencrypted in dump file set
You can abort the current export operation and start a new one, specifying that the
output dump file set be encrypted.
Restrictions
• To specify the ALL, DATA_ONLY, or METADATA_ONLY options, the COMPATIBLE initialization
parameter must be set to at least 11.0.0.
• This parameter is valid only in the Enterprise Edition of Oracle Database 11g or
later.
• Data Pump encryption features require that the Oracle Advanced Security option
be enabled. See Oracle Database Licensing Information for information about
licensing requirements for the Oracle Advanced Security option.
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Example
The following example performs an export operation in which only data is encrypted in
the dump file:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_enc.dmp JOB_NAME=enc1
ENCRYPTION=data_only ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD=foobar
2.4.12 ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM
Default: AES128
Purpose
Specifies which cryptographic algorithm should be used to perform the encryption.

ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM = [AES128 | AES192 | AES256]
See Oracle Database Advanced Security Guide for information about encryption
algorithms.
Restrictions
• To use this encryption feature, the COMPATIBLE initialization parameter must be set
to at least 11.0.0.
• The ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM parameter requires that you also specify either the
ENCRYPTION or ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter; otherwise an error is returned.
• The ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM parameter cannot be used in conjunction with

ENCRYPTION=ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY because columns that are already encrypted
cannot have an additional encryption format assigned to them.
later.
Example
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_enc3.dmp
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD=foobar ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM=AES128
2.4.13 ENCRYPTION_MODE
Default: The default mode depends on which other encryption-related parameters are
used. If only the ENCRYPTION parameter is specified and the Oracle encryption wallet is
open, then the default mode is TRANSPARENT. If only the ENCRYPTION parameter is
specified and the wallet is closed, then an error is returned.
If the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is specified and the wallet is open, then the
default is DUAL. If the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is specified and the wallet is
closed, then the default is PASSWORD.
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Purpose
Specifies the type of security to use when encryption and decryption are performed.

ENCRYPTION_MODE = [DUAL | PASSWORD | TRANSPARENT]
DUAL mode creates a dump file set that can later be imported either transparently or by
specifying a password that was used when the dual-mode encrypted dump file set was
created. When you later import the dump file set created in DUAL mode, you can use
either the wallet or the password that was specified with the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
parameter. DUAL mode is best suited for cases in which the dump file set will be
imported on-site using the wallet, but which may also need to be imported offsite
where the wallet is not available.
PASSWORD mode requires that you provide a password when creating encrypted dump
file sets. You will need to provide the same password when you import the dump file
set. PASSWORD mode requires that you also specify the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter.
The PASSWORD mode is best suited for cases in which the dump file set will be imported
into a different or remote database, but which must remain secure in transit.
TRANSPARENT mode allows an encrypted dump file set to be created without any
intervention from a database administrator (DBA), provided the required wallet is
available. Therefore, the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is not required, and will in
fact, cause an error if it is used in TRANSPARENT mode. This encryption mode is best
suited for cases in which the dump file set will be imported into the same database
from which it was exported.
Restrictions
• To use DUAL or TRANSPARENT mode, the COMPATIBLE initialization parameter must be
set to at least 11.0.0.
• When you use the ENCRYPTION_MODE parameter, you must also use either the
ENCRYPTION or ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter. Otherwise, an error is returned.
• When you use the ENCRYPTION=ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY, you cannot use the

ENCRYPTION_MODE parameter. Otherwise, an error is returned.
later.
Example
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_enc4.dmp
ENCRYPTION=all ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD=secretwords
ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM=AES256 ENCRYPTION_MODE=DUAL
2.4.14 ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
Default: There is no default; the value is user-provided.
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Purpose
Specifies a password for encrypting encrypted column data, metadata, or table data in
the export dump file. This prevents unauthorized access to an encrypted dump file set.
Note:
Data Pump encryption functionality changed as of Oracle Database 11g
release 1 (11.1). Before release 11.1, the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter
applied only to encrypted columns. However, as of release 11.1, the new
ENCRYPTION parameter provides options for encrypting other types of data. This
means that if you now specify ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD without also specifying
ENCRYPTION and a specific option, then all data written to the dump file will be
encrypted (equivalent to specifying ENCRYPTION=ALL). To re-encrypt only
encrypted columns, you must now specify ENCRYPTION=ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY in
addition to ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD.

ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD = password
The password value that is supplied specifies a key for re-encrypting encrypted table
columns, metadata, or table data so that they are not written as clear text in the dump
file set. If the export operation involves encrypted table columns, but an encryption
password is not supplied, then the encrypted columns are written to the dump file set
as clear text and a warning is issued.
The password that you enter is echoed to the screen. If you do not want the password
shown on the screen as you enter it, then use the ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT parameter.
The maximum length allowed for an encryption password is usually 128 bytes.
However, the limit is 30 bytes if ENCRYPTION=ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY and either the
VERSION parameter or database compatibility is set to less than 12.2.
For export operations, this parameter is required if the ENCRYPTION_MODE parameter is

set to either PASSWORD or DUAL.
Note:
There is no connection or dependency between the key specified with the Data
Pump ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter and the key specified with the ENCRYPT
keyword when the table with encrypted columns was initially created. For
example, suppose a table is created as follows, with an encrypted column
whose key is xyz:
CREATE TABLE emp (col1 VARCHAR2(256) ENCRYPT IDENTIFIED BY "xyz");
When you export the emp table, you can supply any arbitrary value for
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD. It does not have to be xyz.
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Restrictions
later.
• The ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is required for the transport of encrypted
tablespaces and tablespaces containing tables with encrypted columns in a full
transportable export.
• If ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD is specified but ENCRYPTION_MODE is not specified, then it is
not necessary to have Oracle Advanced Security Transparent Data Encryption
enabled since ENCRYPTION_MODE will default to PASSWORD.
• The ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is not valid if the requested encryption mode is
TRANSPARENT.
• To use the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter if ENCRYPTION_MODE is set to DUAL, you

must have Oracle Advanced Security Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) enabled.
See Oracle Database Advanced Security Guide for more information about TDE.
• For network exports, the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter in conjunction with
ENCRYPTION=ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY is not supported with user-defined external
tables that have encrypted columns. The table will be skipped and an error
message will be displayed, but the job will continue.
• Encryption attributes for all columns must match between the exported table
definition and the target table. For example, suppose you have a table, EMP, and
one of its columns is named EMPNO. Both of the following situations would result in
an error because the encryption attribute for the EMP column in the source table
would not match the encryption attribute for the EMP column in the target table:
– The EMP table is exported with the EMPNO column being encrypted, but before
importing the table you remove the encryption attribute from the EMPNO column.
– The EMP table is exported without the EMPNO column being encrypted, but before
importing the table you enable encryption on the EMPNO column.
Example
In the following example, an encryption password, 123456, is assigned to the dump file,
dpcd2be1.dmp.
> expdp hr TABLES=employee_s_encrypt DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1

DUMPFILE=dpcd2be1.dmp ENCRYPTION=ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD=123456
Encrypted columns in the employee_s_encrypt table will not be written as clear text in
the dpcd2be1.dmp dump file. Note that to subsequently import the dpcd2be1.dmp file
created by this example, you will need to supply the same encryption password.
2.4.15 ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT
Default: NO
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Purpose
Specifies whether Data Pump should prompt you for the encryption password.

ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT=[YES | NO]
Specify ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT=YES on the command line to instruct Data Pump to

prompt you for the encryption password, rather than you entering it on the command
line with the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter. The advantage to doing this is that the
encryption password is not echoed to the screen when it is entered at the prompt.
Whereas, when it is entered on the command line using the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
parameter, it appears in plain text.
The encryption password that you enter at the prompt is subject to the same criteria
described for the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter.
If you specify an encryption password on the export operation, you must also supply it
on the import operation.
Restrictions
• Concurrent use of the ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT and ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameters
is prohibited.
Example
The following example shows Data Pump first prompting for the user password and
then for the encryption password.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT=YES
.
.
.
Copyright (c) 1982, 2016, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Password:
Connected to: Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition Release 12.2.0.1.0 - 64bit
Production
Encryption Password:
Starting "HR"."SYS_EXPORT_SCHEMA_01": hr/******** directory=dpump_dir1

dumpfile=hr.dmp encryption_pwd_prompt=Y
.
.
.
2.4.16 ESTIMATE
Default: BLOCKS
Purpose
Specifies the method that Export will use to estimate how much disk space each table
in the export job will consume (in bytes). The estimate is printed in the log file and
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displayed on the client's standard output device. The estimate is for table row data
only; it does not include metadata.

ESTIMATE=[BLOCKS | STATISTICS]
• BLOCKS - The estimate is calculated by multiplying the number of database blocks

used by the source objects, times the appropriate block sizes.
• STATISTICS - The estimate is calculated using statistics for each table. For this
method to be as accurate as possible, all tables should have been analyzed
recently. (Table analysis can be done with either the SQL ANALYZE statement or the
DBMS_STATS PL/SQL package.)
Restrictions
• If the Data Pump export job involves compressed tables, then the default size
estimation given for the compressed table is inaccurate when ESTIMATE=BLOCKS is
used. This is because the size estimate does not reflect that the data was stored in
a compressed form. To get a more accurate size estimate for compressed tables,
use ESTIMATE=STATISTICS.
• The estimate may also be inaccurate if either the QUERY or REMAP_DATA parameter is
used.
Example
The following example shows a use of the ESTIMATE parameter in which the estimate is
calculated using statistics for the employees table:
> expdp hr TABLES=employees ESTIMATE=STATISTICS DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
DUMPFILE=estimate_stat.dmp
2.4.17 ESTIMATE_ONLY
Default: NO
Purpose
Instructs Export to estimate the space that a job would consume, without actually
performing the export operation.

ESTIMATE_ONLY=[YES | NO]
If ESTIMATE_ONLY=YES, then Export estimates the space that would be consumed, but
quits without actually performing the export operation.
Restrictions
• The ESTIMATE_ONLY parameter cannot be used in conjunction with the QUERY
parameter.
Example
The following shows an example of using the ESTIMATE_ONLY parameter to determine
how much space an export of the HR schema will take.
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> expdp hr ESTIMATE_ONLY=YES NOLOGFILE=YES SCHEMAS=HR
2.4.18 EXCLUDE
Default: There is no default
Purpose
Enables you to filter the metadata that is exported by specifying objects and object
types to be excluded from the export operation.

EXCLUDE=object_type[:name_clause] [, ...]
The object_type specifies the type of object to be excluded. To see a list of valid
values for object_type, query the following views: DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for full
mode, SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS for schema mode, and TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for table
and tablespace mode. The values listed in the OBJECT_PATH column are the valid object
types. (See "Metadata Filters" for an example of how to perform such a query.)
All object types for the given mode of export are included in the export except those
specified in an EXCLUDE statement. If an object is excluded, then all of its dependent
objects are also excluded. For example, excluding a table will also exclude all indexes
and triggers on the table.
The name_clause is optional. It allows selection of specific objects within an object type.
It is a SQL expression used as a filter on the type's object names. It consists of a SQL
operator and the values against which the object names of the specified type are to be
compared. The name_clause applies only to object types whose instances have names
(for example, it is applicable to TABLE, but not to GRANT). It must be separated from the
object type with a colon and enclosed in double quotation marks, because single
quotation marks are required to delimit the name strings. For example, you could set
EXCLUDE=INDEX:"LIKE 'EMP%'" to exclude all indexes whose names start with EMP.
The name that you supply for the name_clause must exactly match, including upper and
lower casing, an existing object in the database. For example, if the name_clause you
supply is for a table named EMPLOYEES, then there must be an existing table named
EMPLOYEES using all upper case. If the name_clause were supplied as Employees or
employees or any other variation, then the table would not be found.
If no name_clause is provided, then all objects of the specified type are excluded.
More than one EXCLUDE statement can be specified.
Depending on your operating system, the use of quotation marks when you specify a
value for this parameter may also require that you use escape characters. Oracle
recommends that you place this parameter in a parameter file, which can reduce the
number of escape characters that might otherwise be needed on the command line.
If the object_type you specify is CONSTRAINT, GRANT, or USER, then you should be aware of
the effects, as described in the following paragraphs.
Excluding Constraints
The following constraints cannot be explicitly excluded:
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• Constraints needed for the table to be created and loaded successfully; for
example, primary key constraints for index-organized tables, or REF SCOPE and WITH
ROWID constraints for tables with REF columns
This means that the following EXCLUDE statements are interpreted as follows:
• EXCLUDE=CONSTRAINT excludes all (nonreferential) constraints, except for any

constraints needed for successful table creation and loading.
• EXCLUDE=REF_CONSTRAINT excludes referential integrity (foreign key) constraints.
Excluding Grants and Users

Specifying EXCLUDE=GRANT excludes object grants on all object types and system
privilege grants.
Specifying EXCLUDE=USER excludes only the definitions of users, not the objects
contained within users' schemas.
To exclude a specific user and all objects of that user, specify a command such as the
following, where hr is the schema name of the user you want to exclude.
expdp FULL=YES DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp EXCLUDE=SCHEMA:"='HR'"
Note that in this situation, an export mode of FULL is specified. If no mode were
specified, then the default mode, SCHEMAS, would be used. This would cause an error
because the command would indicate that the schema should be both exported and
excluded at the same time.
If you try to exclude a user by using a statement such as EXCLUDE=USER:"='HR'", then
only the information used in CREATE USER hr DDL statements is excluded, and you may
not get the results you expect.
Restrictions
• The EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters are mutually exclusive.
Example
The following is an example of using the EXCLUDE statement.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_exclude.dmp EXCLUDE=VIEW,
PACKAGE, FUNCTION
This results in a schema-mode export (the default export mode) in which all of the hr
schema is exported except its views, packages, and functions.
See Also:
• "Filtering During Export Operations" for more information about the effects
of using the EXCLUDE parameter
• "INCLUDE" for an example of using a parameter file
• "Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line"
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2.4.19 FILESIZE
Default: 0 (equivalent to the maximum size of 16 terabytes)
Purpose
Specifies the maximum size of each dump file. If the size is reached for any member
of the dump file set, then that file is closed and an attempt is made to create a new file,
if the file specification contains a substitution variable or if additional dump files have
been added to the job.

FILESIZE=integer[B | KB | MB | GB | TB]
The integer can be immediately followed (do not insert a space) by B, KB, MB, GB, or TB
(indicating bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes respectively). Bytes
is the default. The actual size of the resulting file may be rounded down slightly to
match the size of the internal blocks used in dump files.
Restrictions
• The minimum size for a file is ten times the default Data Pump block size, which is
4 kilobytes.
• The maximum size for a file is 16 terabytes.
Example
The following shows an example in which the size of the dump file is set to 3
megabytes:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_3m.dmp FILESIZE=3MB
If 3 megabytes had not been sufficient to hold all the exported data, then the following
error would have been displayed and the job would have stopped:
ORA-39095: Dump file space has been exhausted: Unable to allocate 217088 bytes
The actual number of bytes that could not be allocated may vary. Also, this number
does not represent the amount of space needed to complete the entire export
operation. It indicates only the size of the current object that was being exported when
the job ran out of dump file space.This situation can be corrected by first attaching to
the stopped job, adding one or more files using the ADD_FILE command, and then
restarting the operation.
2.4.20 FLASHBACK_SCN
Purpose
Specifies the system change number (SCN) that Export will use to enable the
Flashback Query utility.
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FLASHBACK_SCN=scn_value
The export operation is performed with data that is consistent up to the specified SCN.
If the NETWORK_LINK parameter is specified, then the SCN refers to the SCN of the
source database.
As of Oracle Database 12c release 2 (12.2), the SCN value can be a big SCN (8
bytes). You can also specify a big SCN when you create a dump file for an earlier
version that does not support big SCNs because actual SCN values are not moved.
See the following restrictions for more information about using big SCNs.
Restrictions
• FLASHBACK_SCN and FLASHBACK_TIME are mutually exclusive.
• The FLASHBACK_SCN parameter pertains only to the Flashback Query capability of

Oracle Database. It is not applicable to Flashback Database, Flashback Drop, or
Flashback Data Archive.
• You cannot specify a big SCN for a network export or network import from a
version that does not support big SCNs.
Example
The following example assumes that an existing SCN value of 384632 exists. It exports
the hr schema up to SCN 384632.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_scn.dmp FLASHBACK_SCN=384632
Note:
If you are on a logical standby system and using a network link to access the
logical standby primary, then the FLASHBACK_SCN parameter is ignored because
SCNs are selected by logical standby. See Oracle Data Guard Concepts and
Administration for information about logical standby databases.
2.4.21 FLASHBACK_TIME
Purpose
The SCN that most closely matches the specified time is found, and this SCN is used
to enable the Flashback utility. The export operation is performed with data that is
consistent up to this SCN.

FLASHBACK_TIME="TO_TIMESTAMP(time-value)"
Because the TO_TIMESTAMP value is enclosed in quotation marks, it would be best to put
this parameter in a parameter file. See "Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump
Command Line".
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Alternatively, you could enter the following which would initiate a consistent export
based on current system time:
FLASHBACK_TIME=systimestamp
Restrictions
• FLASHBACK_TIME and FLASHBACK_SCN are mutually exclusive.
• The FLASHBACK_TIME parameter pertains only to the flashback query capability of

Example
You can specify the time in any format that the DBMS_FLASHBACK.ENABLE_AT_TIME
procedure accepts. For example, suppose you have a parameter file, flashback.par,
with the following contents:
DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
DUMPFILE=hr_time.dmp
FLASHBACK_TIME="TO_TIMESTAMP('27-10-2012 13:16:00', 'DD-MM-YYYY HH24:MI:SS')"
You could then issue the following command:

> expdp hr PARFILE=flashback.par
The export operation will be performed with data that is consistent with the SCN that
most closely matches the specified time.
Note:
If you are on a logical standby system and using a network link to access the
logical standby primary, then the FLASHBACK_SCN parameter is ignored because
SCNs are selected by logical standby. See Oracle Data Guard Concepts and
Administration for information about logical standby databases.
See Also:
Oracle Database Development Guide for information about using Flashback
Query
2.4.22 FULL
Default: NO
Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform a full database mode export.

FULL=[YES | NO]
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FULL=YES indicates that all data and metadata are to be exported. To perform a full
export, you must have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
Filtering can restrict what is exported using this export mode. See "Filtering During
Export Operations".
You can perform a full mode export using the transportable option
(TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS). This is referred to as a full transportable export, which exports
all objects and data necessary to create a complete copy of the database. See "Using
the Transportable Option During Full Mode Exports".
Note:
Be aware that when you later import a dump file that was created by a full-
mode export, the import operation attempts to copy the password for the SYS
account from the source database. This sometimes fails (for example, if the
password is in a shared password file). If it does fail, then after the import
completes, you must set the password for the SYS account at the target
database to a password of your choice.
Restrictions
• To use the FULL parameter in conjunction with TRANSPORTABLE (a full transportable
export), either the Data Pump VERSION parameter must be set to at least 12.0. or
the COMPATIBLE database initialization parameter must be set to at least 12.0 or
later.
• A full export does not, by default, export system schemas that contain Oracle-
managed data and metadata. Examples of system schemas that are not exported
by default include SYS, ORDSYS, and MDSYS.
• Grants on objects owned by the SYS schema are never exported.
• A full export operation exports objects from only one database edition; by default it
exports the current edition but you can use the Export SOURCE_EDITION parameter to
specify a different edition.
• If you are exporting data that is protected by a realm, then you must have
authorization for that realm.
• The Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) is not moved in a full database export
and import operation. (See Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide for
information about using Data Pump to move AWR snapshots.)
• The XDB repository is not moved in a full database export and import operation.
User created XML schemas are moved.
Example
The following is an example of using the FULL parameter. The dump file, expfull.dmp is
written to the dpump_dir2 directory.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir2 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp FULL=YES NOLOGFILE=YES
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See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for a detailed example of how to

perform a full transportable export
• Oracle Database Vault Administrator's Guide for information about
configuring realms
2.4.23 HELP
Default: NO
Purpose
Displays online help for the Export utility.

HELP = [YES | NO]
If HELP=YES is specified, then Export displays a summary of all Export command-line

parameters and interactive commands.
Example
> expdp HELP = YES
This example will display a brief description of all Export parameters and commands.
2.4.24 INCLUDE
Purpose
Enables you to filter the metadata that is exported by specifying objects and object
types for the current export mode. The specified objects and all their dependent
objects are exported. Grants on these objects are also exported.

INCLUDE = object_type[:name_clause] [, ...]
The object_type specifies the type of object to be included. To see a list of valid values
for object_type, query the following views: DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for full mode,
SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS for schema mode, and TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for table and
tablespace mode. The values listed in the OBJECT_PATH column are the valid object
Only object types explicitly specified in INCLUDE statements, and their dependent
objects, are exported. No other object types, including the schema definition
information that is normally part of a schema-mode export when you have the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role, are exported.
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The name_clause is optional. It allows fine-grained selection of specific objects within an

object type. It is a SQL expression used as a filter on the object names of the type. It
consists of a SQL operator and the values against which the object names of the
specified type are to be compared. The name_clause applies only to object types whose
instances have names (for example, it is applicable to TABLE, but not to GRANT). It must
be separated from the object type with a colon and enclosed in double quotation
marks, because single quotation marks are required to delimit the name strings.
See "Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line".
For example, suppose you have a parameter file named hr.par with the following
content:
SCHEMAS=HR
DUMPFILE=expinclude.dmp
LOGFILE=expinclude.log
INCLUDE=TABLE:"IN ('EMPLOYEES', 'DEPARTMENTS')"
INCLUDE=PROCEDURE
INCLUDE=INDEX:"LIKE 'EMP%'"
You could then use the hr.par file to start an export operation, without having to enter
any other parameters on the command line. The EMPLOYEES and DEPARTMENTS tables, all
procedures, and all index names with an EMP prefix will be included in the export.
> expdp hr PARFILE=hr.par
Including Constraints
If the object_type you specify is a CONSTRAINT, then you should be aware of the effects
this will have.
The following constraints cannot be explicitly included:
• NOT NULL constraints
• Constraints needed for the table to be created and loaded successfully; for
example, primary key constraints for index-organized tables, or REF SCOPE and WITH
ROWID constraints for tables with REF columns
This means that the following INCLUDE statements will be interpreted as follows:
• INCLUDE=CONSTRAINT will include all (nonreferential) constraints, except for NOT NULL
constraints and any constraints needed for successful table creation and loading
• INCLUDE=REF_CONSTRAINT will include referential integrity (foreign key) constraints
Restrictions
• The INCLUDE and EXCLUDE parameters are mutually exclusive.
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• Grants on objects owned by the SYS schema are never exported.
Example
The following example performs an export of all tables (and their dependent objects) in
the hr schema:
> expdp hr INCLUDE=TABLE DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:exp_inc.dmp NOLOGFILE=YES
2.4.25 JOB_NAME
Default: system-generated name of the form SYS_EXPORT_<mode>_NN
Purpose
Used to identify the export job in subsequent actions, such as when the ATTACH
parameter is used to attach to a job, or to identify the job using the DBA_DATAPUMP_JOBS
or USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS views.

JOB_NAME=jobname_string
The jobname_string specifies a name of up to 128 bytes for this export job. The bytes
must represent printable characters and spaces. If spaces are included, then the name
must be enclosed in single quotation marks (for example, 'Thursday Export'). The job
name is implicitly qualified by the schema of the user performing the export operation.
The job name is used as the name of the master table, which controls the export job.
The default job name is system-generated in the form SYS_EXPORT_<mode>_NN, where NN
expands to a 2-digit incrementing integer starting at 01. An example of a default name
is 'SYS_EXPORT_TABLESPACE_02'.
Example
The following example shows an export operation that is assigned a job name of
exp_job:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=exp_job.dmp JOB_NAME=exp_job

NOLOGFILE=YES
2.4.26 KEEP_MASTER
Default: NO
Purpose
Indicates whether the master table should be deleted or retained at the end of a Data
Pump job that completes successfully. The master table is automatically retained for
jobs that do not complete successfully.

KEEP_MASTER=[YES | NO]
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Restrictions
• None
Example
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp SCHEMAS=hr KEEP_MASTER=YES
2.4.27 LOGFILE
Default: export.log
Purpose
Specifies the name, and optionally, a directory, for the log file of the export job.

LOGFILE=[directory_object:]file_name
You can specify a database directory_object previously established by the DBA,

assuming that you have access to it. This overrides the directory object specified with
the DIRECTORY parameter.
The file_name specifies a name for the log file. The default behavior is to create a file
named export.log in the directory referenced by the directory object specified in the
All messages regarding work in progress, work completed, and errors encountered are
written to the log file. (For a real-time status of the job, use the STATUS command in
interactive mode.)
A log file is always created for an export job unless the NOLOGFILE parameter is
specified. As with the dump file set, the log file is relative to the server and not the
client.
An existing file matching the file name will be overwritten.
Restrictions
• To perform a Data Pump Export using Oracle Automatic Storage Management
(Oracle ASM), you must specify a LOGFILE parameter that includes a directory
object that does not include the Oracle ASM + notation. That is, the log file must
be written to a disk file, and not written into the Oracle ASM storage. Alternatively,
you can specify NOLOGFILE=YES. However, this prevents the writing of the log file.
Example
The following example shows how to specify a log file name if you do not want to use
the default:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp LOGFILE=hr_export.log
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Note:
Data Pump Export writes the log file using the database character set. If your
client NLS_LANG environment setting sets up a different client character set from
the database character set, then it is possible that table names may be different
in the log file than they are when displayed on the client output screen.
See Also:
• "STATUS"
• "Using Directory Objects When Oracle Automatic Storage Management Is
Enabled" for information about Oracle Automatic Storage Management and
directory objects
2.4.28 LOGTIME
Default: No timestamps are recorded
Purpose
Specifies that messages displayed during export operations be timestamped. You can
use the timestamps to figure out the elapsed time between different phases of a Data
Pump operation. Such information can be helpful in diagnosing performance problems
and estimating the timing of future similar operations.

LOGTIME=[NONE | STATUS | LOGFILE | ALL]
The available options are defined as follows:

• NONE : No timestamps on status or log file messages (same as default)
• STATUS : Timestamps on status messages only
• LOGFILE : Timestamps on log file messages only
• ALL : Timestamps on both status and log file messages
Restrictions
• None
Example
The following example records timestamps for all status and log file messages that are
displayed during the export operation:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp SCHEMAS=hr LOGTIME=ALL
The output looks similar to the following:
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10-JUL-12 10:12:22.300: Starting "HR"."SYS_EXPORT_SCHEMA_01": hr/********

directory=dpump_dir1 dumpfile=expdat.dmp schemas=hr logtime=all
10-JUL-12 10:12:22.915: Estimate in progress using BLOCKS method...
10-JUL-12 10:12:24.422: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/TABLE_DATA
10-JUL-12 10:12:24.498: Total estimation using BLOCKS method: 128 KB
10-JUL-12 10:12:24.822: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/USER
10-JUL-12 10:12:24.902: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/SYSTEM_GRANT
10-JUL-12 10:12:24.926: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/ROLE_GRANT
10-JUL-12 10:12:24.948: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/DEFAULT_ROLE
10-JUL-12 10:12:24.967: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLESPACE_QUOTA
10-JUL-12 10:12:25.747: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/PRE_SCHEMA/
PROCACT_SCHEMA
10-JUL-12 10:12:32.762: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/SEQUENCE/SEQUENCE
10-JUL-12 10:12:46.631: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/TABLE
10-JUL-12 10:12:58.007: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/GRANT/OWNER_GRANT/
OBJECT_GRANT
10-JUL-12 10:12:58.106: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/COMMENT
10-JUL-12 10:12:58.516: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/PROCEDURE/PROCEDURE
10-JUL-12 10:12:58.630: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/PROCEDURE/
ALTER_PROCEDURE
10-JUL-12 10:12:59.365: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/INDEX/INDEX
10-JUL-12 10:13:01.066: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/CONSTRAINT/
CONSTRAINT
10-JUL-12 10:13:01.143: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/INDEX/STATISTICS/
INDEX_STATISTICS
10-JUL-12 10:13:02.503: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/VIEW/VIEW
10-JUL-12 10:13:03.288: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/CONSTRAINT/
REF_CONSTRAINT
10-JUL-12 10:13:04.067: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/TRIGGER
10-JUL-12 10:13:05.251: Processing object type SCHEMA_EXPORT/TABLE/STATISTICS/
TABLE_STATISTICS
10-JUL-12 10:13:06.172: . . exported "HR"."EMPLOYEES"
17.05 KB 107 rows
10-JUL-12 10:13:06.658: . . exported "HR"."COUNTRIES"
6.429 KB 25 rows
10-JUL-12 10:13:06.691: . . exported "HR"."DEPARTMENTS"
7.093 KB 27 rows
10-JUL-12 10:13:06.723: . . exported "HR"."JOBS"
7.078 KB 19 rows
10-JUL-12 10:13:06.758: . . exported "HR"."JOB_HISTORY"
7.164 KB 10 rows
10-JUL-12 10:13:06.794: . . exported "HR"."LOCATIONS"
8.398 KB 23 rows
10-JUL-12 10:13:06.824: . . exported "HR"."REGIONS"
5.515 KB 4 rows
10-JUL-12 10:13:07.500: Master table "HR"."SYS_EXPORT_SCHEMA_01" successfully loaded/
unloaded
10-JUL-12 10:13:07.503:
******************************************************************************
2.4.29 METRICS
Default: NO
Purpose
Indicates whether additional information about the job should be reported to the Data
Pump log file.
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METRICS=[YES | NO]
When METRICS=YES is used, the number of objects and the elapsed time are recorded in
the Data Pump log file.
Restrictions
• None
Example
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp SCHEMAS=hr METRICS=YES
2.4.30 NETWORK_LINK
Purpose
Enables an export from a (source) database identified by a valid database link. The
data from the source database instance is written to a dump file set on the connected
database instance.

NETWORK_LINK=source_database_link
The NETWORK_LINK parameter initiates an export using a database link. This means that
the system to which the expdp client is connected contacts the source database
referenced by the source_database_link, retrieves data from it, and writes the data to a
dump file set back on the connected system.
The source_database_link provided must be the name of a database link to an
available database. If the database on that instance does not already have a database
link, then you or your DBA must create one using the SQL CREATE DATABASE LINK
statement.
If the source database is read-only, then the user on the source database must have a
locally managed temporary tablespace assigned as the default temporary tablespace.
Otherwise, the job will fail.
The following types of database links are supported for use with Data Pump Export:
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Caution:
If an export operation is performed over an unencrypted network link, then all
data is exported as clear text even if it is encrypted in the database. See Oracle
Database Security Guide for more information about network security.
Restrictions
• The following types of database links are not supported for use with Data Pump
Export:
– Private connected user
– Current user
10.1 or 10.2).
Example
The following is an example of using the NETWORK_LINK parameter. The
source_database_link would be replaced with the name of a valid database link that
must already exist.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 NETWORK_LINK=source_database_link
DUMPFILE=network_export.dmp LOGFILE=network_export.log
See Also:

database links
CREATE DATABASE LINK statement
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about locally

managed tablespaces
2.4.31 NOLOGFILE
Default: NO
Purpose
Specifies whether to suppress creation of a log file.

NOLOGFILE=[YES | NO]
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Specify NOLOGFILE =YES to suppress the default behavior of creating a log file. Progress
and error information is still written to the standard output device of any attached
clients, including the client that started the original export operation. If there are no
clients attached to a running job and you specify NOLOGFILE=YES, then you run the risk of
losing important progress and error information.
Example
The following is an example of using the NOLOGFILE parameter:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp NOLOGFILE=YES
This command results in a schema-mode export (the default) in which no log file is
written.
2.4.32 PARALLEL
Default: 1
Purpose
Specifies the maximum number of processes of active execution operating on behalf
of the export job. This execution set consists of a combination of worker processes
and parallel I/O server processes. The master control process and worker processes
acting as query coordinators in parallel query operations do not count toward this total.
This parameter enables you to make trade-offs between resource consumption and
elapsed time.

PARALLEL=integer
The value you specify for integer should be less than, or equal to, the number of files
in the dump file set (or you should specify either the %U or %L substitution variables in
the dump file specifications). Because each active worker process or I/O server
process writes exclusively to one file at a time, an insufficient number of files can have
adverse effects. Some of the worker processes will be idle while waiting for files,
thereby degrading the overall performance of the job. More importantly, if any member
of a cooperating group of parallel I/O server processes cannot obtain a file for output,
then the export operation will be stopped with an ORA-39095 error. Both situations can
be corrected by attaching to the job using the Data Pump Export utility, adding more
files using the ADD_FILE command while in interactive mode, and in the case of a
stopped job, restarting the job.
To increase or decrease the value of PARALLEL during job execution, use interactive-
command mode. Decreasing parallelism does not result in fewer worker processes
associated with the job; it decreases the number of worker processes that will be
executing at any given time. Also, any ongoing work must reach an orderly completion
point before the decrease takes effect. Therefore, it may take a while to see any effect
from decreasing the value. Idle workers are not deleted until the job exits.
Increasing the parallelism takes effect immediately if there is work that can be
performed in parallel.
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Using PARALLEL During An Export In An Oracle RAC Environment

In an Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) environment, if an export
operation has PARALLEL=1, then all Data Pump processes reside on the instance where
the job is started. Therefore, the directory object can point to local storage for that
instance.
If the export operation has PARALLEL set to a value greater than 1, then Data Pump
processes can reside on instances other than the one where the job was started.
Therefore, the directory object must point to shared storage that is accessible by all
instances of the Oracle RAC.
Restrictions
later.
• To export a table or table partition in parallel (using PQ slaves), you must have the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
Example
The following is an example of using the PARALLEL parameter:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 LOGFILE=parallel_export.log
JOB_NAME=par4_job DUMPFILE=par_exp%u.dmp PARALLEL=4
This results in a schema-mode export (the default) of the hr schema in which up to

four files could be created in the path pointed to by the directory object, dpump_dir1.
See Also:
• "Controlling Resource Consumption"

• "DUMPFILE"
• "Commands Available in Export's Interactive-Command Mode"
• "Performing a Parallel Full Database Export"
2.4.33 PARFILE
Purpose
Specifies the name of an export parameter file.

PARFILE=[directory_path]file_name
A parameter file allows you to specify Data Pump parameters within a file, and then
that file can be specified on the command line instead of entering all the individual
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commands. This can be useful if you use the same parameter combination many
times. The use of parameter files is also highly recommended if you are using
parameters whose values require the use of quotation marks.
A directory object is not specified for the parameter file because unlike dump files, log
files, and SQL files which are created and written by the server, the parameter file is
opened and read by the expdp client. The default location of the parameter file is the
user's current directory.
Within a parameter file, a comma is implicit at every newline character so you do not
have to enter commas at the end of each line. If you have a long line that wraps, such
as a long table name, enter the backslash continuation character (\) at the end of the
current line to continue onto the next line.
The contents of the parameter file are written to the Data Pump log file.
Restrictions
• The PARFILE parameter cannot be specified within a parameter file.
Example
The content of an example parameter file, hr.par, might be as follows:
SCHEMAS=HR
DUMPFILE=exp.dmp
LOGFILE=exp.log
You could then issue the following Export command to specify the parameter file:
> expdp hr PARFILE=hr.par
See Also:
"Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line"
2.4.34 QUERY
Purpose
Allows you to specify a query clause that is used to filter the data that gets exported.

QUERY = [schema.][table_name:] query_clause
The query_clause is typically a SQL WHERE clause for fine-grained row selection, but
could be any SQL clause. For example, an ORDER BY clause could be used to speed up
a migration from a heap-organized table to an index-organized table. If a schema and
table name are not supplied, then the query is applied to (and must be valid for) all
tables in the export job. A table-specific query overrides a query applied to all tables.
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When the query is to be applied to a specific table, a colon must separate the table
name from the query clause. More than one table-specific query can be specified, but
only one query can be specified per table.
If the NETWORK_LINK parameter is specified along with the QUERY parameter, then any
objects specified in the query_clause that are on the remote (source) node must be
explicitly qualified with the NETWORK_LINK value. Otherwise, Data Pump assumes that
the object is on the local (target) node; if it is not, then an error is returned and the
import of the table from the remote (source) system fails.
For example, if you specify NETWORK_LINK=dblink1, then the query_clause of the QUERY
parameter must specify that link, as shown in the following example:
QUERY=(hr.employees:"WHERE last_name IN(SELECT last_name
FROM hr.employees@dblink1)")
To specify a schema other than your own in a table-specific query, you must be
granted access to that specific table.
Restrictions
• The QUERY parameter cannot be used with the following parameters:
– CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY
– ESTIMATE_ONLY
– TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
• When the QUERY parameter is specified for a table, Data Pump uses external tables
to unload the target table. External tables uses a SQL CREATE TABLE AS SELECT
statement. The value of the QUERY parameter is the WHERE clause in the SELECT
portion of the CREATE TABLE statement. If the QUERY parameter includes references
to another table with columns whose names match the table being unloaded, and
if those columns are used in the query, then you will need to use a table alias to
distinguish between columns in the table being unloaded and columns in the
SELECT statement with the same name. The table alias used by Data Pump for the
table being unloaded is KU$.
For example, suppose you want to export a subset of the sh.sales table based on
the credit limit for a customer in the sh.customers table. In the following example,
KU$ is used to qualify the cust_id field in the QUERY parameter for unloading
sh.sales. As a result, Data Pump exports only rows for customers whose credit
limit is greater than $10,000.
QUERY='sales:"WHERE EXISTS (SELECT cust_id FROM customers c
WHERE cust_credit_limit > 10000 AND ku$.cust_id = c.cust_id)"'
If, as in the following query, KU$ is not used for a table alias, then the result will be
that all rows are unloaded:
WHERE cust_credit_limit > 10000 AND cust_id = c.cust_id)"'
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• The maximum length allowed for a QUERY string is 4000 bytes including quotation
marks, which means that the actual maximum length allowed is 3998 bytes.
Example
The following is an example of using the QUERY parameter:
> expdp hr PARFILE=emp_query.par
The contents of the emp_query.par file are as follows:

QUERY=employees:"WHERE department_id > 10 AND salary > 10000"
NOLOGFILE=YES
DUMPFILE=exp1.dmp
This example unloads all tables in the hr schema, but only the rows that fit the query
expression. In this case, all rows in all tables (except employees) in the hr schema will
be unloaded. For the employees table, only rows that meet the query criteria are
unloaded.
2.4.35 REMAP_DATA
Purpose
The REMAP_DATA parameter allows you to specify a remap function that takes as a
source the original value of the designated column and returns a remapped value that
will replace the original value in the dump file. A common use for this option is to mask
data when moving from a production system to a test system. For example, a column
of sensitive customer data such as credit card numbers could be replaced with
numbers generated by a REMAP_DATA function. This would allow the data to retain its
essential formatting and processing characteristics without exposing private data to
unauthorized personnel.
The same function can be applied to multiple columns being dumped. This is useful
when you want to guarantee consistency in remapping both the child and parent
column in a referential constraint.

REMAP_DATA=[schema.]tablename.column_name:[schema.]pkg.function
The description of each syntax element, in the order in which they appear in the
syntax, is as follows:
schema: the schema containing the table to be remapped. By default, this is the
schema of the user doing the export.
tablename : the table whose column will be remapped.
column_name: the column whose data is to be remapped.
schema : the schema containing the PL/SQL package you have created that contains
the remapping function. As a default, this is the schema of the user doing the export.
pkg: the name of the PL/SQL package you have created that contains the remapping
function.
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function: the name of the function within the PL/SQL that will be called to remap the
column table in each row of the specified table.
Restrictions
• The data types of the source argument and the returned value should both match
the data type of the designated column in the table.
• Remapping functions should not perform commits or rollbacks except in
autonomous transactions.
• The use of synonyms as values for the REMAP_DATA parameter is not supported. For
example, if the regions table in the hr schema had a synonym of regn, an error
would be returned if you specified regn as part of the REMPA_DATA specification.
• Remapping LOB column data of a remote table is not supported.
• Columns of the following types are not supported byREMAP_DATA: User Defined
Types, attributes of User Defined Types, LONGs, REFs, VARRAYs, Nested
Tables, BFILEs, and XMLtype.
Example
The following example assumes a package named remap has been created that
contains functions named minus10 and plusx which change the values for employee_id
and first_name in the employees table.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=remap1.dmp TABLES=employees
REMAP_DATA=hr.employees.employee_id:hr.remap.minus10
REMAP_DATA=hr.employees.first_name:hr.remap.plusx
2.4.36 REUSE_DUMPFILES
Default: NO
Purpose
Specifies whether to overwrite a preexisting dump file.

REUSE_DUMPFILES=[YES | NO]
Normally, Data Pump Export will return an error if you specify a dump file name that
already exists. The REUSE_DUMPFILES parameter allows you to override that behavior
and reuse a dump file name. For example, if you performed an export and specified
DUMPFILE=hr.dmp and REUSE_DUMPFILES=YES, then hr.dmp would be overwritten if it already
existed. Its previous contents would be lost and it would contain data for the current
export instead.
Example
The following export operation creates a dump file named enc1.dmp, even if a dump file
with that name already exists.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=enc1.dmp
TABLES=employees REUSE_DUMPFILES=YES
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2.4.37 SAMPLE
Purpose
Allows you to specify a percentage of the data rows to be sampled and unloaded from
the source database.

SAMPLE=[[schema_name.]table_name:]sample_percent
This parameter allows you to export subsets of data by specifying the percentage of
data to be sampled and exported. The sample_percent indicates the probability that a
row will be selected as part of the sample. It does not mean that the database will
retrieve exactly that amount of rows from the table. The value you supply for
sample_percent can be anywhere from .000001 up to, but not including, 100.
The sample_percent can be applied to specific tables. In the following example, 50% of
the HR.EMPLOYEES table will be exported:
SAMPLE="HR"."EMPLOYEES":50
If you specify a schema, then you must also specify a table. However, you can specify
a table without specifying a schema; the current user will be assumed. If no table is
specified, then the sample_percent value applies to the entire export job.
You can use this parameter with the Data Pump Import PCTSPACE transform, so that the
size of storage allocations matches the sampled data subset. (See the Import
"TRANSFORM" parameter.)
Restrictions
• The SAMPLE parameter is not valid for network exports.
Example
In the following example, the value 70 for SAMPLE is applied to the entire export job
because no table name is specified.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=sample.dmp SAMPLE=70
2.4.38 SCHEMAS
Default: current user's schema
Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform a schema-mode export. This is the default mode for
Export.

SCHEMAS=schema_name [, ...]
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If you have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role, then you can specify a single schema
other than your own or a list of schema names. The DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role
also allows you to export additional nonschema object information for each specified
schema so that the schemas can be re-created at import time. This additional
information includes the user definitions themselves and all associated system and
role grants, user password history, and so on. Filtering can further restrict what is
exported using schema mode (see "Filtering During Export Operations").
Restrictions
• If you do not have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role, then you can specify only
your own schema.
• The SYS schema cannot be used as a source schema for export jobs.
Example
The following is an example of using the SCHEMAS parameter. Note that user hr is
allowed to specify more than one schema because the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE
role was previously assigned to it for the purpose of these examples.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp SCHEMAS=hr,sh,oe
This results in a schema-mode export in which the schemas, hr, sh, and oe will be
written to the expdat.dmp dump file located in the dpump_dir1 directory.
2.4.39 SERVICE_NAME
Purpose
Used to specify a service name to be used in conjunction with the CLUSTER parameter.

SERVICE_NAME=name
The SERVICE_NAME parameter can be used with the CLUSTER=YES parameter to specify an
existing service associated with a resource group that defines a set of Oracle Real
Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) instances belonging to that resource group,
typically a subset of all the Oracle RAC instances.
The service name is only used to determine the resource group and instances defined
for that resource group. The instance where the job is started is always used,
regardless of whether it is part of the resource group.
The SERVICE_NAME parameter is ignored if CLUSTER=NO is also specified.
Suppose you have an Oracle RAC configuration containing instances A, B, C, and D.

Also suppose that a service named my_service exists with a resource group consisting
of instances A, B, and C only. In such a scenario, the following would be true:
• If you start a Data Pump job on instance A and specify CLUSTER=YES (or accept the
default, which is Y) and you do not specify the SERVICE_NAME parameter, then Data
Pump creates workers on all instances: A, B, C, and D, depending on the degree
of parallelism specified.
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• If you start a Data Pump job on instance A and specify CLUSTER=YES and
SERVICE_NAME=my_service, then workers can be started on instances A, B, and C
only.
• If you start a Data Pump job on instance D and specify CLUSTER=YES and
SERVICE_NAME=my_service, then workers can be started on instances A, B, C, and D.
Even though instance D is not in my_service it is included because it is the instance
on which the job was started.
• If you start a Data Pump job on instance A and specify CLUSTER=NO, then any
SERVICE_NAME parameter you specify is ignored and all processes will start on
instance A.
Example
The following is an example of using the SERVICE_NAME parameter:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_svname2.dmp SERVICE_NAME=sales
This example starts a schema-mode export (the default mode) of the hr schema. Even
though CLUSTER=YES is not specified on the command line, it is the default behavior, so
the job will use all instances in the resource group associated with the service name
sales. A dump file named hr_svname2.dmp will be written to the location specified by the
dpump_dir1 directory object.
See Also:
"CLUSTER"
2.4.40 SOURCE_EDITION
Default: the default database edition on the system
Purpose
Specifies the database edition from which objects will be exported.

SOURCE_EDITION=edition_name
If SOURCE_EDITION=edition_name is specified, then the objects from that edition are

exported. Data Pump selects all inherited objects that have not changed and all actual
objects that have changed.
If this parameter is not specified, then the default edition is used. If the specified
edition does not exist or is not usable, then an error message is returned.
Restrictions
• This parameter is only useful if there are two or more versions of the same
versionable objects in the database.
• The job version must be 11.2 or later. See "VERSION".
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Example
The following is an example of using the SOURCE_EDITION parameter:
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=exp_dat.dmp SOURCE_EDITION=exp_edition
EXCLUDE=USER
This example assumes the existence of an edition named exp_edition on the system
from which objects are being exported. Because no export mode is specified, the
default of schema mode will be used. The EXCLUDE=user parameter excludes only the
definitions of users, not the objects contained within users' schemas.
See Also:
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about how

editions are created
• Oracle Database Development Guide for more information about the
editions feature, including inherited and actual objects
2.4.41 STATUS
Default: 0
Purpose
Specifies the frequency at which the job status display is updated.

STATUS=[integer]
If you supply a value for integer, it specifies how frequently, in seconds, job status
should be displayed in logging mode. If no value is entered or if the default value of 0
is used, then no additional information is displayed beyond information about the
completion of each object type, table, or partition.
This status information is written only to your standard output device, not to the log file
(if one is in effect).
Example
The following is an example of using the STATUS parameter.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 SCHEMAS=hr,sh STATUS=300
This example will export the hr and sh schemas and display the status of the export
every 5 minutes (60 seconds x 5 = 300 seconds).
2.4.42 TABLES
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Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform a table-mode export.

TABLES=[schema_name.]table_name[:partition_name] [, ...]
Filtering can restrict what is exported using this mode (see "Filtering During Export
Operations"). You can filter the data and metadata that is exported, by specifying a
comma-delimited list of tables and partitions or subpartitions. If a partition name is
specified, then it must be the name of a partition or subpartition in the associated
table. Only the specified set of tables, partitions, and their dependent objects are
unloaded.
If an entire partitioned table is exported, then it will be imported in its entirety, as a
partitioned table. The only case in which this is not true is if
PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION is specified during import.
The table name that you specify can be preceded by a qualifying schema name. The
schema defaults to that of the current user. To specify a schema other than your own,
you must have the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
Use of the wildcard character, %, to specify table names and partition names is
supported.
The following restrictions apply to table names:
• By default, table names in a database are stored as uppercase. If you have a table
name in mixed-case or lowercase, and you want to preserve case-sensitivity for
the table name, then you must enclose the name in quotation marks. The name
must exactly match the table name stored in the database.
Some operating systems require that quotation marks on the command line be
preceded by an escape character. The following are examples of how case-
sensitivity can be preserved in the different Export modes.
– In command-line mode:
TABLES='\"Emp\"'
– In parameter file mode:

TABLES='"Emp"'
• Table names specified on the command line cannot include a pound sign (#),
unless the table name is enclosed in quotation marks. Similarly, in the parameter
file, if a table name includes a pound sign (#), then the Export utility interprets the
rest of the line as a comment, unless the table name is enclosed in quotation
marks.
For example, if the parameter file contains the following line, then Export interprets
everything on the line after emp# as a comment and does not export the tables dept
and mydata:
TABLES=(emp#, dept, mydata)
However, if the parameter file contains the following line, then the Export utility
exports all three tables because emp# is enclosed in quotation marks:
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TABLES=('"emp#"', dept, mydata)
Note:
Some operating systems require single quotation marks rather than double
quotation marks, or the reverse. See your Oracle operating system-specific
documentation. Different operating systems also have other restrictions on
table naming.
For example, the UNIX C shell attaches a special meaning to a dollar sign
($) or pound sign (#) (or certain other special characters). You must use
escape characters to get such characters in the name past the shell and
into Export.
Using the Transportable Option During Table-Mode Export

To use the transportable option during a table-mode export, specify the
TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS parameter with the TABLES parameter. Metadata for the specified
tables, partitions, or subpartitions is exported to the dump file. To move the actual
data, you copy the data files to the target database.
If only a subset of a table's partitions are exported and the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS
parameter is used, then on import each partition becomes a non-partitioned table.
Restrictions
• Cross-schema references are not exported. For example, a trigger defined on a
table within one of the specified schemas, but that resides in a schema not
explicitly specified, is not exported.
• Types used by the table are not exported in table mode. This means that if you
subsequently import the dump file and the type does not already exist in the
destination database, then the table creation will fail.
• The use of synonyms as values for the TABLES parameter is not supported. For
example, if the regions table in the hr schema had a synonym of regn, then it
would not be valid to use TABLES=regn. An error would be returned.
• The export of tables that include a wildcard character, %, in the table name is not
supported if the table has partitions.
• The length of the table name list specified for the TABLES parameter is limited to a
maximum of 4 MB, unless you are using the NETWORK_LINK parameter to an Oracle
Database release 10.2.0.3 or earlier or to a read-only database. In such cases, the
limit is 4 KB.
• You can only specify partitions from one table if TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS is also set
on the export.
Examples
The following example shows a simple use of the TABLES parameter to export three
tables found in the hr schema: employees, jobs, and departments. Because user hr is
exporting tables found in the hr schema, the schema name is not needed before the
table names.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tables.dmp
TABLES=employees,jobs,departments
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The following example assumes that user hr has the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
It shows the use of the TABLES parameter to export partitions.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tables_part.dmp
TABLES=sh.sales:sales_Q1_2012,sh.sales:sales_Q2_2012
This example exports the partitions, sales_Q1_2012 and sales_Q2_2012, from the table
sales in the schema sh.
See Also:
• "TRANSPORTABLE"
• The Import "REMAP_TABLE" command
• "Using Data File Copying to Move Data"
2.4.43 TABLESPACES
Purpose
Specifies a list of tablespace names to be exported in tablespace mode.

TABLESPACES=tablespace_name [, ...]
In tablespace mode, only the tables contained in a specified set of tablespaces are
unloaded. If a table is unloaded, then its dependent objects are also unloaded. Both
object metadata and data are unloaded. If any part of a table resides in the specified
set, then that table and all of its dependent objects are exported. Privileged users get
all tables. Unprivileged users get only the tables in their own schemas
Filtering can restrict what is exported using this mode (see "Filtering During Export
Operations").
Restrictions
• The length of the tablespace name list specified for the TABLESPACES parameter is
limited to a maximum of 4 MB, unless you are using the NETWORK_LINK to an Oracle
limit is 4 KB.
Example
The following is an example of using the TABLESPACES parameter. The example
assumes that tablespaces tbs_4, tbs_5, and tbs_6 already exist.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tbs.dmp
TABLESPACES=tbs_4, tbs_5, tbs_6
This results in a tablespace export in which tables (and their dependent objects) from
the specified tablespaces (tbs_4, tbs_5, and tbs_6) will be unloaded.
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2.4.44 TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK
Default: NO
Purpose
Specifies whether to check for dependencies between those objects inside the
transportable set and those outside the transportable set. This parameter is applicable
only to a transportable-tablespace mode export.

TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=[YES | NO]
If TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=YES, then Export verifies that there are no dependencies

between those objects inside the transportable set and those outside the transportable
set. The check addresses two-way dependencies. For example, if a table is inside the
transportable set but its index is not, then a failure is returned and the export operation
is terminated. Similarly, a failure is also returned if an index is in the transportable set
but the table is not.
If TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=NO, then Export verifies only that there are no objects within
the transportable set that are dependent on objects outside the transportable set. This
check addresses a one-way dependency. For example, a table is not dependent on an
index, but an index is dependent on a table, because an index without a table has no
meaning. Therefore, if the transportable set contains a table, but not its index, then this
check succeeds. However, if the transportable set contains an index, but not the table,
then the export operation is terminated.
There are other checks performed as well. For instance, export always verifies that all
storage segments of all tables (and their indexes) defined within the tablespace set
specified by TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES are actually contained within the tablespace set.
Example
The following is an example of using the TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK parameter. It assumes
that tablespace tbs_1 exists.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tts.dmp
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=tbs_1 TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=YES LOGFILE=tts.log
2.4.45 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform an export in transportable-tablespace mode.

TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=tablespace_name [, ...]
Use the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter to specify a list of tablespace names for

which object metadata will be exported from the source database into the target
database.
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The log file for the export lists the data files that are used in the transportable set, the
dump files, and any containment violations.
The TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter exports metadata for all objects within the
specified tablespaces. To perform a transportable export of only certain tables,
partitions, or subpartitions, then you must use the TABLES parameter with the
TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS parameter.
Note:
Restrictions
• Transportable tablespace jobs are not restartable.
• Transportable tablespace jobs are restricted to a degree of parallelism of 1.
• Transportable tablespace mode requires that you have the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
• The SYSTEM and SYSAUX tablespaces are not transportable in transportable
tablespace mode.
• All tablespaces in the transportable set must be set to read-only.
• If the Data Pump Export VERSION parameter is specified along with the
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter, then the version must be equal to or greater
than the Oracle Database COMPATIBLE initialization parameter.
• The TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter cannot be used in conjunction with the QUERY
parameter.
Example
The following is an example of using the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter in a file-
based job (rather than network-based). The tablespace tbs_1 is the tablespace being
moved. This example assumes that tablespace tbs_1 exists and that it has been set to
read-only. This example also assumes that the default tablespace was changed before
this export command was issued.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tts.dmp
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=tbs_1 TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=YES LOGFILE=tts.log
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See Also:
• "Transportable Tablespace Mode"

• "How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data?"
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for detailed information about
transporting tablespaces between databases
2.4.46 TRANSPORTABLE
Default: NEVER
Purpose
Specifies whether the transportable option should be used during a table mode export
(specified with the TABLES parameter) or a full mode export (specified with the FULL
parameter).

TRANSPORTABLE = [ALWAYS | NEVER]
The definitions of the allowed values are as follows:

ALWAYS - Instructs the export job to use the transportable option. If transportable is not
possible, then the job fails.
In a table mode export, using the transportable option results in a transportable
tablespace export in which metadata for only the specified tables, partitions, or
subpartitions is exported.
In a full mode export, using the transportable option results in a full transportable
export which exports all objects and data necessary to create a complete copy of the
database.
NEVER - Instructs the export job to use either the direct path or external table method to
unload data rather than the transportable option. This is the default.
Note:
To export an entire tablespace in transportable mode, use the
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter.
• If only a subset of a table's partitions are exported and the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS

parameter is used, then on import each partition becomes a non-partitioned table.
• If only a subset of a table's partitions are exported and the TRANSPORTABLE
parameter is not used at all or is set to NEVER (the default), then on import:
– If PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION is used, then each partition included in the
dump file set is created as a non-partitioned table.
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– If PARTITION_OPTIONS is not used, then the complete table is created. That is, all
the metadata for the complete table is present so that the table definition looks
the same on the target system as it did on the source. But only the data that
was exported for the specified partitions is inserted into the table.
Restrictions
• The TRANSPORTABLE parameter is only valid in table mode exports and full mode
exports.
• To use the TRANSPORTABLE parameter, the COMPATIBLE initialization parameter must
be set to at least 11.0.0.
• To use the FULL parameter in conjunction with TRANSPORTABLE (to perform a full
transportable export), the Data Pump VERSION parameter must be set to at least
12.0. If the VERSION parameter is not specified, then the COMPATIBLE database
initialization parameter must be set to at least 12.0 or later.
• The user performing a transportable export requires the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE privilege.
• Tablespaces associated with tables, partitions, and subpartitions must be read-

only.
• A full transportable export uses a mix of data movement methods. Objects residing
in a transportable tablespace have only their metadata unloaded; data is copied
when the data files are copied from the source system to the target system. The
data files that must be copied are listed at the end of the log file for the export
operation. Objects residing in non-transportable tablespaces (for example, SYSTEM
and SYSAUX) have both their metadata and data unloaded into the dump file set.
(See Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about
performing full transportable exports.)
Example
The following example assumes that the sh user has the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE
role and that table sales2 is partitioned and contained within tablespace tbs2. (The
tbs2 tablespace must be set to read-only in the source database.)
> expdp sh DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tto1.dmp

TABLES=sh.sales2 TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS
After the export completes successfully, you must copy the data files to the target
database area. You could then perform an import operation using the
PARTITION_OPTIONS and REMAP_SCHEMA parameters to make each of the partitions in
sales2 its own table.
> impdp system PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION

TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=oracle/dbs/tbs2 DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
DUMPFILE=tto1.dmp REMAP_SCHEMA=sh:dp
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See Also:
• "Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Exports"

2.4.47 VERSION
Default: COMPATIBLE
Purpose
Specifies the version of database objects to be exported. Only database objects and
attributes that are compatible with the specified release will be exported. This can be
used to create a dump file set that is compatible with a previous release of Oracle
Database. Note that this does not mean that Data Pump Export can be used with
releases of Oracle Database prior to Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1). Data
Pump Export only works with Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1) or later. The
VERSION parameter simply allows you to identify the version of objects being exported.
On Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.3) or later, the VERSION parameter can be
specified as VERSION=12 in conjunction with FULL=Y to generate a full export dump file
that is ready for import into Oracle Database 12c. The export will include information
from registered database options and components. (This dump file set can only be
imported into Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1) and later.) If VERSION=12 is
used in conjunction with FULL=Y and also with TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS, then a full
transportable export dump file is generated that is ready for import into Oracle
Database 12c. (See "Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Exports".)

VERSION=[COMPATIBLE | LATEST | version_string]
The legal values for the VERSION parameter are as follows:
• COMPATIBLE - This is the default value. The version of the metadata corresponds to
the database compatibility level as specified on the COMPATIBLE initialization
parameter. Database compatibility must be set to 9.2 or later.
• LATEST - The version of the metadata and resulting SQL DDL corresponds to the
database release regardless of its compatibility level.
• version_string - A specific database release (for example, 11.2.0). In Oracle
Database 11g, this value cannot be lower than 9.2.
Database objects or attributes that are incompatible with the release specified for
VERSION will not be exported. For example, tables containing new data types that are
not supported in the specified release will not be exported.
Restrictions
• Exporting a table with archived LOBs to a database release earlier than 11.2 is not
allowed.
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• If the Data Pump Export VERSION parameter is specified along with the
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter, then the value must be equal to or greater than
the Oracle Database COMPATIBLE initialization parameter.
• If the Data Pump VERSION parameter is specified as any value earlier than 12.1,
then the Data Pump dump file excludes any tables that contain VARCHAR2 or
NVARCHAR2 columns longer than 4000 bytes and any RAW columns longer than 2000
bytes.
(12.1) and later.
Example
The following example shows an export for which the version of the metadata will
correspond to the database release:
> expdp hr TABLES=hr.employees VERSION=LATEST DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
DUMPFILE=emp.dmp NOLOGFILE=YES
See Also:
"Exporting and Importing Between Different Database Releases"
2.4.48 VIEWS_AS_TABLES
Caution:
The VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter unloads view data in unencrypted format and
creates an unencrypted table. If you are unloading sensitive data, then Oracle
strongly recommends that you enable encryption on the export operation and
that you ensure the table is created in an encrypted tablespace. You can use
the REMAP_TABLESPACE parameter to move the table to such a tablespace.
Purpose
Specifies that one or more views are to be exported as tables.

VIEWS_AS_TABLES=[schema_name.]view_name[:table_name], ...
Data Pump exports a table with the same columns as the view and with row data
fetched from the view. Data Pump also exports objects dependent on the view, such
as grants and constraints. Dependent objects that do not apply to tables (for example,
grants of the UNDER object privilege) are not exported. The VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter
can be used by itself or along with the TABLES parameter. If either is used, Data Pump
performs a table-mode export.
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The syntax elements are defined as follows:

schema_name: The name of the schema in which the view resides. If a schema name is
not supplied, it defaults to the user performing the export.
view_name: The name of the view to be exported as a table. The view must exist and it
must be a relational view with only scalar, non-LOB columns. If you specify an invalid
or non-existent view, the view is skipped and an error message is returned.
table_name: The name of a table to serve as the source of the metadata for the
exported view. By default Data Pump automatically creates a temporary "template
table" with the same columns and data types as the view, but no rows. If the database
is read-only, then this default creation of a template table will fail. In such a case, you
can specify a table name. The table must be in the same schema as the view. It must
be a non-partitioned relational table with heap organization. It cannot be a nested
table.
If the export job contains multiple views with explicitly specified template tables, the
template tables must all be different. For example, in the following job (in which two
views use the same template table) one of the views is skipped:
expdp scott/tiger directory=dpump_dir dumpfile=a.dmp views_as_tables=v1:emp,v2:emp
An error message is returned reporting the omitted object.

Template tables are automatically dropped after the export operation is completed.
While they exist, you can perform the following query to view their names (which all
begin with KU$VAT):
SQL> SELECT * FROM user_tab_comments WHERE table_name LIKE 'KU$VAT%';
TABLE_NAME TABLE_TYPE
------------------------------ -----------
COMMENTS
-----------------------------------------------------
KU$VAT_63629 TABLE
Data Pump metadata template table for view SCOTT.EMPV
Restrictions
• The VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter cannot be used with the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS
parameter.
• Tables created using the VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter do not contain any hidden
columns that were part of the specified view.
• The VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter does not support tables that have columns with a
data type of LONG.
Example
The following example exports the contents of view scott.view1 to a dump file named
scott1.dmp.
> expdp scott/tiger views_as_tables=view1 directory=data_pump_dir dumpfile=scott1.dmp
The dump file will contain a table named view1 with rows fetched from the view.
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Commands Available in Export's Interactive-Command Mode
2.5 Commands Available in Export's Interactive-Command

Mode
To start interactive-command mode, do one of the following:

• From an attached client, press Ctrl+C.
• From a terminal other than the one on which the job is running, specify the ATTACH
parameter in an expdp command to attach to the job. This is a useful feature in
situations in which you start a job at one location and need to check on it at a later
time from a different location.
Table 2-1 lists the activities you can perform for the current job from the Data Pump
Export prompt in interactive-command mode.
Table 2-1 Supported Activities in Data Pump Export's Interactive-Command

Mode
Activity Command Used

Add additional dump files. ADD_FILE
Exit interactive mode and enter logging mode. CONTINUE_CLIENT
Stop the export client session, but leave the job running. EXIT_CLIENT
Redefine the default size to be used for any subsequent dump FILESIZE
files.
Display a summary of available commands. HELP
Detach all currently attached client sessions and terminate the KILL_JOB
current job.
Increase or decrease the number of active worker processes PARALLEL
for the current job. This command is valid only in the
Enterprise Edition of Oracle Database 11g or later.
Restart a stopped job to which you are attached. START_JOB
Display detailed status for the current job and/or set status STATUS
interval.
Stop the current job for later restart. STOP_JOB
• ADD_FILE
• CONTINUE_CLIENT
• EXIT_CLIENT
• FILESIZE
• HELP
• KILL_JOB
• PARALLEL
• START_JOB
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• STATUS
• STOP_JOB
2.5.1 ADD_FILE
Purpose
Adds additional files or substitution variables to the export dump file set.

ADD_FILE=[directory_object:]file_name [,...]
Each file name can have a different directory object. If no directory object is specified,
then the default is assumed.
The file_name must not contain any directory path information. However, it can include
a substitution variable, %U, which indicates that multiple files may be generated using
the specified file name as a template.
The size of the file being added is determined by the setting of the FILESIZE parameter.
Example
The following example adds two dump files to the dump file set. A directory object is
not specified for the dump file named hr2.dmp, so the default directory object for the job
is assumed. A different directory object, dpump_dir2, is specified for the dump file
named hr3.dmp.
Export> ADD_FILE=hr2.dmp, dpump_dir2:hr3.dmp
See Also:
"File Allocation" for information about the effects of using substitution variables
2.5.2 CONTINUE_CLIENT
Purpose
Changes the Export mode from interactive-command mode to logging mode.

CONTINUE_CLIENT
In logging mode, status is continually output to the terminal. If the job is currently
stopped, then CONTINUE_CLIENT will also cause the client to attempt to start the job.
Example
Export> CONTINUE_CLIENT
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2.5.3 EXIT_CLIENT
Purpose
Stops the export client session, exits Export, and discontinues logging to the terminal,
but leaves the current job running.

EXIT_CLIENT
Because EXIT_CLIENT leaves the job running, you can attach to the job at a later time.
To see the status of the job, you can monitor the log file for the job or you can query
the USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS view or the V$SESSION_LONGOPS view.
Example
Export> EXIT_CLIENT
2.5.4 FILESIZE
Purpose
Redefines the maximum size of subsequent dump files. If the size is reached for any
member of the dump file set, then that file is closed and an attempt is made to create a
new file, if the file specification contains a substitution variable or if additional dump
files have been added to the job.

FILESIZE=integer[B | KB | MB | GB | TB]
The integer can be immediately followed (do not insert a space) by B, KB, MB, GB, or TB
(indicating bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes respectively). Bytes
is the default. The actual size of the resulting file may be rounded down slightly to
match the size of the internal blocks used in dump files.
A file size of 0 is equivalent to the maximum file size of 16 TB.
Restrictions
• The minimum size for a file is ten times the default Data Pump block size, which is
4 kilobytes.
• The maximum size for a file is 16 terabytes.
Example
Export> FILESIZE=100MB
2.5.5 HELP
Purpose
Provides information about Data Pump Export commands available in interactive-
command mode.
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HELP
Displays information about the commands available in interactive-command mode.
Example
Export> HELP
2.5.6 KILL_JOB
Purpose
Detaches all currently attached client sessions and then terminates the current job. It
exits Export and returns to the terminal prompt.

KILL_JOB
A job that is terminated using KILL_JOB cannot be restarted. All attached clients,
including the one issuing the KILL_JOB command, receive a warning that the job is
being terminated by the current user and are then detached. After all clients are
detached, the job's process structure is immediately run down and the master table
and dump files are deleted. Log files are not deleted.
Example
Export> KILL_JOB
2.5.7 PARALLEL
Purpose
Enables you to increase or decrease the number of active processes (worker and
parallel slaves) for the current job.

PARALLEL=integer
PARALLEL is available as both a command-line parameter and as an interactive-

command mode parameter. You set it to the desired number of parallel processes
(worker and parallel slaves). An increase takes effect immediately if there are sufficient
files and resources. A decrease does not take effect until an existing process finishes
its current task. If the value is decreased, then workers are idled but not deleted until
the job exits.
Restrictions
later.
Example
Export> PARALLEL=10
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See Also:
"PARALLEL" for more information about parallelism
2.5.8 START_JOB
Purpose
Starts the current job to which you are attached.

START_JOB
The START_JOB command restarts the current job to which you are attached (the job
cannot be currently executing). The job is restarted with no data loss or corruption
after an unexpected failure or after you issued a STOP_JOB command, provided the
dump file set and master table have not been altered in any way.
Exports done in transportable-tablespace mode are not restartable.
Example
Export> START_JOB
2.5.9 STATUS
Purpose
Displays cumulative status of the job, a description of the current operation, and an
estimated completion percentage. It also allows you to reset the display interval for
logging mode status.

STATUS[=integer]
You have the option of specifying how frequently, in seconds, this status should be
displayed in logging mode. If no value is entered or if the default value of 0 is used,
then the periodic status display is turned off and status is displayed only once.
(even if one is in effect).
Example
The following example will display the current job status and change the logging mode
display interval to five minutes (300 seconds):
Export> STATUS=300
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2.5.10 STOP_JOB
Purpose
Stops the current job either immediately or after an orderly shutdown, and exits Export.

STOP_JOB[=IMMEDIATE]
If the master table and dump file set are not disturbed when or after the STOP_JOB
command is issued, then the job can be attached to and restarted at a later time with
the START_JOB command.
To perform an orderly shutdown, use STOP_JOB (without any associated value). A

warning requiring confirmation will be issued. An orderly shutdown stops the job after
worker processes have finished their current tasks.
To perform an immediate shutdown, specify STOP_JOB=IMMEDIATE. A warning requiring
confirmation will be issued. All attached clients, including the one issuing the STOP_JOB
command, receive a warning that the job is being stopped by the current user and they
will be detached. After all clients are detached, the process structure of the job is
immediately run down. That is, the master process will not wait for the worker
processes to finish their current tasks. There is no risk of corruption or data loss when
you specify STOP_JOB=IMMEDIATE. However, some tasks that were incomplete at the time
of shutdown may have to be redone at restart time.
Example
Export> STOP_JOB=IMMEDIATE
2.6 Examples of Using Data Pump Export

• Performing a Table-Mode Export

This example shows a table-mode export, specified using the TABLES parameter.
• Data-Only Unload of Selected Tables and Rows
This example shows data-only unload of selected tables and rows.
• Estimating Disk Space Needed in a Table-Mode Export
This example shows how to estimate the disk space needed in a table-mode
export.
• Performing a Schema-Mode Export
This example shows you how to perform a schema-mode export.
• Performing a Parallel Full Database Export
This examples show you how to perform a parallel full database export.
• Using Interactive Mode to Stop and Reattach to a Job
This example shows you how to use interactive mode to stop and reattach to a
job.
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2.6.1 Performing a Table-Mode Export

This example shows a table-mode export, specified using the TABLES parameter.
Example 2-1 shows the Data Pump export command to perform a table export of the
tables employees and jobs from the human resources (hr) schema.
Because user hr is exporting tables in his own schema, it is not necessary to specify
the schema name for the tables. The NOLOGFILE=YES parameter indicates that an Export
log file of the operation will not be generated.
Example 2-1 Performing a Table-Mode Export
expdp hr TABLES=employees,jobs DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:table.dmp NOLOGFILE=YES
2.6.2 Data-Only Unload of Selected Tables and Rows

This example shows data-only unload of selected tables and rows.
Example 2-2 shows the contents of a parameter file (exp.par) that you could use to
perform a data-only unload of all tables in the human resources (hr) schema except for
the tables countries and regions. Rows in the employees table are unloaded that have a
department_id other than 50. The rows are ordered by employee_id.
You can issue the following command to execute the exp.par parameter file:
> expdp hr PARFILE=exp.par
A schema-mode export (the default mode) is performed, but the CONTENT parameter
effectively limits the export to an unload of just the table's data. The DBA previously
created the directory object dpump_dir1 which points to the directory on the server
where user hr is authorized to read and write export dump files. The dump file
dataonly.dmp is created in dpump_dir1.
Example 2-2 Data-Only Unload of Selected Tables and Rows

DUMPFILE=dataonly.dmp
CONTENT=DATA_ONLY
EXCLUDE=TABLE:"IN ('COUNTRIES', 'REGIONS')"
QUERY=employees:"WHERE department_id !=50 ORDER BY employee_id"
2.6.3 Estimating Disk Space Needed in a Table-Mode Export

This example shows how to estimate the disk space needed in a table-mode export.
Example 2-3 shows the use of the ESTIMATE_ONLY parameter to estimate the space that
would be consumed in a table-mode export, without actually performing the export
operation. Issue the following command to use the BLOCKS method to estimate the
number of bytes required to export the data in the following three tables located in the
human resource (hr) schema: employees, departments, and locations.
The estimate is printed in the log file and displayed on the client's standard output
device. The estimate is for table row data only; it does not include metadata.
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Example 2-3 Estimating Disk Space Needed in a Table-Mode Export

> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 ESTIMATE_ONLY=YES TABLES=employees,
departments, locations LOGFILE=estimate.log
2.6.4 Performing a Schema-Mode Export

This example shows you how to perform a schema-mode export.
Example 2-4 shows a schema-mode export of the hr schema. In a schema-mode
export, only objects belonging to the corresponding schemas are unloaded. Because
schema mode is the default mode, it is not necessary to specify the SCHEMAS parameter
on the command line, unless you are specifying more than one schema or a schema
other than your own.
Example 2-4 Performing a Schema Mode Export
> expdp hr DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:expschema.dmp LOGFILE=dpump_dir1:expschema.log
2.6.5 Performing a Parallel Full Database Export

This examples show you how to perform a parallel full database export.
Example 2-5 shows a full database Export that will have up to 3 parallel processes
(worker or PQ slaves).
Example 2-5 Parallel Full Export
> expdp hr FULL=YES DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:full1%U.dmp, dpump_dir2:full2%U.dmp
FILESIZE=2G PARALLEL=3 LOGFILE=dpump_dir1:expfull.log JOB_NAME=expfull
Because this is a full database export, all data and metadata in the database will be
exported. Dump files full101.dmp, full201.dmp, full102.dmp, and so on will be created in
a round-robin fashion in the directories pointed to by the dpump_dir1 and dpump_dir2
directory objects. For best performance, these should be on separate I/O channels.
Each file will be up to 2 gigabytes in size, as necessary. Initially, up to three files will
be created. More files will be created, if needed. The job and master table will have a
name of expfull. The log file will be written to expfull.log in the dpump_dir1 directory.
2.6.6 Using Interactive Mode to Stop and Reattach to a Job

This example shows you how to use interactive mode to stop and reattach to a job.
To start this example, reexecute the parallel full export in Example 2-5. While the
export is running, press Ctrl+C. This will start the interactive-command interface of
Data Pump Export. In the interactive interface, logging to the terminal stops and the
Export prompt is displayed.
After the job status is displayed, you can issue the CONTINUE_CLIENT command to
resume logging mode and restart the expfull job.
Export> CONTINUE_CLIENT
A message is displayed that the job has been reopened, and processing status is
output to the client.
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Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Export
Example 2-6 Stopping and Reattaching to a Job

At the Export prompt, issue the following command to stop the job:
Export> STOP_JOB=IMMEDIATE
Are you sure you wish to stop this job ([y]/n): y
The job is placed in a stopped state and exits the client.

Enter the following command to reattach to the job you just stopped:
> expdp hr ATTACH=EXPFULL
2.7 Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Export

These diagrams use standard SQL syntax notation. For more information about SQL
syntax notation, see Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
ExpInit
YES
HELP =
NO
expdp
@ connect_identifier AS SYSDBA
username / password ExpStart
ExpStart
ExpModes ExpOpts ExpFileOpts
ExpEncrypt
schema_name .
= job_name
ATTACH
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ExpModes
YES
FULL =
NO
SCHEMAS = schema_name
schema_name . : partition_name
TABLES = table_name
TABLESPACES = tablespace_name
YES
, TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK =
NO
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES = tablespace_name
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ExpOpts
ALL
CONTENT = DATA_ONLY
METADATA_ONLY
ExpCompression
XML_CLOBS
DATA_OPTIONS = GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA
VERIFY_STREAM_FORMAT
BLOCKS
ESTIMATE =
STATISTICS
YES
ESTIMATE_ONLY =
NO
ExpEncrypt
ExpFilter
FLASHBACK_SCN = scn_value
FLASHBACK_TIME = timestamp
JOB_NAME = jobname_string
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ExpOpts_Cont
ALL
CONTENT = DATA_ONLY
METADATA_ONLY
ExpCompression
XML_CLOBS
DATA_OPTIONS = GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA
VERIFY_STREAM_FORMAT
BLOCKS
ESTIMATE =
STATISTICS
YES
ESTIMATE_ONLY =
NO
ExpEncrypt
ExpFilter
FLASHBACK_SCN = scn_value
ExpCompression
ALL
DATA_ONLY
COMPRESSION =
METADATA_ONLY
NONE
BASIC
LOW
COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM =
MEDIUM
HIGH
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ExpEncrypt
ALL
DATA_ONLY
ENCRYPTION = METADATA_ONLY
ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS_ONLY
NONE
AES128
ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM = AES192
AES256
PASSWORD
ENCRYPTION_MODE = TRANSPARENT
DUAL
YES
ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT =
NO
ExpFilter
: name_clause
EXCLUDE = object_type
: name_clause
INCLUDE = object_type
schema_name .
table_name :
QUERY = query_clause
schema_name .
table_name :
SAMPLE = sample_percent
ExpRacOpt
YES
CLUSTER =
NO
SERVICE_NAME = service_name
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ExpRemap
schema . schema .
REMAP_DATA = table . column : pkg . function
ExpVersion
COMPATIBLE
VERSION = LATEST
version_string
ExpFileOpts
DIRECTORY = directory_object
directory_object :
DUMPFILE = file_name
FILESIZE = number_of_bytes
directory_object :
LOGFILE = file_name
YES
NOLOGFILE =
NO
directory_path
PARFILE = file_name
YES
REUSE_DUMPFILES =
NO
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ExpDynOpts
directory_object :
ADD_FILE = file_name
CONTINUE_CLIENT
EXIT_CLIENT
FILESIZE = number_of_bytes
HELP
KILL_JOB
PARALLEL = integer
YES
= SKIP_CURRENT =
NO
START_JOB
= integer
STATUS
= IMMEDIATE
STOP_JOB
ExpDiagnostics
ABORT_STEP = integer
AUTOMATIC
EXTERNAL_TABLE
ACCESS_METHOD =
DIRECT_PATH
INSERT_AS_SELECT
YES
KEEP_MASTER =
NO
YES
METRICS =
NO
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3
Data Pump Import
The Oracle Data Pump Import utility is used to load an export dump file set into a
target database. You can also use it to perform a network import to load a target
database directly from a source database with no intervening files.
• What Is Data Pump Import?

Data Pump Import (hereinafter referred to as Import for ease of reading) is a utility
for loading an export dump file set into a target system.
• Invoking Data Pump Import
The Data Pump Import utility is started using the impdp command.
• Filtering During Import Operations
Data Pump Import provides a filtering capability.
• Parameters Available in Import's Command-Line Mode
Data Pump Import.
• Commands Available in Import's Interactive-Command Mode
terminal is suspended and the Import prompt (Import>) is displayed.
• Examples of Using Data Pump Import
This section provides examples of the following ways in which you might use Data
Pump Import.
• Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Import
This section provides syntax diagrams for Data Pump Import.
3.1 What Is Data Pump Import?

Data Pump Import (hereinafter referred to as Import for ease of reading) is a utility for
loading an export dump file set into a target system.
The dump file set is made up of one or more disk files that contain table data,
database object metadata, and control information. The files are written in a
proprietary, binary format. During an import operation, the Data Pump Import utility
uses these files to locate each database object in the dump file set.
Import can also be used to load a target database directly from a source database with
no intervening dump files. This is known as a network import.
Data Pump Import enables you to specify whether a job should move a subset of the
data and metadata from the dump file set or the source database (in the case of a
network import), as determined by the import mode. This is done using data filters and
metadata filters, which are implemented through Import commands.
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Invoking Data Pump Import
See Also:
• Filtering During Import Operations to learn more about data filters and
metadata filters.
• Examples of Using Data Pump Import to see some examples of the various
ways in which you can use Import.
3.2 Invoking Data Pump Import

The Data Pump Import utility is started using the impdp command.
The characteristics of the import operation are determined by the import parameters
you specify. These parameters can be specified either on the command line or in a
parameter file.
Note:
Do not start Import as SYSDBA, except at the request of Oracle technical support.
SYSDBA is used internally and has specialized functions; its behavior is not the
same as for general users.
Note:
Be aware that if you are performing a Data Pump Import into a table or
tablespace created with the NOLOGGING clause enabled, then a redo log file may
still be generated. The redo that is generated in such a case is generally for
maintenance of the master table or related to underlying recursive space
transactions, data dictionary changes, and index maintenance for indices on
the table that require logging.
• Data Pump Import Interfaces

You can interact with Data Pump Import by using a command line, a parameter
file, or an interactive-command mode.
• Data Pump Import Modes
The import mode determines what is imported.
Pump Import utility.
3.2.1 Data Pump Import Interfaces

You can interact with Data Pump Import by using a command line, a parameter file, or
an interactive-command mode.
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• Command-Line Interface: Enables you to specify the Import parameters directly on

the command line. For a complete description of the parameters available in the
command-line interface.
• Parameter File Interface: Enables you to specify command-line parameters in a
parameter file. The only exception is the PARFILE parameter because parameter
files cannot be nested. The use of parameter files is recommended if you are
using parameters whose values require quotation marks.
• Interactive-Command Interface: Stops logging to the terminal and displays the
Import prompt, from which you can enter various commands, some of which are
specific to interactive-command mode. This mode is enabled by pressing Ctrl+C
during an import operation started with the command-line interface or the
parameter file interface. Interactive-command mode is also enabled when you
attach to an executing or stopped job.
Related Topics
• Parameters Available in Import's Command-Line Mode
Data Pump Import.
• Commands Available in Import's Interactive-Command Mode
See Also:
• Parameters Available in Import's Command-Line Mode for a description of

the parameters available in the command-line interface.
• Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line for a
description of the command-line parameters in a parameter file.
• Commands Available in Import's Interactive-Command Mode for a
description of the commands available in interactive-command mode.
3.2.2 Data Pump Import Modes

The import mode determines what is imported.
The specified mode applies to the source of the operation, either a dump file set or
another database if the NETWORK_LINK parameter is specified.
When the source of the import operation is a dump file set, specifying a mode is
optional. If no mode is specified, then Import attempts to load the entire dump file set
in the mode in which the export operation was run.
The mode is specified on the command line, using the appropriate parameter. The
available modes are described in the following sections.
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Note:
When you import a dump file that was created by a full-mode export, the import
operation attempts to copy the password for the SYS account from the source
database. This sometimes fails (for example, if the password is in a shared
password file). If it does fail, then after the import completes, you must set the
password for the SYS account at the target database to a password of your
choice.
• Full Import Mode

A full import is specified using the FULL parameter.
• Schema Mode
A schema import is specified using the SCHEMAS parameter.
• Table Mode
A table-mode import is specified using the TABLES parameter.
• Tablespace Mode
A tablespace-mode import is specified using the TABLESPACES parameter.
• Transportable Tablespace Mode
A transportable tablespace import is specified using the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
parameter.
3.2.2.1 Full Import Mode

A full import is specified using the FULL parameter.
In full import mode, the entire content of the source (dump file set or another
database) is loaded into the target database. This is the default for file-based imports.
You must have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role if the source is another database
containing schemas other than your own.
Cross-schema references are not imported for non-privileged users. For example, a
trigger defined on a table within the importing user's schema, but residing in another
user's schema, is not imported.
The DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role is required on the target database and the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role is required on the source database if the NETWORK_LINK
parameter is used for a full import.
Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Imports

You can use the transportable option during a full-mode import to perform a full
transportable import.
Network-based full transportable imports require use of the FULL=YES,
TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS, and TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=datafile_name parameters.
File-based full transportable imports only require use of the

TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=datafile_name parameter. Data Pump Import infers the presence
of the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS and FULL=Y parameters.
There are several requirements when performing a full transportable import:
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• Either the NETWORK_LINK parameter must also be specified or the dump file set
being imported must have been created using the transportable option during
export.
• If you are using a network link, then the database specified on the NETWORK_LINK
parameter must be Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.3) or later, and the
Data Pump VERSION parameter must be set to at least 12. (In a non-network import,
VERSION=12 is implicitly determined from the dump file.)
• If the source platform and the target platform are of different endianness, then you
must convert the data being transported so that it is in the format of the target
platform. You can use the DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER package or the RMAN CONVERT
command to convert the data.
• A full transportable import of encrypted tablespaces is not supported in network
mode or dump file mode if the source and target platforms do not have the same
endianess.
Related Topics
• FULL
• TRANSPORTABLE
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for a detailed example of performing a
full transportable import
3.2.2.2 Schema Mode

A schema import is specified using the SCHEMAS parameter.
In a schema import, only objects owned by the specified schemas are loaded. The
source can be a full, table, tablespace, or schema-mode export dump file set or
another database. If you have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role, then a list of
schemas can be specified and the schemas themselves (including system privilege
grants) are created in the database in addition to the objects contained within those
schemas.
Cross-schema references are not imported for non-privileged users unless the other
schema is remapped to the current schema. For example, a trigger defined on a table
within the importing user's schema, but residing in another user's schema, is not
imported.
Related Topics
• SCHEMAS
3.2.2.3 Table Mode

A table-mode import is specified using the TABLES parameter.
A table-mode import is specified using the TABLES parameter. In table mode, only the
specified set of tables, partitions, and their dependent objects are loaded. The source
can be a full, schema, tablespace, or table-mode export dump file set or another
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database. You must have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role to specify tables that
are not in your own schema.
You can use the transportable option during a table-mode import by specifying the
TRANPORTABLE=ALWAYS parameter with the TABLES parameter. Note that this requires use
of the NETWORK_LINK parameter, as well.
To recover tables and table partitions, you can also use RMAN backups and the
RMAN RECOVER TABLE command. During this process, RMAN creates (and optionally
imports) a Data Pump export dump file that contains the recovered objects.
Related Topics
• TABLES
• TRANSPORTABLE
See Also:
Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide
3.2.2.4 Tablespace Mode

A tablespace-mode import is specified using the TABLESPACES parameter.
A tablespace-mode import is specified using the TABLESPACES parameter. In tablespace

mode, all objects contained within the specified set of tablespaces are loaded, along
with the dependent objects. The source can be a full, schema, tablespace, or table-
mode export dump file set or another database. For unprivileged users, objects not
remapped to the current schema will not be processed.
Related Topics
• TABLESPACES
See Also:
TABLESPACES
3.2.2.5 Transportable Tablespace Mode

A transportable tablespace import is specified using the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
parameter.
In transportable tablespace mode, the metadata from another database is loaded
using either a database link (specified with the NETWORK_LINK parameter) or by
specifying a dump file that contains the metadata. The actual data files, specified by
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the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter, must be made available from the source system
for use in the target database, typically by copying them over to the target system.
When transportable jobs are performed, it is best practice to keep a copy of the data
files on the source system until the import job has successfully completed on the target
system. If the import job should fail for some reason, you will still have uncorrupted
copies of the data files.
This mode requires the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role.
Note:
Related Topics

See Also:
• How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data? for information about
special considerations concerning timestamp data when using
transportable tablespace mode
• Using Data File Copying to Move Data for information about moving data.
3.2.3 Network Considerations

Pump Import utility.
The connect identifier can specify a database instance that is different from the current
instance identified by the current Oracle System ID (SID). The connect identifier can
be an Oracle*Net connect descriptor or a net service name (usually defined in the
tnsnames.ora file) that maps to a connect descriptor. Use of a connect identifier
requires that you have Oracle Net Listener running (to start the default listener, enter
lsnrctl start). The following is an example of this type of connection, in which inst1 is
the connect identifier:
impdp hr@inst1 DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp TABLES=employees
Import then prompts you for a password:
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Filtering During Import Operations
Password: password
The local Import client connects to the database instance identified by the connect
identifier inst1 (a net service name), and imports the data from the dump file hr.dmp to
inst1.
Specifying a connect identifier when you start the Import utility is different from
performing an import operation using the NETWORK_LINK parameter. When you start an
import operation and specify a connect identifier, the local Import client connects to the
database instance identified by the connect identifier and imports the data from the
dump file named on the command line to that database instance.
Whereas, when you perform an import using the NETWORK_LINK parameter, the import is
performed using a database link, and there is no dump file involved. (A database link
is a connection between two physical database servers that allows a client to access
them as one logical database.)
Related Topics
• NETWORK_LINK
See Also:

database links
3.3 Filtering During Import Operations

Data Pump Import provides a filtering capability.
Data Pump Import provides data and metadata filtering capability to help you limit the
type of information that is imported.
• Data Filters
Data-specific filtering is implemented through the QUERY and SAMPLE parameters,
which specify restrictions on the table rows that are to be imported.
3.3.1 Data Filters

Data-specific filtering is implemented through the QUERY and SAMPLE parameters, which
specify restrictions on the table rows that are to be imported.
Data filtering can also occur indirectly because of metadata filtering, which can include
or exclude table objects along with any associated row data.
Each data filter can only be specified once per table and once per job. If different filters
using the same name are applied to both a particular table and to the whole job, then
the filter parameter supplied for the specific table takes precedence.
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Parameters Available in Import's Command-Line Mode
3.3.2 Metadata Filters

Data Pump Import provides much greater metadata filtering capability than was
provided by the original Import utility. The EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters are mutually
exclusive.
Metadata filters identify a set of objects to be included or excluded from a Data Pump
operation. For example, you could request a full import, but without Package
Specifications or Package Bodies.
To use filters correctly and to get the results you expect, remember that dependent
objects of an identified object are processed along with the identified object. For
example, if a filter specifies that a package is to be included in an operation, then
grants upon that package will also be included. Likewise, if a table is excluded by a
filter, then indexes, constraints, grants, and triggers upon the table will also be
excluded by the filter.
If multiple filters are specified for an object type, then an implicit AND operation is
applied to them. That is, objects participating in the job must pass all of the filters
applied to their object types.
The same filter name can be specified multiple times within a job.
To see a list of valid object types, query the following views: DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS
for full mode, SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS for schema mode, and TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for
table and tablespace mode. The values listed in the OBJECT_PATH column are the valid
object types. Note that full object path names are determined by the export mode, not
by the import mode.
Related Topics
The EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters are mutually exclusive.
• EXCLUDE
• INCLUDE
See Also:
• Metadata Filters for an example of using filtering

• The Import EXCLUDE parameter
• The Import INCLUDE parameter
3.4 Parameters Available in Import's Command-Line Mode

This section describes the parameters available in the command-line mode of Data
Pump Import.
Be sure to read the following sections before using the Import parameters:
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• Specifying Import Parameters

• Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line
Many of the descriptions include an example of how to use the parameter. For
background information on setting up the necessary environment to run the examples,
see:
• Using the Import Parameter Examples
Specifying Import Parameters

For parameters that can have multiple values specified, the values can be separated
by commas or by spaces. For example, you could specify TABLES=employees,jobs or
TABLES=employees jobs.
For every parameter you enter, you must enter an equal sign (=) and a value. Data
Pump has no other way of knowing that the previous parameter specification is
complete and a new parameter specification is beginning. For example, in the
following command line, even though NOLOGFILE is a valid parameter, it would be
interpreted as another dump file name for the DUMPFILE parameter:
impdp DIRECTORY=dpumpdir DUMPFILE=test.dmp NOLOGFILE TABLES=employees
This would result in two dump files being created, test.dmp and nologfile.dmp.
To avoid this, specify either NOLOGFILE=YES or NOLOGFILE=NO.
Case Sensitivity When Specifying Parameter Values

For tablespace names, schema names, table names, and so on that you enter as
parameter values, Oracle Data Pump by default changes values entered as lowercase
or mixed-case into uppercase. For example, if you enter TABLE=hr.employees, then it is
changed to TABLE=HR.EMPLOYEES. To maintain case, you must enclose the value within
quotation marks. For example, TABLE="hr.employees" would preserve the table name in
all lower case. The name you enter must exactly match the name stored in the
database.
Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line

Some operating systems treat quotation marks as special characters and will therefore
not pass them to an application unless they are preceded by an escape character,
such as the backslash (\). This is true both on the command line and within parameter
files. Some operating systems may require an additional set of single or double
quotation marks on the command line around the entire parameter value containing
the special characters.
The following examples are provided to illustrate these concepts. Be aware that they
may not apply to your particular operating system and that this documentation cannot
anticipate the operating environments unique to each user.
Suppose you specify the TABLES parameter in a parameter file, as follows:
TABLES = \"MixedCaseTableName\"
If you were to specify that on the command line, then some operating systems would
require that it be surrounded by single quotation marks, as follows:
TABLES = '\"MixedCaseTableName\"'
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To avoid having to supply additional quotation marks on the command line, Oracle
recommends the use of parameter files. Also, note that if you use a parameter file and
the parameter value being specified does not have quotation marks as the first
character in the string (for example, TABLES=scott."EmP"), then the use of escape
characters may not be necessary on some systems.
Using the Import Parameter Examples

If you try running the examples that are provided for each parameter, then be aware of
the following:
• After you enter the username and parameters as shown in the example, Import is
started and you are prompted for a password. You must supply a password before
a database connection is made.
• Most of the examples use the sample schemas of the seed database, which is
installed by default when you install Oracle Database. In particular, the human
resources (hr) schema is often used.
• Examples that specify a dump file to import assume that the dump file exists.
Wherever possible, the examples use dump files that are generated when you run
the Export examples.
• The examples assume that the directory objects, dpump_dir1 and dpump_dir2,
already exist and that READ and WRITE privileges have been granted to the hr user
for these directory objects.
• Some of the examples require the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE and
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE roles. The examples assume that the hr user has been
granted these roles.
If necessary, ask your DBA for help in creating these directory objects and assigning
the necessary privileges and roles.
Unless specifically noted, these parameters can also be specified in a parameter file.
• ABORT_STEP
• ACCESS_METHOD
• ATTACH
• CLUSTER
• CONTENT
• DATA_OPTIONS
• DIRECTORY
• DUMPFILE
• ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
• ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT
• ESTIMATE
• EXCLUDE
• FLASHBACK_SCN
• FLASHBACK_TIME
• FULL
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• HELP
• INCLUDE
• JOB_NAME
• KEEP_MASTER
• LOGFILE
• LOGTIME
• MASTER_ONLY
• METRICS
• NETWORK_LINK
• NOLOGFILE
• PARALLEL
• PARFILE
• PARTITION_OPTIONS
• QUERY
• REMAP_DATA
• REMAP_DATAFILE
• REMAP_DIRECTORY
• REMAP_SCHEMA
• REMAP_TABLE
• REMAP_TABLESPACE
• REUSE_DATAFILES
• SCHEMAS
• SERVICE_NAME
• SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES
• SOURCE_EDITION
• SQLFILE
• STATUS
• STREAMS_CONFIGURATION
• TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION
• TABLES
• TABLESPACES
• TARGET_EDITION
• TRANSFORM
• TRANSPORT_DATAFILES
• TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK
• TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
• TRANSPORTABLE
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• VERSION
• VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Network Import)
• VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Non-Network Import)
Related Topics
• PARFILE
• Examples of Using Data Pump Import
Pump Import.
• Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Import
See Also:
Oracle Database Sample Schemas
Your Oracle operating system-specific documentation for information about
how special and reserved characters are handled on your system.
3.4.1 ABORT_STEP
Default: Null
Purpose
Used to stop the job after it is initialized. This allows the master table to be queried
before any data is imported.

ABORT_STEP=[n | -1]
The possible values correspond to a process order number in the master table. The
result of using each number is as follows:
• n: If the value is zero or greater, then the import operation is started and the job is
aborted at the object that is stored in the master table with the corresponding
process order number.
• -1 and the job is an import using a NETWORK_LINK: Abort the job after setting it up but
before importing any objects.
• -1 and the job is an import that does not use NETWORK_LINK: Abort the job after
loading the master table and applying filters.
Restrictions
• None
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Example
> impdp hr SCHEMAS=hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 LOGFILE=schemas.log
DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp ABORT_STEP=-1
3.4.2 ACCESS_METHOD
Default: AUTOMATIC
Purpose
Instructs Import to use a particular method to load data.

ACCESS_METHOD=[AUTOMATIC | DIRECT_PATH | EXTERNAL_TABLE | CONVENTIONAL_PATH |
INSERT_AS_SELECT]
The ACCESS_METHOD parameter is provided so that you can try an alternative method if
the default method does not work for some reason. If the data for a table cannot be
loaded with the specified access method, then the data displays an error for the table
and continues with the next work item.
The available options are:
• AUTOMATIC — This is the default. Data Pump determines the best way to load data
for each table. Oracle recommends that you use AUTOMATIC whenever possible
because it allows Data Pump to automatically select the most efficient method.
• DIRECT_PATH — Data Pump uses direct path load for every table.
• EXTERNAL_TABLE — Data Pump creates an external table over the data stored in the
dump file and uses a SQL INSERT AS SELECT statement to load the data into the
table. Data Pump applies the APPEND hint to the INSERT statement.
• CONVENTIONAL_PATH — Data Pump creates an external table over the data stored in
the dump file and reads rows from the external table one at a time. Every time it
reads a row Data Pump executes an insert statement to load that row into the
target table. This method takes a long time to load data, but it is the only way to
load data that cannot be loaded by direct path and external tables.
• INSERT_AS_SELECT — Data Pump loads tables by executing a SQL INSERT AS SELECT
statement that selects data from the remote database and inserts it into the target
table. This option is available only for network mode imports. It is used to disable
use of DIRECT_PATH when data is moved over the network.
Restrictions
• The valid options for network mode import are AUTOMATIC, DIRECT_PATH and
INSERT_AS_SELECT .
• The only valid options when importing from a dump file are AUTOMATIC, DIRECT_PATH,
EXTERNAL_TABLE and CONVENTIONAL_PATH
• To use the ACCESS_METHOD parameter with network imports, you must be using
Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1) or later
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Example
The following example allows Data Pump to load data for multiple partitions of the pre-
existing table SALES at the same time.
impdp hr SCHEMAS=hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 LOGFILE=schemas.log
DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp ACCESS_METHOD=CONVENTIONAL
3.4.3 ATTACH
Default: current job in user's schema, if there is only one running job.
Purpose
Attaches the client session to an existing import job and automatically places you in
interactive-command mode.

ATTACH [=[schema_name.]job_name]
Specify a schema_name if the schema to which you are attaching is not your own. You
must have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role to do this.
A job_name does not have to be specified if only one running job is associated with your
schema and the job is active. If the job you are attaching to is stopped, then you must
supply the job name. To see a list of Data Pump job names, you can query the
DBA_DATAPUMP_JOBS view or the USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS view.
When you are attached to the job, Import displays a description of the job and then
displays the Import prompt.
Restrictions
• When you specify the ATTACH parameter, the only other Data Pump parameter you
can specify on the command line is ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD.
• If the job you are attaching to was initially started using an encryption password,
then when you attach to the job you must again enter the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
parameter on the command line to re-specify that password.
• You cannot attach to a job in another schema unless it is already running.
• If the dump file set or master table for the job have been deleted, then the attach
operation fails.
• Altering the master table in any way can lead to unpredictable results.
Example
The following is an example of using the ATTACH parameter.
> impdp hr ATTACH=import_job
This example assumes that a job named import_job exists in the hr schema.
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See Also:
"Commands Available in Import's Interactive-Command Mode"
3.4.4 CLUSTER
Default: YES
Purpose
Determines whether Data Pump can use Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle
RAC) resources and start workers on other Oracle RAC instances.

CLUSTER=[YES | NO]
To force Data Pump Import to use only the instance where the job is started and to
replicate pre-Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2) behavior, specify CLUSTER=NO.
To specify a specific, existing service and constrain worker processes to run only on
instances defined for that service, use the SERVICE_NAME parameter with the CLUSTER=YES
parameter.
Use of the CLUSTER parameter may affect performance because there is some
additional overhead in distributing the import job across Oracle RAC instances. For
small jobs, it may be better to specify CLUSTER=NO to constrain the job to run on the
instance where it is started. Jobs whose performance benefits the most from using the
CLUSTER parameter are those involving large amounts of data.
Example
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 SCHEMAS=hr CLUSTER=NO PARALLEL=3 NETWORK_LINK=dbs1
This example performs a schema-mode import of the hr schema. Because CLUSTER=NO

is used, the job uses only the instance where it is started. Up to 3 parallel processes
can be used. The NETWORK_LINK value of dbs1 would be replaced with the name of the
source database from which you were importing data. (Note that there is no dump file
generated because this is a network import.)
The NETWORK_LINK parameter is simply being used as part of the example. It is not
required when using the CLUSTER parameter.
See Also:
• "SERVICE_NAME"
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3.4.5 CONTENT
Default: ALL
Purpose
Enables you to filter what is loaded during the import operation.

CONTENT=[ALL | DATA_ONLY | METADATA_ONLY]
• ALL loads any data and metadata contained in the source. This is the default.
• DATA_ONLY loads only table row data into existing tables; no database objects are
created.
• METADATA_ONLY loads only database object definitions; no table row data is loaded.
Be aware that if you specify CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY, then any index or table
statistics imported from the dump file are locked after the import operation is
complete.
Restrictions
• The CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY parameter and value cannot be used in conjunction
with the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES (transportable-tablespace mode) parameter or the
QUERY parameter.
• The CONTENT=ALL and CONTENT=DATA_ONLY parameter and values cannot be used in

conjunction with the SQLFILE parameter.
Example
The following is an example of using the CONTENT parameter. You can create the
expfull.dmp dump file used in this example by running the example provided for the
Export FULL parameter. See "FULL".
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY
This command will execute a full import that will load only the metadata in the
expfull.dmp dump file. It executes a full import because that is the default for file-based
imports in which no import mode is specified.
3.4.6 DATA_OPTIONS
Default: There is no default. If this parameter is not used, then the special data
handling options it provides simply do not take effect.
Purpose
The DATA_OPTIONS parameter designates how certain types of data should be handled
during import operations.

DATA_OPTIONS = [DISABLE_APPEND_HINT | SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS |
ENABLE_NETWORK_COMPRESSION | REJECT_ROWS_WITH_REPL_CHAR |
TRUST_EXISTING_TABLE_PARTITIONS | VALIDATE_TABLE_DATA]
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• DISABLE_APPEND_HINT — Specifies that you do not want the import operation to use
the APPEND hint while loading the data object. Disabling the APPEND hint can be
useful if there is a small set of data objects to load that already exist in the
database and some other application may be concurrently accessing one or more
of the data objects.
If DISABLE_APPEND_HINT is not set, then the default behavior is to use the APPEND hint
for loading data objects.
• SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS — Affects how non-deferred constraint violations are
handled while a data object (table, partition, or subpartition) is being loaded. It has
no effect on the load if deferred constraint violations are encountered. Deferred
constraint violations always cause the entire load to be rolled back.
The SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS option specifies that you want the import operation to
proceed even if non-deferred constraint violations are encountered. It logs any
rows that cause non-deferred constraint violations, but does not stop the load for
the data object experiencing the violation.
If SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS is not set, then the default behavior is to roll back the
entire load of the data object on which non-deferred constraint violations are
encountered.
• ENABLE_NETWORK_COMPRESSION — Used for network imports in which the Data Pump
ACCESS_METHOD parameter is set to DIRECT_PATH to load remote table data. When
ENABLE_NETWORK_COMPRESSION is specified, Data Pump compresses data on the
remote node before it is sent over the network to the target database, where it is
decompressed. This option is useful if the network connection between the remote
and local database is slow because it reduces the amount of data sent over the
network.
If ACCESS_METHOD=AUTOMATIC and Data Pump decides to use DIRECT_PATH for a
network import, then ENABLE_NETWORK_COMPRESSION would also apply.
The ENABLE_NETWORK_COMPRESSION option is ignored if Data Pump is importing data
from a dump file, if the remote data base is earlier than Oracle Database 12c
Release 2 (12.2), or if an INSERT_AS_SELECT statement is being used to load data
from the remote database.
• REJECT_ROWS_WITH_REPL_CHAR — specifies that you want the import operation to
reject any rows that experience data loss because the default replacement
character was used during character set conversion.
If REJECT_ROWS_WITH_REPL_CHAR is not set, then the default behavior is to load the
converted rows with replacement characters.
• TRUST_EXISTING_TABLE_PARTITIONS — tells Data Pump to load partition data in
parallel into existing tables. You should use this option when you are using Data
Pump to create the table from the definition in the export database before the table
data import is started. This is done as part of a migration when the metadata is
static and can be moved before the databases are taken off line in order to migrate
the data. Moving the metadata separately minimizes downtime. If you use this
option and if other attributes of the database are the same (for example, character
set), then the data from the export database goes to the same partitions in the
import database.
You can create the table outside of the data pump but the partition attributes and
partition names must be identical to the export database.
• VALIDATE_TABLE_DATA — directs Data Pump to validate the number and date data
types in table data columns. An ORA-39376 error is written to the .log file if invalid
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data is encountered. The error text includes the column name. The default is to do
no validation. Use this option if the source of the Data Pump dump file is not
trusted.
Restrictions
• If DISABLE_APPEND_HINT is used, then it can take longer for data objects to load.
• If SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS is used and if a data object has unique indexes or
constraints defined on it at the time of the load, then the APPEND hint will not be
used for loading that data object. Therefore, loading such data objects will take
longer when the SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS option is used.
• Even if SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS is specified, it is not used unless a data object is
being loaded using the external table access method.
Example
This example shows a data-only table mode import with SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS
enabled:
> impdp hr TABLES=employees CONTENT=DATA_ONLY
DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:table.dmp DATA_OPTIONS=skip_constraint_errors
If any non-deferred constraint violations are encountered during this import operation,
then they will be logged and the import will continue on to completion.
3.4.7 DIRECTORY
Default: DATA_PUMP_DIR
Purpose
Specifies the default location in which the import job can find the dump file set and
where it should create log and SQL files.

DIRECTORY=directory_object
The directory_object is the name of a database directory object (not the file path of an
actual directory). Privileged users have access to a default directory object named
DATA_PUMP_DIR. The definition of the DATA_PUMP_DIR directory may be changed by Oracle
during upgrades or when patches are applied.
Users with access to the default DATA_PUMP_DIR directory object do not need to use the
A directory object specified on the DUMPFILE, LOGFILE, or SQLFILE parameter overrides

any directory object that you specify for the DIRECTORY parameter. You must have Read
access to the directory used for the dump file set and Write access to the directory
used to create the log and SQL files.
Example
The following is an example of using the DIRECTORY parameter. You can create the
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> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp

LOGFILE=dpump_dir2:expfull.log
This command results in the import job looking for the expfull.dmp dump file in the
directory pointed to by the dpump_dir1 directory object. The dpump_dir2 directory object
specified on the LOGFILE parameter overrides the DIRECTORY parameter so that the log
file is written to dpump_dir2.
See Also:
• "Default Locations for Dump_ Log_ and SQL Files" for more information
about default directory objects and the order of precedence Data Pump
uses to determine a file's location
3.4.8 DUMPFILE
Default: expdat.dmp
Purpose
Specifies the names and optionally, the directory objects of the dump file set that was
created by Export.

DUMPFILE=[directory_object:]file_name [, ...]
The directory_object is optional if one has already been established by the DIRECTORY
parameter. If you do supply a value here, then it must be a directory object that
already exists, and that you have access to. A database directory object that is
specified as part of the DUMPFILE parameter overrides a value specified by the
The file_name is the name of a file in the dump file set. The file names can also be
templates that contain substitution variables. Import examines each file that matches
the template (until no match is found) to locate all files that are part of the dump file
set. Sufficient information is contained within the files for Import to locate the entire set,
provided the file specifications in the DUMPFILE parameter encompass the entire set.
The files are not required to have the same names, locations, or order that they had at
export time.
The possible substitution variables are described in the following table.
Substitution Description
Variable
%U If %U is used, then the %U expands to a 2-digit incrementing integer starting
with 01.
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Substitution Description
Variable
%l, %L Specifies a system-generated unique file name.
The file names can contain a substitution variable (%L), which implies that
multiple files may be generated. The substitution variable is expanded in the
resulting file names into a 2-digit, fixed-width, incrementing integer starting at
01 and ending at 99 which is the same as (%U). In addition, the substitution
variable is expanded in the resulting file names into a 3-digit to 10-digit,
variable-width, incrementing integers starting at 100 and ending at
2147483646. The width field is determined by the number of digits in the
integer.
For example if the current integer was 1, exp%Laa%L.dmp would resolve to
exp01aa01.dmp
exp02aa02.dmp
and so forth up until 99. Then, the next file name would have 3 digits
substituted:
exp100aa100.dmp
exp101aa101.dmp
and so forth up until 999 where the next file would have 4 digits substituted.
The substitution will continue up to the largest number substitution allowed,
which is 2147483646.
Restrictions
(12.1) and later.
Example
The following is an example of using the Import DUMPFILE parameter. You can create
the dump files used in this example by running the example provided for the Export
DUMPFILE parameter. See "DUMPFILE".
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=dpump_dir2:exp1.dmp, exp2%U.dmp
Because a directory object (dpump_dir2) is specified for the exp1.dmp dump file, the
import job looks there for the file. It also looks in dpump_dir1 for dump files of the form
exp2nn.dmp. The log file is written to dpump_dir1.
See Also:
• "File Allocation"
• "Performing a Data-Only Table-Mode Import"
3.4.9 ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
Default: There is no default; the value is user-supplied.
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Purpose
Specifies a password for accessing encrypted column data in the dump file set. This
prevents unauthorized access to an encrypted dump file set.
It is also required for the transport of keys associated with encrypted tablespaces and
tables with encrypted columns during a full transportable export or import operation.
The password that you enter is echoed to the screen. If you do not want the password
shown on the screen as you enter it, then use the ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT parameter.

This parameter is required on an import operation if an encryption password was

specified on the export operation. The password that is specified must be the same
one that was specified on the export operation.
Restrictions
later.
• The ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is not valid if the dump file set was created
using the transparent mode of encryption.
• The ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter is required for network-based full transportable
imports where the source database has encrypted tablespaces or tables with
encrypted columns.
• Encryption attributes for all columns must match between the exported table
definition and the target table. For example, suppose you have a table, EMP, and
one of its columns is named EMPNO. Both of the following situations would result in
an error because the encryption attribute for the EMP column in the source table
would not match the encryption attribute for the EMP column in the target table:
– The EMP table is exported with the EMPNO column being encrypted, but before
importing the table you remove the encryption attribute from the EMPNO column.
– The EMP table is exported without the EMPNO column being encrypted, but before
importing the table you enable encryption on the EMPNO column.
Example
In the following example, the encryption password, 123456, must be specified because
it was specified when the dpcd2be1.dmp dump file was created (see
"ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD").
> impdp hr TABLES=employee_s_encrypt DIRECTORY=dpump_dir
DUMPFILE=dpcd2be1.dmp ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD=123456
During the import operation, any columns in the employee_s_encrypt table that were
encrypted during the export operation are decrypted before being imported.
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3.4.10 ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT
Default: NO
Purpose
Specifies whether Data Pump should prompt you for the encryption password.

ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT=[YES | NO]
Specify ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT=YES on the command line to instruct Data Pump to

prompt you for the encryption password, rather than you entering it on the command
line with the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter. The advantage to doing this is that the
encryption password is not echoed to the screen when it is entered at the prompt.
Whereas, when it is entered on the command line using the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD
parameter, it appears in plain text.
The encryption password that you enter at the prompt is subject to the same criteria
described for the ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter.
If you specify an encryption password on the export operation, you must also supply it
on the import operation.
Restrictions
• Concurrent use of the ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT and ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameters
is prohibited.
Example
The following example shows Data Pump first prompting for the user password and
then for the encryption password.
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT=YES
.
.
.
Password:
Connected to: Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition Release 12.2.0.1.0 - 64bit
Production
Encryption Password:
Master table "HR"."SYS_IMPORT_FULL_01" successfully loaded/unloaded

Starting "HR"."SYS_IMPORT_FULL_01": hr/******** directory=dpump_dir1
dumpfile=hr.dmp encryption_pwd_prompt=Y
.
.
.
3.4.11 ESTIMATE
Default: BLOCKS
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Purpose
Instructs the source system in a network import operation to estimate how much data
will be generated.

ESTIMATE=[BLOCKS | STATISTICS]
The valid choices for the ESTIMATE parameter are as follows:
• BLOCKS - The estimate is calculated by multiplying the number of database blocks

used by the source objects times the appropriate block sizes.
• STATISTICS - The estimate is calculated using statistics for each table. For this
method to be as accurate as possible, all tables should have been analyzed
recently. (Table analysis can be done with either the SQL ANALYZE statement or the
DBMS_STATS PL/SQL package.)
The estimate that is generated can be used to determine a percentage complete

throughout the execution of the import job.
Restrictions
• The Import ESTIMATE parameter is valid only if the NETWORK_LINK parameter is also
specified.
• When the import source is a dump file set, the amount of data to be loaded is
already known, so the percentage complete is automatically calculated.
• The estimate may be inaccurate if either the QUERY or REMAP_DATA parameter is
used.
Example
In the following example, source_database_link would be replaced with the name of a
valid link to the source database.
> impdp hr TABLES=job_history NETWORK_LINK=source_database_link
DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 ESTIMATE=STATISTICS
The job_history table in the hr schema is imported from the source database. A log
file is created by default and written to the directory pointed to by the dpump_dir1
directory object. When the job begins, an estimate for the job is calculated based on
table statistics.
3.4.12 EXCLUDE
Purpose
Enables you to filter the metadata that is imported by specifying objects and object
types to exclude from the import job.

EXCLUDE=object_type[:name_clause] [, ...]
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The object_type specifies the type of object to be excluded. To see a list of valid
values for object_type, query the following views: DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for full
mode, SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS for schema mode, and TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for table
and tablespace mode. The values listed in the OBJECT_PATH column are the valid object
For the given mode of import, all object types contained within the source (and their
dependents) are included, except those specified in an EXCLUDE statement. If an object
is excluded, then all of its dependent objects are also excluded. For example,
excluding a table will also exclude all indexes and triggers on the table.
instances have names (for example, it is applicable to TABLE and VIEW, but not to GRANT).
It must be separated from the object type with a colon and enclosed in double
quotation marks, because single quotation marks are required to delimit the name
strings. For example, you could set EXCLUDE=INDEX:"LIKE 'DEPT%'" to exclude all
indexes whose names start with dept.
More than one EXCLUDE statement can be specified.
As explained in the following sections, you should be aware of the effects of specifying
certain objects for exclusion, in particular, CONSTRAINT, GRANT, and USER.
Excluding Constraints
The following constraints cannot be excluded:
• Constraints needed for the table to be created and loaded successfully (for
example, primary key constraints for index-organized tables or REF SCOPE and WITH
ROWID constraints for tables with REF columns).
This means that the following EXCLUDE statements will be interpreted as follows:
• EXCLUDE=CONSTRAINT will exclude all nonreferential constraints, except for any

constraints needed for successful table creation and loading.
• EXCLUDE=REF_CONSTRAINT will exclude referential integrity (foreign key) constraints.
Excluding Grants and Users

Specifying EXCLUDE=GRANT excludes object grants on all object types and system
privilege grants.
Specifying EXCLUDE=USER excludes only the definitions of users, not the objects
contained within users' schemas.
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To exclude a specific user and all objects of that user, specify a command such as the
following, where hr is the schema name of the user you want to exclude.
impdp FULL=YES DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp EXCLUDE=SCHEMA:"='HR'"
Note that in this situation, an import mode of FULL is specified. If no mode were
specified, then the default mode, SCHEMAS, would be used. This would cause an error
because the command would indicate that the schema should be both imported and
excluded at the same time.
If you try to exclude a user by using a statement such as EXCLUDE=USER:"= 'HR'", then
only CREATE USER hr DDL statements will be excluded, and you may not get the results
you expect.
Restrictions
• The EXCLUDE and INCLUDE parameters are mutually exclusive.
Example
Assume the following is in a parameter file, exclude.par, being used by a DBA or some
other user with the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role. (To run the example, you must
first create this file.)
EXCLUDE=FUNCTION
EXCLUDE=PROCEDURE
EXCLUDE=PACKAGE
EXCLUDE=INDEX:"LIKE 'EMP%' "
You could then issue the following command. You can create the expfull.dmp dump
file used in this command by running the example provided for the Export FULL
parameter. See "FULL".
> impdp system DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp PARFILE=exclude.par
All data from the expfull.dmp dump file will be loaded except for functions, procedures,
packages, and indexes whose names start with emp.
See Also:
"Filtering During Import Operations" for more information about the effects of
using the EXCLUDE parameter
Purpose
Specifies the system change number (SCN) that Import will use to enable the
Flashback utility.
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FLASHBACK_SCN=scn_number
The import operation is performed with data that is consistent up to the specified
scn_number.
As of Oracle Database 12c release 2 (12.2), the SCN value can be a big SCN (8
bytes). See the following restrictions for more information about using big SCNs.
Note:
If you are on a logical standby system, then the FLASHBACK_SCN parameter is
ignored because SCNs are selected by logical standby. See Oracle Data
Guard Concepts and Administration for information about logical standby
databases.
Restrictions
• The FLASHBACK_SCN parameter is valid only when the NETWORK_LINK parameter is also
specified.
• The FLASHBACK_SCN parameter pertains only to the Flashback Query capability of
• FLASHBACK_SCN and FLASHBACK_TIME are mutually exclusive.
• You cannot specify a big SCN for a network export or network import from a
version that does not support big SCNs.
Example
The following is an example of using the FLASHBACK_SCN parameter.
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 FLASHBACK_SCN=123456
The source_database_link in this example would be replaced with the name of a source
database from which you were importing data.
Purpose
Specifies the system change number (SCN) that Import will use to enable the
Flashback utility.

FLASHBACK_TIME="TO_TIMESTAMP()"
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The SCN that most closely matches the specified time is found, and this SCN is used
to enable the Flashback utility. The import operation is performed with data that is
consistent up to this SCN. Because the TO_TIMESTAMP value is enclosed in quotation
marks, it would be best to put this parameter in a parameter file. See "Use of
Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line".
Note:
If you are on a logical standby system, then the FLASHBACK_TIME parameter is
ignored because SCNs are selected by logical standby. See Oracle Data
Guard Concepts and Administration for information about logical standby
databases.
Restrictions
• This parameter is valid only when the NETWORK_LINK parameter is also specified.
• The FLASHBACK_TIME parameter pertains only to the flashback query capability of
• FLASHBACK_TIME and FLASHBACK_SCN are mutually exclusive.
Example
procedure accepts,. For example, suppose you have a parameter file,
flashback_imp.par, that contains the following:
FLASHBACK_TIME="TO_TIMESTAMP('27-10-2012 13:40:00', 'DD-MM-YYYY HH24:MI:SS')"
You could then issue the following command:

> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 PARFILE=flashback_imp.par
The import operation will be performed with data that is consistent with the SCN that
most closely matches the specified time.
See Also:
Oracle Database Development Guide for information about using flashback
3.4.15 FULL
Default: YES
Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform a full database import.
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FULL=YES
A value of FULL=YES indicates that all data and metadata from the source is imported.
The source can be a dump file set for a file-based import or it can be another
database, specified with the NETWORK_LINK parameter, for a network import.
If you are importing from a file and do not have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role,
then only schemas that map to your own schema are imported.
If the NETWORK_LINK parameter is used and the user executing the import job has the
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role on the target database, then that user must also have
the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role on the source database.
Filtering can restrict what is imported using this import mode (see "Filtering During
Import Operations").
FULL is the default mode, and does not need to be specified on the command line when
you are performing a file-based import, but if you are performing a network-based full
import then you must specify FULL=Y on the command line.
You can use the transportable option during a full-mode import to perform a full
transportable import. See "Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Imports".
Restrictions
• The Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) is not moved in a full database export
and import operation. (See Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide for
information about using Data Pump to move AWR snapshots.)
• The XDB repository is not moved in a full database export and import operation.
User created XML schemas are moved.
• Full imports performed over a network link require that you set VERSION=12 if the
target is Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1) or later and the source is
Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.3) or later.
Example
The following is an example of using the FULL parameter. You can create the
> impdp hr DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:expfull.dmp FULL=YES
LOGFILE=dpump_dir2:full_imp.log
This example imports everything from the expfull.dmp dump file. In this example, a
DIRECTORY parameter is not provided. Therefore, a directory object must be provided on
both the DUMPFILE parameter and the LOGFILE parameter. The directory objects can be
different, as shown in this example.
3.4.16 HELP
Default: NO
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Purpose
Displays online help for the Import utility.

HELP=YES
If HELP=YES is specified, then Import displays a summary of all Import command-line

parameters and interactive commands.
Example
> impdp HELP = YES
This example will display a brief description of all Import parameters and commands.
3.4.17 INCLUDE
Purpose
Enables you to filter the metadata that is imported by specifying objects and object
types for the current import mode.

INCLUDE = object_type[:name_clause] [, ...]
The object_type specifies the type of object to be included. To see a list of valid values
for object_type, query the following views: DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for full mode,
SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS for schema mode, and TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for table and
tablespace mode. The values listed in the OBJECT_PATH column are the valid object
Only object types in the source (and their dependents) that are explicitly specified in
the INCLUDE statement are imported.

instances have names (for example, it is applicable to TABLE, but not to GRANT). It must
be separated from the object type with a colon and enclosed in double quotation
marks, because single quotation marks are required to delimit the name strings.
More than one INCLUDE statement can be specified.
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To see a list of valid paths for use with the INCLUDE parameter, you can query the
following views: DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for Full mode, SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS for
schema mode, and TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS for table and tablespace mode.
Restrictions
• The INCLUDE and EXCLUDE parameters are mutually exclusive.
Example
Assume the following is in a parameter file, imp_include.par, being used by a DBA or
some other user with the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role:
INCLUDE=FUNCTION
INCLUDE=PROCEDURE
INCLUDE=PACKAGE
INCLUDE=INDEX:"LIKE 'EMP%' "
You can then issue the following command:

> impdp system SCHEMAS=hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp
PARFILE=imp_include.par
You can create the expfull.dmp dump file used in this example by running the example
provided for the Export FULL parameter. See "FULL".
The Import operation will load only functions, procedures, and packages from the hr
schema and indexes whose names start with EMP. Although this is a privileged-mode
import (the user must have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role), the schema definition
is not imported, because the USER object type was not specified in an INCLUDE
statement.
3.4.18 JOB_NAME
Default: system-generated name of the form SYS_<IMPORT or SQLFILE>_<mode>_NN
Purpose
The job name is used to identify the import job in subsequent actions, such as when
the ATTACH parameter is used to attach to a job, or to identify the job via the
DBA_DATAPUMP_JOBS or USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS views.

JOB_NAME=jobname_string
The jobname_string specifies a name of up to 128 bytes for this import job. The bytes
must represent printable characters and spaces. If spaces are included, then the name
must be enclosed in single quotation marks (for example, 'Thursday Import'). The job
name is implicitly qualified by the schema of the user performing the import operation.
The job name is used as the name of the master table, which controls the export job.
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The default job name is system-generated in the form SYS_IMPORT_mode_NN or

SYS_SQLFILE_mode_NN, where NN expands to a 2-digit incrementing integer starting at 01.
An example of a default name is 'SYS_IMPORT_TABLESPACE_02'.
Example
The following is an example of using the JOB_NAME parameter. You can create the
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp JOB_NAME=impjob01
3.4.19 KEEP_MASTER
Default: NO
Purpose
Indicates whether the master table should be deleted or retained at the end of a Data
Pump job that completes successfully. The master table is automatically retained for
jobs that do not complete successfully.

KEEP_MASTER=[YES | NO]
Restrictions
• None
Example
DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp KEEP_MASTER=YES
3.4.20 LOGFILE
Default: import.log
Purpose
Specifies the name, and optionally, a directory object, for the log file of the import job.

LOGFILE=[directory_object:]file_name
If you specify a directory_object, then it must be one that was previously established
by the DBA and that you have access to. This overrides the directory object specified
with the DIRECTORY parameter. The default behavior is to create import.log in the
directory referenced by the directory object specified in the DIRECTORY parameter.
If the file_name you specify already exists, then it will be overwritten.
All messages regarding work in progress, work completed, and errors encountered are
written to the log file. (For a real-time status of the job, use the STATUS command in
interactive mode.)
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A log file is always created unless the NOLOGFILE parameter is specified. As with the
dump file set, the log file is relative to the server and not the client.
Note:
Data Pump Import writes the log file using the database character set. If your
client NLS_LANG environment sets up a different client character set from the
database character set, then it is possible that table names may be different in
the log file than they are when displayed on the client output screen.
Restrictions
• To perform a Data Pump Import using Oracle Automatic Storage Management
(Oracle ASM), you must specify a LOGFILE parameter that includes a directory
object that does not include the Oracle ASM + notation. That is, the log file must
be written to a disk file, and not written into the Oracle ASM storage. Alternatively,
you can specify NOLOGFILE=YES. However, this prevents the writing of the log file.
Example
The following is an example of using the LOGFILE parameter. You can create the
> impdp hr SCHEMAS=HR DIRECTORY=dpump_dir2 LOGFILE=imp.log
DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:expfull.dmp
Because no directory object is specified on the LOGFILE parameter, the log file is written
to the directory object specified on the DIRECTORY parameter.
See Also:
• "STATUS"
• "Using Directory Objects When Oracle Automatic Storage Management Is
Enabled" for information about Oracle Automatic Storage Management and
directory objects
3.4.21 LOGTIME
Default: No timestamps are recorded
Purpose
Specifies that messages displayed during import operations be timestamped. You can
use the timestamps to figure out the elapsed time between different phases of a Data
Pump operation. Such information can be helpful in diagnosing performance problems
and estimating the timing of future similar operations.
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LOGTIME=[NONE | STATUS | LOGFILE | ALL]
The available options are defined as follows:

• NONE: No timestamps on status or log file messages (same as default)
• STATUS: Timestamps on status messages only
• LOGFILE: Timestamps on log file messages only
• ALL: Timestamps on both status and log file messages
Restrictions
• None
Example
The following example records timestamps for all status and log file messages that are
displayed during the import operation:
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp SCHEMAS=hr LOGTIME=ALL
TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=REPLACE
For an example of what the LOGTIME output looks like, see the Export LOGTIME
parameter.
3.4.22 MASTER_ONLY
Default: NO
Purpose
Indicates whether to import just the master table and then stop the job so that the
contents of the master table can be examined.

MASTER_ONLY=[YES | NO]
Restrictions
• If the NETWORK_LINK parameter is also specified, then MASTER_ONLY=YES is not
supported.
Example
DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp MASTER_ONLY=YES
3.4.23 METRICS
Default: NO
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Purpose
Indicates whether additional information about the job should be reported to the Data
Pump log file.

METRICS=[YES | NO]
When METRICS=YES is used, the number of objects and the elapsed time are recorded in
the Data Pump log file.
Restrictions
• None
Example
DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp METRICS=YES
3.4.24 NETWORK_LINK
Purpose
Enables an import from a (source) database identified by a valid database link. The
data from the source database instance is written directly back to the connected
database instance.

The NETWORK_LINK parameter initiates an import via a database link. This means that
the system to which the impdp client is connected contacts the source database
referenced by the source_database_link, retrieves data from it, and writes the data
directly to the database on the connected instance. There are no dump files involved.
The source_database_link provided must be the name of a database link to an
available database. If the database on that instance does not already have a database
link, then you or your DBA must create one using the SQL CREATE DATABASE LINK
statement.
When you perform a network import using the transportable method, you must copy
the source data files to the target database before you start the import.
If the source database is read-only, then the connected user must have a locally
managed tablespace assigned as the default temporary tablespace on the source
database. Otherwise, the job will fail.
This parameter is required when any of the following parameters are specified:
FLASHBACK_SCN, FLASHBACK_TIME, ESTIMATE, TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES, or TRANSPORTABLE.
The following types of database links are supported for use with Data Pump Import:
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Caution:
If an import operation is performed over an unencrypted network link, then all
data is imported as clear text even if it is encrypted in the database. See Oracle
Database Security Guide for more information about network security.
Restrictions
• The following types of database links are not supported for use with Data Pump
Import:
– Private connected user
– Current user
• The Import NETWORK_LINK parameter is not supported for tables containing
SecureFiles that have ContentType set or that are currently stored outside of the
SecureFiles segment through Oracle Database File System Links.
• Network imports do not support the use of evolved types.
10.1, or 10.2).
• If the USERID that is executing the import job has the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE
role on the target database, then that user must also have the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role on the source database.
• Network mode import does not use parallel query (PQ) slaves. See "Using
PARALLEL During a Network Mode Import".
Example
In the following example, the source_database_link would be replaced with the name of
a valid database link.
> impdp hr TABLES=employees DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
NETWORK_LINK=source_database_link EXCLUDE=CONSTRAINT
This example results in an import of the employees table (excluding constraints) from
the source database. The log file is written to dpump_dir1, specified on the DIRECTORY
parameter.
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See Also:

database links
CREATE DATABASE LINK statement
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about locally

managed tablespaces
3.4.25 NOLOGFILE
Default: NO
Purpose
Specifies whether to suppress the default behavior of creating a log file.

NOLOGFILE=[YES | NO]
If you specify NOLOGFILE=YES to suppress creation of a log file, then progress and error
information is still written to the standard output device of any attached clients,
including the client that started the original export operation. If there are no clients
attached to a running job and you specify NOLOGFILE=YES, then you run the risk of losing
important progress and error information.
Example
The following is an example of using the NOLOGFILE parameter.
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp NOLOGFILE=YES
This command results in a full mode import (the default for file-based imports) of the
expfull.dmp dump file. No log file is written because NOLOGFILE is set to YES.
3.4.26 PARALLEL
Default: 1
Purpose
Specifies the maximum number of processes of active execution operating on behalf
of the import job.

PARALLEL=integer
The value you specify for integer specifies the maximum number of processes of
active execution operating on behalf of the import job. This execution set consists of a
combination of worker processes and parallel I/O server processes. The master
control process, idle workers, and worker processes acting as parallel execution
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coordinators in parallel I/O operations do not count toward this total. This parameter
enables you to make trade-offs between resource consumption and elapsed time.
If the source of the import is a dump file set consisting of files, then multiple processes
can read from the same file, but performance may be limited by I/O contention.
To increase or decrease the value of PARALLEL during job execution, use interactive-
command mode.
Using PARALLEL During a Network Mode Import

During a network mode import, the PARALLEL parameter defines the maximum number
of worker processes that can be assigned to the job. To understand the effect of the
PARALLEL parameter during a network import mode, it is important to understand the
concept of "table_data objects" as defined by Data Pump. When Data Pump moves
data, it considers the following items to be individual "table_data objects":
• a complete table (one that is not partitioned or subpartitioned)
• partitions, if the table is partitioned but not subpartitioned
• subpartitions, if the table is subpartitioned
For example:
• A nonpartitioned table, scott.non_part_table, has 1 table_data object:
scott.non_part_table
• A partitioned table, scott.part_table (having partition p1 and partition p2), has 2

table_data objects:
scott.part_table:p1
scott.part_table:p2
• A subpartitioned table, scott.sub_part_table (having partition p1 and p2, and

subpartitions p1s1, p1s2, p2s1, and p2s2) has 4 table_data objects:
scott.sub_part_table:p1s1
During a network mode import, each table_data object is assigned its own worker
process, up to the value specified for the PARALLEL parameter. No parallel query (PQ)
slaves are assigned because network mode import does not use parallel query (PQ)
slaves. Multiple table_data objects can be unloaded at the same time, but each
table_data object is unloaded using a single process.
Using PARALLEL During An Import In An Oracle RAC Environment

In an Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) environment, if an import
operation has PARALLEL=1, then all Data Pump processes reside on the instance where
the job is started. Therefore, the directory object can point to local storage for that
instance.
If the import operation has PARALLEL set to a value greater than 1, then Data Pump
processes can reside on instances other than the one where the job was started.
Therefore, the directory object must point to shared storage that is accessible by all
instances of the Oracle RAC.
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Restrictions
later.
• To import a table or table partition in parallel (using PQ slaves), you must have the
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role.
Example
The following is an example of using the PARALLEL parameter.
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 LOGFILE=parallel_import.log
JOB_NAME=imp_par3 DUMPFILE=par_exp%U.dmp PARALLEL=3
This command imports the dump file set that is created when you run the example for
the Export PARALLEL parameter. (See "PARALLEL".) The names of the dump files are
par_exp01.dmp, par_exp02.dmp, and par_exp03.dmp.
See Also:
"Controlling Resource Consumption"
3.4.27 PARFILE
Purpose
Specifies the name of an import parameter file.

PARFILE=[directory_path]file_name
A parameter file allows you to specify Data Pump parameters within a file, and then
that file can be specified on the command line instead of entering all the individual
commands. This can be useful if you use the same parameter combination many
times. The use of parameter files is also highly recommended if you are using
parameters whose values require the use of quotation marks.
A directory object is not specified for the parameter file because unlike dump files, log
files, and SQL files which are created and written by the server, the parameter file is
opened and read by the impdp client. The default location of the parameter file is the
user's current directory.
Within a parameter file, a comma is implicit at every newline character so you do not
have to enter commas at the end of each line. If you have a long line that wraps, such
as a long table name, enter the backslash continuation character (\) at the end of the
current line to continue onto the next line.
The contents of the parameter file are written to the Data Pump log file.
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Restrictions
• The PARFILE parameter cannot be specified within a parameter file.
Example
The content of an example parameter file, hr_imp.par, might be as follows:
TABLES= countries, locations, regions
DUMPFILE=dpump_dir2:exp1.dmp,exp2%U.dmp
PARALLEL=3
You could then issue the following command to execute the parameter file:
> impdp hr PARFILE=hr_imp.par
The tables named countries, locations, and regions will be imported from the dump
file set that is created when you run the example for the Export DUMPFILE parameter.
(See "DUMPFILE".) The import job looks for the exp1.dmp file in the location pointed to
by dpump_dir2. It looks for any dump files of the form exp2nn.dmp in the location pointed
to by dpump_dir1. The log file for the job will also be written to dpump_dir1.
See Also:
3.4.28 PARTITION_OPTIONS
Default: The default is departition when partition names are specified on the TABLES
parameter and TRANPORTABLE=ALWAYS is set (whether on the import operation or during
the export). Otherwise, the default is none.
Purpose
Specifies how table partitions should be created during an import operation.

PARTITION_OPTIONS=[NONE | DEPARTITION | MERGE]
A value of none creates tables as they existed on the system from which the export
operation was performed. You cannot use the none option or the merge option if the
export was performed with the transportable method, along with a partition or
subpartition filter. In such a case, you must use the departition option.
A value of departition promotes each partition or subpartition to a new individual
table. The default name of the new table will be the concatenation of the table and
partition name or the table and subpartition name, as appropriate.
A value of merge combines all partitions and subpartitions into one table.
Parallel processing during import of partitioned tables is subject to the following:
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• If a partitioned table is imported into an existing partitioned table, then Data Pump
only processes one partition or subpartition at a time, regardless of any value that
might be specified with the PARALLEL parameter.
• If the table into which you are importing does not already exist and Data Pump has
to create it, then the import runs in parallel up to the parallelism specified on the
PARALLEL parameter when the import is started.
Restrictions
• If the export operation that created the dump file was performed with the
transportable method and if a partition or subpartition was specified, then the
import operation must use the departition option.
• If the export operation that created the dump file was performed with the
transportable method, then the import operation cannot use
PARTITION_OPTIONS=MERGE.
• If there are any grants on objects being departitioned, then an error message is
generated and the objects are not loaded.
Example
The following example assumes that the sh.sales table has been exported into a dump
file named sales.dmp. It uses the merge option to merge all the partitions in sh.sales into
one non-partitioned table in scott schema.
> impdp system TABLES=sh.sales PARTITION_OPTIONS=MERGE
DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=sales.dmp REMAP_SCHEMA=sh:scott
See Also:
"TRANSPORTABLE" for an example of performing an import operation using
PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION
3.4.29 QUERY
Purpose
Allows you to specify a query clause that filters the data that gets imported.

QUERY=[[schema_name.]table_name:]query_clause
The query_clause is typically a SQL WHERE clause for fine-grained row selection, but
could be any SQL clause. For example, an ORDER BY clause could be used to speed up
a migration from a heap-organized table to an index-organized table. If a schema and
table name are not supplied, then the query is applied to (and must be valid for) all
tables in the source dump file set or database. A table-specific query overrides a query
applied to all tables.
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When the query is to be applied to a specific table, a colon (:) must separate the table
name from the query clause. More than one table-specific query can be specified, but
only one query can be specified per table.
If the NETWORK_LINK parameter is specified along with the QUERY parameter, then any
objects specified in the query_clause that are on the remote (source) node must be
explicitly qualified with the NETWORK_LINK value. Otherwise, Data Pump assumes that
the object is on the local (target) node; if it is not, then an error is returned and the
import of the table from the remote (source) system fails.
For example, if you specify NETWORK_LINK=dblink1, then the query_clause of the QUERY
parameter must specify that link, as shown in the following example:
QUERY=(hr.employees:"WHERE last_name IN(SELECT last_name
FROM hr.employees@dblink1)")
When the QUERY parameter is used, the external tables method (rather than the direct
path method) is used for data access.
To specify a schema other than your own in a table-specific query, you must be
granted access to that specific table.
Restrictions
• The QUERY parameter cannot be used with the following parameters:
– CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY
– SQLFILE
– TRANSPORT_DATAFILES
• When the QUERY parameter is specified for a table, Data Pump uses external tables
to load the target table. External tables uses a SQL INSERT statement with a SELECT
clause. The value of the QUERY parameter is included in the WHERE clause of the
SELECT portion of the INSERT statement. If the QUERY parameter includes references
to another table with columns whose names match the table being loaded, and if
those columns are used in the query, then you will need to use a table alias to
distinguish between columns in the table being loaded and columns in the SELECT
statement with the same name. The table alias used by Data Pump for the table
being loaded is KU$.
For example, suppose you are importing a subset of the sh.sales table based on
the credit limit for a customer in the sh.customers table. In the following example,
KU$ is used to qualify the cust_id field in the QUERY parameter for loading sh.sales.
As a result, Data Pump imports only rows for customers whose credit limit is
greater than $10,000.
WHERE cust_credit_limit > 10000 AND ku$.cust_id = c.cust_id)"'
If KU$ is not used for a table alias, then all rows are loaded:
WHERE cust_credit_limit > 10000 AND cust_id = c.cust_id)"'
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• The maximum length allowed for a QUERY string is 4000 bytes including quotation
marks, which means that the actual maximum length allowed is 3998 bytes.
Example
The following is an example of using the QUERY parameter. You can create the
Export FULL parameter. See "FULL". Because the QUERY value uses quotation marks,
Oracle recommends that you use a parameter file.
Suppose you have a parameter file, query_imp.par, that contains the following:
QUERY=departments:"WHERE department_id < 120"
You can then enter the following command:

PARFILE=query_imp.par NOLOGFILE=YES
All tables in expfull.dmp are imported, but for the departments table, only data that
meets the criteria specified in the QUERY parameter is imported.
3.4.30 REMAP_DATA
Purpose
The REMAP_DATA parameter allows you to remap data as it is being inserted into a new
database. A common use is to regenerate primary keys to avoid conflict when
importing a table into a preexisting table on the target database.
You can specify a remap function that takes as a source the value of the designated
column from either the dump file or a remote database. The remap function then
returns a remapped value that will replace the original value in the target database.
The same function can be applied to multiple columns being dumped. This is useful
when you want to guarantee consistency in remapping both the child and parent
column in a referential constraint.

REMAP_DATA=[schema.]tablename.column_name:[schema.]pkg.function
The description of each syntax element, in the order in which they appear in the
syntax, is as follows:
schema: the schema containing the table to be remapped. By default, this is the
schema of the user doing the import.
tablename: the table whose column will be remapped.
column_name: the column whose data is to be remapped.
schema: the schema containing the PL/SQL package you created that contains the
remapping function. As a default, this is the schema of the user doing the import.
pkg: the name of the PL/SQL package you created that contains the remapping
function.
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function: the name of the function within the PL/SQL that will be called to remap the
column table in each row of the specified table.
Restrictions
• The data types of the source argument and the returned value should both match
the data type of the designated column in the table.
• Remapping functions should not perform commits or rollbacks except in
autonomous transactions.
• The use of synonyms as values for the REMAP_DATA parameter is not supported. For
example, if the regions table in the hr schema had a synonym of regn, an error
would be returned if you specified regn as part of the REMPA_DATA specification.
• Remapping LOB column data of a remote table is not supported.
• Columns of the following types are not supported byREMAP_DATA: User Defined
Types, attributes of User Defined Types, LONGs, REFs, VARRAYs, Nested
Tables, BFILEs, and XMLtype.
Example
The following example assumes a package named remap has been created that
contains a function named plusx that changes the values for first_name in the
employees table.
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expschema.dmp

TABLES=hr.employees REMAP_DATA=hr.employees.first_name:hr.remap.plusx
3.4.31 REMAP_DATAFILE
Purpose
Changes the name of the source data file to the target data file name in all SQL
statements where the source data file is referenced: CREATE TABLESPACE, CREATE
LIBRARY, and CREATE DIRECTORY.

REMAP_DATAFILE=source_datafile:target_datafile
Remapping data files is useful when you move databases between platforms that have
different file naming conventions. The source_datafile and target_datafile names
should be exactly as you want them to appear in the SQL statements where they are
referenced. Oracle recommends that you enclose data file names in quotation marks
to eliminate ambiguity on platforms for which a colon is a valid file specification
character.
You must have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role to specify this parameter.
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Example
Suppose you had a parameter file, payroll.par, with the following content:
FULL=YES
DUMPFILE=db_full.dmp
REMAP_DATAFILE="'DB1$:[HRDATA.PAYROLL]tbs6.dbf':'/db1/hrdata/payroll/tbs6.dbf'"

> impdp hr PARFILE=payroll.par
This example remaps a VMS file specification (DR1$:[HRDATA.PAYROLL]tbs6.dbf) to a

UNIX file specification, (/db1/hrdata/payroll/tbs6.dbf) for all SQL DDL statements
during the import. The dump file, db_full.dmp, is located by the directory object,
dpump_dir1.
See Also:
3.4.32 REMAP_DIRECTORY
The REMAP_DIRECTORY parameter lets you remap directories when you move databases
between platforms.
Default: There is no default.
Purpose
The REMAP_DIRECTORY parameter changes the source directory string to the target
directory string in all SQL statements where the source directory is the left-most
portion of a full file or directory specification: CREATE TABLESPACE, CREATE LIBRARY, and
CREATE DIRECTORY.

REMAP_DIRECTORY=source_directory_string:target_directory_string
Remapping a directory is useful when you move databases between platforms that
have different directory file naming conventions. This provides an easy way to remap
multiple data files in a directory when you only want to change the directory file
specification while preserving the original data file names.
The source_directory_string and target_directory_string should be exactly as you want
them to appear in the SQL statements where they are referenced. In addition, it is
recommended that the directory be properly terminated with the directory file
terminator for the respective source and target platform. Oracle recommends that you
enclose the directory names in quotation marks to eliminate ambiguity on platforms for
which a colon is a valid directory file specification character.
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recommends that you place this parameter in a parameter file which can reduce the
You must have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role to specify this parameter.
Restrictions
• The REMAP_DIRECTORY and REMAP_DATAFILE parameters are mutually exclusive.
Example
Suppose you want to remap the following data files:
DB1$:[HRDATA.PAYROLL]tbs5.dbf
DB1$:[HRDATA.PAYROLL]tbs6.dbf
In addition, you have a parameter file, payroll.par, with the following content:
FULL=YES
DUMPFILE=db_full.dmp
REMAP_DIRECTORY="'DB1$:[HRDATA.PAYROLL]':'/db1/hrdata/payroll/'"
You can issue the following command:

> impdp hr PARFILE=payroll.par
This example remaps the VMS file specifications (DB1$:[HRDATA.PAYROLL]tbs5.dbf, and

DB1$:[HRDATA.PAYROLL]tbs6.dbf) to UNIX file specifications, (/db1/hrdata/payroll/
tbs5.dbf, and /db1/hrdata/payroll/tbs6.dbf) for all SQL DDL statements during the
import. The dump file, db_full.dmp, is located by the directory object, dpump_dir1.
3.4.33 REMAP_SCHEMA
Purpose
Loads all objects from the source schema into a target schema.

REMAP_SCHEMA=source_schema:target_schema
Multiple REMAP_SCHEMA lines can be specified, but the source schema must be different
for each one. However, different source schemas can map to the same target schema.
Note that the mapping may not be 100 percent complete; see the Restrictions section
below.
If the schema you are remapping to does not already exist, then the import operation
creates it, provided that the dump file set contains the necessary CREATE USER metadata
for the source schema, and provided that you are importing with enough privileges.
For example, the following Export commands create dump file sets with the necessary
metadata to create a schema, because the user SYSTEM has the necessary privileges:
> expdp system SCHEMAS=hr
Password: password
> expdp system FULL=YES

Password: password
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If your dump file set does not contain the metadata necessary to create a schema, or if
you do not have privileges, then the target schema must be created before the import
operation is performed. This is because the unprivileged dump files do not contain the
necessary information for the import to create the schema automatically.
For Oracle databases earlier than Oracle Database 11g, if the import operation does
create the schema, then after the import is complete, you must assign it a valid
password to connect to it. The SQL statement to do this, which requires privileges, is:
SQL> ALTER USER schema_name IDENTIFIED BY new_password
As of Oracle Database 11g, Release 1 (11.1.0.1), it is no longer necessary to reset the

schema password; the original password remains valid.
Restrictions
• Unprivileged users can perform schema remaps only if their schema is the target
schema of the remap. (Privileged users can perform unrestricted schema remaps.)
For example, SCOTT can remap his BLAKE's objects to SCOTT, but SCOTT cannot remap
SCOTT's objects to BLAKE.
• The mapping may not be 100 percent complete because there are certain schema
references that Import is not capable of finding. For example, Import will not find
schema references embedded within the body of definitions of types, views,
procedures, and packages.
• For triggers, REMAP_SCHEMA affects only the trigger owner.
• If any table in the schema being remapped contains user-defined object types and
that table changes between the time it is exported and the time you attempt to
import it, then the import of that table will fail. However, the import operation itself
will continue.
• By default, if schema objects on the source database have object identifiers
(OIDs), then they are imported to the target database with those same OIDs. If an
object is imported back into the same database from which it was exported, but
into a different schema, then the OID of the new (imported) object would be the
same as that of the existing object and the import would fail. For the import to
succeed you must also specify the TRANSFORM=OID:N parameter on the import. The
transform OID:N causes a new OID to be created for the new object, allowing the
import to succeed.
Example
Suppose that, as user SYSTEM, you execute the following Export and Import commands
to remap the hr schema into the scott schema:
> expdp system SCHEMAS=hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp
> impdp system DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp REMAP_SCHEMA=hr:scott
In this example, if user scott already exists before the import, then the Import
REMAP_SCHEMA command will add objects from the hr schema into the existing scott
schema. You can connect to the scott schema after the import by using the existing
password (without resetting it).
If user scott does not exist before you execute the import operation, then Import
automatically creates it with an unusable password. This is possible because the
dump file, hr.dmp, was created by SYSTEM, which has the privileges necessary to create
a dump file that contains the metadata needed to create a schema. However, you
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cannot connect to scott on completion of the import, unless you reset the password for
scott on the target database after the import completes.
3.4.34 REMAP_TABLE
Purpose
Allows you to rename tables during an import operation.

You can use either of the following syntaxes (see the Usage Notes below):
REMAP_TABLE=[schema.]old_tablename[.partition]:new_tablename
OR
REMAP_TABLE=[schema.]old_tablename[:partition]:new_tablename
You can use the REMAP_TABLE parameter to rename entire tables or to rename table
partitions if the table is being departitioned. (See "PARTITION_OPTIONS".)
You can also use it to override the automatic naming of table partitions that were
exported.
Usage Notes
Be aware that with the first syntax, if you specify REMAP_TABLE=A.B:C, then Import
assumes that A is a schema name, B is the old table name, and C is the new table
name. To use the first syntax to rename a partition that is being promoted to a
nonpartitioned table, you must specify a schema name.
To use the second syntax to rename a partition being promoted to a nonpartitioned
table, you only need to qualify it with the old table name. No schema name is required.
Restrictions
• Only objects created by the Import will be remapped. In particular, preexisting
tables will not be remapped.
• The REMAP_TABLE parameter will not work if the table being remapped has named
constraints in the same schema and the constraints need to be created when the
table is created.
Example
The following is an example of using the REMAP_TABLE parameter to rename the
employees table to a new name of emps:
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expschema.dmp

TABLES=hr.employees REMAP_TABLE=hr.employees:emps
3.4.35 REMAP_TABLESPACE
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Purpose
Remaps all objects selected for import with persistent data in the source tablespace to
be created in the target tablespace.

REMAP_TABLESPACE=source_tablespace:target_tablespace
Multiple REMAP_TABLESPACE parameters can be specified, but no two can have the same
source tablespace. The target schema must have sufficient quota in the target
tablespace.
Note that use of the REMAP_TABLESPACE parameter is the only way to remap a tablespace
in Data Pump Import. This is a simpler and cleaner method than the one provided in
the original Import utility. That method was subject to many restrictions (including the
number of tablespace subclauses) which sometimes resulted in the failure of some
DDL commands.
By contrast, the Data Pump Import method of using the REMAP_TABLESPACE parameter
works for all objects, including the user, and it works regardless of how many
tablespace subclauses are in the DDL statement.
Restrictions
• Data Pump Import can only remap tablespaces for transportable imports in
databases where the compatibility level is set to 10.1 or later.
• Only objects created by the Import will be remapped. In particular, the tablespaces
for preexisting tables will not be remapped if TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION is set to SKIP,
TRUNCATE, or APPEND.
Example
The following is an example of using the REMAP_TABLESPACE parameter.
> impdp hr REMAP_TABLESPACE=tbs_1:tbs_6 DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
DUMPFILE=employees.dmp
3.4.36 REUSE_DATAFILES
Default: NO
Purpose
Specifies whether the import job should reuse existing data files for tablespace
creation.

REUSE_DATAFILES=[YES | NO]
If the default (n) is used and the data files specified in CREATE TABLESPACE statements
already exist, then an error message from the failing CREATE TABLESPACE statement is
issued, but the import job continues.
If this parameter is specified as y, then the existing data files are reinitialized.
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Caution:
Specifying REUSE_DATAFILES=YES may result in a loss of data.
Example
The following is an example of using the REUSE_DATAFILES parameter. You can create
the expfull.dmp dump file used in this example by running the example provided for
the Export FULL parameter. See "FULL".
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp LOGFILE=reuse.log
REUSE_DATAFILES=YES
This example reinitializes data files referenced by CREATE TABLESPACE statements in the
expfull.dmp file.
3.4.37 SCHEMAS
Purpose
Specifies that a schema-mode import is to be performed.

SCHEMAS=schema_name [,...]
If you have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role, then you can use this parameter to
perform a schema-mode import by specifying a list of schemas to import. First, the
user definitions are imported (if they do not already exist), including system and role
grants, password history, and so on. Then all objects contained within the schemas
are imported. Unprivileged users can specify only their own schemas or schemas
remapped to their own schemas. In that case, no information about the schema
definition is imported, only the objects contained within it.
The use of filtering can restrict what is imported using this import mode. See "Filtering
During Import Operations".
Schema mode is the default mode when you are performing a network-based import.
Example
The following is an example of using the SCHEMAS parameter. You can create the
expdat.dmp file used in this example by running the example provided for the Export
SCHEMAS parameter. See "SCHEMAS".

DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp
The hr schema is imported from the expdat.dmp file. The log file, schemas.log, is written
to dpump_dir1.
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3.4.38 SERVICE_NAME
Purpose
Used to specify a service name to be used in conjunction with the CLUSTER parameter.

SERVICE_NAME=name
The SERVICE_NAME parameter can be used with the CLUSTER=YES parameter to specify an
existing service associated with a resource group that defines a set of Oracle Real
Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) instances belonging to that resource group,
typically a subset of all the Oracle RAC instances.
The service name is only used to determine the resource group and instances defined
for that resource group. The instance where the job is started is always used,
regardless of whether it is part of the resource group.
The SERVICE_NAME parameter is ignored if CLUSTER=NO is also specified.
Suppose you have an Oracle RAC configuration containing instances A, B, C, and D.

Also suppose that a service named my_service exists with a resource group consisting
of instances A, B, and C only. In such a scenario, the following would be true:
• If you start a Data Pump job on instance A and specify CLUSTER=YES (or accept the
default, which is YES) and you do not specify the SERVICE_NAME parameter, then
Data Pump creates workers on all instances: A, B, C, and D, depending on the
degree of parallelism specified.
• If you start a Data Pump job on instance A and specify CLUSTER=YES and
SERVICE_NAME=my_service, then workers can be started on instances A, B, and C
only.
• If you start a Data Pump job on instance D and specify CLUSTER=YES and
SERVICE_NAME=my_service, then workers can be started on instances A, B, C, and D.
Even though instance D is not in my_service it is included because it is the instance
on which the job was started.
• If you start a Data Pump job on instance A and specify CLUSTER=NO, then any
SERVICE_NAME parameter you specify is ignored and all processes will start on
instance A.
Example
> impdp system DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 SCHEMAS=hr
SERVICE_NAME=sales NETWORK_LINK=dbs1
This example starts a schema-mode network import of the hr schema. Even though
CLUSTER=YES is not specified on the command line, it is the default behavior, so the job
will use all instances in the resource group associated with the service name sales.
The NETWORK_LINK value of dbs1 would be replaced with the name of the source
database from which you were importing data. (Note that there is no dump file
generated because this is a network import.)
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The NETWORK_LINK parameter is simply being used as part of the example. It is not
required when using the SERVICE_NAME parameter.
See Also:
"CLUSTER"
3.4.39 SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES
Default: the value of the Oracle Database configuration parameter,
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES.
Purpose
Specifies whether Import skips loading tables that have indexes that were set to the
Index Unusable state (by either the system or the user).

SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=[YES | NO]
If SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES is set to YES, and a table or partition with an index in the

Unusable state is encountered, then the load of that table or partition proceeds
anyway, as if the unusable index did not exist.
If SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES is set to NO, and a table or partition with an index in the
Unusable state is encountered, then that table or partition is not loaded. Other tables,
with indexes not previously set Unusable, continue to be updated as rows are inserted.
If the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter is not specified, then the setting of the Oracle
Database configuration parameter, SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES (whose default value is y),
will be used to determine how to handle unusable indexes.
If indexes used to enforce constraints are marked unusable, then the data is not
imported into that table.
Note:
This parameter is useful only when importing data into an existing table. It has
no practical effect when a table is created as part of an import because in that
case, the table and indexes are newly created and will not be marked
unusable.
Example
The following is an example of using the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter. You can
create the expfull.dmp dump file used in this example by running the example provided
for the Export FULL parameter. See "FULL".
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp LOGFILE=skip.log
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=YES
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3.4.40 SOURCE_EDITION
Default: the default database edition on the remote node from which objects will be
fetched
Purpose
Specifies the database edition on the remote node from which objects will be fetched.

SOURCE_EDITION=edition_name
If SOURCE_EDITION=edition_name is specified, then the objects from that edition are

imported. Data Pump selects all inherited objects that have not changed and all actual
objects that have changed.
If this parameter is not specified, then the default edition is used. If the specified
edition does not exist or is not usable, then an error message is returned.
Restrictions
• The SOURCE_EDITION parameter is valid on an import operation only when the
NETWORK_LINK parameter is also specified. See "NETWORK_LINK".
• The job version must be set to 11.2 or later. See "VERSION".
Example
The following is an example of using the import SOURCE_EDITION parameter:
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 SOURCE_EDITION=exp_edition
NETWORK_LINK=source_database_link EXCLUDE=USER
from which objects are being imported. Because no import mode is specified, the
default of schema mode will be used. The source_database_link would be replaced
with the name of the source database from which you were importing data. The
EXCLUDE=USER parameter excludes only the definitions of users, not the objects
contained within users' schemas. (Note that there is no dump file generated because
this is a network import.)
See Also:

editions feature, including inherited and actual objects
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3.4.41 SQLFILE
Purpose
Specifies a file into which all of the SQL DDL that Import would have executed, based
on other parameters, is written.

SQLFILE=[directory_object:]file_name
The file_name specifies where the import job will write the DDL that would be executed
during the job. The SQL is not actually executed, and the target system remains
unchanged. The file is written to the directory object specified in the DIRECTORY
parameter, unless another directory_object is explicitly specified here. Any existing
file that has a name matching the one specified with this parameter is overwritten.
Note that passwords are not included in the SQL file. For example, if a CONNECT
statement is part of the DDL that was executed, then it will be replaced by a comment
with only the schema name shown. In the following example, the dashes (--) indicate
that a comment follows, and the hr schema name is shown, but not the password.
-- CONNECT hr
Therefore, before you can execute the SQL file, you must edit it by removing the
dashes indicating a comment and adding the password for the hr schema.
Data Pump places any ALTER SESSION statements at the top of the SQL file created by
Data Pump import. So if the import operation has different connection statements, you
must manually copy each of the ALTER SESSION statements and paste them after the
appropriate CONNECT statements.
For Streams and other Oracle database options, anonymous PL/SQL blocks may
appear within the SQLFILE output. They should not be executed directly.
Restrictions
• If SQLFILE is specified, then the CONTENT parameter is ignored if it is set to either ALL
or DATA_ONLY.
• To perform a Data Pump Import to a SQL file using Oracle Automatic Storage
Management (Oracle ASM), the SQLFILE parameter that you specify must include a
directory object that does not use the Oracle ASM + notation. That is, the SQL file
must be written to a disk file, not into the Oracle ASM storage.
• The SQLFILE parameter cannot be used in conjunction with the QUERY parameter.
Example
The following is an example of using the SQLFILE parameter. You can create the
SQLFILE=dpump_dir2:expfull.sql
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A SQL file named expfull.sql is written to dpump_dir2.
3.4.42 STATUS
Default: 0
Purpose
Specifies the frequency at which the job status will be displayed.

STATUS[=integer]
If you supply a value for integer, it specifies how frequently, in seconds, job status
should be displayed in logging mode. If no value is entered or if the default value of 0
is used, then no additional information is displayed beyond information about the
completion of each object type, table, or partition.
(if one is in effect).
Example
The following is an example of using the STATUS parameter. You can create the
> impdp hr NOLOGFILE=YES STATUS=120 DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp
In this example, the status is shown every two minutes (120 seconds).
3.4.43 STREAMS_CONFIGURATION
Default: YES
Purpose
Specifies whether to import any Streams metadata that may be present in the export
dump file.

STREAMS_CONFIGURATION=[YES | NO]
Example
The following is an example of using the STREAMS_CONFIGURATION parameter. You can
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp STREAMS_CONFIGURATION=NO
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See Also:
Oracle Streams Replication Administrator's Guide
3.4.44 TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION
Default: SKIP (Note that if CONTENT=DATA_ONLY is specified, then the default is APPEND, not
SKIP.)
Purpose
Tells Import what to do if the table it is trying to create already exists.

TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=[SKIP | APPEND | TRUNCATE | REPLACE]
The possible values have the following effects:

• SKIP leaves the table as is and moves on to the next object. This is not a valid
option if the CONTENT parameter is set to DATA_ONLY.
• APPEND loads rows from the source and leaves existing rows unchanged.
• TRUNCATE deletes existing rows and then loads rows from the source.
• REPLACE drops the existing table and then creates and loads it from the source.
This is not a valid option if the CONTENT parameter is set to DATA_ONLY.
The following considerations apply when you are using these options:
• When you use TRUNCATE or REPLACE, ensure that rows in the affected tables are not
targets of any referential constraints.
• When you use SKIP, APPEND, or TRUNCATE, existing table-dependent objects in the
source, such as indexes, grants, triggers, and constraints, are not modified. For
REPLACE, the dependent objects are dropped and re-created from the source, if they
were not explicitly or implicitly excluded (using EXCLUDE) and they exist in the
source dump file or system.
• When you use APPEND or TRUNCATE, checks are made to ensure that rows from the
source are compatible with the existing table before performing any action.
If the existing table has active constraints and triggers, then it is loaded using the
external tables access method. If any row violates an active constraint, then the
load fails and no data is loaded. You can override this behavior by specifying
DATA_OPTIONS=SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS on the Import command line.
If you have data that must be loaded, but may cause constraint violations, then
consider disabling the constraints, loading the data, and then deleting the problem
rows before reenabling the constraints.
• When you use APPEND, the data is always loaded into new space; existing space,
even if available, is not reused. For this reason, you may want to compress your
data after the load.
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• Also see the description of the Import PARTITION_OPTIONS parameter for

information about how parallel processing of partitioned tables is affected
depending on whether the target table already exists or not.
Note:
When Data Pump detects that the source table and target table do not match
(the two tables do not have the same number of columns or the target table has
a column name that is not present in the source table), it compares column
names between the two tables. If the tables have at least one column in
common, then the data for the common columns is imported into the table
(assuming the data types are compatible). The following restrictions apply:
• This behavior is not supported for network imports.
• The following types of columns cannot be dropped: object columns, object
attributes, nested table columns, and ref columns based on a primary key.
Restrictions
• TRUNCATE cannot be used on clustered tables.
Example
The following is an example of using the TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION parameter. You can
> impdp hr TABLES=employees DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp
TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=REPLACE
3.4.45 TABLES
Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform a table-mode import.

TABLES=[schema_name.]table_name[:partition_name]
In a table-mode import, you can filter the data that is imported from the source by
specifying a comma-delimited list of tables and partitions or subpartitions.
If you do not supply a schema_name, then it defaults to that of the current user. To
specify a schema other than your own, you must either have the
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role or remap the schema to the current user.
If a partition_name is specified, then it must be the name of a partition or subpartition
in the associated table.
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Use of the wildcard character, %, to specify table names and partition names is
supported.
name in mixed-case or lowercase, and you want to preserve case sensitivity for
sensitivity can be preserved in the different Import modes.
TABLES='\"Emp\"'
TABLES='"Emp"'
• Table names specified on the command line cannot include a pound sign (#),
file, if a table name includes a pound sign (#), then the Import utility interprets the
marks.
For example, if the parameter file contains the following line, then Import interprets
everything on the line after emp# as a comment and does not import the tables dept
and mydata:
However, if the parameter file contains the following line, then the Import utility
imports all three tables because emp# is enclosed in quotation marks:
TABLES=('"emp#"', dept, mydata)
Note:
quotation marks, or the reverse; see your Oracle operating system-specific
table naming.
into Import.
Restrictions
• The use of synonyms as values for the TABLES parameter is not supported. For
example, if the regions table in the hr schema had a synonym of regn, then it
would not be valid to use TABLES=regn. An error would be returned.
• You can only specify partitions from one table if PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION is
also specified on the import.
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• If you specify TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS, then all partitions specified on the TABLES

parameter must be in the same table.
• The length of the table name list specified for the TABLES parameter is limited to a
maximum of 4 MB, unless you are using the NETWORK_LINK parameter to an Oracle
limit is 4 KB.
Example
The following example shows a simple use of the TABLES parameter to import only the
employees and jobs tables from the expfull.dmp file. You can create the expfull.dmp
dump file used in this example by running the example provided for the Export FULL
parameter. See "FULL".
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expfull.dmp TABLES=employees,jobs
The following example shows the use of the TABLES parameter to import partitions:
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expdat.dmp
TABLES=sh.sales:sales_Q1_2012,sh.sales:sales_Q2_2012
This example imports the partitions sales_Q1_2012 and sales_Q2_2012 for the table sales
in the schema sh.
3.4.46 TABLESPACES
Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform a tablespace-mode import.

TABLESPACES=tablespace_name [, ...]
Use TABLESPACES to specify a list of tablespace names whose tables and dependent
objects are to be imported from the source (full, schema, tablespace, or table-mode
export dump file set or another database).
During the following import situations, Data Pump automatically creates the
tablespaces into which the data will be imported:
• The import is being done in FULL or TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES mode
• The import is being done in table mode with TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS
In all other cases, the tablespaces for the selected objects must already exist on the
import database. You could also use the Import REMAP_TABLESPACE parameter to map
the tablespace name to an existing tablespace on the import database.
Restrictions
• The length of the list of tablespace names specified for the TABLESPACES parameter
is limited to a maximum of 4 MB, unless you are using the NETWORK_LINK parameter
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to a 10.2.0.3 or earlier database or to a read-only database. In such cases, the

limit is 4 KB.
Example
The following is an example of using the TABLESPACES parameter. It assumes that the
tablespaces already exist. You can create the expfull.dmp dump file used in this
example by running the example provided for the Export FULL parameter. See "FULL".
TABLESPACES=tbs_1,tbs_2,tbs_3,tbs_4
This example imports all tables that have data in tablespaces tbs_1, tbs_2, tbs_3, and
tbs_4.
3.4.47 TARGET_EDITION
Default: the default database edition on the system
Purpose
Specifies the database edition into which objects should be imported.

TARGET_EDITION=name
If TARGET_EDITION=name is specified, then Data Pump Import creates all of the objects
found in the dump file. Objects that are not editionable are created in all editions. For
example, tables are not editionable, so if there is a table in the dump file, then it will be
created, and all editions will see it. Objects in the dump file that are editionable, such
as procedures, are created only in the specified target edition.
If this parameter is not specified, then the default edition on the target database is
used, even if an edition was specified in the export job. If the specified edition does not
exist or is not usable, then an error message is returned.
Restrictions
• The job version must be 11.2 or later. See "VERSION".
Example
The following is an example of using the TARGET_EDITION parameter:
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=exp_dat.dmp TARGET_EDITION=exp_edition
to which objects are being imported. Because no import mode is specified, the default
of schema mode will be used.
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See Also:

editions feature
3.4.48 TRANSFORM
Purpose
Enables you to alter object creation DDL for objects being imported.

TRANSFORM = transform_name:value[:object_type]
The transform_name specifies the name of the transform.
Specifying an object_type is optional. If supplied, it designates the object type to which

the transform will be applied. If no object type is specified, then the transform applies
to all valid object types.
The available transforms are as follows, in alphabetical order:
• DISABLE_ARCHIVE_LOGGING:[Y | N]
This transform is valid for the following object types: INDEX and TABLE.
If set to Y, then the logging attributes for the specified object types (TABLE and/or
INDEX) are disabled before the data is imported. If set to N (the default), then
archive logging is not disabled during import. After the data has been loaded, the
logging attributes for the objects are restored to their original settings. If no object
type is specified, then the DISABLE_ARCHIVE_LOGGING behavior is applied to both
TABLE and INDEX object types. This transform works for both file mode imports
and network mode imports. It does not apply to transportable tablespace imports.
Note:
If the database is in FORCE LOGGING mode, then the DISABLE_ARCHIVE_LOGGING
option will not disable logging when indexes and tables are created.
• INMEMORY:[Y | N]
This transform is valid for the following object types: TABLE and TABLESPACE.
The INMEMORY transform is related to the In-Memory Column Store (IM column
store). The IM column store is an optional portion of the system global area (SGA)
that stores copies of tables, table partitions, and other database objects. In the IM
column store, data is populated by column rather than row as it is in other parts of
the SGA, and data is optimized for rapid scans. The IM column store does not
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replace the buffer cache, but acts as a supplement so that both memory areas can
store the same data in different formats. The IM column store is included with the
Oracle Database In-Memory option.
If Y (the default value) is specified on import, then Data Pump keeps the IM column
store clause for all objects that have one. When those objects are recreated at
import time, Data Pump generates the IM column store clause that matches the
setting for those objects at export time.
If N is specified on import, then Data Pump drops the IM column store clause from
all objects that have one. If there is no IM column store clause for an object that is
stored in a tablespace, then the object inherits the IM column store clause from the
tablespace. So if you are migrating a database and want the new database to use
IM column store features, you could pre-create the tablespaces with the
appropriate IM column store clause and then use TRANSFORM=INMEMORY:N on the
import command. The object would then inherit the IM column store clause from
the new pre-created tablespace.
If you do not use the INMEMORY transform, then you must individually alter every
object to add the appropriate IM column store clause.
Note:
The INMEMORY transform is available only in Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1.0.2) or later.
See Also:
– Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about using the

In-Memory Column Store (IM column store)
• INMEMORY_CLAUSE:"string with a valid in-memory parameter"
This transform is valid for the following object types: TABLE and TABLESPACE.
The INMEMORY_CLAUSE transform is related to the In-Memory Column Store (IM
column store). The IM column store is an optional portion of the system global
area (SGA) that stores copies of tables, table partitions, and other database
objects. In the IM column store, data is populated by column rather than row as it
is in other parts of the SGA, and data is optimized for rapid scans. The IM column
store does not replace the buffer cache, but acts as a supplement so that both
memory areas can store the same data in different formats. The IM column store
is included with the Oracle Database In-Memory option.
When you specify this transform, Data Pump uses the contents of the string as the
INMEMORY_CLAUSE for all objects being imported that have an IM column store clause
in their DDL. This transform is useful when you want to override the IM column
store clause for an object in the dump file.
The string that you supply must be enclosed in double quotation marks. If you are
entering the command on the command line, be aware that some operating
systems may strip out the quotation marks during parsing of the command, which
will cause an error. You can avoid this by using backslash escape characters. For
example:
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transform=inmemory_clause:\"INMEMORY MEMCOMPRESS FOR DML PRIORITY CRITICAL\"
Alternatively you can put parameters in a parameter file, and the quotation marks
will be maintained during processing.
Note:
The INMEMORY_CLAUSE transform is available only in Oracle Database 12c
Release 1 (12.1.0.2) or later.
See Also:
– Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about using the

In-Memory Column Store (IM column store)
– Oracle Database Reference for a listing and description of parameters
that can be specified in an IM column store clause
• LOB_STORAGE:[SECUREFILE | BASICFILE | DEFAULT | NO_CHANGE]
This transform is valid for the object type TABLE.

LOB segments are created with the specified storage, either SECUREFILE or
BASICFILE. If the value is NO_CHANGE (the default), the LOB segments are created
with the same storage they had in the source database. If the value is DEFAULT,
then the keyword (SECUREFILE or BASICFILE) is omitted and the LOB segment is
created with the default storage.
Specifying this transform changes LOB storage for all tables in the job, including
tables that provide storage for materialized views.
The LOB_STORAGE transform is not valid in transportable import jobs.
• OID:[Y | N]
This transform is valid for the following object types: INC_TYPE, TABLE, and
TYPE
If Y (the default value) is specified on import, then the exported OIDs are assigned
to new object tables and types. Data Pump also performs OID checking when
looking for an existing matching type on the target database.
If N is specified on import, then:
– The assignment of the exported OID during the creation of new object tables
and types is inhibited. Instead, a new OID is assigned. This can be useful for
cloning schemas, but does not affect referenced objects.
– Prior to loading data for a table associated with a type, Data Pump skips
normal type OID checking when looking for an existing matching type on the
target database. Other checks using a type's hash code, version number, and
type name are still performed.
• PCTSPACE:some_number_greater_than_zero
This transform is valid for the following object types: CLUSTER, CONSTRAINT,
INDEX, ROLLBACK_SEGMENT, TABLE, and TABLESPACE.
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The value supplied for this transform must be a number greater than zero. It
represents the percentage multiplier used to alter extent allocations and the size of
data files.
Note that you can use the PCTSPACE transform with the Data Pump Export SAMPLE
parameter so that the size of storage allocations matches the sampled data
subset. (See "SAMPLE".)
• SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES:[Y | N]
INDEX, ROLLBACK_SEGMENT, TABLE, and TABLESPACE.
If the value is specified as Y, then segment attributes (physical attributes, storage
attributes, tablespaces, and logging) are included, with appropriate DDL. The
default is Y.
• SEGMENT_CREATION:[Y | N]

If set to Y (the default), then this transform causes the SQL SEGMENT CREATION
clause to be added to the CREATE TABLE statement. That is, the CREATE TABLE
statement will explicitly say either SEGMENT CREATION DEFERRED or SEGMENT CREATION
IMMEDIATE. If the value is N, then the SEGMENT CREATION clause is omitted from the
CREATE TABLE statement. Set this parameter to N to use the default segment
creation attributes for the table(s) being loaded. (This functionality is available
starting with Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.2).)
• STORAGE:[Y | N]
INDEX, ROLLBACK_SEGMENT, and TABLE.
If the value is specified as Y, then the storage clauses are included, with
appropriate DDL. The default is Y. This parameter is ignored if
SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES=N.
• TABLE_COMPRESSION_CLAUSE:[NONE | compression_clause]

If NONE is specified, then the table compression clause is omitted (and the table
gets the default compression for the tablespace). Otherwise the value is a valid
table compression clause (for example, NOCOMPRESS, COMPRESS BASIC, and so on).
Tables are created with the specified compression. See Oracle Database SQL
Language Reference for information about valid table compression syntax.
If the table compression clause is more than one word, then it must be contained
in single or double quotation marks. Additionally, depending on your operating
system requirements, you may need to enclose the clause in escape characters
(such as the backslash character). For example:
TRANSFORM=TABLE_COMPRESSION_CLAUSE:\"COLUMN STORE COMPRESS FOR QUERY HIGH\"
Specifying this transform changes the type of compression for all tables in the job,
including tables that provide storage for materialized views.
Example
For the following example, assume that you have exported the employees table in the
hr schema. The SQL CREATE TABLE statement that results when you then import the
table is similar to the following:
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CREATE TABLE "HR"."EMPLOYEES"

( "EMPLOYEE_ID" NUMBER(6,0),
"FIRST_NAME" VARCHAR2(20),
"LAST_NAME" VARCHAR2(25) CONSTRAINT "EMP_LAST_NAME_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"EMAIL" VARCHAR2(25) CONSTRAINT "EMP_EMAIL_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"PHONE_NUMBER" VARCHAR2(20),
"HIRE_DATE" DATE CONSTRAINT "EMP_HIRE_DATE_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"JOB_ID" VARCHAR2(10) CONSTRAINT "EMP_JOB_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"SALARY" NUMBER(8,2),
"COMMISSION_PCT" NUMBER(2,2),
"MANAGER_ID" NUMBER(6,0),
"DEPARTMENT_ID" NUMBER(4,0)
) PCTFREE 10 PCTUSED 40 INITRANS 1 MAXTRANS 255 NOCOMPRESS LOGGING
STORAGE(INITIAL 10240 NEXT 16384 MINEXTENTS 1 MAXEXTENTS 121
PCTINCREASE 50 FREELISTS 1 FREELIST GROUPS 1 BUFFER_POOL DEFAULT)
TABLESPACE "SYSTEM" ;
If you do not want to retain the STORAGE clause or TABLESPACE clause, then you can
remove them from the CREATE STATEMENT by using the Import TRANSFORM parameter.
Specify the value of SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES as N. This results in the exclusion of segment
attributes (both storage and tablespace) from the table.
> impdp hr TABLES=hr.employees DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_emp.dmp
TRANSFORM=SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES:N:table
The resulting CREATE TABLE statement for the employees table would then look similar to
the following. It does not contain a STORAGE or TABLESPACE clause; the attributes for the
default tablespace for the HR schema will be used instead.
CREATE TABLE "HR"."EMPLOYEES"
"FIRST_NAME" VARCHAR2(20),
"LAST_NAME" VARCHAR2(25) CONSTRAINT "EMP_LAST_NAME_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"EMAIL" VARCHAR2(25) CONSTRAINT "EMP_EMAIL_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"PHONE_NUMBER" VARCHAR2(20),
"HIRE_DATE" DATE CONSTRAINT "EMP_HIRE_DATE_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"JOB_ID" VARCHAR2(10) CONSTRAINT "EMP_JOB_NN" NOT NULL ENABLE,
"COMMISSION_PCT" NUMBER(2,2),
"MANAGER_ID" NUMBER(6,0),
"DEPARTMENT_ID" NUMBER(4,0)
);
As shown in the previous example, the SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES transform applies to both

storage and tablespace attributes. To omit only the STORAGE clause and retain the
TABLESPACE clause, you can use the STORAGE transform, as follows:
> impdp hr TABLES=hr.employees DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr_emp.dmp

TRANSFORM=STORAGE:N:table
The SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES and STORAGE transforms can be applied to all applicable table
and index objects by not specifying the object type on the TRANSFORM parameter, as
shown in the following command:
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=hr.dmp SCHEMAS=hr
TRANSFORM=SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES:N
3.4.49 TRANSPORT_DATAFILES
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Purpose
Specifies a list of data files to be imported into the target database by a transportable-
tablespace mode import, or by a table-mode or full-mode import if
TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS was set during the export. The data files must already exist on
the target database system.

TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=datafile_name
The datafile_name must include an absolute directory path specification (not a

directory object name) that is valid on the system where the target database resides.
The datafile_name can also use wildcards in the file name portion of an absolute path
specification. An asterisk (*) will match 0 to N characters and a question mark (?) will
match exactly one character. Wildcards are not permitted in the directory portions of
the absolute path specification. If a wildcard is used, all matching files must be part of
the transport set. If any are found that are not, an error is displayed and the import job
terminates.
At some point before the import operation, you must copy the data files from the
source system to the target system. You can do this using any copy method supported
by your operating stem. If desired, you can rename the files when you copy them to
the target system (see Example 2).).
If you already have a dump file set generated by any transportable mode export, then
you can perform a transportable-mode import of that dump file by specifying the dump
file (which contains the metadata) and the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter. The
presence of the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter tells import that it is a transportable-
mode import and where to get the actual data.
Restrictions
• The TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter cannot be used in conjunction with the QUERY
parameter.
• Transportable import jobs cannot be restarted.
• The TRANSPORT_DATAFILES directory portion of the absolute file path cannot contain
wildcards. However, the file name portion of the absolute file path can contain
wildcards
Example 1
The following is an example of using the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter. Assume you
have a parameter file, trans_datafiles.par, with the following content:
DUMPFILE=tts.dmp
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES='/user01/data/tbs1.dbf'
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> impdp hr PARFILE=trans_datafiles.par
Example 2
This example illustrates the renaming of data files as part of a transportable
tablespace export and import operation. Assume that you have a data file named
employees.dat on your source system.
1. Using a method supported by your operating system, manually copy the data file
named employees.dat from your source system to the system where your target
database resides. As part of the copy operation, rename it to workers.dat.
2. Perform a transportable tablespace export of tablespace tbs_1.
> expdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tts.dmp TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=tbs_1
The metadata only (no data) for tbs_1 is exported to a dump file named tts.dmp.
The actual data was copied over to the target database in step 1.
3. Perform a transportable tablespace import, specifying an absolute directory path
for the data file named workers.dat:
> impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=tts.dmp
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES='/user01/data/workers.dat'
The metadata contained in tts.dmp is imported and Data Pump then assigns the
information in the workers.dat file to the correct place in the database.
See Also:
Example 3
This example illustrates use of the asterisk (*) wildcard character in the file name when
used with the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter.
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES='/db1/hrdata/payroll/emp*.dbf'
This will result in Data Pump validating that all files in the directory /db1/hrdata/
payroll/ of type .dbf whose names begins with emp are part of the transport set.
Example 4
This example illustrates use of the question mark (?) wildcard character in the file
name when used with the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter.
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES='/db1/hrdata/payroll/m?emp.dbf'
This will result in Data Pump validating that all files in the directory /db1/hrdata/
payroll/ of type .dbf whose name begins with m, followed by any other single
character, and ending in emp are part of the transport set. For example, a file named
myemp.dbf would be included but memp.dbf would not.
3.4.50 TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK
Default: NO
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Purpose
Specifies whether to verify that the specified transportable tablespace set is being
referenced by objects in other tablespaces.

TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=[YES | NO]
If TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=YES, then Import verifies that there are no dependencies

between those objects inside the transportable set and those outside the transportable
set. The check addresses two-way dependencies. For example, if a table is inside the
transportable set but its index is not, then a failure is returned and the import operation
is terminated. Similarly, a failure is also returned if an index is in the transportable set
but the table is not.
If TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=NO, then Import verifies only that there are no objects within
the transportable set that are dependent on objects outside the transportable set. This
check addresses a one-way dependency. For example, a table is not dependent on an
index, but an index is dependent on a table, because an index without a table has no
meaning. Therefore, if the transportable set contains a table, but not its index, then this
check succeeds. However, if the transportable set contains an index, but not the table,
then the import operation is terminated.
In addition to this check, Import always verifies that all storage segments of all tables
(and their indexes) defined within the tablespace set specified by
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES are actually contained within the tablespace set.
Restrictions
• This parameter is valid for transportable mode (or table mode or full mode when
TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS was specified on the export) only when the NETWORK_LINK
parameter is specified.
Example
In the following example, source_database_link would be replaced with the name of a
valid database link. The example also assumes that a data file named tbs6.dbf
already exists.
Assume you have a parameter file, full_check.par, with the following content:
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=tbs_6
TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=YES
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES='/wkdir/data/tbs6.dbf'

> impdp hr PARFILE=full_check.par
3.4.51 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
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Purpose
Specifies that you want to perform an import in transportable-tablespace mode over a
database link (as specified with the NETWORK_LINK parameter.)

TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=tablespace_name [, ...]
Use the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter to specify a list of tablespace names for

which object metadata will be imported from the source database into the target
database.
Because this is a transportable-mode import, the tablespaces into which the data is
imported are automatically created by Data Pump.You do not need to pre-create them.
However, the data files should be copied to the target database before starting the
import.
When you specify TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES on the import command line, you must also
use the NETWORK_LINK parameter to specify a database link. A database link is a
connection between two physical database servers that allows a client to access them
as one logical database. Therefore, the NETWORK_LINK parameter is required because
the object metadata is exported from the source (the database being pointed to by
NETWORK_LINK) and then imported directly into the target (database from which the
impdp command is issued), using that database link. There are no dump files involved
in this situation. You would also need to specify the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter to
let the import know where to find the actual data, which had been copied to the target
in a separate operation using some other means.
Note:
If you already have a dump file set generated by a transportable-tablespace
mode export, then you can perform a transportable-mode import of that dump
file, but in this case you do not specify TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES or NETWORK_LINK.
Doing so would result in an error. Rather, you specify the dump file (which
contains the metadata) and the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter. The presence
of the TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter tells import that it's a transportable-mode
import and where to get the actual data.
Restrictions
• You cannot export transportable tablespaces and then import them into a
database at a lower release level. The target database into which you are
importing must be at the same or later release level as the source database.
• The TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter is valid only when the NETWORK_LINK
parameter is also specified.
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• To use the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter to perform a transportable tablespace

import, the COMPATIBLE initialization parameter must be set to at least 11.0.0.
• Depending on your operating system, the use of quotation marks when you
specify a value for this parameter may also require that you use escape
characters. Oracle recommends that you place this parameter in a parameter file,
which can reduce the number of escape characters that might otherwise be
needed on the command line.
Example
In the following example, the source_database_link would be replaced with the name of
a valid database link. The example also assumes that a data file named tbs6.dbf has
already been copied from the source database to the local system. Suppose you have
a parameter file, tablespaces.par, with the following content:
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=tbs_6
TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK=NO
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES='user01/data/tbs6.dbf'

> impdp hr PARFILE=tablespaces.par
See Also:

database links
• "Using Data File Copying to Move Data" for more information about why it's
a best practice to maintain a copy of your data files on the source system
• "How Does Data Pump Handle Timestamp Data?"
• "Use of Quotation Marks On the Data Pump Command Line"
3.4.52 TRANSPORTABLE
Default: NEVER
Purpose
Specifies whether the transportable option should be used during a table mode import
(specified with the TABLES parameter) or a full mode import (specified with the FULL
parameter).

TRANSPORTABLE = [ALWAYS | NEVER]
The definitions of the allowed values are as follows:

ALWAYS - Instructs the import job to use the transportable option. If transportable is not
possible, then the job fails.
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In a table mode import, using the transportable option results in a transportable

tablespace import in which only metadata for the specified tables, partitions, or
subpartitions is imported.
In a full mode import, using the transportable option results in a full transportable
import in which metadata for all objects in the specified database is imported.
In both cases you must copy (and possibly convert) the actual data files to the target
database in a separate operation.
NEVER - Instructs the import job to use either the direct path or external table method to
load data rather than the transportable option. This is the default.
If only a subset of a table's partitions are imported and the TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS
parameter is used, then each partition becomes a non-partitioned table.
If only a subset of a table's partitions are imported and the TRANSPORTABLE parameter is
not used or is set to NEVER (the default), then:
• If PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION is used, then each partition is created as a non-

partitioned table.
• If PARTITION_OPTIONS is not used, then the complete table is created. That is, all the
metadata for the complete table is present so that the table definition looks the
same on the target system as it did on the source. But only the data for the
specified partitions is inserted into the table.
Restrictions
• The Import TRANSPORTABLE parameter is valid only if the NETWORK_LINK parameter is
also specified.
• The TRANSPORTABLE parameter is only valid in table mode imports and full mode
imports.
• The user performing a transportable import requires the
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role on the source database and the
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role on the target database.
• All objects with storage that are selected for network import must have all of their
storage segments on the source system either entirely within administrative, non-
transportable tablespaces (SYSTEM / SYSAUX) or entirely within user-defined,
transportable tablespaces. Storage for a single object cannot straddle the two
kinds of tablespaces.
• To use the TRANSPORTABLE parameter to perform a network-based full transportable
import, the Data Pump VERSION parameter must be set to at least 12.0 if the source
database is release 11.2.0.3. If the source database is release 12.1 or later, then
the VERSION parameter is not required, but the COMPATIBLE database initialization
parameter must be set to 12.0.0 or later.
Example 1
The following example shows the use of the TRANSPORTABLE parameter during a network
link import.
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> impdp system TABLES=hr.sales TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS

DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 NETWORK_LINK=dbs1 PARTITION_OPTIONS=DEPARTITION
TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=datafile_name
Example 2
The following example shows the use of the TRANSPORTABLE parameter when performing
a full transportable import where the NETWORK_LINK points to a an Oracle Database 11g
release 2 (11.2.0.3) system with encrypted tablespaces and tables with encrypted
columns.
> impdp import_admin FULL=Y TRANSPORTABLE=ALWAYS VERSION=12 NETWORK_LINK=dbs1
ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD=password TRANSPORT_DATAFILES=<datafile_name>
LOGFILE=dpump_dir1:fullnet.log
See Also:
• "Using the Transportable Option During Full Mode Imports"

• "Using Data File Copying to Move Data" for more information about why it's
a best practice to maintain a copy of your data files on the source system
3.4.53 VERSION
Default: You should rarely have to specify the VERSION parameter on an import
operation. Data Pump uses whichever of the following is earlier:
• the version associated with the dump file, or source database in the case of
network imports
• the version specified by the COMPATIBLE initialization parameter on the target
database
Purpose
Specifies the version of database objects to be imported (that is, only database objects
and attributes that are compatible with the specified release will be imported). Note
that this does not mean that Data Pump Import can be used with releases of Oracle
Database earlier than 10.1. Data Pump Import only works with Oracle Database 10g
release 1 (10.1) or later. The VERSION parameter simply allows you to identify the
version of the objects being imported.

VERSION=[COMPATIBLE | LATEST | version_string]
This parameter can be used to load a target system whose Oracle database is at an
earlier compatibility release than that of the source system. Database objects or
attributes on the source system that are incompatible with the specified release will not
be moved to the target. For example, tables containing new data types that are not
supported in the specified release will not be imported. Legal values for this parameter
are as follows:
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• COMPATIBLE - This is the default value. The version of the metadata corresponds to
the database compatibility level. Database compatibility must be set to 9.2.0 or
later.
• LATEST - The version of the metadata corresponds to the database release.
Specifying VERSION=LATEST on an import job has no effect when the target
database's actual version is later than the version specified in its COMPATIBLE
initialization parameter.
• version_string - A specific database release (for example, 11.2.0).
Restrictions
• If the Data Pump VERSION parameter is specified as any value earlier than 12.1,
then the Data Pump dump file excludes any tables that contain VARCHAR2 or
NVARCHAR2 columns longer than 4000 bytes and any RAW columns longer than 2000
bytes.
• Full imports performed over a network link require that you set VERSION=12 if the
target is Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1) or later and the source is
Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.3) or later.
(12.1) and later.
• The value of the VERSION parameter affects the import differently depending on
whether data-bound collation (DBC) is enabled. See Oracle Data Pump Behavior
with Data-Bound Collation.
Example
In the following example, assume that the target is an Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1.0.1) database and the source is an Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.3)
database. In that situation, you must set VERSION=12 for network-based imports. Also
note that even though full is the default import mode, you must specify it on the
command line when the NETWORK_LINK parameter is being used.
> impdp hr FULL=Y DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
NETWORK_LINK=source_database_link VERSION=12
See Also:
"Exporting and Importing Between Different Database Releases"
3.4.54 VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Network Import)

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Note:
This description of VIEWS_AS_TABLES is applicable during network imports,
meaning that you supply a value for the Data Pump Import NETWORK_LINK
parameter. If you are performing an import that is not a network import, then
see "VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Non-Network Import)".
Purpose
Specifies that one or more views are to be imported as tables.

VIEWS_AS_TABLES=[schema_name.]view_name[:table_name], ...
Data Pump imports a table with the same columns as the view and with row data
fetched from the view. Data Pump also imports objects dependent on the view, such
as grants and constraints. Dependent objects that do not apply to tables (for example,
grants of the UNDER object privilege) are not imported. The VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter
can be used by itself or along with the TABLES parameter. If either is used, Data Pump
performs a table-mode import.
not supplied, it defaults to the user performing the import.
view_name: The name of the view to be imported as a table. The view must exist and it
must be a relational view with only scalar, non-LOB columns. If you specify an invalid
or non-existent view, the view is skipped and an error message is returned.
table_name: The name of a table to serve as the source of the metadata for the
imported view. By default Data Pump automatically creates a temporary "template
table" with the same columns and data types as the view, but no rows. If the database
is read-only, then this default creation of a template table will fail. In such a case, you
can specify a table name. The table must be in the same schema as the view. It must
be a non-partitioned relational table with heap organization. It cannot be a nested
table.
If the import job contains multiple views with explicitly specified template tables, the
template tables must all be different. For example, in the following job (in which two
views use the same template table) one of the views is skipped:
impdp hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir NETWORK_LINK=dblink1
VIEWS_AS_TABLES=v1:employees,v2:employees
An error message is returned reporting the omitted object.

Template tables are automatically dropped after the import operation is completed.
While they exist, you can perform the following query to view their names (which all
begin with KU$VAT):
SQL> SELECT * FROM user_tab_comments WHERE table_name LIKE 'KU$VAT%';
TABLE_NAME TABLE_TYPE
------------------------------ -----------
COMMENTS
-----------------------------------------------------
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KU$VAT_63629 TABLE
Data Pump metadata template table for view HR.EMPLOYEESV
Restrictions
parameter.
data type of LONG.
Example
The following example performs a network import to import the contents of the view
hr.v1 from a read-only database. The hr schema on the source database must contain
a template table with the same geometry as the view view1 (call this table view1_tab).
The VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter lists the view name and the table name separated by a
colon:
> impdp hr VIEWS_AS_TABLES=view1:view1_tab NETWORK_LINK=dblink1
The view is imported as a table named view1 with rows fetched from the view. The
metadata for the table is copied from the template table view1_tab.
3.4.55 VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Non-Network Import)

Purpose
Specifies that one or more tables in the dump file that were exported as views, should
be imported.

VIEWS_AS_TABLES=[schema_name.]view_name,...
The VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter can be used by itself or along with the TABLES
parameter. If either is used, Data Pump performs a table-mode import.
not supplied, it defaults to the user performing the import.
view_name: The name of the view to be imported as a table.
Restrictions
parameter.
data type of LONG.
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Commands Available in Import's Interactive-Command Mode
Example
The following example imports the table in the scott1.dmp dump file that was exported
as view1:
> impdp scott/tiger views_as_tables=view1 directory=data_pump_dir dumpfile=scott1.dmp
3.5 Commands Available in Import's Interactive-Command

Mode
To start interactive-command mode, do one of the following:

• From an attached client, press Ctrl+C.
• From a terminal other than the one on which the job is running, use the ATTACH
parameter to attach to the job. This is a useful feature in situations in which you
start a job at one location and need to check on it at a later time from a different
location.
Table 3-1 lists the activities you can perform for the current job from the Data Pump
Import prompt in interactive-command mode.
Table 3-1 Supported Activities in Data Pump Import's Interactive-Command

Mode
Activity Command Used

Exit interactive-command mode. CONTINUE_CLIENT
Stop the import client session, but leave the current job EXIT_CLIENT
running.
Display a summary of available commands. HELP
Detach all currently attached client sessions and terminate the KILL_JOB
current job.
Increase or decrease the number of active worker processes PARALLEL
for the current job. This command is valid only in Oracle
Database Enterprise Edition.
Restart a stopped job to which you are attached. START_JOB
Display detailed status for the current job. STATUS
Stop the current job. STOP_JOB
• CONTINUE_CLIENT
• EXIT_CLIENT
• HELP
• KILL_JOB
• PARALLEL
• START_JOB
• STATUS
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• STOP_JOB
3.5.1 CONTINUE_CLIENT
Purpose
Changes the mode from interactive-command mode to logging mode.

CONTINUE_CLIENT
In logging mode, the job status is continually output to the terminal. If the job is
currently stopped, then CONTINUE_CLIENT will also cause the client to attempt to start the
job.
Example
Import> CONTINUE_CLIENT
3.5.2 EXIT_CLIENT
Purpose
Stops the import client session, exits Import, and discontinues logging to the terminal,
but leaves the current job running.

EXIT_CLIENT
Because EXIT_CLIENT leaves the job running, you can attach to the job at a later time if
it is still executing or in a stopped state. To see the status of the job, you can monitor
the log file for the job or you can query the USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS view or the
V$SESSION_LONGOPS view.
Example
Import> EXIT_CLIENT
3.5.3 HELP
Purpose
Provides information about Data Pump Import commands available in interactive-
command mode.

HELP
Displays information about the commands available in interactive-command mode.
Example
Import> HELP
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3.5.4 KILL_JOB
Purpose
Detaches all currently attached client sessions and then terminates the current job. It
exits Import and returns to the terminal prompt.

KILL_JOB
A job that is terminated using KILL_JOB cannot be restarted. All attached clients,
including the one issuing the KILL_JOB command, receive a warning that the job is
being terminated by the current user and are then detached. After all clients are
detached, the job's process structure is immediately run down and the master table is
deleted. Log files are not deleted.
Example
Import> KILL_JOB
3.5.5 PARALLEL
Purpose
Enables you to increase or decrease the number of active worker processes and/or
PQ slaves for the current job.

PARALLEL=integer
PARALLEL is available as both a command-line parameter and an interactive-mode

parameter. You set it to the desired number of parallel processes. An increase takes
effect immediately if there are enough resources and if there is enough work requiring
parallelization. A decrease does not take effect until an existing process finishes its
current task. If the integer value is decreased, then workers are idled but not deleted
until the job exits.
Restrictions
later.
Example
Import> PARALLEL=10
See Also:
"PARALLEL" for more information about parallelism
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3.5.6 START_JOB
Purpose
Starts the current job to which you are attached.

START_JOB[=SKIP_CURRENT=YES]
The START_JOB command restarts the job to which you are currently attached (the job
cannot be currently executing). The job is restarted with no data loss or corruption
after an unexpected failure or after you issue a STOP_JOB command, provided the dump
file set and master table remain undisturbed.
The SKIP_CURRENT option allows you to restart a job that previously failed, or that is
hung or performing slowly on a particular object. The failing statement or current object
being processed is skipped and the job is restarted from the next work item. For
parallel jobs, this option causes each worker to skip whatever it is currently working on
and to move on to the next item at restart.
Neither SQLFILE jobs nor imports done in transportable-tablespace mode are
restartable.
Example
Import> START_JOB
3.5.7 STATUS
Purpose
Displays cumulative status of the job, a description of the current operation, and an
estimated completion percentage. It also allows you to reset the display interval for
logging mode status.

STATUS[=integer]
You have the option of specifying how frequently, in seconds, this status should be
displayed in logging mode. If no value is entered or if the default value of 0 is used,
then the periodic status display is turned off and status is displayed only once.
(even if one is in effect).
Example
The following example will display the current job status and change the logging mode
display interval to two minutes (120 seconds).
Import> STATUS=120
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3.5.8 STOP_JOB
Purpose
Stops the current job either immediately or after an orderly shutdown, and exits Import.

STOP_JOB[=IMMEDIATE]
If the master table and dump file set are not disturbed when or after the STOP_JOB
command is issued, then the job can be attached to and restarted at a later time with
the START_JOB command.
To perform an orderly shutdown, use STOP_JOB (without any associated value). A

warning requiring confirmation will be issued. An orderly shutdown stops the job after
worker processes have finished their current tasks.
To perform an immediate shutdown, specify STOP_JOB=IMMEDIATE. A warning requiring
confirmation will be issued. All attached clients, including the one issuing the STOP_JOB
command, receive a warning that the job is being stopped by the current user and they
will be detached. After all clients are detached, the process structure of the job is
immediately run down. That is, the master process will not wait for the worker
processes to finish their current tasks. There is no risk of corruption or data loss when
you specify STOP_JOB=IMMEDIATE. However, some tasks that were incomplete at the time
of shutdown may have to be redone at restart time.
Example
Import> STOP_JOB=IMMEDIATE
3.6 Examples of Using Data Pump Import

Pump Import.
For information that will help you to successfully use these examples, see Using the
Import Parameter Examples.
• Performing a Data-Only Table-Mode Import
This example shows how to perform a data-only table-mode import.
• Performing a Schema-Mode Import
This example shows a schema-mode import.
• Performing a Network-Mode Import
This example shows a network-mode import.
3.6.1 Performing a Data-Only Table-Mode Import

This example shows how to perform a data-only table-mode import.
Example 3-1 shows how to perform a data-only table-mode import of the table named
employees. It uses the dump file created in Example 2-1.
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Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Import
The CONTENT=DATA_ONLY parameter filters out any database object definitions

(metadata). Only table row data is loaded.
Example 3-1 Performing a Data-Only Table-Mode Import
> impdp hr TABLES=employees CONTENT=DATA_ONLY DUMPFILE=dpump_dir1:table.dmp
NOLOGFILE=YES
3.6.2 Performing a Schema-Mode Import

This example shows a schema-mode import.
Example 3-2 shows a schema-mode import of the dump file set created in
Example 2-4.
Example 3-2 Performing a Schema-Mode Import
> impdp hr SCHEMAS=hr DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1 DUMPFILE=expschema.dmp
EXCLUDE=CONSTRAINT,REF_CONSTRAINT,INDEX TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=REPLACE
The EXCLUDE parameter filters the metadata that is imported. For the given mode of
import, all the objects contained within the source, and all their dependent objects, are
included except those specified in an EXCLUDE statement. If an object is excluded, then
all of its dependent objects are also excluded.The TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=REPLACE
parameter tells Import to drop the table if it already exists and to then re-create and
load it using the dump file contents.
3.6.3 Performing a Network-Mode Import

This example shows a network-mode import.
Example 3-3 performs a network-mode import where the source is the database
specified by the NETWORK_LINK parameter.
Example 3-3 Network-Mode Import of Schemas

> impdp hr TABLES=employees REMAP_SCHEMA=hr:scott DIRECTORY=dpump_dir1
NETWORK_LINK=dblink
This example imports the employees table from the hr schema into the scott schema.
The dblink references a source database that is different than the target database.
To remap the schema, user hr must have the DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role on the
local database and the DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role on the source database.
REMAP_SCHEMA loads all the objects from the source schema into the target schema.
Related Topics
• NETWORK_LINK
3.7 Syntax Diagrams for Data Pump Import

These diagrams use standard SQL syntax notation. For more information about SQL
syntax notation, see Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
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ImpInit
YES
HELP =
NO
impdp
@ connect_identifier AS SYSDBA
username / password ImpStart
ImpStart
ImpModes ImpOpts ImpFileOpts
ImpEncrypt
schema_name .
= job_name
ATTACH
ImpModes
YES
FULL =
NO
SCHEMAS = schema_name
schema_name . : partition_name
TABLES = table_name
TABLESPACES = tablespace_name
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ImpOpts
ImpContent
DISABLE_APPEND_HINT
SKIP_CONSTRAINT_ERRORS
REJECT_ROWS_WITH_REPL_CHAR
DATA_OPTIONS =
TRUST_EXISTING_TABLE_PARTITIONS
VALIDATE_TABLE_DATA
ENABLE_NETWORK_COMPRESSION
ImpEncrypt
ImpFilter
NONE
STATUS
LOGTIME =
LOGFILE
ALL
PARALLEL = integer
ImpRemap
YES
REUSE_DATAFILES =
NO
ImpPartitioning
ImpRacOpt
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ImpOpts_Cont
YES
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES =
NO
STATUS = integer
YES
STREAMS_CONFIGURATION =
NO
SKIP
APPEND
TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION =
TRUNCATE
REPLACE
TARGET_EDITION = target_edition_name
ImpTransforms
ImpVersion
schema_object. :table_name
view_name
,
VIEWS_AS_TABLES =
schema_object.
view_name
ImpDiagnostics
ImpContent
ALL
CONTENT = DATA_ONLY
METADATA_ONLY
ImpEncrypt
YES
ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT =
NO
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ImpFilter
: name_clause
EXCLUDE = object_type
: name_clause
INCLUDE = object_type
schema_name .
table_name :
QUERY = query_clause
ImpPartitioning
NONE
DEPARTITION
PARTITION_OPTIONS =
EXCHANGE
MERGE
ImpRacOpt
YES
CLUSTER =
NO
SERVICE_NAME = service_name
ImpRemap
schema . schema .
REMAP_DATA = table . column : pkg . function
REMAP_DATAFILE = source_datafile : target_datafile
REMAP_DIRECTORY = source_directory_string : target_directory_string
REMAP_SCHEMA = source_schema : target_schema
schema_name . : partition
REMAP_TABLE = old_table_name : new_tablename
REMAP_TABLESPACE = source_tablespace : target_tablespace
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Note: The REMAP_DATAFILE and REMAP_DIRECTORY parameters are mutually exclusive.
ImpFileOpts
DIRECTORY = directory_object
NETWORK_LINK = database_link ImpNetworkOpts
directory_object :
DUMPFILE = file_name
directory_object :
LOGFILE = file_name
YES
NOLOGFILE =
NO
directory_path
PARFILE = file_name
directory_object :
SQLFILE = file_name
ImpNetworkOpts
BLOCKS
ESTIMATE =
STATISTICS
FLASHBACK_SCN = SCN_number
ALWAYS ,
TRANSPORTABLE =
NEVER TRANSPORT_DATAFILES = datafile_name
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES = tablespace_name
YES
TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK =
NO
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ImpDynOpts
CONTINUE_CLIENT
EXIT_CLIENT
HELP
KILL_JOB
PARALLEL = integer
YES
= SKIP_CURRENT =
NO
START_JOB
= integer
STATUS
= IMMEDIATE
STOP_JOB
ImpTransforms
SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES
STORAGE
OID
PARTITION : object_type
TRANSFORM = : value
PCTSPACE
DISABLE_ARCHIVE_LOGGING
LOB_STORAGE
TABLE_COMPRESSION_CLAUSE
ImpVersion
COMPATIBLE
VERSION = LATEST
version_string
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ImpDiagnostics
ABORT_STEP = integer
AUTOMATIC
EXTERNAL_TABLE
ACCESS_METHOD = DIRECT_PATH
CONVENTIONAL
INSERT_AS_SELECT
YES
KEEP_MASTER =
NO
YES
MASTER_ONLY =
NO
YES
METRICS =
NO
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4
Data Pump Legacy Mode
Data Pump legacy mode lets you use original Export and Import parameters on the
Data Pump Export and Data Pump Import command lines.
If you use original Export (exp) and Import (imp), then you may have scripts you have
been using for many years. Data Pump provides a legacy mode which allows you to
continue to use your existing scripts with Data Pump.
Data Pump enters legacy mode when it determines that a parameter unique to original
Export or Import is present, either on the command line or in a script. As Data Pump
processes the parameter, the analogous Data Pump Export or Data Pump Import
parameter is displayed. Oracle strongly recommends that you view the new syntax
and make script changes as time permits.
Note:
The Data Pump Export and Import utilities create and read dump files and log
files in Data Pump format only. They never create or read dump files
compatible with original Export or Import. If you have a dump file created with
original Export, then you must use original Import to import the data into the
database.
• Parameter Mappings
This section describes parameter mappings.
• Management of File Locations in Data Pump Legacy Mode
Original Export and Import and Data Pump Export and Import differ on where
dump files and log files can be written to and read from because the original
version is client-based and Data Pump is server-based.
• Adjusting Existing Scripts for Data Pump Log Files and Errors
This section describes how to adjust existing scripts for Data Pump log files and
errors.
4.1 Parameter Mappings

This section describes parameter mappings.
This section describes how original Export and Import parameters map to the Data
Pump Export and Import parameters that supply similar functionality.
• Using Original Export Parameters with Data Pump

Data Pump Export accepts original Export parameters when they map to a
corresponding Data Pump parameter.
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Parameter Mappings
• Using Original Import Parameters with Data Pump

Data Pump Import accepts original Import parameters when they map to a
See Also:
• Data Pump Export

• Data Pump Import
• Original Export
• Original Import
4.1.1 Using Original Export Parameters with Data Pump

Data Pump Export accepts original Export parameters when they map to a
Table 4-1 describes how Data Pump Export interprets original Export parameters.
Parameters that have the same name and functionality in both original Export and
Data Pump Export are not included in this table.
Table 4-1 How Data Pump Export Handles Original Export Parameters
Original Export Parameter Action Taken by Data Pump Export

Parameter
BUFFER This parameter is ignored.
COMPRESS This parameter is ignored. In original Export,
the COMPRESS parameter affected how the
initial extent was managed. Setting
COMPRESS=n caused original Export to use
current storage parameters for the initial and
next extent.
The Data Pump Export COMPRESSION
parameter is used to specify how data is
compressed in the dump file, and is not related
to the original Export COMPRESS parameter.
CONSISTENT Data Pump Export determines the current time
and uses FLASHBACK_TIME.
CONSTRAINTS If original Export used CONSTRAINTS=n, then
Data Pump Export uses
EXCLUDE=CONSTRAINTS.
The default behavior is to include constraints
as part of the export.
DIRECT This parameter is ignored. Data Pump Export
automatically chooses the best export method.
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Parameter Mappings
Table 4-1 (Cont.) How Data Pump Export Handles Original Export Parameters

Parameter
FEEDBACK The Data Pump Export STATUS=30 command is
used. Note that this is not a direct mapping
because the STATUS command returns the
status of the export job, as well as the rows
being processed.
In original Export, feedback was given after a
certain number of rows, as specified with the
FEEDBACK command. In Data Pump Export, the
status is given every so many seconds, as
specified by STATUS.
FILE Data Pump Export attempts to determine the
path that was specified or defaulted to for the
FILE parameter, and also to determine
whether a directory object exists to which the
schema has read and write access.
See Management of File Locations in Data
Pump Legacy Mode for more information
about how Data Pump handles the original
Export FILE parameter.
GRANTS If original Export used GRANTS=n, then Data
Pump Export uses EXCLUDE=GRANT.
If original Export used GRANTS=y, then the
parameter is ignored and does not need to be
remapped because that is the Data Pump
Export default behavior.
INDEXES If original Export used INDEXES=n, then Data
Pump Export uses the EXCLUDE=INDEX
parameter.
If original Export used INDEXES=y, then the
LOG Data Pump Export attempts to determine the
LOG parameter, and also to determine whether
a directory object exists to which the schema
has read and write access.
Export LOG parameter.
The contents of the log file will be those of a
Data Pump Export operation. See Log Files for
information about log file location and content.
OBJECT_CONSISTENT This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
Export processing ensures that each object is
in a consistent state when being exported.
OWNER The Data Pump SCHEMAS parameter is used.
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Parameter Mappings

Parameter
RECORDLENGTH This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
Export automatically takes care of buffer
sizing.
RESUMABLE This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
Export automatically provides this functionality
to users who have been granted the
EXP_FULL_DATABASE role.
RESUMABLE_NAME This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
ROWS If original Export used ROWS=y, then Data
Pump Export uses the CONTENT=ALL
parameter.
If original Export used ROWS=n, then Data
Pump Export uses the
CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY parameter.
STATISTICS This parameter is ignored because statistics
are always saved for tables as part of a Data
Pump export operation.
TABLESPACES If original Export also specified
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE=n, then Data Pump
Export ignores the TABLESPACES parameter.
If original Export also specified
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE=y, then Data Pump
Export takes the names listed for the
TABLESPACES parameter and uses them on the
Data Pump Export TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
parameter.
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE If original Export used
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE=n (the default), then
Data Pump Export uses the TABLESPACES
parameter.
If original Export used
Export uses the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES
parameter and only the metadata is exported.
TRIGGERS If original Export used TRIGGERS=n, then Data
Pump Export uses the EXCLUDE=TRIGGER
parameter.
If original Export used TRIGGERS=y, then the
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Parameter Mappings

Parameter
TTS_FULL_CHECK If original Export used TTS_FULL_CHECK=y, then
Data Pump Export uses the
TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK parameter.
If original Export used TTS_FULL_CHECK=y, then
the parameter is ignored and does not need to
be remapped because that is the Data Pump
VOLSIZE When the original Export VOLSIZE parameter is
used, it means the location specified for the
dump file is a tape device. The Data Pump
Export dump file format does not support tape
devices. Therefore, this operation terminates
with an error.
4.1.2 Using Original Import Parameters with Data Pump

Data Pump Import accepts original Import parameters when they map to a
Table 4-2 describes how Data Pump Import interprets original Import parameters.
Parameters that have the same name and functionality in both original Import and
Data Pump Import are not included in this table.
Table 4-2 How Data Pump Import Handles Original Import Parameters
Original Import Parameter Action Taken by Data Pump Import

Parameter
BUFFER This parameter is ignored.
CHARSET This parameter was desupported several
releases ago and should no longer be used. It
will cause the Data Pump Import operation to
abort.
COMMIT This parameter is ignored. Data Pump Import
automatically performs a commit after each
table is processed.
COMPILE This parameter is ignored. Data Pump Import
compiles procedures after they are created. A
recompile can be executed if necessary for
dependency reasons.
CONSTRAINTS If original Import used CONSTRAINTS=n, then
Data Pump Import uses the
EXCLUDE=CONSTRAINT parameter.
If original Import used CONSTRAINTS=y, then the
Import default behavior.
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Parameter Mappings
Table 4-2 (Cont.) How Data Pump Import Handles Original Import Parameters

Parameter
DATAFILES The Data Pump Import TRANSPORT_DATAFILES
parameter is used.
DESTROY If original Import used DESTROY=y, then Data
Pump Import uses the REUSE_DATAFILES=y
parameter.
If original Import used DESTROY=n, then the
FEEDBACK The Data Pump Import STATUS=30 command is
used. Note that this is not a direct mapping
because the STATUS command returns the
status of the import job, as well as the rows
being processed.
In original Import, feedback was given after a
certain number of rows, as specified with the
FEEDBACK command. In Data Pump Import, the
status is given every so many seconds, as
specified by STATUS.
FILE Data Pump Import attempts to determine the
FILE parameter, and also to determine
whether a directory object exists to which the
schema has read and write access.
Import FILE parameter.
FILESIZE This parameter is ignored because the
information is already contained in the Data
Pump dump file set.
FROMUSER The Data Pump Import SCHEMAS parameter is
used. If FROMUSER was used without TOUSER
also being used, then import schemas that
have the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role cause Data
Pump Import to attempt to create the schema
and then import that schema's objects. Import
schemas that do not have the
IMP_FULL_DATABASE role can only import their
own schema from the dump file set.
GRANTS If original Import used GRANTS=n, then Data
Pump Import uses the EXCLUDE=OBJECT_GRANT
parameter.
If original Import used GRANTS=y, then the
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Parameter Mappings

Parameter
IGNORE If original Import used IGNORE=y, then Data
Pump Import uses the
TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION=APPEND parameter. This
causes the processing of table data to
continue.
If original Import used IGNORE=n, then the
INDEXES If original Import used INDEXES=n, then Data
Pump Import uses the EXCLUDE=INDEX
parameter.
If original Import used INDEXES=y, then the
INDEXFILE The Data Pump Import SQLFILE={directory-
object:}filename and INCLUDE=INDEX
parameters are used.
The same method and attempts made when
looking for a directory object described for the
FILE parameter also take place for the
INDEXFILE parameter.
If no directory object was specified on the
original Import, then Data Pump Import uses
the directory object specified with the
LOG Data Pump Import attempts to determine the
LOG parameter, and also to determine whether
a directory object exists to which the schema
has read and write access.
Import LOG parameter.
The contents of the log file will be those of a
Data Pump Import operation. See Log Files for
information about log file location and content.
RECORDLENGTH This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
handles issues about record length internally.
RESUMABLE This parameter is ignored because this
functionality is automatically provided for users
who have been granted the
IMP_FULL_DATABASE role.
RESUMABLE_NAME This parameter is ignored because this
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Parameter Mappings

Parameter
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT This parameter is ignored because this
ROWS=N If original Import used ROWS=n, then Data Pump
Import uses the CONTENT=METADATA_ONLY
parameter.
If original Import used ROWS=y, then Data Pump
Import uses the CONTENT=ALL parameter.
SHOW If SHOW=y is specified, then the Data Pump
Import
SQLFILE=[directory_object:]file_name
parameter is used to write the DDL for the
import operation to a file. Only the DDL (not
the entire contents of the dump file) is written
to the specified file. (Note that the output is not
shown on the screen as it was in original
Import.)
The name of the file will be the file name
specified on the DUMPFILE parameter (or on
the original Import FILE parameter, which is
remapped to DUMPFILE). If multiple dump file
names are listed, then the first file name in the
list is used. The file will be located in the
directory object location specified on the
DIRECTORY parameter or the directory object
included on the DUMPFILE parameter.
(Directory objects specified on the DUMPFILE
parameter take precedence.)
STATISTICS This parameter is ignored because statistics
are always saved for tables as part of a Data
Pump Import operation.
STREAMS_CONFIGURATION This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
Import automatically determines it; it does not
need to be specified.
STREAMS_INSTANTIATION This parameter is ignored because Data Pump
Import automatically determines it; it does not
need to be specified
TABLESPACES If original Import also specified
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE=n (the default), then
Data Pump Import ignores the TABLESPACES
parameter.
If original Import also specified
Import takes the names supplied for this
TABLESPACES parameter and applies them to
the Data Pump Import
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter.
TOID_NOVALIDATE This parameter is ignored. OIDs are no longer
used for type validation.
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Management of File Locations in Data Pump Legacy Mode

Parameter
TOUSER The Data Pump Import REMAP_SCHEMA
parameter is used. There may be more objects
imported than with original Import. Also, Data
Pump Import may create the target schema if
it does not already exist.
The FROMUSER parameter must also have been
specified in original Import or the operation will
fail.
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE The TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE parameter is
ignored, but if you also specified the
DATAFILES parameter, then the import job
continues to load the metadata. If the
DATAFILES parameter is not specified, then an
ORA-39002:invalid operation error message
is returned.
TTS_OWNERS This parameter is ignored because this
information is automatically stored in the Data
Pump dump file set.
VOLSIZE When the original Import VOLSIZE parameter is
used, it means the location specified for the
dump file is a tape device. The Data Pump
Import dump file format does not support tape
devices. Therefore, this operation terminates
with an error.
4.2 Management of File Locations in Data Pump Legacy

Mode
Original Export and Import and Data Pump Export and Import differ on where dump
files and log files can be written to and read from because the original version is client-
based and Data Pump is server-based.
Original Export and Import use the FILE and LOG parameters to specify dump file and
log file names, respectively. These file names always refer to files local to the client
system and they may also contain a path specification.
Data Pump Export and Import use the DUMPFILE and LOGFILE parameters to specify
dump file and log file names, respectively. These file names always refer to files local
to the server system and cannot contain any path information. Instead, a directory
object is used to indirectly specify path information. The path value defined by the
directory object must be accessible to the server. The directory object is specified for a
Data Pump job through the DIRECTORY parameter. It is also possible to prepend a
directory object to the file names passed to the DUMPFILE and LOGFILE parameters. For
privileged users, Data Pump supports the use of a default directory object if one is not
specified on the command line. This default directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is set up at
installation time.
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Management of File Locations in Data Pump Legacy Mode
If Data Pump legacy mode is enabled and the original Export FILE=filespec parameter
and/or LOG=filespec parameter are present on the command line, then the following
rules of precedence are used to determine a file's location:
Note:
If the FILE parameter and LOG parameter are both present on the command line,
then the rules of precedence are applied separately to each parameter.
Also, when a mix of original Export/Import and Data Pump Export/Import
parameters are used, separate rules apply to them. For example, suppose you
have the following command:
expdp system FILE=/user/disk/foo.dmp LOGFILE=foo.log DIRECTORY=dpump_dir
The Data Pump legacy mode file management rules, as explained in this
section, would apply to the FILE parameter. The normal (that is, non-legacy
mode) Data Pump file management rules, as described in Default Locations for
Dump_ Log_ and SQL Files, would apply to the LOGFILE parameter.
1. If a path location is specified as part of the file specification, then Data Pump
attempts to look for a directory object accessible to the schema executing the
export job whose path location matches the path location of the file specification. If
such a directory object cannot be found, then an error is returned. For example,
assume that a server-based directory object named USER_DUMP_FILES has been
defined with a path value of '/disk1/user1/dumpfiles/' and that read and write
access to this directory object has been granted to the hr schema. The following
command causes Data Pump to look for a server-based directory object whose
path value contains '/disk1/user1/dumpfiles/' and to which the hr schema has
been granted read and write access:
expdp hr FILE=/disk1/user1/dumpfiles/hrdata.dmp
In this case, Data Pump uses the directory object USER_DUMP_FILES. The path value,
in this example '/disk1/user1/dumpfiles/', must refer to a path on the server
system that is accessible to the Oracle Database.
If a path location is specified as part of the file specification, then any directory
object provided using the DIRECTORY parameter is ignored. For example, if the
following command is issued, then Data Pump does not use the DPUMP_DIR
directory object for the file parameter, but instead looks for a server-based
directory object whose path value contains '/disk1/user1/dumpfiles/' and to
which the hr schema has been granted read and write access:
expdp hr FILE=/disk1/user1/dumpfiles/hrdata.dmp DIRECTORY=dpump_dir
2. If no path location is specified as part of the file specification, then the directory
object named by the DIRECTORY parameter is used. For example, if the following
command is issued, then Data Pump applies the path location defined for the
DPUMP_DIR directory object to the hrdata.dmp file:
expdp hr FILE=hrdata.dmp DIRECTORY=dpump_dir

3. If no path location is specified as part of the file specification and no directory
object is named by the DIRECTORY parameter, then Data Pump does the following,
in the order shown:
4-10
Chapter 4
Adjusting Existing Scripts for Data Pump Log Files and Errors
a. Data Pump looks for the existence of a directory object of the form
DATA_PUMP_DIR_schema_name, where schema_name is the schema that is executing
the Data Pump job. For example, the following command would cause Data
Pump to look for the existence of a server-based directory object named
DATA_PUMP_DIR_HR:
expdp hr FILE=hrdata.dmp
The hr schema also must have been granted read and write access to this
directory object. If such a directory object does not exist, then the process
moves to step b.
b. Data Pump looks for the existence of the client-based environment variable
DATA_PUMP_DIR. For instance, assume that a server-based directory object
named DUMP_FILES1 has been defined and the hr schema has been granted
read and write access to it. Then on the client system, the environment
variable DATA_PUMP_DIR can be set to point to DUMP_FILES1 as follows:
setenv DATA_PUMP_DIR DUMP_FILES1
expdp hr FILE=hrdata.dmp
Data Pump then uses the served-based directory object DUMP_FILES1 for the
hrdata.dmp file.
If a client-based environment variable DATA_PUMP_DIR does not exist, then the

process moves to step c.
c. If the schema that is executing the Data Pump job has DBA privileges, then
the default Data Pump directory object, DATA_PUMP_DIR, is used. This default
directory object is established at installation time. For example, the following
command causes Data Pump to attempt to use the default DATA_PUMP_DIR
directory object, assuming that system has DBA privileges:
expdp system FILE=hrdata.dmp
See Also:
Default Locations for Dump_ Log_ and SQL Files for information about Data
Pump file management rules of precedence under normal Data Pump
conditions (that is, non-legacy mode)
4.3 Adjusting Existing Scripts for Data Pump Log Files and
Errors
This section describes how to adjust existing scripts for Data Pump log files and
errors.
Data Pump legacy mode requires that you review and update your existing scripts
written for original Export and Import because of differences in file format and error
reporting.
• Log Files
Data Pump Export and Import do not generate log files in the same format as
those created by original Export and Import.
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Adjusting Existing Scripts for Data Pump Log Files and Errors
• Error Cases
Data Pump Export and Import may not produce the same errors as those
generated by original Export and Import.
• Exit Status
Data Pump Export and Import have enhanced exit status values to allow scripts to
better determine the success of failure of export and import jobs.
4.3.1 Log Files

Data Pump Export and Import do not generate log files in the same format as those
created by original Export and Import.
Any scripts you have that parse the output of original Export and Import must be
updated to handle the log file format used by Data Pump Export and Import. For
example, the message Successfully Terminated does not appear in Data Pump log
files.
4.3.2 Error Cases

Data Pump Export and Import may not produce the same errors as those generated
by original Export and Import.
For example, if a parameter that is ignored by Data Pump Export would have had an
out-of-range value in original Export, then an informational message is written to the
log file stating that the parameter is being ignored. No value checking is performed,
therefore no error message is generated.
4.3.3 Exit Status

Data Pump Export and Import have enhanced exit status values to allow scripts to
better determine the success of failure of export and import jobs.
Any scripts that look at the exit status should be reviewed and updated, if necessary.
4-12
5
Data Pump Performance
Reasons why the performance of Data Pump Export and Import is better than that of
original Export and Import, and specific steps you can take to enhance performance of
export and import operations.
The Data Pump Export and Import utilities are designed especially for very large
databases. If you have large quantities of data versus metadata, then you should
experience increased data performance compared to the original Export and Import
utilities. (Performance of metadata extraction and database object creation in Data
Pump Export and Import remains essentially equivalent to that of the original Export
and Import utilities.)
• Data Performance Improvements for Data Pump Export and Import
This section describes data performance improvements for Data Pump Export and
Import.
• Tuning Performance
Data Pump is designed to fully use all available resources to maximize throughput
and minimize elapsed job time.
• Initialization Parameters That Affect Data Pump Performance
The settings for certain Oracle Database initialization parameters can affect the
performance of Data Pump Export and Import.
5.1 Data Performance Improvements for Data Pump Export

and Import
This section describes data performance improvements for Data Pump Export and
Import.
The improved performance of the Data Pump Export and Import utilities is attributable
to several factors, including the following:
• Multiple worker processes can perform intertable and interpartition parallelism to
load and unload tables in multiple, parallel, direct-path streams.
• For very large tables and partitions, single worker processes can choose
intrapartition parallelism through multiple parallel queries and parallel DML I/O
server processes when the external tables method is used to access data.
• Data Pump uses parallelism to build indexes and load package bodies.
• Dump files are read and written directly by the server and, therefore, do not
require any data movement to the client.
• The dump file storage format is the internal stream format of the direct path API.
This format is very similar to the format stored in Oracle database data files inside
of tablespaces. Therefore, no client-side conversion to INSERT statement bind
variables is performed.
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Tuning Performance
• The supported data access methods, direct path and external tables, are faster
than conventional SQL. The direct path API provides the fastest single-stream
performance. The external tables feature makes efficient use of the parallel
queries and parallel DML capabilities of the Oracle database.
• Metadata and data extraction can be overlapped during export.
5.2 Tuning Performance

Data Pump is designed to fully use all available resources to maximize throughput and
minimize elapsed job time.
For this to happen, a system must be well balanced across CPU, memory, and I/O. In
addition, standard performance tuning principles apply. For example, for maximum
performance you should ensure that the files that are members of a dump file set
reside on separate disks, because the dump files are written and read in parallel. Also,
the disks should not be the same ones on which the source or target tablespaces
reside.
Any performance tuning activity involves making trade-offs between performance and
resource consumption.
• Controlling Resource Consumption
The Data Pump Export and Import utilities let you dynamically increase and
decrease resource consumption for each job.
• Effect of Compression and Encryption on Performance
The use of Data Pump parameters related to compression and encryption can
have a positive effect on performance, particularly in the case of jobs performed in
network mode.
• Memory Considerations When Exporting and Importing Statistics
Data Pump Export dump files that are created with a release prior to 12.1, and that
contain large amounts of statistics data, can cause an import operation to use
large amounts of memory.
5.2.1 Controlling Resource Consumption

The Data Pump Export and Import utilities let you dynamically increase and decrease
resource consumption for each job.
This is done usingthe Data Pump PARALLEL parameter to specify a degree of
parallelism for the job. For maximum throughput, do not set PARALLEL to much more
than twice the number of CPUs (two workers for each CPU).
As you increase the degree of parallelism, CPU usage, memory consumption, and I/O
bandwidth usage also increase. You must ensure that adequate amounts of these
resources are available. If necessary, you can distribute files across different disk
devices or channels to get the needed I/O bandwidth.
To maximize parallelism, you must supply at least one file for each degree of
parallelism. The simplest way of doing this is to use substitution variables in your file
names (for example, file%u.dmp). However, depending upon your disk set up (for
example, simple, non-striped disks), you might not want to put all dump files on one
device. In this case, it is best to specify multiple file names using substitution variables,
with each in a separate directory resolving to a separate disk. Even with fast CPUs
5-2
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Initialization Parameters That Affect Data Pump Performance
and fast disks, the path between the CPU and the disk may be the constraining factor
in the degree of parallelism that can be sustained.
The Data Pump PARALLEL parameter is valid only in the Enterprise Edition of Oracle
Database 11g or later.
5.2.2 Effect of Compression and Encryption on Performance

The use of Data Pump parameters related to compression and encryption can have a
positive effect on performance, particularly in the case of jobs performed in network
mode.
But you should be aware that there can also be a negative effect on performance
because of the additional CPU resources required to perform transformations on the
raw data. There are trade-offs on both sides.
5.2.3 Memory Considerations When Exporting and Importing Statistics

Data Pump Export dump files that are created with a release prior to 12.1, and that
contain large amounts of statistics data, can cause an import operation to use large
amounts of memory.
To avoid running out of memory during the import operation, be sure to allocate
enough memory before beginning the import. The exact amount of memory needed
will depend upon how much data you are importing, the platform you are using, and
other variables unique to your configuration.
One way to avoid this problem altogether is to set the Data Pump EXCLUDE=STATISTICS
parameter on either the export or import operation. You can then use the DBMS_STATS
PL/SQL package to regenerate the statistics on the target database after the import
has completed.
See Also:
• Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide for information about manual statistics
collection using the DBMS_STATS PL/SQL package
information about the DBMS_STATS PL/SQL package
• The Data Pump Export EXCLUDE parameter
• The Data Pump Import EXCLUDE parameter
5.3 Initialization Parameters That Affect Data Pump

Performance
The settings for certain Oracle Database initialization parameters can affect the
performance of Data Pump Export and Import.
In particular, you can try using the following settings to improve performance, although
the effect may not be the same on all platforms.
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Initialization Parameters That Affect Data Pump Performance
• DISK_ASYNCH_IO=TRUE
• DB_BLOCK_CHECKING=FALSE
• DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM=FALSE
The following initialization parameters must have values set high enough to allow for
maximum parallelism:
• PROCESSES
• SESSIONS
• PARALLEL_MAX_SERVERS
Additionally, the SHARED_POOL_SIZE and UNDO_TABLESPACE initialization parameters should

be generously sized. The exact values depend upon the size of your database.
• Setting the Size Of the Buffer Cache In a Streams Environment
Oracle Data Pump uses Streams functionality to communicate between
processes.
5.3.1 Setting the Size Of the Buffer Cache In a Streams Environment

Oracle Data Pump uses Streams functionality to communicate between processes.
If the SGA_TARGET initialization parameter is set, then the STREAMS_POOL_SIZE initialization
parameter is automatically set to a reasonable value.
If the SGA_TARGET initialization parameter is not set and the STREAMS_POOL_SIZE
initialization parameter is not defined, then the size of the streams pool automatically
defaults to 10% of the size of the shared pool.
When the streams pool is created, the required SGA memory is taken from memory
allocated to the buffer cache, reducing the size of the cache to less than what was
specified by the DB_CACHE_SIZE initialization parameter. This means that if the buffer
cache was configured with only the minimal required SGA, then Data Pump operations
may not work properly. A minimum size of 10 MB is recommended for
STREAMS_POOL_SIZE to ensure successful Data Pump operations.
See Also:
Oracle Streams Concepts and Administration
5-4
6
The Data Pump API
The Data Pump API, DBMS_DATAPUMP.
The Data Pump API, DBMS_DATAPUMP, provides a high-speed mechanism to move all or
part of the data and metadata for a site from one database to another. The Data Pump
Export and Data Pump Import utilities are based on the Data Pump API.
• How Does the Client Interface to the Data Pump API Work?
The main structure used in the client interface is a job handle, which appears to
the caller as an integer.
• What Are the Basic Steps in Using the Data Pump API?
To use the Data Pump API, you use the procedures provided in the DBMS_DATAPUMP
package.
• Examples of Using the Data Pump API
Using the Data Pump API.
See Also:
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for a detailed

description of the procedures available in the DBMS_DATAPUMP package
• Overview of Oracle Data Pump for additional explanation of Data Pump
concepts
6.1 How Does the Client Interface to the Data Pump API
Work?
The main structure used in the client interface is a job handle, which appears to the
caller as an integer.
Handles are created using the DBMS_DATAPUMP.OPEN or DBMS_DATAPUMP.ATTACH function.
Other sessions can attach to a job to monitor and control its progress. This allows a
DBA to start up a job before departing from work and then watch the progress of the
job from home. Handles are session specific. The same job can create different
handles in different sessions.
• Job States
This section describes job states.
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How Does the Client Interface to the Data Pump API Work?
6.1.1 Job States

This section describes job states.
There is a state associated with each phase of a job, as follows:
• Undefined — before a handle is created
• Defining — when the handle is first created
• Executing — when the DBMS_DATAPUMP.START_JOB procedure is executed
• Completing — when the job has finished its work and the Data Pump processes
are ending
• Completed — when the job is completed
• Stop Pending — when an orderly job shutdown has been requested
• Stopping — when the job is stopping
• Idling — the period between the time that a DBMS_DATAPUMP.ATTACH is executed to
attach to a stopped job and the time that a DBMS_DATAPUMP.START_JOB is executed to
restart that job
• Not Running — when a master table exists for a job that is not running (has no
Data Pump processes associated with it)
Performing DBMS_DATAPUMP.START_JOB on a job in an Idling state will return it to an
Executing state.
If all users execute DBMS_DATAPUMP.DETACH to detach from a job in the Defining state,
then the job will be totally removed from the database.
When a job abnormally terminates or when an instance running the job is shut down,
the job is placed in the Not Running state if it was previously executing or idling. It can
then be restarted by the user.
The master control process is active in the Defining, Idling, Executing, Stopping, Stop
Pending, and Completing states. It is also active briefly in the Stopped and Completed
states. The master table for the job exists in all states except the Undefined state.
Worker processes are only active in the Executing and Stop Pending states, and
briefly in the Defining state for import jobs.
Detaching while a job is in the Executing state will not halt the job, and you can re-
attach to an executing job at any time to resume obtaining status information about the
job.
A Detach can occur explicitly, when the DBMS_DATAPUMP.DETACH procedure is executed,
or it can occur implicitly when a Data Pump API session is run down, when the Data
Pump API is unable to communicate with a Data Pump job, or when the
DBMS_DATAPUMP.STOP_JOB procedure is executed.
The Not Running state indicates that a master table exists outside the context of an
executing job. This will occur if a job has been stopped (probably to be restarted later)
or if a job has abnormally terminated. This state can also be seen momentarily during
job state transitions at the beginning of a job, and at the end of a job before the master
table is dropped. Note that the Not Running state is shown only in the
DBA_DATAPUMP_JOBS view and the USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS view. It is never returned by the
GET_STATUS procedure.
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How Does the Client Interface to the Data Pump API Work?
Table 6-1 shows the valid job states in which DBMS_DATAPUMP procedures can be
executed. The states listed are valid for both export and import jobs, unless otherwise
noted.
Table 6-1 Valid Job States in Which DBMS_DATAPUMP Procedures Can Be

Executed
Procedure Name Valid States Description

Defining (valid for both export Specifies a file for the dump
ADD_FILE
and import jobs) file set, the log file, or the
Executing and Idling (valid SQLFILE output.
only for specifying dump files
for export jobs)
Defining, Executing, Idling, Allows a user session to
ATTACH
Stopped, Completed, monitor a job or to restart a
Completing, Not Running stopped job. The attach will
fail if the dump file set or
master table for the job have
been deleted or altered in any
way.
Defining Restricts data processed by a
DATA_FILTER
job.
All Disconnects a user session

DETACH
from a job.
All Retrieves dump file header
GET_DUMPFILE_INFO
information.
All, except Completed, Not Obtains the status of a job.

GET_STATUS
Running, Stopped, and
Undefined
Defining, Executing, Idling, Adds an entry to the log file.
LOG_ENTRY
Stop Pending, Completing
Defining Restricts metadata processed
METADATA_FILTER
by a job.
Defining Remaps metadata processed
METADATA_REMAP
by a job.
Defining Alters metadata processed by
METADATA_TRANSFORM
a job.
Undefined Creates a new job.
OPEN
Defining, Executing, Idling Specifies parallelism for a job.

SET_PARALLEL
Defining1 Alters default processing by a

SET_PARAMETER
job.
Defining, Idling Begins or resumes execution
START_JOB
of a job.
Defining, Executing, Idling, Initiates shutdown of a job.

STOP_JOB
Stop Pending
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What Are the Basic Steps in Using the Data Pump API?
Table 6-1 (Cont.) Valid Job States in Which DBMS_DATAPUMP Procedures

Can Be Executed
Procedure Name Valid States Description

All, except Completed, Not Waits for a job to end.
WAIT_FOR_JOB
Running, Stopped, and
Undefined
1 The ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter can be entered during the Idling state, as well as during the
Defining state.
6.2 What Are the Basic Steps in Using the Data Pump API?
To use the Data Pump API, you use the procedures provided in the DBMS_DATAPUMP
package.
The following steps list the basic activities involved in using the Data Pump API. The
steps are presented in the order in which the activities would generally be performed:
1. Execute the DBMS_DATAPUMP.OPEN procedure to create a Data Pump job and its
infrastructure.
2. Define any parameters for the job.
3. Start the job.
4. Optionally, monitor the job until it completes.
5. Optionally, detach from the job and reattach at a later time.
6. Optionally, stop the job.
7. Optionally, restart the job, if desired.
These concepts are illustrated in the examples provided in the next section.
See Also:
Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for a complete
description of the DBMS_DATAPUMP package
6.3 Examples of Using the Data Pump API

Using the Data Pump API.
This section provides the following examples to help you get started using the Data
Pump API:
• Performing a Simple Schema Export (Example 6-1)
• Importing a Dump File and Remapping All Schema Objects (Example 6-2)
• Using Exception Handling During a Simple Schema Export (Example 6-3)
• Displaying Dump File Information (Example 6-4)
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Chapter 6
Examples of Using the Data Pump API
The examples are in the form of PL/SQL scripts. If you choose to copy these scripts
and run them, then you must first do the following, using SQL*Plus:
• Create a directory object and grant READ and WRITE access to it. For example, to
create a directory object named dmpdir to which you have access, do the following.
Replace user with your username.
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY dmpdir AS '/rdbms/work';
SQL> GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY dmpdir TO user;
• Ensure that you have the EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE roles. To see a
list of all roles assigned to you within your security domain, do the following:
SQL> SELECT * FROM SESSION_ROLES;
If you do not have the necessary roles assigned to you, then contact your system
administrator for help.
• Turn on server output if it is not already on. This is done as follows:
SQL> SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
If you do not do this, then you will not see any output to your screen. You must do
this in the same session in which you run the example. If you exit SQL*Plus, then
this setting is lost and must be reset when you begin a new session. (It must also
be reset if you connect to a different user name.)
Example 6-1 Performing a Simple Schema Export
The PL/SQL script in this example shows how to use the Data Pump API to perform a
simple schema export of the HR schema. It shows how to create a job, start it, and
monitor it. Additional information about the example is contained in the comments
within the script. To keep the example simple, exceptions from any of the API calls will
not be trapped. However, in a production environment, Oracle recommends that you
define exception handlers and call GET_STATUS to retrieve more detailed error
information when a failure occurs.
Connect as user SYSTEM to use this script.
DECLARE
ind NUMBER; -- Loop index
h1 NUMBER; -- Data Pump job handle
percent_done NUMBER; -- Percentage of job complete
job_state VARCHAR2(30); -- To keep track of job state
le ku$_LogEntry; -- For WIP and error messages
js ku$_JobStatus; -- The job status from get_status
jd ku$_JobDesc; -- The job description from get_status
sts ku$_Status; -- The status object returned by get_status
BEGIN
-- Create a (user-named) Data Pump job to do a schema export.
h1 := DBMS_DATAPUMP.OPEN('EXPORT','SCHEMA',NULL,'EXAMPLE1','LATEST');
-- Specify a single dump file for the job (using the handle just returned)
-- and a directory object, which must already be defined and accessible
-- to the user running this procedure.
DBMS_DATAPUMP.ADD_FILE(h1,'example1.dmp','DMPDIR');
-- A metadata filter is used to specify the schema that will be exported.
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Chapter 6
DBMS_DATAPUMP.METADATA_FILTER(h1,'SCHEMA_EXPR','IN (''HR'')');
-- Start the job. An exception will be generated if something is not set up

-- properly.
DBMS_DATAPUMP.START_JOB(h1);
-- The export job should now be running. In the following loop, the job
-- is monitored until it completes. In the meantime, progress information is
-- displayed.
percent_done := 0;
job_state := 'UNDEFINED';
while (job_state != 'COMPLETED') and (job_state != 'STOPPED') loop
dbms_datapump.get_status(h1,
dbms_datapump.ku$_status_job_error +
dbms_datapump.ku$_status_job_status +
dbms_datapump.ku$_status_wip,-1,job_state,sts);
js := sts.job_status;
-- If the percentage done changed, display the new value.
if js.percent_done != percent_done
then
dbms_output.put_line('*** Job percent done = ' ||
to_char(js.percent_done));
percent_done := js.percent_done;
end if;
-- If any work-in-progress (WIP) or error messages were received for the job,
-- display them.
if (bitand(sts.mask,dbms_datapump.ku$_status_wip) != 0)
then
le := sts.wip;
else
if (bitand(sts.mask,dbms_datapump.ku$_status_job_error) != 0)
then
le := sts.error;
else
le := null;
end if;
end if;
if le is not null
then
ind := le.FIRST;
while ind is not null loop
dbms_output.put_line(le(ind).LogText);
ind := le.NEXT(ind);
end loop;
end if;
end loop;
-- Indicate that the job finished and detach from it.
dbms_output.put_line('Job has completed');

dbms_output.put_line('Final job state = ' || job_state);
dbms_datapump.detach(h1);
END;
/
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Chapter 6
Example 6-2 Importing a Dump File and Remapping All Schema Objects
The script in this example imports the dump file created in Example 6-1 (an export of
the hr schema). All schema objects are remapped from the hr schema to the blake
schema. To keep the example simple, exceptions from any of the API calls will not be
trapped. However, in a production environment, Oracle recommends that you define
exception handlers and call GET_STATUS to retrieve more detailed error information when
a failure occurs.
DECLARE
BEGIN
-- Create a (user-named) Data Pump job to do a "full" import (everything

-- in the dump file without filtering).
h1 := DBMS_DATAPUMP.OPEN('IMPORT','FULL',NULL,'EXAMPLE2');
-- Specify the single dump file for the job (using the handle just returned)
-- and directory object, which must already be defined and accessible
-- to the user running this procedure. This is the dump file created by
-- the export operation in the first example.
DBMS_DATAPUMP.ADD_FILE(h1,'example1.dmp','DMPDIR');
-- A metadata remap will map all schema objects from HR to BLAKE.
DBMS_DATAPUMP.METADATA_REMAP(h1,'REMAP_SCHEMA','HR','BLAKE');
-- If a table already exists in the destination schema, skip it (leave

-- the preexisting table alone). This is the default, but it does not hurt
-- to specify it explicitly.
DBMS_DATAPUMP.SET_PARAMETER(h1,'TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION','SKIP');
-- Start the job. An exception is returned if something is not set up properly.
DBMS_DATAPUMP.START_JOB(h1);
-- The import job should now be running. In the following loop, the job is
-- monitored until it completes. In the meantime, progress information is
-- displayed. Note: this is identical to the export example.
percent_done := 0;
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Chapter 6
then
end if;
-- If any work-in-progress (WIP) or Error messages were received for the job,
-- display them.
then
le := sts.wip;
else
then
le := sts.error;
else
le := null;
end if;
end if;
if le is not null
then
ind := le.FIRST;
end loop;
end if;
end loop;
-- Indicate that the job finished and gracefully detach from it.

END;
/
Example 6-3 Using Exception Handling During a Simple Schema Export

The script in this example shows a simple schema export using the Data Pump API. It
extends Example 6-1 to show how to use exception handling to catch the
SUCCESS_WITH_INFO case, and how to use the GET_STATUS procedure to retrieve additional
information about errors. To get exception information about a DBMS_DATAPUMP.OPEN or
DBMS_DATAPUMP.ATTACH failure, call DBMS_DATAPUMP.GET_STATUS with a
DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_STATUS_JOB_ERROR information mask and a NULL job handle to
retrieve the error details.
Connect as user SYSTEM to use this example.
DECLARE
spos NUMBER; -- String starting position
slen NUMBER; -- String length for output
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Chapter 6

BEGIN
-- Create a (user-named) Data Pump job to do a schema export.
h1 := dbms_datapump.open('EXPORT','SCHEMA',NULL,'EXAMPLE3','LATEST');
-- Specify a single dump file for the job (using the handle just returned)
-- and a directory object, which must already be defined and accessible
-- to the user running this procedure.
dbms_datapump.add_file(h1,'example3.dmp','DMPDIR');
-- A metadata filter is used to specify the schema that will be exported.
dbms_datapump.metadata_filter(h1,'SCHEMA_EXPR','IN (''HR'')');
-- Start the job. An exception will be returned if something is not set up

-- properly.One possible exception that will be handled differently is the
-- success_with_info exception. success_with_info means the job started
-- successfully, but more information is available through get_status about
-- conditions around the start_job that the user might want to be aware of.
begin
dbms_datapump.start_job(h1);
dbms_output.put_line('Data Pump job started successfully');
exception
when others then
if sqlcode = dbms_datapump.success_with_info_num
then
dbms_output.put_line('Data Pump job started with info available:');
dbms_datapump.ku$_status_job_error,0,
job_state,sts);
then
le := sts.error;
if le is not null
then
ind := le.FIRST;
end loop;
end if;
end if;
else
raise;
end if;
end;
-- The export job should now be running. In the following loop,

-- the job is monitored until it completes. In the meantime, progress information --
is displayed.
percent_done := 0;
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Chapter 6
then
end if;
-- Display any work-in-progress (WIP) or error messages that were received for
-- the job.
then
le := sts.wip;
else
then
le := sts.error;
else
le := null;
end if;
end if;
if le is not null
then
ind := le.FIRST;
end loop;
end if;
end loop;
-- Indicate that the job finished and detach from it.

-- Any exceptions that propagated to this point will be captured. The

-- details will be retrieved from get_status and displayed.
exception
when others then
dbms_output.put_line('Exception in Data Pump job');
dbms_datapump.get_status(h1,dbms_datapump.ku$_status_job_error,0,
job_state,sts);
then
le := sts.error;
if le is not null
then
ind := le.FIRST;
spos := 1;
slen := length(le(ind).LogText);
6-10
Chapter 6
if slen > 255

then
slen := 255;
end if;
while slen > 0 loop
dbms_output.put_line(substr(le(ind).LogText,spos,slen));
spos := spos + 255;
slen := length(le(ind).LogText) + 1 - spos;
end loop;
end loop;
end if;
end if;
END;
/
Example 6-4 Displaying Dump File Information

The PL/SQL script in this example shows how to use the Data Pump API procedure
DBMS_DATAPUMP.GET_DUMPFILE_INFO to display information about a Data Pump dump file
outside the context of any Data Pump job. This example displays information
contained in the example1.dmp dump file created by the sample PL/SQL script in
Example 6-1.
This PL/SQL script can also be used to display information for dump files created by
original Export (the exp utility) as well as by the ORACLE_DATAPUMP external tables access
driver.
SET VERIFY OFF
SET FEEDBACK OFF
DECLARE
ind NUMBER;
fileType NUMBER;
value VARCHAR2(2048);
infoTab KU$_DUMPFILE_INFO := KU$_DUMPFILE_INFO();
BEGIN
--
-- Get the information about the dump file into the infoTab.
--
BEGIN
DBMS_DATAPUMP.GET_DUMPFILE_INFO('example1.dmp','DMPDIR',infoTab,fileType);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('---------------------------------------------');
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Information for file: example1.dmp');
--
-- Determine what type of file is being looked at.
--
CASE fileType
WHEN 1 THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('example1.dmp is a Data Pump dump file');
WHEN 2 THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('example1.dmp is an Original Export dump file');
WHEN 3 THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('example1.dmp is an External Table dump file');
ELSE
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('example1.dmp is not a dump file');
6-11
Chapter 6
END CASE;
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Error retrieving information for file: ' ||
'example1.dmp');
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(SQLERRM);
fileType := 0;
END;
--
-- If a valid file type was returned, then loop through the infoTab and
-- display each item code and value returned.
--
IF fileType > 0
THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('The information table has ' ||
TO_CHAR(infoTab.COUNT) || ' entries');
ind := infoTab.FIRST;
WHILE ind IS NOT NULL
LOOP
--
-- The following item codes return boolean values in the form
-- of a '1' or a '0'. Display them as 'Yes' or 'No'.
--
value := NVL(infoTab(ind).value, 'NULL');
IF infoTab(ind).item_code IN
(DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_MASTER_PRESENT,
DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_DIRPATH,
DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_METADATA_COMPRESSED,
DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_DATA_COMPRESSED,
DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_METADATA_ENCRYPTED,
DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_DATA_ENCRYPTED,
DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_COLUMNS_ENCRYPTED)
THEN
CASE value
WHEN '1' THEN value := 'Yes';
WHEN '0' THEN value := 'No';
END CASE;
END IF;
--
-- Display each item code with an appropriate name followed by
-- its value.
--
CASE infoTab(ind).item_code
--
-- The following item codes have been available since Oracle
-- Database 10g, Release 10.2.
--
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_FILE_VERSION THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Dump File Version: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_MASTER_PRESENT THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Master Table Present: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_GUID THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Job Guid: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_FILE_NUMBER THEN
6-12
Chapter 6
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Dump File Number: ' || value);

WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_CHARSET_ID THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Character Set ID: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_CREATION_DATE THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Creation Date: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_FLAGS THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Internal Dump Flags: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_JOB_NAME THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Job Name: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_PLATFORM THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Platform Name: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_INSTANCE THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Instance Name: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_LANGUAGE THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Language Name: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_BLOCKSIZE THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Dump File Block Size: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_DIRPATH THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Direct Path Mode: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_METADATA_COMPRESSED THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Metadata Compressed: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_DB_VERSION THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Database Version: ' || value);
--
-- The following item codes were introduced in Oracle Database 11g
-- Release 11.1
--
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_MASTER_PIECE_COUNT THEN

DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Master Table Piece Count: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_MASTER_PIECE_NUMBER THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Master Table Piece Number: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_DATA_COMPRESSED THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Table Data Compressed: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_METADATA_ENCRYPTED THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Metadata Encrypted: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_DATA_ENCRYPTED THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Table Data Encrypted: ' || value);
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_COLUMNS_ENCRYPTED THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('TDE Columns Encrypted: ' || value);
--
-- For the DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_ENCRYPTION_MODE item code a
-- numeric value is returned. So examine that numeric value
-- and display an appropriate name value for it.
--
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_ENCRYPTION_MODE THEN
CASE TO_NUMBER(value)
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_ENCMODE_NONE THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Encryption Mode: None');
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_ENCMODE_PASSWORD THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Encryption Mode: Password');
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_ENCMODE_DUAL THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Encryption Mode: Dual');
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_ENCMODE_TRANS THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Encryption Mode: Transparent');
END CASE;
--
-- The following item codes were introduced in Oracle Database 12c
6-13
Chapter 6
-- Release 12.1
--
--
-- For the DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_COMPRESSION_ALG item code a
-- numeric value is returned. So examine that numeric value and
-- display an appropriate name value for it.
--
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_COMPRESSION_ALG THEN
CASE TO_NUMBER(value)
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_CMPALG_NONE THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Compression Algorithm: None');
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_CMPALG_BASIC THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Compression Algorithm: Basic');
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_CMPALG_LOW THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Compression Algorithm: Low');
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_CMPALG_MEDIUM THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Compression Algorithm: Medium');
WHEN DBMS_DATAPUMP.KU$_DFHDR_CMPALG_HIGH THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Compression Algorithm: High');
END CASE;
ELSE NULL; -- Ignore other, unrecognized dump file attributes.
END CASE;
ind := infoTab.NEXT(ind);
END LOOP;
END IF;
END;
/
6-14
Part II
SQL*Loader
Following are topics about the SQL*Loader utility.
SQL*Loader Concepts
Describes SQL*Loader and its features, as well as data loading concepts (including
object support). It discusses input to SQL*Loader, database preparation, and output
from SQL*Loader.
SQL*Loader Command-Line Reference
Describes the command-line syntax used by SQL*Loader. It discusses command-line
arguments, suppressing SQL*Loader messages, sizing the bind array, and more.
SQL*Loader Control File Reference
Describes the control file syntax you use to configure SQL*Loader and to describe to
SQL*Loader how to map your data to Oracle format. It provides detailed syntax
diagrams and information about specifying data files, tables and columns, the location
of data, the type and format of data to be loaded, and more.
SQL*Loader Field List Reference
Describes the field list section of a SQL*Loader control file. The field list provides
information about fields being loaded, such as position, data type, conditions, and
delimiters.
Loading Objects, LOBs, and Collections
Describes how to load column objects in various formats. It also discusses how to load
object tables, REF columns, LOBs, and collections.
Conventional and Direct Path Loads

Describes the differences between a conventional path load and a direct path load. A
direct path load is a high-performance option that significantly reduces the time
required to load large quantities of data.
SQL*Loader Express
Describes SQL*Loader express mode, which allows you to quickly and easily load
simple data types.
• SQL*Loader Concepts
These sections describe SQL*Loader concepts.
• SQL*Loader Command-Line Reference
You can use command-line parameters to start SQL*Loader.
• SQL*Loader Control File Reference
The SQL*Loader control file is a text file that contains data definition language
(DDL) instructions for a SQL*Loader job.
• SQL*Loader Field List Reference
The field-list portion of a SQL*Loader control file provides information about fields
being loaded, such as position, data type, conditions, and delimiters.
• Loading Objects, LOBs, and Collections
You can use SQL*Loader to load column objects in various formats and to load
object tables, REF columns, LOBs, and collections.
• Conventional and Direct Path Loads
• SQL*Loader Express
7
SQL*Loader Concepts
These sections describe SQL*Loader concepts.
You should understand the following basic concepts before using SQL*Loader to load
data into an Oracle database.
• SQL*Loader Features
SQL*Loader loads data from external files into tables of an Oracle database.
• SQL*Loader Parameters
SQL*Loader is started when you specify the sqlldr command and, optionally,
parameters that establish various characteristics of the load operation.
• SQL*Loader Control File
The control file is a text file written in a language that SQL*Loader understands.
• Input Data and Data Files
SQL*Loader reads data from one or more data files (or operating system
equivalents of files) specified in the control file.
• LOBFILEs and Secondary Data Files (SDFs)
LOB data can be lengthy enough that it makes sense to load it from a LOBFILE.
• Data Conversion and Data Type Specification
During a conventional path load, data fields in the data file are converted into
columns in the database (direct path loads are conceptually similar, but the
implementation is different).
• Discarded and Rejected Records
Records read from the input file might not be inserted into the database.
• Log File and Logging Information
When SQL*Loader begins execution, it creates a log file.
• Conventional Path Loads, Direct Path Loads, and External Table Loads
SQL*Loader provides several methods to load data.
• Loading Objects, Collections, and LOBs
You can use SQL*Loader to bulk load objects, collections, and LOBs.
• Partitioned Object Support
SQL*Loader supports loading partitioned objects in the database.
• Application Development: Direct Path Load API
Oracle provides a direct path load API for application developers.
• SQL*Loader Case Studies
SQL*Loader features are illustrated in a variety of case studies.
7.1 SQL*Loader Features

SQL*Loader loads data from external files into tables of an Oracle database.
It has a powerful data parsing engine that puts little limitation on the format of the data
in the data file. You can use SQL*Loader to do the following:
7-1
Chapter 7
SQL*Loader Features
• Load data across a network if your data files are on a different system than the
database.
• Load data from multiple data files during the same load session.
• Load data into multiple tables during the same load session.
• Specify the character set of the data.
• Selectively load data (you can load records based on the records' values).
• Manipulate the data before loading it, using SQL functions.
• Generate unique sequential key values in specified columns.
• Use the operating system's file system to access the data files.
• Load data from disk, tape, or named pipe.
• Generate sophisticated error reports, which greatly aid troubleshooting.
• Load arbitrarily complex object-relational data.
• Use secondary data files for loading LOBs and collections.
• Use conventional, direct path, or external table loads. See Conventional Path
Loads_ Direct Path Loads_ and External Table Loads.
You can use SQL*Loader in two ways: with or without a control file. A control file
controls the behavior of SQL*Loader and one or more data files used in the load.
Using a control file gives you more control over the load operation, which might be
desirable for more complicated load situations. But for simple loads, you can use
SQL*Loader without specifying a control file; this is referred to as SQL*Loader express
mode. See SQL*Loader Express .
The output of SQL*Loader is an Oracle database (where the data is loaded), a log file,
a bad file if there are rejected records, and potentially, a discard file.
The following figure shows an example of the flow of a typical SQL*Loader session
that uses a control file.
Figure 7-1 SQL*Loader Overview
Bad Loader
Input
Files Control
Datafiles File
Bad
Log SQL*Loader Bad
Files
File Files
Discard
Discard
Files
Database Files
Table
Table
Indexes
Table
Table
Tables
7-2
Chapter 7
SQL*Loader Parameters
7.2 SQL*Loader Parameters

SQL*Loader is started when you specify the sqlldr command and, optionally,
parameters that establish various characteristics of the load operation.
In situations where you always use the same parameters for which the values seldom
change, it can be more efficient to specify parameters using the following methods,
rather than on the command line:
• Parameters can be grouped together in a parameter file. You could then specify
the name of the parameter file on the command line using the PARFILE parameter.
• Certain parameters can also be specified within the SQL*Loader control file by
using the OPTIONS clause.
Parameters specified on the command line override any parameter values specified in
a parameter file or OPTIONS clause.
See Also:
• SQL*Loader Command-Line Reference for descriptions of the SQL*Loader

parameters
• PARFILE
• OPTIONS Clause
7.3 SQL*Loader Control File

The control file is a text file written in a language that SQL*Loader understands.
The control file tells SQL*Loader where to find the data, how to parse and interpret the
data, where to insert the data, and more.
In general, the control file has three main sections, in the following order:
• Session-wide information
• Table and field-list information
• Input data (optional section)
Some control file syntax considerations to keep in mind are:
• The syntax is free-format (statements can extend over multiple lines).
• The syntax is case-insensitive; however, strings enclosed in single or double
quotation marks are taken literally, including case.
• In control file syntax, comments extend from the two hyphens (--) that mark the
beginning of the comment to the end of the line. The optional third section of the
control file is interpreted as data rather than as control file syntax; consequently,
comments in this section are not supported.
7-3
Chapter 7
Input Data and Data Files
• The keywords CONSTANT and ZONE have special meaning to SQL*Loader and are
therefore reserved. To avoid potential conflicts, Oracle recommends that you do
not use either CONSTANT or ZONE as a name for any tables or columns.
See Also:
SQL*Loader Control File Reference for details about control file syntax and
semantics
7.4 Input Data and Data Files

SQL*Loader reads data from one or more data files (or operating system equivalents
of files) specified in the control file.
From SQL*Loader's perspective, the data in the data file is organized as records. A
particular data file can be in fixed record format, variable record format, or stream
record format. The record format can be specified in the control file with the INFILE
parameter. If no record format is specified, then the default is stream record format.
Note:
If data is specified inside the control file (that is, INFILE * was specified in the
control file), then the data is interpreted in the stream record format with the
default record terminator.
• Fixed Record Format

A file is in fixed record format when all records in a data file are the same byte
length.
• Variable Record Format
A file is in variable record format when the length of each record in a character
field is included at the beginning of each record in the data file.
• Stream Record Format
A file is in stream record format when the records are not specified by size; instead
SQL*Loader forms records by scanning for the record terminator.
• Logical Records
SQL*Loader organizes the input data into physical records, according to the
specified record format. By default, a physical record is a logical record.
• Data Fields
Once a logical record is formed, field setting on the logical record is done.
7.4.1 Fixed Record Format

A file is in fixed record format when all records in a data file are the same byte length.
Although this format is the least flexible, it results in better performance than variable
or stream format. Fixed format is also simple to specify. For example:
INFILE datafile_name "fix n"
7-4
Chapter 7
This example specifies that SQL*Loader should interpret the particular data file as
being in fixed record format where every record is n bytes long.
Example 7-1 shows a control file that specifies a data file (example1.dat) to be
interpreted in the fixed record format. The data file in the example contains five
physical records; each record has fields that contain the number and name of an
employee. Each of the five records is 11 bytes long, including spaces. For the
purposes of explaining this example, periods are used to represent spaces in the
records, but in the actual records there would be no periods. With that in mind, the first
physical record is 396,...ty,. which is exactly eleven bytes (assuming a single-byte
character set). The second record is 4922,beth, followed by the newline character (\n)
which is the eleventh byte, and so on. (Newline characters are not required with the
fixed record format; it is simply used here to illustrate that if used, it counts as a byte in
the record length.)
Note that the length is always interpreted in bytes, even if character-length semantics
are in effect for the file. This is necessary because the file could contain a mix of fields,
some of which are processed with character-length semantics and others which are
processed with byte-length semantics. See Character-Length Semantics.
Example 7-1 Loading Data in Fixed Record Format
load data
infile 'example1.dat' "fix 11"
into table example
fields terminated by ',' optionally enclosed by '"'
(col1, col2)
example1.dat:
396,...ty,.4922,beth,\n
68773,ben,.
1,.."dave",
5455,mike,.
7.4.2 Variable Record Format

A file is in variable record format when the length of each record in a character field is
included at the beginning of each record in the data file.
This format provides some added flexibility over the fixed record format and a
performance advantage over the stream record format. For example, you can specify
a data file that is to be interpreted as being in variable record format as follows:
INFILE "datafile_name" "var n"
In this example, n specifies the number of bytes in the record length field. If n is not
specified, then SQL*Loader assumes a length of 5 bytes. Specifying n larger than 40
results in an error.
Example 7-2 shows a control file specification that tells SQL*Loader to look for data in
the data file example2.dat and to expect variable record format where the record's first
three bytes indicate the length of the field. The example2.dat data file consists of three
physical records. The first is specified to be 009 (9) bytes long, the second is 010 (10)
bytes long (plus a 1-byte newline), and the third is 012 (12) bytes long (plus a 1-byte
newline). Note that newline characters are not required with the variable record format.
This example also assumes a single-byte character set for the data file. For the
7-5
Chapter 7
purposes of this example, periods in example2.dat represent spaces; the fields do not
contain actual periods.
The lengths are always interpreted in bytes, even if character-length semantics are in
effect for the file. This is necessary because the file could contain a mix of fields, some
processed with character-length semantics and others processed with byte-length
semantics. See Character-Length Semantics.
Example 7-2 Loading Data in Variable Record Format
load data
infile 'example2.dat' "var 3"
into table example
(col1 char(5),
col2 char(7))
example2.dat:
009.396,.ty,0104922,beth,
012..68773,ben,
7.4.3 Stream Record Format

A file is in stream record format when the records are not specified by size; instead
SQL*Loader forms records by scanning for the record terminator.
Stream record format is the most flexible format, but there can be a negative effect on
performance. The specification of a data file to be interpreted as being in stream
record format looks similar to the following:
INFILE datafile_name ["str terminator_string"]
The str indicates the file is in stream record format. The terminator_string is specified
as either 'char_string' or X'hex_string' where:
• 'char_string' is a string of characters enclosed in single or double quotation

marks
• X'hex_string' is a byte string in hexadecimal format
When the terminator_string contains special (nonprintable) characters, it should be

specified as an X'hex_string'. However, some nonprintable characters can be
specified as ('char_string') by using a backslash. For example:
• \n indicates a line feed
• \t indicates a horizontal tab
• \f indicates a form feed
• \v indicates a vertical tab
• \r indicates a carriage return
If the character set specified with the NLS_LANG initialization parameter for your session
is different from the character set of the data file, then character strings are converted
to the character set of the data file. This is done before SQL*Loader checks for the
default record terminator.
Hexadecimal strings are assumed to be in the character set of the data file, so no
conversion is performed.
7-6
Chapter 7
On UNIX-based platforms, if no terminator_string is specified, then SQL*Loader

defaults to the line feed character, \n.
On Windows-based platforms, if no terminator_string is specified, then SQL*Loader

uses either \n or \r\n as the record terminator, depending on which one it finds first in
the data file. This means that if you know that one or more records in your data file has
\n embedded in a field, but you want \r\n to be used as the record terminator, then
you must specify it.
Example 7-3 illustrates loading data in stream record format where the terminator
string is specified using a character string, '|\n'. The use of the backslash character
allows the character string to specify the nonprintable line feed character.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for information about using

the Language and Character Set File Scanner (LCSSCAN) utility to
determine the language and character set for unknown file text
Example 7-3 Loading Data in Stream Record Format

load data
infile 'example3.dat' "str '|\n'"
into table example
(col1 char(5),
col2 char(7))
example3.dat:
396,ty,|
4922,beth,|
7.4.4 Logical Records

SQL*Loader organizes the input data into physical records, according to the specified
record format. By default, a physical record is a logical record.
For added flexibility, SQL*Loader can be instructed to combine several physical
records into a logical record.
SQL*Loader can be instructed to follow one of the following logical record-forming
strategies:
• Combine a fixed number of physical records to form each logical record.
• Combine physical records into logical records while a certain condition is true.
See Also:
– Assembling Logical Records from Physical Records

– Case study 4, Loading Combined Physical Records (see SQL*Loader
Case Studies for information on how to access case studies)
7-7
Chapter 7
LOBFILEs and Secondary Data Files (SDFs)
7.4.5 Data Fields

Once a logical record is formed, field setting on the logical record is done.
Field setting is a process in which SQL*Loader uses control-file field specifications to
determine which parts of logical record data correspond to which control-file fields. It is
possible for two or more field specifications to claim the same data. Also, it is possible
for a logical record to contain data that is not claimed by any control-file field
specification.
Most control-file field specifications claim a particular part of the logical record. This
mapping takes the following forms:
• The byte position of the data field's beginning, end, or both, can be specified. This
specification form is not the most flexible, but it provides high field-setting
performance.
• The strings delimiting (enclosing, terminating, or both) a particular data field can
be specified. A delimited data field is assumed to start where the last data field
ended, unless the byte position of the start of the data field is specified.
• You can specify the byte offset, the length of the data field, or both. This way each
field starts a specified number of bytes from where the last one ended and
continues for a specified length.
• Length-value data types can be used. In this case, the first n number of bytes of
the data field contain information about how long the rest of the data field is.
See Also:
– "Specifying the Position of a Data Field"

– "Specifying Delimiters"
7.5 LOBFILEs and Secondary Data Files (SDFs)

LOB data can be lengthy enough that it makes sense to load it from a LOBFILE.
LOB data can be lengthy enough that it makes sense to load it from a LOBFILE. In
LOBFILEs, LOB data instances are still considered to be in fields (predetermined size,
delimited, length-value), but these fields are not organized into records (the concept of
a record does not exist within LOBFILEs). Therefore, the processing overhead of
dealing with records is avoided. This type of organization of data is ideal for LOB
loading.
For example, you might have a table that stores employee names, IDs, and their
resumes. When loading this table, you could read the employee names and IDs from
the main data files and you could read the resumes, which can be quite lengthy, from
LOBFILEs.
You might also use LOBFILEs to facilitate the loading of XML data. You can use XML
columns to hold data that models structured and semistructured data. Such data can
be quite lengthy.
7-8
Chapter 7
Data Conversion and Data Type Specification
Secondary data files (SDFs) are similar in concept to primary data files. Like primary
data files, SDFs are a collection of records, and each record is made up of fields. The
SDFs are specified on a per control-file-field basis. Only a collection_fld_spec can
name an SDF as its data source.
SDFs are specified using the SDF parameter. The SDF parameter can be followed by
either the file specification string, or a FILLER field that is mapped to a data field
containing one or more file specification strings.
See Also:
• "Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs"

• "Secondary Data Files (SDFs)"
7.6 Data Conversion and Data Type Specification

During a conventional path load, data fields in the data file are converted into columns
in the database (direct path loads are conceptually similar, but the implementation is
different).
There are two conversion steps:
1. SQL*Loader uses the field specifications in the control file to interpret the format of
the data file, parse the input data, and populate the bind arrays that correspond to
a SQL INSERT statement using that data. A bind array is an area in memory where
SQL*Loader stores data that is to be loaded. When the bind array is full, the data
is transmitted to the database. The bind array size is controlled by the SQL*Loader
BINDSIZE and READSIZE parameters.
2. The database accepts the data and executes the INSERT statement to store the
data in the database.
Oracle Database uses the data type of the column to convert the data into its final,
stored form. Keep in mind the distinction between a field in a data file and a column in
the database. Remember also that the field data types defined in a SQL*Loader
control file are not the same as the column data types.
See Also:
• "BINDSIZE"
• "READSIZE"
7.7 Discarded and Rejected Records

Records read from the input file might not be inserted into the database.
Such records are placed in either a bad file or a discard file.
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Discarded and Rejected Records
• The Bad File

The bad file contains records that were rejected, either by SQL*Loader or by the
Oracle database.
• The Discard File
As SQL*Loader executes, it may create a file called the discard file.
7.7.1 The Bad File

The bad file contains records that were rejected, either by SQL*Loader or by the
Oracle database.
If you do not specify a bad file and there are rejected records, then SQL*Loader
automatically creates one. It will have the same name as the data file, with a .bad
extension. Some of the possible reasons for rejection are discussed in the next
sections.
• Records Rejected by SQL*Loader
Data file records are rejected by SQL*Loader when the input format is invalid.
• Records Rejected by Oracle Database During a SQL*Loader Operation
After a data file record is accepted for processing by SQL*Loader, it is sent to the
database for insertion into a table as a row.
7.7.1.1 Records Rejected by SQL*Loader

Data file records are rejected by SQL*Loader when the input format is invalid.
For example, if the second enclosure delimiter is missing, or if a delimited field
exceeds its maximum length, then SQL*Loader rejects the record. Rejected records
are placed in the bad file.
7.7.1.2 Records Rejected by Oracle Database During a SQL*Loader Operation

After a data file record is accepted for processing by SQL*Loader, it is sent to the
database for insertion into a table as a row.
If the database determines that the row is valid, then the row is inserted into the table.
If the row is determined to be invalid, then the record is rejected and SQL*Loader puts
it in the bad file. The row may be invalid, for example, because a key is not unique,
because a required field is null, or because the field contains invalid data for the
Oracle data type.
See Also:
• "Specifying the Bad File"

• Case study 4, Loading Combined Physical Records (see "SQL*Loader
Case Studies" for information on how to access case studies)
7.7.2 The Discard File

As SQL*Loader executes, it may create a file called the discard file.
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Log File and Logging Information
This file is created only when it is needed, and only if you have specified that a discard
file should be enabled. The discard file contains records that were filtered out of the
load because they did not match any record-selection criteria specified in the control
file.
The discard file therefore contains records that were not inserted into any table in the
database. You can specify the maximum number of such records that the discard file
can accept. Data written to any database table is not written to the discard file.
See Also:
• Case study 4, Loading Combined Physical Records (see "SQL*Loader

Case Studies" for information on how to access case studies)
• "Specifying the Discard File"
7.8 Log File and Logging Information

When SQL*Loader begins execution, it creates a log file.
If it cannot create a log file, then execution terminates. The log file contains a detailed
summary of the load, including a description of any errors that occurred during the
load.
7.9 Conventional Path Loads, Direct Path Loads, and

External Table Loads
SQL*Loader provides several methods to load data.
• Conventional Path Loads

During conventional path loads, the input records are parsed according to the field
specifications, and each data field is copied to its corresponding bind array (an
area in memory where SQL*Loader stores data to be loaded).
• Direct Path Loads
A direct path load parses the input records according to the field specifications,
converts the input field data to the column data type, and builds a column array.
• External Table Loads
External tables are defined as tables that do not reside in the database, and can
be in any format for which an access driver is provided.
• Choosing External Tables Versus SQL*Loader
The record parsing of external tables and SQL*Loader is very similar, so normally
there is not a major performance difference for the same record format. However,
due to the different architecture of external tables and SQL*Loader, there are
situations in which one method may be more appropriate than the other.
• Behavior Differences Between SQL*Loader and External Tables
This section describes important differences between loading data with external
tables, using the ORACLE_LOADER access driver, as opposed to loading data with
SQL*Loader conventional and direct path loads.
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Conventional Path Loads, Direct Path Loads, and External Table Loads
7.9.1 Conventional Path Loads

During conventional path loads, the input records are parsed according to the field
specifications, and each data field is copied to its corresponding bind array (an area in
memory where SQL*Loader stores data to be loaded).
When the bind array is full (or no more data is left to read), an array insert operation is
performed.
SQL*Loader stores LOB fields after a bind array insert is done. Thus, if there are any
errors in processing the LOB field (for example, the LOBFILE could not be found), then
the LOB field is left empty. Note also that because LOB data is loaded after the array
insert has been performed, BEFORE and AFTER row triggers may not work as expected
for LOB columns. This is because the triggers fire before SQL*Loader has a chance to
load the LOB contents into the column. For instance, suppose you are loading a LOB
column, C1, with data and you want a BEFORE row trigger to examine the contents of this
LOB column and derive a value to be loaded for some other column, C2, based on its
examination. This is not possible because the LOB contents will not have been loaded
at the time the trigger fires.
See Also:
• "Data Loading Methods"

• "Bind Arrays and Conventional Path Loads"
7.9.2 Direct Path Loads

A direct path load parses the input records according to the field specifications,
converts the input field data to the column data type, and builds a column array.
The column array is passed to a block formatter, which creates data blocks in Oracle
database block format. The newly formatted database blocks are written directly to the
database, bypassing much of the data processing that normally takes place. Direct
path load is much faster than conventional path load, but entails several restrictions.
• Parallel Direct Path
A parallel direct path load allows multiple direct path load sessions to concurrently
load the same data segments (allows intrasegment parallelism).
7.9.2.1 Parallel Direct Path

A parallel direct path load allows multiple direct path load sessions to concurrently load
the same data segments (allows intrasegment parallelism).
Parallel direct path is more restrictive than direct path.
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See Also:
Parallel Data Loading Models
Direct Path Load
7.9.3 External Table Loads

External tables are defined as tables that do not reside in the database, and can be in
any format for which an access driver is provided.
Oracle Database provides two access drivers: ORACLE_LOADER and ORACLE_DATAPUMP. By
providing the database with metadata describing an external table, the database is
able to expose the data in the external table as if it were data residing in a regular
database table.
An external table load creates an external table for data that is contained in an
external data file. The load executes INSERT statements to insert the data from the data
file into the target table.
The advantages of using external table loads over conventional path and direct path
loads are as follows:
• If a data file is big enough, then an external table load attempts to load that file in
parallel.
• An external table load allows modification of the data being loaded by using SQL
functions and PL/SQL functions as part of the INSERT statement that is used to
create the external table.
Note:
An external table load is not supported using a named pipe on Windows
operating systems.
See Also:
• The ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver

• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about creating and
managing external tables
7.9.4 Choosing External Tables Versus SQL*Loader

The record parsing of external tables and SQL*Loader is very similar, so normally
there is not a major performance difference for the same record format. However, due
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to the different architecture of external tables and SQL*Loader, there are situations in
which one method may be more appropriate than the other.
Use external tables for the best load performance in the following situations:
• You want to transform the data as it is being loaded into the database
• You want to use transparent parallel processing without having to split the external
data first
Use SQL*Loader for the best load performance in the following situations:
• You want to load data remotely
• Transformations are not required on the data, and the data does not need to be
loaded in parallel
• You want to load data, and additional indexing of the staging table is required
7.9.5 Behavior Differences Between SQL*Loader and External Tables

This section describes important differences between loading data with external
tables, using the ORACLE_LOADER access driver, as opposed to loading data with
SQL*Loader conventional and direct path loads.
This information does not apply to the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver.
• Multiple Primary Input Data Files

If there are multiple primary input data files with SQL*Loader loads, then a bad file
and a discard file are created for each input data file.
• Syntax and Data Types
This section provides a description of unsupported syntax and data types with
external table loads.
• Byte-Order Marks
With SQL*Loader, if a primary data file uses a Unicode character set (UTF8 or
UTF16) and it also contains a byte-order mark (BOM), then the byte-order mark is
written at the beginning of the corresponding bad and discard files.
• Default Character Sets, Date Masks, and Decimal Separator
For fields in a data file, the settings of NLS environment variables on the client
determine the default character set, date mask, and decimal separator.
• Use of the Backslash Escape Character
This section describes how to use the backslash escape character.
7.9.5.1 Multiple Primary Input Data Files

If there are multiple primary input data files with SQL*Loader loads, then a bad file and
a discard file are created for each input data file.
With external table loads, there is only one bad file and one discard file for all input
data files. If parallel access drivers are used for the external table load, then each
access driver has its own bad file and discard file.
7.9.5.2 Syntax and Data Types

This section provides a description of unsupported syntax and data types with external
table loads.
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Loading Objects, Collections, and LOBs
• Use of CONTINUEIF or CONCATENATE to combine multiple physical records into a single

logical record.
• Loading of the following SQL*Loader data types: GRAPHIC, GRAPHIC EXTERNAL, and
VARGRAPHIC
• Use of the following database column types: LONG, nested table, VARRAY, REF,
primary key REF, and SID
7.9.5.3 Byte-Order Marks

With SQL*Loader, if a primary data file uses a Unicode character set (UTF8 or UTF16)
and it also contains a byte-order mark (BOM), then the byte-order mark is written at
the beginning of the corresponding bad and discard files.
With external table loads, the byte-order mark is not written at the beginning of the bad
and discard files.
7.9.5.4 Default Character Sets, Date Masks, and Decimal Separator

determine the default character set, date mask, and decimal separator.
determine the default character set, date mask, and decimal separator. For fields in
external tables, the database settings of the NLS parameters determine the default
character set, date masks, and decimal separator.
7.9.5.5 Use of the Backslash Escape Character

This section describes how to use the backslash escape character.
In SQL*Loader, you can use the backslash (\) escape character to identify a single
quotation mark as the enclosure character, as follows:
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '\''
In external tables, the use of the backslash escape character within a string raises an
error. The workaround is to use double quotation marks to identify a single quotation
mark as the enclosure character, as follows:
TERMINATED BY ',' ENCLOSED BY "'"
7.10 Loading Objects, Collections, and LOBs

You can use SQL*Loader to bulk load objects, collections, and LOBs.
• Supported Object Types
SQL*Loader supports loading of the column and row object types.
• Supported Collection Types
SQL*Loader supports loading of nested tables and VARRAY collection types.
• Supported LOB Data Types
A LOB is a large object type.
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Loading Objects, Collections, and LOBs
7.10.1 Supported Object Types

SQL*Loader supports loading of the column and row object types.
• column objects
When a column of a table is of some object type, the objects in that column are
referred to as column objects.
• row objects
These objects are stored in tables, known as object tables, that have columns
corresponding to the attributes of the object.
7.10.1.1 column objects

When a column of a table is of some object type, the objects in that column are
referred to as column objects.
Conceptually such objects are stored in their entirety in a single column position in a
row. These objects do not have object identifiers and cannot be referenced.
If the object type of the column object is declared to be nonfinal, then SQL*Loader
allows a derived type (or subtype) to be loaded into the column object.
7.10.1.2 row objects

These objects are stored in tables, known as object tables, that have columns
corresponding to the attributes of the object.
The object tables have an additional system-generated column, called SYS_NC_OID$,
that stores system-generated unique identifiers (OIDs) for each of the objects in the
table. Columns in other tables can refer to these objects by using the OIDs.
If the object type of the object table is declared to be nonfinal, then SQL*Loader allows
a derived type (or subtype) to be loaded into the row object.
See Also:
• Loading Column Objects

• Loading Object Tables
7.10.2 Supported Collection Types

SQL*Loader supports loading of nested tables and VARRAY collection types.
• Nested Tables
A nested table is a table that appears as a column in another table.
• VARRAYs
A VARRAY is a variable sized arrays.
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Partitioned Object Support
7.10.2.1 Nested Tables

A nested table is a table that appears as a column in another table.
All operations that can be performed on other tables can also be performed on nested
tables.
7.10.2.2 VARRAYs
A VARRAY is a variable sized arrays.
An array is an ordered set of built-in types or objects, called elements. Each array
element is of the same type and has an index, which is a number corresponding to the
element's position in the VARRAY.
When you create a VARRAY type, you must specify the maximum size. Once you have
declared a VARRAY type, it can be used as the data type of a column of a relational
table, as an object type attribute, or as a PL/SQL variable.
See Also:
Loading Collections (Nested Tables and VARRAYs) for details on using
SQL*Loader control file data definition language to load these collection types
7.10.3 Supported LOB Data Types

A LOB is a large object type.
This release of SQL*Loader supports loading of four LOB data types:
• BLOB: a LOB containing unstructured binary data
• CLOB: a LOB containing character data
• NCLOB: a LOB containing characters in a database national character set
• BFILE: a BLOB stored outside of the database tablespaces in a server-side operating

system file
LOBs can be column data types, and except for NCLOB, they can be an object's attribute
data types. LOBs can have an actual value, they can be null, or they can be "empty."
See Also:
Loading LOBs for details on using SQL*Loader control file data definition
language to load these LOB types
7.11 Partitioned Object Support

SQL*Loader supports loading partitioned objects in the database.
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Application Development: Direct Path Load API
A partitioned object in an Oracle database is a table or index consisting of partitions

(pieces) that have been grouped, typically by common logical attributes. For example,
sales data for a particular year might be partitioned by month. The data for each month
is stored in a separate partition of the sales table. Each partition is stored in a separate
segment of the database and can have different physical attributes.
SQL*Loader partitioned object support enables SQL*Loader to load the following:
• A single partition of a partitioned table
• All partitions of a partitioned table
• A nonpartitioned table
7.12 Application Development: Direct Path Load API

Oracle provides a direct path load API for application developers.
See the Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide for more information.
7.13 SQL*Loader Case Studies

SQL*Loader features are illustrated in a variety of case studies.
The case studies are based upon the Oracle demonstration database tables, emp and
dept, owned by the user scott. (In some case studies, additional columns have been
added.)The case studies are numbered 1 through 11, starting with the simplest
scenario and progressing in complexity.
Note:
Files for use in the case studies are located in the $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/demo
directory. These files are installed when you install the Oracle Database 12c
Examples (formerly Companion) media. See Table 7-1 for the names of the
files.
The following is a summary of the case studies:

• Case Study 1: Loading Variable-Length Data - Loads stream format records in
which the fields are terminated by commas and may be enclosed by quotation
marks. The data is found at the end of the control file.
• Case Study 2: Loading Fixed-Format Fields - Loads data from a separate data file.
• Case Study 3: Loading a Delimited, Free-Format File - Loads data from stream
format records with delimited fields and sequence numbers. The data is found at
the end of the control file.
• Case Study 4: Loading Combined Physical Records - Combines multiple physical
records into one logical record corresponding to one database row.
• Case Study 5: Loading Data into Multiple Tables - Loads data into multiple tables
in one run.
• Case Study 6: Loading Data Using the Direct Path Load Method - Loads data
using the direct path load method.
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SQL*Loader Case Studies
• Case Study 7: Extracting Data from a Formatted Report - Extracts data from a
formatted report.
• Case Study 8: Loading Partitioned Tables - Loads partitioned tables.
• Case Study 9: Loading LOBFILEs (CLOBs) - Adds a CLOB column called resume to
the table emp, uses a FILLER field (res_file), and loads multiple LOBFILEs into the
emp table.
• Case Study 10: REF Fields and VARRAYs - Loads a customer table that has a
primary key as its OID and stores order items in a VARRAY. Loads an order table
that has a reference to the customer table and the order items in a VARRAY.
• Case Study 11: Loading Data in the Unicode Character Set - Loads data in the
Unicode character set, UTF16, in little-endian byte order. This case study uses
character-length semantics.
• Case Study Files
This section describes case study files.
• Running the Case Studies
This section describes running the case studies.
• Case Study Log Files
Log files for the case studies are not provided in the $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/demo
directory.
• Checking the Results of a Case Study
To check the results of running a case study, start SQL*Plus and perform a select
operation from the table that was loaded in the case study.
7.13.1 Case Study Files

This section describes case study files.
Generally, each case study is comprised of the following types of files:
• Control files (for example, ulcase5.ctl)
• Data files (for example, ulcase5.dat)
• Setup files (for example, ulcase5.sql)
These files are installed when you install the Oracle Database 12c Examples (formerly
Companion) media. They are installed in the $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/demo directory.
If the sample data for the case study is contained within the control file, then there will
be no .dat file for that case.
Case study 2 does not require any special set up, so there is no .sql script for that
case. Case study 7 requires that you run both a starting (setup) script and an ending
(cleanup) script.
Table 7-1 lists the files associated with each case.
Table 7-1 Case Studies and Their Related Files
Case .ctl .dat .sql

1 ulcase1.ctl N/A ulcase1.sql
2 ulcase2.ctl ulcase2.dat N/A
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Table 7-1 (Cont.) Case Studies and Their Related Files
Case .ctl .dat .sql

4 ulcase4.ctl ulcase4.dat ulcase4.sql
7 ulcase7.ctl ulcase7.dat ulcase7s.sql
ulcase7e.sql
7.13.2 Running the Case Studies

This section describes running the case studies.
In general, you use the following steps to run the case studies (be sure you are in
the $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/demo directory, which is where the case study files are located):
1. At the system prompt, type sqlplus and press Enter to start SQL*Plus. At the user-
name prompt, enter scott. At the password prompt, enter tiger.
The SQL prompt is displayed.
2. At the SQL prompt, execute the SQL script for the case study. For example, to
execute the SQL script for case study 1, enter the following:
SQL> @ulcase1
This prepares and populates tables for the case study and then returns you to the
system prompt.
3. At the system prompt, start SQL*Loader and run the case study, as follows:
sqlldr USERID=scott CONTROL=ulcase1.ctl LOG=ulcase1.log
Substitute the appropriate control file name and log file name for the CONTROL and
LOG parameters and press Enter. When you are prompted for a password, type
tiger and then press Enter.
Be sure to read the control file for each case study before you run it. The beginning of
the control file contains information about what is being demonstrated in the case
study and any other special information you need to know. For example, case study 6
requires that you add DIRECT=TRUE to the SQL*Loader command line.
7.13.3 Case Study Log Files

Log files for the case studies are not provided in the $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/demo directory.
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This is because the log file for each case study is produced when you execute the
case study, provided that you use the LOG parameter. If you do not want to produce a
log file, then omit the LOG parameter from the command line.
7.13.4 Checking the Results of a Case Study

To check the results of running a case study, start SQL*Plus and perform a select
operation from the table that was loaded in the case study.
This is done, as follows:
1. At the system prompt, type sqlplus and press Enter to start SQL*Plus. At the user-
name prompt, enter scott. At the password prompt, enter tiger.
The SQL prompt is displayed.
2. At the SQL prompt, use the SELECT statement to select all rows from the table that
the case study loaded. For example, if the table emp was loaded, then enter:
SQL> SELECT * FROM emp;
The contents of each row in the emp table will be displayed.
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8
SQL*Loader Command-Line Reference
You can use command-line parameters to start SQL*Loader.
Note:
Regular SQL*Loader and SQL*Loader express mode share some of the same
parameters, but the behavior may be different. The parameter descriptions in
this chapter are for regular SQL*Loader. The parameters for SQL*Loader
express mode are described in SQL*Loader Express .
• Invoking SQL*Loader
This section describes how to start SQL*Loader and specify parameters.
• Command-Line Parameters for SQL*Loader
This section describes each SQL*Loader command-line parameter.
• Exit Codes for Inspection and Display
Oracle SQL*Loader provides the results of a SQL*Loader run immediately upon
completion.
8.1 Invoking SQL*Loader

This section describes how to start SQL*Loader and specify parameters.
To display a help screen that lists all SQL*Loader parameters, along with a brief
description and the default value of each one, enter sqlldr at the prompt and press
Enter.
• Specifying Parameters on the Command Line
When you start SQL*Loader, you specify parameters to establish various
characteristics of the load operation.
• Alternative Ways to Specify SQL*Loader Parameters
If the length of the command line exceeds the maximum line size for your system,
then you can put certain command-line parameters in the control file by using the
OPTIONS clause.
• Using SQL*Loader to Load Data Across a Network

To use SQL*Loader to load data across a network connection, you can specify a
connect identifier in the connect string when you start the SQL*Loader utility.
8.1.1 Specifying Parameters on the Command Line

When you start SQL*Loader, you specify parameters to establish various
characteristics of the load operation.
You can separate the parameters by commas, but it is not necessary.
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Invoking SQL*Loader
> sqlldr CONTROL=ulcase1.ctl LOG=ulcase1.log

Username: scott
Password: password
Specifying by position means that you enter a value, but not the parameter name. In
the following example, the username scott is provided and then the name of the
control file, ulcase1.ctl. You are prompted for the password:
> sqlldr scott ulcase1.ctl
Password: password
Once a parameter name is used, parameter names must be supplied for all
subsequent specifications. No further positional specification is allowed. For example,
in the following command, the CONTROL parameter is used to specify the control file
name, but then the log file name is supplied without the LOG parameter. This would
result in an error even though the position of ulcase1.log is correct:
> sqlldr scott CONTROL=ulcase1.ctl ulcase1.log
Instead, you would need to enter the following:

> sqlldr scott CONTROL=ulcase1.ctl LOG=ulcase1.log
See Also:
"Command-Line Parameters for SQL*Loader" for descriptions of all the
command-line parameters
8.1.2 Alternative Ways to Specify SQL*Loader Parameters

If the length of the command line exceeds the maximum line size for your system, then
you can put certain command-line parameters in the control file by using the OPTIONS
clause.
You can also group parameters together in a parameter file. You specify the name of
this file on the command line using the PARFILE parameter when you start SQL*Loader.
These alternative ways of specifying parameters are useful when you often use the
same parameters with the same values.
Parameter values specified on the command line override parameter values specified
in either a parameter file or in the OPTIONS clause.
See Also:
• OPTIONS Clause
• PARFILE
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Command-Line Parameters for SQL*Loader
8.1.3 Using SQL*Loader to Load Data Across a Network

To use SQL*Loader to load data across a network connection, you can specify a
connect identifier in the connect string when you start the SQL*Loader utility.
This identifier can specify a database instance that is different from the current
instance identified by the setting of the ORACLE_SID environment variable for the current
user. The connect identifier can be an Oracle Net connect descriptor or a net service
name (usually defined in the tnsnames.ora file) that maps to a connect descriptor. Use
of a connect identifier requires that you have Oracle Net Listener running (to start the
default listener, enter lsnrctl start). The following example starts SQL*Loader for
user scott using the connect identifier inst1:
> sqlldr CONTROL=ulcase1.ctl
Username: scott@inst1
Password: password
The local SQL*Loader client connects to the database instance defined by the connect
identifier inst1 (a net service name), and loads the data, as specified in the
ulcase1.ctl control file.
Note:
To load data into a pluggable database (PDB), simply specify its connect
identifier on the connect string when you start SQL*Loader.
See Also:

• Oracle Database Concepts for more information about PDBs
8.2 Command-Line Parameters for SQL*Loader

This section describes each SQL*Loader command-line parameter.
The defaults and maximum values listed for these parameters are for UNIX-based
systems. They may be different on your operating system. Refer to your Oracle
operating system-specific documentation for more information.
• BAD
• BINDSIZE
• COLUMNARRAYROWS
• CONTROL
• DATA
• DATE_CACHE
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• DEFAULTS
• DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM
• DIRECT
• DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT
• DISCARD
• DISCARDMAX
• DNFS_ENABLE
• DNFS_READBUFFERS
• EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL
• ERRORS
• EXTERNAL_TABLE
• FILE
• HELP
• LOAD
• LOG
• MULTITHREADING
• NO_INDEX_ERRORS
• PARALLEL
• PARFILE
• PARTITION_MEMORY
• READSIZE
• RESUMABLE
• RESUMABLE_NAME
• RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT
• ROWS
• SDF_PREFIX
• SILENT
• SKIP
• SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE
• STREAMSIZE
• TRIM
• USERID
8.2.1 BAD
Default: The name of the data file, with an extension of .bad
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Purpose
Specifies the name or location, or both, of the bad file associated with the first data file
specification.

BAD=[directory/][filename]
The bad file stores records that cause errors during insert or that are improperly
formatted. If you specify the BAD parameter, you must supply either a directory or file
name, or both. If there are rejected records, and you have not specified a name for the
bad file, then the name defaults to the name of the data file with an extension or file
type of .bad.
The directory parameter specifies a directory to which the bad file is written. The
specification can include the name of a device or network node. The value of directory
is determined as follows:
• If the BAD parameter is not specified at all and a bad file is needed, then the default
directory is the one in which the SQL*Loader control file resides.
• If the BAD parameter is specified with a file name but no directory, then the
directory defaults to the current directory.
• If the BAD parameter is specified with a directory but no file name, then the
specified directory is used and the default is used for the bad file name and
extension.
The filename parameter specifies a file name recognized as valid on your platform.
You must specify only a name (and extension, if one other than .bad is desired). Any
spaces or punctuation marks in the file name must be enclosed in single quotation
marks.
A bad file specified on the command line becomes the bad file associated with the first
INFILE statement (if there is one) in the control file. The name of the bad file can also
be specified in the SQL*Loader control file, using the BADFILE clause. If the bad file is
specified in the control file, as well as on the command line, then the command-line
value is used. If a bad file with that name already exists, then it is either overwritten or
a new version is created, depending on your operating system
See Also:
"Specifying the Bad File" for information about the format of bad files
Example
The following specification creates a bad file named emp1.bad in the current directory:
BAD=emp1
8.2.2 BINDSIZE
Default: 256000
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Purpose
The BINDSIZE parameter specifies the maximum size (in bytes) of the bind array.

BINDSIZE=n
A bind array is an area in memory where SQL*Loader stores data that is to be loaded.
When the bind array is full, the data is transmitted to the database. The bind array size
is controlled by the BINDSIZE and READSIZE parameters.
The size of the bind array given by BINDSIZE overrides the default size (which is system
dependent) and any size determined by ROWS.
See Also:
• "Bind Arrays and Conventional Path Loads"

• "READSIZE"
• "ROWS"
Restrictions
• The BINDSIZE parameter is used only for conventional path loads.
Example
The following BINDSIZE specification limits the maximum size of the bind array to
356,000 bytes.
BINDSIZE=356000
8.2.3 COLUMNARRAYROWS
Default: 5000
Purpose
The COLUMNARRAYROWS parameter specifies the number of rows to allocate for direct path
column arrays.
See Also:
• "Using CONCATENATE to Assemble Logical Records"

• "Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of Stream Buffers"

COLUMNARRARYROWS=n
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The value for this parameter is not calculated by SQL*Loader. You must either specify
it or accept the default.
Example
The following example specifies that 1000 rows are to be allocated for direct path
column arrays.
COLUMNARRAYROWS=1000
8.2.4 CONTROL
Purpose
The CONTROL parameter specifies the name of the SQL*Loader control file that
describes how to load the data.

CONTROL=control_file_name
If a file extension or file type is not specified, then it defaults to .ctl. If the CONTROL
parameter is not specified, then SQL*Loader prompts you for it.
If the name of your SQL*Loader control file contains special characters, then your
operating system may require that they be preceded by an escape character. Also, if
your operating system uses backslashes in its file system paths, then you may need to
use multiple escape characters or to enclose the path in quotation marks. See your
Oracle operating system-specific documentation for more information.
See Also:
SQL*Loader Control File Reference for a detailed description of the
SQL*Loader control file
Example
The following example specifies a control file named emp1. It is automatically given the
default extension of .ctl.
CONTROL=emp1
8.2.5 DATA
Default: The same name as the control file, but with an extension of .dat.
Purpose
The DATA parameter specifies the name(s) of the data file(s) containing the data to be
loaded.
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DATA=data_file_name
If you do not specify a file extension, then the default is .dat.
The file specification can contain wildcards (only in the file name and file extension,
not in a device or directory name). An asterisk (*) represents multiple characters and a
question mark (?) represents a single character. For example:
DATA='emp*.dat'
DATA='m?emp.dat'
To list multiple data file specifications (each of which can contain wild cards), the file
names must be separated by commas.
If the file name contains any special characters (for example, spaces, *, ?, ), then the
entire name must be enclosed within single quotation marks.
The following are three examples of possible valid uses of the DATA parameter (the
single quotation marks would only be necessary if the file name contained special
characters):
DATA='file1','file2','file3','file4','file5','file6'
DATA='file1','file2'
DATA='file3,'file4','file5'
DATA='file6'
DATA='file1'
DATA='file2'
DATA='file3'
DATA='file4'
DATA='file5'
DATA='file6'
Caution:
If multiple data files are being loaded and you are also specifying the BAD
parameter, it is recommended that you specify only a directory for the bad file,
not a file name. If you specify a file name, and a file with that name already
exists, then it is either overwritten or a new version is created, depending on
your operating system.
If you specify data files on the command line with the DATA parameter and also specify
data files in the control file with the INFILE clause, then the first INFILE specification in
the control file is ignored. All other data files specified on the command line and in the
control file are processed.
If you specify a file processing option along with the DATA parameter when loading data
from the control file, then a warning message is issued.
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Example
The following example specifies that a data file named employees.dat is to be loaded.
The .dat extension is assumed as the default because no extension is provided.
DATA=employees
8.2.6 DATE_CACHE
Default: Enabled (for 1000 elements). To completely disable the date cache feature, set
it to 0 (zero).
Purpose
The DATE_CACHE parameter specifies the date cache size (in entries). The date cache is
used to store the results of conversions from text strings to internal date format. The
cache is useful because the cost of looking up dates is much less than converting from
text format to date format. If the same dates occur repeatedly in the data file, then
using the date cache can improve the speed of a direct path load.

DATE_CACHE=n
Every table has its own date cache, if one is needed. A date cache is created only if at
least one date or timestamp value is loaded that requires data type conversion in order
to be stored in the table.
The date cache feature is enabled by default. The default date cache size is 1000
elements. If the default size is used and the number of unique input values loaded
exceeds 1000, then the date cache feature is automatically disabled for that table.
However, if you override the default and specify a nonzero date cache size and that
size is exceeded, then the cache is not disabled.
You can use the date cache statistics (entries, hits, and misses) contained in the log
file to tune the size of the cache for future similar loads.
See Also:
"Specifying a Value for the Date Cache"
Restrictions
• The date cache feature is only available for direct path and external tables loads.
Example
The following specification completely disables the date cache feature.
DATE_CACHE=0
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8.2.7 DEFAULTS
Use the SQL*Loader DEFAULTS command to control evaluation and loading of default
expressions.
Default: EVALUATE_ONCE, unless a sequence is involved, then the default is
EVALUATE_EVERY_ROW.
Purpose
The DEFAULTS parameter is only applicable to direct path loads.

DEFAULTS={IGNORE | IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED_EVALUATE_ONCE |
IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED_EVALUATE_EVERY_ROW |
EVALUATE_ONCE | EVALUATE_EVERY_ROW}
The behavior of each of the options is as follows:

• IGNORE — Default clauses on columns are ignored.
• IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED_EVALUATE_ONCE —Evaluate default expressions once at the start

of the load. Unsupported default expressions are ignored. If the DEFAULTS
parameter is not used, then default expressions are evaluated once, unless the
default expression references a sequence, in which case every row is evaluated.
• IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED_EVALUATE_EVERY_ROW — Evaluate default expressions in every
row, ignoring unsupported default clauses.
• EVALUATE_ONCE —Evaluate default expressions once at the start of the load. If the
DEFAULTS parameter is not used, then default expressions are evaluated once,
unless the default references a sequence, in which case every row is evaluated.
An error is issued for unsupported default expression clauses. (This is the default
option for this parameter.)
• EVALUATE_EVERY_ROW — Evaluate default expressions in every row and issue an
error for unsupported defaults.
Example Usage
Suppose you create a table named test and a SQL*Loader control file named
test.ctl, as follows:
create table test

(
c0 varchar2(10),
c1 number default '100'
)
;
test.ctl:
load data
infile *
truncate
into table test
fields terminated by ','
trailing nullcols
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(
c0 char
)
begindata
1,
To then load a NULL into c1, issue the following statement:

sqlldr scott/tiger t.ctl direct=true defaults=ignore
To load the default value of 100 into c1, issue the following statement:
sqlldr scott/tiger t.ctl direct=true
8.2.8 DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM
Default: NONE
Purpose
The DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter specifies the degree of parallelism to use during
the load operation.

DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM=[degree-num|DEFAULT|AUTO|NONE]
If a degree-num is specified, then it must be a whole number value from 1 to n.
If DEFAULT is specified, then the default parallelism of the database (not the default
parameter value of AUTO) is used.
If AUTO is used, then the Oracle database automatically sets the degree of parallelism
for the load.
If NONE is specified, then the load is not performed in parallel.
See Also:
• Oracle Database VLDB and Partitioning Guide for more information about
parallel execution
Restrictions
• The DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter is valid only when the external table load
method is used.
Example
The following example sets the degree of parallelism for the load to 3.
DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM=3
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8.2.9 DIRECT
Default: FALSE
Purpose
The DIRECT parameter specifies the load method to use, either conventional path or
direct path.

DIRECT=[TRUE | FALSE]
A value of TRUE specifies a direct path load. A value of FALSE specifies a conventional
path load.
See Also:
Example
The following example specifies that the load be performed using conventional path
mode.
DIRECT=FALSE
8.2.10 DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT
Use the SQL*Loader command DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT to control direct path load
behavior when waiting for table locks.
Default: FALSE
Purpose
Direct path loads must lock the table before the load can proceed. The
DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT command controls the direct path API’s behavior while waiting
for a lock.

DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT = {TRUE | FALSE}
• TRUE — Direct path waits until it can get a lock on the table before proceeding with
the load.
• FALSE — This is the default. The direct path API tries to lock the table multiple
times and waits one second between attempts. The maximum number of attempts
made is 30. If the table cannot be locked after 30 attempts, then the direct path
API returns the error that was generated when trying to lock the table.
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8.2.11 DISCARD
Default: The same file name as the data file, but with an extension of .dsc.
Purpose
The DISCARD parameter lets you optionally specify a discard file to store records that
are neither inserted into a table nor rejected. They are not bad records, they simply did
not match any record-selection criteria specified in the control file, such as a WHEN
clause for example.

DISCARD=[directory/][filename]
If you specify the DISCARD parameter, then you must supply either a directory or file
name, or both.
The directory parameter specifies a directory to which the discard file will be written.
The specification can include the name of a device or network node. The value of
directory is determined as follows:
• If the DISCARD parameter is not specified at all, but the DISCARDMAX parameter is,
then the default directory is the one in which the SQL*Loader control file resides.
• If the DISCARD parameter is specified with a file name but no directory, then the
• If the DISCARD parameter is specified with a directory but no file name, then the
specified directory is used and the default is used for the name and the extension.
The filename parameter specifies a file name recognized as valid on your platform.
You must specify only a name (and extension, if one other than .dsc is desired). Any
marks.
If neither the DISCARD parameter nor the DISCARDMAX parameter is specified, then a
discard file is not created even if there are discarded records.
If the DISCARD parameter is not specified, but the DISCARDMAX parameter is, and there are
discarded records, then the discard file is created using the default name and the file is
written to the same directory in which the SQL*Loader control file resides.
Caution:
If multiple data files are being loaded and you are also specifying the DISCARD
parameter, it is recommended that you specify only a directory for the discard
file, not a file name. If you specify a file name, and a file with that name already
A discard file specified on the command line becomes the discard file associated with
the first INFILE statement (if there is one) in the control file. If the discard file is also
specified in the control file, then the command-line value overrides it. If a discard file
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with that name already exists, then it is either overwritten or a new version is created,
depending on your operating system.
See Also:
"Discarded and Rejected Records" for information about the format of discard
files
Example
Assume that you are loading a data file named employees.dat. The following example
supplies only a directory name so the name of the discard file will be employees.dsc
and it will be created in the mydir directory.
DISCARD=mydir/
8.2.12 DISCARDMAX
Default: ALL
Purpose
The DISCARDMAX parameter specifies the number of discard records to allow before data
loading is terminated.

DISCARDMAX=n
To stop on the first discarded record, specify a value of 0.

If DISCARDMAX is specified, but the DISCARD parameter is not, then the name of the
discard file is the name of the data file with an extension of .dsc.
Example
The following example allows 25 records to be discarded during the load before it is
terminated.
DISCARDMAX=25
8.2.13 DNFS_ENABLE
Default: TRUE
Purpose
The DNFS_ENABLE parameter lets you enable and disable use of the Direct NFS Client
on input data files during a SQL*Loader operation.

DNFS_ENABLE=[TRUE|FALSE]
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The Direct NFS Client is an API that can be implemented by file servers to allow
improved performance when an Oracle database accesses files on those servers.
SQL*Loader uses the Direct NFS Client interfaces by default when it reads data files
over 1 GB. For smaller files, the operating system's I/O interfaces are used. To use the
Direct NFS Client on all input data files, use DNFS_ENABLE=TRUE.
To disable use of the Direct NFS Client for all data files, specify DNFS_ENABLE=FALSE.
The DNFS_READBUFFERS parameter can be used to specify the number of read buffers
used by the Direct NFS Client; the default is 4.
See Also:
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for your platform for more
information about enabling the Direct NFS Client
Example
The following example disables use of the Direct NFS Client on input data files during
the load.
DNFS_ENABLE=FALSE
8.2.14 DNFS_READBUFFERS
Default: 4
Purpose
The DNFS_READBUFFERS parameter lets you control the number of read buffers used by
the Direct NFS Client. The Direct NFS Client is an API that can be implemented by file
servers to allow improved performance when an Oracle database accesses files on
those servers.

DNFS_READBUFFERS=n
Using larger values might compensate for inconsistent I/O from the Direct NFS Client
file server, but it may result in increased memory usage.
See Also:
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for your platform for more
information about enabling the Direct NFS Client
Restrictions
• To use this parameter without also specifying the DNFS_ENABLE parameter, the input
file must be larger than 1 GB.
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Example
The following example specifies 10 read buffers for use by the Direct NFS Client.
DNFS_READBUFFERS=10
8.2.15 EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL
If the SQL*Loader EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL parameter is specified, then any LOB column
for which there is no data available is set to NULL rather than to an empty LOB.
Default: FALSE
Purpose
Setting LOB columns for which there is no data available to NULL negates the need to
do this through post-processing after the data is loaded.

EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL = {TRUE | FALSE}
The EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL parameter can be specified on the SQL*Loader command

line and also on the OPTIONS clause in a SQL*Loader control file.
Restrictions
None.
Example
In the following example, c1 will be NULL instead of an empty lob.
create table t
(
c0 varchar2(10),
c1 clob
)
;
sqlldr control file:
options (empty_lobs_are_null=true)
load data
infile *
truncate
into table t
trailing nullcols
(
c0 char,
c1 char
)
begindata
1,,
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8.2.16 ERRORS
Default: 50
Purpose
The ERRORS parameter specifies the maximum number of insert errors to allow.

ERRORS=n
If the number of errors exceeds the value specified for ERRORS, then SQL*Loader
terminates the load. Any data inserted up to that point is committed.
To permit no errors at all, set ERRORS=0. To specify that all errors be allowed, use a
very high number.
SQL*Loader maintains the consistency of records across all tables. Therefore,
multitable loads do not terminate immediately if errors exceed the error limit. When
SQL*Loader encounters the maximum number of errors for a multitable load, it
continues to load rows to ensure that valid rows previously loaded into tables are
loaded into all tables and rejected rows are filtered out of all tables.
In all cases, SQL*Loader writes erroneous records to the bad file.
Example
The following example specifies a maximum of 25 insert errors for the load. After that,
the load is terminated.
ERRORS=25
8.2.17 EXTERNAL_TABLE
Default: NOT_USED
Purpose
The EXTERNAL_TABLE parameter instructs SQL*Loader whether to load data using the
external tables option.

EXTERNAL_TABLE=[NOT_USED | GENERATE_ONLY | EXECUTE]
The possible values are as follows:

• NOT_USED - the default value. It means the load is performed using either
conventional or direct path mode.
• GENERATE_ONLY - places all the SQL statements needed to do the load using
external tables, as described in the control file, in the SQL*Loader log file. These
SQL statements can be edited and customized. The actual load can be done later
without the use of SQL*Loader by executing these statements in SQL*Plus.
• EXECUTE - attempts to execute the SQL statements that are needed to do the load
using external tables. However, if any of the SQL statements returns an error, then
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the attempt to load stops. Statements are placed in the log file as they are
executed. This means that if a SQL statement returns an error, then the remaining
SQL statements required for the load will not be placed in the log file.
If you use EXTERNAL_TABLE=EXECUTE and also use the SEQUENCE parameter in your
SQL*Loader control file, then SQL*Loader creates a database sequence, loads
the table using that sequence, and then deletes the sequence. The results of
doing the load this way will be different than if the load were done with
conventional or direct path. (For more information about creating sequences, see
CREATE SEQUENCE in Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.)
Note:
When the EXTERNAL_TABLE parameter is specified, any datetime data types (for
example, TIMESTAMP) in a SQL*Loader control file are automatically converted to
a CHAR data type and use the external tables date_format_spec clause. See
"date_format_spec".
Note that the external table option uses directory objects in the database to indicate
where all input data files are stored and to indicate where output files, such as bad
files and discard files, are created. You must have READ access to the directory objects
containing the data files, and you must have WRITE access to the directory objects
where the output files are created. If there are no existing directory objects for the
location of a data file or output file, then SQL*Loader will generate the SQL statement
to create one. Therefore, when the EXECUTE option is specified, you must have the
CREATE ANY DIRECTORY privilege. If you want the directory object to be deleted at the end
of the load, then you must also have the DROP ANY DIRECTORY privilege.
Note:
The EXTERNAL_TABLE=EXECUTE qualifier tells SQL*Loader to create an external
table that can be used to load data and then executes the INSERT statement to
load the data. All files in the external table must be identified as being in a
directory object. SQL*Loader attempts to use directory objects that already
exist and that you have privileges to access. However, if SQL*Loader does not
find the matching directory object, then it attempts to create a temporary
directory object. If you do not have privileges to create new directory objects,
then the operation fails.
To work around this, use EXTERNAL_TABLE=GENERATE_ONLY to create the SQL
statements that SQL*Loader would try to execute. Extract those SQL
statements and change references to directory objects to be the directory
object that you have privileges to access. Then, execute those SQL
statements.
When using a multi-table load, SQL*Loader does the following:

1. Creates a table in the database that describes all fields in the input data file that
will be loaded into any table.
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2. Creates an INSERT statement to load this table from an external table description of
the data.
3. Executes one INSERT statement for every table in the control file.
To see an example of this, run case study 5, but add the EXTERNAL_TABLE=GENERATE_ONLY
parameter. To guarantee unique names in the external table, SQL*Loader uses
generated names for all fields. This is because the field names may not be unique
across the different tables in the control file.
See Also:
• "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to access case studies

• External Tables Concepts
Restrictions
• Julian dates cannot be used when you insert data into a database table from an
external table through SQL*Loader. To work around this, use TO_DATE and TO_CHAR
to convert the Julian date format, as shown in the following example:
TO_CHAR(TO_DATE(:COL1, 'MM-DD-YYYY'), 'J')
• Built-in functions and SQL strings cannot be used for object elements when you
insert data into a database table from an external table.
Example
EXTERNAL_TABLE=EXECUTE
8.2.18 FILE
Purpose
The FILE parameter specifies the database file from which to allocate extents.
See Also:
"Parallel Data Loading Models"

FILE=tablespace_file
By varying the value of the FILE parameter for different SQL*Loader processes, data
can be loaded onto a system with minimal disk contention.
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Restrictions
• The FILE parameter is used only for direct path parallel loads.
8.2.19 HELP
The SQL*Loader HELP command displays online help for the SQL*Loader utility.
Default: FALSE

HELP = [TRUE | FALSE]
If HELP=TRUE is specified, then SQL*Loader displays a summary of all SQL*Loader

command-line parameters.
You can also display a summary of all SQL*Loader command-line parameters by
entering sqlldr -help on the command line.
8.2.20 LOAD
Default: All records are loaded.
Purpose
The LOAD parameter specifies the maximum number of records to load.

LOAD=n
To test that all parameters you have specified for the load are set correctly, use the
LOAD parameter to specify a limited number of records rather than loading all records.
No error occurs if fewer than the maximum number of records are found.
Example
The following example specifies that a maximum of 10 records be loaded.
LOAD=10
For external tables method loads, only successfully loaded records are counted toward
the total. So if there are 15 records in the input data file and records 2 and 4 are bad,
then the following records are loaded into the table, for a total of 10 records - 1, 3, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
For conventional and direct path loads, both successful and unsuccessful load
attempts are counted toward the total. So if there are 15 records in the input data file
and records 2 and 4 are bad, then only the following 8 records are actually loaded into
the table - 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
8.2.21 LOG
Default: The name of the control file, with an extension of .log.
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Purpose
The LOG parameter specifies a directory path, or file name, or both for the log file that
SQL*Loader uses to store logging information about the loading process.

LOG=[[directory/][log_file_name]]
If you specify the LOG parameter, then you must supply a directory name, or a file
name, or both.
If no directory name is specified, it defaults to the current directory.
If a directory name is specified without a file name, then the default log file name is
used.
Example
The following example creates a log file named emp1.log in the current directory. The
extension .log is used even though it is not specified, because it is the default.
LOG=emp1
8.2.22 MULTITHREADING
Default: TRUE on multiple-CPU systems, FALSE on single-CPU systems
Purpose
Allows stream building on the client system to be done in parallel with stream loading
on the server system.

MULTITHREADING=[TRUE | FALSE]
By default, the multithreading option is always enabled (set to TRUE) on multiple-CPU

systems. In this case, the definition of a multiple-CPU system is a single system that
has more than one CPU.
On single-CPU systems, multithreading is set to FALSE by default. To use
multithreading between two single-CPU systems, you must enable multithreading; it
will not be on by default.
See Also:
"Optimizing Direct Path Loads on Multiple-CPU Systems"
Restrictions
• The MULTITHREADING parameter is available only for direct path loads.
• Multithreading functionality is operating system-dependent. Not all operating
systems support multithreading.
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Example
The following example enables multithreading on a single-CPU system. On a multiple-
CPU system it is enabled by default.
MULTITHREADING=TRUE
8.2.23 NO_INDEX_ERRORS
Default: FALSE
Purpose
The NO_INDEX_ERRORS parameter determines whether indexing errors are tolerated
during a direct path load.

NO_INDEX_ERRORS=[TRUE | FALSE]
A setting of NO_INDEX_ERRORS=FALSE means that if a direct path load results in an index

becoming unusable then the rows are loaded and the index is left in an unusable state.
This is the default behavior.
A setting of NO_INDEX_ERRORS=TRUE means that if a direct path load results in any
indexing errors, then the load is aborted. No rows are loaded and the indexes are left
as they were.
Restrictions
• The NO_INDEX_ERRORS parameter is valid only for direct path loads. If it is specified
for conventional path loads, then it is ignored.
Example
NO_INDEX_ERRORS=TRUE
8.2.24 PARALLEL
Default: FALSE
Purpose
The PARALLEL parameter specifies whether loads that use direct path or external tables
can operate in multiple concurrent sessions to load data into the same table.

PARALLEL=[TRUE | FALSE]
See Also:
"Parallel Data Loading Models"
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Restrictions
• The PARALLEL parameter is not valid in conventional path loads.
Example
The following example specifies that the load will be performed in parallel.
PARALLEL=TRUE
8.2.25 PARFILE
Purpose
The PARFILE parameter specifies the name of a file that contains commonly used

PARFILE=file_name
Instead of specifying each parameter on the command line, you can simply specify the
name of the parameter file. For example, a parameter file named daily_report.par
might have the following contents:
USERID=scott
CONTROL=daily_report.ctl
ERRORS=9999
LOG=daily_report.log
For security reasons, you should not include your USERID password in a parameter file.
SQL*Loader will prompt you for the password after you specify the parameter file at
the command line, for example:
sqlldr PARFILE=daily_report.par
Password: password
Restrictions
• Although it is not usually important, on some systems it may be necessary to have
no spaces around the equal sign (=) in the parameter specifications.
Example
See the example in the Syntax and Description section.
8.2.26 PARTITION_MEMORY
Default: The default value is 0 (zero), which limits memory use based on the value of
the PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET initialization parameter. When memory use approaches that
value, loading of some partitions is delayed.
Purpose
The PARTITION_MEMORY parameter lets you limit the amount of memory used when you
are loading many partitions. This parameter is helpful in situations in which the number
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of partitions you are loading use up large amounts of memory, perhaps even
exceeding available memory (this can happen especially when the data is
compressed).
Once the specified limit is reached, loading of some partition rows is delayed until
memory use falls below the limit.

PARTITION_MEMORY=n
The parameter value n is in kilobytes.
If n is set to 0 (the default), then SQL*Loader uses a value that is a function of the
PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET initialization parameter.
If n is set to -1 (minus 1), then SQL*Loader makes no attempt use less memory when
loading many partitions.
Restrictions
• This parameter is only valid for direct path loads.
• This parameter is available only in Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.2) and
later.
Example
The following example limits memory use to 1 GB.
> sqlldr hr CONTROL=t.ctl DIRECT=true PARTITION_MEMORY=1000000
8.2.27 READSIZE
Default: 1048576
Purpose
The READSIZE parameter lets you specify (in bytes) the size of the read buffer, if you
choose not to use the default.

READSIZE=n
In the conventional path method, the bind array is limited by the size of the read buffer.
Therefore, the advantage of a larger read buffer is that more data can be read before a
commit operation is required.
For example, setting READSIZE to 1000000 enables SQL*Loader to perform reads from
the data file in chunks of 1,000,000 bytes before a commit is required.
Note:
If the READSIZE value specified is smaller than the BINDSIZE value, then the
READSIZE value will be increased.
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Chapter 8
See "BINDSIZE".
Restrictions
• The READSIZE parameter is used only when reading data from data files. When
reading records from a control file, a value of 64 kilobytes (KB) is always used as
the READSIZE.
• The READSIZE parameter has no effect on LOBs. The size of the LOB read buffer is
fixed at 64 kilobytes (KB).
• The maximum size allowed is platform dependent.
Example
The following example sets the size of the read buffer to 500,000 bytes which means
that commit operations will be required more often than if the default or a value larger
than the default were used.
READSIZE=500000
8.2.28 RESUMABLE
Default: FALSE
Purpose
The RESUMABLE parameter is used to enable and disable resumable space allocation.

RESUMABLE=[TRUE | FALSE]
See Also:

resumable space allocation
Restrictions
• Because this parameter is disabled by default, you must set RESUMABLE=TRUE to use
its associated parameters, RESUMABLE_NAME and RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT.
Example
The following example enables resumable space allocation:
RESUMABLE=TRUE
8.2.29 RESUMABLE_NAME
Default: 'User USERNAME(USERID), Session SESSIONID, Instance INSTANCEID'
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Purpose
The RESUMABLE_NAME parameter identifies a statement that is resumable.

RESUMABLE_NAME='text_string'
This value is a user-defined text string that is inserted in either the USER_RESUMABLE or
DBA_RESUMABLE view to help you identify a specific resumable statement that has been
suspended.
Restrictions
• This parameter is ignored unless the RESUMABLE parameter is set to TRUE to enable
resumable space allocation.
Example
RESUMABLE_NAME='my resumable sql'
8.2.30 RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT
Default: 7200 seconds (2 hours)
Purpose
The RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT parameter specifies the time period, in seconds, during which
an error must be fixed.

RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT=n
If the error is not fixed within the timeout period, then execution of the statement is
terminated, without finishing.
Restrictions
• This parameter is ignored unless the RESUMABLE parameter is set to TRUE to enable
Example
The following example specifies that errors must be fixed within ten minutes (600
seconds).
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT=600
8.2.31 ROWS
Default: Conventional path default is 64. Direct path default is all rows.
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Purpose
For conventional path loads, the ROWS parameter specifies the number of rows in the
bind array. For direct path loads, the ROWS parameter specifies the number of rows to
read from the data file(s) before a data save.

ROWS=n
Conventional path loads only: The ROWS parameter specifies the number of rows in
the bind array. The maximum number of rows is 65534. See "Bind Arrays and
Conventional Path Loads".
Direct path loads only: The ROWS parameter identifies the number of rows you want to
read from the data file before a data save. The default is to read all rows and save
data once at the end of the load. See "Using Data Saves to Protect Against Data
Loss". The actual number of rows loaded into a table on a save is approximately the
value of ROWS minus the number of discarded and rejected records since the last save.
Note:
If you specify a low value for ROWS and then attempt to compress data using
table compression, the compression ratio will probably be degraded. Oracle
recommends that you either specify a high value or accept the default value
when compressing data.
Restrictions
• The ROWS parameter is ignored for direct path loads when data is loaded into an
Index Organized Table (IOT) or into a table containing VARRAYs, XML columns,
or LOBs. This means that the load still takes place, but no save points are done.
Example
In a conventional path load, the following example would result in an error because the
specified value exceeds the allowable maximum of 65534 rows.
ROWS=65900
8.2.32 SDF_PREFIX
The SDF_PREFIX parameter lets you specify a directory prefix which will be added to file
names of LOBFILEs and secondary data files (SDFs) that are opened as part of a load
operation.
Purpose
If SDF_PREFIX is specified, then the string value must be specified as well. There is no
validation or verification of the string. The value of SDF_PREFIX is prepended to the
filenames used for all LOBFILEs and SDFs opened during the load. If the resulting
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string is not the name of as valid file, then the attempt to open that file fails and an
error is reported.
If SDF_PREFIX is not specified, then file names for LOBFILEs and SDFs are assumed to
be relative to the current working directory. Using SDF_PREFIX allows those files names
to be relative to a different directory.
Note:
The SDF_PREFIX parameter can also be specified in the OPTIONS clause in the
SQL Loader control file.
Syntax
SDF_PREFIX=string
Quotation marks are only required around the string if it contains characters that would
confuse the command line parser (for example, a space).
The file names that are built by prepending SDF_PREFIX to the file names found in the
record are passed to the operating system to open the file. The prefix can be relative
to the current working directory from which SQL*Loader is being executed or it can be
the start of an absolute path.
Restrictions
• The SDF_PREFIX parameter should not be used if the file specifications for the
LOBFILEs or SDFs contain full file names.
Example
The following SQL*Loader command looks for LOB files in the lobdir subdirectory of
the current directory
sqlldr control=picts.ctl log=picts.log sdf_prefix=lobdir/
8.2.33 SILENT
Purpose
The SILENT parameter suppresses some of the content that is written to the screen
during a SQL*Loader operation.

SILENT=[HEADER | FEEDBACK | ERRORS | DISCARDS | PARTITIONS | ALL]
Use the appropriate values to suppress one or more of the following (if more than one
option is specified, they must be separated by commas):
• HEADER - Suppresses the SQL*Loader header messages that normally appear on
the screen. Header messages still appear in the log file.
• FEEDBACK - Suppresses the "commit point reached" messages and the status
messages for the load that normally appear on the screen.
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• ERRORS - Suppresses the data error messages in the log file that occur when a
record generates an Oracle error that causes it to be written to the bad file. A
count of rejected records still appears.
• DISCARDS - Suppresses the messages in the log file for each record written to the
discard file.
• PARTITIONS - Disables writing the per-partition statistics to the log file during a direct
load of a partitioned table.
• ALL - Implements all of the suppression values: HEADER, FEEDBACK, ERRORS, DISCARDS,
and PARTITIONS.
Example
For example, you can suppress the header and feedback messages that normally
appear on the screen with the following command-line argument:
SILENT=HEADER, FEEDBACK
8.2.34 SKIP
Default: 0 (No records are skipped.)
Purpose
The SKIP parameter specifies the number of logical records from the beginning of the
file that should not be loaded. This allows you to continue loads that have been
interrupted for some reason, without loading records that have already been
processed.

SKIP=n
The SKIP parameter can be used for all conventional loads, for single-table direct path
loads, and for multiple-table direct path loads when the same number of records was
loaded into each table. It cannot be used for multiple-table direct path loads when a
different number of records was loaded into each table.
If a WHEN clause is also present and the load involves secondary data, then the
secondary data is skipped only if the WHEN clause succeeds for the record in the
primary data file.
See Also:
"Interrupted Loads"
Restrictions
• The SKIP parameter cannot be used for external table loads.
Example
The following example skips the first 500 logical records in the data file(s) before
proceeding with the load:
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SKIP=500
8.2.35 SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE
Default: FALSE
Purpose
The SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE parameter specifies whether to stop index maintenance
for direct path loads.

SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE=[TRUE | FALSE]
If set to TRUE, this parameter causes the index partitions that would have had index
keys added to them to instead be marked Index Unusable because the index segment
is inconsistent with respect to the data it indexes. Index segments that are unaffected
by the load retain the state they had before the load.
The SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE parameter:
• Applies to both local and global indexes

• Can be used (with the PARALLEL parameter) to do parallel loads on an object that
has indexes
• Can be used (with the PARTITION parameter on the INTO TABLE clause) to do a
single partition load to a table that has global indexes
• Puts a list (in the SQL*Loader log file) of the indexes and index partitions that the
load set to an Index Unusable state
Restrictions
• The SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE parameter does not apply to conventional path loads.
• Indexes that are unique and marked Unusable are not allowed to skip index
maintenance. This rule is enforced by DML operations, and enforced by the direct
path load to be consistent with DML.
Example
The following example stops index maintenance from taking place during a direct path
load operation:
SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE=TRUE
Default: The value of the Oracle Database configuration parameter,
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES, as specified in the initialization parameter file. The default
database setting is TRUE.
Purpose
The SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter specifies whether to skip an index encountered
in an Index Unusable state and continue the load operation.
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SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=[TRUE | FALSE]
A value of TRUE for SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES means that if an index in an Index Unusable

state is encountered, it is skipped and the load operation continues. This allows
SQL*Loader to load a table with indexes that are in an Unusable state prior to the
beginning of the load. Indexes that are not in an Unusable state at load time will be
maintained by SQL*Loader. Indexes that are in an Unusable state at load time will not
be maintained but will remain in an Unusable state at load completion.
Both SQL*Loader and Oracle Database provide a SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter.
The SQL*Loader SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter is specified at the SQL*Loader
command line. The Oracle Database SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter is specified as
a configuration parameter in the initialization parameter file. It is important to
understand how they affect each other.
If you specify a value for SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES at the SQL*Loader command line, then
it overrides the value of the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES configuration parameter in the
initialization parameter file.
If you do not specify a value for SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES at the SQL*Loader command
line, then SQL*Loader uses the Oracle Database setting for the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES
configuration parameter, as specified in the initialization parameter file. If the
initialization parameter file does not specify a setting for SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES, then
the default setting is TRUE.
The SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter applies to both conventional and direct path

loads.
Restrictions
• Indexes that are unique and marked Unusable are not allowed to skip index
maintenance. This rule is enforced by DML operations, and enforced by the direct
path load to be consistent with DML.
Example
If the Oracle Database initialization parameter had a value of
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=FALSE, then the following parameter on the SQL*Loader
command line would override it. Therefore, if an index in an Index Unusable state is
encountered, it is skipped and the load operation continues.
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=TRUE
8.2.37 STREAMSIZE
Default: 256000
Purpose
The STREAMSIZE parameter specifies the size (in bytes) of the data stream sent from the
client to the server.

STREAMSIZE=n
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The STREAMSIZE parameter specifies the size of the direct path stream buffer. The
number of column array rows (specified with the COLUMNARRAYROWS parameter)
determines the number of rows loaded before the stream buffer is built. The optimal
values for these parameters vary, depending on the system, input data types, and
Oracle column data types used. When you are using optimal values for your particular
configuration, the elapsed time in the SQL*Loader log file should go down.
See Also:
"Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of Stream Buffers"
Restrictions
• The STREAMSIZE parameter applies only to direct path loads.
• The minimum value for STREAMSIZE is 65536. If a value lower than 65536 is
specified, then 65536 is used instead.
Example
The following example specifies a direct path stream buffer size of 300,000 bytes.
STREAMSIZE=300000
8.2.38 TRIM
Default: LDRTRIM
Purpose
The TRIM parameter specifies that spaces should be trimmed from the beginning of a
text field, the end of a text field, or both. Spaces include blanks and other nonprinting
characters such as tabs, line feeds, and carriage returns.

TRIM=[LRTRIM | NOTRIM | LTRIM | RTRIM | LDRTRIM]
The valid values for the TRIM parameter are as follows:
NOTRIM indicates that no characters will be trimmed from the field. This setting generally
yields that fastest performance.
LRTRIM, LTRIM, and RTRIM are used to indicate that characters should be trimmed from
the field. LRTRIM means that both leading and trailing spaces are trimmed. LTRIM means
that leading spaces will be trimmed. RTRIM means trailing spaces are trimmed.
LDRTRIM is the same as NOTRIM except in the following cases:
• If the field is not a delimited field, then spaces will be trimmed from the right.
• If the field is a delimited field with OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY specified, and the
optional enclosures are missing for a particular instance, then spaces will be
trimmed from the left.
If trimming is specified for a field that is all spaces, then the field is set to NULL.
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Restrictions
• The TRIM parameter is valid only when the external table load method is used.
Example
The following example would result in a load operation for which no characters are
trimmed from any fields:
TRIM=NOTRIM
8.2.39 USERID
Default: If it is omitted, then you are prompted for it. If only a slash is used, then USERID
defaults to your operating system login
Purpose
The USERID parameter is used to provide your Oracle username and password.

USERID=[username | / | SYS]
Specify a user name. For security reasons, Oracle recommends that you specify only
the user name on the command line. SQL*Loader then prompts you for a password.
If you do not specify the USERID parameter, then you are prompted for it. If only a slash
is used, then USERID defaults to your operating system login.
If you connect as user SYS, then you must also specify AS SYSDBA in the connect string.
Restrictions
• Because the string, AS SYSDBA, contains a blank, some operating systems may
require that the entire connect string be placed in quotation marks or marked as a
literal by some method. Some operating systems also require that quotation marks
on the command line be preceded by an escape character, such as backslashes.
See your Oracle operating system-specific documentation for information about
special and reserved characters on your system.
Example
The following example specifies a user name of hr. SQL*Loader then prompts for a
password. Because it is the first and only parameter specified, you do not need to
include the parameter name USERID:
> sqlldr hr
Password:
See Also:
• "Specifying Parameters on the Command Line"
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Chapter 8
Exit Codes for Inspection and Display
8.3 Exit Codes for Inspection and Display

Oracle SQL*Loader provides the results of a SQL*Loader run immediately upon
completion.
In addition to recording the results in a log file, SQL*Loader may also report the
outcome in a process exit code. This Oracle SQL*Loader functionality allows for
checking the outcome of a SQL*Loader invocation from the command line or a script.
Table 8-1 shows the exit codes for various results.
Table 8-1 Exit Codes for SQL*Loader
Result Exit Code

All rows loaded successfully EX_SUCC
All or some rows rejected EX_WARN
All or some rows discarded EX_WARN
Discontinued load EX_WARN
Command-line or syntax errors EX_FAIL
Oracle errors nonrecoverable for SQL*Loader EX_FAIL
Operating system errors (such as file open/close and malloc) EX_FTL
For Linux and UNIX operating systems, the exit codes are as follows:
EX_SUCC 0
EX_FAIL 1
EX_WARN 2
EX_FTL 3
For Windows operating systems, the exit codes are as follows:

EX_SUCC 0
EX_FAIL 1
EX_WARN 2
EX_FTL 4
If SQL*Loader returns any exit code other than zero, then you should consult your
system log files and SQL*Loader log files for more detailed diagnostic information.
In UNIX, you can check the exit code from the shell to determine the outcome of a
load.
8-34
9
SQL*Loader Control File Reference
The SQL*Loader control file is a text file that contains data definition language (DDL)
instructions for a SQL*Loader job.
Successfully using a SQL*Loader control file requires an understanding of the
following topics:
Note:
You can also use SQL*Loader without a control file; this is known as
SQL*Loader express mode. See SQL*Loader Express for more information.
• Control File Contents

The SQL*Loader control file is a text file that contains data definition language
(DDL) instructions.
• Specifying Command-Line Parameters in the Control File
You can specify command-line parameters in the SQL*Loader control file using
the OPTIONS clause.
• Specifying File Names and Object Names
In general, SQL*Loader follows the SQL standard for specifying object names (for
example, table and column names).
• Identifying XMLType Tables
The XMLTYPE clause is available for use in a SQL*Loader control file.
• Specifying Field Order
You can use the FIELD NAMES clause in the SQL*Loader control file to specify field
order.
• Specifying Data Files
To specify a data file that contains the data to be loaded, use the INFILE keyword,
followed by the file name and optional file processing options string.
• Specifying CSV Format Files
To direct SQL*Loader to access the data files as comma-separated-values format
files, use the CSV clause.
• Identifying Data in the Control File with BEGINDATA
Specify the BEGINDATA statement before the first data record.
• Specifying Data File Format and Buffering
When configuring SQL*Loader, you can specify an operating system-dependent
file processing options string (os_file_proc_clause) in the control file to specify file
format and buffering.
• Specifying the Bad File
When SQL*Loader executes, it can create a file called a bad file or reject file in
which it places records that were rejected because of formatting errors or because
they caused Oracle errors.
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Control File Contents
• Specifying the Discard File

During execution, SQL*Loader can create a discard file for records that do not
meet any of the loading criteria.
• Specifying a NULLIF Clause At the Table Level
You can specify a NULLIF clause at the table level.
• Specifying Datetime Formats At the Table Level
You can specify certain datetime formats at the table level in a SQL*Loader control
file.
• Handling Different Character Encoding Schemes
SQL*Loader supports different character encoding schemes (called character
sets, or code pages).
• Interrupted Loads
Loads are interrupted and discontinued for several reasons.
• Assembling Logical Records from Physical Records
This section describes assembling logical records from physical records.
• Loading Logical Records into Tables
This section describes loading logical records into tables.
• Index Options
This section describes index options.
• Benefits of Using Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses
This section describes the benefits of using multiple INTO TABLE clauses.
• Bind Arrays and Conventional Path Loads
Multiple rows are read at one time and stored in the bind array.
9.1 Control File Contents

The SQL*Loader control file is a text file that contains data definition language (DDL)
instructions.
DDL is used to control the following aspects of a SQL*Loader session:
• Where SQL*Loader will find the data to load
• How SQL*Loader expects that data to be formatted
• How SQL*Loader will be configured (memory management, rejecting records,
interrupted load handling, and so on) as it loads the data
• How SQL*Loader will manipulate the data being loaded
See SQL*Loader Syntax Diagrams for syntax diagrams of the SQL*Loader DDL.
To create the SQL*Loader control file, use a text editor such as vi or xemacs.
In general, the control file has three main sections, in the following order:
• Session-wide information
• Table and field-list information
• Input data (optional section)
Example 9-1 shows a sample control file.
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Chapter 9
Example 9-1 Sample Control File

1 -- This is a sample control file
2 LOAD DATA
3 INFILE 'sample.dat'
4 BADFILE 'sample.bad'
5 DISCARDFILE 'sample.dsc'
6 APPEND
7 INTO TABLE emp
8 WHEN (57) = '.'
9 TRAILING NULLCOLS
10 (hiredate SYSDATE,
deptno POSITION(1:2) INTEGER EXTERNAL(2)
NULLIF deptno=BLANKS,
job POSITION(7:14) CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE
NULLIF job=BLANKS "UPPER(:job)",
mgr POSITION(28:31) INTEGER EXTERNAL
TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE, NULLIF mgr=BLANKS,
ename POSITION(34:41) CHAR
TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE "UPPER(:ename)",
empno POSITION(45) INTEGER EXTERNAL
TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE,
sal POSITION(51) CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE
"TO_NUMBER(:sal,'$99,999.99')",
comm INTEGER EXTERNAL ENCLOSED BY '(' AND '%'
":comm * 100"
)
In this sample control file, the numbers that appear to the left would not appear in a
real control file. They are keyed in this sample to the explanatory notes in the following
list:
1. This is how comments are entered in a control file. See "Comments in the Control
File".
2. The LOAD DATA statement tells SQL*Loader that this is the beginning of a new data
load. See SQL*Loader Syntax Diagrams for syntax information.
3. The INFILE clause specifies the name of a data file containing the data you want to
load. See "Specifying Data Files".
4. The BADFILE clause specifies the name of a file into which rejected records are
placed. See "Specifying the Bad File".
5. The DISCARDFILE clause specifies the name of a file into which discarded records
are placed. See "Specifying the Discard File".
6. The APPEND clause is one of the options you can use when loading data into a table
that is not empty. See "Loading Data into Nonempty Tables".
To load data into a table that is empty, you would use the INSERT clause. See
"Loading Data into Empty Tables".
7. The INTO TABLE clause enables you to identify tables, fields, and data types. It
defines the relationship between records in the data file and tables in the
database. See "Specifying Table Names".
8. The WHEN clause specifies one or more field conditions. SQL*Loader decides
whether to load the data based on these field conditions. See "Loading Records
Based on a Condition".
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Specifying Command-Line Parameters in the Control File
9. The TRAILING NULLCOLS clause tells SQL*Loader to treat any relatively positioned
columns that are not present in the record as null columns. See "Handling Short
Records with Missing Data".
10. The remainder of the control file contains the field list, which provides information
about column formats in the table being loaded. See SQL*Loader Field List
Reference for information about that section of the control file.
• Comments in the Control File
Comments can appear anywhere in the parameter section of the file, but they
should not appear within the data.
9.1.1 Comments in the Control File

Comments can appear anywhere in the parameter section of the file, but they should
not appear within the data.
Precede any comment with two hyphens, for example:
--This is a comment
All text to the right of the double hyphen is ignored, until the end of the line.
9.2 Specifying Command-Line Parameters in the Control

File
You can specify command-line parameters in the SQL*Loader control file using the
OPTIONS clause.
This can be useful if you often use a control file with the same set of options. The
OPTIONS clause precedes the LOAD DATA statement.
• OPTIONS Clause
The following command-line parameters can be specified using the OPTIONS
clause.
• Specifying the Number of Default Expressions to Be Evaluated At One Time
Use the SQL*Loader DEFAULT EXPRESSION CACHE n clause to specify how many
default expressions are evaluated at a time by the direct path load. The default
value is 100.
9.2.1 OPTIONS Clause

The following command-line parameters can be specified using the OPTIONS clause.
These parameters are described in greater detail in SQL*Loader Command-Line

Reference.
BINDSIZE = n
COLUMNARRAYROWS = n
DATE_CACHE = n
DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM= {degree-num|DEFAULT|AUTO|NONE}
DIRECT = {TRUE | FALSE}
EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL = {TRUE | FALSE}
ERRORS = n
EXTERNAL_TABLE = {NOT_USED | GENERATE_ONLY | EXECUTE}
FILE = tablespace file
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Specifying File Names and Object Names
LOAD = n
MULTITHREADING = {TRUE | FALSE}
PARALLEL = {TRUE | FALSE}
READSIZE = n
RESUMABLE = {TRUE | FALSE}
RESUMABLE_NAME = 'text string'
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT = n
ROWS = n
SDF_PREFIX = string
SILENT = {HEADER | FEEDBACK | ERRORS | DISCARDS | PARTITIONS | ALL}
SKIP = n
SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE = {TRUE | FALSE}
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES = {TRUE | FALSE}
STREAMSIZE = n
TRIM= {LRTRIM|NOTRIM|LTRIM|RTRIM|LDRTRIM}
The following is an example use of the OPTIONS clause that you could use in a
SQL*Loader control file:
OPTIONS (BINDSIZE=100000, SILENT=(ERRORS, FEEDBACK) )
Note:
Parameter values specified on the command line override parameter values
specified in the control file OPTIONS clause.
9.2.2 Specifying the Number of Default Expressions to Be Evaluated

At One Time
Use the SQL*Loader DEFAULT EXPRESSION CACHE n clause to specify how many default
expressions are evaluated at a time by the direct path load. The default value is 100.
Using the DEFAULT EXPRESSION CACHE clause can significantly improve performance
when default column expressions that include sequences are evaluated.
At the end of the load there may be sequence numbers left in the cache that never get
used. This can happen when the number of rows to load is not a multiple of n. If you
require no loss of sequence numbers, then specify a value of 1 for this clause.
9.3 Specifying File Names and Object Names

In general, SQL*Loader follows the SQL standard for specifying object names (for
example, table and column names).
The information in this section discusses the following topics:
• File Names That Conflict with SQL and SQL*Loader Reserved Words
SQL and SQL*Loader reserved words must be specified within double quotation
marks.
• Specifying SQL Strings
The SQL string applies SQL operators to data fields.
• Operating System Considerations
Your course of action may depend on the operating system that you are using.
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9.3.1 File Names That Conflict with SQL and SQL*Loader Reserved
Words
SQL and SQL*Loader reserved words must be specified within double quotation
marks.
The only SQL*Loader reserved word is CONSTANT.
You must use double quotation marks if the object name contains special characters
other than those recognized by SQL ($, #, _), or if the name is case sensitive.
See Also:
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference
9.3.2 Specifying SQL Strings

The SQL string applies SQL operators to data fields.
You must specify SQL strings within double quotation marks.
See Also:
Applying SQL Operators to Fields
9.3.3 Operating System Considerations

Your course of action may depend on the operating system that you are using.
The following sections discuss situations in which your course of action may depend
on the operating system that you are using.
• Specifying a Complete Path
Specifying the path name within single quotation marks prevents errors.
• Backslash Escape Character
In DDL syntax, you can place a double quotation mark inside a string delimited by
double quotation marks by preceding it with the backslash escape character (\), if
the escape character is allowed on your operating system.
• Nonportable Strings
There are two kinds of character strings in a SQL*Loader control file that are not
portable between operating systems: filename and file processing option strings.
• Using the Backslash as an Escape Character
Use the backslash character to separate directories in a path name.
• Escape Character Is Sometimes Disallowed
The release of the Oracle database running on your operating system may not
implement the escape character for nonportable strings.
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9.3.3.1 Specifying a Complete Path

Specifying the path name within single quotation marks prevents errors.
If you encounter problems when trying to specify a complete path name, it may be due
to an operating system-specific incompatibility caused by special characters in the
specification.
9.3.3.2 Backslash Escape Character

In DDL syntax, you can place a double quotation mark inside a string delimited by
double quotation marks by preceding it with the backslash escape character (\), if the
escape character is allowed on your operating system.
The same rule applies when single quotation marks are required in a string delimited
by single quotation marks.
For example, homedir\data"norm\mydata contains a double quotation mark. Preceding
the double quotation mark with a backslash indicates that the double quotation mark is
to be taken literally:
INFILE 'homedir\data\"norm\mydata'
You can also put the escape character itself into a string by entering it twice.
For example:
"so'\"far" or 'so\'"far' is parsed as so'"far
"'so\\far'" or '\'so\\far\'' is parsed as 'so\far'
"so\\\\far" or 'so\\\\far' is parsed as so\\far
Note:
A double quotation mark in the initial position cannot be preceded by an escape
character. Therefore, you should avoid creating strings with an initial quotation
mark.
9.3.3.3 Nonportable Strings

There are two kinds of character strings in a SQL*Loader control file that are not
portable between operating systems: filename and file processing option strings.
When you convert to a different operating system, you will probably need to modify
these strings. All other strings in a SQL*Loader control file should be portable between
operating systems.
9.3.3.4 Using the Backslash as an Escape Character

Use the backslash character to separate directories in a path name.
If your operating system uses the backslash character to separate directories in a path
name, and if the release of the Oracle database running on your operating system
implements the backslash escape character for file names and other nonportable
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Identifying XMLType Tables
strings, then you must specify double backslashes in your path names and use single
quotation marks.
9.3.3.5 Escape Character Is Sometimes Disallowed

The release of the Oracle database running on your operating system may not
implement the escape character for nonportable strings.
When the escape character is disallowed, a backslash is treated as a normal
character, rather than as an escape character (although it is still usable in all other
strings). Then path names such as the following can be specified normally:
INFILE 'topdir\mydir\myfile'
Double backslashes are not needed.

Because the backslash is not recognized as an escape character, strings within single
quotation marks cannot be embedded inside another string delimited by single
quotation marks. This rule also holds for double quotation marks. A string within
double quotation marks cannot be embedded inside another string delimited by double
quotation marks.
9.4 Identifying XMLType Tables

The XMLTYPE clause is available for use in a SQL*Loader control file.
As of Oracle Database 10g, the XMLTYPE clause is available for use in a SQL*Loader
control file. This clause is of the format XMLTYPE(field name). It is used to identify
XMLType tables so that the correct SQL statement can be constructed. Example 9-2
shows how the XMLTYPE clause can be used in a SQL*Loader control file to load data
into a schema-based XMLType table.
See Also:
Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide for more information about loading XML
data using SQL*Loader
Example 9-2 Identifying XMLType Tables in the SQL*Loader Control File

The XML schema definition is as follows. It registers the XML schema, xdb_user.xsd, in
the Oracle XML DB, and then creates the table, xdb_tab5.
begin dbms_xmlschema.registerSchema('xdb_user.xsd',
'<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
xmlns:xdb="http://xmlns.oracle.com/xdb">
<xs:element name = "Employee"
xdb:defaultTable="EMP31B_TAB">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name = "EmployeeId" type = "xs:positiveInteger"/>
<xs:element name = "Name" type = "xs:string"/>
<xs:element name = "Salary" type = "xs:positiveInteger"/>
<xs:element name = "DeptId" type = "xs:positiveInteger"
xdb:SQLName="DEPTID"/>
</xs:sequence>
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Specifying Field Order
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:schema>',
TRUE, TRUE, FALSE); end;
/
The table is defined as follows:

CREATE TABLE xdb_tab5 OF XMLTYPE XMLSCHEMA "xdb_user.xsd" ELEMENT "Employee";
The control file used to load data into the table, xdb_tab5, looks as follows. It loads
XMLType data using the registered XML schema, xdb_user.xsd. The XMLTYPE clause is
used to identify this table as an XMLType table. Either direct path or conventional mode
can be used to load the data into the table.
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
INTO TABLE xdb_tab5 TRUNCATE
xmltype(xmldata)
(
xmldata char(4000)
)
BEGINDATA
<Employee> <EmployeeId>111</EmployeeId> <Name>Ravi</Name> <Salary>100000</Sal
ary> <DeptId>12</DeptId></Employee>
<Employee> <EmployeeId>112</EmployeeId> <Name>John</Name> <Salary>150000</Sal
<Employee> <EmployeeId>113</EmployeeId> <Name>Michael</Name> <Salary>75000</S
alary> <DeptId>12</DeptId></Employee>
<Employee> <EmployeeId>114</EmployeeId> <Name>Mark</Name> <Salary>125000</Sal
<Employee> <EmployeeId>115</EmployeeId> <Name>Aaron</Name> <Salary>600000</Sa
lary> <DeptId>16</DeptId></Employee>
9.5 Specifying Field Order

You can use the FIELD NAMES clause in the SQL*Loader control file to specify field
order.
The syntax is as follows:
FIELD NAMES {FIRST FILE|FIRST FILE IGNORE|ALL FILES|ALL FILES IGNORE|NONE}
The FIELD NAMES options are:
• FIRST FILE: Indicates that the first data file contains a list of field names for the data
in the first record. This list uses the same delimiter as the data in the data file. The
record is read for setting up the mapping between the fields in the data file and the
columns in the target table. The record is skipped when the data is processed.
This can be useful if the order of the fields in the data file is different from the order
of the columns in the table, or if the number of fields in the data file is different
from the number of columns in the target table
• FIRST FILE IGNORE: Indicates that the first data file contains a list of field names for
the data in the first record, but that the information should be ignored. The record
will be skipped when the data is processed, but it will not be used for setting up the
fields.
• ALL FILES: Indicates that all data files contain a list of field names for the data in the
first record. The first record is skipped in each data file when the data is
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Specifying Data Files
processed. The fields can be in a different order in each data file. SQL*Loader
sets up the load based on the order of the fields in each data file.
• ALL FILES IGNORE: Indicates that all data files contain a list of field names for the
data in the first record, but that the information should be ignored. The record is
skipped when the data is processed in every data file, but it will not be used for
setting up the fields.
• NONE: Indicates that the data file contains normal data in the first record. This is the
default.
The FIELD NAMES clause cannot be used for complex column types such as column
objects, nested tables, or VARRAYs.
9.6 Specifying Data Files

To specify a data file that contains the data to be loaded, use the INFILE keyword,
followed by the file name and optional file processing options string.
You can specify multiple single files by using multiple INFILE keywords. You can also
use wildcards in the file names (an asterisk (*) for multiple characters and a question
mark (?) for a single character).
Note:
You can also specify the data file from the command line, using the DATA
parameter described in "Command-Line Parameters for SQL*Loader". A file
name specified on the command line overrides the first INFILE clause in the
control file.
If no file name is specified, then the file name defaults to the control file name with an
extension or file type of .dat.
If the control file itself contains the data to be loaded, then specify an asterisk (*). This
specification is described in "Identifying Data in the Control File with BEGINDATA" .
Note:
The information in this section applies only to primary data files. It does not
apply to LOBFILEs or SDFs.
For information about LOBFILES, see "Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs".
For information about SDFs, see "Secondary Data Files (SDFs)".
The syntax for INFILE is as follows:
* os_file_proc_clause
INFILE
input_filename
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Table 9-1 describes the parameters for the INFILE keyword.
Table 9-1 Parameters for the INFILE Keyword
Parameter Description
INFILE Specifies that a data file specification follows.
input_filename Name of the file containing the data. The file name can contain
wildcards. An asterisk (*) represents multiple characters and a
INFILE 'emp*.dat'
INFILE 'm?emp.dat'
Any spaces or punctuation marks in the file name must be

enclosed in single quotation marks. See "Specifying File Names
and Object Names".
* If your data is in the control file itself, then use an asterisk instead
of the file name. If you have data in the control file and in data
files, then you must specify the asterisk first in order for the data
to be read.
os_file_proc_clause This is the file-processing options string. It specifies the data file
format. It also optimizes data file reads. The syntax used for this
string is specific to your operating system. See "Specifying Data
File Format and Buffering".
• Examples of INFILE Syntax

The following list shows different ways you can specify INFILE syntax.
• Specifying Multiple Data Files
To load data from multiple data files in one SQL*Loader run, use an INFILE clause
for each data file.
9.6.1 Examples of INFILE Syntax

The following list shows different ways you can specify INFILE syntax.
• Data contained in the control file itself:

INFILE *
• Data contained in a file named sample with a default extension of .dat:
INFILE sample
• Data contained in a file named datafile.dat with a full path specified:
INFILE 'c:/topdir/subdir/datafile.dat'
Note:
File names that include spaces or punctuation marks must be enclosed in
single quotation marks.
• Data contained in any file of type .dat whose name begins with emp:
INFILE 'emp*.dat'
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Specifying CSV Format Files
• Data contained in any file of type .dat whose name begins with m, followed by any
other single character, and ending in emp. For example, a file named myemp.dat
would be included in the following:
INFILE 'm?emp.dat'
9.6.2 Specifying Multiple Data Files

To load data from multiple data files in one SQL*Loader run, use an INFILE clause for
each data file.
Data files need not have the same file processing options, although the layout of the
records must be identical. For example, two files could be specified with completely
different file processing options strings, and a third could consist of data in the control
file.
You can also specify a separate discard file and bad file for each data file. In such a
case, the separate bad files and discard files must be declared immediately after each
data file name. For example, the following excerpt from a control file specifies four
data files with separate bad and discard files:
INFILE mydat1.dat BADFILE mydat1.bad DISCARDFILE mydat1.dis
INFILE mydat2.dat
INFILE mydat3.dat DISCARDFILE mydat3.dis
INFILE mydat4.dat DISCARDMAX 10 0
• For mydat1.dat, both a bad file and discard file are explicitly specified. Therefore
both files are created, as needed.
• For mydat2.dat, neither a bad file nor a discard file is specified. Therefore, only the
bad file is created, as needed. If created, the bad file has the default file name and
extension mydat2.bad. The discard file is not created, even if rows are discarded.
• For mydat3.dat, the default bad file is created, if needed. A discard file with the
specified name (mydat3.dis) is created, as needed.
• For mydat4.dat, the default bad file is created, if needed. Because the DISCARDMAX
option is used, SQL*Loader assumes that a discard file is required and creates it
with the default name mydat4.dsc.
9.7 Specifying CSV Format Files

To direct SQL*Loader to access the data files as comma-separated-values format
files, use the CSV clause.
This assumes that the file is a stream record format file with the normal carriage return
string (for example, \n on UNIX or Linux operating systems and either \n or \r\n on
Windows operating systems). Record terminators can be included (embedded) in data
values. The syntax for the CSV clause is as follows:
FIELDS CSV [WITH EMBEDDED|WITHOUT EMBEDDED] [FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','] [OPTIONALLY
ENCLOSED BY '"']
The following are key points regarding the FIELDS CSV clause:
• The SQL*Loader default is to not use the FIELDS CSV clause.

• The WITH EMBEDDED and WITHOUT EMBEDDED options specify whether record terminators
are included (embedded) within any fields in the data.
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Identifying Data in the Control File with BEGINDATA
• If WITH EMBEDDED is used, then embedded record terminators must be enclosed, and
intra-datafile parallelism is disabled for external table loads.
• The TERMINATED BY ',' and OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"' options are the defaults
and do not have to be specified. You can override them with different termination
and enclosure characters.
• When the CSV clause is used, only delimitable data types are allowed as control file
fields. Delimitable data types include CHAR, datetime, interval, and numeric
EXTERNAL.
• The TERMINATED BY and ENCLOSED BY clauses cannot be used at the field level when
the CSV clause is specified.
• When the CSV clause is specified, normal SQL*Loader blank trimming is done by
default. You can specify PRESERVE BLANKS to avoid trimming of spaces. Or, you can
use the SQL functions LTRIM and RTRIM in the field specification to remove left
and/or right spaces.
• When the CSV clause is specified, the INFILE * clause in not allowed. This means
that there cannot be any data included in the SQL*Loader control file.
The following sample SQL*Loader control file uses the FIELDS CSV clause with the
default delimiters:
LOAD DATA
INFILE "mydata.dat"
TRUNCATE
INTO TABLE mytable
FIELDS CSV WITH EMBEDDED
TRAILING NULLCOLS
(
c0 char,
c1 char,
c2 char,
)
9.8 Identifying Data in the Control File with BEGINDATA

Specify the BEGINDATA statement before the first data record.
If the data is included in the control file itself, then the INFILE clause is followed by an
asterisk rather than a file name. The actual data is placed in the control file after the
load configuration specifications.
The syntax is:
BEGINDATA
first_data_record
Keep the following points in mind when using the BEGINDATA statement:
• If you omit the BEGINDATA statement but include data in the control file, then
SQL*Loader tries to interpret your data as control information and issues an error
message. If your data is in a separate file, then do not use the BEGINDATA
statement.
• Do not use spaces or other characters on the same line as the BEGINDATA
statement, or the line containing BEGINDATA will be interpreted as the first line of
data.
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Specifying Data File Format and Buffering
• Do not put comments after BEGINDATA, or they will also be interpreted as data.
See Also:
– "Specifying Data Files" for an explanation of using INFILE

– Case study 1, Loading Variable-Length Data (see "SQL*Loader Case
Studies" for information on how to access case studies)
9.9 Specifying Data File Format and Buffering

When configuring SQL*Loader, you can specify an operating system-dependent file
processing options string (os_file_proc_clause) in the control file to specify file format
and buffering.
For example, suppose that your operating system has the following option-string
syntax:
RECSIZE integer BUFFERS integer
In this syntax, RECSIZE is the size of a fixed-length record, and BUFFERS is the number of
buffers to use for asynchronous I/O.
To declare a file named mydata.dat as a file that contains 80-byte records and instruct
SQL*Loader to use 8 I/O buffers, you would use the following control file entry:
INFILE 'mydata.dat' "RECSIZE 80 BUFFERS 8"
Note:
This example uses the recommended convention of single quotation marks for
file names and double quotation marks for everything else.
See Also:
Oracle Database Platform Guide for Microsoft Windows for information about
using the os_file_proc_clause on Windows systems.
9.10 Specifying the Bad File

When SQL*Loader executes, it can create a file called a bad file or reject file in which
it places records that were rejected because of formatting errors or because they
caused Oracle errors.
If you have specified that a bad file is to be created, then the following applies:
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Specifying the Bad File
• If one or more records are rejected, then the bad file is created and the rejected
records are logged.
• If no records are rejected, then the bad file is not created.
• If the bad file is created, then it overwrites any existing file with the same name;
ensure that you do not overwrite a file you want to retain.
Note:
On some systems, a new version of the file may be created if a file with the
same name already exists.
To specify the name of the bad file, use the BADFILE clause. You can also specify the
bad file from the command line with the BAD parameter described in "Command-Line
Parameters for SQL*Loader".
A file name specified on the command line is associated with the first INFILE clause in
the control file, overriding any bad file that may have been specified as part of that
clause.
The bad file is created in the same record and file format as the data file so that you
can reload the data after you correct it. For data files in stream record format, the
record terminator that is found in the data file is also used in the bad file.
The syntax for the BADFILE clause is as follows:
directory_path filename
BADFILE
The BADFILE clause specifies that a directory path or file name, or both, for the bad file
follows. If you specify BADFILE, then you must supply either a directory path or a file
name, or both.
The directory parameter specifies a directory path to which the bad file will be written.
The filename parameter specifies a valid file name specification for your platform. Any
marks. If you do not specify a name for the bad file, then the name defaults to the
name of the data file with an extension or file type of .bad.
• Examples of Specifying a Bad File Name

Using the bad file in an example.
• How Bad Files Are Handled with LOBFILEs and SDFs
Data from LOBFILEs and SDFs is not written to a bad file when there are rejected
rows.
• Criteria for Rejected Records
This section explains the criteria for rejecting records.
9.10.1 Examples of Specifying a Bad File Name

Using the bad file in an example.
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Specifying the Bad File
To specify a bad file with file name sample and default file extension or file type of .bad,
enter the following in the control file:
BADFILE sample
To specify only a directory name, enter the following in the control file:
BADFILE '/mydisk/bad_dir/'
To specify a bad file with file name bad0001 and file extension or file type of .rej, enter
either of the following lines in the control file:
BADFILE bad0001.rej
BADFILE '/REJECT_DIR/bad0001.rej'
9.10.2 How Bad Files Are Handled with LOBFILEs and SDFs
Data from LOBFILEs and SDFs is not written to a bad file when there are rejected
rows.
If there is an error loading a LOB, then the row is not rejected. Rather, the LOB column
is left empty (not null with a length of zero (0) bytes). However, when the LOBFILE is
being used to load an XML column and there is an error loading this LOB data, then the
XML column is left as null.
9.10.3 Criteria for Rejected Records

This section explains the criteria for rejecting records.
A record can be rejected for the following reasons:
1. Upon insertion, the record causes an Oracle error (such as invalid data for a given
data type).
2. The record is formatted incorrectly so that SQL*Loader cannot find field
boundaries.
3. The record violates a constraint or tries to make a unique index non-unique.
If the data can be evaluated according to the WHEN clause criteria (even with
unbalanced delimiters), then it is either inserted or rejected.
Neither a conventional path nor a direct path load will write a row to any table if it is
rejected because of reason number 2 in the previous list.
A conventional path load will not write a row to any tables if reason number 1 or 3 in
the previous list is violated for any one table. The row is rejected for that table and
written to the reject file.
In a conventional path load, if the data file has a record that is being loaded into
multiple tables and that record is rejected from at least one of the tables, then that
record is not loaded into any of the tables.
The log file indicates the Oracle error for each rejected record. Case study 4
demonstrates rejected records. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on
how to access case studies.)
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Specifying the Discard File
9.11 Specifying the Discard File

During execution, SQL*Loader can create a discard file for records that do not meet
any of the loading criteria.
The records contained in this file are called discarded records. Discarded records do
not satisfy any of the WHEN clauses specified in the control file. These records differ
from rejected records. Discarded records do not necessarily have any bad data. No
insert is attempted on a discarded record.
A discard file is created according to the following rules:
• You have specified a discard file name and one or more records fail to satisfy all of
the WHEN clauses specified in the control file. (Be aware that if the discard file is
created, then it overwrites any existing file with the same name.)
• If no records are discarded, then a discard file is not created.
You can specify the discard file from within the control file either by specifying its
directory, or name, or both, or by specifying the maximum number of discards. Any of
the following clauses result in a discard file being created, if necessary:
• DISCARDFILE=[[directory/][filename]]
• DISCARDS
• DISCARDMAX
The discard file is created in the same record and file format as the data file. For data
files in stream record format, the same record terminator that is found in the data file is
also used in the discard file.
You can also create a discard file from the command line by specifying either the
DISCARD or DISCARDMAX parameter. See SQL*Loader Command-Line Reference.
If no discard clauses are included in the control file or on the command line, then a
discard file is not created even if there are discarded records (that is, records that fail
to satisfy all of the WHEN clauses specified in the control file).
• Specifying the Discard File in the Control File

To specify the name of the file, use the DISCARDFILE clause, followed by a directory
path and/or file name.
• Examples of Specifying a Discard File Name
The list shows different ways that you can specify a name for the discard file from
within the control file.
• Criteria for Discarded Records
If there is no INTO TABLE clause specified for a record, then the record is discarded.
• How Discard Files Are Handled with LOBFILEs and SDFs
Data from LOBFILEs and SDFs is not written to a discard file when there are
discarded rows.
• Specifying the Discard File from the Command Line
This section explains how to specify a discard file from the command line.
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Specifying the Discard File
9.11.1 Specifying the Discard File in the Control File

To specify the name of the file, use the DISCARDFILE clause, followed by a directory
path and/or file name.
DISCARDS
directory_path filename integer
DISCARDFILE DISCARDMAX
The DISCARDFILE clause specifies that a discard directory path and/or file name follows.
Neither the directory_path nor the filename is required. However, you must specify at
least one.
The directory parameter specifies a directory to which the discard file will be written.
The filename parameter specifies a valid file name specification for your platform. Any
marks.
The default file name is the name of the data file, and the default file extension or file
type is .dsc. A discard file name specified on the command line overrides one specified
in the control file. If a discard file with that name already exists, then it is either
overwritten or a new version is created, depending on your operating system.
• Limiting the Number of Discard Records
You can limit the number of records to be discarded for each data file by
specifying an integer for either the DISCARDS or DISCARDMAX keyword.
9.11.1.1 Limiting the Number of Discard Records

You can limit the number of records to be discarded for each data file by specifying an
integer for either the DISCARDS or DISCARDMAX keyword.
You can specify a different number of discards for each data file. Or, if you specify the
number of discards only once, then the maximum number of discards specified applies
to all files.
When the discard limit is reached, processing of the data file terminates and continues
with the next data file, if one exists.
If you specify a maximum number of discards, but no discard file name, then
SQL*Loader creates a discard file with the default file name and file extension or file
type.
9.11.2 Examples of Specifying a Discard File Name

The list shows different ways that you can specify a name for the discard file from
within the control file.
• To specify a discard file with file name circular and default file extension or file
type of .dsc:
DISCARDFILE circular
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Specifying a NULLIF Clause At the Table Level
• To specify a discard file named notappl with the file extension or file type of .may:
DISCARDFILE notappl.may
• To specify a full path to the discard file forget.me:
DISCARDFILE '/discard_dir/forget.me'
9.11.3 Criteria for Discarded Records

If there is no INTO TABLE clause specified for a record, then the record is discarded.
This situation occurs when every INTO TABLE clause in the SQL*Loader control file has
a WHEN clause and, either the record fails to match any of them, or all fields are null.
No records are discarded if an INTO TABLE clause is specified without a WHEN clause. An
attempt is made to insert every record into such a table. Therefore, records may be
rejected, but none are discarded.
Case study 7, Extracting Data from a Formatted Report, provides an example of using
a discard file. (See SQL*Loader Case Studies for information on how to access case
studies.)
9.11.4 How Discard Files Are Handled with LOBFILEs and SDFs
Data from LOBFILEs and SDFs is not written to a discard file when there are
discarded rows.
9.11.5 Specifying the Discard File from the Command Line

This section explains how to specify a discard file from the command line.
See DISCARD for information about how to specify a discard file from the command
line.
A file name specified on the command line overrides any discard file that you may
have specified in the control file.
9.12 Specifying a NULLIF Clause At the Table Level

You can specify a NULLIF clause at the table level.

NULLIF {=|!=}{"char_string"|x'hex_string'|BLANKS}
The char_string and hex_string values must be enclosed in either single quotation
marks or double quotation marks.
This specification is used for each mapped character field unless a NULLIF clause is
specified at the field level. A NULLIF clause specified at the field level overrides a NULLIF
clause specified at the table level.
SQL*Loader checks the specified value against the value of the field in the record. If
there is a match using the equal or not equal specification, then the field is set to NULL
for that row. Any field that has a length of 0 after blank trimming is also set to NULL.
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Specifying Datetime Formats At the Table Level
If you do not want the default NULLIF or any other NULLIF clause applied to a field, you
can specify NO NULLIF at the field level.
See Also:
• "Using the WHEN_ NULLIF_ and DEFAULTIF Clauses" for more

information about specifying a NULLIF clause at the field level
9.13 Specifying Datetime Formats At the Table Level

You can specify certain datetime formats at the table level in a SQL*Loader control
file.
The syntax for each is as follows:
DATE FORMAT mask
TIMESTAMP FORMAT mask
TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE mask
TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE mask
This specification is used for every date or timestamp field unless a different mask is
specified at the field level. A mask specified at the field level overrides a mask
specified at the table level.
The following is an example of using the DATE FORMAT clause in a SQL*Loader control
file. The DATE FORMAT clause is overridden by DATE at the field level for the hiredate and
entrydate fields:
LOAD DATA
INFILE myfile.dat
APPEND
INTO TABLE EMP
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ","
DATE FORMAT "DD-Month-YYYY"
(empno,
ename,
job,
mgr,
hiredate DATE,
sal,
comm,
deptno,
entrydate DATE)
See Also:
• "Datetime and Interval Data Types" for information about specifying

datetime data types at the field level
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Chapter 9
Handling Different Character Encoding Schemes
9.14 Handling Different Character Encoding Schemes

SQL*Loader supports different character encoding schemes (called character sets, or
code pages).
SQL*Loader uses features of Oracle's globalization support technology to handle the
various single-byte and multibyte character encoding schemes available today.
See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide
The following sections provide a brief introduction to some of the supported character
encoding schemes.
• Multibyte (Asian) Character Sets
Multibyte character sets support Asian languages.
• Unicode Character Sets
SQL*Loader supports loading data that is in a Unicode character set.
• Database Character Sets
The Oracle database uses the database character set for data stored in SQL CHAR
data types (CHAR, VARCHAR2, CLOB, and LONG), for identifiers such as table names,
and for SQL statements and PL/SQL source code.
• Data File Character Sets
By default, the data file is in the character set defined by the NLS_LANG parameter.
• Input Character Conversion
The default character set for all data files, if the CHARACTERSET parameter is not
specified, is the session character set defined by the NLS_LANG parameter.
• Shift-sensitive Character Data
In general, loading shift-sensitive character data can be much slower than loading
simple ASCII or EBCDIC data.
9.14.1 Multibyte (Asian) Character Sets

Multibyte character sets support Asian languages.
Data can be loaded in multibyte format, and database object names (fields, tables, and
so on) can be specified with multibyte characters. In the control file, comments and
object names can also use multibyte characters.
9.14.2 Unicode Character Sets

SQL*Loader supports loading data that is in a Unicode character set.
Unicode is a universal encoded character set that supports storage of information from
most languages in a single character set. Unicode provides a unique code value for
every character, regardless of the platform, program, or language. There are two
different encodings for Unicode, UTF-16 and UTF-8.
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Note:
In this manual, you will see the terms UTF-16 and UTF16 both used. The term
UTF-16 is a general reference to UTF-16 encoding for Unicode. The term
UTF16 (no hyphen) is the specific name of the character set and is what you
should specify for the CHARACTERSET parameter when you want to use UTF-16
encoding. This also applies to UTF-8 and UTF8.
The UTF-16 Unicode encoding is a fixed-width multibyte encoding in which the

character codes 0x0000 through 0x007F have the same meaning as the single-byte
ASCII codes 0x00 through 0x7F.
The UTF-8 Unicode encoding is a variable-width multibyte encoding in which the
character codes 0x00 through 0x7F have the same meaning as ASCII. A character in
UTF-8 can be 1 byte, 2 bytes, or 3 bytes long.
See Also:
• Case study 11, Loading Data in the Unicode Character Set (see
"SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to access case studies)
• Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for more information about
Unicode encoding
9.14.3 Database Character Sets

The Oracle database uses the database character set for data stored in SQL CHAR data
types (CHAR, VARCHAR2, CLOB, and LONG), for identifiers such as table names, and for
SQL statements and PL/SQL source code.
Only single-byte character sets and varying-width character sets that include either
ASCII or EBCDIC characters are supported as database character sets. Multibyte
fixed-width character sets (for example, AL16UTF16) are not supported as the
database character set.
An alternative character set can be used in the database for data stored in SQL NCHAR
data types (NCHAR, NVARCHAR2, and NCLOB). This alternative character set is called the
database national character set. Only Unicode character sets are supported as the
database national character set.
9.14.4 Data File Character Sets

By default, the data file is in the character set defined by the NLS_LANG parameter.
The data file character sets supported with NLS_LANG are the same as those supported
as database character sets. SQL*Loader supports all Oracle-supported character sets
in the data file (even those not supported as database character sets).
For example, SQL*Loader supports multibyte fixed-width character sets (such as
AL16UTF16 and JA16EUCFIXED) in the data file. SQL*Loader also supports UTF-16
encoding with little-endian byte ordering. However, the Oracle database supports only
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UTF-16 encoding with big-endian byte ordering (AL16UTF16) and only as a database
national character set, not as a database character set.
The character set of the data file can be set up by using the NLS_LANG parameter or by
specifying a SQL*Loader CHARACTERSET parameter.
9.14.5 Input Character Conversion

specified, is the session character set defined by the NLS_LANG parameter.
The character set used in input data files can be specified with the CHARACTERSET
parameter.
SQL*Loader can automatically convert data from the data file character set to the
database character set or the database national character set, when they differ.
When data character set conversion is required, the target character set should be a
superset of the source data file character set. Otherwise, characters that have no
equivalent in the target character set are converted to replacement characters, often a
default character such as a question mark (?). This causes loss of data.
The sizes of the database character types CHAR and VARCHAR2 can be specified in bytes
(byte-length semantics) or in characters (character-length semantics). If they are
specified in bytes, and data character set conversion is required, then the converted
values may take more bytes than the source values if the target character set uses
more bytes than the source character set for any character that is converted. This will
result in the following error message being reported if the larger target value exceeds
the size of the database column:
ORA-01401: inserted value too large for column
You can avoid this problem by specifying the database column size in characters and
also by using character sizes in the control file to describe the data. Another way to
avoid this problem is to ensure that the maximum column size is large enough, in
bytes, to hold the converted value.
• Considerations When Loading Data into VARRAYs or Primary-Key-Based REFs

This section describes the considerations that you should take when loading data
into VARRAYs or into a primary-key-based REFs.
• CHARACTERSET Parameter
Specifying the CHARACTERSET parameter tells SQL*Loader the character set of the
input data file.
• Control File Character Set
The SQL*Loader control file itself is assumed to be in the character set specified
for your session by the NLS_LANG parameter.
• Character-Length Semantics
Byte-length semantics are the default for all data files except those that use the
UTF16 character set (which uses character-length semantics by default).
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See Also:
• "Character-Length Semantics"
• Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide
9.14.5.1 Considerations When Loading Data into VARRAYs or Primary-Key-

Based REFs
This section describes the considerations that you should take when loading data into
VARRAYs or into a primary-key-based REFs.
If you use SQL*Loader conventional path or the Oracle Call Interface (OCI) to load
data into VARRAYs or into primary-key-based REFs, and the data being loaded is in a
different character set than the database character set, then problems such as the
following might occur:
• Rows might be rejected because a field is too large for the database column, but
in reality the field is not too large.
• A load might be abnormally terminated without any rows being loaded, when only
the field that really was too large should have been rejected.
• Rows might be reported as loaded correctly, but the primary-key-based REF
columns are returned as blank when they are selected with SQL*Plus.
To avoid these problems, set the client character set (using the NLS_LANG environment
variable) to the database character set before you load the data.
9.14.5.2 CHARACTERSET Parameter

Specifying the CHARACTERSET parameter tells SQL*Loader the character set of the input
data file.
specified, is the session character set defined by the NLS_LANG parameter. Only
character data (fields in the SQL*Loader data types CHAR, VARCHAR, VARCHARC, numeric
EXTERNAL, and the datetime and interval data types) is affected by the character set of
the data file.
The CHARACTERSET syntax is as follows:
CHARACTERSET char_set_name
The char_set_name variable specifies the character set name. Normally, the specified
name must be the name of an Oracle-supported character set.
For UTF-16 Unicode encoding, use the name UTF16 rather than AL16UTF16.
AL16UTF16, which is the supported Oracle character set name for UTF-16 encoded
data, is only for UTF-16 data that is in big-endian byte order. However, because you
are allowed to set up data using the byte order of the system where you create the
data file, the data in the data file can be either big-endian or little-endian. Therefore, a
different character set name (UTF16) is used. The character set name AL16UTF16 is
also supported. But if you specify AL16UTF16 for a data file that has little-endian byte
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order, then SQL*Loader issues a warning message and processes the data file as
little-endian.
The CHARACTERSET parameter can be specified for primary data files and also for
LOBFILEs and SDFs. All primary data files are assumed to be in the same character
set. A CHARACTERSET parameter specified before the INFILE parameter applies to the
entire list of primary data files. If the CHARACTERSET parameter is specified for primary
data files, then the specified value will also be used as the default for LOBFILEs and
SDFs. This default setting can be overridden by specifying the CHARACTERSET parameter
with the LOBFILE or SDF specification.
The character set specified with the CHARACTERSET parameter does not apply to data
specified with the INFILE clause in the control file. The control file is always processed
using the character set specified for your session by the NLS_LANG parameter.
Therefore, to load data in a character set other than the one specified for your session
by the NLS_LANG parameter, you must place the data in a separate data file.
See Also:
• "Byte Ordering"
• Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for more information about
the names of the supported character sets
• "Control File Character Set"
• Case study 11, Loading Data in the Unicode Character Set, for an example
of loading a data file that contains little-endian UTF-16 encoded data. (See
"SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to access case
studies.)
9.14.5.3 Control File Character Set

The SQL*Loader control file itself is assumed to be in the character set specified for
your session by the NLS_LANG parameter.
If the control file character set is different from the data file character set, then keep
the following issue in mind. Delimiters and comparison clause values specified in the
SQL*Loader control file as character strings are converted from the control file
character set to the data file character set before any comparisons are made. To
ensure that the specifications are correct, you may prefer to specify hexadecimal
strings, rather than character string values.
If hexadecimal strings are used with a data file in the UTF-16 Unicode encoding, then
the byte order is different on a big-endian versus a little-endian system. For example,
"," (comma) in UTF-16 on a big-endian system is X'002c'. On a little-endian system it is
X'2c00'. SQL*Loader requires that you always specify hexadecimal strings in big-
endian format. If necessary, SQL*Loader swaps the bytes before making
comparisons. This allows the same syntax to be used in the control file on both a big-
endian and a little-endian system.
Record terminators for data files that are in stream format in the UTF-16 Unicode
encoding default to "\n" in UTF-16 (that is, 0x000A on a big-endian system and
0x0A00 on a little-endian system). You can override these default settings by using the
"STR 'char_str'" or the "STR x'hex_str'" specification on the INFILE line. For example,
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you could use either of the following to specify that 'ab' is to be used as the record
terminator, instead of '\n'.
INFILE myfile.dat "STR 'ab'"
INFILE myfile.dat "STR x'00410042'"
Any data included after the BEGINDATA statement is also assumed to be in the character
set specified for your session by the NLS_LANG parameter.
For the SQL*Loader data types (CHAR, VARCHAR, VARCHARC, DATE, and EXTERNAL
numerics), SQL*Loader supports lengths of character fields that are specified in either
bytes (byte-length semantics) or characters (character-length semantics). For
example, the specification CHAR(10) in the control file can mean 10 bytes or 10
characters. These are equivalent if the data file uses a single-byte character set.
However, they are often different if the data file uses a multibyte character set.
To avoid insertion errors caused by expansion of character strings during character set
conversion, use character-length semantics in both the data file and the target
database columns.
9.14.5.4 Character-Length Semantics

Byte-length semantics are the default for all data files except those that use the UTF16
character set (which uses character-length semantics by default).
To override the default you can specify CHAR or CHARACTER, as shown in the following
syntax:
BYTE
SEMANTICS
LENGTH CHAR
CHARACTER
The LENGTH parameter is placed after the CHARACTERSET parameter in the SQL*Loader
control file. The LENGTH parameter applies to the syntax specification for primary data
files and also to LOBFILEs and secondary data files (SDFs). A LENGTH specification
before the INFILE parameters applies to the entire list of primary data files. The LENGTH
specification specified for the primary data file is used as the default for LOBFILEs and
SDFs. You can override that default by specifying LENGTH with the LOBFILE or SDF
specification. Unlike the CHARACTERSET parameter, the LENGTH parameter can also apply
to data contained within the control file itself (that is, INFILE * syntax).
You can specify CHARACTER instead of CHAR for the LENGTH parameter.
If character-length semantics are being used for a SQL*Loader data file, then the
following SQL*Loader data types will use character-length semantics:
• CHAR
• VARCHAR
• VARCHARC
• DATE
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• EXTERNAL numerics (INTEGER, FLOAT, DECIMAL, and ZONED)
For the VARCHAR data type, the length subfield is still a binary SMALLINT length subfield,
but its value indicates the length of the character string in characters.
The following data types use byte-length semantics even if character-length semantics
are being used for the data file, because the data is binary, or is in a special binary-
encoded form in the case of ZONED and DECIMAL:
• INTEGER
• SMALLINT
• FLOAT
• DOUBLE
• BYTEINT
• ZONED
• DECIMAL
• RAW
• VARRAW
• VARRAWC
• GRAPHIC
• GRAPHIC EXTERNAL
• VARGRAPHIC
The start and end arguments to the POSITION parameter are interpreted in bytes, even
if character-length semantics are in use in a data file. This is necessary to handle data
files that have a mix of data of different data types, some of which use character-
length semantics, and some of which use byte-length semantics. It is also needed to
handle position with the VARCHAR data type, which has a SMALLINT length field and then
the character data. The SMALLINT length field takes up a certain number of bytes
depending on the system (usually 2 bytes), but its value indicates the length of the
character string in characters.
Character-length semantics in the data file can be used independent of whether
character-length semantics are used for the database columns. Therefore, the data file
and the database columns can use either the same or different length semantics.
9.14.6 Shift-sensitive Character Data

In general, loading shift-sensitive character data can be much slower than loading
simple ASCII or EBCDIC data.
The fastest way to load shift-sensitive character data is to use fixed-position fields
without delimiters. To improve performance, remember the following points:
• The field data must have an equal number of shift-out/shift-in bytes.
• The field must start and end in single-byte mode.
• It is acceptable for the first byte to be shift-out and the last byte to be shift-in.
• The first and last characters cannot be multibyte.
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• If blanks are not preserved and multibyte-blank-checking is required, then a slower

path is used. This can happen when the shift-in byte is the last byte of a field after
single-byte blank stripping is performed.
9.15 Interrupted Loads

Loads are interrupted and discontinued for several reasons.
A primary reason is space errors, in which SQL*Loader runs out of space for data
rows or index entries. A load might also be discontinued because the maximum
number of errors was exceeded, an unexpected error was returned to SQL*Loader
from the server, a record was too long in the data file, or a Ctrl+C was executed.
The behavior of SQL*Loader when a load is discontinued varies depending on
whether it is a conventional path load or a direct path load, and on the reason the load
was interrupted. Additionally, when an interrupted load is continued, the use and value
of the SKIP parameter can vary depending on the particular case. The following
sections explain the possible scenarios.
• Discontinued Conventional Path Loads

In a conventional path load, data is committed after all data in the bind array is
loaded into all tables.
• Discontinued Direct Path Loads
In a direct path load, the behavior of a discontinued load varies depending on the
reason the load was discontinued.
• Status of Tables and Indexes After an Interrupted Load
When a load is discontinued, any data already loaded remains in the tables, and
the tables are left in a valid state.
• Using the Log File to Determine Load Status
The SQL*Loader log file tells you the state of the tables and indexes and the
number of logical records already read from the input data file.
• Continuing Single-Table Loads
When SQL*Loader must discontinue a direct path or conventional path load before
it is finished, some rows have probably already been committed or marked with
savepoints.
See Also:
SKIP
9.15.1 Discontinued Conventional Path Loads

In a conventional path load, data is committed after all data in the bind array is loaded
into all tables.
If the load is discontinued, then only the rows that were processed up to the time of the
last commit operation are loaded. There is no partial commit of data.
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Interrupted Loads
9.15.2 Discontinued Direct Path Loads

In a direct path load, the behavior of a discontinued load varies depending on the
reason the load was discontinued.
These sections describe the reasons why a load was discontinued:
• Load Discontinued Because of Space Errors
If a load is discontinued because of space errors, then the behavior of
SQL*Loader depends on whether you are loading data into multiple subpartitions.
• Load Discontinued Because Maximum Number of Errors Exceeded
If the maximum number of errors is exceeded, then SQL*Loader stops loading
records into any table and the work done to that point is committed.
• Load Discontinued Because of Fatal Errors
If a fatal error is encountered, then the load is stopped and no data is saved
unless ROWS was specified at the beginning of the load.
• Load Discontinued Because a Ctrl+C Was Issued
If SQL*Loader is in the middle of saving data when a Ctrl+C is issued, then it
continues to do the save and then stops the load after the save completes.
9.15.2.1 Load Discontinued Because of Space Errors

If a load is discontinued because of space errors, then the behavior of SQL*Loader
depends on whether you are loading data into multiple subpartitions.
• Space errors when loading data into multiple subpartitions (that is, loading
into a partitioned table, a composite partitioned table, or one partition of a
composite partitioned table):
If space errors occur when loading into multiple subpartitions, then the load is
discontinued and no data is saved unless ROWS has been specified (in which case,
all data that was previously committed will be saved). The reason for this behavior
is that it is possible rows might be loaded out of order. This is because each row is
assigned (not necessarily in order) to a partition and each partition is loaded
separately. If the load discontinues before all rows assigned to partitions are
loaded, then the row for record "n" may have been loaded, but not the row for
record "n-1". Therefore, the load cannot be continued by simply using SKIP=N.
• Space errors when loading data into an unpartitioned table, one partition of
a partitioned table, or one subpartition of a composite partitioned table:
If there is one INTO TABLE statement in the control file, then SQL*Loader commits
as many rows as were loaded before the error occurred.
If there are multiple INTO TABLE statements in the control file, then SQL*Loader
loads data already read from the data file into other tables and then commits the
data.
In either case, this behavior is independent of whether the ROWS parameter was
specified. When you continue the load, you can use the SKIP parameter to skip
rows that have already been loaded. In the case of multiple INTO TABLE statements,
a different number of rows could have been loaded into each table, so to continue
the load you would need to specify a different value for the SKIP parameter for
every table. SQL*Loader only reports the value for the SKIP parameter if it is the
same for all tables.
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9.15.2.2 Load Discontinued Because Maximum Number of Errors Exceeded

If the maximum number of errors is exceeded, then SQL*Loader stops loading records
into any table and the work done to that point is committed.
This means that when you continue the load, the value you specify for the SKIP
parameter may be different for different tables. SQL*Loader reports the value for the
SKIP parameter only if it is the same for all tables.
9.15.2.3 Load Discontinued Because of Fatal Errors

If a fatal error is encountered, then the load is stopped and no data is saved unless
ROWS was specified at the beginning of the load.
In that case, all data that was previously committed is saved. SQL*Loader reports the
value for the SKIP parameter only if it is the same for all tables.
9.15.2.4 Load Discontinued Because a Ctrl+C Was Issued

If SQL*Loader is in the middle of saving data when a Ctrl+C is issued, then it
continues to do the save and then stops the load after the save completes.
Otherwise, SQL*Loader stops the load without committing any work that was not
committed already. This means that the value of the SKIP parameter will be the same
for all tables.
9.15.3 Status of Tables and Indexes After an Interrupted Load

When a load is discontinued, any data already loaded remains in the tables, and the
tables are left in a valid state.
If the conventional path is used, then all indexes are left in a valid state.
If the direct path load method is used, then any indexes on the table are left in an
unusable state. You can either rebuild or re-create the indexes before continuing, or
after the load is restarted and completes.
Other indexes are valid if no other errors occurred. See Indexes Left in an Unusable
State for other reasons why an index might be left in an unusable state.
9.15.4 Using the Log File to Determine Load Status

The SQL*Loader log file tells you the state of the tables and indexes and the number
of logical records already read from the input data file.
Use this information to resume the load where it left off.
9.15.5 Continuing Single-Table Loads

When SQL*Loader must discontinue a direct path or conventional path load before it is
finished, some rows have probably already been committed or marked with
savepoints.
To continue the discontinued load, use the SKIP parameter to specify the number of
logical records that have already been processed by the previous load. At the time the
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Assembling Logical Records from Physical Records
load is discontinued, the value for SKIP is written to the log file in a message similar to
the following:
Specify SKIP=1001 when continuing the load.
This message specifying the value of the SKIP parameter is preceded by a message
indicating why the load was discontinued.
Note that for multiple-table loads, the value of the SKIP parameter is displayed only if it
is the same for all tables.
See Also:
SKIP
9.16 Assembling Logical Records from Physical Records

This section describes assembling logical records from physical records.
To combine multiple physical records into one logical record, you can use one of the
following clauses, depending on your data:
• CONCATENATE
• CONTINUEIF
• Using CONCATENATE to Assemble Logical Records

Use CONCATENATE when you want SQL*Loader to always combine the same number
of physical records to form one logical record.
• Using CONTINUEIF to Assemble Logical Records
Use CONTINUEIF if the number of physical records to be combined varies.
9.16.1 Using CONCATENATE to Assemble Logical Records

Use CONCATENATE when you want SQL*Loader to always combine the same number of
physical records to form one logical record.
In the following example, integer specifies the number of physical records to combine.
CONCATENATE integer
The integer value specified for CONCATENATE determines the number of physical record
structures that SQL*Loader allocates for each row in the column array. In direct path
loads, the default value for COLUMNARRAYROWS is large, so if you also specify a large value
for CONCATENATE, then excessive memory allocation can occur. If this happens, you can
improve performance by reducing the value of the COLUMNARRAYROWS parameter to lower
the number of rows in a column array.
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See Also:
• COLUMNARRAYROWS
• Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of Stream Buffers
9.16.2 Using CONTINUEIF to Assemble Logical Records

Use CONTINUEIF if the number of physical records to be combined varies.
The CONTINUEIF clause is followed by a condition that is evaluated for each physical
record, as it is read. For example, two records might be combined if a pound sign (#)
were in byte position 80 of the first record. If any other character were there, then the
second record would not be added to the first.
The full syntax for CONTINUEIF adds even more flexibility:
THIS
NEXT PRESERVE (
pos_spec )
str
CONTINUEIF PRESERVE ( operator
X’hex_str’
LAST
Table 9-2 describes the parameters for the CONTINUEIF clause.
Table 9-2 Parameters for the CONTINUEIF Clause
THIS If the condition is true in the current record, then the next physical
record is read and concatenated to the current physical record,
continuing until the condition is false. If the condition is false, then
the current physical record becomes the last physical record of the
current logical record. THIS is the default.
NEXT If the condition is true in the next record, then the current physical
record is concatenated to the current logical record, continuing until
the condition is false.
operator The supported operators are equal (=) and not equal (!= or <>).
For the equal operator, the field and comparison string must match
exactly for the condition to be true. For the not equal operator, they
can differ in any character.
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Table 9-2 (Cont.) Parameters for the CONTINUEIF Clause
LAST This test is similar to THIS, but the test is always against the last
nonblank character. If the last nonblank character in the current
physical record meets the test, then the next physical record is read
and concatenated to the current physical record, continuing until the
condition is false. If the condition is false in the current record, then
the current physical record is the last physical record of the current
logical record.
LAST allows only a single character-continuation field (as opposed
to THIS and NEXT, which allow multiple character-continuation
fields).
pos_spec Specifies the starting and ending column numbers in the physical
record.
Column numbers start with 1. Either a hyphen or a colon is
acceptable (start-end or start:end).
If you omit end, then the length of the continuation field is the length
of the byte string or character string. If you use end, and the length
of the resulting continuation field is not the same as that of the byte
string or the character string, then the shorter one is padded.
Character strings are padded with blanks, hexadecimal strings with
zeros.
str A string of characters to be compared to the continuation field
defined by start and end, according to the operator. The string must
be enclosed in double or single quotation marks. The comparison is
made character by character, blank padding on the right if
necessary.
X'hex-str' A string of bytes in hexadecimal format used in the same way as
str.X'1FB033' would represent the three bytes with values 1F, B0,
and 33 (hexadecimal).
PRESERVE Includes 'char_string' or X'hex_string' in the logical record. The
default is to exclude them.
The positions in the CONTINUEIF clause refer to positions in each physical record. This is
the only time you refer to positions in physical records. All other references are to
logical records.
For CONTINUEIF THIS and CONTINUEIF LAST, if the PRESERVE parameter is not specified,
then the continuation field is removed from all physical records when the logical record
is assembled. That is, data values are allowed to span the records with no extra
characters (continuation characters) in the middle. For example, if CONTINUEIF
THIS(3:5)='***' is specified, then positions 3 through 5 are removed from all records.
This means that the continuation characters are removed if they are in positions 3
through 5 of the record. It also means that the characters in positions 3 through 5 are
removed from the record even if the continuation characters are not in positions 3
through 5.
For CONTINUEIF THIS and CONTINUEIF LAST, if the PRESERVE parameter is used, then the
continuation field is kept in all physical records when the logical record is assembled.
CONTINUEIF LAST differs from CONTINUEIF THIS and CONTINUEIF NEXT. For CONTINUEIF LAST,
where the positions of the continuation field vary from record to record, the
continuation field is never removed, even if PRESERVE is not specified.
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Example 9-3 through Example 9-6 show the use of CONTINUEIF THIS and CONTINUEIF
NEXT, with and without the PRESERVE parameter.
Example 9-3 CONTINUEIF THIS Without the PRESERVE Parameter

Assume that you have physical records 14 bytes long and that a period represents a
space:
%%aaaaaaaa....
%%bbbbbbbb....
..cccccccc....
%%dddddddddd..
%%eeeeeeeeee..
..ffffffffff..
In this example, the CONTINUEIF THIS clause does not use the PRESERVE parameter:
CONTINUEIF THIS (1:2) = '%%'
Therefore, the logical records are assembled as follows:

aaaaaaaa....bbbbbbbb....cccccccc....
dddddddddd..eeeeeeeeee..ffffffffff..
Note that columns 1 and 2 (for example, %% in physical record 1) are removed from
the physical records when the logical records are assembled.
Example 9-4 CONTINUEIF THIS with the PRESERVE Parameter
Assume that you have the same physical records as in Example 9-3.
In this example, the CONTINUEIF THIS clause uses the PRESERVE parameter:
CONTINUEIF THIS PRESERVE (1:2) = '%%'

%%aaaaaaaa....%%bbbbbbbb......cccccccc....
%%dddddddddd..%%eeeeeeeeee....ffffffffff..
Note that columns 1 and 2 are not removed from the physical records when the logical
records are assembled.
Example 9-5 CONTINUEIF NEXT Without the PRESERVE Parameter
Assume that you have physical records 14 bytes long and that a period represents a
space:
..aaaaaaaa....
%%bbbbbbbb....
%%cccccccc....
..dddddddddd..
%%eeeeeeeeee..
%%ffffffffff..
In this example, the CONTINUEIF NEXT clause does not use the PRESERVE parameter:
CONTINUEIF NEXT (1:2) = '%%'
Therefore, the logical records are assembled as follows (the same results as for
Example 9-3).
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aaaaaaaa....bbbbbbbb....cccccccc....
dddddddddd..eeeeeeeeee..ffffffffff..
Example 9-6 CONTINUEIF NEXT with the PRESERVE Parameter

Assume that you have the same physical records as in Example 9-5.
In this example, the CONTINUEIF NEXT clause uses the PRESERVE parameter:
CONTINUEIF NEXT PRESERVE (1:2) = '%%'

..aaaaaaaa....%%bbbbbbbb....%%cccccccc....
..dddddddddd..%%eeeeeeeeee..%%ffffffffff..
See Also:
Case study 4, Loading Combined Physical Records, for an example of the
CONTINUEIF clause. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to
access case studies.)
9.17 Loading Logical Records into Tables

This section describes loading logical records into tables.
This section describes the way in which you specify:
• Which tables you want to load
• Which records you want to load into them
• Default data delimiters for those records
• How to handle short records with missing data
• Specifying Table Names
The INTO TABLE clause of the LOAD DATA statement enables you to identify tables,
fields, and data types.
• Table-Specific Loading Method
When you are loading a table, you can use the INTO TABLE clause to specify a
table-specific loading method (INSERT, APPEND, REPLACE, or TRUNCATE) that applies
only to that table.
• Table-Specific OPTIONS Parameter
The OPTIONS parameter can be specified for individual tables in a parallel load. (It is
valid only for a parallel load.)
• Loading Records Based on a Condition
You can choose to load or discard a logical record by using the WHEN clause to test
a condition in the record.
• Specifying Default Data Delimiters
If all data fields are terminated similarly in the data file, then you can use the
FIELDS clause to indicate the default termination and enclosure delimiters.
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• Handling Short Records with Missing Data

When the control file definition specifies more fields for a record than are present
in the record, SQL*Loader must determine whether the remaining (specified)
columns should be considered null or whether an error should be generated.
9.17.1 Specifying Table Names

The INTO TABLE clause of the LOAD DATA statement enables you to identify tables, fields,
and data types.
It defines the relationship between records in the data file and tables in the database.
The specification of fields and data types is described in later sections.
• INTO TABLE Clause
Among its many functions, the INTO TABLE clause enables you to specify the table
into which you load data.
9.17.1.1 INTO TABLE Clause

Among its many functions, the INTO TABLE clause enables you to specify the table into
which you load data.
To load multiple tables, you include one INTO TABLE clause for each table you want to
load.
To begin an INTO TABLE clause, use the keywords INTO TABLE, followed by the name of
the Oracle table that is to receive the data.
The table must already exist. The table name should be enclosed in double quotation
marks if it is the same as any SQL or SQL*Loader reserved keyword, if it contains any
special characters, or if it is case sensitive.
INTO TABLE scott."CONSTANT"
INTO TABLE scott."Constant"
INTO TABLE scott."-CONSTANT"
The user must have INSERT privileges for the table being loaded. If the table is not in
the user's schema, then the user must either use a synonym to reference the table or
include the schema name as part of the table name (for example, scott.emp refers to
the table emp in the scott schema).
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Note:
SQL*Loader considers the default schema to be whatever schema is current
after your connect to the database finishes executing. This means that the
default schema will not necessarily be the one you specified in the connect
string, if there are logon triggers present that get executed during connection to
a database.
If you have a logon trigger that changes your current schema to a different one
when you connect to a certain database, then SQL*Loader uses that new
schema as the default.
9.17.2 Table-Specific Loading Method

When you are loading a table, you can use the INTO TABLE clause to specify a table-
specific loading method (INSERT, APPEND, REPLACE, or TRUNCATE) that applies only to that
table.
That method overrides the global table-loading method. The global table-loading
method is INSERT, by default, unless a different method was specified before any INTO
TABLE clauses. The following sections discuss using these options to load data into
empty and nonempty tables.
• Loading Data into Empty Tables
This section describes how to load data into empty tables.
• Loading Data into Nonempty Tables
This section describes loading data into nonempty tables.
9.17.2.1 Loading Data into Empty Tables

This section describes how to load data into empty tables.
If the tables you are loading into are empty, then use the INSERT option.
• INSERT
9.17.2.1.1 INSERT
This is SQL*Loader's default method. It requires the table to be empty before loading.
SQL*Loader terminates with an error if the table contains rows. Case study 1, Loading
Variable-Length Data, provides an example. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for
information on how to access case studies.)
9.17.2.2 Loading Data into Nonempty Tables

This section describes loading data into nonempty tables.
If the tables you are loading into already contain data, then you have three options:
• APPEND
• REPLACE
• TRUNCATE
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Note:
When REPLACE or TRUNCATE is specified, the entire table is replaced, not just
individual rows. After the rows are successfully deleted, a COMMIT statement
is issued. You cannot recover the data that was in the table before the load,
unless it was saved with Export or a comparable utility.
• APPEND
• REPLACE
• Updating Existing Rows
• TRUNCATE
9.17.2.2.1 APPEND
If data already exists in the table, then SQL*Loader appends the new rows to it. If data
does not already exist, then the new rows are simply loaded. You must have SELECT
privilege to use the APPEND option. Case study 3, Loading a Delimited Free-Format File,
provides an example. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to
9.17.2.2.2 REPLACE
The REPLACE option executes a SQL DELETE FROM TABLE statement. All rows in the table
are deleted and the new data is loaded. The table must be in your schema, or you
must have DELETE privilege on the table. Case study 4, Loading Combined Physical
Records, provides an example. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on
how to access case studies.)
The row deletes cause any delete triggers defined on the table to fire. If DELETE CASCADE
has been specified for the table, then the cascaded deletes are carried out. For more
information about cascaded deletes, see Oracle Database Concepts.
9.17.2.2.3 Updating Existing Rows

The REPLACE method is a table replacement, not a replacement of individual rows.
SQL*Loader does not update existing records, even if they have null columns. To
update existing rows, use the following procedure:
1. Load your data into a work table.
2. Use the SQL UPDATE statement with correlated subqueries.
3. Drop the work table.
9.17.2.2.4 TRUNCATE
The TRUNCATE option executes a SQL TRUNCATE TABLE table_name REUSE STORAGE
statement, which means that the table's extents will be reused. The TRUNCATE option
quickly and efficiently deletes all rows from a table or cluster, to achieve the best
possible performance. For the TRUNCATE statement to operate, the table's referential
integrity constraints must first be disabled. If they have not been disabled, then
SQL*Loader returns an error.
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Once the integrity constraints have been disabled, DELETE CASCADE is no longer defined
for the table. If the DELETE CASCADE functionality is needed, then the contents of the
table must be manually deleted before the load begins.
The table must be in your schema, or you must have the DROP ANY TABLE privilege.
9.17.3 Table-Specific OPTIONS Parameter

The OPTIONS parameter can be specified for individual tables in a parallel load. (It is
valid only for a parallel load.)
The syntax for the OPTIONS parameter is as follows:
OPTIONS ( FILE=database_filename )
See Also:
Parameters for Parallel Direct Path Loads
9.17.4 Loading Records Based on a Condition

You can choose to load or discard a logical record by using the WHEN clause to test a
condition in the record.
The WHEN clause appears after the table name and is followed by one or more field
conditions. The syntax for field_condition is as follows:
AND
’char_string’
( full_fieldname )
operator X’hex_string’
pos_spec
BLANKS
For example, the following clause indicates that any record with the value "q" in the
fifth column position should be loaded:
WHEN (5) = 'q'
A WHEN clause can contain several comparisons, provided each is preceded by AND.
Parentheses are optional, but should be used for clarity with multiple comparisons
joined by AND. For example:
WHEN (deptno = '10') AND (job = 'SALES')
• Using the WHEN Clause with LOBFILEs and SDFs

This section describes using the WHEN clause with LOBFILEs and SDFs.
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See Also:
• "Using the WHEN_ NULLIF_ and DEFAULTIF Clauses" for information

about how SQL*Loader evaluates WHEN clauses, as opposed to NULLIF and
DEFAULTIF clauses
• Case study 5, Loading Data into Multiple Tables, for an example of using
the WHEN clause (see "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to
access case studies)
9.17.4.1 Using the WHEN Clause with LOBFILEs and SDFs

This section describes using the WHEN clause with LOBFILEs and SDFs.
If a record with a LOBFILE or SDF is discarded, then SQL*Loader skips the
corresponding data in that LOBFILE or SDF.
9.17.5 Specifying Default Data Delimiters

If all data fields are terminated similarly in the data file, then you can use the FIELDS
clause to indicate the default termination and enclosure delimiters.
• fields_spec
• termination_spec
• enclosure_spec
9.17.5.1 fields_spec
enclosure_spec
csv_clause
FIELDS OPTIONALLY
enclosure_spec
termination_spec
See Also:
• "Specifying CSV Format Files" for information about the csv_clause
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9.17.5.2 termination_spec
WHITESPACE
BY X’hexstr’
TERMINATED
’string’
EOF
Note:
Terminator strings can contain one or more characters. Also, TERMINATED BY EOF
applies only to loading LOBs from a LOBFILE.
9.17.5.3 enclosure_spec
’string’ ’string’
AND
BY X’hexstr’ X’hexstr’
ENCLOSED
Note:
Enclosure strings can contain one or more characters.
You can override the delimiter for any given column by specifying it after the column
name. Case study 3, Loading a Delimited Free-Format File, provides an example.
(See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to access case studies.)
See Also:
• "Specifying Delimiters" for a complete description of the syntax

• "Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs"
9.17.6 Handling Short Records with Missing Data

When the control file definition specifies more fields for a record than are present in
the record, SQL*Loader must determine whether the remaining (specified) columns
should be considered null or whether an error should be generated.
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Index Options
If the control file definition explicitly states that a field's starting position is beyond the
end of the logical record, then SQL*Loader always defines the field as null. If a field is
defined with a relative position (such as dname and loc in the following example), and
the record ends before the field is found, then SQL*Loader could either treat the field
as null or generate an error. SQL*Loader uses the presence or absence of the
TRAILING NULLCOLS clause (shown in the following syntax diagram) to determine the
course of action.
OID_spec
delim_spec NULLCOLS
SID_spec FIELDS TRAILING
TREAT AS typename
• TRAILING NULLCOLS Clause
9.17.6.1 TRAILING NULLCOLS Clause

The TRAILING NULLCOLS clause tells SQL*Loader to treat any relatively positioned
columns that are not present in the record as null columns.
For example, consider the following data:
10 Accounting
Assume that the preceding data is read with the following control file and the record
ends after dname:
INTO TABLE dept
TRAILING NULLCOLS
( deptno CHAR TERMINATED BY " ",
dname CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE,
loc CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE
)
In this case, the remaining loc field is set to null. Without the TRAILING NULLCOLS clause,
an error would be generated due to missing data.
See Also:
Case study 7, Extracting Data from a Formatted Report, for an example of
using TRAILING NULLCOLS (see "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on
how to access case studies)
9.18 Index Options

This section describes index options.
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Benefits of Using Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses
This section describes the following SQL*Loader options that control how index entries
are created:
• SORTED INDEXES
• SINGLEROW
• SORTED INDEXES Clause

• SINGLEROW Option
9.18.1 SORTED INDEXES Clause

The SORTED INDEXES clause applies to direct path loads. It tells SQL*Loader that the
incoming data has already been sorted on the specified indexes, allowing SQL*Loader
to optimize performance.
See Also:
"SORTED INDEXES Clause"
9.18.2 SINGLEROW Option

The SINGLEROW option is intended for use during a direct path load with APPEND on
systems with limited memory, or when loading a small number of records into a large
table. This option inserts each index entry directly into the index, one record at a time.
By default, SQL*Loader does not use SINGLEROW to append records to a table. Instead,
index entries are put into a separate, temporary storage area and merged with the
original index at the end of the load. This method achieves better performance and
produces an optimal index, but it requires extra storage space. During the merge
operation, the original index, the new index, and the space for new entries all
simultaneously occupy storage space.
With the SINGLEROW option, storage space is not required for new index entries or for a
new index. The resulting index may not be as optimal as a freshly sorted one, but it
takes less space to produce. It also takes more time because additional UNDO
information is generated for each index insert. This option is suggested for use when
either of the following situations exists:
• Available storage is limited.
• The number of records to be loaded is small compared to the size of the table (a
ratio of 1:20 or less is recommended).
9.19 Benefits of Using Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses

This section describes the benefits of using multiple INTO TABLE clauses.
Multiple INTO TABLE clauses enable you to:
• Load data into different tables

• Extract multiple logical records from a single input record
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• Distinguish different input record formats

• Distinguish different input row object subtypes
In the first case, it is common for the INTO TABLE clauses to refer to the same table.
This section illustrates the different ways to use multiple INTO TABLE clauses and
shows you how to use the POSITION parameter.
Note:
A key point when using multiple INTO TABLE clauses is that field scanning
continues from where it left off when a new INTO TABLE clause is processed. The
remainder of this section details important ways to make use of that behavior. It
also describes alternative ways of using fixed field locations or the POSITION
parameter.
• Extracting Multiple Logical Records

When the data records are short, more than one can be stored in a single,
physical record to use the storage space efficiently.
• Distinguishing Different Input Record Formats
A single data file might contain records in a variety of formats.
• Distinguishing Different Input Row Object Subtypes
A single data file may contain records made up of row objects inherited from the
same base row object type.
• Loading Data into Multiple Tables
By using the POSITION parameter with multiple INTO TABLE clauses, data from a
single record can be loaded into multiple normalized tables.
• Summary of Using Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses
Multiple INTO TABLE clauses allow you to extract multiple logical records from a
single input record and recognize different record formats in the same file.
9.19.1 Extracting Multiple Logical Records

When the data records are short, more than one can be stored in a single, physical
record to use the storage space efficiently.
Some data storage and transfer media have fixed-length physical records.
In this example, SQL*Loader treats a single physical record in the input file as two
logical records and uses two INTO TABLE clauses to load the data into the emp table. For
example, assume the data is as follows:
1119 Smith 1120 Yvonne
1121 Albert 1130 Thomas
The following control file extracts the logical records:

INTO TABLE emp
(empno POSITION(1:4) INTEGER EXTERNAL,
ename POSITION(6:15) CHAR)
INTO TABLE emp
(empno POSITION(17:20) INTEGER EXTERNAL,
ename POSITION(21:30) CHAR)
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• Relative Positioning Based on Delimiters

The same record could be loaded with a different specification.
9.19.1.1 Relative Positioning Based on Delimiters

The same record could be loaded with a different specification.
The following control file uses relative positioning instead of fixed positioning. It
specifies that each field is delimited by a single blank (" ") or with an undetermined
number of blanks and tabs (WHITESPACE):
INTO TABLE emp
(empno INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY " ",
ename CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE)
INTO TABLE emp
(empno INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY " ",
ename CHAR) TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE)
The important point in this example is that the second empno field is found immediately
after the first ename, although it is in a separate INTO TABLE clause. Field scanning does
not start over from the beginning of the record for a new INTO TABLE clause. Instead,
scanning continues where it left off.
To force record scanning to start in a specific location, you use the POSITION
parameter. That mechanism is described in "Distinguishing Different Input Record
Formats" and in "Loading Data into Multiple Tables".
9.19.2 Distinguishing Different Input Record Formats

A single data file might contain records in a variety of formats.
Consider the following data, in which emp and dept records are intermixed:
1 50 Manufacturing — DEPT record
2 1119 Smith 50 — EMP record
2 1120 Snyder 50
1 60 Shipping
2 1121 Stevens 60
A record ID field distinguishes between the two formats. Department records have a 1
in the first column, while employee records have a 2. The following control file uses
exact positioning to load this data:
INTO TABLE dept
WHEN recid = 1
(recid FILLER POSITION(1:1) INTEGER EXTERNAL,
deptno POSITION(3:4) INTEGER EXTERNAL,
dname POSITION(8:21) CHAR)
INTO TABLE emp
WHEN recid <> 1
(recid FILLER POSITION(1:1) INTEGER EXTERNAL,
empno POSITION(3:6) INTEGER EXTERNAL,
ename POSITION(8:17) CHAR,
deptno POSITION(19:20) INTEGER EXTERNAL)
• Relative Positioning Based on the POSITION Parameter

Records can be loaded as delimited data.
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9.19.2.1 Relative Positioning Based on the POSITION Parameter

Records can be loaded as delimited data.
The records in the previous example could also be loaded as delimited data. In this
case, however, it is necessary to use the POSITION parameter. The following control file
could be used:
INTO TABLE dept
WHEN recid = 1
(recid FILLER INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE,
deptno INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE,
dname CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE)
INTO TABLE emp
WHEN recid <> 1
(recid FILLER POSITION(1) INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY ' ',
empno INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY ' '
ename CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE,
deptno INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY ' ')
The POSITION parameter in the second INTO TABLE clause is necessary to load this data
correctly. It causes field scanning to start over at column 1 when checking for data that
matches the second format. Without it, SQL*Loader would look for the recid field after
dname.
9.19.3 Distinguishing Different Input Row Object Subtypes

A single data file may contain records made up of row objects inherited from the same
base row object type.
For example, consider the following simple object type and object table definitions, in
which a nonfinal base object type is defined along with two object subtypes that inherit
their row objects from the base type:
CREATE TYPE person_t AS OBJECT
(name VARCHAR2(30),
age NUMBER(3)) not final;
CREATE TYPE employee_t UNDER person_t

(empid NUMBER(5),
deptno NUMBER(4),
dept VARCHAR2(30)) not final;
CREATE TYPE student_t UNDER person_t

(stdid NUMBER(5),
major VARCHAR2(20)) not final;
CREATE TABLE persons OF person_t;
The following input data file contains a mixture of these row objects subtypes. A type
ID field distinguishes between the three subtypes. person_t objects have a P in the first
column, employee_t objects have an E, and student_t objects have an S.
P,James,31,
P,Thomas,22,
E,Pat,38,93645,1122,Engineering,
P,Bill,19,
P,Scott,55,
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S,Judy,45,27316,English,
S,Karen,34,80356,History,
E,Karen,61,90056,1323,Manufacturing,
S,Pat,29,98625,Spanish,
S,Cody,22,99743,Math,
P,Ted,43,
E,Judy,44,87616,1544,Accounting,
E,Bob,50,63421,1314,Shipping,
S,Bob,32,67420,Psychology,
E,Cody,33,25143,1002,Human Resources,
The following control file uses relative positioning based on the POSITION parameter to
load this data. Note the use of the TREAT AS clause with a specific object type name.
This informs SQL*Loader that all input row objects for the object table will conform to
the definition of the named object type.
Note:
Multiple subtypes cannot be loaded with the same INTO TABLE statement.
Instead, you must use multiple INTO TABLE statements and have each one load a
different subtype.
INTO TABLE persons

REPLACE
WHEN typid = 'P' TREAT AS person_t
(typid FILLER POSITION(1) CHAR,
name CHAR,
age CHAR)
INTO TABLE persons

REPLACE
WHEN typid = 'E' TREAT AS employee_t
name CHAR,
age CHAR,
empid CHAR,
deptno CHAR,
dept CHAR)
INTO TABLE persons

REPLACE
WHEN typid = 'S' TREAT AS student_t
name CHAR,
age CHAR,
stdid CHAR,
major CHAR)
See Also:
"Loading Column Objects" for more information about loading object types
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Bind Arrays and Conventional Path Loads
9.19.4 Loading Data into Multiple Tables

By using the POSITION parameter with multiple INTO TABLE clauses, data from a single
record can be loaded into multiple normalized tables.
See case study 5, Loading Data into Multiple Tables, for an example. (See
SQL*Loader Case Studies for information about how to access case studies.).
9.19.5 Summary of Using Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses

Multiple INTO TABLE clauses allow you to extract multiple logical records from a single
input record and recognize different record formats in the same file.
For delimited data, proper use of the POSITION parameter is essential for achieving the
expected results.
When the POSITION parameter is not used, multiple INTO TABLE clauses process
different parts of the same (delimited data) input record, allowing multiple tables to be
loaded from one record. When the POSITION parameter is used, multiple INTO TABLE
clauses can process the same record in different ways, allowing multiple formats to be
recognized in one input file.
9.20 Bind Arrays and Conventional Path Loads

Multiple rows are read at one time and stored in the bind array.
SQL*Loader uses the SQL array-interface option to transfer data to the database.
When SQL*Loader sends the Oracle database an INSERT command, the entire array is
inserted at one time. After the rows in the bind array are inserted, a COMMIT statement is
issued.
The determination of bind array size pertains to SQL*Loader's conventional path
option. In general, it does not apply to the direct path load method because a direct
path load uses the direct path API. However, the bind array might be used for special
cases of direct path load where data conversion is necessary.
• Size Requirements for Bind Arrays

The bind array must be large enough to contain a single row.
• Performance Implications of Bind Arrays
Large bind arrays minimize the number of calls to the Oracle database and
maximize performance.
• Specifying Number of Rows Versus Size of Bind Array
When you specify a bind array size using the command-line parameter BINDSIZE or
the OPTIONS clause in the control file, you impose an upper limit on the bind array.
• Calculations to Determine Bind Array Size
The bind array's size is equivalent to the number of rows it contains times the
maximum length of each row.
• Minimizing Memory Requirements for Bind Arrays
Pay particular attention to the default sizes allocated for VARCHAR, VARGRAPHIC, and
the delimited forms of CHAR, DATE, and numeric EXTERNAL fields.
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• Calculating Bind Array Size for Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses

When calculating a bind array size for a control file that has multiple INTO TABLE
clauses, calculate as if the INTO TABLE clauses were not present.
See Also:
Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide for more information about the
concepts of direct path loading
9.20.1 Size Requirements for Bind Arrays

The bind array must be large enough to contain a single row.
If the maximum row length exceeds the size of the bind array, as specified by the
BINDSIZE parameter, then SQL*Loader generates an error. Otherwise, the bind array
contains as many rows as can fit within it, up to the limit set by the value of the ROWS
parameter. (The maximum value for ROWS in a conventional path load is 65534.)
Although the entire bind array need not be in contiguous memory, the buffer for each
field in the bind array must occupy contiguous memory. If the operating system cannot
supply enough contiguous memory to store a field, then SQL*Loader generates an
error.
See Also:
• BINDSIZE
• ROWS
9.20.2 Performance Implications of Bind Arrays

Large bind arrays minimize the number of calls to the Oracle database and maximize
performance.
In general, you gain large improvements in performance with each increase in the bind
array size up to 100 rows. Increasing the bind array size to be greater than 100 rows
generally delivers more modest improvements in performance. The size (in bytes) of
100 rows is typically a good value to use.
In general, any reasonably large size permits SQL*Loader to operate effectively. It is
not usually necessary to perform the detailed calculations described in this section.
Read this section when you need maximum performance or an explanation of memory
usage.
9.20.3 Specifying Number of Rows Versus Size of Bind Array

When you specify a bind array size using the command-line parameter BINDSIZE or the
OPTIONS clause in the control file, you impose an upper limit on the bind array.
The bind array never exceeds that maximum.
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As part of its initialization, SQL*Loader determines the size in bytes required to load a
single row. If that size is too large to fit within the specified maximum, then the load
terminates with an error.
SQL*Loader then multiplies that size by the number of rows for the load, whether that
value was specified with the command-line parameter ROWS or the OPTIONS clause in the
control file.
If that size fits within the bind array maximum, then the load continues—SQL*Loader
does not try to expand the number of rows to reach the maximum bind array size. If
the number of rows and the maximum bind array size are both specified, then
SQL*Loader always uses the smaller value for the bind array.
If the maximum bind array size is too small to accommodate the initial number of rows,
then SQL*Loader uses a smaller number of rows that fits within the maximum.
9.20.4 Calculations to Determine Bind Array Size

The bind array's size is equivalent to the number of rows it contains times the
maximum length of each row.
The maximum length of a row equals the sum of the maximum field lengths, plus
overhead, as follows:
bind array size =
(number of rows) * ( SUM(fixed field lengths)
+ SUM(maximum varying field lengths)
+ ( (number of varying length fields)
* (size of length indicator) )
)
Many fields do not vary in size. These fixed-length fields are the same for each loaded
row. For these fields, the maximum length of the field is the field size, in bytes, as
described in SQL*Loader Data Types. There is no overhead for these fields.
The fields that can vary in size from row to row are:
• CHAR
• DATE
• INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND
• INTERVAL DAY TO YEAR
• LONG VARRAW
• numeric EXTERNAL
• TIME
• TIMESTAMP
• TIME WITH TIME ZONE
• TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE
• VARCHAR
• VARCHARC
• VARGRAPHIC
• VARRAW
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• VARRAWC
The maximum length of these data types is described in "SQL*Loader Data Types".
The maximum lengths describe the number of bytes that the fields can occupy in the
input data record. That length also describes the amount of storage that each field
occupies in the bind array, but the bind array includes additional overhead for fields
that can vary in size.
When the character data types (CHAR, DATE, and numeric EXTERNAL) are specified with
delimiters, any lengths specified for these fields are maximum lengths. When specified
without delimiters, the size in the record is fixed, but the size of the inserted field may
still vary, due to whitespace trimming. So internally, these data types are always
treated as varying-length fields—even when they are fixed-length fields.
A length indicator is included for each of these fields in the bind array. The space
reserved for the field in the bind array is large enough to hold the longest possible
value of the field. The length indicator gives the actual length of the field for each row.
Note:
In conventional path loads, LOBFILEs are not included when allocating the size
of a bind array.
• Determining the Size of the Length Indicator

Use the control file to determine the size of the length indicator.
• Calculating the Size of Field Buffers
This section describes how to calculate the size of the field buffers.
9.20.4.1 Determining the Size of the Length Indicator

Use the control file to determine the size of the length indicator.
On most systems, the size of the length indicator is 2 bytes. On a few systems, it is 3
bytes. To determine its size, use the following control file:
OPTIONS (ROWS=1)
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
APPEND
INTO TABLE DEPT
(deptno POSITION(1:1) CHAR(1))
BEGINDATA
a
This control file loads a 1-byte CHAR using a 1-row bind array. In this example, no data
is actually loaded because a conversion error occurs when the character a is loaded
into a numeric column (deptno). The bind array size shown in the log file, minus one
(the length of the character field) is the value of the length indicator.
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Note:
A similar technique can determine bind array size without doing any
calculations. Run your control file without any data and with ROWS=1 to determine
the memory requirements for a single row of data. Multiply by the number of
rows you want in the bind array to determine the bind array size.
9.20.4.2 Calculating the Size of Field Buffers

This section describes how to calculate the size of the field buffers.
Table 9-3 through Table 9-6 summarize the memory requirements for each data type.
"L" is the length specified in the control file. "P" is precision. "S" is the size of the length
indicator. For more information about these values, see SQL*Loader Data Types.
Table 9-3 Fixed-Length Fields
Data Type Size in Bytes (Operating System-Dependent)

INTEGER The size of the INT data type, in C
INTEGER(N) N bytes
SMALLINT The size of SHORT INT data type, in C
FLOAT The size of the FLOAT data type, in C
DOUBLE The size of the DOUBLE data type, in C
BYTEINT The size of UNSIGNED CHAR, in C
VARRAW The size of UNSIGNED SHORT, plus 4096 bytes or whatever is
specified as max_length
LONG VARRAW The size of UNSIGNED INT, plus 4096 bytes or whatever is
specified as max_length
VARCHARC Composed of 2 numbers. The first specifies length, and the
second (which is optional) specifies max_length (default is 4096
bytes).
VARRAWC This data type is for RAW data. It is composed of 2 numbers. The
first specifies length, and the second (which is optional) specifies
max_length (default is 4096 bytes).
Table 9-4 Nongraphic Fields
Data Type Default Size Specified Size

(packed) DECIMAL None (N+1)/2, rounded up
ZONED None P
RAW None L
CHAR (no delimiters) 1 L+S
datetime and interval (no delimiters) None L+S
numeric EXTERNAL (no delimiters) None L+S
9-52
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Table 9-5 Graphic Fields
Data Type Default Size Length Specified with Length Specified with
POSITION DATA TYPE
GRAPHIC None L 2*L
GRAPHIC EXTERNAL None L-2 2*(L-2)
VARGRAPHIC 4KB*2 L+S (2*L)+S
Table 9-6 Variable-Length Fields
Data Type Default Size Maximum Length Specified

(L)
VARCHAR 4 KB L+S
CHAR (delimited) 255 L+S
datetime and interval (delimited) 255 L+S
numeric EXTERNAL (delimited) 255 L+S
9.20.5 Minimizing Memory Requirements for Bind Arrays

Pay particular attention to the default sizes allocated for VARCHAR, VARGRAPHIC, and the
delimited forms of CHAR, DATE, and numeric EXTERNAL fields.
They can consume enormous amounts of memory—especially when multiplied by the

number of rows in the bind array. It is best to specify the smallest possible maximum
length for these fields. Consider the following example:
CHAR(10) TERMINATED BY ","
With byte-length semantics, this example uses (10 + 2) * 64 = 768 bytes in the bind
array, assuming that the length indicator is 2 bytes long and that 64 rows are loaded at
a time.
With character-length semantics, the same example uses ((10 * s) + 2) * 64 bytes in
the bind array, where "s" is the maximum size in bytes of a character in the data file
character set.
Now consider the following example:
CHAR TERMINATED BY ","
Regardless of whether byte-length semantics or character-length semantics are used,

this example uses (255 + 2) * 64 = 16,448 bytes, because the default maximum size
for a delimited field is 255 bytes. This can make a considerable difference in the
number of rows that fit into the bind array.
9.20.6 Calculating Bind Array Size for Multiple INTO TABLE Clauses
When calculating a bind array size for a control file that has multiple INTO TABLE
clauses, calculate as if the INTO TABLE clauses were not present.
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Imagine all of the fields listed in the control file as one, long data structure—that is, the
format of a single row in the bind array.
If the same field in the data record is mentioned in multiple INTO TABLE clauses, then
additional space in the bind array is required each time it is mentioned. It is especially
important to minimize the buffer allocations for such fields.
Note:
Generated data is produced by the SQL*Loader functions CONSTANT, EXPRESSION,
RECNUM, SYSDATE, and SEQUENCE. Such generated data does not require any space
in the bind array.
9-54
10
SQL*Loader Field List Reference
being loaded, such as position, data type, conditions, and delimiters.
More information about these aspects of SQL*Loader control files is provided in the
following topics:
• Field List Contents
being loaded.
• Specifying the Position of a Data Field
To load data from the data file, SQL*Loader must know the length and location of
the field.
• Specifying Columns and Fields
You may load any number of a table's columns.
• SQL*Loader Data Types
SQL*Loader data types can be grouped into portable and nonportable data types.
• Specifying Field Conditions
A field condition is a statement about a field in a logical record that evaluates as
true or false.
• Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses
This section describes using the WHEN, NULLIF, andDEFAULTIF clauses.
• Examples of Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses
These examples explain results for different situations in which you can use the
WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF clauses.
• Loading Data Across Different Platforms

When a data file created on one platform is to be loaded on a different platform,
the data must be written in a form that the target system can read.
• Byte Ordering
SQL*Loader can load data from a data file that was created on a system whose
byte ordering is different from the byte ordering on the system where SQL*Loader
is running, even if the data file contains certain nonportable data types.
• Loading All-Blank Fields
Fields that are totally blank cause the record to be rejected. To load one of these
fields as NULL, use the NULLIF clause with the BLANKS parameter.
• Trimming Whitespace
Blanks, tabs, and other nonprinting characters (such as carriage returns and line
feeds) constitute whitespace.
• How the PRESERVE BLANKS Option Affects Whitespace Trimming
To prevent whitespace trimming in all CHAR, DATE, and numeric EXTERNAL fields, you
specify PRESERVE BLANKS as part of the LOAD statement in the control file.
• How [NO] PRESERVE BLANKS Works with Delimiter Clauses
The PRESERVE BLANKS option is affected by the presence of delimiter clauses
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Field List Contents
• Applying SQL Operators to Fields

This section describes applying SQL operators to fields.
• Using SQL*Loader to Generate Data for Input
The parameters described in this section provide the means for SQL*Loader to
generate the data stored in the database record, rather than reading it from a data
file.
10.1 Field List Contents

being loaded.
The fields are position, data type, conditions, and delimiters.
Example 10-1 shows the field list section of the sample control file that was introduced
in SQL*Loader Control File Reference.
Example 10-1 Field List Section of Sample Control File
.
.
.
1 (hiredate SYSDATE,
2 deptno POSITION(1:2) INTEGER EXTERNAL(2)
NULLIF deptno=BLANKS,
3 job POSITION(7:14) CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE
NULLIF job=BLANKS "UPPER(:job)",
mgr POSITION(28:31) INTEGER EXTERNAL
TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE, NULLIF mgr=BLANKS,
ename POSITION(34:41) CHAR
TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE "UPPER(:ename)",
empno POSITION(45) INTEGER EXTERNAL
TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE,
sal POSITION(51) CHAR TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE
"TO_NUMBER(:sal,'$99,999.99')",
4 comm INTEGER EXTERNAL ENCLOSED BY '(' AND '%'
":comm * 100"
)
In this sample control file, the numbers that appear to the left would not appear in a
real control file. They are keyed in this sample to the explanatory notes in the following
list:
1. SYSDATE sets the column to the current system date. See Setting a Column to the
Current Date .
2. POSITION specifies the position of a data field. See Specifying the Position of a
Data Field.
INTEGER EXTERNAL is the data type for the field. See Specifying the Data Type of a
Data Field and Numeric EXTERNAL.
The NULLIF clause is one of the clauses that can be used to specify field
conditions. See Using the WHEN_ NULLIF_ and DEFAULTIF Clauses.
In this sample, the field is being compared to blanks, using the BLANKS parameter.
See Comparing Fields to BLANKS.
3. The TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE clause is one of the delimiters it is possible to specify
for a field. See Specifying Delimiters.
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Specifying the Position of a Data Field
4. The ENCLOSED BY clause is another possible field delimiter. See Specifying

Delimiters.
10.2 Specifying the Position of a Data Field

To load data from the data file, SQL*Loader must know the length and location of the
field.
To specify the position of a field in the logical record, use the POSITION clause in the
column specification. The position may either be stated explicitly or relative to the
preceding field. Arguments to POSITION must be enclosed in parentheses. The start,
end, and integer values are always in bytes, even if character-length semantics are
used for a data file.
The syntax for the position specification (pos_spec) clause is as follows:
:
end
start –
( +integer )
*
The following table describes the parameters for the position specification clause.
Table 10-1 Parameters for the Position Specification Clause
start The starting column of the data field in the logical record. The first
byte position in a logical record is 1.
end The ending position of the data field in the logical record. Either
start-end or start:end is acceptable. If you omit end, then the
length of the field is derived from the data type in the data file.
Note that CHAR data specified without start or end, and without a
length specification (CHAR(n)), is assumed to have a length of 1.
If it is impossible to derive a length from the data type, then an
error message is issued.
* Specifies that the data field follows immediately after the previous
field. If you use * for the first data field in the control file, then that
field is assumed to be at the beginning of the logical record.
When you use * to specify position, the length of the field is
derived from the data type.
+integer You can use an offset, specified as +integer, to offset the current
field from the next position after the end of the previous field. A
number of bytes, as specified by +integer, are skipped before
reading the value for the current field.
You may omit POSITION entirely. If you do, then the position specification for the data
field is the same as if POSITION(*) had been used.
• Using POSITION with Data Containing Tabs

When you are determining field positions, be alert for tabs in the data file.
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Specifying the Position of a Data Field
• Using POSITION with Multiple Table Loads

This section describes using POSITION with multiple table loads.
• Examples of Using POSITION
This section shows examples using POSITION.
10.2.1 Using POSITION with Data Containing Tabs

When you are determining field positions, be alert for tabs in the data file.
Suppose you use the SQL*Loader advanced SQL string capabilities to load data from
a formatted report. You would probably first look at a printed copy of the report,
carefully measure all character positions, and then create your control file. In such a
situation, it is highly likely that when you attempt to load the data, the load will fail with
multiple "invalid number" and "missing field" errors.
These kinds of errors occur when the data contains tabs. When printed, each tab
expands to consume several columns on the paper. In the data file, however, each tab
is still only one character. As a result, when SQL*Loader reads the data file, the
POSITION specifications are wrong.
To fix the problem, inspect the data file for tabs and adjust the POSITION specifications,
or else use delimited fields.
See Also:
Specifying Delimiters
10.2.2 Using POSITION with Multiple Table Loads

This section describes using POSITION with multiple table loads.
In a multiple table load, you specify multiple INTO TABLE clauses. When you specify
POSITION(*) for the first column of the first table, the position is calculated relative to
the beginning of the logical record. When you specify POSITION(*) for the first column
of subsequent tables, the position is calculated relative to the last column of the last
table loaded.
Thus, when a subsequent INTO TABLE clause begins, the position is not set to the
beginning of the logical record automatically. This allows multiple INTO TABLE clauses to
process different parts of the same physical record. For an example, see Extracting
Multiple Logical Records.
A logical record might contain data for one of two tables, but not both. In this case, you
would reset POSITION. Instead of omitting the position specification or using POSITION(*
+n) for the first field in the INTO TABLE clause, use POSITION(1) or POSITION(n).
10.2.3 Examples of Using POSITION

This section shows examples using POSITION.
siteid POSITION (*) SMALLINT
siteloc POSITION (*) INTEGER
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Specifying Columns and Fields
If these were the first two column specifications, then siteid would begin in column 1,
and siteloc would begin in the column immediately following.
ename POSITION (1:20) CHAR
empno POSITION (22-26) INTEGER EXTERNAL
allow POSITION (*+2) INTEGER EXTERNAL TERMINATED BY "/"
Column ename is character data in positions 1 through 20, followed by column empno,
which is presumably numeric data in columns 22 through 26. Column allow is offset
from the next position (27) after the end of empno by +2, so it starts in column 29 and
continues until a slash is encountered.
10.3 Specifying Columns and Fields

You may load any number of a table's columns.
Columns defined in the database, but not specified in the control file, are assigned null
values.
A column specification is the name of the column, followed by a specification for the
value to be put in that column. The list of columns is enclosed by parentheses and
separated with commas as follows:
(columnspec,columnspec, ...)
Each column name (unless it is marked FILLER) must correspond to a column of the
table named in the INTO TABLE clause. A column name must be enclosed in quotation
marks if it is a SQL or SQL*Loader reserved word, contains special characters, or is
case sensitive.
If the value is to be generated by SQL*Loader, then the specification includes the
RECNUM, SEQUENCE, or CONSTANT parameter. See Using SQL*Loader to Generate Data for
Input.
If the column's value is read from the data file, then the data field that contains the
column's value is specified. In this case, the column specification includes a column
name that identifies a column in the database table, and a field specification that
describes a field in a data record. The field specification includes position, data type,
null restrictions, and defaults.
It is not necessary to specify all attributes when loading column objects. Any missing
attributes will be set to NULL.
• Specifying Filler Fields

A filler field, specified by BOUNDFILLER or FILLER is a data file mapped field that does
not correspond to a database column.
• Specifying the Data Type of a Data Field
The data type specification of a field tells SQL*Loader how to interpret the data in
the field.
10.3.1 Specifying Filler Fields

A filler field, specified by BOUNDFILLER or FILLER is a data file mapped field that does not
correspond to a database column.
Filler fields are assigned values from the data fields to which they are mapped.
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Specifying Columns and Fields
Keep the following in mind regarding filler fields:

• The syntax for a filler field is same as that for a column-based field, except that a
filler field's name is followed by FILLER.
• Filler fields have names but they are not loaded into the table.
• Filler fields can be used as arguments to init_specs (for example, NULLIF and
DEFAULTIF).
• Filler fields can be used as arguments to directives (for example, SID, OID, REF, and
BFILE).
To avoid ambiguity, if a Filler field is referenced in a directive, such as BFILE, and

that field is declared in the control file inside of a column object, then the field
name must be qualified with the name of the column object. This is illustrated in
the following example:
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
INTO TABLE BFILE1O_TBL REPLACE
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
(
emp_number char,
emp_info_b column object
(
bfile_name FILLER char(12),
emp_b BFILE(constant "SQLOP_DIR", emp_info_b.bfile_name) NULLIF
emp_info_b.bfile_name = 'NULL'
)
)
BEGINDATA
00001,bfile1.dat,
00002,bfile2.dat,
00003,bfile3.dat,
• Filler fields can be used in field condition specifications in NULLIF, DEFAULTIF, and
WHEN clauses. However, they cannot be used in SQL strings.
• Filler field specifications cannot contain a NULLIF or DEFAULTIF clause.

• Filler fields are initialized to NULL if TRAILING NULLCOLS is specified and applicable. If
another field references a nullified filler field, then an error is generated.
• Filler fields can occur anyplace in the data file, including inside the field list for an
object or inside the definition of a VARRAY.
• SQL strings cannot be specified as part of a filler field specification, because no
space is allocated for fillers in the bind array.
Note:
The information in this section also applies to specifying bound fillers by
using BOUNDFILLER. The only exception is that with bound fillers, SQL strings
can be specified as part of the field, because space is allocated for them in
the bind array.
A sample filler field specification looks as follows:

field_1_count FILLER char,
field_1 varray count(field_1_count)
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SQL*Loader Data Types
(
filler_field1 char(2),
field_1 column object
(
attr1 char(2),
attr2 char(2),
)
)
filler_field4 char(6)
10.3.2 Specifying the Data Type of a Data Field

The data type specification of a field tells SQL*Loader how to interpret the data in the
field.
For example, a data type of INTEGER specifies binary data, while INTEGER EXTERNAL
specifies character data that represents a number. A CHAR field can contain any
character data.
Only one data type can be specified for each field; if a data type is not specified, then
CHAR is assumed.
SQL*Loader Data Types describes how SQL*Loader data types are converted into
Oracle data types and gives detailed information about each SQL*Loader data type.
Before you specify the data type, you must specify the position of the field.
10.4 SQL*Loader Data Types

SQL*Loader data types can be grouped into portable and nonportable data types.
Within each of these two groups, the data types are subgrouped into value data types
and length-value data types.
Portable versus nonportable refers to whether the data type is platform dependent.
Platform dependency can exist for several reasons, including differences in the byte
ordering schemes of different platforms (big-endian versus little-endian), differences in
the number of bits in a platform (16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit), differences in signed number
representation schemes (2's complement versus 1's complement), and so on. In some
cases, such as with byte ordering schemes and platform word length, SQL*Loader
provides mechanisms to help overcome platform dependencies. These mechanisms
are discussed in the descriptions of the appropriate data types.
Both portable and nonportable data types can be values or length-values. Value data
types assume that a data field has a single part. Length-value data types require that
the data field consist of two subfields where the length subfield specifies how long the
value subfield can be.
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Note:
As of Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1), the maximum size of the Oracle
Database VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR2, and RAW data types has been increased to 32 KB
when the COMPATIBLE initialization parameter is set to 12.0 or later and the
MAX_STRING_SIZE initialization parameter is set to EXTENDED. SQL*Loader supports
this new maximum size.
• Nonportable Data Types

This section describes nonportable and length-value data types.
• Portable Data Types
This section describes portable data types.
• Data Type Conversions
This section describes data type conversions.
• Data Type Conversions for Datetime and Interval Data Types
This section describes data type conversions for datetime and interval data types.
• Specifying Delimiters
The boundaries of CHAR, datetime, interval, or numeric EXTERNAL fields can also be
marked by delimiter characters contained in the input data record.
• How Delimited Data Is Processed
To specify delimiters, field definitions can use various combinations of the
TERMINATED BY, ENCLOSED BY, and OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY clauses.
• Conflicting Field Lengths for Character Data Types

A control file can specify multiple lengths for the character-data fields CHAR, DATE,
and numeric EXTERNAL.
10.4.1 Nonportable Data Types

This section describes nonportable and length-value data types.
Nonportable data types are grouped into value data types and length-value data types.
The nonportable value data types are INTEGER(n), SMALLINT, FLOAT, DOUBLE, BYTEINT,
ZONED, and (packed) DECIMAL.
The nonportable length-value data types are VARGRAPHIC, VARCHAR, VARRAW, and LONG
VARRAW.
The syntax for the nonportable data types is shown in the syntax diagram for
datatype_spec.
• INTEGER(n)
• SMALLINT
• FLOAT
• DOUBLE
• BYTEINT
• ZONED
• DECIMAL
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• VARGRAPHIC
• VARCHAR
• VARRAW
• LONG VARRAW
10.4.1.1 INTEGER(n)
The data is a full-word binary integer, where n is an optionally supplied length of 1, 2,
4, or 8. If no length specification is given, then the length, in bytes, is based on the size
of a LONG INT in the C programming language on your particular platform.
INTEGERs are not portable because their byte size, their byte order, and the
representation of signed values may be different between systems. However, if the
representation of signed values is the same between systems, then SQL*Loader may
be able to access INTEGER data with correct results. If INTEGER is specified with a length
specification (n), and the appropriate technique is used (if necessary) to indicate the
byte order of the data, then SQL*Loader can access the data with correct results
between systems. If INTEGER is specified without a length specification, then
SQL*Loader can access the data with correct results only if the size of a LONG INT in the
C programming language is the same length in bytes on both systems. In that case,
the appropriate technique must still be used (if necessary) to indicate the byte order of
the data.
Specifying an explicit length for binary integers is useful in situations where the input
data was created on a platform whose word length differs from that on which
SQL*Loader is running. For instance, input data containing binary integers might be
created on a 64-bit platform and loaded into a database using SQL*Loader on a 32-bit
platform. In this case, use INTEGER(8) to instruct SQL*Loader to process the integers
as 8-byte quantities, not as 4-byte quantities.
By default, INTEGER is treated as a SIGNED quantity. If you want SQL*Loader to treat it as
an unsigned quantity, then specify UNSIGNED. To return to the default behavior, specify
SIGNED.
See Also:
"Loading Data Across Different Platforms"
10.4.1.2 SMALLINT
The data is a half-word binary integer. The length of the field is the length of a half-
word integer on your system. By default, it is treated as a SIGNED quantity. If you want
SQL*Loader to treat it as an unsigned quantity, then specify UNSIGNED. To return to the
default behavior, specify SIGNED.
SMALLINT can be loaded with correct results only between systems where a SHORT INT
has the same length in bytes. If the byte order is different between the systems, then
use the appropriate technique to indicate the byte order of the data. See "Byte
Ordering".
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Note:
This is the SHORT INT data type in the C programming language. One way to
determine its length is to make a small control file with no data and look at the
resulting log file. This length cannot be overridden in the control file.
10.4.1.3 FLOAT
The data is a single-precision, floating-point, binary number. If you specify end in the
POSITION clause, then end is ignored. The length of the field is the length of a single-
precision, floating-point binary number on your system. (The data type is FLOAT in C.)
This length cannot be overridden in the control file.
FLOAT can be loaded with correct results only between systems where the
representation of FLOAT is compatible and of the same length. If the byte order is
different between the two systems, then use the appropriate technique to indicate the
byte order of the data. See "Byte Ordering".
10.4.1.4 DOUBLE
The data is a double-precision, floating-point binary number. If you specify end in the
POSITION clause, then end is ignored. The length of the field is the length of a double-
precision, floating-point binary number on your system. (The data type is DOUBLE or LONG
FLOAT in C.) This length cannot be overridden in the control file.
DOUBLE can be loaded with correct results only between systems where the
representation of DOUBLE is compatible and of the same length. If the byte order is
different between the two systems, then use the appropriate technique to indicate the
byte order of the data. See "Byte Ordering".
10.4.1.5 BYTEINT
The decimal value of the binary representation of the byte is loaded. For example, the
input character x"1C" is loaded as 28. The length of a BYTEINT field is always 1 byte. If
POSITION(start:end) is specified, then end is ignored. (The data type is UNSIGNED CHAR in
C.)
An example of the syntax for this data type is:
(column1 position(1) BYTEINT,
column2 BYTEINT,
...
)
10.4.1.6 ZONED
ZONED data is in zoned decimal format: a string of decimal digits, one per byte, with the
sign included in the last byte. (In COBOL, this is a SIGN TRAILING field.) The length of
this field equals the precision (number of digits) that you specify.
The syntax for the ZONED data type is as follows:
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, scale
ZONED ( precision )
In this syntax, precision is the number of digits in the number, and scale (if given) is
the number of digits to the right of the (implied) decimal point. The following example
specifies an 8-digit integer starting at position 32:
sal POSITION(32) ZONED(8),
The Oracle database uses the VAX/VMS zoned decimal format when the zoned data
is generated on an ASCII-based platform. It is also possible to load zoned decimal
data that is generated on an EBCDIC-based platform. In this case, Oracle uses the
IBM format as specified in the ESA/390 Principles of Operations, version 8.1 manual.
The format that is used depends on the character set encoding of the input data file.
See "CHARACTERSET Parameter" for more information.
10.4.1.7 DECIMAL
DECIMAL data is in packed decimal format: two digits per byte, except for the last byte,
which contains a digit and sign. DECIMAL fields allow the specification of an implied
decimal point, so fractional values can be represented.
The syntax for the DECIMAL data type is as follows:
, scale
DECIMAL ( precision )
The precision parameter is the number of digits in a value. The length of the field in
bytes, as computed from digits, is (N+1)/2 rounded up.
The scale parameter is the scaling factor, or number of digits to the right of the decimal
point. The default is zero (indicating an integer). The scaling factor can be greater than
the number of digits but cannot be negative.
An example is:
sal DECIMAL (7,2)
This example would load a number equivalent to +12345.67. In the data record, this
field would take up 4 bytes. (The byte length of a DECIMAL field is equivalent to (N+1)/2,
rounded up, where N is the number of digits in the value, and 1 is added for the sign.)
10.4.1.8 VARGRAPHIC
The data is a varying-length, double-byte character set (DBCS). It consists of a length
subfield followed by a string of double-byte characters. The Oracle database does not
support double-byte character sets; however, SQL*Loader reads them as single bytes
and loads them as RAW data. Like RAW data, VARGRAPHIC fields are stored without
modification in whichever column you specify.
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Note:
The size of the length subfield is the size of the SQL*Loader SMALLINT data type
on your system (C type SHORT INT). See "SMALLINT" for more information.
VARGRAPHIC data can be loaded with correct results only between systems where a
SHORT INT has the same length in bytes. If the byte order is different between the
systems, then use the appropriate technique to indicate the byte order of the length
subfield. See "Byte Ordering".
The syntax for the VARGRAPHIC data type is:
( max_length )
VARGRAPHIC
The length of the current field is given in the first 2 bytes. A maximum length specified
for the VARGRAPHIC data type does not include the size of the length subfield. The
maximum length specifies the number of graphic (double-byte) characters. It is
multiplied by 2 to determine the maximum length of the field in bytes.
The default maximum field length is 2 KB graphic characters, or 4 KB (2 times 2KB).
To minimize memory requirements, specify a maximum length for such fields
whenever possible.
If a position specification is specified (using pos_spec) before the VARGRAPHIC statement,
then it provides the location of the length subfield, not of the first graphic character. If
you specify pos_spec(start:end), then the end location determines a maximum length
for the field. Both start and end identify single-character (byte) positions in the file.
Start is subtracted from (end + 1) to give the length of the field in bytes. If a maximum
length is specified, then it overrides any maximum length calculated from the position
specification.
If a VARGRAPHIC field is truncated by the end of the logical record before its full length is
read, then a warning is issued. Because the length of a VARGRAPHIC field is embedded
in every occurrence of the input data for that field, it is assumed to be accurate.
VARGRAPHIC data cannot be delimited.
10.4.1.9 VARCHAR
A VARCHAR field is a length-value data type. It consists of a binary length subfield
followed by a character string of the specified length. The length is in bytes unless
character-length semantics are used for the data file. In that case, the length is in
characters. See "Character-Length Semantics".
VARCHAR fields can be loaded with correct results only between systems where a SHORT
data field INT has the same length in bytes. If the byte order is different between the
systems, or if the VARCHAR field contains data in the UTF16 character set, then use the
appropriate technique to indicate the byte order of the length subfield and of the data.
The byte order of the data is only an issue for the UTF16 character set. See "Byte
Ordering".
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Note:
The size of the length subfield is the size of the SQL*Loader SMALLINT data type
on your system (C type SHORT INT). See "SMALLINT" for more information.
The syntax for the VARCHAR data type is:
( max_length )
VARCHAR
A maximum length specified in the control file does not include the size of the length
subfield. If you specify the optional maximum length for a VARCHAR data type, then a
buffer of that size, in bytes, is allocated for these fields. However, if character-length
semantics are used for the data file, then the buffer size in bytes is the max_length
times the size in bytes of the largest possible character in the character set. See
"Character-Length Semantics".
The default maximum size is 4 KB. Specifying the smallest maximum length that is
needed to load your data can minimize SQL*Loader's memory requirements,
especially if you have many VARCHAR fields.
The POSITION clause, if used, gives the location, in bytes, of the length subfield, not of
the first text character. If you specify POSITION(start:end), then the end location
determines a maximum length for the field. Start is subtracted from (end + 1) to give
the length of the field in bytes. If a maximum length is specified, then it overrides any
length calculated from POSITION.
If a VARCHAR field is truncated by the end of the logical record before its full length is
read, then a warning is issued. Because the length of a VARCHAR field is embedded in
every occurrence of the input data for that field, it is assumed to be accurate.
VARCHAR data cannot be delimited.
10.4.1.10 VARRAW
VARRAW is made up of a 2-byte binary length subfield followed by a RAW string value
subfield.
VARRAW results in a VARRAW with a 2-byte length subfield and a maximum size of 4 KB
(that is, the default). VARRAW(65000) results in a VARRAW with a length subfield of 2 bytes
and a maximum size of 65000 bytes.
VARRAW fields can be loaded between systems with different byte orders if the
appropriate technique is used to indicate the byte order of the length subfield. See
"Byte Ordering".
10.4.1.11 LONG VARRAW

LONG VARRAW is a VARRAW with a 4-byte length subfield instead of a 2-byte length subfield.
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LONG VARRAW results in a VARRAW with 4-byte length subfield and a maximum size of 4 KB
(that is, the default). LONG VARRAW(300000) results in a VARRAW with a length subfield of 4
bytes and a maximum size of 300000 bytes.
LONG VARRAW fields can be loaded between systems with different byte orders if the
appropriate technique is used to indicate the byte order of the length subfield. See
"Byte Ordering".
10.4.2 Portable Data Types

This section describes portable data types.
The portable data types are grouped into value data types and length-value data
types. The portable value data types are CHAR, Datetime and Interval, GRAPHIC, GRAPHIC
EXTERNAL, Numeric EXTERNAL (INTEGER, FLOAT, DECIMAL, ZONE), and RAW.
The portable length-value data types are VARCHARC and VARRAWC.
The syntax for these data types is shown in the diagram for datatype_spec.
The character data types are CHAR, DATE, and the numeric EXTERNAL data types. These
fields can be delimited and can have lengths (or maximum lengths) specified in the
control file.
• CHAR
• Datetime and Interval Data Types
• GRAPHIC
• GRAPHIC EXTERNAL
• Numeric EXTERNAL
• RAW
• VARCHARC
• VARRAWC
• Conflicting Native Data Type Field Lengths
• Field Lengths for Length-Value Data Types
10.4.2.1 CHAR
The data field contains character data. The length, which is optional, is a maximum
length. Note the following regarding length:
• If a length is not specified, then it is derived from the POSITION specification.
• If a length is specified, then it overrides the length in the POSITION specification.
• If no length is given and there is no POSITION specification, then CHAR data is
assumed to have a length of 1, unless the field is delimited:
– For a delimited CHAR field, if a length is specified, then that length is used as a
maximum.
– For a delimited CHAR field for which no length is specified, the default is 255
bytes.
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– For a delimited CHAR field that is greater than 255 bytes, you must specify a
maximum length. Otherwise you will receive an error stating that the field in
the data file exceeds maximum length.
The syntax for the CHAR data type is:
(length) delim_spec
CHAR
See Also:
"Specifying Delimiters"
10.4.2.2 Datetime and Interval Data Types

Both datetimes and intervals are made up of fields. The values of these fields
determine the value of the data type.
The datetime data types are:
• DATE
• TIME
• TIMESTAMP
• TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE
Values of datetime data types are sometimes called datetimes. In the following
descriptions of the datetime data types you will see that, except for DATE, you are
allowed to optionally specify a value for fractional_second_precision. The
fractional_second_precision specifies the number of digits stored in the fractional part
of the SECOND datetime field. When you create a column of this data type, the value can
be a number in the range 0 to 9. The default is 6.
The interval data types are:
• INTERVAL YEAR TO MONTH
Values of interval data types are sometimes called intervals. The INTERVAL YEAR TO
MONTH data type lets you optionally specify a value for year_precision. The
year_precision value is the number of digits in the YEAR datetime field. The default
value is 2.
The INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND data type lets you optionally specify values for
day_precision and fractional_second_precision. The day_precision is the number of
digits in the DAY datetime field. Accepted values are 0 to 9. The default is 2. The
fractional_second_precision specifies the number of digits stored in the fractional part
of the SECOND datetime field. When you create a column of this data type, the value can
be a number in the range 0 to 9. The default is 6.
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• DATE
• TIME
• TIMESTAMP
• TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE
See Also:
• "Specifying Datetime Formats At the Table Level" for information about

specifying datetime data types at the table level in a SQL*Loader control
file
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more detailed information
about specifying datetime and interval data types, including the use of
fractional_second_precision, year_precision, and day_precision
10.4.2.2.1 DATE
The DATE field contains character data that should be converted to an Oracle date
using the specified date mask. The syntax for the DATE field is:
(length) mask delim_spec

DATE
For example:
LOAD DATA
INTO TABLE dates (col_a POSITION (1:15) DATE "DD-Mon-YYYY")
BEGINDATA
1-Jan-2012
1-Apr-2012 28-Feb-2012
Whitespace is ignored and dates are parsed from left to right unless delimiters are
present. (A DATE field that consists entirely of whitespace is loaded as a NULL field.)
The length specification is optional, unless a varying-length date mask is specified.

The length is in bytes unless character-length semantics are used for the data file. In
that case, the length is in characters. See "Character-Length Semantics".
In the preceding example, the date mask, "DD-Mon-YYYY" contains 11 bytes, with byte-
length semantics. Therefore, SQL*Loader expects a maximum of 11 bytes in the field,
so the specification works properly. But, suppose a specification such as the following
is given:
DATE "Month dd, YYYY"
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In this case, the date mask contains 14 bytes. If a value with a length longer than 14
bytes is specified, such as "September 30, 2012", then a length must be specified.
Similarly, a length is required for any Julian dates (date mask "J"). A field length is
required any time the length of the date string could exceed the length of the mask
(that is, the count of bytes in the mask).
If an explicit length is not specified, then it can be derived from the POSITION clause. It
is a good idea to specify the length whenever you use a mask, unless you are
absolutely sure that the length of the data is less than, or equal to, the length of the
mask.
An explicit length specification, if present, overrides the length in the POSITION clause.
Either of these overrides the length derived from the mask. The mask may be any
valid Oracle date mask. If you omit the mask, then the default Oracle date mask of
"dd-mon-yy" is used.
The length must be enclosed in parentheses and the mask in quotation marks.
A field of data type DATE may also be specified with delimiters. For more information,
see "Specifying Delimiters".
10.4.2.2.2 TIME
The TIME data type stores hour, minute, and second values. It is specified as follows:
TIME [(fractional_second_precision)]
10.4.2.2.3 TIME WITH TIME ZONE

The TIME WITH TIME ZONE data type is a variant of TIME that includes a time zone
displacement in its value. The time zone displacement is the difference (in hours and
minutes) between local time and UTC (coordinated universal time, formerly Greenwich
mean time). It is specified as follows:
TIME [(fractional_second_precision)] WITH [LOCAL] TIME ZONE
If the LOCAL option is specified, then data stored in the database is normalized to the
database time zone, and time zone displacement is not stored as part of the column
data. When the data is retrieved, it is returned in the user's local session time zone.
10.4.2.2.4 TIMESTAMP
The TIMESTAMP data type is an extension of the DATE data type. It stores the year,
month, and day of the DATE data type, plus the hour, minute, and second values of the
TIME data type. It is specified as follows:
TIMESTAMP [(fractional_second_precision)]
If you specify a date value without a time component, then the default time is 12:00:00
a.m. (midnight).
10.4.2.2.5 TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE

The TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data type is a variant of TIMESTAMP that includes a time
zone displacement in its value. The time zone displacement is the difference (in hours
and minutes) between local time and UTC (coordinated universal time, formerly
Greenwich mean time). It is specified as follows:
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TIMESTAMP [(fractional_second_precision)] WITH TIME ZONE
10.4.2.2.6 TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE

The TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE data type is another variant of TIMESTAMP that
includes a time zone offset in its value. Data stored in the database is normalized to
the database time zone, and time zone displacement is not stored as part of the
column data. When the data is retrieved, it is returned in the user's local session time
zone. It is specified as follows:
TIMESTAMP [(fractional_second_precision)] WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE
10.4.2.2.7 INTERVAL YEAR TO MONTH

The INTERVAL YEAR TO MONTH data type stores a period of time using the YEAR and MONTH
datetime fields. It is specified as follows:
INTERVAL YEAR [(year_precision)] TO MONTH
10.4.2.2.8 INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND

The INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND data type stores a period of time using the DAY and SECOND
datetime fields. It is specified as follows:
INTERVAL DAY [(day_precision)] TO SECOND [(fractional_second_precision)]
10.4.2.3 GRAPHIC
The data is in the form of a double-byte character set (DBCS). The Oracle database
does not support double-byte character sets; however, SQL*Loader reads them as
single bytes. Like RAW data, GRAPHIC fields are stored without modification in whichever
column you specify.
The syntax for the GRAPHIC data type is:
(graphic_char_length)
GRAPHIC
For GRAPHIC and GRAPHIC EXTERNAL, specifying POSITION(start:end) gives the exact
location of the field in the logical record.
If you specify a length for the GRAPHIC (EXTERNAL) data type, however, then you give the
number of double-byte graphic characters. That value is multiplied by 2 to find the
length of the field in bytes. If the number of graphic characters is specified, then any
length derived from POSITION is ignored. No delimited data field specification is allowed
with GRAPHIC data type specification.
10.4.2.4 GRAPHIC EXTERNAL

If the DBCS field is surrounded by shift-in and shift-out characters, then use GRAPHIC
EXTERNAL. This is identical to GRAPHIC, except that the first and last characters (the shift-
in and shift-out) are not loaded.
The syntax for the GRAPHIC EXTERNAL data type is:
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(graphic_char_length)
GRAPHIC_EXTERNAL
GRAPHIC indicates that the data is double-byte characters. EXTERNAL indicates that the
first and last characters are ignored. The graphic_char_length value specifies the
length in DBCS (see "GRAPHIC").
For example, let [ ] represent shift-in and shift-out characters, and let # represent any
double-byte character.
To describe ####, use POSITION(1:4) GRAPHIC or POSITION(1) GRAPHIC(2).
To describe [####], use POSITION(1:6) GRAPHIC EXTERNAL or POSITION(1) GRAPHIC

EXTERNAL(2).
10.4.2.5 Numeric EXTERNAL

The numeric EXTERNAL data types are the numeric data types (INTEGER, FLOAT, DECIMAL,
and ZONED) specified as EXTERNAL, with optional length and delimiter specifications. The
length is in bytes unless character-length semantics are used for the data file. In that
case, the length is in characters. See "Character-Length Semantics".
These data types are the human-readable, character form of numeric data. The same
rules that apply to CHAR data regarding length, position, and delimiters apply to numeric
EXTERNAL data. See "CHAR" for a complete description of these rules.
The syntax for the numeric EXTERNAL data types is shown as part of "datatype_spec".
Note:
The data is a number in character form, not binary representation. Therefore,
these data types are identical to CHAR and are treated identically, except for the
use of DEFAULTIF. If you want the default to be null, then use CHAR; if you want
it to be zero, then use EXTERNAL. See "Using the WHEN_ NULLIF_ and
DEFAULTIF Clauses".
FLOAT EXTERNAL data can be given in either scientific or regular notation. Both "5.33"
and "533E-2" are valid representations of the same value.
10.4.2.6 RAW
When raw, binary data is loaded "as is" into a RAW database column, it is not converted
by the Oracle database. If it is loaded into a CHAR column, then the Oracle database
converts it to hexadecimal. It cannot be loaded into a DATE or number column.
The syntax for the RAW data type is as follows:
(length)
RAW
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The length of this field is the number of bytes specified in the control file. This length is
limited only by the length of the target column in the database and by memory
resources. The length is always in bytes, even if character-length semantics are used
for the data file. RAW data fields cannot be delimited.
10.4.2.7 VARCHARC
The data type VARCHARC consists of a character length subfield followed by a character
string value-subfield.
The declaration for VARCHARC specifies the length of the length subfield, optionally
followed by the maximum size of any string. If byte-length semantics are in use for the
data file, then the length and the maximum size are both in bytes. If character-length
semantics are in use for the data file, then the length and maximum size are in
characters. If a maximum size is not specified, then 4 KB is the default regardless of
whether byte-length semantics or character-length semantics are in use.
For example:
• VARCHARC results in an error because you must at least specify a value for the
length subfield.
• VARCHARC(7) results in a VARCHARC whose length subfield is 7 bytes long and whose
maximum size is 4 KB (the default) if byte-length semantics are used for the data
file. If character-length semantics are used, then it results in a VARCHARC with a
length subfield that is 7 characters long and a maximum size of 4 KB (the default).
Remember that when a maximum size is not specified, the default of 4 KB is
always used, regardless of whether byte-length or character-length semantics are
in use.
• VARCHARC(3,500) results in a VARCHARC whose length subfield is 3 bytes long and
whose maximum size is 500 bytes if byte-length semantics are used for the data
file. If character-length semantics are used, then it results in a VARCHARC with a
length subfield that is 3 characters long and a maximum size of 500 characters.
See "Character-Length Semantics".
10.4.2.8 VARRAWC
The data type VARRAWC consists of a RAW string value subfield.
For example:
• VARRAWC results in an error.
• VARRAWC(7) results in a VARRAWC whose length subfield is 7 bytes long and whose
maximum size is 4 KB (that is, the default).
• VARRAWC(3,500) results in a VARRAWC whose length subfield is 3 bytes long and
whose maximum size is 500 bytes.
10.4.2.9 Conflicting Native Data Type Field Lengths

There are several ways to specify a length for a field. If multiple lengths are specified
and they conflict, then one of the lengths takes precedence. A warning is issued when
a conflict exists. The following rules determine which field length is used:
1. The size of SMALLINT, FLOAT, and DOUBLE data is fixed, regardless of the number of
bytes specified in the POSITION clause.
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2. If the length (or precision) specified for a DECIMAL, INTEGER, ZONED, GRAPHIC, GRAPHIC
EXTERNAL, or RAW field conflicts with the size calculated from a POSITION(start:end)
specification, then the specified length (or precision) is used.
3. If the maximum size specified for a character or VARGRAPHIC field conflicts with the
size calculated from a POSITION(start:end) specification, then the specified
maximum is used.
For example, assume that the native data type INTEGER is 4 bytes long and the
following field specification is given:
column1 POSITION(1:6) INTEGER
In this case, a warning is issued, and the proper length (4) is used. The log file shows
the actual length used under the heading "Len" in the column table:
Column Name Position Len Term Encl Data Type
----------------------- --------- ----- ---- ---- ---------
COLUMN1 1:6 4 INTEGER
10.4.2.10 Field Lengths for Length-Value Data Types

A control file can specify a maximum length for the following length-value data types:
VARCHAR, VARCHARC, VARGRAPHIC, VARRAW, and VARRAWC. The specified maximum length is in
bytes if byte-length semantics are used for the field, and in characters if character-
length semantics are used for the field. If no length is specified, then the maximum
length defaults to 4096 bytes. If the length of the field exceeds the maximum length,
then the record is rejected with the following error:
Variable length field exceed maximum length
10.4.3 Data Type Conversions

This section describes data type conversions.
The data type specifications in the control file tell SQL*Loader how to interpret the
information in the data file. The server defines the data types for the columns in the
database. The link between these two is the column name specified in the control file.
SQL*Loader extracts data from a field in the input file, guided by the data type
specification in the control file. SQL*Loader then sends the field to the server to be
stored in the appropriate column (as part of an array of row inserts).
SQL*Loader or the server does any necessary data conversion to store the data in the
proper internal format. This includes converting data from the data file character set to
the database character set when they differ.
Note:
When you use SQL*Loader conventional path to load character data from the
data file into a LONG RAW column, the character data is interpreted has a HEX
string. SQL converts the HEX string into its binary representation. Be aware
that any string longer than 4000 bytes exceeds the byte limit for the SQL
HEXTORAW conversion operator. An error will be returned. SQL*Loader will reject
that row and continue loading.
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The data type of the data in the file does not need to be the same as the data type of
the column in the Oracle table. The Oracle database automatically performs
conversions, but you need to ensure that the conversion makes sense and does not
generate errors. For instance, when a data file field with data type CHAR is loaded into a
database column with data type NUMBER, you must ensure that the contents of the
character field represent a valid number.
Note:
SQL*Loader does not contain data type specifications for Oracle internal data
types such as NUMBER or VARCHAR2. The SQL*Loader data types describe data
that can be produced with text editors (character data types) and with standard
programming languages (native data types). However, although SQL*Loader
does not recognize data types like NUMBER and VARCHAR2, any data that the
Oracle database can convert can be loaded into these or other database
columns.
10.4.4 Data Type Conversions for Datetime and Interval Data Types
This section describes data type conversions for datetime and interval data types.
Table 10-2 shows which conversions between Oracle database data types and
SQL*Loader control file datetime and interval data types are supported and which are
not.
In the table, the abbreviations for the Oracle Database data types are as follows:
N = NUMBER
C = CHAR or VARCHAR2
D = DATE
T = TIME and TIME WITH TIME ZONE
TS = TIMESTAMP and TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE
YM = INTERVAL YEAR TO MONTH
DS = INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND
For the SQL*Loader data types, the definitions for the abbreviations in the table are
the same for D, T, TS, YM, and DS. However, as noted in the previous section,
SQL*Loader does not contain data type specifications for Oracle internal data types
such as NUMBER,CHAR, and VARCHAR2. However, any data that the Oracle database can
convert can be loaded into these or other database columns.
For an example of how to read this table, look at the row for the SQL*Loader data type
DATE (abbreviated as D). Reading across the row, you can see that data type
conversion is supported for the Oracle database data types of CHAR, VARCHAR2, DATE,
TIMESTAMP, and TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data types. However, conversion is not
supported for the Oracle database data types NUMBER, TIME, TIME WITH TIME ZONE,
INTERVAL YEAR TO MONTH, or INTERVAL DAY TO SECOND data types.
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Table 10-2 Data Type Conversions for Datetime and Interval Data Types
SQL*Loader Data Type Oracle Database Data Type (Conversion Support)

N N (Yes), C (Yes), D (No), T (No), TS (No), YM (No), DS (No)
C N (Yes), C (Yes), D (Yes), T (Yes), TS (Yes), YM (Yes), DS (Yes)
D N (No), C (Yes), D (Yes), T (No), TS (Yes), YM (No), DS (No)
T N (No), C (Yes), D (No), T (Yes), TS (Yes), YM (No), DS (No)
TS N (No), C (Yes), D (Yes), T (Yes), TS (Yes), YM (No), DS (No)
YM N (No), C (Yes), D (No), T (No), TS (No), YM (Yes), DS (No)
DS N (No), C (Yes), D (No), T (No), TS (No), YM (No), DS (Yes)
10.4.5 Specifying Delimiters

The boundaries of CHAR, datetime, interval, or numeric EXTERNAL fields can also be
marked by delimiter characters contained in the input data record.
The delimiter characters are specified using various combinations of the TERMINATED BY,
ENCLOSED BY, and OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY clauses (the TERMINATED BY clause, if used,
must come first). The delimiter specification comes after the data type specification.
For a description of how data is processed when various combinations of delimiter
clauses are used, see How Delimited Data Is Processed.
Note:
The RAW data type can also be marked by delimiters, but only if it is in an input
LOBFILE, and only if the delimiter is TERMINATED BY EOF (end of file).
• Syntax for Termination and Enclosure Specification

• Delimiter Marks in the Data
Sometimes the punctuation mark that is a delimiter must also be included in the
data.
• Maximum Length of Delimited Data
Delimited fields can require significant amounts of storage for the bind array.
• Loading Trailing Blanks with Delimiters
Trailing blanks are not loaded with nondelimited data types unless you specify
PRESERVE BLANKS.
10.4.5.1 Syntax for Termination and Enclosure Specification

The following diagram shows the syntax for termination_spec.
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WHITESPACE
BY X’hexstr’
TERMINATED
’string’
EOF
The following diagram shows the syntax for enclosure_spec.
AND
ENCLOSED
Table 10-3 describes the syntax for the termination and enclosure specifications used
to specify delimiters.
Table 10-3 Parameters Used for Specifying Delimiters
TERMINATED Data is read until the first occurrence of a delimiter.
BY An optional word to increase readability.
WHITESPACE Delimiter is any whitespace character including spaces, tabs,
blanks, line feeds, form feeds, or carriage returns. (Only used
with TERMINATED, not with ENCLOSED.)
OPTIONALLY Data can be enclosed by the specified character. If SQL*Loader
finds a first occurrence of the character, then it reads the data
value until it finds the second occurrence. If the data is not
enclosed, then the data is read as a terminated field. If you
specify an optional enclosure, then you must specify a
TERMINATED BY clause (either locally in the field definition or
globally in the FIELDS clause).
ENCLOSED The data will be found between two delimiters.
string The delimiter is a string.
X'hexstr' The delimiter is a string that has the value specified by X'hexstr'
in the character encoding scheme, such as X'1F' (equivalent to
31 decimal). "X" can be either lowercase or uppercase.
AND Specifies a trailing enclosure delimiter that may be different from
the initial enclosure delimiter. If AND is not present, then the initial
and trailing delimiters are assumed to be the same.
EOF Indicates that the entire file has been loaded into the LOB. This is
valid only when data is loaded from a LOB file. Fields terminated
by EOF cannot be enclosed.
Here are some examples, with samples of the data they describe:
TERMINATED BY ',' a data string,
ENCLOSED BY '"' "a data string"
TERMINATED BY ',' ENCLOSED BY '"' "a data string",
ENCLOSED BY '(' AND ')' (a data string)
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10.4.5.2 Delimiter Marks in the Data

Sometimes the punctuation mark that is a delimiter must also be included in the data.
To make that possible, two adjacent delimiter characters are interpreted as a single
occurrence of the character, and this character is included in the data. For example,
this data:
(The delimiters are left parentheses, (, and right parentheses, )).)
with this field specification:

ENCLOSED BY "(" AND ")"
puts the following string into the database:

The delimiters are left parentheses, (, and right parentheses, ).
For this reason, problems can arise when adjacent fields use the same delimiters. For
example, with the following specification:
field1 TERMINATED BY "/"
field2 ENCLOSED by "/"
the following data will be interpreted properly:

This is the first string/ /This is the second string/
But if field1 and field2 were adjacent, then the results would be incorrect, because
This is the first string//This is the second string/
would be interpreted as a single character string with a "/" in the middle, and that string
would belong to field1.
10.4.5.3 Maximum Length of Delimited Data

Delimited fields can require significant amounts of storage for the bind array.
The default maximum length of delimited data is 255 bytes. Therefore, delimited fields
can require significant amounts of storage for the bind array. A good policy is to
specify the smallest possible maximum value if the fields are shorter than 255 bytes. If
the fields are longer than 255 bytes, then you must specify a maximum length for the
field, either with a length specifier or with the POSITION clause.
For example, if you have a string literal that is longer than 255 bytes, then in addition
to using SUBSTR(), use CHAR() to specify the longest string in any record for the field. An
example of how this would look is as follows, assuming that 600 bytes is the longest
string in any record for field1:
field1 CHAR(600) SUBSTR(:field, 1, 240)
10.4.5.4 Loading Trailing Blanks with Delimiters

Trailing blanks are not loaded with nondelimited data types unless you specify
PRESERVE BLANKS.
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If a data field is 9 characters long and contains the value DANIELbbb, where bbb is three
blanks, then it is loaded into the Oracle database as "DANIEL" if declared as CHAR(9).
To include the trailing blanks, declare it as CHAR(9) TERMINATED BY ':', and add a colon
to the data file so that the field is DANIELbbb:. The field is loaded as "DANIEL ", with the
trailing blanks included. The same results are possible if you specify PRESERVE BLANKS
without the TERMINATED BY clause..
See Also:
• "Trimming Whitespace"
• "How the PRESERVE BLANKS Option Affects Whitespace Trimming"
10.4.6 How Delimited Data Is Processed

To specify delimiters, field definitions can use various combinations of the TERMINATED
BY, ENCLOSED BY, and OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY clauses.
The following topics describe the processing that takes place in each case.
• Fields Using Only TERMINATED BY
This section describes fields that use only TERMINATED BY.
• Fields Using ENCLOSED BY Without TERMINATED BY
This section describes fields using ENCLOSED BY without TERMINATED BY.
• Fields Using ENCLOSED BY With TERMINATED BY
This section describes fields that use ENCLOSED BY with TERMINATED BY.
• Fields Using OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY With TERMINATED BY
This section describes fields that use OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY with TERMINATED BY.
10.4.6.1 Fields Using Only TERMINATED BY

This section describes fields that use only TERMINATED BY.
If TERMINATED BY is specified for a field without ENCLOSED BY, then the data for the field is
read from the starting position of the field up to, but not including, the first occurrence
of the TERMINATED BY delimiter. If the terminator delimiter is found in the first column
position of a field, then the field is null. If the end of the record is found before the
TERMINATED BY delimiter, then all data up to the end of the record is considered part of
the field.
If TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE is specified, then data is read until the first occurrence of a
whitespace character (spaces, tabs, blanks, line feeds, form feeds, or carriage
returns). Then the current position is advanced until no more adjacent whitespace
characters are found. This allows field values to be delimited by varying amounts of
whitespace. However, unlike non-whitespace terminators, if the first column position of
a field is known and a whitespace terminator is found there, then the field is not treated
as null and can result in record rejection or fields loaded into incorrect columns.
10.4.6.2 Fields Using ENCLOSED BY Without TERMINATED BY

This section describes fields using ENCLOSED BY without TERMINATED BY.
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The following steps take place when a field uses an ENCLOSED BY clause without also
using a TERMINATED BY clause.
1. Any whitespace at the beginning of the field is skipped.

2. The first non-whitespace character found must be the start of a string that matches
the first ENCLOSED BY delimiter. If it is not, then the row is rejected.
3. If the first ENCLOSED BY delimiter is found, then the search for the second ENCLOSED
BY delimiter begins.
4. If two of the second ENCLOSED BY delimiters are found adjacent to each other, then
they are interpreted as a single occurrence of the delimiter and included as part of
the data for the field. The search then continues for another instance of the second
ENCLOSED BY delimiter.
5. If the end of the record is found before the second ENCLOSED BY delimiter is found,
then the row is rejected.
10.4.6.3 Fields Using ENCLOSED BY With TERMINATED BY

This section describes fields that use ENCLOSED BY with TERMINATED BY.
The following steps take place when a field uses an ENCLOSED BY clause and also uses
a TERMINATED BY clause.

2. The first non-whitespace character found must be the start of a string that matches
the first ENCLOSED BY delimiter. If it is not, then the row is rejected.
3. If the first ENCLOSED BY delimiter is found, then the search for the second ENCLOSED
BY delimiter begins.
4. If two of the second ENCLOSED BY delimiters are found adjacent to each other, then
they are interpreted as a single occurrence of the delimiter and included as part of
the data for the field. The search then continues for the second instance of the
ENCLOSED BY delimiter.
5. If the end of the record is found before the second ENCLOSED BY delimiter is found,
then the row is rejected.
6. If the second ENCLOSED BY delimiter is found, then the parser looks for the
TERMINATED BY delimiter. If the TERMINATED BY delimiter is anything other than
WHITESPACE, then whitespace found between the end of the second ENCLOSED BY
delimiter and the TERMINATED BY delimiter is skipped over.
Note:
Only WHITESPACE is allowed between the second ENCLOSED BY delimiter and
the TERMINATED BY delimiter. Any other characters will cause an error.
7. The row is not rejected if the end of the record is found before the TERMINATED BY
delimiter is found.
10.4.6.4 Fields Using OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY With TERMINATED BY

This section describes fields that use OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY with TERMINATED BY.
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The following steps take place when a field uses an OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY clause
and a TERMINATED BY clause.

2. The parser checks to see if the first non-whitespace character found is the start of
a string that matches the first OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiter. If it is not, and the
OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiters are not present in the data, then the data for the
field is read from the current position of the field up to, but not including, the first
occurrence of the TERMINATED BY delimiter. If the TERMINATED BY delimiter is found in
the first column position, then the field is null. If the end of the record is found
before the TERMINATED BY delimiter, then all data up to the end of the record is
considered part of the field.
3. If the first OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiter is found, then the search for the second
OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiter begins.
4. If two of the second OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiters are found adjacent to each
other, then they are interpreted as a single occurrence of the delimiter and
included as part of the data for the field. The search then continues for the second
OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiter.
5. If the end of the record is found before the second OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY
delimiter is found, then the row is rejected.
6. If the OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiter is present in the data, then the parser looks
for the TERMINATED BY delimiter. If the TERMINATED BY delimiter is anything other than
WHITESPACE, then whitespace found between the end of the second OPTIONALLY
ENCLOSED BY delimiter and the TERMINATED BY delimiter is skipped over.
7. The row is not rejected if the end of record is found before the TERMINATED BY
delimiter is found.
Caution:
Be careful when you specify whitespace characters as the TERMINATED BY
delimiter and are also using OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY. SQL*Loader strips off
leading whitespace when looking for an OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY delimiter. If the
data contains two adjacent TERMINATED BY delimiters in the middle of a record
(usually done to set a field in the record to NULL), then the whitespace for the
first TERMINATED BY delimiter will be used to terminate a field, but the remaining
whitespace will be considered as leading whitespace for the next field rather
than the TERMINATED BY delimiter for the next field. To load a NULL value, you
must include the ENCLOSED BY delimiters in the data.
10.4.7 Conflicting Field Lengths for Character Data Types

A control file can specify multiple lengths for the character-data fields CHAR, DATE, and
numeric EXTERNAL.
If conflicting lengths are specified, then one of the lengths takes precedence. A
warning is also issued when a conflict exists. This section explains which length is
used.
• Predetermined Size Fields
This section describes predetermined field size.
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• Delimited Fields
This section describes delimited fields.
• Date Field Masks
The length of a date field depends on the mask, if a mask is specified.
10.4.7.1 Predetermined Size Fields

This section describes predetermined field size.
If you specify a starting position and ending position for one of these fields, then the
length of the field is determined by these specifications. If you specify a length as part
of the data type and do not give an ending position, the field has the given length. If
starting position, ending position, and length are all specified, and the lengths differ,
then the length given as part of the data type specification is used for the length of the
field, as follows:
POSITION(1:10) CHAR(15)
In this example, the length of the field is 15.
10.4.7.2 Delimited Fields

This section describes delimited fields.
If a delimited field is specified with a length, or if a length can be calculated from the
starting and ending positions, then that length is the maximum length of the field. The
specified maximum length is in bytes if byte-length semantics are used for the field,
and in characters if character-length semantics are used for the field. If no length is
specified or can be calculated from the start and end positions, then the maximum
length defaults to 255 bytes. The actual length can vary up to that maximum, based on
the presence of the delimiter.
If delimiters and also starting and ending positions are specified for the field, then only
the position specification has any effect. Any enclosure or termination delimiters are
ignored.
If the expected delimiter is absent, then the end of record terminates the field. If
TRAILING NULLCOLS is specified, then remaining fields are null. If either the delimiter or
the end of record produces a field that is longer than the maximum, then SQL*Loader
rejects the record and returns an error.
10.4.7.3 Date Field Masks

The length of a date field depends on the mask, if a mask is specified.
The mask provides a format pattern, telling SQL*Loader how to interpret the data in
the record. For example, assume the mask is specified as follows:
"Month dd, yyyy"
Then "May 3, 2012" would occupy 11 bytes in the record (with byte-length semantics),
while "January 31, 2012" would occupy 16.
If starting and ending positions are specified, however, then the length calculated from
the position specification overrides a length derived from the mask. A specified length
such as DATE(12) overrides either of those. If the date field is also specified with
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Specifying Field Conditions
terminating or enclosing delimiters, then the length specified in the control file is
interpreted as a maximum length for the field.
See Also:
Datetime and Interval Data Types for more information about the DATE field
10.5 Specifying Field Conditions

A field condition is a statement about a field in a logical record that evaluates as true
or false.
It is used in the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF clauses.
Note:
If a field used in a clause evaluation has a NULL value, then that clause will
always evaluate to FALSE. This feature is illustrated in Examples of Using the
WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses.
A field condition is similar to the condition in the CONTINUEIF clause, with two important
differences. First, positions in the field condition refer to the logical record, not to the
physical record. Second, you can specify either a position in the logical record or the
name of a field in the data file (including filler fields).
Note:
A field condition cannot be based on fields in a secondary data file (SDF).
The syntax for the field_condition clause is as follows:
AND
’char_string’
( full_fieldname )
pos_spec
BLANKS
The syntax for the pos_spec clause is as follows:
:
end
start –
( +integer )
*
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Specifying Field Conditions
The following table describes the parameters used for the field condition clause. For a
full description of the position specification parameters, see Specifying the Position of
a Data Field.
Table 10-4 Parameters for the Field Condition Clause
pos_spec Specifies the starting and ending position of the comparison field
in the logical record. It must be surrounded by parentheses.
Either start-end or start:end is acceptable.
The starting location can be specified as a column number, or as
* (next column), or as *+n (next column plus an offset).
If you omit an ending position, then the length of the field is
determined by the length of the comparison string. If the lengths
are different, then the shorter field is padded. Character strings
are padded with blanks, hexadecimal strings with zeros.
start Specifies the starting position of the comparison field in the
logical record.
end Specifies the ending position of the comparison field in the logical
record.
full_fieldname full_fieldname is the full name of a field specified using dot
notation. If the field col2 is an attribute of a column object col1,
then when referring to col2 in one of the directives, you must use
the notation col1.col2. The column name and the field name
referencing or naming the same entity can be different, because
the column name never includes the full name of the entity (no
dot notation).
operator A comparison operator for either equal or not equal.
char_string A string of characters enclosed in single or double quotation
marks that is compared to the comparison field. If the comparison
is true, then the current record is inserted into the table.
X'hex_string' A string of hexadecimal digits, where each pair of digits
corresponds to one byte in the field. It is enclosed in single or
double quotation marks. If the comparison is true, then the
current record is inserted into the table.
BLANKS Enables you to test a field to see if it consists entirely of blanks.
BLANKS is required when you are loading delimited data and you
cannot predict the length of the field, or when you use a multibyte
character set that has multiple blanks.
• Comparing Fields to BLANKS

The BLANKS parameter makes it possible to determine if a field of unknown length is
blank.
• Comparing Fields to Literals
This section describes comparing fields to literals.
10.5.1 Comparing Fields to BLANKS

The BLANKS parameter makes it possible to determine if a field of unknown length is
blank.
For example, use the following clause to load a blank field as null:
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Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses
full_fieldname ... NULLIF column_name=BLANKS
The BLANKS parameter recognizes only blanks, not tabs. It can be used in place of a
literal string in any field comparison. The condition is true whenever the column is
entirely blank.
The BLANKS parameter also works for fixed-length fields. Using it is the same as
specifying an appropriately sized literal string of blanks. For example, the following
specifications are equivalent:
fixed_field CHAR(2) NULLIF fixed_field=BLANKS
fixed_field CHAR(2) NULLIF fixed_field=" "
There can be more than one blank in a multibyte character set. It is a good idea to use
the BLANKS parameter with these character sets instead of specifying a string of blank
characters.
The character string will match only a specific sequence of blank characters, while the
BLANKS parameter will match combinations of different blank characters. For more
information about multibyte character sets, see "Multibyte (Asian) Character Sets".
10.5.2 Comparing Fields to Literals

This section describes comparing fields to literals.
When a data field is compared to a literal string that is shorter than the data field, the
string is padded. Character strings are padded with blanks, for example:
NULLIF (1:4)=" "
This example compares the data in position 1:4 with 4 blanks. If position 1:4 contains 4
blanks, then the clause evaluates as true.
Hexadecimal strings are padded with hexadecimal zeros, as in the following clause:
NULLIF (1:4)=X'FF'
This clause compares position 1:4 to hexadecimal 'FF000000'.
10.6 Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses

This section describes using the WHEN, NULLIF, andDEFAULTIF clauses.
The following information applies to scalar fields. For nonscalar fields (column objects,
LOBs, and collections), the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF clauses are processed
differently because nonscalar fields are more complex.
The results of a WHEN, NULLIF, or DEFAULTIF clause can be different depending on
whether the clause specifies a field name or a position.
• If the WHEN, NULLIF, or DEFAULTIF clause specifies a field name, then SQL*Loader
compares the clause to the evaluated value of the field. The evaluated value takes
trimmed whitespace into consideration. See Trimming Whitespace for information
about trimming blanks and tabs.
• If the WHEN, NULLIF, or DEFAULTIF clause specifies a position, then SQL*Loader
compares the clause to the original logical record in the data file. No whitespace
trimming is done on the logical record in that case.
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Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses
Different results are more likely if the field has whitespace that is trimmed, or if the
WHEN, NULLIF, or DEFAULTIF clause contains blanks or tabs or uses the BLANKS parameter.
If you require the same results for a field specified by name and for the same field
specified by position, then use the PRESERVE BLANKS option. The PRESERVE BLANKS option
instructs SQL*Loader not to trim whitespace when it evaluates the values of the fields.
The results of a WHEN, NULLIF, or DEFAULTIF clause are also affected by the order in
which SQL*Loader operates, as described in the following steps. SQL*Loader
performs these steps in order, but it does not always perform all of them. Once a field
is set, any remaining steps in the process are ignored. For example, if the field is set in
Step 5, then SQL*Loader does not move on to Step 6.
1. SQL*Loader evaluates the value of each field for the input record and trims any
whitespace that should be trimmed (according to existing guidelines for trimming
blanks and tabs).
2. For each record, SQL*Loader evaluates any WHEN clauses for the table.
3. If the record satisfies the WHEN clauses for the table, or no WHEN clauses are
specified, then SQL*Loader checks each field for a NULLIF clause.
4. If a NULLIF clause exists, then SQL*Loader evaluates it.
5. If the NULLIF clause is satisfied, then SQL*Loader sets the field to NULL.
6. If the NULLIF clause is not satisfied, or if there is no NULLIF clause, then
SQL*Loader checks the length of the field from field evaluation. If the field has a
length of 0 from field evaluation (for example, it was a null field, or whitespace
trimming resulted in a null field), then SQL*Loader sets the field to NULL. In this
case, any DEFAULTIF clause specified for the field is not evaluated.
7. If any specified NULLIF clause is false or there is no NULLIF clause, and if the field
does not have a length of 0 from field evaluation, then SQL*Loader checks the
field for a DEFAULTIF clause.
8. If a DEFAULTIF clause exists, then SQL*Loader evaluates it.
9. If the DEFAULTIF clause is satisfied, then the field is set to 0 if the field in the data
file is a numeric field. It is set to NULL if the field is not a numeric field. The following
fields are numeric fields and will be set to 0 if they satisfy the DEFAULTIF clause:
• BYTEINT
• SMALLINT
• INTEGER
• FLOAT
• DOUBLE
• ZONED
• (packed) DECIMAL
• Numeric EXTERNAL (INTEGER, FLOAT, DECIMAL, and ZONED)
10. If the DEFAULTIF clause is not satisfied, or if there is no DEFAULTIF clause, then
SQL*Loader sets the field with the evaluated value from Step 1.
The order in which SQL*Loader operates could cause results that you do not expect.
For example, the DEFAULTIF clause may look like it is setting a numeric field to NULL
rather than to 0.
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Examples of Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses
Note:
As demonstrated in these steps, the presence of NULLIF and DEFAULTIF clauses
results in extra processing that SQL*Loader must perform. This can affect
performance. Note that during Step 1, SQL*Loader will set a field to NULL if its
evaluated length is zero. To improve performance, consider whether it might be
possible for you to change your data to take advantage of this. The detection of
NULLs as part of Step 1 occurs much more quickly than the processing of a
NULLIF or DEFAULTIF clause.
For example, a CHAR(5) will have zero length if it falls off the end of the logical
record or if it contains all blanks and blank trimming is in effect. A delimited field
will have zero length if there are no characters between the start of the field
and the terminator.
Also, for character fields, NULLIF is usually faster to process than DEFAULTIF (the
default for character fields is NULL).
See Also:
• Specifying a NULLIF Clause At the Table Level
10.7 Examples of Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and

DEFAULTIF Clauses
These examples explain results for different situations in which you can use the WHEN,
NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF clauses.
In the examples, a blank or space is indicated with a period (.). Assume that col1 and
col2 are VARCHAR2(5) columns in the database.
Example 10-2 DEFAULTIF Clause Is Not Evaluated

The control file specifies:
(col1 POSITION (1:5),
col2 POSITION (6:8) CHAR INTEGER EXTERNAL DEFAULTIF col1 = 'aname')
The data file contains:

aname...
In this example, col1 for the row evaluates to aname. col2 evaluates to NULL with a
length of 0 (it is ... but the trailing blanks are trimmed for a positional field).
When SQL*Loader determines the final loaded value for col2, it finds no WHEN clause
and no NULLIF clause. It then checks the length of the field, which is 0 from field
evaluation. Therefore, SQL*Loader sets the final value for col2 to NULL. The DEFAULTIF
clause is not evaluated, and the row is loaded as aname for col1 and NULL for col2.
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Examples of Using the WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF Clauses
Example 10-3 DEFAULTIF Clause Is Evaluated

.
.
.
PRESERVE BLANKS
.
.
.
col2 POSITION (6:8) INTEGER EXTERNAL DEFAULTIF col1 = 'aname'

aname...
In this example, col1 for the row again evaluates to aname. col2 evaluates to '...'
because trailing blanks are not trimmed when PRESERVE BLANKS is specified.
When SQL*Loader determines the final loaded value for col2, it finds no WHEN clause
and no NULLIF clause. It then checks the length of the field from field evaluation, which
is 3, not 0.
Then SQL*Loader evaluates the DEFAULTIF clause, which evaluates to true because
col1 is aname, which is the same as aname.
Because col2 is a numeric field, SQL*Loader sets the final value for col2 to 0. The row
is loaded as aname for col1 and as 0 for col2.
Example 10-4 DEFAULTIF Clause Specifies a Position

col2 POSITION (6:8) INTEGER EXTERNAL DEFAULTIF (1:5) = BLANKS)

.....123
In this example, col1 for the row evaluates to NULL with a length of 0 (it is ..... but the
trailing blanks are trimmed). col2 evaluates to 123.
When SQL*Loader sets the final loaded value for col2, it finds no WHEN clause and no
NULLIF clause. It then checks the length of the field from field evaluation, which is 3, not
0.
Then SQL*Loader evaluates the DEFAULTIF clause. It compares (1:5) which is ..... to
BLANKS, which evaluates to true. Therefore, because col2 is a numeric field (integer
EXTERNAL is numeric), SQL*Loader sets the final value for col2 to 0. The row is loaded
as NULL for col1 and 0 for col2.
Example 10-5 DEFAULTIF Clause Specifies a Field Name

col2 POSITION(6:8) INTEGER EXTERNAL DEFAULTIF col1 = BLANKS)
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Loading Data Across Different Platforms
.....123
In this example, col1 for the row evaluates to NULL with a length of 0 (it is ..... but the
trailing blanks are trimmed). col2 evaluates to 123.
When SQL*Loader determines the final value for col2, it finds no WHEN clause and no
NULLIF clause. It then checks the length of the field from field evaluation, which is 3, not
0.
Then SQL*Loader evaluates the DEFAULTIF clause. As part of the evaluation, it checks
to see that col1 is NULL from field evaluation. It is NULL, so the DEFAULTIF clause
evaluates to false. Therefore, SQL*Loader sets the final value for col2 to 123, its
original value from field evaluation. The row is loaded as NULL for col1 and 123 for col2.
10.8 Loading Data Across Different Platforms

When a data file created on one platform is to be loaded on a different platform, the
data must be written in a form that the target system can read.
For example, if the source system has a native, floating-point representation that uses
16 bytes, and the target system's floating-point numbers are 12 bytes, then the target
system cannot directly read data generated on the source system.
The best solution is to load data across an Oracle Net database link, taking advantage
of the automatic conversion of data types. This is the recommended approach,
whenever feasible, and means that SQL*Loader must be run on the source system.
Problems with interplatform loads typically occur with native data types. In some
situations, it is possible to avoid problems by lengthening a field by padding it with
zeros, or to read only part of the field to shorten it (for example, when an 8-byte integer
is to be read on a system that uses 4-byte integers, or the reverse). Note, however,
that incompatible data type implementation may prevent this.
If you cannot use an Oracle Net database link and the data file must be accessed by
SQL*Loader running on the target system, then it is advisable to use only the portable
SQL*Loader data types (for example, CHAR, DATE, VARCHARC, and numeric EXTERNAL). Data
files written using these data types may be longer than those written with native data
types. They may take more time to load, but they transport more readily across
platforms.
If you know in advance that the byte ordering schemes or native integer lengths differ
between the platform on which the input data will be created and the platform on which
SQL*loader will be run, then investigate the possible use of the appropriate technique
to indicate the byte order of the data or the length of the native integer. Possible
techniques for indicating the byte order are to use the BYTEORDER parameter or to place
a byte-order mark (BOM) in the file. Both methods are described in Byte Ordering. It
may then be possible to eliminate the incompatibilities and achieve a successful cross-
platform data load. If the byte order is different from the SQL*Loader default, then you
must indicate a byte order.
10.9 Byte Ordering

SQL*Loader can load data from a data file that was created on a system whose byte
ordering is different from the byte ordering on the system where SQL*Loader is
running, even if the data file contains certain nonportable data types.
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Byte Ordering
Note:
The information in this section is only applicable if you are planning to create
input data on a system that has a different byte-ordering scheme than the
system on which SQL*Loader will be run. Otherwise, you can skip this section.
By default, SQL*Loader uses the byte order of the system where it is running as the
byte order for all data files. For example, on a Sun Solaris system, SQL*Loader uses
big-endian byte order. On an Intel or an Intel-compatible PC, SQL*Loader uses little-
endian byte order.
Byte order affects the results when data is written and read an even number of bytes
at a time (typically 2 bytes, 4 bytes, or 8 bytes). The following are some examples of
this:
• The 2-byte integer value 1 is written as 0x0001 on a big-endian system and as
0x0100 on a little-endian system.
• The 4-byte integer 66051 is written as 0x00010203 on a big-endian system and as
0x03020100 on a little-endian system.
Byte order also affects character data in the UTF16 character set if it is written and
read as 2-byte entities. For example, the character 'a' (0x61 in ASCII) is written as
0x0061 in UTF16 on a big-endian system, but as 0x6100 on a little-endian system.
All Oracle-supported character sets, except UTF16, are written one byte at a time. So,
even for multibyte character sets such as UTF8, the characters are written and read
the same way on all systems, regardless of the byte order of the system. Therefore,
data in the UTF16 character set is nonportable because it is byte-order dependent.
Data in all other Oracle-supported character sets is portable.
Byte order in a data file is only an issue if the data file that contains the byte-order-
dependent data is created on a system that has a different byte order from the system
on which SQL*Loader is running. If SQL*Loader knows the byte order of the data, then
it swaps the bytes as necessary to ensure that the data is loaded correctly in the target
database. Byte swapping means that data in big-endian format is converted to little-
endian format, or the reverse.
To indicate byte order of the data to SQL*Loader, you can use the BYTEORDER
parameter, or you can place a byte-order mark (BOM) in the file. If you do not use one
of these techniques, then SQL*Loader will not correctly load the data into the data file.
• Specifying Byte Order

This section describes specifying the byte order.
• Using Byte Order Marks (BOMs)
This section describes using byte order marks.
See Also:
Case study 11, Loading Data in the Unicode Character Set, for an example of
how SQL*Loader handles byte swapping. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for
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Byte Ordering
10.9.1 Specifying Byte Order

This section describes specifying the byte order.
To specify the byte order of data in the input data files, use the following syntax in the
BIG ENDIAN
BYTEORDER
LITTLE
The BYTEORDER parameter has the following characteristics:
• BYTEORDER is placed after the LENGTH parameter in the SQL*Loader control file.
• It is possible to specify a different byte order for different data files. However, the
BYTEORDER specification before the INFILE parameters applies to the entire list of
primary data files.
• The BYTEORDER specification for the primary data files is also used as the default for
LOBFILEs and SDFs. To override this default, specify BYTEORDER with the LOBFILE
or SDF specification.
• The BYTEORDER parameter is not applicable to data contained within the control file
itself.
• The BYTEORDER parameter applies to the following:
– Binary INTEGER and SMALLINT data
– Binary lengths in varying-length fields (that is, for the VARCHAR, VARGRAPHIC,
VARRAW, and LONG VARRAW data types)
– Character data for data files in the UTF16 character set

– FLOAT and DOUBLE data types, if the system where the data was written has a
compatible floating-point representation with that on the system where
SQL*Loader is running
• The BYTEORDER parameter does not apply to any of the following:
– Raw data types (RAW, VARRAW, or VARRAWC)
– Graphic data types (GRAPHIC, VARGRAPHIC, or GRAPHIC EXTERNAL)
– Character data for data files in any character set other than UTF16
– ZONED or (packed) DECIMAL data types
10.9.2 Using Byte Order Marks (BOMs)

This section describes using byte order marks.
Data files that use a Unicode encoding (UTF-16 or UTF-8) may contain a byte-order
mark (BOM) in the first few bytes of the file. For a data file that uses the character set
UTF16, the values {0xFE,0xFF} in the first two bytes of the file are the BOM indicating
that the file contains big-endian data. The values {0xFF,0xFE} are the BOM indicating
that the file contains little-endian data.
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Byte Ordering
If the first primary data file uses the UTF16 character set and it also begins with a
BOM, then that mark is read and interpreted to determine the byte order for all primary
data files. SQL*Loader reads and interprets the BOM, skips it, and begins processing
data with the byte immediately after the BOM. The BOM setting overrides any
BYTEORDER specification for the first primary data file. BOMs in data files other than the
first primary data file are read and used for checking for byte-order conflicts only. They
do not change the byte-order setting that SQL*Loader uses in processing the data file.
In summary, the precedence of the byte-order indicators for the first primary data file is
as follows:
• BOM in the first primary data file, if the data file uses a Unicode character set that
is byte-order dependent (UTF16) and a BOM is present
• BYTEORDER parameter value, if specified before the INFILE parameters
• The byte order of the system where SQL*Loader is running

For a data file that uses a UTF8 character set, a BOM of {0xEF,0xBB,0xBF} in the first
3 bytes indicates that the file contains UTF8 data. It does not indicate the byte order of
the data, because data in UTF8 is not byte-order dependent. If SQL*Loader detects a
UTF8 BOM, then it skips it but does not change any byte-order settings for processing
the data files.
SQL*Loader first establishes a byte-order setting for the first primary data file using the
precedence order just defined. This byte-order setting is used for all primary data files.
If another primary data file uses the character set UTF16 and also contains a BOM,
then the BOM value is compared to the byte-order setting established for the first
primary data file. If the BOM value matches the byte-order setting of the first primary
data file, then SQL*Loader skips the BOM, and uses that byte-order setting to begin
processing data with the byte immediately after the BOM. If the BOM value does not
match the byte-order setting established for the first primary data file, then
SQL*Loader issues an error message and stops processing.
If any LOBFILEs or secondary data files are specified in the control file, then
SQL*Loader establishes a byte-order setting for each LOBFILE and secondary data
file (SDF) when it is ready to process the file. The default byte-order setting for
LOBFILEs and SDFs is the byte-order setting established for the first primary data file.
This is overridden if the BYTEORDER parameter is specified with a LOBFILE or SDF. In
either case, if the LOBFILE or SDF uses the UTF16 character set and contains a
BOM, the BOM value is compared to the byte-order setting for the file. If the BOM
value matches the byte-order setting for the file, then SQL*Loader skips the BOM, and
uses that byte-order setting to begin processing data with the byte immediately after
the BOM. If the BOM value does not match, then SQL*Loader issues an error
message and stops processing.
In summary, the precedence of the byte-order indicators for LOBFILEs and SDFs is as
follows:
• BYTEORDER parameter value specified with the LOBFILE or SDF
• The byte-order setting established for the first primary data file
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Byte Ordering
Note:
If the character set of your data file is a unicode character set and there is a
byte-order mark in the first few bytes of the file, then do not use the SKIP
parameter. If you do, then the byte-order mark will not be read and
interpreted as a byte-order mark.
• Suppressing Checks for BOMs

This section describes suppressing checks for BOMs.
10.9.2.1 Suppressing Checks for BOMs

This section describes suppressing checks for BOMs.
A data file in a Unicode character set may contain binary data that matches the BOM
in the first bytes of the file. For example the integer(2) value 0xFEFF = 65279 decimal
matches the big-endian BOM in UTF16. In that case, you can tell SQL*Loader to read
the first bytes of the data file as data and not check for a BOM by specifying the
BYTEORDERMARK parameter with the value NOCHECK. The syntax for the BYTEORDERMARK
parameter is:
CHECK
BYTEORDERMARK
NOCHECK
BYTEORDERMARK NOCHECK indicates that SQL*Loader should not check for a BOM and
should read all the data in the data file as data.
BYTEORDERMARK CHECK tells SQL*Loader to check for a BOM. This is the default behavior
for a data file in a Unicode character set. But this specification may be used in the
control file for clarification. It is an error to specify BYTEORDERMARK CHECK for a data file
that uses a non-Unicode character set.
The BYTEORDERMARK parameter has the following characteristics:
• It is placed after the optional BYTEORDER parameter in the SQL*Loader control file.
• It applies to the syntax specification for primary data files, and also to LOBFILEs
and secondary data files (SDFs).
• It is possible to specify a different BYTEORDERMARK value for different data files;
however, the BYTEORDERMARK specification before the INFILE parameters applies to
the entire list of primary data files.
• The BYTEORDERMARK specification for the primary data files is also used as the
default for LOBFILEs and SDFs, except that the value CHECK is ignored in this case
if the LOBFILE or SDF uses a non-Unicode character set. This default setting for
LOBFILEs and secondary data files can be overridden by specifying BYTEORDERMARK
with the LOBFILE or SDF specification.
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Loading All-Blank Fields
10.10 Loading All-Blank Fields

Fields that are totally blank cause the record to be rejected. To load one of these fields
as NULL, use the NULLIF clause with the BLANKS parameter.
If an all-blank CHAR field is surrounded by enclosure delimiters, then the blanks within
the enclosures are loaded. Otherwise, the field is loaded as NULL.
A DATE or numeric field that consists entirely of blanks is loaded as a NULL field.
See Also:
• Case study 6, Loading Data Using the Direct Path Load Method, for an
example of how to load all-blank fields as NULL with the NULLIF clause. (See
SQL*Loader Case Studies for information on how to access case studies.)
• "How the PRESERVE BLANKS Option Affects Whitespace Trimming"
10.11 Trimming Whitespace

Leading whitespace occurs at the beginning of a field. Trailing whitespace occurs at
the end of a field. Depending on how the field is specified, whitespace may or may not
be included when the field is inserted into the database. This is illustrated in the figure
"Example of Field Conversion, where two CHAR fields are defined for a data record.
The field specifications are contained in the control file. The control file CHAR
specification is not the same as the database CHAR specification. A data field defined as
CHAR in the control file simply tells SQL*Loader how to create the row insert. The data
could then be inserted into a CHAR, VARCHAR2, NCHAR, NVARCHAR2, or even a NUMBER or DATE
column in the database, with the Oracle database handling any necessary
conversions.
By default, SQL*Loader removes trailing spaces from CHAR data before passing it to the
database. So, in the figure "Example of Field Conversion,” both Field 1 and Field 2 are
passed to the database as 3-byte fields. However, when the data is inserted into the
table, there is a difference.
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Trimming Whitespace
Figure 10-1 Example of Field Conversion
Field 1 Field 2
DATAFILE
a a a b b b
CHAR (5) Control File Specifications CHAR (5) SQL*Loader
ROW
aaa bbb
INSERT
DATABASE Table
SERVER
Column 1 Column 2
a a a _ _ b b b
CHAR (5) Column Datatypes VARCHAR (5)
Column 1 is defined in the database as a fixed-length CHAR column of length 5. So the

data (aaa) is left-justified in that column, which remains 5 bytes wide. The extra space
on the right is padded with blanks. Column 2, however, is defined as a varying-length
field with a maximum length of 5 bytes. The data for that column (bbb) is left-justified as
well, but the length remains 3 bytes.
The table "Behavior Summary for Trimming Whitespace" summarizes when and how
whitespace is removed from input data fields when PRESERVE BLANKS is not specified.
See How the PRESERVE BLANKS Option Affects Whitespace Trimming for details
about how to prevent whitespace trimming.
Table 10-5 Behavior Summary for Trimming Whitespace
Specification Data Result Leading Trailing

Whitespace Whitespace
Present (When Present (When an
an all-blank field all-blank field is
is trimmed, its trimmed, its value
value is NULL. is NULL.)
Predetermined size __aa__ __aa Yes No
Terminated __aa__, __aa__ Yes Yes, except for fields
that are terminated
by whitespace.
Enclosed "__aa__" __aa__ Yes Yes
Terminated and "__aa__" __aa__ Yes Yes
enclosed ,
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Trimming Whitespace
Table 10-5 (Cont.) Behavior Summary for Trimming Whitespace
Specification Data Result Leading Trailing

Whitespace Whitespace
Present (When Present (When an
an all-blank field all-blank field is
is trimmed, its trimmed, its value
value is NULL. is NULL.)
Optional enclosure "__aa__" __aa__ Yes Yes
(present) ,
Optional enclosure __aa__, aa__ No Yes
(absent)
Previous field __aa__ aa (Presence of No Presence of trailing
terminated by trailing whitespace whitespace depends
whitespace depends on the on the current field's
current field's specification, as
specification, as shown by the other
shown by the other entries in the table.
entries in the table.)
The rest of this section discusses the following topics with regard to trimming
whitespace:
• Data Types for Which Whitespace Can Be Trimmed
The information in this section applies only to fields specified with one of the
character-data data types.
• Specifying Field Length for Data Types for Which Whitespace Can Be Trimmed
This section describes specifying field length.
• Relative Positioning of Fields
This section describes the relative positioning of fields.
• Leading Whitespace
This section describes leading whitespace.
• Trimming Trailing Whitespace
Trailing whitespace is always trimmed from character-data fields that have a
predetermined size.
• Trimming Enclosed Fields
This section describes trimming enclosed fields.
10.11.1 Data Types for Which Whitespace Can Be Trimmed

The information in this section applies only to fields specified with one of the character-
data data types.
• CHAR data type
• Datetime and interval data types

• Numeric EXTERNAL data types:
– INTEGER EXTERNAL
– FLOAT EXTERNAL
– (packed) DECIMAL EXTERNAL
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Trimming Whitespace
– ZONED (decimal) EXTERNAL
Note:
Although VARCHAR and VARCHARC fields also contain character data, these
fields are never trimmed. These fields include all whitespace that is
part of the field in the data file.
10.11.2 Specifying Field Length for Data Types for Which Whitespace
Can Be Trimmed
This section describes specifying field length.
There are two ways to specify field length. If a field has a constant length that is
defined in the control file with a position specification or the data type and length, then
it has a predetermined size. If a field's length is not known in advance, but depends on
indicators in the record, then the field is delimited, using either enclosure or
termination delimiters.
If a position specification with start and end values is defined for a field that also has
enclosure or termination delimiters defined, then only the position specification has
any effect. The enclosure and termination delimiters are ignored.
• Predetermined Size Fields
Fields that have a predetermined size are specified with a starting position and
ending position, or with a length.
• Delimited Fields
Delimiters are characters that demarcate field boundaries.
10.11.2.1 Predetermined Size Fields

Fields that have a predetermined size are specified with a starting position and ending
position, or with a length.
For example:
loc POSITION(19:31)
loc CHAR(14)
In the second case, even though the exact position of the field is not specified, the
length of the field is predetermined.
10.11.2.2 Delimited Fields

Delimiters are characters that demarcate field boundaries.
Enclosure delimiters surround a field, like the quotation marks in the following
example, where "__" represents blanks or tabs:
"__aa__"
Termination delimiters signal the end of a field, like the comma in the following
example:
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Trimming Whitespace
__aa__,
Delimiters are specified with the control clauses TERMINATED BY and ENCLOSED BY, as
shown in the following example:
loc TERMINATED BY "." OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '|'
10.11.3 Relative Positioning of Fields

This section describes the relative positioning of fields.
SQL*Loader determines the starting position of a field in the following situations:
• No Start Position Specified for a Field
When a starting position is not specified for a field, it begins immediately after the
end of the previous field.
• Previous Field Terminated by a Delimiter
If the previous field (Field 1) is terminated by a delimiter, then the next field begins
immediately after the delimiter.
• Previous Field Has Both Enclosure and Termination Delimiters
When a field is specified with both enclosure delimiters and a termination delimiter,
then the next field starts after the termination delimiter.
10.11.3.1 No Start Position Specified for a Field

When a starting position is not specified for a field, it begins immediately after the end
of the previous field.
The following figure illustrates this situation when the previous field (Field 1) has a
predetermined size.
Figure 10-2 Relative Positioning After a Fixed Field
Field 1 CHAR(9) Field 2 TERMINATED BY ","
a a a a b b b b ,
10.11.3.2 Previous Field Terminated by a Delimiter

If the previous field (Field 1) is terminated by a delimiter, then the next field begins
immediately after the delimiter.
For example:Figure 10-3.
Figure 10-3 Relative Positioning After a Delimited Field
Field 1 TERMINATED BY "," Field 2 TERMINATED BY ","
a a a a , b b b b ,
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Trimming Whitespace
10.11.3.3 Previous Field Has Both Enclosure and Termination Delimiters

When a field is specified with both enclosure delimiters and a termination delimiter,
then the next field starts after the termination delimiter.
For example:Figure 10-4. If a nonwhitespace character is found after the enclosure
delimiter, but before the terminator, then SQL*Loader generates an error.
Figure 10-4 Relative Positioning After Enclosure Delimiters
Field 1 TERMINATED BY ","

ENCLOSED BY ' " ' Field 2 TERMINATED BY ","
" a a a a " , b b b b ,
10.11.4 Leading Whitespace

This section describes leading whitespace.
In Figure 10-4, both fields are stored with leading whitespace. Fields do not include
leading whitespace in the following cases:
• When the previous field is terminated by whitespace, and no starting position is
specified for the current field
• When optional enclosure delimiters are specified for the field, and the enclosure
delimiters are not present
These cases are illustrated in the following sections.
• Previous Field Terminated by Whitespace
If the previous field is TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE, then all whitespace after the field
acts as the delimiter.
• Optional Enclosure Delimiters
Leading whitespace is also removed from a field when optional enclosure
delimiters are specified but not present.
10.11.4.1 Previous Field Terminated by Whitespace

If the previous field is TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE, then all whitespace after the field acts
as the delimiter.
The next field starts at the next nonwhitespace character. Figure 10-5 illustrates this
case.
Figure 10-5 Fields Terminated by Whitespace
Field 1 TERMINATED Field 2 TERMINATED

BY WHITESPACE BY WHITESPACE
a a a a b b b b
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Trimming Whitespace
This situation occurs when the previous field is explicitly specified with the TERMINATED
BY WHITESPACE clause, as shown in the example. It also occurs when you use the global
FIELDS TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE clause.
10.11.4.2 Optional Enclosure Delimiters

Leading whitespace is also removed from a field when optional enclosure delimiters
are specified but not present.
Whenever optional enclosure delimiters are specified, SQL*Loader scans forward,
looking for the first enclosure delimiter. If an enclosure delimiter is not found, then
SQL*Loader skips over whitespace, eliminating it from the field. The first
nonwhitespace character signals the start of the field. This situation is shown in Field 2
in Figure 10-6. (In Field 1 the whitespace is included because SQL*Loader found
enclosure delimiters for the field.)
Figure 10-6 Fields Terminated by Optional Enclosure Delimiters
Field 1 TERMINATED BY " , " Field 2 TERMINATED BY " , "

OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY ' " ' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY ' " '
" a a a a " , b b b b ,
Unlike the case when the previous field is TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE, this specification
removes leading whitespace even when a starting position is specified for the current
field.
Note:
If enclosure delimiters are present, then leading whitespace after the initial
enclosure delimiter is kept, but whitespace before this delimiter is discarded.
See the first quotation mark in Field 1, Figure 10-6.
10.11.5 Trimming Trailing Whitespace

Trailing whitespace is always trimmed from character-data fields that have a
predetermined size.
These are the only fields for which trailing whitespace is always trimmed.
10.11.6 Trimming Enclosed Fields

This section describes trimming enclosed fields.
If a field is enclosed, or terminated and enclosed, like the first field shown in
Figure 10-6, then any whitespace outside the enclosure delimiters is not part of the
field. Any whitespace between the enclosure delimiters belongs to the field, whether it
is leading or trailing whitespace.
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How the PRESERVE BLANKS Option Affects Whitespace Trimming
10.12 How the PRESERVE BLANKS Option Affects

Whitespace Trimming
To prevent whitespace trimming in all CHAR, DATE, and numeric EXTERNAL fields, you
specify PRESERVE BLANKS as part of the LOAD statement in the control file.
However, there may be times when you do not want to preserve blanks for all CHAR,
DATE, and numeric EXTERNAL fields. Therefore, SQL*Loader also enables you to specify
PRESERVE BLANKS as part of the data type specification for individual fields, rather than
specifying it globally as part of the LOAD statement.
In the following example, assume that PRESERVE BLANKS has not been specified as part
of the LOAD statement, but you want the c1 field to default to zero when blanks are
present. You can achieve this by specifying PRESERVE BLANKS on the individual field.
Only that field is affected; blanks will still be removed on other fields.
c1 INTEGER EXTERNAL(10) PRESERVE BLANKS DEFAULTIF c1=BLANKS
In this example, if PRESERVE BLANKS were not specified for the field, then it would result in
the field being improperly loaded as NULL (instead of as 0).
There may be times when you want to specify PRESERVE BLANKS as an option to the LOAD
statement and have it apply to most CHAR, DATE, and numeric EXTERNAL fields. You can
override it for an individual field by specifying NO PRESERVE BLANKS as part of the data
type specification for that field, as follows:
c1 INTEGER EXTERNAL(10) NO PRESERVE BLANKS
10.13 How [NO] PRESERVE BLANKS Works with Delimiter

Clauses
The PRESERVE BLANKS option is affected by the presence of delimiter clauses
Delimiter clauses affect PRESERVE BLANKS in the following cases:
• Leading whitespace is left intact when optional enclosure delimiters are not
present
• Trailing whitespace is left intact when fields are specified with a predetermined
size
For example, consider the following field, where underscores represent blanks:
__aa__,
Suppose this field is loaded with the following delimiter clause:

TERMINATED BY ',' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"'
In such a case, if PRESERVE BLANKS is specified, then both the leading whitespace and
the trailing whitespace are retained. If PRESERVE BLANKS is not specified, then the leading
whitespace is trimmed.
Now suppose the field is loaded with the following clause:
TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE
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In such a case, if PRESERVE BLANKS is specified, then it does not retain the space at the
beginning of the next field, unless that field is specified with a POSITION clause that
includes some of the whitespace. Otherwise, SQL*Loader scans past all whitespace at
the end of the previous field until it finds a nonblank, nontab character.
Related Topics
10.14 Applying SQL Operators to Fields

This section describes applying SQL operators to fields.
A wide variety of SQL operators can be applied to field data with the SQL string. This
string can contain any combination of SQL expressions that are recognized by the
Oracle database as valid for the VALUES clause of an INSERT statement. In general, any
SQL function that returns a single value that is compatible with the target column's
data type can be used. SQL strings can be applied to simple scalar column types and
also to user-defined complex types such as column objects and collections.
The column name and the name of the column in a SQL string bind variable must, with
the interpretation of SQL identifier rules, correspond to the same column. But the two
names do not necessarily have to be written exactly the same way, as in the following
example:
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
APPEND INTO TABLE XXX
( "Last" position(1:7) char "UPPER(:\"Last\")"
first position(8:15) char "UPPER(:first || :FIRST || :\"FIRST\")"
)
BEGINDATA
Grant Phil
Taylor Jason
Note the following about the preceding example:

• If, during table creation, a column identifier is declared using double quotation
marks because it contains lowercase and/or special-case letters (as in the column
named "Last" above), then the column name in the bind variable must exactly
match the column name used in the CREATE TABLE statement.
• If a column identifier is declared without double quotation marks during table
creation (as in the column name first above), then because first, FIRST, and
"FIRST" all resolve to FIRST after upper casing is done, any of these written formats
in a SQL string bind variable would be acceptable.
Note the following when you are using SQL strings:
• The execution of SQL strings is not considered to be part of field setting. Rather,
when the SQL string is executed it uses the result of any field setting and NULLIF or
DEFAULTIF clauses. So, the evaluation order is as follows (steps 1 and 2 are a
summary of the steps described in Using the WHEN_ NULLIF_ and DEFAULTIF
Clauses):
1. Field setting is done.
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2. Any NULLIF or DEFAULTIF clauses are applied (and that may change the field
setting results for the fields that have such clauses). When NULLIF and
DEFAULTIF clauses are used with a SQL expression, they affect the field setting
results, not the final column results.
3. Any SQL expressions are evaluated using the field results obtained after
completion of Steps 1 and 2. The results are assigned to the corresponding
columns that have the SQL expressions. (If there is no SQL expression
present, then the result obtained from Steps 1 and 2 is assigned to the
column.)
• If your control file specifies character input that has an associated SQL string, then
SQL*Loader makes no attempt to modify the data. This is because SQL*Loader
assumes that character input data that is modified using a SQL operator will yield
results that are correct for database insertion.
• The SQL string must appear after any other specifications for a given column.
• The SQL string must be enclosed in double quotation marks.
• To enclose a column name in quotation marks within a SQL string, you must use
escape characters.
In the preceding example, Last is enclosed in double quotation marks to preserve
the mixed case, and the double quotation marks necessitate the use of the
backslash (escape) character.
• If a SQL string contains a column name that references a column object attribute,
then the full object attribute name must be used in the bind variable. Each attribute
name in the full name is an individual identifier. Each identifier is subject to the
SQL identifier quoting rules, independent of the other identifiers in the full name.
For example, suppose you have a column object named CHILD with an attribute
name of "HEIGHT_%TILE". (Note that the attribute name is in double quotation
marks.) To use the full object attribute name in a bind variable, any one of the
following formats would work:
– :CHILD.\"HEIGHT_%TILE\"
– :child.\"HEIGHT_%TILE\"
Enclosing the full name (:\"CHILD.HEIGHT_%TILE\") generates a warning message

that the quoting rule on an object attribute name used in a bind variable has
changed. The warning is only to suggest that the bind variable be written correctly;
it will not cause the load to abort. The quoting rule was changed because
enclosing the full name in quotation marks would have caused SQL to interpret the
name as one identifier rather than a full column object attribute name consisting of
multiple identifiers.
• The SQL string is evaluated after any NULLIF or DEFAULTIF clauses, but before a
date mask.
• If the Oracle database does not recognize the string, then the load terminates in
error. If the string is recognized, but causes a database error, then the row that
caused the error is rejected.
• SQL strings are required when using the EXPRESSION parameter in a field
specification.
• The SQL string cannot reference fields that are loaded using OID, SID, REF, or
BFILE. Also, it cannot reference filler fields or other fields which use SQL strings.
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• In direct path mode, a SQL string cannot reference a VARRAY, nested table, or LOB
column. This also includes a VARRAY, nested table, or LOB column that is an
attribute of a column object.
• The SQL string cannot be used on RECNUM, SEQUENCE, CONSTANT, or SYSDATE fields.
• The SQL string cannot be used on LOBs, BFILEs, XML columns, or a file that is an
element of a collection.
• In direct path mode, the final result that is returned after evaluation of the
expression in the SQL string must be a scalar data type. That is, the expression
may not return an object or collection data type when performing a direct path
load.
• Referencing Fields
To refer to fields in the record, precede the field name with a colon (:).
• Common Uses of SQL Operators in Field Specifications
This section describes the common uses of SQL operators in field specifications.
• Combinations of SQL Operators
This section describes combining SQL operators.
• Using SQL Strings with a Date Mask
When a SQL string is used with a date mask, the date mask is evaluated after the
SQL string.
• Interpreting Formatted Fields
It is possible to use the TO_CHAR operator to store formatted dates and numbers.
• Using SQL Strings to Load the ANYDATA Database Type
The ANYDATA database type can contain data of different types.
10.14.1 Referencing Fields

To refer to fields in the record, precede the field name with a colon (:).
Field values from the current record are substituted. A field name preceded by a colon
(:) in a SQL string is also referred to as a bind variable. Note that bind variables
enclosed in single quotation marks are treated as text literals, not as bind variables.
The following example illustrates how a reference is made to both the current field and
to other fields in the control file. It also illustrates how enclosing bind variables in single
quotation marks causes them to be treated as text literals. Be sure to read the notes
following this example to help you fully understand the concepts it illustrates.
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
APPEND INTO TABLE YYY
(
field1 POSITION(1:6) CHAR "LOWER(:field1)"
field2 CHAR TERMINATED BY ','
NULLIF ((1) = 'a') DEFAULTIF ((1)= 'b')
"RTRIM(:field2)",
field3 CHAR(7) "TRANSLATE(:field3, ':field1', ':1')",
field4 COLUMN OBJECT
(
attr1 CHAR(3) NULLIF field4.attr2='ZZ' "UPPER(:field4.attr3)",
attr2 CHAR(2),
attr3 CHAR(3) ":field4.attr1 + 1"
),
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field5 EXPRESSION "MYFUNC(:FIELD4, SYSDATE)"

)
BEGINDATA
ABCDEF1234511 ,:field1500YYabc
abcDEF67890 ,:field2600ZZghl
Notes About This Example:
• In the following line, :field1 is not enclosed in single quotation marks and is
therefore interpreted as a bind variable:
field1 POSITION(1:6) CHAR "LOWER(:field1)"
• In the following line, ':field1' and ':1' are enclosed in single quotation marks
and are therefore treated as text literals and passed unchanged to the TRANSLATE
function:
field3 CHAR(7) "TRANSLATE(:field3, ':field1', ':1')"
For more information about the use of quotation marks inside quoted strings, see
Specifying File Names and Object Names.
• For each input record read, the value of the field referenced by the bind variable
will be substituted for the bind variable. For example, the value ABCDEF in the first
record is mapped to the first field :field1. This value is then passed as an
argument to the LOWER function.
• A bind variable in a SQL string need not reference the current field. In the
preceding example, the bind variable in the SQL string for the field4.attr1 field
references the field4.attr3 field. The field4.attr1 field is still mapped to the
values 500 and NULL (because the NULLIF field4.attr2='ZZ' clause is TRUE for the
second record) in the input records, but the final values stored in its corresponding
columns are ABC and GHL.
The field4.attr3 field is mapped to the values ABC and GHL in the input records,
but the final values stored in its corresponding columns are 500 + 1 = 501 and
NULL because the SQL expression references field4.attr1. (Adding 1 to a NULL
field still results in a NULL field.)
• The field5 field is not mapped to any field in the input record. The value that is
stored in the target column is the result of executing the MYFUNC PL/SQL function,
which takes two arguments. The use of the EXPRESSION parameter requires that a
SQL string be used to compute the final value of the column because no input
data is mapped to the field.
10.14.2 Common Uses of SQL Operators in Field Specifications

This section describes the common uses of SQL operators in field specifications.
SQL operators are commonly used for the following tasks:
• Loading external data with an implied decimal point:
field1 POSITION(1:9) DECIMAL EXTERNAL(8) ":field1/1000"
• Truncating fields that could be too long:

field1 CHAR TERMINATED BY "," "SUBSTR(:field1, 1, 10)"
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10.14.3 Combinations of SQL Operators

This section describes combining SQL operators.
Multiple operators can also be combined, as in the following examples:
field1 POSITION(*+3) INTEGER EXTERNAL
"TRUNC(RPAD(:field1,6,'0'), -2)"
field1 POSITION(1:8) INTEGER EXTERNAL
"TRANSLATE(RTRIM(:field1),'N/A', '0')"
field1 CHAR(10)
"NVL( LTRIM(RTRIM(:field1)), 'unknown' )"
10.14.4 Using SQL Strings with a Date Mask

When a SQL string is used with a date mask, the date mask is evaluated after the SQL
string.
Consider a field specified as follows:
field1 DATE "dd-mon-yy" "RTRIM(:field1)"
SQL*Loader internally generates and inserts the following:

TO_DATE(RTRIM(<field1_value>), 'dd-mon-yyyy')
Note that when using the DATE field data type with a SQL string, a date mask is
required. This is because SQL*Loader assumes that the first quoted string it finds after
the DATE parameter is a date mask. For instance, the following field specification would
result in an error (ORA-01821: date format not recognized):
field1 DATE "RTRIM(TO_DATE(:field1, 'dd-mon-yyyy'))"
In this case, a simple workaround is to use the CHAR data type.
10.14.5 Interpreting Formatted Fields

It is possible to use the TO_CHAR operator to store formatted dates and numbers.
For example:
field1 ... "TO_CHAR(:field1, '$09999.99')"
This example could store numeric input data in formatted form, where field1 is a
character column in the database. This field would be stored with the formatting
characters (dollar sign, period, and so on) already in place.
You have even more flexibility, however, if you store such values as numeric quantities
or dates. You can then apply arithmetic functions to the values in the database, and
still select formatted values for your reports.
An example of using the SQL string to load data from a formatted report is shown in
case study 7, Extracting Data from a Formatted Report. (See SQL*Loader Case
Studies for information on how to access case studies.)
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Using SQL*Loader to Generate Data for Input
10.14.6 Using SQL Strings to Load the ANYDATA Database Type

The ANYDATA database type can contain data of different types.
To load the ANYDATA type using SQL*loader, it must be explicitly constructed by using a
function call. The function is called using support for SQL strings as has been
described in this section.
For example, suppose you have a table with a column named miscellaneous which is
of type ANYDATA. You could load the column by doing the following, which would create
an ANYDATA type containing a number.
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
APPEND INTO TABLE ORDERS
(
miscellaneous CHAR "SYS.ANYDATA.CONVERTNUMBER(:miscellaneous)"
)
BEGINDATA
4
There can also be more complex situations in which you create an ANYDATA type that
contains a different type depending upon the values in the record. To do this, you
could write your own PL/SQL function that would determine what type should be in the
ANYDATA type, based on the value in the record, and then call the appropriate
ANYDATA.Convert*() function to create it.
See Also:
ANYDATA database type

information about using ANYDATA with PL/SQL
10.15 Using SQL*Loader to Generate Data for Input

The parameters described in this section provide the means for SQL*Loader to
generate the data stored in the database record, rather than reading it from a data file.
The following parameters are described:
• Loading Data Without Files
This section describes loading data without files.
• Setting a Column to a Constant Value
Setting a column to a constant value is the simplest form of generated data.
• Setting a Column to an Expression Value
Use the EXPRESSION parameter after a column name to set that column to the value
returned by a SQL operator or specially written PL/SQL function.
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• Setting a Column to the Data File Record Number

Use the RECNUM parameter after a column name to set that column to the number of
the logical record from which that record was loaded.
• Setting a Column to the Current Date
A column specified with SYSDATE gets the current system date, as defined by the
SQL language SYSDATE parameter.
• Setting a Column to a Unique Sequence Number
The SEQUENCE parameter ensures a unique value for a particular column. SEQUENCE
increments for each record that is loaded or rejected.
• Generating Sequence Numbers for Multiple Tables
Because a unique sequence number is generated for each logical input record,
rather than for each table insert, the same sequence number can be used when
inserting data into multiple tables.
10.15.1 Loading Data Without Files

This section describes loading data without files.
It is possible to use SQL*Loader to generate data by specifying only sequences,
record numbers, system dates, constants, and SQL string expressions as field
specifications.
SQL*Loader inserts as many records as are specified by the LOAD statement. The SKIP
parameter is not permitted in this situation.
SQL*Loader is optimized for this case. Whenever SQL*Loader detects that only
generated specifications are used, it ignores any specified data file—no read I/O is
performed.
In addition, no memory is required for a bind array. If there are any WHEN clauses in the
control file, then SQL*Loader assumes that data evaluation is necessary, and input
records are read.
10.15.2 Setting a Column to a Constant Value

Setting a column to a constant value is the simplest form of generated data.
It does not vary during the load or between loads.
• CONSTANT Parameter
10.15.2.1 CONSTANT Parameter

To set a column to a constant value, use CONSTANT followed by a value:
CONSTANT value
CONSTANT data is interpreted by SQL*Loader as character input. It is converted, as

necessary, to the database column type.
You may enclose the value within quotation marks, and you must do so if it contains
whitespace or reserved words. Be sure to specify a legal value for the target column. If
the value is bad, then every record is rejected.
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Numeric values larger than 2^32 - 1 (4,294,967,295) must be enclosed in quotation

marks.
Note:
Do not use the CONSTANT parameter to set a column to null. To set a column to
null, do not specify that column at all. Oracle automatically sets that column to
null when loading the record. The combination of CONSTANT and a value is a
complete column specification.
10.15.3 Setting a Column to an Expression Value

Use the EXPRESSION parameter after a column name to set that column to the value
returned by a SQL operator or specially written PL/SQL function.
The operator or function is indicated in a SQL string that follows the EXPRESSION
parameter. Any arbitrary expression may be used in this context provided that any
parameters required for the operator or function are correctly specified and that the
result returned by the operator or function is compatible with the data type of the
column being loaded.
• EXPRESSION Parameter
10.15.3.1 EXPRESSION Parameter

The combination of column name, EXPRESSION parameter, and a SQL string is a
complete field specification:
column_name EXPRESSION "SQL string"
In both conventional path mode and direct path mode, the EXPRESSION parameter can
be used to load the default value into column_name:
column_name EXPRESSION "DEFAULT"
Note that if DEFAULT is used and the mode is direct path, then use of a sequence as a
default will not work.
10.15.4 Setting a Column to the Data File Record Number

Use the RECNUM parameter after a column name to set that column to the number of the
logical record from which that record was loaded.
Records are counted sequentially from the beginning of the first data file, starting with
record 1. RECNUM is incremented as each logical record is assembled. Thus it
increments for records that are discarded, skipped, rejected, or loaded. If you use the
option SKIP=10, then the first record loaded has a RECNUM of 11.
• RECNUM Parameter
10.15.4.1 RECNUM Parameter

The combination of column name and RECNUM is a complete column specification.
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column_name RECNUM
10.15.5 Setting a Column to the Current Date

A column specified with SYSDATE gets the current system date, as defined by the SQL
language SYSDATE parameter.
See the section on the DATE data type in Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
• SYSDATE Parameter
10.15.5.1 SYSDATE Parameter

The combination of column name and the SYSDATE parameter is a complete column
specification.
column_name SYSDATE
The database column must be of type CHAR or DATE. If the column is of type CHAR, then
the date is loaded in the form 'dd-mon-yy.' After the load, it can be loaded only in that
form. If the system date is loaded into a DATE column, then it can be loaded in a variety
of forms that include the time and the date.
A new system date/time is used for each array of records inserted in a conventional
path load and for each block of records loaded during a direct path load.
10.15.6 Setting a Column to a Unique Sequence Number

The SEQUENCE parameter ensures a unique value for a particular column. SEQUENCE
increments for each record that is loaded or rejected.
It does not increment for records that are discarded or skipped.
• SEQUENCE Parameter
10.15.6.1 SEQUENCE Parameter

The combination of column name and the SEQUENCE parameter is a complete column
specification.
COUNT
, incr
column_name SEQUENCE ( MAX )
integer
Table 10-6 describes the parameters used for column specification.
Table 10-6 Parameters Used for Column Specification
column_name The name of the column in the database to which to assign the
sequence.
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Table 10-6 (Cont.) Parameters Used for Column Specification
SEQUENCE Use the SEQUENCE parameter to specify the value for a column.
COUNT The sequence starts with the number of records already in the
table plus the increment.
MAX The sequence starts with the current maximum value for the
column plus the increment.
integer Specifies the specific sequence number to begin with.
incr The value that the sequence number is to increment after a
record is loaded or rejected. This is optional. The default is 1.
If a record is rejected (that is, it has a format error or causes an Oracle error), then the
generated sequence numbers are not reshuffled to mask this. If four rows are
assigned sequence numbers 10, 12, 14, and 16 in a particular column, and the row
with 12 is rejected, then the three rows inserted are numbered 10, 14, and 16, not 10,
12, and 14. This allows the sequence of inserts to be preserved despite data errors.
When you correct the rejected data and reinsert it, you can manually set the columns
to agree with the sequence.
Case study 3, Loading a Delimited Free-Format File, provides an example of using the
SEQUENCE parameter. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to
10.15.7 Generating Sequence Numbers for Multiple Tables

Because a unique sequence number is generated for each logical input record, rather
than for each table insert, the same sequence number can be used when inserting
data into multiple tables.
This is frequently useful.
Sometimes, however, you might want to generate different sequence numbers for
each INTO TABLE clause. For example, your data format might define three logical
records in every input record. In that case, you can use three INTO TABLE clauses, each
of which inserts a different part of the record into the same table. When you use
SEQUENCE(MAX), SQL*Loader will use the maximum from each table, which can lead to
inconsistencies in sequence numbers.
To generate sequence numbers for these records, you must generate unique numbers
for each of the three inserts. Use the number of table-inserts per record as the
sequence increment, and start the sequence numbers for each insert with successive
numbers.
• Example: Generating Different Sequence Numbers for Each Insert
10.15.7.1 Example: Generating Different Sequence Numbers for Each Insert

Suppose you want to load the following department names into the dept table. Each
input record contains three department names, and you want to generate the
department numbers automatically.
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Accounting Personnel Manufacturing

Shipping Purchasing Maintenance
...
You could use the following control file entries to generate unique department
numbers:
INTO TABLE dept
(deptno SEQUENCE(1, 3),
INTO TABLE dept
INTO TABLE dept
The first INTO TABLE clause generates department number 1, the second number 2, and
the third number 3. They all use 3 as the sequence increment (the number of
department names in each record). This control file loads Accounting as department
number 1, Personnel as 2, and Manufacturing as 3.
The sequence numbers are then incremented for the next record, so Shipping loads
as 4, Purchasing as 5, and so on.
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11
Loading Objects, LOBs, and Collections
You can use SQL*Loader to load column objects in various formats and to load object
tables, REF columns, LOBs, and collections.
• Loading Column Objects

Column objects in the control file are described in terms of their attributes.
• Loading Object Tables
The control file syntax required to load an object table is nearly identical to that
used to load a typical relational table.
• Loading REF Columns
SQL*Loader can load system-generated OID REF columns, primary-key-based REF
columns, and unscoped REF columns that allow primary keys.
• Loading LOBs
The section describes loading LOBs.
• Loading BFILE Columns
• Loading Collections (Nested Tables and VARRAYs)
• Dynamic Versus Static SDF Specifications
• Loading a Parent Table Separately from Its Child Table
11.1 Loading Column Objects

Column objects in the control file are described in terms of their attributes.
If the object type on which the column object is based is declared to be nonfinal, then
the column object in the control file may be described in terms of the attributes, both
derived and declared, of any subtype derived from the base object type. In the data
file, the data corresponding to each of the attributes of a column object is in a data
field similar to that corresponding to a simple relational column.
Note:
With SQL*Loader support for complex data types such as column objects, the
possibility arises that two identical field names could exist in the control file, one
corresponding to a column, the other corresponding to a column object's
attribute. Certain clauses can refer to fields (for example, WHEN, NULLIF,
DEFAULTIF, SID, OID, REF, BFILE, and so on), causing a naming conflict if
identically named fields exist in the control file.
Therefore, if you use clauses that refer to fields, then you must specify the full
name. For example, if field fld1 is specified to be a COLUMN OBJECT and it
contains field fld2, then when you specify fld2 in a clause such as NULLIF, you
must use the full field name fld1.fld2.
11-1
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Loading Column Objects
The following sections show examples of loading column objects:

• Loading Column Objects in Stream Record Format
You can load column objects in stream record format.
• Loading Column Objects in Variable Record Format
You can load column objects in variable record format.
• Loading Nested Column Objects
You can load nested column objects.
• Loading Column Objects with a Derived Subtype
You can load column objects with a derived subtype.
• Specifying Null Values for Objects
You can specify null values for objects.
• Loading Column Objects with User-Defined Constructors
You can load column objects with user-defined constructors.
11.1.1 Loading Column Objects in Stream Record Format

You can load column objects in stream record format.
Example 11-1 shows a case in which the data is in predetermined size fields. The
newline character marks the end of a physical record. You can also mark the end of a
physical record by using a custom record separator in the operating system file-
processing clause (os_file_proc_clause).
Example 11-1 Loading Column Objects in Stream Record Format

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE departments
(dept_no POSITION(01:03) CHAR,
dept_name POSITION(05:15) CHAR,
1 dept_mgr COLUMN OBJECT
(name POSITION(17:33) CHAR,
age POSITION(35:37) INTEGER EXTERNAL,
emp_id POSITION(40:46) INTEGER EXTERNAL) )
Data File (sample.dat)

101 Mathematics Johny Quest 30 1024
237 Physics Albert Einstein 65 0000
Note:
The callout, in bold, to the left of the example corresponds to the following note:
1. This type of column object specification can be applied recursively to
describe nested column objects.
11-2
Chapter 11
11.1.2 Loading Column Objects in Variable Record Format

You can load column objects in variable record format.
Example 11-2 shows a case in which the data is in delimited fields.
Example 11-2 Loading Column Objects in Variable Record Format

LOAD DATA
1 INFILE 'sample.dat' "var 6"
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"'
2 (dept_no
dept_name,
dept_mgr COLUMN OBJECT
(name CHAR(30),
age INTEGER EXTERNAL(5),
emp_id INTEGER EXTERNAL(5)) )

3 000034101,Mathematics,Johny Q.,30,1024,
000039237,Physics,"Albert Einstein",65,0000,
Note:
The callouts, in bold, to the left of the example correspond to the following
notes:
1. The "var" string includes the number of bytes in the length field at the
beginning of each record (in this example, the number is 6). If no value is
specified, then the default is 5 bytes. The maximum size of a variable
record is 2^32-1. Specifying larger values will result in an error.
2. Although no positional specifications are given, the general syntax remains
the same (the column object's name followed by the list of its attributes
enclosed in parentheses). Also note that an omitted type specification
defaults to CHAR of length 255.
3. The first 6 bytes (italicized) specify the length of the forthcoming record.
These length specifications include the newline characters, which are
ignored thanks to the terminators after the emp_id field.
11.1.3 Loading Nested Column Objects

You can load nested column objects.
Example 11-3 shows a control file describing nested column objects (one column
object nested in another column object).
Example 11-3 Loading Nested Column Objects
11-3
Chapter 11
LOAD DATA
INFILE `sample.dat'
INTO TABLE departments_v2
(dept_no CHAR(5),
dept_name CHAR(30),
(name CHAR(30),
emp_id INTEGER EXTERNAL(7),
1 em_contact COLUMN OBJECT
(name CHAR(30),
phone_num CHAR(20))))

101,Mathematics,Johny Q.,30,1024,"Barbie",650-251-0010,
237,Physics,"Albert Einstein",65,0000,Wife Einstein,654-3210,
Note:
1. This entry specifies a column object nested within a column object.
11.1.4 Loading Column Objects with a Derived Subtype

You can load column objects with a derived subtype.
Example 11-4 shows a case in which a nonfinal base object type has been extended
to create a new derived subtype. Although the column object in the table definition is
declared to be of the base object type, SQL*Loader allows any subtype to be loaded
into the column object, provided that the subtype is derived from the base object type.
Example 11-4 Loading Column Objects with a Subtype
Object Type Definitions

CREATE TYPE person_type AS OBJECT
(name VARCHAR(30),
ssn NUMBER(9)) not final;
CREATE TYPE employee_type UNDER person_type

(empid NUMBER(5));
CREATE TABLE personnel

(deptno NUMBER(3),
deptname VARCHAR(30),
person person_type);

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE personnel
(deptno INTEGER EXTERNAL(3),
deptname CHAR,
11-4
Chapter 11
1 person COLUMN OBJECT TREAT AS employee_type

(name CHAR,
ssn INTEGER EXTERNAL(9),
2 empid INTEGER EXTERNAL(5)))

101,Mathematics,Johny Q.,301189453,10249,
Note:
notes:
1. The TREAT AS clause indicates that SQL*Loader should treat the column
object person as if it were declared to be of the derived type employee_type,
instead of its actual declared type, person_type.
2. The empid attribute is allowed here because it is an attribute of the
employee_type. If the TREAT AS clause had not been specified, then this
attribute would have resulted in an error, because it is not an attribute of
the column's declared type.
11.1.5 Specifying Null Values for Objects

You can specify null values for objects.
Specifying null values for nonscalar data types is somewhat more complex than for
scalar data types. An object can have a subset of its attributes be null, it can have all
of its attributes be null (an attributively null object), or it can be null itself (an atomically
null object).
• Specifying Attribute Nulls
You can specify attribute nulls.
• Specifying Atomic Nulls
You can specify atomic nulls.
11.1.5.1 Specifying Attribute Nulls

You can specify attribute nulls.
In fields corresponding to column objects, you can use the NULLIF clause to specify the
field conditions under which a particular attribute should be initialized to NULL.
Example 11-5 demonstrates this.
Example 11-5 Specifying Attribute Nulls Using the NULLIF Clause

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
(dept_no POSITION(01:03) CHAR,
dept_name POSITION(05:15) CHAR NULLIF dept_name=BLANKS,
11-5
Chapter 11
1 ( name POSITION(17:33) CHAR NULLIF dept_mgr.name=BLANKS,

1 age POSITION(35:37) INTEGER EXTERNAL NULLIF dept_mgr.age=BLANKS,
1 emp_id POSITION(40:46) INTEGER EXTERNAL NULLIF dept_mgr.empid=BLANKS))

2 101 Johny Quest 1024
237 Physics Albert Einstein 65 0000
Note:
notes:
1. The NULLIF clause corresponding to each attribute states the condition
under which the attribute value should be NULL
2. The age attribute of the dept_mgr value is null. The dept_name value is also
null.
11.1.5.2 Specifying Atomic Nulls

You can specify atomic nulls.
To specify in the control file the condition under which a particular object should take a
null value (atomic null), you must follow that object's name with a NULLIF clause based
on a logical combination of any of the mapped fields (for example, in Example 11-5,
the named mapped fields would be dept_no, dept_name, name, age, emp_id, but dept_mgr
would not be a named mapped field because it does not correspond (is not mapped)
to any field in the data file).
Although the preceding is workable, it is not ideal when the condition under which an
object should take the value of null is independent of any of the mapped fields. In such
situations, you can use filler fields.
You can map a filler field to the field in the data file (indicating if a particular object is
atomically null or not) and use the filler field in the field condition of the NULLIF clause
of the particular object. This is shown in Example 11-6.
Example 11-6 Loading Data Using Filler Fields

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE departments_v2
(dept_no CHAR(5),
dept_name CHAR(30),
1 is_null FILLER CHAR,
2 dept_mgr COLUMN OBJECT NULLIF is_null=BLANKS
(name CHAR(30) NULLIF dept_mgr.name=BLANKS,
age INTEGER EXTERNAL(3) NULLIF dept_mgr.age=BLANKS,
emp_id INTEGER EXTERNAL(7)
NULLIF dept_mgr.emp_id=BLANKS,
em_contact COLUMN OBJECT NULLIF is_null2=BLANKS
(name CHAR(30)
11-6
Chapter 11
NULLIF dept_mgr.em_contact.name=BLANKS,
phone_num CHAR(20)
NULLIF dept_mgr.em_contact.phone_num=BLANKS)),
1 is_null2 FILLER CHAR)

101,Mathematics,n,Johny Q.,,1024,"Barbie",608-251-0010,,
237,Physics,,"Albert Einstein",65,0000,,650-654-3210,n,
Note:
notes:
1. The filler field (data file mapped; no corresponding column) is of type CHAR
(because it is a delimited field, the CHAR defaults to CHAR(255)). Note that the
NULLIF clause is not applicable to the filler field itself
2. Gets the value of null (atomic null) if the is_null field is blank.
11.1.6 Loading Column Objects with User-Defined Constructors

You can load column objects with user-defined constructors.
The Oracle database automatically supplies a default constructor for every object type.
This constructor requires that all attributes of the type be specified as arguments in a
call to the constructor. When a new instance of the object is created, its attributes take
on the corresponding values in the argument list. This constructor is known as the
attribute-value constructor. SQL*Loader uses the attribute-value constructor by default
when loading column objects.
It is possible to override the attribute-value constructor by creating one or more user-
defined constructors. When you create a user-defined constructor, you must supply a
type body that performs the user-defined logic whenever a new instance of the object
is created. A user-defined constructor may have the same argument list as the
attribute-value constructor but differ in the logic that its type body implements.
When the argument list of a user-defined constructor function matches the argument
list of the attribute-value constructor, there is a difference in behavior between
conventional and direct path SQL*Loader. Conventional path mode results in a call to
the user-defined constructor. Direct path mode results in a call to the attribute-value
constructor. Example 11-7 illustrates this difference.
Example 11-7 Loading a Column Object with Constructors That Match

(name VARCHAR(30),

(empid NUMBER(5),
-- User-defined constructor that looks like an attribute-value constructor
CONSTRUCTOR FUNCTION
employee_type (name VARCHAR2, ssn NUMBER, empid NUMBER)
11-7
Chapter 11
RETURN SELF AS RESULT);
CREATE TYPE BODY employee_type AS

employee_type (name VARCHAR2, ssn NUMBER, empid NUMBER)
RETURN SELF AS RESULT AS
--User-defined constructor makes sure that the name attribute is uppercase.
BEGIN
SELF.name := UPPER(name);
SELF.ssn := ssn;
SELF.empid := empid;
RETURN;
END;

(deptno NUMBER(3),
employee employee_type);

LOAD DATA
INFILE *
REPLACE
deptname CHAR,
employee COLUMN OBJECT
(name CHAR,
ssn INTEGER EXTERNAL(9),
empid INTEGER EXTERNAL(5)))
BEGINDATA
1 101,Mathematics,Johny Q.,301189453,10249,
Note:
1. When this control file is run in conventional path mode, the name fields,
Johny Q. and Albert Einstein, are both loaded in uppercase. This is
because the user-defined constructor is called in this mode. In contrast,
when this control file is run in direct path mode, the name fields are loaded
exactly as they appear in the input data. This is because the attribute-value
constructor is called in this mode.
It is possible to create a user-defined constructor whose argument list does not
match that of the attribute-value constructor. In this case, both conventional
and direct path modes will result in a call to the attribute-value constructor.
Consider the definitions in Example 11-8.
Example 11-8 Loading a Column Object with Constructors That Do Not Match
11-8
Chapter 11
CREATE SEQUENCE employee_ids

START WITH 1000
INCREMENT BY 1;

(name VARCHAR(30),

(empid NUMBER(5),
-- User-defined constructor that does not look like an attribute-value
-- constructor
employee_type (name VARCHAR2, ssn NUMBER)
RETURN SELF AS RESULT);
CREATE TYPE BODY employee_type AS

employee_type (name VARCHAR2, ssn NUMBER)
RETURN SELF AS RESULT AS
-- This user-defined constructor makes sure that the name attribute is in
-- lowercase and assigns the employee identifier based on a sequence.
nextid NUMBER;
stmt VARCHAR2(64);
BEGIN
stmt := 'SELECT employee_ids.nextval FROM DUAL';

EXECUTE IMMEDIATE stmt INTO nextid;
SELF.name := LOWER(name);
SELF.ssn := ssn;
SELF.empid := nextid;
RETURN;
END;

(deptno NUMBER(3),
employee employee_type);
If the control file described in Example 11-7 is used with these definitions, then the
name fields are loaded exactly as they appear in the input data (that is, in mixed case).
This is because the attribute-value constructor is called in both conventional and direct
path modes.
It is still possible to load this table using conventional path mode by explicitly making
reference to the user-defined constructor in a SQL expression. Example 11-9 shows
how this can be done.
Example 11-9 Using SQL to Load Column Objects When Constructors Do Not
Match

LOAD DATA
INFILE *
REPLACE
deptname CHAR,
11-9
Chapter 11
Loading Object Tables
name BOUNDFILLER CHAR,

ssn BOUNDFILLER INTEGER EXTERNAL(9),
1 employee EXPRESSION "employee_type(:NAME, :SSN)")
BEGINDATA
1 101,Mathematics,Johny Q.,301189453,
237,Physics,"Albert Einstein",128606590,
Note:
The callouts, in bold, to the left of the example correspond to the following note:
1. When this control file is run in conventional path mode, the name fields,
Johny Q. and Albert Einstein, are both loaded in uppercase. This is
because the user-defined constructor is called in this mode. In contrast,
when this control file is run in direct path mode, the name fields are loaded
exactly as they appear in the input data. This is because the attribute-value
constructor is called in this mode.
If the control file in Example 11-9 is used in direct path mode, then the following error
is reported:
SQL*Loader-951: Error calling once/load initialization
ORA-26052: Unsupported type 121 for SQL expression on column EMPLOYEE.
11.2 Loading Object Tables

The control file syntax required to load an object table is nearly identical to that used to
load a typical relational table.
Example 11-10 demonstrates loading an object table with primary-key-based object
identifiers (OIDs).
Example 11-10 Loading an Object Table with Primary Key OIDs

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
DISCARDFILE 'sample.dsc'
BADFILE 'sample.bad'
REPLACE
INTO TABLE employees
(name CHAR(30) NULLIF name=BLANKS,
age INTEGER EXTERNAL(3) NULLIF age=BLANKS,
emp_id INTEGER EXTERNAL(5))

Johny Quest, 18, 007,
Speed Racer, 16, 000,
By looking only at the preceding control file you might not be able to determine if the
table being loaded was an object table with system-generated OIDs, an object table
with primary-key-based OIDs, or a relational table.
11-10
Chapter 11
You may want to load data that already contains system-generated OIDs and to
specify that instead of generating new OIDs, the existing OIDs in the data file should
be used. To do this, you would follow the INTO TABLE clause with the OID clause:
OID (fieldname)
In this clause, fieldname is the name of one of the fields (typically a filler field) from the
field specification list that is mapped to a data field that contains the system-generated
OIDs. SQL*Loader assumes that the OIDs provided are in the correct format and that
they preserve OID global uniqueness. Therefore, to ensure uniqueness, you should
use the Oracle OID generator to generate the OIDs to be loaded.
The OID clause can only be used for system-generated OIDs, not primary-key-based
OIDs.
Example 11-11 demonstrates loading system-generated OIDs with the row objects.
Example 11-11 Loading OIDs

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE employees_v2
1 OID (s_oid)
(name CHAR(30) NULLIF name=BLANKS,
age INTEGER EXTERNAL(3) NULLIF age=BLANKS,
2 s_oid FILLER CHAR(32))

3 Johny Quest, 18, 007, 21E978406D3E41FCE03400400B403BC3,
Speed Racer, 16, 000, 21E978406D4441FCE03400400B403BC3,
Note:
notes:
1. The OID clause specifies that the s_oid loader field contains the OID. The
parentheses are required
2. If s_oid does not contain a valid hexadecimal number, then the particular
record is rejected.
3. The OID in the data file is a character string and is interpreted as a 32-digit
hexadecimal number. The 32-digit hexadecimal number is later converted
into a 16-byte RAW and stored in the object table.
• Loading Object Tables with a Subtype

If an object table's row object is based on a nonfinal type, then SQL*Loader allows
for any derived subtype to be loaded into the object table.
11-11
Chapter 11
11.2.1 Loading Object Tables with a Subtype

If an object table's row object is based on a nonfinal type, then SQL*Loader allows for
any derived subtype to be loaded into the object table.
As previously mentioned, the syntax required to load an object table with a derived
subtype is almost identical to that used for a typical relational table. However, in this
case, the actual subtype to be used must be named, so that SQL*Loader can
determine if it is a valid subtype for the object table. This concept is illustrated in
Example 11-12.
Example 11-12 Loading an Object Table with a Subtype

CREATE TYPE employees_type AS OBJECT
(name VARCHAR2(30),
age NUMBER(3),
emp_id NUMBER(5)) not final;
CREATE TYPE hourly_emps_type UNDER employees_type

(hours NUMBER(3));
CREATE TABLE employees_v3 of employees_type;

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE employees_v3
1 TREAT AS hourly_emps_type
(name CHAR(30),
2 hours INTEGER EXTERNAL(2))

Johny Quest, 18, 007, 32,
Speed Racer, 16, 000, 20,
Note:
notes:
1. The TREAT AS clause indicates that SQL*Loader should treat the object table
as if it were declared to be of type hourly_emps_type, instead of its actual
declared type, employee_type
2. The hours attribute is allowed here because it is an attribute of the
hourly_emps_type. If the TREAT AS clause had not been specified, then this
attribute would have resulted in an error, because it is not an attribute of
the object table's declared type.
11-12
Chapter 11
Loading REF Columns
11.3 Loading REF Columns

SQL*Loader can load system-generated OID REF columns, primary-key-based REF
columns, and unscoped REF columns that allow primary keys.
For each of these, the way in which table names are specified is important, as
described in the following section.
• Specifying Table Names in a REF Clause
You can specify table names in a REF clause.
• System-Generated OID REF Columns
SQL*Loader assumes, when loading system-generated REF columns, that the
actual OIDs from which the REF columns are to be constructed are in the data file
with the rest of the data.
• Primary Key REF Columns
To load a primary key REF column, the SQL*Loader control-file field description
must provide the column name followed by a REF clause.
• Unscoped REF Columns That Allow Primary Keys
An unscoped REF column that allows primary keys can reference both system-
generated and primary key REFs.
11.3.1 Specifying Table Names in a REF Clause

You can specify table names in a REF clause.
Note:
The information in this section applies only to environments in which the
release of both SQL*Loader and Oracle Database are 11g release 1 (11.1) or
later. It does not apply to environments in which either SQL*Loader, Oracle
Database, or both are at an earlier release.
In the SQL*Loader control file, the description of the field corresponding to a REF
column consists of the column name followed by a REF clause. The REF clause takes
as arguments the table name and any attributes applicable to the type of REF column
being loaded. The table names can either be specified dynamically (using filler fields)
or as constants. The table name can also be specified with or without the schema
name.
Whether the table name specified in the REF clause is specified as a constant or by
using a filler field, it is interpreted as case-sensitive. This could result in the following
situations:
• If user SCOTT creates a table named table2 in lowercase without quotation marks
around the table name, then it can be used in a REF clause in any of the following
ways:
– REF(constant 'TABLE2', ...)
– REF(constant '"TABLE2"', ...)
11-13
Chapter 11
Loading REF Columns
– REF(constant 'SCOTT.TABLE2', ...)
• If user SCOTT creates a table named "Table2" using quotation marks around a
mixed-case name, then it can be used in a REF clause in any of the following
ways:
– REF(constant 'Table2', ...)
– REF(constant '"Table2"', ...)
– REF(constant 'SCOTT.Table2', ...)
In both of those situations, if constant is replaced with a filler field, then the same
values as shown in the examples will also work if they are placed in the data section.
11.3.2 System-Generated OID REF Columns

SQL*Loader assumes, when loading system-generated REF columns, that the actual
OIDs from which the REF columns are to be constructed are in the data file with the rest
of the data.
The description of the field corresponding to a REF column consists of the column
name followed by the REF clause.
The REF clause takes as arguments the table name and an OID. Note that the
arguments can be specified either as constants or dynamically (using filler fields). See
"ref_spec" for the appropriate syntax. Example 11-13 demonstrates loading system-
generated OID REF columns.
Example 11-13 Loading System-Generated REF Columns

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE departments_alt_v2
(dept_no CHAR(5),
dept_name CHAR(30),
1 dept_mgr REF(t_name, s_oid),
s_oid FILLER CHAR(32),
t_name FILLER CHAR(30))

22345, QuestWorld, 21E978406D3E41FCE03400400B403BC3, EMPLOYEES_V2,
23423, Geography, 21E978406D4441FCE03400400B403BC3, EMPLOYEES_V2,
Note:
1. If the specified table does not exist, then the record is rejected. The
dept_mgr field itself does not map to any field in the data file.
11-14
Chapter 11
Loading REF Columns
11.3.3 Primary Key REF Columns

To load a primary key REF column, the SQL*Loader control-file field description must
provide the column name followed by a REF clause.
The REF clause takes for arguments a comma-delimited list of field names and
constant values. The first argument is the table name, followed by arguments that
specify the primary key OID on which the REF column to be loaded is based. See
"ref_spec" for the appropriate syntax.
SQL*Loader assumes that the ordering of the arguments matches the relative ordering
of the columns making up the primary key OID in the referenced table. Example 11-14
demonstrates loading primary key REF columns.
Example 11-14 Loading Primary Key REF Columns

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE departments_alt
(dept_no CHAR(5),
dept_name CHAR(30),
dept_mgr REF(CONSTANT 'EMPLOYEES', emp_id),
emp_id FILLER CHAR(32))

22345, QuestWorld, 007,
23423, Geography, 000,
11.3.4 Unscoped REF Columns That Allow Primary Keys

An unscoped REF column that allows primary keys can reference both system-
generated and primary key REFs.
The syntax for loading into such a REF column is the same as if you were loading into a
system-generated OID REF column or into a primary-key-based REF column. See
Example 11-13 and Example 11-14.
The following restrictions apply when loading into an unscoped REF column that allows
primary keys:
• Only one type of REF can be referenced by this column during a single-table load,
either system-generated or primary key, but not both. If you try to reference both
types, then the data row will be rejected with an error message indicating that the
referenced table name is invalid.
• If you are loading unscoped primary key REFs to this column, then only one object
table can be referenced during a single-table load. That is, to load unscoped
primary key REFs, some pointing to object table X and some pointing to object table
Y, you would have to do one of the following:
– Perform two single-table loads.
– Perform a single load using multiple INTO TABLE clauses for which the WHEN
clause keys off some aspect of the data, such as the object table name for the
unscoped primary key REF. For example:
11-15
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Loading LOBs
LOAD DATA
INFILE 'data.dat'
INTO TABLE orders_apk

APPEND
when CUST_TBL = "CUSTOMERS_PK"
fields terminated by ","
(
order_no position(1) char,
cust_tbl FILLER char,
cust_no FILLER char,
cust REF (cust_tbl, cust_no) NULLIF order_no='0'
)
INTO TABLE orders_apk

APPEND
when CUST_TBL = "CUSTOMERS_PK2"
fields terminated by ","
(
order_no position(1) char,
cust_tbl FILLER char,
cust_no FILLER char,
cust REF (cust_tbl, cust_no) NULLIF order_no='0'
)
If you do not use either of these methods, then the data row will be rejected with
an error message indicating that the referenced table name is invalid.
• Unscoped primary key REFs in collections are not supported by SQL*Loader.
• If you are loading system-generated REFs into this REF column, then any limitations
described in "System-Generated OID REF Columns" also apply here.
• If you are loading primary key REFs into this REF column, then any limitations
described in "Primary Key REF Columns" also apply here.
Note:
For an unscoped REF column that allows primary keys, SQL*Loader takes
the first valid object table parsed (either from the REF directive or from the
data rows) and uses that object table's OID type to determine the REF type
that can be referenced in that single-table load.
11.4 Loading LOBs

The section describes loading LOBs.
A LOB is a large object type. SQL*Loader supports the following types of LOBs:
• BLOB: an internal LOB containing unstructured binary data
• CLOB: an internal LOB containing character data
• NCLOB: an internal LOB containing characters from a national character set
• BFILE: a BLOB stored outside of the database tablespaces in a server-side operating

system file
11-16
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Loading LOBs
LOBs can be column data types, and except for NCLOB, they can be an object's attribute
data types. LOBs can have actual values, they can be null, or they can be empty.
SQL*Loader creates an empty LOB when there is a 0-length field to store in the LOB.
(Note that this is different than other data types where SQL*Loader sets the column to
NULL for any 0-length string.) This means that the only way to load NULL values into a
LOB column is to use the NULLIF clause.
XML columns are columns declared to be of type SYS.XMLTYPE. SQL*Loader treats XML
columns as if they were CLOBs. All of the methods described in the following sections
for loading LOB data from the primary data file or from LOBFILEs are applicable to
loading XML columns.
Note:
You cannot specify a SQL string for LOB fields. This is true even if you specify
LOBFILE_spec.
Because LOBs can be quite large, SQL*Loader can load LOB data from either a
primary data file (in line with the rest of the data) or from LOBFILEs, as described in
the following sections:
• Loading LOB Data from a Primary Data File

• Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs
• Loading Data Files that Contain LLS Fields
If a field in a data file is a LOB location Specifier (LLS) field, then you can indicate
this by using the LLS clause.
See Also:
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more information about large
object (LOB) data types
11.4.1 Loading LOB Data from a Primary Data File

To load internal LOBs (BLOBs, CLOBs, and NCLOBs) or XML columns from a primary data
file, you can use the following standard SQL*Loader formats:
• Predetermined size fields
• Delimited fields
• Length-value pair fields
Each of these formats is described in the following sections.
• LOB Data in Predetermined Size Fields
• LOB Data in Delimited Fields
• LOB Data in Length-Value Pair Fields
11-17
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
11.4.1.1 LOB Data in Predetermined Size Fields

This is a very fast and conceptually simple format in which to load LOBs, as shown in
Example 11-15.
Note:
Because the LOBs you are loading may not be of equal size, you can use
whitespace to pad the LOB data to make the LOBs all of equal length within a
particular data field.
To load LOBs using this format, you should use either CHAR or RAW as the loading data
type.
Example 11-15 Loading LOB Data in Predetermined Size Fields

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat' "fix 501"
INTO TABLE person_table
(name POSITION(01:21) CHAR,
1 "RESUME" POSITION(23:500) CHAR DEFAULTIF "RESUME"=BLANKS)

Julia Nayer Julia Nayer
500 Example Parkway
[email protected] ...
Note:
1. Because the DEFAULTIF clause is used, if the data field containing the
resume is empty, then the result is an empty LOB rather than a null LOB.
However, if a NULLIF clause had been used instead of DEFAULTIF, then the
empty data field would be null.
You can use SQL*Loader data types other than CHAR to load LOBs. For
example, when loading BLOBs, you would probably want to use the RAW data
type.
11.4.1.2 LOB Data in Delimited Fields

This format handles LOBs of different sizes within the same column (data file field)
without a problem. However, this added flexibility can affect performance because
SQL*Loader must scan through the data, looking for the delimiter string.
As with single-character delimiters, when you specify string delimiters, you should
consider the character set of the data file. When the character set of the data file is
different than that of the control file, you can specify the delimiters in hexadecimal
11-18
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
notation (that is, X'hexadecimal string'). If the delimiters are specified in hexadecimal
notation, then the specification must consist of characters that are valid in the
character set of the input data file. In contrast, if hexadecimal notation is not used,
then the delimiter specification is considered to be in the client's (that is, the control
file's) character set. In this case, the delimiter is converted into the data file's character
set before SQL*Loader searches for the delimiter in the data file.
Note the following:
• Stutter syntax is supported with string delimiters (that is, the closing enclosure
delimiter can be stuttered).
• Leading whitespaces in the initial multicharacter enclosure delimiter are not
allowed.
• If a field is terminated by WHITESPACE, then the leading whitespaces are trimmed.
Note:
SQL*Loader defaults to 255 bytes when moving CLOB data, but a value of
up to 2 gigabytes can be specified. For a delimited field, if a length is
specified, then that length is used as a maximum. If no maximum is
specified, then it defaults to 255 bytes. For a CHAR field that is delimited and
is also greater than 255 bytes, you must specify a maximum length. See
"CHAR" for more information about the CHAR data type.
Example 11-16 shows an example of loading LOB data in delimited fields.

Example 11-16 Loading LOB Data in Delimited Fields

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat' "str '|'"
(name CHAR(25),
1 "RESUME" CHAR(507) ENCLOSED BY '<startlob>' AND '<endlob>')

Julia Nayer,<startlob> Julia Nayer
500 Example Parkway
[email protected] ... <endlob>
2 |Bruce Ernst, .......
11-19
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
Note:
notes:
1. <startlob> and <endlob> are the enclosure strings. With the default byte-
length semantics, the maximum length for a LOB that can be read using
CHAR(507) is 507 bytes. If character-length semantics were used, then the
maximum would be 507 characters. See "Character-Length Semantics"
2. If the record separator '|' had been placed right after <endlob> and
followed with the newline character, then the newline would have been
interpreted as part of the next record. An alternative would be to make the
newline part of the record separator (for example, '|\n' or, in hexadecimal
notation, X'7C0A').
11.4.1.3 LOB Data in Length-Value Pair Fields

You can use VARCHAR, VARCHARC, or VARRAW data types to load LOB data organized in
length-value pair fields. This method of loading provides better performance than using
delimited fields, but can reduce flexibility (for example, you must know the LOB length
for each LOB before loading). Example 11-17 demonstrates loading LOB data in
length-value pair fields.
Example 11-17 Loading LOB Data in Length-Value Pair Fields

LOAD DATA
1 INFILE 'sample.dat' "str '<endrec>\n'"
(name CHAR(25),
2 "RESUME" VARCHARC(3,500))

Julia Nayer,479 Julia Nayer
500 Example Parkway
[email protected]
... <endrec>
3 Bruce Ernst,000<endrec>
11-20
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
Note:
notes:
1. If the backslash escape character is not supported, then the string used as
a record separator in the example could be expressed in hexadecimal
notation.
2. "RESUME" is a field that corresponds to a CLOB column. In the control file, it is
a VARCHARC, whose length field is 3 bytes long and whose maximum size is
500 bytes (with byte-length semantics). If character-length semantics were
used, then the length would be 3 characters and the maximum size would
be 500 characters. See "Character-Length Semantics".
3. The length subfield of the VARCHARC is 0 (the value subfield is empty).
Consequently, the LOB instance is initialized to empty.
11.4.2 Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs

LOB data can be lengthy enough so that it makes sense to load it from a LOBFILE
instead of from a primary data file. In LOBFILEs, LOB data instances are still
considered to be in fields (predetermined size, delimited, length-value), but these fields
are not organized into records (the concept of a record does not exist within
LOBFILEs). Therefore, the processing overhead of dealing with records is avoided.
This type of organization of data is ideal for LOB loading.
There is no requirement that a LOB from a LOBFILE fit in memory. SQL*Loader reads
LOBFILEs in 64 KB chunks.
In LOBFILEs the data can be in any of the following types of fields:
• A single LOB field into which the entire contents of a file can be read
• Predetermined size fields (fixed-length fields)
• Delimited fields (that is, TERMINATED BY or ENCLOSED BY)
The clause PRESERVE BLANKS is not applicable to fields read from a LOBFILE.
• Length-value pair fields (variable-length fields)
To load data from this type of field, use the VARRAW, VARCHAR, or VARCHARC
SQL*Loader data types.
See "Examples of Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs" for examples of using each of
these field types. All of the previously mentioned field types can be used to load XML
columns.
See "lobfile_spec" for LOBFILE syntax.
• Dynamic Versus Static LOBFILE Specifications
• Examples of Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs
• Considerations When Loading LOBs from LOBFILEs
11-21
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
11.4.2.1 Dynamic Versus Static LOBFILE Specifications

You can specify LOBFILEs either statically (the name of the file is specified in the
control file) or dynamically (a FILLER field is used as the source of the file name). In
either case, if the LOBFILE is not terminated by EOF, then when the end of the
LOBFILE is reached, the file is closed and further attempts to read data from that file
produce results equivalent to reading data from an empty field.
However, if you have a LOBFILE that is terminated by EOF, then the entire file is
always returned on each attempt to read data from that file.
You should not specify the same LOBFILE as the source of two different fields. If you
do, then the two fields typically read the data independently.
11.4.2.2 Examples of Loading LOB Data from LOBFILEs

This section contains examples of loading data from different types of fields in
LOBFILEs.
• One LOB per File
• Predetermined Size LOBs
• Delimited LOBs
• Length-Value Pair Specified LOBs
11.4.2.2.1 One LOB per File

In Example 11-18, each LOBFILE is the source of a single LOB. To load LOB data that
is organized in this way, the column or field name is followed by the LOBFILE data
type specifications.
Example 11-18 Loading LOB DATA with One LOB per LOBFILE

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
(name CHAR(20),
1 ext_fname FILLER CHAR(40),
2 "RESUME" LOBFILE(ext_fname) TERMINATED BY EOF)

Johny Quest,jqresume.txt,
Speed Racer,'/private/sracer/srresume.txt',
Secondary Data File (jqresume.txt)

Johny Quest
500 Oracle Parkway
...
Secondary Data File (srresume.txt)
11-22
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
Speed Racer
400 Oracle Parkway
...
Note:
notes:
1. The filler field is mapped to the 40-byte data field, which is read using the
SQL*Loader CHAR data type. This assumes the use of default byte-length
semantics. If character-length semantics were used, then the field would be
mapped to a 40-character data field
2. SQL*Loader gets the LOBFILE name from the ext_fname filler field. It then
loads the data from the LOBFILE (using the CHAR data type) from the first
byte to the EOF character. If no existing LOBFILE is specified, then the
"RESUME" field is initialized to empty.
11.4.2.2.2 Predetermined Size LOBs

In Example 11-19, you specify the size of the LOBs to be loaded into a particular
column in the control file. During the load, SQL*Loader assumes that any LOB data
loaded into that particular column is of the specified size. The predetermined size of
the fields allows the data-parser to perform optimally. However, it is often difficult to
guarantee that all LOBs are the same size.
Example 11-19 Loading LOB Data Using Predetermined Size LOBs

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
(name CHAR(20),
1 "RESUME" LOBFILE(CONSTANT '/usr/private/jquest/jqresume.txt')
CHAR(2000))

Johny Quest,
Speed Racer,

Johny Quest
500 Oracle Parkway
...
Speed Racer
400 Oracle Parkway
...
11-23
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
Note:
1. This entry specifies that SQL*Loader load 2000 bytes of data from the
jqresume.txt LOBFILE, using the CHAR data type, starting with the byte
following the byte loaded last during the current loading session. This
assumes the use of the default byte-length semantics. If character-length
semantics were used, then SQL*Loader would load 2000 characters of
data, starting from the first character after the last-loaded character. See
"Character-Length Semantics".
11.4.2.2.3 Delimited LOBs

In Example 11-20, the LOB data instances in the LOBFILE are delimited. In this
format, loading different size LOBs into the same column is not a problem. However,
this added flexibility can affect performance, because SQL*Loader must scan through
the data, looking for the delimiter string.
Example 11-20 Loading LOB Data Using Delimited LOBs

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
(name CHAR(20),
1 "RESUME" LOBFILE( CONSTANT 'jqresume') CHAR(2000)
TERMINATED BY "<endlob>\n")

Johny Quest,
Speed Racer,

Johny Quest
500 Oracle Parkway
... <endlob>
Speed Racer
400 Oracle Parkway
... <endlob>
11-24
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
Note:
1. Because a maximum length of 2000 is specified for CHAR, SQL*Loader
knows what to expect as the maximum length of the field, which can result
in memory usage optimization. If you choose to specify a maximum length,
then you should be sure not to underestimate its value. The TERMINATED BY
clause specifies the string that terminates the LOBs. Alternatively, you
could use the ENCLOSED BY clause. The ENCLOSED BY clause allows a bit more
flexibility as to the relative positioning of the LOBs in the LOBFILE (the
LOBs in the LOBFILE need not be sequential).
11.4.2.2.4 Length-Value Pair Specified LOBs

In Example 11-21 each LOB in the LOBFILE is preceded by its length. You could use
VARCHAR, VARCHARC, or VARRAW data types to load LOB data organized in this way.
This method of loading can provide better performance over delimited LOBs, but at the
expense of some flexibility (for example, you must know the LOB length for each LOB
before loading).
Example 11-21 Loading LOB Data Using Length-Value Pair Specified LOBs

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
(name CHAR(20),
1 "RESUME" LOBFILE(CONSTANT 'jqresume') VARCHARC(4,2000))

Johny Quest,
Speed Racer,

2 0501Johny Quest
500 Oracle Parkway
...
3 0000
11-25
Chapter 11
Loading LOBs
Note:
notes:
1. The entry VARCHARC(4,2000) tells SQL*Loader that the LOBs in the LOBFILE
are in length-value pair format and that the first 4 bytes should be
interpreted as the length. The value of 2000 tells SQL*Loader that the
maximum size of the field is 2000 bytes. This assumes the use of the
default byte-length semantics. If character-length semantics were used,
then the first 4 characters would be interpreted as the length in characters.
The maximum size of the field would be 2000 characters. See "Character-
Length Semantics".
2. The entry 0501 preceding Johny Quest tells SQL*Loader that the LOB
consists of the next 501 characters.
3. This entry specifies an empty (not null) LOB.
11.4.2.3 Considerations When Loading LOBs from LOBFILEs

Keep in mind the following when you load data using LOBFILEs:
• Only LOBs and XML columns can be loaded from LOBFILEs.
• The failure to load a particular LOB does not result in the rejection of the record
containing that LOB. Instead, you will have a record that contains an empty LOB.
In the case of an XML column, a null value will be inserted if there is a failure
loading the LOB.
• It is not necessary to specify the maximum length of a field corresponding to a
LOB column. If a maximum length is specified, then SQL*Loader uses it as a hint
to optimize memory usage. Therefore, it is important that the maximum length
specification does not understate the true maximum length.
• You cannot supply a position specification (pos_spec) when loading data from a
LOBFILE.
• NULLIF or DEFAULTIF field conditions cannot be based on fields read from
LOBFILEs.
• If a nonexistent LOBFILE is specified as a data source for a particular field, then
that field is initialized to empty. If the concept of empty does not apply to the
particular field type, then the field is initialized to null.
• Table-level delimiters are not inherited by fields that are read from a LOBFILE.
• When loading an XML column or referencing a LOB column in a SQL expression in
conventional path mode, SQL*Loader must process the LOB data as a temporary
LOB. To ensure the best load performance possible in these cases, refer to the
guidelines concerning temporary LOB performance in Oracle Database
SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide.
11.4.3 Loading Data Files that Contain LLS Fields

If a field in a data file is a LOB location Specifier (LLS) field, then you can indicate this
by using the LLS clause.
11-26
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An LLS field contains the file name, offset, and length of the LOB data in the data file.
SQL*Loader uses this information to read data for the LOB column.
The syntax for the LLS clause is as follows:
init_spec " sql_string "

lob_column_name LLS
The LOB can be loaded in part or in whole and it can start from an arbitrary position
and for an arbitrary length. SQL Loader expects the expects the contents of the LLS
field to be filename.ext.nnn.mmm/ where each element is defined as follows:
• filename.ext is the name of the file that contains the LOB.
• nnn is the offset in bytes of the LOB within the file.
• mmm is the length of the LOB in bytes. A value of -1 means the LOB is NULL. A
value of 0 means the LOB exists, but is empty.
• The forward slash (/) terminates the field
If the SQL*Loader parameter, SDF_PREFIX, is specified, then SQL*Loader looks for the
files in the directory specified by SDF_PREFIX. Otherwise, SQL*Loader looks in the same
directory as the data file.
An error is reported and the row is rejected if any of the following are true:
• The file name contains a relative or absolute path specification.
• The file is not found, the offset is invalid, or the length extends beyond the end of
the file.
• The contents of the field do not match the expected format.
• The data type for the column associated with an LLS field is not a CLOB, BLOB, or
NCLOB.
Usage Notes
• If an LLS field is referenced by a clause for any other field (for example a NULLIF
clause) in the control file, then the value used for evaluating the clause is the string
in the data file, not the data in the file pointed to by that string.
• The character set for the data in the file pointed to by the LLS clause is assumed to
be the same character set as the data file.
• The user running SQL*Loader must have read access to the data files.
Example 11-22 Example Specification of an LLS Clause
The following is an example of a SQL*Loader control file that contains an LLS clause.
Note that a data type is not needed on the column specification because the column
must be of type LOB.
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
TRUNCATE
INTO TABLE tklglls
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"' TRAILING NULLCOLS
(col1 , col2 NULLIF col1 = '1' LLS)
11-27
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Loading BFILE Columns
BEGINDATA
1,"tklglls1.dat.1.11/"
11.5 Loading BFILE Columns

The BFILE data type stores unstructured binary data in operating system files outside
the database. A BFILE column or attribute stores a file locator that points to the external
file containing the data. The file to be loaded as a BFILE does not have to exist at the
time of loading; it can be created later. SQL*Loader assumes that the necessary
directory objects have already been created (a logical alias name for a physical
directory on the server's file system). For more information, see the Oracle Database
SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide.
A control file field corresponding to a BFILE column consists of a column name followed
by the BFILE clause. The BFILE clause takes as arguments a directory object (the
server_directory alias) name followed by a BFILE name. Both arguments can be
provided as string constants, or they can be dynamically loaded through some other
field. See the Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more information.
In the next two examples of loading BFILEs, Example 11-23 has only the file name
specified dynamically, while Example 11-24 demonstrates specifying both the BFILE
and the directory object dynamically.
Example 11-23 Loading Data Using BFILEs: Only File Name Specified
Dynamically
The following are the control file contents. The directory name, scott_dir1, is in
quotation marks; therefore, the string is used as is and is not capitalized.
LOAD DATA
INFILE sample.dat
INTO TABLE planets
(pl_id CHAR(3),
pl_name CHAR(20),
fname FILLER CHAR(30),
pl_pict BFILE(CONSTANT "scott_dir1", fname))
The following are the contents of the data file, sample.dat.

1,Mercury,mercury.jpeg,
2,Venus,venus.jpeg,
3,Earth,earth.jpeg,
Example 11-24 Loading Data Using BFILEs: File Name and Directory Specified
Dynamically
The following are the control file contents. Note that dname is mapped to the data file
field containing the directory name that corresponds to the file being loaded.
LOAD DATA
INFILE sample.dat
INTO TABLE planets
(pl_id NUMBER(4),
pl_name CHAR(20),
fname FILLER CHAR(30),
dname FILLER CHAR(20),
pl_pict BFILE(dname, fname) )
11-28
Chapter 11
Loading Collections (Nested Tables and VARRAYs)
The following are the contents of the data file, sample.dat.

1, Mercury, mercury.jpeg, scott_dir1,
2, Venus, venus.jpeg, scott_dir1,
3, Earth, earth.jpeg, scott_dir2,
11.6 Loading Collections (Nested Tables and VARRAYs)

Like LOBs, collections can be loaded either from a primary data file (data inline) or
from secondary data files (data out of line). See "Secondary Data Files (SDFs)" for
details about SDFs.
When you load collection data, a mechanism must exist by which SQL*Loader can tell
when the data belonging to a particular collection instance has ended. You can
achieve this in two ways:
• To specify the number of rows or elements that are to be loaded into each nested
table or VARRAY instance, use the DDL COUNT function. The value specified for COUNT
must either be a number or a character string containing a number, and it must be
previously described in the control file before the COUNT clause itself. This positional
dependency is specific to the COUNT clause. COUNT(0) or COUNT(cnt_field), where
cnt_field is 0 for the current row, results in a empty collection (not null), unless
overridden by a NULLIF clause. See "count_spec".
If the COUNT clause specifies a field in a control file and if that field is set to null for
the current row, then the collection that uses that count will be set to empty for the
current row as well.
• Use the TERMINATED BY and ENCLOSED BY clauses to specify a unique collection
delimiter. This method cannot be used if an SDF clause is used.
In the control file, collections are described similarly to column objects. See "Loading
Column Objects". There are some differences:
• Collection descriptions employ the two mechanisms discussed in the preceding
list.
• Collection descriptions can include a secondary data file (SDF) specification.
• A NULLIF or DEFAULTIF clause cannot refer to a field in an SDF unless the clause is
on a field in the same SDF.
• Clauses that take field names as arguments cannot use a field name that is in a
collection unless the DDL specification is for a field in the same collection.
• The field list must contain only one nonfiller field and any number of filler fields. If
the VARRAY is a VARRAY of column objects, then the attributes of each column object
will be in a nested field list.
• Restrictions in Nested Tables and VARRAYs
• Secondary Data Files (SDFs)
11.6.1 Restrictions in Nested Tables and VARRAYs

The following restrictions exist for nested tables and VARRAYs:
• A field_list cannot contain a collection_fld_spec.

• A col_obj_spec nested within a VARRAY cannot contain a collection_fld_spec.
11-29
Chapter 11
• The column_name specified as part of the field_list must be the same as the
column_name preceding the VARRAY parameter.
Also, be aware that if you are loading into a table containing nested tables, then
SQL*Loader will not automatically split the load into multiple loads and generate a set
ID.
Example 11-25 demonstrates loading a VARRAY and a nested table.
Example 11-25 Loading a VARRAY and a Nested Table

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat' "str '\n' "
INTO TABLE dept
REPLACE
(
dept_no CHAR(3),
dname CHAR(25) NULLIF dname=BLANKS,
1 emps VARRAY TERMINATED BY ':'
(
emps COLUMN OBJECT
(
name CHAR(30),
2 emp_id CHAR(7) NULLIF emps.emps.emp_id=BLANKS
)
),
3 proj_cnt FILLER CHAR(3),
4 projects NESTED TABLE SDF (CONSTANT "pr.txt" "fix 57") COUNT (proj_cnt)
(
projects COLUMN OBJECT
(
project_id POSITION (1:5) INTEGER EXTERNAL(5),
project_name POSITION (7:30) CHAR
NULLIF projects.projects.project_name = BLANKS
)
)
)

101,MATH,"Napier",28,2828,"Euclid", 123,9999:0
210,"Topological Transforms",:2
Secondary Data File (SDF) (pr.txt)

21034 Topological Transforms
77777 Impossible Proof
11-30
Chapter 11
Note:
notes:
1. The TERMINATED BY clause specifies the VARRAY instance terminator (note that
no COUNT clause is used).
2. Full name field references (using dot notation) resolve the field name
conflict created by the presence of this filler field.
3. proj_cnt is a filler field used as an argument to the COUNT clause.
4. This entry specifies the following:

• An SDF called pr.txt as the source of data. It also specifies a fixed-
record format within the SDF.
• If COUNT is 0, then the collection is initialized to empty. Another way to
initialize a collection to empty is to use a DEFAULTIF clause. The main
field name corresponding to the nested table field description is the
same as the field name of its nested nonfiller-field, specifically, the
name of the column object field description.
11.6.2 Secondary Data Files (SDFs)

Secondary data files (SDFs) are similar in concept to primary data files. Like primary
data files, SDFs are a collection of records, and each record is made up of fields. The
SDFs are specified on a per control-file-field basis. They are useful when you load
large nested tables and VARRAYs.
Note:
Only a collection_fld_spec can name an SDF as its data source.
SDFs are specified using the SDF parameter. The SDF parameter can be followed by
either the file specification string, or a FILLER field that is mapped to a data field
containing one or more file specification strings.
As for a primary data file, the following can be specified for each SDF:
• The record format (fixed, stream, or variable). Also, if stream record format is
used, then you can specify the record separator.
• The record size.
• The character set for an SDF can be specified using the CHARACTERSET clause (see
"Handling Different Character Encoding Schemes").
• A default delimiter (using the delimiter specification) for the fields that inherit a
particular SDF specification (all member fields or attributes of the collection that
contain the SDF specification, with exception of the fields containing their own
LOBFILE specification).
Also note the following regarding SDFs:
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Dynamic Versus Static SDF Specifications
• If a nonexistent SDF is specified as a data source for a particular field, then that
field is initialized to empty. If the concept of empty does not apply to the particular
field type, then the field is initialized to null.
• Table-level delimiters are not inherited by fields that are read from an SDF.
• To load SDFs larger than 64 KB, you must use the READSIZE parameter to specify a
larger physical record size. You can specify the READSIZE parameter either from the
command line or as part of an OPTIONS clause.
See Also:
– "READSIZE"
– "OPTIONS Clause"
– "sdf_spec"
11.7 Dynamic Versus Static SDF Specifications

You can specify SDFs either statically (you specify the actual name of the file) or
dynamically (you use a FILLER field as the source of the file name). In either case,
when the EOF of an SDF is reached, the file is closed and further attempts at reading
data from that particular file produce results equivalent to reading data from an empty
field.
In a dynamic secondary file specification, this behavior is slightly different. Whenever
the specification changes to reference a new file, the old file is closed, and the data is
read from the beginning of the newly referenced file.
The dynamic switching of the data source files has a resetting effect. For example,
when SQL*Loader switches from the current file to a previously opened file, the
previously opened file is reopened, and the data is read from the beginning of the file.
You should not specify the same SDF as the source of two different fields. If you do,
then the two fields will typically read the data independently.
11.8 Loading a Parent Table Separately from Its Child Table

When you load a table that contains a nested table column, it may be possible to load
the parent table separately from the child table. You can load the parent and child
tables independently if the SIDs (system-generated or user-defined) are already
known at the time of the load (that is, the SIDs are in the data file with the data).
The following examples illustrate how to load parent and child tables with user-
provided SIDs.
Example 11-26 Loading a Parent Table with User-Provided SIDs

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat' "str '|\n' "
INTO TABLE dept
TRAILING NULLCOLS
11-32
Chapter 11
Loading a Parent Table Separately from Its Child Table
( dept_no CHAR(3),
dname CHAR(20) NULLIF dname=BLANKS ,
mysid FILLER CHAR(32),
1 projects SID(mysid))

101,Math,21E978407D4441FCE03400400B403BC3,|
210,"Topology",21E978408D4441FCE03400400B403BC3,|
Note:
1. mysid is a filler field that is mapped to a data file field containing the actual
set IDs and is supplied as an argument to the SID clause.
Example 11-27 Loading a Child Table with User-Provided SIDs

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
INTO TABLE dept
TRAILING NULLCOLS
1 SID(sidsrc)
(project_id INTEGER EXTERNAL(5),
project_name CHAR(20) NULLIF project_name=BLANKS,
sidsrc FILLER CHAR(32))

21034, "Topological Transforms", 21E978407D4441FCE03400400B403BC3,
77777, "Impossible Proof", 21E978408D4441FCE03400400B403BC3,
Note:
1. The table-level SID clause tells SQL*Loader that it is loading the storage
table for nested tables. sidsrc is the filler field name that is the source of
the real set IDs.
• Memory Issues When Loading VARRAY Columns
11.8.1 Memory Issues When Loading VARRAY Columns

The following list describes some issues to keep in mind when you load VARRAY
columns:
• VARRAYs are created in the client's memory before they are loaded into the
database. Each element of a VARRAY requires 4 bytes of client memory before it can
be loaded into the database. Therefore, when you load a VARRAY with a thousand
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Loading a Parent Table Separately from Its Child Table
elements, you will require at least 4000 bytes of client memory for each VARRAY
instance before you can load the VARRAYs into the database. In many cases,
SQL*Loader requires two to three times that amount of memory to successfully
construct and load a VARRAY.
• The BINDSIZE parameter specifies the amount of memory allocated by SQL*Loader
for loading records. Given the value specified for BINDSIZE, SQL*Loader takes into
consideration the size of each field being loaded, and determines the number of
rows it can load in one transaction. The larger the number of rows, the fewer
transactions, resulting in better performance. But if the amount of memory on your
system is limited, then at the expense of performance, you can specify a lower
value for ROWS than SQL*Loader calculated.
• Loading very large VARRAYs or a large number of smaller VARRAYs could cause you
to run out of memory during the load. If this happens, then specify a smaller value
for BINDSIZE or ROWS and retry the load.
11-34
12
SQL*Loader provides a conventional path load method and a direct path load method.
Further information about each method is provided in the following topics:
For an example of using the direct path load method, see case study 6, Loading Data
Using the Direct Path Load Method. The other cases use the conventional path load
method. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for information on how to access case
studies.)
• Data Loading Methods
• Conventional Path Load
• Direct Path Load
• Using Direct Path Load
• Optimizing Performance of Direct Path Loads
• Optimizing Direct Path Loads on Multiple-CPU Systems
• Avoiding Index Maintenance
• Direct Path Loads, Integrity Constraints, and Triggers
• Parallel Data Loading Models
• General Performance Improvement Hints
12.1 Data Loading Methods

SQL*Loader provides two methods for loading data:
• Conventional Path Load
• Direct Path Load
A conventional path load executes SQL INSERT statements to populate tables in an
Oracle database. A direct path load eliminates much of the Oracle database overhead
by formatting Oracle data blocks and writing the data blocks directly to the database
files. A direct load does not compete with other users for database resources, so it can
usually load data at near disk speed.
The tables to be loaded must already exist in the database. SQL*Loader never creates
tables. It loads existing tables that either already contain data or are empty.
The following privileges are required for a load:
• You must have INSERT privileges on the table to be loaded.
• You must have DELETE privileges on the table to be loaded, when using the REPLACE
or TRUNCATE option to empty old data from the table before loading the new data in
its place.
• Loading ROWID Columns
12-1
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Conventional Path Load
12.1.1 Loading ROWID Columns

In both conventional path and direct path, you can specify a text value for a ROWID
column. (This is the same text you get when you perform a SELECT ROWID FROM
table_name operation.) The character string interpretation of the ROWID is converted into
the ROWID type for a column in a table.
12.2 Conventional Path Load

Conventional path load (the default) uses the SQL INSERT statement and a bind array
buffer to load data into database tables.
When SQL*Loader performs a conventional path load, it competes equally with all
other processes for buffer resources. This can slow the load significantly. Extra
overhead is added as SQL statements are generated, passed to Oracle Database,
and executed.
Oracle Database looks for partially filled blocks and attempts to fill them on each
insert. Although appropriate during normal use, this can slow bulk loads dramatically.
• Conventional Path Load of a Single Partition

• When to Use a Conventional Path Load
See Also:
"Discontinued Conventional Path Loads"
12.2.1 Conventional Path Load of a Single Partition

By definition, a conventional path load uses SQL INSERT statements. During a
conventional path load of a single partition, SQL*Loader uses the partition-extended
syntax of the INSERT statement, which has the following form:
INSERT INTO TABLE T PARTITION (P) VALUES ...
The SQL layer of the Oracle kernel determines if the row being inserted maps to the
specified partition. If the row does not map to the partition, then the row is rejected,
and the SQL*Loader log file records an appropriate error message.
12.2.2 When to Use a Conventional Path Load

If load speed is most important to you, then you should use direct path load because it
is faster than conventional path load. However, certain restrictions on direct path loads
may require you to use a conventional path load. You should use a conventional path
load in the following situations:
• When accessing an indexed table concurrently with the load, or when applying
inserts or updates to a nonindexed table concurrently with the load
12-2
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Direct Path Load
To use a direct path load (except for parallel loads), SQL*Loader must have
exclusive write access to the table and exclusive read/write access to any indexes.
• When loading data into a clustered table
A direct path load does not support loading of clustered tables.
• When loading a relatively small number of rows into a large indexed table
During a direct path load, the existing index is copied when it is merged with the
new index keys. If the existing index is very large and the number of new keys is
very small, then the index copy time can offset the time saved by a direct path
load.
• When loading a relatively small number of rows into a large table with referential
and column-check integrity constraints
Because these constraints cannot be applied to rows loaded on the direct path,
they are disabled for the duration of the load. Then they are applied to the whole
table when the load completes. The costs could outweigh the savings for a very
large table and a small number of new rows.
• When loading records and you want to ensure that a record is rejected under any
of the following circumstances:
– If the record, upon insertion, causes an Oracle error
– If the record is formatted incorrectly, so that SQL*Loader cannot find field
boundaries
– If the record violates a constraint or tries to make a unique index non-unique
12.3 Direct Path Load

Instead of filling a bind array buffer and passing it to the Oracle database with a SQL
INSERT statement, a direct path load uses the direct path API to pass the data to be
loaded to the load engine in the server. The load engine builds a column array
structure from the data passed to it.
The direct path load engine uses the column array structure to format Oracle data
blocks and build index keys. The newly formatted database blocks are written directly
to the database (multiple blocks per I/O request using asynchronous writes if the host
platform supports asynchronous I/O).
Internally, multiple buffers are used for the formatted blocks. While one buffer is being
filled, one or more buffers are being written if asynchronous I/O is available on the host
platform. Overlapping computation with I/O increases load performance.
• Data Conversion During Direct Path Loads

• Direct Path Load of a Partitioned or Subpartitioned Table
• Direct Path Load of a Single Partition or Subpartition
• Advantages of a Direct Path Load
• Restrictions on Using Direct Path Loads
• Restrictions on a Direct Path Load of a Single Partition
• When to Use a Direct Path Load
• Integrity Constraints
12-3
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Direct Path Load
• Field Defaults on the Direct Path

• Loading into Synonyms
See Also:
"Discontinued Direct Path Loads"
12.3.1 Data Conversion During Direct Path Loads

During a direct path load, data conversion occurs on the client side rather than on the
server side. This means that NLS parameters in the initialization parameter file
(server-side language handle) will not be used. To override this behavior, you can
specify a format mask in the SQL*Loader control file that is equivalent to the setting of
the NLS parameter in the initialization parameter file, or set the appropriate
environment variable. For example, to specify a date format for a field, you can either
set the date format in the SQL*Loader control file as shown in Example 12-1 or set an
NLS_DATE_FORMAT environment variable as shown in Example 12-2.
Example 12-1 Setting the Date Format in the SQL*Loader Control File
LOAD DATA
INFILE 'data.dat'
INSERT INTO TABLE emp
FIELDS TERMINATED BY "|"
(
EMPNO NUMBER(4) NOT NULL,
ENAME CHAR(10),
JOB CHAR(9),
MGR NUMBER(4),
HIREDATE DATE 'YYYYMMDD',
SAL NUMBER(7,2),
COMM NUMBER(7,2),
DEPTNO NUMBER(2)
)
Example 12-2 Setting an NLS_DATE_FORMAT Environment Variable

On UNIX Bourne or Korn shell:
% NLS_DATE_FORMAT='YYYYMMDD'
% export NLS_DATE_FORMAT
On UNIX csh:
%setenv NLS_DATE_FORMAT='YYYYMMDD'
12.3.2 Direct Path Load of a Partitioned or Subpartitioned Table

When loading a partitioned or subpartitioned table, SQL*Loader partitions the rows
and maintains indexes (which can also be partitioned). Note that a direct path load of a
partitioned or subpartitioned table can be quite resource-intensive for tables with many
partitions or subpartitions.
12-4
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Direct Path Load
Note:
If you are performing a direct path load into multiple partitions and a space
error occurs, then the load is rolled back to the last commit point. If there was
no commit point, then the entire load is rolled back. This ensures that no data
encountered after the space error is written out to a different partition.
You can use the ROWS parameter to specify the frequency of the commit points.
If the ROWS parameter is not specified, then the entire load is rolled back.
12.3.3 Direct Path Load of a Single Partition or Subpartition

When loading a single partition of a partitioned or subpartitioned table, SQL*Loader
partitions the rows and rejects any rows that do not map to the partition or subpartition
specified in the SQL*Loader control file. Local index partitions that correspond to the
data partition or subpartition being loaded are maintained by SQL*Loader. Global
indexes are not maintained on single partition or subpartition direct path loads. During
a direct path load of a single partition, SQL*Loader uses the partition-extended syntax
of the LOAD statement, which has either of the following forms:
LOAD INTO TABLE T PARTITION (P) VALUES ...
LOAD INTO TABLE T SUBPARTITION (P) VALUES ...
While you are loading a partition of a partitioned or subpartitioned table, you are also
allowed to perform DML operations on, and direct path loads of, other partitions in the
table.
Although a direct path load minimizes database processing, several calls to the Oracle
database are required at the beginning and end of the load to initialize and finish the
load, respectively. Also, certain DML locks are required during load initialization and
are released when the load completes. The following operations occur during the load:
index keys are built and put into a sort, and space management routines are used to
get new extents when needed and to adjust the upper boundary (high-water mark) for
a data savepoint. See "Using Data Saves to Protect Against Data Loss" for information
about adjusting the upper boundary.
12.3.4 Advantages of a Direct Path Load

A direct path load is faster than the conventional path for the following reasons:
• Partial blocks are not used, so no reads are needed to find them, and fewer writes
are performed.
• SQL*Loader need not execute any SQL INSERT statements; therefore, the
processing load on the Oracle database is reduced.
• A direct path load calls on Oracle to lock tables and indexes at the start of the load
and releases them when the load is finished. A conventional path load calls Oracle
once for each array of rows to process a SQL INSERT statement.
• A direct path load uses multiblock asynchronous I/O for writes to the database
files.
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Direct Path Load
• During a direct path load, processes perform their own write I/O, instead of using
Oracle's buffer cache. This minimizes contention with other Oracle users.
• The sorted indexes option available during direct path loads enables you to presort
data using high-performance sort routines that are native to your system or
installation.
• When a table to be loaded is empty, the presorting option eliminates the sort and
merge phases of index-building. The index is filled in as data arrives.
• Protection against instance failure does not require redo log file entries during
direct path loads. Therefore, no time is required to log the load when:
– The Oracle database has the SQL NOARCHIVELOG parameter enabled
– The SQL*Loader UNRECOVERABLE clause is enabled
– The object being loaded has the SQL NOLOGGING parameter set
See "Instance Recovery and Direct Path Loads".
12.3.5 Restrictions on Using Direct Path Loads

The following conditions must be satisfied for you to use the direct path load method:
• Tables to be loaded cannot be clustered.
• Tables to be loaded cannot have Oracle Virtual Private Database (VPD) policies
active on INSERT.
• Segments to be loaded cannot have any active transactions pending.
To check for this condition, use the Oracle Enterprise Manager command MONITOR
TABLE to find the object ID for the tables you want to load. Then use the command
MONITOR LOCK to see if there are any locks on the tables.
• For releases of the database earlier than Oracle9i, you can perform a SQL*Loader
direct path load only when the client and server are the same release. This also
means that you cannot perform a direct path load of Oracle9i data into a database
of an earlier release. For example, you cannot use direct path load to load data
from a release 9.0.1 database into a release 8.1.7 database.
Beginning with Oracle9i, you can perform a SQL*Loader direct path load when the
client and server are different releases. However, both releases must be at least
release 9.0.1 and the client release must be the same as or lower than the server
release. For example, you can perform a direct path load from a release 9.0.1
database into a release 9.2 database. However, you cannot use direct path load to
load data from a release 10.0.0 database into a release 9.2 database.
The following features are not available with direct path load:
• Loading BFILE columns
• Use of CREATE SEQUENCE during the load. This is because in direct path loads there
is no SQL being generated to fetch the next value since direct path does not
generate INSERT statements.
12.3.6 Restrictions on a Direct Path Load of a Single Partition

In addition to the previously listed restrictions, loading a single partition has the
following restrictions:
12-6
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Direct Path Load
• The table that the partition is a member of cannot have any global indexes defined
on it.
• Enabled referential and check constraints on the table that the partition is a
member of are not allowed.
• Enabled triggers are not allowed.
12.3.7 When to Use a Direct Path Load

If none of the previous restrictions apply, then you should use a direct path load when:
• You have a large amount of data to load quickly. A direct path load can quickly
load and index large amounts of data. It can also load data into either an empty or
nonempty table.
• You want to load data in parallel for maximum performance. See "Parallel Data
Loading Models".
12.3.8 Integrity Constraints

All integrity constraints are enforced during direct path loads, although not necessarily
at the same time. NOT NULL constraints are enforced during the load. Records that fail
these constraints are rejected.
UNIQUE constraints are enforced both during and after the load. A record that violates a
UNIQUE constraint is not rejected (the record is not available in memory when the
constraint violation is detected).
Integrity constraints that depend on other rows or tables, such as referential
constraints, are disabled before the direct path load and must be reenabled
afterwards. If REENABLE is specified, then SQL*Loader can reenable them automatically
at the end of the load. When the constraints are reenabled, the entire table is checked.
Any rows that fail this check are reported in the specified error log. See "Direct Path
Loads_ Integrity Constraints_ and Triggers".
12.3.9 Field Defaults on the Direct Path

Default column specifications defined in the database are not available when you use
direct path loading. Fields for which default values are desired must be specified with
the DEFAULTIF clause. If a DEFAULTIF clause is not specified and the field is NULL, then a
null value is inserted into the database.
12.3.10 Loading into Synonyms

You can load data into a synonym for a table during a direct path load, but the
synonym must point directly to either a table or a view on a simple table. Note the
following restrictions:
• Direct path mode cannot be used if the view is on a table that has user-defined
types or XML data.
• In direct path mode, a view cannot be loaded using a SQL*Loader control file that
contains SQL expressions.
12-7
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Using Direct Path Load
12.4 Using Direct Path Load

This section explains how to use the SQL*Loader direct path load method. It contains
• Setting Up for Direct Path Loads
• Specifying a Direct Path Load
• Building Indexes
• Indexes Left in an Unusable State
• Using Data Saves to Protect Against Data Loss
• Data Recovery During Direct Path Loads
• Loading Long Data Fields
• Auditing SQL*Loader Operations That Use Direct Path Mode
12.4.1 Setting Up for Direct Path Loads

To prepare the database for direct path loads, you must run the setup script,
catldr.sql, to create the necessary views. You need only run this script once for each
database you plan to do direct loads to. You can run this script during database
installation if you know then that you will be doing direct loads.
12.4.2 Specifying a Direct Path Load

To start SQL*Loader in direct path load mode, set the DIRECT parameter to TRUE on the
command line or in the parameter file, if used, in the format:
DIRECT=TRUE
See Also:
• "Optimizing Performance of Direct Path Loads" for information about

parameters you can use to optimize performance of direct path loads
• "Optimizing Direct Path Loads on Multiple-CPU Systems" if you are doing a
direct path load on a multiple-CPU system or across systems
12.4.3 Building Indexes

You can improve performance of direct path loads by using temporary storage. After
each block is formatted, the new index keys are put in a sort (temporary) segment.
The old index and the new keys are merged at load finish time to create the new
index. The old index, sort (temporary) segment, and new index segment all require
storage until the merge is complete. Then the old index and temporary segment are
removed.
12-8
Chapter 12
During a conventional path load, every time a row is inserted the index is updated.
This method does not require temporary storage space, but it does add processing
time.
• Improving Performance
• Temporary Segment Storage Requirements
12.4.3.1 Improving Performance

To improve performance on systems with limited memory, use the SINGLEROW
parameter. For more information, see "SINGLEROW Option".
Note:
If, during a direct load, you have specified that the data is to be presorted and
the existing index is empty, then a temporary segment is not required, and no
merge occurs—the keys are put directly into the index. See "Optimizing
Performance of Direct Path Loads" for more information.
When multiple indexes are built, the temporary segments corresponding to each index
exist simultaneously, in addition to the old indexes. The new keys are then merged
with the old indexes, one index at a time. As each new index is created, the old index
and the corresponding temporary segment are removed.
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about how to estimate
index size and set storage parameters
12.4.3.2 Temporary Segment Storage Requirements

To estimate the amount of temporary segment space needed for storing the new index
keys (in bytes), use the following formula:
1.3 * key_storage
In this formula, key storage is defined as follows:

key_storage = (number_of_rows) *
( 10 + sum_of_column_sizes + number_of_columns )
The columns included in this formula are the columns in the index. There is one length
byte per column, and 10 bytes per row are used for a ROWID and additional overhead.
The constant 1.3 reflects the average amount of extra space needed for sorting. This
value is appropriate for most randomly ordered data. If the data arrives in exactly
opposite order, then twice the key-storage space is required for sorting, and the value
of this constant would be 2.0. That is the worst case.
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If the data is fully sorted, then only enough space to store the index entries is required,
and the value of this constant would be 1.0. See "Presorting Data for Faster Indexing"
for more information.
12.4.4 Indexes Left in an Unusable State

SQL*Loader leaves indexes in an Index Unusable state when the data segment being
loaded becomes more up-to-date than the index segments that index it.
Any SQL statement that tries to use an index that is in an Index Unusable state returns
an error. The following conditions cause a direct path load to leave an index or a
partition of a partitioned index in an Index Unusable state:
• SQL*Loader runs out of space for the index and cannot update the index.
• The data is not in the order specified by the SORTED INDEXES clause.
• There is an instance failure, or the Oracle shadow process fails while building the
index.
• There are duplicate keys in a unique index.
• Data savepoints are being used, and the load fails or is terminated by a keyboard
interrupt after a data savepoint occurred.
To determine if an index is in an Index Unusable state, you can execute a simple
query:
SELECT INDEX_NAME, STATUS
FROM USER_INDEXES
WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'tablename';
If you are not the owner of the table, then search ALL_INDEXES or DBA_INDEXES instead of
USER_INDEXES.
To determine if an index partition is in an unusable state, you can execute the

following query:
SELECT INDEX_NAME,
PARTITION_NAME,
STATUS FROM USER_IND_PARTITIONS
WHERE STATUS != 'VALID';
If you are not the owner of the table, then search ALL_IND_PARTITIONS and
DBA_IND_PARTITIONS instead of USER_IND_PARTITIONS.
12.4.5 Using Data Saves to Protect Against Data Loss

You can use data saves to protect against loss of data due to instance failure. All data
loaded up to the last savepoint is protected against instance failure. To continue the
load after an instance failure, determine how many rows from the input file were
processed before the failure, then use the SKIP parameter to skip those processed
rows.
If there are any indexes on the table, drop them before continuing the load, and then
re-create them after the load. See "Data Recovery During Direct Path Loads" for more
information about media and instance recovery.
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Note:
Indexes are not protected by a data save, because SQL*Loader does not build
indexes until after data loading completes. (The only time indexes are built
during the load is when presorted data is loaded into an empty table, but these
indexes are also unprotected.)
• Using the ROWS Parameter

• Data Save Versus Commit
12.4.5.1 Using the ROWS Parameter

The ROWS parameter determines when data saves occur during a direct path load. The
value you specify for ROWS is the number of rows you want SQL*Loader to read from
the input file before saving inserts in the database.
A data save is an expensive operation. The value for ROWS should be set high enough
so that a data save occurs once every 15 minutes or longer. The intent is to provide an
upper boundary (high-water mark) on the amount of work that is lost when an instance
failure occurs during a long-running direct path load. Setting the value of ROWS to a
small number adversely affects performance and data block space utilization.
12.4.5.2 Data Save Versus Commit

In a conventional load, ROWS is the number of rows to read before a commit operation.
A direct load data save is similar to a conventional load commit, but it is not identical.
The similarities are as follows:
• A data save will make the rows visible to other users.
• Rows cannot be rolled back after a data save.
The major difference is that in a direct path load data save, the indexes will be
unusable (in Index Unusable state) until the load completes.
12.4.6 Data Recovery During Direct Path Loads

SQL*Loader provides full support for data recovery when using the direct path load
method. There are two main types of recovery:
• Media - recovery from the loss of a database file. You must be operating in
ARCHIVELOG mode to recover after you lose a database file.
• Instance - recovery from a system failure in which in-memory data was changed
but lost due to the failure before it was written to disk. The Oracle database can
always recover from instance failures, even when redo logs are not archived.
• Media Recovery and Direct Path Loads
• Instance Recovery and Direct Path Loads
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12.4.6.1 Media Recovery and Direct Path Loads

If redo log file archiving is enabled (you are operating in ARCHIVELOG mode), then
SQL*Loader logs loaded data when using the direct path, making media recovery
possible. If redo log archiving is not enabled (you are operating in NOARCHIVELOG mode),
then media recovery is not possible.
To recover a database file that was lost while it was being loaded, use the same
method that you use to recover data loaded with the conventional path:
1. Restore the most recent backup of the affected database file.
2. Recover the tablespace using the RMAN RECOVER command.
See Also:
Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide for more information
about using RMAN to recover a tablespace
12.4.6.2 Instance Recovery and Direct Path Loads

Because SQL*Loader writes directly to the database files, all rows inserted up to the
last data save will automatically be present in the database files if the instance is
restarted. Changes do not need to be recorded in the redo log file to make instance
recovery possible.
If an instance failure occurs, then the indexes being built may be left in an Index
Unusable state. Indexes that are Unusable must be rebuilt before you can use the
table or partition. See "Indexes Left in an Unusable State" for information about how to
determine if an index has been left in Index Unusable state.
12.4.7 Loading Long Data Fields

Data that is longer than SQL*Loader's maximum buffer size can be loaded on the
direct path by using LOBs. You can improve performance when doing this by using a
large STREAMSIZE value.
See Also:
• "Loading LOBs"
• "Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of Stream Buffers"
You could also load data that is longer than the maximum buffer size by using the
PIECED parameter, as described in the next section, but Oracle highly recommends that
you use LOBs instead.
• Loading Data As PIECED
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12.4.7.1 Loading Data As PIECED

The PIECED parameter can be used to load data in sections, if the data is in the last
column of the logical record.
Declaring a column as PIECED informs the direct path loader that a LONG field might be
split across multiple physical records (pieces). In such cases, SQL*Loader processes
each piece of the LONG field as it is found in the physical record. All the pieces are read
before the record is processed. SQL*Loader makes no attempt to materialize the LONG
field before storing it; however, all the pieces are read before the record is processed.
The following restrictions apply when you declare a column as PIECED:
• This option is only valid on the direct path.

• Only one field per table may be PIECED.
• The PIECED field must be the last field in the logical record.
• The PIECED field may not be used in any WHEN, NULLIF, or DEFAULTIF clauses.
• The PIECED field's region in the logical record must not overlap with any other field's
region.
• The PIECED corresponding database column may not be part of the index.
• It may not be possible to load a rejected record from the bad file if it contains a
PIECED field.
For example, a PIECED field could span three records. SQL*Loader loads the piece
from the first record and then reuses the buffer for the second buffer. After loading
the second piece, the buffer is reused for the third record. If an error is discovered,
then only the third record is placed in the bad file because the first two records no
longer exist in the buffer. As a result, the record in the bad file would not be valid.
12.4.8 Auditing SQL*Loader Operations That Use Direct Path Mode

You can perform auditing on SQL*Loader direct path loads to monitor and record
selected user database actions. SQL*Loader uses unified auditing, in which all audit
records are centralized in one place.
To set up unified auditing you create a unified audit policy or alter an existing policy.
An audit policy is a named group of audit settings that enable you to audit a particular
aspect of user behavior in the database. To create the policy, use the SQL CREATE
AUDIT POLICY statement.
After creating the audit policy, use the AUDIT and NOAUDIT SQL statements to,
respectively, enable and disable the policy.
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Optimizing Performance of Direct Path Loads
See Also:
SQL CREATE AUDIT POLICY, ALTER AUDIT POLICY,AUDIT, and NOAUDIT
statements
• Oracle Database Security Guide for more information about using auditing
in an Oracle database
12.5 Optimizing Performance of Direct Path Loads

You can control the time and temporary storage used during direct path loads.
To minimize time:
• Preallocate storage space
• Presort the data
• Perform infrequent data saves
• Minimize use of the redo log
• Specify the number of column array rows and the size of the stream buffer
• Specify a date cache value
• Set DB_UNRECOVERABLE_SCN_TRACKING=FALSE. Unrecoverable (nologging) direct writes
are tracked in the control file by periodically storing the SCN and Time of the last
direct write. If these updates to the control file are adversely affecting
performance, then setting the DB_UNRECOVERABLE_SCN_TRACKING parameter to FALSE
may improve performance.
To minimize space:
• When sorting data before the load, sort data on the index that requires the most
temporary storage space
• Avoid index maintenance during the load
• Preallocating Storage for Faster Loading
• Presorting Data for Faster Indexing
• Infrequent Data Saves
• Minimizing Use of the Redo Log
• Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of Stream Buffers
• Specifying a Value for the Date Cache
12.5.1 Preallocating Storage for Faster Loading

SQL*Loader automatically adds extents to the table if necessary, but this process
takes time. For faster loads into a new table, allocate the required extents when the
table is created.
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To calculate the space required by a table, see the information about managing
database files in the Oracle Database Administrator's Guide. Then use the INITIAL or
MINEXTENTS clause in the SQL CREATE TABLE statement to allocate the required space.
Another approach is to size extents large enough so that extent allocation is

infrequent.
12.5.2 Presorting Data for Faster Indexing

You can improve the performance of direct path loads by presorting your data on
indexed columns. Presorting minimizes temporary storage requirements during the
load. Presorting also enables you to take advantage of high-performance sorting
routines that are optimized for your operating system or application.
If the data is presorted and the existing index is not empty, then presorting minimizes
the amount of temporary segment space needed for the new keys. The sort routine
appends each new key to the key list.
Instead of requiring extra space for sorting, only space for the keys is needed. To
calculate the amount of storage needed, use a sort factor of 1.0 instead of 1.3. For
more information about estimating storage requirements, see "Temporary Segment
Storage Requirements".
If presorting is specified and the existing index is empty, then maximum efficiency is
achieved. The new keys are simply inserted into the index. Instead of having a
temporary segment and new index existing simultaneously with the empty, old index,
only the new index exists. So, temporary storage is not required, and time is saved.
• SORTED INDEXES Clause
• Unsorted Data
• Multiple-Column Indexes
• Choosing the Best Sort Order
12.5.2.1 SORTED INDEXES Clause

The SORTED INDEXES clause identifies the indexes on which the data is presorted. This
clause is allowed only for direct path loads. See case study 6, Loading Data Using the
Direct Path Load Method, for an example. (See "SQL*Loader Case Studies" for
Generally, you specify only one index in the SORTED INDEXES clause, because data that
is sorted for one index is not usually in the right order for another index. When the data
is in the same order for multiple indexes, however, all indexes can be specified at
once.
All indexes listed in the SORTED INDEXES clause must be created before you start the
direct path load.
12.5.2.2 Unsorted Data

If you specify an index in the SORTED INDEXES clause, and the data is not sorted for that
index, then the index is left in an Index Unusable state at the end of the load. The data
is present, but any attempt to use the index results in an error. Any index that is left in
an Index Unusable state must be rebuilt after the load.
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12.5.2.3 Multiple-Column Indexes

If you specify a multiple-column index in the SORTED INDEXES clause, then the data
should be sorted so that it is ordered first on the first column in the index, next on the
second column in the index, and so on.
For example, if the first column of the index is city, and the second column is last
name; then the data should be ordered by name within each city, as in the following
list:
Albuquerque Adams
Albuquerque Hartstein
Albuquerque Klein
... ...
Boston Andrews
Boston Bobrowski
Boston Heigham
... ...
12.5.2.4 Choosing the Best Sort Order

For the best overall performance of direct path loads, you should presort the data
based on the index that requires the most temporary segment space. For example, if
the primary key is one numeric column, and the secondary key consists of three text
columns, then you can minimize both sort time and storage requirements by presorting
on the secondary key.
To determine the index that requires the most storage space, use the following
procedure:
1. For each index, add up the widths of all columns in that index.
2. For a single-table load, pick the index with the largest overall width.
3. For each table in a multiple-table load, identify the index with the largest overall
width. If the same number of rows are to be loaded into each table, then again pick
the index with the largest overall width. Usually, the same number of rows are
loaded into each table.
4. If a different number of rows are to be loaded into the indexed tables in a multiple-
table load, then multiply the width of each index identified in Step 3 by the number
of rows that are to be loaded into that index, and pick the index with the largest
result.
12.5.3 Infrequent Data Saves

Frequent data saves resulting from a small ROWS value adversely affect the
performance of a direct path load. A small ROWS value can also result in wasted data
block space because the last data block is not written to after a save, even if the data
block is not full.
Because direct path loads can be many times faster than conventional loads, the value
of ROWS should be considerably higher for a direct load than it would be for a
conventional load.
During a data save, loading stops until all of SQL*Loader's buffers are successfully
written. You should select the largest value for ROWS that is consistent with safety. It is a
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good idea to determine the average time to load a row by loading a few thousand
rows. Then you can use that value to select a good value for ROWS.
For example, if you can load 20,000 rows per minute, and you do not want to repeat
more than 10 minutes of work after an interruption, then set ROWS to be 200,000
(20,000 rows/minute * 10 minutes).
12.5.4 Minimizing Use of the Redo Log

One way to speed a direct load dramatically is to minimize use of the redo log. There
are three ways to do this. You can disable archiving, you can specify that the load is
unrecoverable, or you can set the SQL NOLOGGING parameter for the objects being
loaded. This section discusses all methods.
• Disabling Archiving
• Specifying the SQL*Loader UNRECOVERABLE Clause
• Setting the SQL NOLOGGING Parameter
12.5.4.1 Disabling Archiving

If archiving is disabled, then direct path loads do not generate full image redo. Use the
SQL ARCHIVELOG and NOARCHIVELOG parameters to set the archiving mode. See the
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about archiving.
12.5.4.2 Specifying the SQL*Loader UNRECOVERABLE Clause

To save time and space in the redo log file, use the SQL*Loader UNRECOVERABLE clause
in the control file when you load data. An unrecoverable load does not record loaded
data in the redo log file; instead, it generates invalidation redo.
The UNRECOVERABLE clause applies to all objects loaded during the load session (both
data and index segments). Therefore, media recovery is disabled for the loaded table,
although database changes by other users may continue to be logged.
Note:
Because the data load is not logged, you may want to make a backup of the
data after loading.
If media recovery becomes necessary on data that was loaded with the UNRECOVERABLE
clause, then the data blocks that were loaded are marked as logically corrupted.
To recover the data, drop and re-create the data. It is a good idea to do backups
immediately after the load to preserve the otherwise unrecoverable data.
By default, a direct path load is RECOVERABLE.
The following is an example of specifying the UNRECOVERABLE clause in the control file:
UNRECOVERABLE
LOAD DATA
INFILE 'sample.dat'
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INTO TABLE emp

(ename VARCHAR2(10), empno NUMBER(4));
12.5.4.3 Setting the SQL NOLOGGING Parameter

If a data or index segment has the SQL NOLOGGING parameter set, then full image redo
logging is disabled for that segment (invalidation redo is generated). Use of the
NOLOGGING parameter allows a finer degree of control over the objects that are not
logged.
12.5.5 Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of

Stream Buffers
The number of column array rows determines the number of rows loaded before the
stream buffer is built. The STREAMSIZE parameter specifies the size (in bytes) of the data
stream sent from the client to the server.
Use the COLUMNARRAYROWS parameter to specify a value for the number of column array
rows. Note that when VARRAYs are loaded using direct path, the COLUMNARRAYROWS
parameter defaults to 100 to avoid client object cache thrashing.
Use the STREAMSIZE parameter to specify the size for direct path stream buffers.
The optimal values for these parameters vary, depending on the system, input data
types, and Oracle column data types used. When you are using optimal values for
your particular configuration, the elapsed time in the SQL*Loader log file should go
down.
Note:
You should monitor process paging activity, because if paging becomes
excessive, then performance can be significantly degraded. You may need to
lower the values for READSIZE, STREAMSIZE, and COLUMNARRAYROWS to avoid
excessive paging.
It can be particularly useful to specify the number of column array rows and size of the
stream buffer when you perform direct path loads on multiple-CPU systems.
See Also:
• "Optimizing Direct Path Loads on Multiple-CPU Systems"

• "COLUMNARRAYROWS"
• "STREAMSIZE"
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12.5.6 Specifying a Value for the Date Cache

If you are performing a direct path load in which the same date or timestamp values
are loaded many times, then a large percentage of total load time can end up being
used for converting date and timestamp data. This is especially true if multiple date
columns are being loaded. In such a case, it may be possible to improve performance
by using the SQL*Loader date cache.
The date cache reduces the number of date conversions done when many duplicate
values are present in the input data. It enables you to specify the number of unique
dates anticipated during the load.
The date cache is enabled by default. To completely disable the date cache, set it to 0.
The default date cache size is 1000 elements. If the default is used and the number of
unique input values loaded exceeds 1000, then the date cache is automatically
disabled for that table. This prevents excessive and unnecessary lookup times that
could affect performance. However, if instead of using the default, you specify a
nonzero value for the date cache and it is exceeded, then the date cache is not
disabled. Instead, any input data that exceeded the maximum is explicitly converted
using the appropriate conversion routines.
The date cache can be associated with only one table. No date cache sharing can
take place across tables. A date cache is created for a table only if all of the following
conditions are true:
• The DATE_CACHE parameter is not set to 0
• One or more date values, timestamp values, or both are being loaded that require
data type conversion in order to be stored in the table
• The load is a direct path load
Date cache statistics are written to the log file. You can use those statistics to improve
direct path load performance as follows:
• If the number of cache entries is less than the cache size and there are no cache
misses, then the cache size could safely be set to a smaller value.
• If the number of cache hits (entries for which there are duplicate values) is small
and the number of cache misses is large, then the cache size should be
increased. Be aware that if the cache size is increased too much, then it may
cause other problems, such as excessive paging or too much memory usage.
• If most of the input date values are unique, then the date cache will not enhance
performance and therefore should not be used.
Note:
Date cache statistics are not written to the SQL*Loader log file if the cache
was active by default and disabled because the maximum was exceeded.
If increasing the cache size does not improve performance, then revert to the default
behavior or set the cache size to 0. The overall performance improvement also
depends on the data types of the other columns being loaded. Improvement will be
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Optimizing Direct Path Loads on Multiple-CPU Systems
greater for cases in which the total number of date columns loaded is large compared
to other types of data loaded.
See Also:
"DATE_CACHE"
12.6 Optimizing Direct Path Loads on Multiple-CPU

Systems
If you are performing direct path loads on a multiple-CPU system, then SQL*Loader
uses multithreading by default. A multiple-CPU system in this case is defined as a
single system that has two or more CPUs.
Multithreaded loading means that, when possible, conversion of the column arrays to
stream buffers and stream buffer loading are performed in parallel. This optimization
works best when:
• Column arrays are large enough to generate multiple direct path stream buffers for
loads
• Data conversions are required from input field data types to Oracle column data
types
The conversions are performed in parallel with stream buffer loading.
The status of this process is recorded in the SQL*Loader log file, as shown in the
following sample portion of a log:
Total stream buffers loaded by SQL*Loader main thread: 47
Total stream buffers loaded by SQL*Loader load thread: 180
Column array rows: 1000
Stream buffer bytes: 256000
In this example, the SQL*Loader load thread has offloaded the SQL*Loader main
thread, allowing the main thread to build the next stream buffer while the load thread
loads the current stream on the server.
The goal is to have the load thread perform as many stream buffer loads as possible.
This can be accomplished by increasing the number of column array rows, decreasing
the stream buffer size, or both. You can monitor the elapsed time in the SQL*Loader
log file to determine whether your changes are having the desired effect. See
"Specifying the Number of Column Array Rows and Size of Stream Buffers" for more
information.
On single-CPU systems, optimization is turned off by default. When the server is on
another system, performance may improve if you manually turn on multithreading.
To turn the multithreading option on or off, use the MULTITHREADING parameter at the
SQL*Loader command line or specify it in your SQL*Loader control file.
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Avoiding Index Maintenance
See Also:
Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide for more information about the
concepts of direct path loading
12.7 Avoiding Index Maintenance

For both the conventional path and the direct path, SQL*Loader maintains all existing
indexes for a table.
To avoid index maintenance, use one of the following methods:
• Drop the indexes before beginning of the load.
• Mark selected indexes or index partitions as Index Unusable before beginning the
load and use the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter.
• Use the SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE parameter (direct path only, use with caution).
By avoiding index maintenance, you minimize the amount of space required during a
direct path load, in the following ways:
• You can build indexes one at a time, reducing the amount of sort (temporary)
segment space that would otherwise be needed for each index.
• Only one index segment exists when an index is built, instead of the three
segments that temporarily exist when the new keys are merged into the old index
to make the new index.
Avoiding index maintenance is quite reasonable when the number of rows to be
loaded is large compared to the size of the table. But if relatively few rows are added
to a large table, then the time required to resort the indexes may be excessive. In such
cases, it is usually better to use the conventional path load method, or to use the
SINGLEROW parameter of SQL*Loader. For more information, see "SINGLEROW
Option".
12.8 Direct Path Loads, Integrity Constraints, and Triggers

With the conventional path load method, arrays of rows are inserted with standard
SQL INSERT statements—integrity constraints and insert triggers are automatically
applied. But when you load data with the direct path, SQL*Loader disables some
integrity constraints and all database triggers. This section discusses the implications
of using direct path loads with respect to these features.
• Integrity Constraints
• Database Insert Triggers
• Permanently Disabled Triggers and Constraints
• Increasing Performance with Concurrent Conventional Path Loads
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Direct Path Loads, Integrity Constraints, and Triggers
12.8.1 Integrity Constraints

During a direct path load, some integrity constraints are automatically disabled. Others
are not. For a description of the constraints, see the information about maintaining
data integrity in the Oracle Database Development Guide.
• Enabled Constraints
• Disabled Constraints
• Reenable Constraints
12.8.1.1 Enabled Constraints

During a direct path load, the constraints that remain enabled are as follows:
• NOT NULL
• UNIQUE
• PRIMARY KEY (unique-constraints on not-null columns)
NOT NULL constraints are checked at column array build time. Any row that violates the
NOT NULL constraint is rejected.
Even though UNIQUE constraints remain enabled during direct path loads, any rows that
violate those constraints are loaded anyway (this is different than in conventional path
in which such rows would be rejected). When indexes are rebuilt at the end of the
direct path load, UNIQUE constraints are verified and if a violation is detected, then the
index will be left in an Index Unusable state. See "Indexes Left in an Unusable State".
12.8.1.2 Disabled Constraints

During a direct path load, the following constraints are automatically disabled by
default:
• CHECK constraints
• Referential constraints (FOREIGN KEY)

You can override the automatic disabling of CHECK constraints by specifying the
EVALUATE CHECK_CONSTRAINTS clause. SQL*Loader will then evaluate CHECK constraints
during a direct path load. Any row that violates the CHECK constraint is rejected. The
following example shows the use of the EVALUATE CHECK_CONSTRAINTS clause in a
LOAD DATA
INFILE *
APPEND
INTO TABLE emp
EVALUATE CHECK_CONSTRAINTS
(c1 CHAR(10) ,c2)
BEGINDATA
Jones,10
Smith,20
Brown,30
Taylor,40
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12.8.1.3 Reenable Constraints

When the load completes, the integrity constraints will be reenabled automatically if
the REENABLE clause is specified. The syntax for the REENABLE clause is as follows:
EVALUATE CHECK_CONSTRAINTS REENABLE DISABLED_CONSTRAINTS
EXCEPTIONS table WHEN field_condition
The optional parameter DISABLED_CONSTRAINTS is provided for readability. If the

EXCEPTIONS clause is included, then the table must already exist and you must be able
to insert into it. This table contains the ROWIDs of all rows that violated one of the
integrity constraints. It also contains the name of the constraint that was violated. See
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for instructions on how to create an
exceptions table.
The SQL*Loader log file describes the constraints that were disabled, the ones that
were reenabled, and what error, if any, prevented reenabling or validating of each
constraint. It also contains the name of the exceptions table specified for each loaded
table.
If the REENABLE clause is not used, then the constraints must be reenabled manually, at
which time all rows in the table are verified. If the Oracle database finds any errors in
the new data, then error messages are produced. The names of violated constraints
and the ROWIDs of the bad data are placed in an exceptions table, if one is specified.
If the REENABLE clause is used, then SQL*Loader automatically reenables the constraint
and verifies all new rows. If no errors are found in the new data, then SQL*Loader
automatically marks the constraint as validated. If any errors are found in the new
data, then error messages are written to the log file and SQL*Loader marks the status
of the constraint as ENABLE NOVALIDATE. The names of violated constraints and the
ROWIDs of the bad data are placed in an exceptions table, if one is specified.
Note:
Normally, when a table constraint is left in an ENABLE NOVALIDATE state, new data
can be inserted into the table but no new invalid data may be inserted.
However, SQL*Loader direct path load does not enforce this rule. Thus, if
subsequent direct path loads are performed with invalid data, then the invalid
data will be inserted but the same error reporting and exception table
processing as described previously will take place. In this scenario the
exception table may contain duplicate entries if it is not cleared out before each
load. Duplicate entries can easily be filtered out by performing a query such as
the following:
SELECT UNIQUE * FROM exceptions_table;
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Note:
Because referential integrity must be reverified for the entire table, performance
may be improved by using the conventional path, instead of the direct path,
when a small number of rows are to be loaded into a very large table.
12.8.2 Database Insert Triggers

Table insert triggers are also disabled when a direct path load begins. After the rows
are loaded and indexes rebuilt, any triggers that were disabled are automatically
reenabled. The log file lists all triggers that were disabled for the load. There should
not be any errors reenabling triggers.
Unlike integrity constraints, insert triggers are not reapplied to the whole table when
they are enabled. As a result, insert triggers do not fire for any rows loaded on the
direct path. When using the direct path, the application must ensure that any behavior
associated with insert triggers is carried out for the new rows.
• Replacing Insert Triggers with Integrity Constraints
• When Automatic Constraints Cannot Be Used
• Preparation
• Using an Update Trigger
• Duplicating the Effects of Exception Conditions
• Using a Stored Procedure
12.8.2.1 Replacing Insert Triggers with Integrity Constraints

Applications commonly use insert triggers to implement integrity constraints. Most of
the triggers that these application insert are simple enough that they can be replaced
with Oracle's automatic integrity constraints.
12.8.2.2 When Automatic Constraints Cannot Be Used

Sometimes an insert trigger cannot be replaced with Oracle's automatic integrity
constraints. For example, if an integrity check is implemented with a table lookup in an
insert trigger, then automatic check constraints cannot be used, because the
automatic constraints can only reference constants and columns in the current row.
This section describes two methods for duplicating the effects of such a trigger.
12.8.2.3 Preparation
Before either method can be used, the table must be prepared. Use the following
general guidelines to prepare the table:
1. Before the load, add a 1-byte or 1-character column to the table that marks rows
as "old data" or "new data."
2. Let the value of null for this column signify "old data" because null columns do not
take up space.
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3. When loading, flag all loaded rows as "new data" with SQL*Loader's CONSTANT
parameter.
After following this procedure, all newly loaded rows are identified, making it possible
to operate on the new data without affecting the old rows.
12.8.2.4 Using an Update Trigger

Generally, you can use a database update trigger to duplicate the effects of an insert
trigger. This method is the simplest. It can be used whenever the insert trigger does
not raise any exceptions.
1. Create an update trigger that duplicates the effects of the insert trigger.
Copy the trigger. Change all occurrences of "new.column_name" to
"old.column_name".
2. Replace the current update trigger, if it exists, with the new one.
3. Update the table, changing the "new data" flag to null, thereby firing the update
trigger.
4. Restore the original update trigger, if there was one.
Depending on the behavior of the trigger, it may be necessary to have exclusive
update access to the table during this operation, so that other users do not
inadvertently apply the trigger to rows they modify.
12.8.2.5 Duplicating the Effects of Exception Conditions

If the insert trigger can raise an exception, then more work is required to duplicate its
effects. Raising an exception would prevent the row from being inserted into the table.
To duplicate that effect with an update trigger, it is necessary to mark the loaded row
for deletion.
The "new data" column cannot be used as a delete flag, because an update trigger
cannot modify the columns that caused it to fire. So another column must be added to
the table. This column marks the row for deletion. A null value means the row is valid.
Whenever the insert trigger would raise an exception, the update trigger can mark the
row as invalid by setting a flag in the additional column.
In summary, when an insert trigger can raise an exception condition, its effects can be
duplicated by an update trigger, provided:
• Two columns (which are usually null) are added to the table
• The table can be updated exclusively (if necessary)
12.8.2.6 Using a Stored Procedure

The following procedure always works, but it is more complex to implement. It can be
used when the insert trigger raises exceptions. It does not require a second additional
column; and, because it does not replace the update trigger, it can be used without
exclusive access to the table.
1. Do the following to create a stored procedure that duplicates the effects of the
insert trigger:
a. Declare a cursor for the table, selecting all new rows.
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b. Open the cursor and fetch rows, one at a time, in a processing loop.
c. Perform the operations contained in the insert trigger.
d. If the operations succeed, then change the "new data" flag to null.
e. If the operations fail, then change the "new data" flag to "bad data."
2. Execute the stored procedure using an administration tool such as SQL*Plus.
3. After running the procedure, check the table for any rows marked "bad data."
4. Update or remove the bad rows.
5. Reenable the insert trigger.
12.8.3 Permanently Disabled Triggers and Constraints

SQL*Loader needs to acquire several locks on the table to be loaded to disable
triggers and constraints. If a competing process is enabling triggers or constraints at
the same time that SQL*Loader is trying to disable them for that table, then
SQL*Loader may not be able to acquire exclusive access to the table.
SQL*Loader attempts to handle this situation as gracefully as possible. It attempts to
reenable disabled triggers and constraints before exiting. However, the same table-
locking problem that made it impossible for SQL*Loader to continue may also have
made it impossible for SQL*Loader to finish enabling triggers and constraints. In such
cases, triggers and constraints will remain disabled until they are manually enabled.
Although such a situation is unlikely, it is possible. The best way to prevent it is to
ensure that no applications are running that could enable triggers or constraints for the
table while the direct load is in progress.
If a direct load is terminated due to failure to acquire the proper locks, then carefully
check the log. It will show every trigger and constraint that was disabled, and each
attempt to reenable them. Any triggers or constraints that were not reenabled by
SQL*Loader should be manually enabled with the ENABLE clause of the ALTER TABLE
statement described in Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
12.8.4 Increasing Performance with Concurrent Conventional Path

Loads
If triggers or integrity constraints pose a problem, but you want faster loading, then you
should consider using concurrent conventional path loads. That is, use multiple load
sessions executing concurrently on a multiple-CPU system. Split the input data files
into separate files on logical record boundaries, and then load each such input data file
with a conventional path load session. The resulting load has the following attributes:
• It is faster than a single conventional load on a multiple-CPU system, but probably
not as fast as a direct load.
• Triggers fire, integrity constraints are applied to the loaded rows, and indexes are
maintained using the standard DML execution logic.
12.9 Parallel Data Loading Models

This section discusses three basic models of concurrency that you can use to
minimize the elapsed time required for data loading:
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• Concurrent conventional path loads

• Intersegment concurrency with the direct path load method
• Intrasegment concurrency with the direct path load method
• Concurrent Conventional Path Loads
• Intersegment Concurrency with Direct Path
• Intrasegment Concurrency with Direct Path
• Restrictions on Parallel Direct Path Loads
• Initiating Multiple SQL*Loader Sessions
• Parameters for Parallel Direct Path Loads
• Enabling Constraints After a Parallel Direct Path Load
• PRIMARY KEY and UNIQUE KEY Constraints
12.9.1 Concurrent Conventional Path Loads

Using multiple conventional path load sessions executing concurrently is discussed in
"Increasing Performance with Concurrent Conventional Path Loads". You can use this
technique to load the same or different objects concurrently with no restrictions.
12.9.2 Intersegment Concurrency with Direct Path

Intersegment concurrency can be used for concurrent loading of different objects. You
can apply this technique to concurrent direct path loading of different tables, or to
concurrent direct path loading of different partitions of the same table.
When you direct path load a single partition, consider the following items:
• Local indexes can be maintained by the load.
• Global indexes cannot be maintained by the load.
• Referential integrity and CHECK constraints must be disabled.
• Triggers must be disabled.
• The input data should be partitioned (otherwise many records will be rejected,
which adversely affects performance).
12.9.3 Intrasegment Concurrency with Direct Path

SQL*Loader permits multiple, concurrent sessions to perform a direct path load into
the same table, or into the same partition of a partitioned table. Multiple SQL*Loader
sessions improve the performance of a direct path load given the available resources
on your system.
This method of data loading is enabled by setting both the DIRECT and the PARALLEL
parameters to TRUE, and is often referred to as a parallel direct path load.
It is important to realize that parallelism is user managed. Setting the PARALLEL

parameter to TRUE only allows multiple concurrent direct path load sessions.
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12.9.4 Restrictions on Parallel Direct Path Loads

The following restrictions are enforced on parallel direct path loads:
• Neither local nor global indexes can be maintained by the load.
• Rows can only be appended. REPLACE, TRUNCATE, and INSERT cannot be used (this is
due to the individual loads not being coordinated). If you must truncate a table
before a parallel load, then you must do it manually.
Additionally, the following objects must be disabled on parallel direct path loads. You
do not have to take any action to disable them. SQL*Loader disables them before the
load begins and re-enables them after the load completes:
• Referential integrity constraints
• Triggers
• CHECK constraints, unless the ENABLE_CHECK_CONSTRAINTS control file option is used
If a parallel direct path load is being applied to a single partition, then you should
partition the data first (otherwise, the overhead of record rejection due to a partition
mismatch slows down the load).
12.9.5 Initiating Multiple SQL*Loader Sessions

Each SQL*Loader session takes a different data file as input. In all sessions executing
a direct load on the same table, you must set PARALLEL to TRUE. The syntax is:
TRUE
PARALLEL =
FALSE
PARALLEL can be specified on the command line or in a parameter file. It can also be
specified in the control file with the OPTIONS clause.
For example, to start three SQL*Loader direct path load sessions on the same table,
you would execute each of the following commands at the operating system prompt.
After entering each command, you will be prompted for a password.
sqlldr USERID=scott CONTROL=load1.ctl DIRECT=TRUE PARALLEL=TRUE
The previous commands must be executed in separate sessions, or if permitted on

your operating system, as separate background jobs. Note the use of multiple control
files. This enables you to be flexible in specifying the files to use for the direct path
load.
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Note:
Indexes are not maintained during a parallel load. Any indexes must be created
or re-created manually after the load completes. You can use the parallel index
creation or parallel index rebuild feature to speed the building of large indexes
after a parallel load.
When you perform a parallel load, SQL*Loader creates temporary segments for each
concurrent session and then merges the segments upon completion. The segment
created from the merge is then added to the existing segment in the database above
the segment's high-water mark. The last extent used of each segment for each loader
session is trimmed of any free space before being combined with the other extents of
the SQL*Loader session.
12.9.6 Parameters for Parallel Direct Path Loads

When you perform parallel direct path loads, there are options available for specifying
attributes of the temporary segment to be allocated by the loader. These options are
specified with the FILE and STORAGE parameters. These parameters are valid only for
parallel loads.
• Using the FILE Parameter to Specify Temporary Segments
12.9.6.1 Using the FILE Parameter to Specify Temporary Segments

To allow for maximum I/O throughput, Oracle recommends that each concurrent direct
path load session use files located on different disks. In the SQL*Loader control file,
use the FILE parameter of the OPTIONS clause to specify the file name of any valid data
file in the tablespace of the object (table or partition) being loaded.
For example:
LOAD DATA
INFILE 'load1.dat'
INSERT INTO TABLE emp
OPTIONS(FILE='/dat/data1.dat')
(empno POSITION(01:04) INTEGER EXTERNAL NULLIF empno=BLANKS
...
You could also specify the FILE parameter on the command line of each concurrent
SQL*Loader session, but then it would apply globally to all objects being loaded with
that session.
• Using the FILE Parameter
• Using the STORAGE Parameter
12.9.6.1.1 Using the FILE Parameter

The FILE parameter in the Oracle database has the following restrictions for parallel
direct path loads:
• For nonpartitioned tables: The specified file must be in the tablespace of the
table being loaded.
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General Performance Improvement Hints
• For partitioned tables, single-partition load: The specified file must be in the
tablespace of the partition being loaded.
• For partitioned tables, full-table load: The specified file must be in the
tablespace of all partitions being loaded; that is, all partitions must be in the same
tablespace.
12.9.6.1.2 Using the STORAGE Parameter

You can use the STORAGE parameter to specify the storage attributes of the temporary
segments allocated for a parallel direct path load. If the STORAGE parameter is not used,
then the storage attributes of the segment containing the object (table, partition) being
loaded are used. Also, when the STORAGE parameter is not specified, SQL*Loader uses
a default of 2 KB for EXTENTS.
For example, the following OPTIONS clause could be used to specify STORAGE
parameters:
OPTIONS (STORAGE=(INITIAL 100M NEXT 100M PCTINCREASE 0))
You can use the STORAGE parameter only in the SQL*Loader control file, and not on the
command line. Use of the STORAGE parameter to specify anything other than
PCTINCREASE of 0, and INITIAL or NEXT values is strongly discouraged and may be
silently ignored.
12.9.7 Enabling Constraints After a Parallel Direct Path Load

Constraints and triggers must be enabled manually after all data loading is complete.
Because each SQL*Loader session can attempt to reenable constraints on a table
after a direct path load, there is a danger that one session may attempt to reenable a
constraint before another session is finished loading data. In this case, the first session
to complete the load will be unable to enable the constraint because the remaining
sessions possess share locks on the table.
Because there is a danger that some constraints might not be reenabled after a direct
path load, you should check the status of the constraint after completing the load to
ensure that it was enabled properly.
12.9.8 PRIMARY KEY and UNIQUE KEY Constraints

PRIMARY KEY and UNIQUE KEY constraints create indexes on a table when they are
enabled, and subsequently can take a significantly long time to enable after a direct
path loading session if the table is very large. You should consider enabling these
constraints manually after a load (and not specifying the automatic enable feature).
This enables you to manually create the required indexes in parallel to save time
before enabling the constraint.
12.10 General Performance Improvement Hints

If you have control over the format of the data to be loaded, then you can use the
following hints to improve load performance:
• Make logical record processing efficient.
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General Performance Improvement Hints
– Use one-to-one mapping of physical records to logical records (avoid using

CONTINUEIF and CONCATENATE).
– Make it easy for the software to identify physical record boundaries. Use the
file processing option string "FIX nnn" or "VAR". If you use the default (stream
mode), then on most platforms (for example, UNIX and NT) the loader must
scan each physical record for the record terminator (newline character).
• Make field setting efficient. Field setting is the process of mapping fields in the
data file to their corresponding columns in the table being loaded. The mapping
function is controlled by the description of the fields in the control file. Field setting
(along with data conversion) is the biggest consumer of CPU cycles for most
loads.
– Avoid delimited fields; use positional fields. If you use delimited fields, then the
loader must scan the input data to find the delimiters. If you use positional
fields, then field setting becomes simple pointer arithmetic (very fast).
– Do not trim whitespace if you do not need to (use PRESERVE BLANKS).
• Make conversions efficient. SQL*Loader performs character set conversion and
data type conversion for you. Of course, the quickest conversion is no conversion.
– Use single-byte character sets if you can.
– Avoid character set conversions if you can. SQL*Loader supports four
character sets:
* Client character set (NLS_LANG of the client sqlldr process)
* Data file character set (usually the same as the client character set)
* Database character set
* Database national character set
Performance is optimized if all character sets are the same. For direct path
loads, it is best if the data file character set and the database character set are
the same. If the character sets are the same, then character set conversion
buffers are not allocated.
• Use direct path loads.
• Use the SORTED INDEXES clause.
• Avoid unnecessary NULLIF and DEFAULTIF clauses. Each clause must be evaluated
on each column that has a clause associated with it for every row loaded.
• Use parallel direct path loads and parallel index creation when you can.
• Be aware of the effect on performance when you have large values for both the
CONCATENATE clause and the COLUMNARRAYROWS clause. See "Using CONCATENATE
to Assemble Logical Records".
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13
SQL*Loader Express
SQL*Loader express mode allows you to quickly and easily use SQL*Loader to load
simple data types.
Topics:
• What is SQL*Loader Express Mode?
• Using SQL*Loader Express Mode
• SQL*Loader Express Mode Parameter Reference
• SQL*Loader Express Mode Syntax Diagrams
13.1 What is SQL*Loader Express Mode?

SQL*Loader express mode lets you quickly perform a load by specifying only a table
name when the table columns are all character, number, or datetime data types, and
the input data files contain only delimited character data.
In express mode, a SQL*Loader control file is not used. Instead, SQL*Loader uses the
table column definitions found in the ALL_TAB_COLUMNS view to determine the input field
order and data types. For most other settings, it assumes default values which you can
override with command-line parameters.
Note:
The only valid parameters for use with SQL*Loader express mode are those
described in this chapter. Any other parameters will be ignored or may result in
an error.
13.2 Using SQL*Loader Express Mode

To activate SQL*Loader express mode, you can simply specify your user name and a
table name. SQL*Loader prompts you for a password, for example:
> sqlldr username TABLE=employees
Password:
.
.
.
SQL*Loader: Release 12.2.0.1.0 - Production on Fri Sep 9 12:12:33 2016
Express Mode Load, Table: EMPLOYEES

.
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Using SQL*Loader Express Mode
.
.
If you activate SQL*Loader express mode by specifying only the TABLE parameter, then
SQL*Loader uses default settings for a number of other parameters. You can override
most of the default values by specifying additional parameters on the command line.
SQL*Loader express mode generates a log file that includes a SQL*Loader control
file. The log file also contains SQL scripts for creating the external table and
performing the load using a SQL INSERT AS SELECT statement. Neither the control file
nor the SQL scripts are used by SQL*Loader express mode. They are made available
to you in case you want to use them as a starting point to perform operations using
regular SQL*Loader or standalone external tables; the control file is for use with
SQL*Loader, whereas the SQL scripts are for use with standalone external tables
operations.
• Default Values Used by SQL*Loader Express Mode
See Also:
• "SQL*Loader Express Mode Parameter Reference"

• SQL*Loader Control File Reference for more information about control files
13.2.1 Default Values Used by SQL*Loader Express Mode

By default, a load done using SQL*Loader express mode assumes the following
unless you specify otherwise:
• If no data file is specified, then it looks for a file named table-name.dat in the
current directory.
• External tables is the load method. For some errors, SQL*Loader express mode
automatically switches from the default external tables load method to direct path
load. An example of when this might occur would be if a privilege violation caused
the CREATE DIRECTORY SQL command to fail.
• Fields are set up using the following:
– names from table column names (the order of the fields matches the table
column order)
– types based on table column types
– newline as the record delimiter
– a comma as the field delimiter
– no enclosure
– left-right trimming
• The DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter is set to AUTO.
• Date and timestamp format use the NLS settings.
• The NLS client character set is used.
• New data is to be appended to the table if it already has data in it.
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Using SQL*Loader Express Mode
• If a data file is not specified, then the data, log, and bad files take the following
default names. (The %p is replaced with the process ID of the Oracle Database
slave process.):
– table-name.dat for the data file
– table-name.log for the SQL*Loader log file
– table-name_%p.log_xt for Oracle Database log files (for example,

emp_17228.log_xt)
– table-name_%p.bad for bad files
• If one or more data files are specified (using the DATA parameter), then the log and
bad files take the following default names. (The %p is replaced with the process ID
of the server slave process.):
– table-name.log for the SQL*Loader log file
– table-name_%p.log_xt for the Oracle Database log files
– first-data-file_%p.bad for the bad files
See Also:
– "DATA" parameter
• How SQL*Loader Express Mode Handles Byte Order
13.2.1.1 How SQL*Loader Express Mode Handles Byte Order

In general, SQL*Loader express mode handles byte order marks in the same way that
a load performed using a SQL*Loader control file does. In summary:
• For data files with a unicode character set, SQL*Loader express mode checks for
a byte order mark at the beginning of the file.
• For a UTF16 data file, if a byte order mark is found, the byte order mark sets the
byte order for the data file. If no byte order mark is found, the byte order of the
system where SQL*Loader is executing is used for the data file.
• A UTF16 data file can be loaded regardless of whether or not the byte order
(endianness) is the same byte order as the system on which SQL*Loader express
is running.
• For UTF8 data files, any byte order marks found are skipped.
• A load is terminated if multiple data files are involved and they use different byte
ordering.
See Also:
• "Byte Ordering" for more information about how SQL*Loader handles byte
order in data files
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SQL*Loader Express Mode Parameter Reference
13.3 SQL*Loader Express Mode Parameter Reference

This section provides descriptions of the parameters available in SQL*Loader express
mode. Some of the parameter names are the same as parameters used by regular
SQL*Loader, but there may be behavior differences. Be sure to read the descriptions
so you know what behavior to expect.
Note:
If parameter values include quotation marks, then it is recommended that you
specify them in a parameter file. See "Use of Quotation Marks on the Data
Pump Command Line” in Parameters Available in Export's Command-Line
Mode - the issues discussed there are also pertinent to SQL*Loader express
mode.
• BAD
• CHARACTERSET
• CSV
• DATA
• DATE_FORMAT
• DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM
• DIRECT
• DNFS_ENABLE
• ENCLOSED_BY
• EXTERNAL_TABLE
• FIELD_NAMES
• LOAD
• NULLIF
• OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY
• PARFILE
• SILENT
• TABLE
• TERMINATED_BY
• TIMESTAMP_FORMAT
• TRIM
• USERID
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13.3.1 BAD
Default: The default depends on whether any data file(s) are specified (using the DATA
parameter). See "Default Values Used by SQL*Loader Express Mode".
Purpose
The BAD parameter specifies the location and name of the bad file.

BAD=[directory/][filename]
The bad file stores records that cause errors during insert or that are improperly
formatted. If you specify the BAD parameter, you must supply either a directory or file
name, or both. If you do not specify the BAD parameter, and there are rejected records,
then the default file name is used.
The directory variable specifies a directory to which the bad file is written. The
specification can include the name of a device or a network node.
The filename variable specifies a file name recognized as valid on your platform. You
must specify only a name (and extension, if one other than .bad is desired). Any
marks.
The values of directory and filename are determined as follows:
• If the BAD parameter is specified with a file name but no directory, then the
• If the BAD parameter is specified with a directory but no file name, then the
specified directory is used and the default is used for the file name and the
extension.
The BAD parameter applies to all the files which match the specified DATA parameter (if it
is specified). It applies to the one data file (table-name.dat) if the data parameter is not
specified.
Restrictions
Caution:
• If the file name (either the default or one you specify) already exists, then it
is either overwritten or a new version is created, depending on your
operating system.
• If multiple data files are being loaded, then it is recommended that you
either not specify the BAD parameter or that you specify it with only a
directory for the bad file.
Example
The following specification creates a bad file named emp1.bad in the current directory:
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> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees BAD=emp1
13.3.2 CHARACTERSET
Default: NLS client character set as specified in the NLS_LANG environment variable
Purpose
The CHARACTERSET parameter specifies a character set, other than the default, to use for
the load.

CHARACTERSET=character_set_name
The CHARACTERSET parameter specifies the character set of the SQL*Loader input data
files. If the CHARACTERSET parameter is not specified, then the default character set for all
data files is the session character set, which is defined by the NLS_LANG environment
variable. Only character data (fields of the SQL*Loader data types CHAR, VARCHAR,
VARCHARC, numeric EXTERNAL, and the datetime and interval data types) is affected by
the character set of the data file.
The character_set_name variable specifies the character set name. Normally, the
specified name must be the name of a character set that is supported by Oracle
Database.
For UTF-16 Unicode encoding, use the name UTF16 rather than AL16UTF16.
AL16UTF16, which is the supported character set name for UTF-16 encoded data, is
only for UTF-16 data that is in big-endian byte order. However, because you are
allowed to set up data using the byte order of the system where you create the data
file, the data in the data file can be either big-endian or little-endian. Therefore, a
different character set name (UTF16) is used. The character set name AL16UTF16 is
also supported. But if you specify AL16UTF16 for a data file that has little-endian byte
order, then SQL*Loader issues a warning message and processes the data file as
little-endian.
The CHARACTERSET parameter value is assumed to the be same for all data files.
Note:
The term UTF-16 is a general reference to UTF-16 encoding for Unicode. The
term UTF16 (no hyphen) is the specific name of the character set and is what
you should specify for the CHARACTERSET parameter when you want to use
UTF-16 encoding. This also applies to UTF-8 and UTF8.
Restrictions
• None
Example
The following example specifies the UTF-8 character set:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees CHARACTERSETNAME=utf8
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13.3.3 CSV
Default: If the CSV parameter is not specified on the command line, then SQL*Loader
express assumes that the CSV file being loaded contains data that has no embedded
characters and no enclosures.
If CSV=WITHOUT_EMBEDDED is specified on the command line, then SQL*Loader express
assumes that the CSV file being loaded contains data that has no embedded
characters and that is optionally enclosed by '"'.
Purpose
The CSV parameter provides options that let you specify whether the comma-separated
value (CSV) format file being loaded contains fields in which record terminators are
embedded.

CSV=[WITH_EMBEDDED | WITHOUT_EMBEDDED]
The valid options for this parameter are as follows:

• WITH_EMBEDDED — This option means that there may be record terminators included
(embedded) in a field in the record. The record terminator is newline. The default
delimiters are TERMINTATED BY "," and OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY '"'. Embedded
record terminators must be enclosed.
If the CSV file contains many embedded record terminators, it is possible that
performance may be adversely affected.
• WITHOUT_EMBEDDED — This option means that there are no record terminators
included (embedded) in a field in the record. The record terminator is newline. The
default delimiters are TERMINTATED BY "," and OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY ' " '.
Restrictions
• Normally a file can be processed in parallel (split up and processed by more than
one execution server at a time). But in the case of CSV format files with embedded
record terminators, the file must be processed by only one execution server.
Therefore, parallel processing within a data file is disabled when
CSV=WITH_EMBEDDED.
Example
The following example processes the data files as CSV format files with embedded
record terminators.
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees CSV=WITH_EMBEDDED
13.3.4 DATA
Default: The same name as the table name, but with an extension of .dat.
Purpose
The DATA parameter specifies the name(s) of the data file(s) containing the data to be
loaded.
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DATA=data-file-name
If you do not specify a file extension, then the default is .dat.
The file specification can contain wildcards (only in the file name and file extension,
not in a device or directory name). An asterisk (*) represents multiple characters and a
DATA='emp*.dat'
DATA='m?emp.dat'
To list multiple data file specifications (each of which can contain wild cards), the file
names must be separated by commas.
If the file name contains any special characters (for example, spaces, *, ?, ), then the
entire name must be enclosed within single quotation marks.
The following are three examples of possible valid uses of the DATA parameter (the
single quotation marks would only be necessary if the file name contained special
characters):
DATA='file1','file2','file3','file4','file5','file6'
DATA='file1','file2'
DATA='file3,'file4','file5'
DATA='file6'
DATA='file1'
DATA='file2'
DATA='file3'
DATA='file4'
DATA='file5'
DATA='file6'
Restrictions
Caution:
If multiple data files are being loaded and you are also specifying the BAD
parameter, it is recommended that you specify only a directory for the bad file,
not a file name. If you specify a file name, and a file with that name already
Example
Assume that the current directory contains data files with the names emp1.dat,
emp2.dat, m1emp.dat, and m2emp.dat and you issue the following command:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees DATA='emp*','m1emp'
The command loads the emp1.dat, emp2.dat, and m1emp.dat files. The m2emp.dat file is
not loaded because it did not match any of the wildcard criteria.
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13.3.5 DATE_FORMAT
Default: If the DATE_FORMAT parameter is not specified, then the NLS_DATE_FORMAT,
NLS_LANGUAGE, or NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE environment variable settings (if defined for the
SQL*Loader session) are used. If the NLS_DATE_FORMAT is not defined, then dates are
assumed to be in the default format defined by the NLS_TERRITORY setting.
Purpose
The DATE_FORMAT parameter specifies a date format that overrides the default value for
all date fields.

DATE_FORMAT=mask
The mask is a date format mask, normally enclosed in double quotation marks.
Restrictions
• None
Example
If the date in the data file was 17-March-2012, then the date format would be specified
as follows:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees DATE_FORMAT="DD-Month-YYYY"
13.3.6 DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM
Default: AUTO
Purpose
The DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter specifies the degree of parallelism to use for the
load.

DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM=[degree-num|DEFAULT|AUTO|NONE]
If a degree-num is specified, then it must be a whole number value from 1 to n.
If DEFAULT is specified, then the default parallelism of the database (not the default
parameter value of AUTO) is used.
If AUTO is used, then the Oracle database automatically sets the degree of parallelism
for the load. This is also the default if the DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter is not
specified at all.
If NONE is specified, then the load is not performed in parallel. A value of NONE is the
same as a value of 1.
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Chapter 13
See Also:
parallel execution
Restrictions
• The DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter is ignored if you force the load method to be
conventional or direct path (the NONE option is used). Any time you specify the
DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter, for any value, you receive a message reminding
you of this.
• If the load is a default external tables load and an error occurs that causes
SQL*Loader express mode to use direct path load instead, then the job is not
performed in parallel, even if you had specified a degree of parallelism or had
accepted the external tables default of AUTO. A message is displayed alerting you
to this change.
Example
The following example loads the data without using parallelism:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM=NONE
13.3.7 DIRECT
Default: FALSE
Purpose
The DIRECT parameter specifies the load method to use, either conventional path or
direct path.

DIRECT=[TRUE|FALSE]
A value of TRUE specifies a direct path load. A value of FALSE specifies a conventional
path load.
This parameter overrides the default load method of external tables, used by
SQL*Loader express mode.
For some errors, SQL*Loader express mode automatically switches from the default
external tables load method to direct path load. An example of when this might occur
would be if a privilege violation caused the CREATE DIRECTORY SQL command to fail.
If you use the DIRECT parameter to specify a conventional or direct path load, then the
following regular SQL*Loader parameters are valid to use in express mode:
• BINDSIZE
• COLUMNARRAYROWS (direct path loads only)
• DATE_CACHE
• ERRORS
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Chapter 13
• MULTITHREADING (direct path loads only)

• NO_INDEX_ERRORS (direct path loads only)
• RESUMABLE
• RESUMABLE_NAME
• ROWS
• SKIP
• STREAMSIZE
Restrictions
• None
Example
In the following example, SQL*Loader uses the direct path load method for the load
instead of external tables:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees DIRECT=TRUE
13.3.8 DNFS_ENABLE
Default: TRUE
Purpose
The DNFS_ENABLE parameter lets you enable and disable use of the Direct NFS Client
on input data files during a SQL*Loader operation.
improved performance when Oracle accesses files on those servers.

DNFS_ENABLE=[TRUE|FALSE]
SQL*Loader uses the Direct NFS Client interfaces by default when it reads data files
over 1 GB. For smaller files, the operating system's I/O interfaces are used. To use the
Direct NFS Client on all input data files, use DNFS_ENABLE=TRUE.
To disable use of the Direct NFS Client for all data files, specify DNFS_ENABLE=FALSE.
The DNFS_ENABLE parameter can be used in conjunction with the DNFS_READBUFFERS

parameter, which can specify the number of read buffers used by the Direct NFS
Client.
13-11
Chapter 13
See Also:
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for your platform for

information about enabling Direct NFS Client Oracle Disk Manager Control
of NFS
Default: 4
Purpose
The DNFS_READBUFFERS parameter lets you control the number of read buffers used by
the Direct NFS Client. The Direct NFS Client is an API that can be implemented by file
servers to allow improved performance when Oracle accesses files on those servers.

DNFS_READBUFFERS = n
Using values larger than the default might compensate for inconsistent I/O from the
Direct NFS Client file server, but it may result in increased memory usage.
To use this parameter without also specifying the DNFS_ENABLE parameter, the input file
must be larger than 1 GB.
See Also:
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for your platform for

information about enabling Direct NFS Client Oracle Disk Manager Control
of NFS
13.3.10 ENCLOSED_BY
Default: The default is that there is no enclosure character.
Purpose
The ENCLOSED_BY parameter specifies a field enclosure string.

ENCLOSED_BY=['string'|x'hex-string']
The enclosure character must be a string or a hexadecimal string.
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Chapter 13
Restrictions
• The same string must be used to signify both the beginning and the ending of the
enclosure.
Example
In the following example, the field data is enclosed by the '/' character (forward slash).
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees ENCLOSED_BY='/'
13.3.11 EXTERNAL_TABLE
Default: EXECUTE
Purpose
The EXTERNAL_TABLE parameter instructs SQL*Loader whether to load data using the
external tables option.

EXTERNAL_TABLE=[NOT_USED | GENERATE_ONLY | EXECUTE]
There are three possible values:

• NOT_USED — It means the load is performed using either conventional or direct path
mode.
• GENERATE_ONLY — places all the SQL statements needed to do the load using
external tables in the SQL*Loader log file. These SQL statements can be edited
and customized. The actual load can be done later without the use of SQL*Loader
by executing these statements in SQL*Plus.
• EXECUTE — the default value in SQL*Loader express mode. Attempts to execute
the SQL statements that are needed to do the load using external tables.
However, if any of the SQL statements returns an error, then the attempt to load
stops. Statements are placed in the log file as they are executed. This means that
if a SQL statement returns an error, then the remaining SQL statements required
for the load will not be placed in the log file.
Note that the external table option uses directory objects in the database to indicate
where all data files are stored and to indicate where output files, such as bad files and
discard files, are created. You must have READ access to the directory objects
containing the data files, and you must have WRITE access to the directory objects
where the output files are created. If there are no existing directory objects for the
location of a data file or output file, then SQL*Loader will generate the SQL statement
to create one. Therefore, when the EXECUTE option is specified, you must have the
CREATE ANY DIRECTORY privilege. If you want the directory object to be deleted at the end
of the load, then you must also have the DROP ANY DIRECTORY privilege.
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Chapter 13
Note:
The EXTERNAL_TABLE=EXECUTE qualifier tells SQL*Loader to create an external
table that can be used to load data and then execute the INSERT statement to
load the data. All files in the external table must be identified as being in a
directory object. SQL*Loader attempts to use directory objects that already
exist and that you have privileges to access. However, if SQL*Loader does not
find the matching directory object, then it attempts to create a temporary
directory object. If you do not have privileges to create new directory objects,
then the operation fails.
To work around this, use EXTERNAL_TABLE=GENERATE_ONLY to create the SQL
statements that SQL*Loader would try to execute. Extract those SQL
statements and change references to directory objects to be the directory
object that you have privileges to access. Then, execute those SQL
statements.
Restrictions
• None
Example
sqlldr hr TABLE=employees EXTERNAL_TABLE=NOT_USED
13.3.12 FIELD_NAMES
Default: NONE
Purpose
The FIELD_NAMES parameter is used to override the fields being in the order of the
columns in the database table. (By default, SQL*Loader Express uses the table
column definitions found in the ALL_TAB_COLUMNS view to determine the input field order
and data types.)
An example of when this parameter could be useful is when the data in the input file is
not in the same order as the columns in the table. In such a case, you can include a
field name record (similar to a column header row for a table) in the data file and use
the FIELD_NAMES parameter to notify SQL*Loader to process the field names in the first
record to determine the order of the fields.

FIELD_NAMES=[ALL | ALL_IGNORE | FIRST | FIRST_IGNORE | NONE]
The valid options for this parameter are as follows:

• ALL — The field name record is processed for every data file.
• ALL_IGNORE — Ignore the first (field names) record in all the data files and process
the data records normally.
• FIRST — In the first data file, process the first (field names) record. For all other
data files, there is no field names record, so the data file is processed normally.
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Chapter 13
• FIRST_IGNORE — In the first data file, ignore the first (field names) record and use
table column order for the field order.
• NONE — There are no field names records in any data file, so the data files are
processed normally. This is the default.
Restrictions
• If any field name has mixed case or special characters (for example, spaces), you
must use either the OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY parameter, or the ENCLOSED_BY
parameter to indicate that case should be preserved and special characters should
be included as part of the field name.
Example
If you are loading a CSV file that contains column headers into a table, and the fields
in each row in the input file are in the same order as the columns in the table, then you
could use the following:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees CSV=WITHOUT_EMBEDDED FIELD_NAMES=FIRST_IGNORE
13.3.13 LOAD
Default: All records are loaded.
Purpose
The LOAD parameter specifies the number of records to be loaded.

LOAD=n
To test that all parameters you have specified for the load are set correctly, use the
LOAD parameter to specify a limited number of records rather than loading all records.
No error occurs if fewer than the maximum number of records are found.
Restrictions
• None
Example
The following example specifies that a maximum of 10 records be loaded:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees LOAD=10
For external tables method loads (the default load method for express mode), only
successfully loaded records are counted toward the total. So if there are 15 records in
the file and records 2 and 4 are bad, then the following records are loaded into the
table, for a total of 10 records - 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
For conventional and direct path loads, both successful and unsuccessful load
attempts are counted toward the total. So if there are 15 records in the file and records
2 and 4 are bad, then only the following 8 records are actually loaded into the table - 1,
3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
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Chapter 13
13.3.14 NULLIF
Default: The default is that no NULLIF checking is done.
Purpose
The NULLIF parameter specifies a value that is used to determine whether a field is
loaded as a NULL column.

NULLIF = "string"
Or
NULLIF != "string"
SQL*Loader checks the specified value against the value of the field in the record. If
there is a match using the equal (=) or not equal (!=) specification, then the field is set
to NULL for that row. Any field that has a length of 0 after blank trimming is also set to
NULL.
Restrictions
• None
Example
In the following example, if there are any fields whose value is a period, then those
fields are set to NULL in their respective rows.
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees NULLIF="."
13.3.15 OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY
Default: The default is that there is no optional field enclosure character.
Purpose
The OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY parameter specifies an optional field enclosure string.

OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY=['string'| x'hex-string']
The enclosure character is a string or a haxadecimal string.
Restrictions
• The same string must be used to signify both the beginning and the ending of the
enclosure.
Examples
The following example specifies the optional enclosure character as a double
quotation mark ("):
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY='"'
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Chapter 13
The following example specifies the optional enclosure character in hexadecimal

format:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY=x'22'
13.3.16 PARFILE
Purpose
The PARFILE parameter specifies the name of a file that contains commonly used

PARFILE=parameter_file_name
It is recommend that a parameter file be used if any parameter values contain

quotation marks.
Note:
Although it is not usually important, on some systems it may be necessary to
have no spaces around the equal sign (=) in the parameter specifications.
Restrictions
• For security reasons, you should not include your USERID password in a parameter
file. SQL*Loader will prompt you for the password after you specify the parameter
file at the command line, for example:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees PARFILE=daily_report.par
Password:
Example
Suppose you have the following parameter file, test.par:
table=employees
data='mydata*.dat'
enclosed_by='"'
Any fields enclosed by double quotation marks, in any data files that match
mydata*.dat, are loaded into table employees when you execute the following command:
> sqlldr hr PARFILE=test.par

Password:
13.3.17 SILENT
Default: If this parameter is not specified, then no content is suppressed.
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Chapter 13
Purpose
The SILENT parameter suppresses some of the content that is written to the screen
during a SQL*Loader operation.

SILENT={HEADER | FEEDBACK | ERRORS | DISCARDS | PARTITIONS | ALL}
Use the appropriate values to suppress one or more of the following (if more than one
option is specified, they must be separated by commas):
• HEADER — Suppresses the SQL*Loader header messages that normally appear on
the screen. Header messages still appear in the log file.
• FEEDBACK — Suppresses the "commit point reached" messages and the status
messages for the load that normally appear on the screen.
• ERRORS — Suppresses the data error messages in the log file that occur when a
record generates an Oracle error that causes it to be written to the bad file. A
count of rejected records still appears.
• DISCARDS — Suppresses the messages in the log file for each record written to the
discard file. This option is ignored in express mode.
• PARTITIONS — Disables writing the per-partition statistics to the log file during a
direct load of a partitioned table. This option is meaningful only in a forced direct
path operation.
• ALL — Implements all of the suppression options.
Example
For example, you can suppress the header and feedback messages that normally
appear on the screen with the following command-line argument:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees SILENT=HEADER, FEEDBACK
13.3.18 TABLE
Purpose
The TABLE parameter activates SQL*Loader express mode.

TABLE=[schema-name.]table-name
If the schema name or table name includes lower case characters, spaces, or other
special characters, then the names must be enclosed in double quotation marks and
that entire string enclosed within single quotation marks. For example:
TABLE='"hr.Employees"'
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Chapter 13
Restrictions
• The TABLE parameter is valid only in SQL*Loader express mode.
Example
The following example loads the table employees in express mode:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees
13.3.19 TERMINATED_BY
Default: comma
Purpose
The TERMINATED_BY parameter specifies a field terminator that overrides the default.

TERMINATED_BY=['string'| x'hex-string' | WHITESPACE]
The field terminator must be a string or a hexadecimal string. If

TERMINATED_BY=WHITESPACE is specified, then data is read until the first occurrence of a
whitespace character (spaces, tabs, blanks, line feeds, form feeds, or carriage
returns). Then the current position is advanced until no more adjacent whitespace
characters are found. This allows field values to be delimited by varying amounts of
whitespace.
If you use TERMINATED_BY=WHITESPACE, then null fields cannot contain just blanks or other
whitespace because the blanks and whitespace will be skipped and an error may be
reported. This means that if you have null fields in the data, then you may have to use
another string to indicate the null field and use the NULLIF parameter to indicate the
NULLIF string. For example, you could use the string "NoData" to indicate a null field and
then insert the string "NoData" in the data to indicate a null field. Specify
NULLIF="NoData" to tell SQL*Loader to set fields with the string "NoData" to NULL.
Restrictions
• None
Example
In the following example, fields are terminated by the | character.
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees TERMINATED_BY="|"
13.3.20 TIMESTAMP_FORMAT
Default: The default is taken from the value of the NLS_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT environment
variable. If NLS_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT is not set up, then timestamps use the default format
defined in the NLS_TERRITORY environment variable, with 6 digits of fractional precision.
Purpose
The TIMESTAMP_FORMAT parameter specifies a timestamp format to use for the load.
13-19
Chapter 13

TIMESTAMP_FORMAT="timestamp_format"
Restrictions
• None
Example
The following is an example of specifying a timestamp format:
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees TIMESTAMP_FORMAT="MON-DD-YYYY HH:MI:SSXFF AM"
13.3.21 TRIM
Default: The default for conventional and direct path loads is LDRTRIM. The default for
external tables loads is LRTRIM.
Purpose
The TRIM parameter specifies the type of trimming to use during the load.

TRIM=[LRTRIM | NOTRIM | LTRIM | RTRIM |LDRTRIM]
The TRIM parameter is used to specify that spaces should be trimmed from the
beginning of a text field, or the end of a text field, or both. Spaces include blanks and
other nonprinting characters such as tabs, line feeds, and carriage returns.
NOTRIM indicates that no characters will be trimmed from the field. This setting generally
yields the fastest performance.
LDRTRIM is the same as NOTRIM except in the following case:
• If the field is a delimited field with OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY specified, and the

If trimming is specified for a field that is all spaces, then the field will be set to NULL.
Restrictions
• Only LDRTRIM is supported for forced conventional path and forced direct path
loads. Any time you specify the TRIM parameter, for any value, you receive a
message reminding you of this.
• If the load is a default external tables load and an error occurs that causes
SQL*Loader express mode to use direct path load instead, then LDRTRM is used as
the trimming method, even if you specified a different method or had accepted the
external tables default of LRTRIM. A message is displayed alerting you to this
change.
To use NOTRIM, use a control file with the PRESERVE BLANKS clause.
13-20
Chapter 13
SQL*Loader Express Mode Syntax Diagrams
Example
The following example reads the fields, trimming all spaces on the right (trailing
spaces).
> sqlldr hr TABLE=employees TRIM=RTRIM
13.3.22 USERID
Default: none
Purpose
The USERID parameter is used to provide your Oracle username and password.

USERID = [username | / | SYS]
If you do not specify the USERID parameter, then you are prompted for it. If only a slash
is used, then USERID defaults to your operating system login.
Restrictions
• Because the string, AS SYSDBA, contains a blank, some operating systems may
require that the entire connect string be placed in quotation marks or marked as a
literal by some method. Some operating systems also require that quotation marks
on the command line be preceded by an escape character, such as backslashes.
See your Oracle operating system-specific documentation for information about
special and reserved characters on your system.
Example
The following example starts the job for user hr:
> sqlldr USERID=hr TABLE=employees
Password:
13.4 SQL*Loader Express Mode Syntax Diagrams

This section describes SQL*Loader express mode syntax in graphic form (sometimes
called railroad diagrams or DDL diagrams). For information about the syntax notation
used, see the Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
express_init
PARFILE = filename express_options

sqlldr USERID TABLE = tablename
The following syntax diagrams show the parameters included in express_options in the
previous syntax diagram. SQL*Loader express mode parameters shown in the
following syntax diagrams are all optional and can appear in any order on the
13-21
Chapter 13
SQL*Loader command line. Therefore, they are presented in simple alphabetical

order.
express_options
BAD = filename
CHARACTERSET = character_set_name
WITH_EMBEDDED
CSV =
WITHOUT_EMBEDDED
DATA = filename
DATE_FORMAT = mask
degree_num
DEFAULT
DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM =
AUTO
NONE
TRUE
DIRECT =
FALSE
TRUE
DNFS_ENABLE =
FALSE
TRUE
DNFS_READBUFFERS =
FALSE
’char’
ENCLOSED_BY =
X’hex–char’
NOT_USED
EXTERNAL_TABLE = GENERATE_ONLY
EXECUTE
ALL
ALL_IGNORE
FIELD_NAMES = FIRST
FIRST_IGNORE
NONE
13-22
Chapter 13
express_options_cont
" char_string "
= X’hexstr’
!= BLANKS
NULLIF
’char’
OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY =
X’hex–char’
HEADER
FEEDBACK
ERRORS
SILENT =
DISCARDS
PARTITIONS
ALL
WHITESPACE
TERMINATED_BY = X’hex–char’
’char’
TIMESTAMP_FORMAT = timestamp_format
LRTRIM
NOTRIM
TRIM = LTRIM
RTRIM
LDRTRIM
13-23
Part III
External Tables
The following topics provide information necessary to successfully using external
tables:
External Tables Concepts
Describes basic concepts about external tables.
The ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
Describes the ORACLE_LOADER access driver.
The ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver

Describes the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver, including its parameters, and information
about loading and unloading supported data types.
ORACLE_HDFS and ORACLE_HIVE Access Drivers
Describes the ORACLE_HDFS and ORACLE_HIVE access drivers.
External Tables Examples

Provides examples of using external tables, including partitioned external tables.
• External Tables Concepts
• ORACLE_HDFS and ORACLE_HIVE Access Drivers
The properties used to create an external table that uses the ORACLE_HDFS or
ORACLE_HIVE access drivers are specified in a SQL CREATE TABLE ORGANIZATION
EXTERNAL statement, in the opaque_format_spec clause of ACCESS PARAMETERS.
• External Tables Examples

14
External Tables Concepts
The external tables feature is a complement to existing SQL*Loader functionality. It
enables you to access data in external sources as if it were in a table in the database.
Note that SQL*Loader may be the better choice in data loading situations that require
additional indexing of the staging table. See "Behavior Differences Between
SQL*Loader and External Tables" for more information about how load behavior
differs between SQL*Loader and external tables.
As of Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1), you can partition data contained in
external tables, which allows you to take advantage of the same performance
improvements provided when you partition tables stored in a database (for example,
partition pruning).
See the following topics:
• How Are External Tables Created?

• Data Type Conversion During External Table Use
Conversion errors can occur when external tables are read from and when they
are written to.
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for additional information about creating
and managing external tables, and about partitioning them.
14.1 How Are External Tables Created?

External tables are created using the SQL CREATE TABLE...ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
statement. When you create an external table, you specify the following attributes:
• TYPE — specifies the type of external table. Each type of external table is
supported by its own access driver.
– ORACLE_LOADER — this is the default access driver. It loads data from external
tables to internal tables. The data must come from text data files. (The
ORACLE_LOADER access driver cannot perform unloads; that is, it cannot move
data from an internal table to an external table.)
– ORACLE_DATAPUMP — this access driver can perform both loads and unloads. The
data must come from binary dump files. Loads to internal tables from external
tables are done by fetching from the binary dump files. Unloads from internal
tables to external tables are done by populating the binary dump files of the
external table. The ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver can write dump files only as
part of creating an external table with the SQL CREATE TABLE AS SELECT
14-1
Chapter 14
How Are External Tables Created?
statement. Once the dump file is created, it can be read any number of times,
but it cannot be modified (that is, no DML operations can be performed).
– ORACLE_HDFS — extracts data stored in a Hadoop Distributed File System
(HDFS).
– ORACLE_HIVE — extracts data stored in Apache HIVE.
• DEFAULT DIRECTORY — specifies the default directory to use for all input and output
files that do not explicitly name a directory object. The location is specified with a
directory object, not a directory path. You must create the directory object before
you create the external table; otherwise, an error is generated. See "Location of
Data Files and Output Files" for more information.
• ACCESS PARAMETERS — describe the external data source and implement the type of
external table that was specified. Each type of external table has its own access
driver that provides access parameters unique to that type of external table.
Access parameters are optional. See "Access Parameters".
• LOCATION — specifies the data files for the external table.
– For ORACLE_LOADER and ORACLE_DATAPUMP, the files are named in the form
directory:file. The directory portion is optional. If it is missing, then the
default directory is used as the directory for the file. If you are using the
ORACLE_LOADER access driver, then you can use wildcards in the file name: an
asterisk (*) signifies multiple characters, a question mark (?) signifies a single
character.
– For ORACLE_HDFS, the LOCATION clause is a list of Uniform Resource Identifiers
(URIs) for a directory or for a file. There is no directory object associated with
a URI.
– For ORACLE_HIVE, the LOCATION clause is not used. Instead, the Hadoop
HCatalog table is read to obtain information about the location of the data
source (which could be a file or another database).
The following examples briefly show the use of attributes for each of the access
drivers.
Example 14-1 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
The following example uses the ORACLE_LOADER access driver to show the use of each
of these attributes (it assumes that the default directory def_dir1 already exists):
SQL> CREATE TABLE emp_load
2 (employee_number CHAR(5),
3 employee_dob CHAR(20),
4 employee_last_name CHAR(20),
5 employee_first_name CHAR(15),
6 employee_middle_name CHAR(15),
7 employee_hire_date DATE)
8 ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
9 (TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
10 DEFAULT DIRECTORY def_dir1
11 ACCESS PARAMETERS
12 (RECORDS DELIMITED BY NEWLINE
13 FIELDS (employee_number CHAR(2),
18 employee_hire_date CHAR(10) date_format DATE mask "mm/dd/yyyy"
14-2
Chapter 14
19 )
20 )
21 LOCATION ('info.dat')
22 );
Table created.
The information you provide through the access driver ensures that data from the data
source is processed so that it matches the definition of the external table. The fields
listed after CREATE TABLE emp_load are actually defining the metadata for the data in the
info.dat source file.
Example 14-2 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access

Driver
This example creates an external table named inventories_xt and populates the dump
file for the external table with the data from table inventories in the oe sample schema.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inventories_xt
3 (
4 TYPE ORACLE_DATAPUMP
6 LOCATION ('inv_xt.dmp')
7 )
8 AS SELECT * FROM inventories;
Table created.
Example 14-3 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver

CREATE TABLE sales_external
( time_id DATE NOT NULL, …
amount_sold NUMBER(10,2)
)
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
( TYPE ORACLE_HDFS
ACCESS PARAMETERS (com.oracle.bigdata.cluster=hadoop1)
LOCATION (“hdfs:/usr/sales_1.csv”, “hdfs:/usr/my_sales_*.csv”)
)
Example 14-4 Specifying Attributes for the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver

CREATE TABLE sales_external
( time_id DATE NOT NULL, …
amount_sold NUMBER(10,2)
)
( TYPE ORACLE_HIVE
ACCESS PARAMETERS (com.oracle.bigdata.cluster=hadoop1
com.oracle.bigdata.tablename=default.ratings_hive_table)
);
• Location of Data Files and Output Files

• Access Parameters
14-3
Chapter 14
14.1.1 Location of Data Files and Output Files
Note:
The information in this section about directory objects does not apply to data
files for the ORACLE_HDFS access driver or ORACLE_HIVE access driver. With the
ORACLE_HDFS driver, the location of data is specified with a list of URIs for a
directory or for a file, and there is no directory object associated with a URI.
The ORACLE_HIVE driver does not specify a data source location; it reads the
Hive metastore table to get that information, so no directory object is needed.
The access driver runs inside the database server. This is different from SQL*Loader,
which is a client program that sends the data to be loaded over to the server. This
difference has the following implications:
• The server must have access to any files to be loaded by the access driver.
• The server must create and write the output files created by the access driver: the
log file, bad file, discard file, and also any dump files created by the
ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver.
The access driver requires that a directory object be used to specify the location from
which to read and write files. A directory object maps a name to a directory name on
the file system. For example, the following statement creates a directory object named
ext_tab_dir that is mapped to a directory located at /usr/apps/datafiles.
CREATE DIRECTORY ext_tab_dir AS '/usr/apps/datafiles';
Directory objects can be created by DBAs or by any user with the CREATE ANY DIRECTORY
privilege.
Note:
To use external tables in an Oracle Real Applications Cluster (Oracle RAC)
configuration, you must ensure that the directory object path is on a cluster-
wide file system.
After a directory is created, the user creating the directory object needs to grant READ
and WRITE privileges on the directory to other users. These privileges must be explicitly
granted, rather than assigned through the use of roles. For example, to allow the
server to read files on behalf of user scott in the directory named by ext_tab_dir, the
user who created the directory object must execute the following command:
GRANT READ ON DIRECTORY ext_tab_dir TO scott;
The SYS user is the only user that can own directory objects, but the SYS user can grant
other users the privilege to create directory objects. Note that READ or WRITE permission
to a directory object means only that the Oracle database will read or write that file on
your behalf. You are not given direct access to those files outside of the Oracle
database unless you have the appropriate operating system privileges. Similarly, the
14-4
Chapter 14
Data Type Conversion During External Table Use
Oracle database requires permission from the operating system to read and write files
in the directories.
14.1.2 Access Parameters

When you create an external table of a particular type, you can specify access
parameters to modify the default behavior of the access driver. Each access driver has
its own syntax for access parameters. Oracle provides the following access drivers for
use with external tables: ORACLE_LOADER , ORACLE_DATAPUMP, ORACLE_HDFS, and ORACLE_HIVE.
Note:
These access parameters are collectively referred to as the opaque_format_spec
in the SQL CREATE TABLE...ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL statement.
See Also:

• ORACLE_HDFS and ORACLE_HIVE Access Drivers
• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about
specifying opaque_format_spec when using the SQL CREATE TABLE statement
14.2 Data Type Conversion During External Table Use

Conversion errors can occur when external tables are read from and when they are
written to.
Conversion Errors When Reading External Tables

When you select rows from an external table, the access driver performs any
transformations necessary to make the data from the data source match the data type
of the corresponding column in the external table. Depending on the data and the
types of transformations required, the transformation can encounter errors.
To illustrate the types of data conversion problems that can occur when reading from
an external table, suppose you create the following external table KV_TAB_XT with two
columns: KEY whose data type is VARCHAR2(4) and VAL whose data type is NUMBER.
SQL> CREATE TABLE KV_TAB_XT (KEY, VARCHAR2(4), VAL NUMBER)
3 (DEFAULT DIRECTORY DEF_DIR1 LOCATION (‘key_val.csv’));
The external table KV_TAB_XT uses default values for the access parameters, which
means:
• Records are delimited by new lines.
• The data file and the database have the same character set.
14-5
Chapter 14
• The fields in the data file have the same name and are in the same order as the
columns in the external table.
• The data type of the field is CHAR(255).
• Data for each field is terminated by a comma.
The records in the data file for the KV_TAB_XT external table should be:
• A string, up to 4 bytes long. If the string is empty, then the value for the field is
NULL.
• A terminating comma.
• A string of numeric characters. If the string is empty, then the value for this field is
NULL.
• An optional terminating comma.

When the access driver reads a record from the data file, it verifies that the length of
the value of the KEY field in the data file is less than or equal to 4, and it attempts to
convert the value of the VAL field in the data file to an Oracle number.
If the length of the value of the KEY field is greater than 4 or if there is a non-numeric
character in the value for VAL, then the ORACLE_LOADER access driver rejects the row
which results in a copy of the row being written to the bad file and an error message
being written to the log file.
All access drivers have to handle conversion from the data type of fields in the source
for the external table and the data type for the columns of the external tables. The
following are some examples of the types of conversions and checks that access
drivers perform:
• Convert character data from character set used by the source data to the
character set used by the database.
• Convert from character data to numeric data.
• Convert from numeric data to character data.
• Convert from character data to a date or timestamp.
• Convert from a date or timestamp to character data.
• Convert from character data to an interval data type.
• Convert from an interval data type to a character data.
• Verify that the length of data value for a character column does not exceed the
length limits of that column.
When the access driver encounters an error doing the required conversion or
verification, it can decide how to handle the error. When the ORACLE_LOADER and
ORACLE_DATAPUMP access drivers encounter errors, they reject the record and write an
error message to the log file. It is as if that record were not in the data source. When
the ORACLE_HDFS and ORACLE_HIVE access drivers encounter errors, the value of the field
in which the error is encountered is set to NULL. This is in keeping with the behavior of
how Hive handles errors in Hadoop.
Even after the access driver has converted the data from the data source to match the
data type of the external table columns, the SQL statement that is accessing the
external table could require additional data type conversions. If any of these additional
conversions encounter an error, then the entire statement fails. (The exception to this
is if you use the DML error logging feature in the SQL statement to handle these
14-6
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errors.) These conversions are the same as any that might normally be required when
executing a SQL statement. For example, suppose you change the definition of the
KV_TAB_XT external table to only have columns with character data types, and then you
execute an INSERT statement to load data from the external table into another table that
has a NUMBER data type for column VAL:
SQL> CREATE TABLE KV_TAB_XT (KEY VARCHAR2(20), VAL VARCHAR2(20))
3 (DEFAULT DIRECTORY DEF_DIR1 LOCATION (‘key_val.csv’));
4 CREATE TABLE KV_TAB (KEY VARCHAR2(4), VAL NUMBER);
5 INSERT INTO KV_TAB SELECT * FROM KV_TAB_XT;
In this example, the access driver will not reject a record if the data for VAL contains a
non-numeric character because the data type of VAL in the external table is now
VARCHAR2 (instead of NUMBER). However, SQL execution now needs to handle the
conversion from character data type in KV_TAB_XT to number data type in KV_TAB. If
there is a non-numeric character in the value for VAL in the external table, then SQL
raises a conversion error and rolls back any rows that were inserted. To avoid
conversion errors in SQL execution, try to make the data types of the columns in the
external table match the data types expected by other tables or functions that will be
using the values of those columns.
Conversion Errors When Writing to External Tables

The ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver allows you to use a CREATE TABLE AS SELECT
statement to unload data into an external table. Data conversion occurs if the data
type of a column in the SELECT expression does not match the data type of the column
in the external table. If SQL encounters an error converting the data type, then SQL
aborts the statement and the data file will not be readable.
To avoid problems with conversion errors that cause the operation to fail, the data type
of the column in the external table should match the data type of the column in the
source table or expression used to write to the external table. This is not always
possible because external tables do not support all data types. In these cases, the
unsupported data types in the source table must be converted into a data type that the
external table can support. The following CREATE TABLE statement shows an example of
this:
CREATE TABLE LONG_TAB_XT (LONG_COL CLOB)
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL...SELECT TO_LOB(LONG_COL) FROM LONG_TAB;
The source table named LONG_TAB has a LONG column, therefore the corresponding
column in the external table being created, LONG_TAB_XT, must be a CLOB and the SELECT
subquery that is used to populate the external table must use the TO_LOB operator to
load the column.
14-7
15
The ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
The ORACLE_LOADER access driver which provides a set of access parameters unique to
external tables of the type ORACLE_LOADER. You can use the access parameters to
modify the default behavior of the access driver. The information you provide through
the access driver ensures that data from the data source is processed so that it
matches the definition of the external table.
See the following topics for more information:
To successfully use the information in these topics, you must have some knowledge of
the file format and record format (including character sets and field data types) of the
data files on your platform. You must also know enough about SQL to be able to
create an external table and perform queries against it.
You may find it helpful to use the EXTERNAL_TABLE=GENERATE_ONLY parameter in
SQL*Loader to get the proper access parameters for a given SQL*Loader control file.
When you specify GENERATE_ONLY, all the SQL statements needed to do the load using
external tables, as described in the control file, are placed in the SQL*Loader log file.
These SQL statements can be edited and customized. The actual load can be done
later without the use of SQL*Loader by executing these statements in SQL*Plus.
See Also:
• "EXTERNAL_TABLE"
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about creating
and managing external tables
Note:
• It is sometimes difficult to describe syntax without using other syntax that is

not documented until later in the chapter. If it is not clear what some syntax
is supposed to do, then you might want to skip ahead and read about that
particular element.
• In examples that show a CREATE TABLE...ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL statement
followed by a sample of contents of the data file for the external table, the
contents are not part of the CREATE TABLE statement, but are shown to help
complete the example.
• When identifiers (for example, column or table names) are specified in the
external table access parameters, certain values are considered to be
reserved words by the access parameter parser. If a reserved word is used
as an identifier, then it must be enclosed in double quotation marks. See
"Reserved Words for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver".
15-1
Chapter 15
access_parameters Clause
• access_parameters Clause
• record_format_info Clause
• field_definitions Clause
• column_transforms Clause
• Parallel Loading Considerations for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
• Performance Hints When Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
• Restrictions When Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
• Reserved Words for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
15.1 access_parameters Clause

The access parameters clause contains comments, record formatting, and field
formatting information.
The description of the data in the data source is separate from the definition of the
external table. This means that:
• The source file can contain more or fewer fields than there are columns in the
external table
• The data types for fields in the data source can be different from the columns in
the external table
The access driver ensures that data from the data source is processed so that it
The syntax for the access_parameters clause is as follows:
comments record_format_info field_definitions column_transforms
Note:
See Also:

specifying opaque_format_spec when using the SQL CREATE
TABLE...ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL statement
comments
Comments are lines that begin with two hyphens followed by text. Comments must be
placed before any access parameters, for example:
15-2
Chapter 15
record_format_info Clause
--This is a comment.
--This is another comment.
RECORDS DELIMITED BY NEWLINE
record_format_info
The record_format_info clause is an optional clause that contains information about
the record, such as its format, the character set of the data, and what rules are used to
exclude records from being loaded. For a full description of the syntax, see
"record_format_info Clause".
field_definitions
The field_definitions clause is used to describe the fields in the data file. If a data file
field has the same name as a column in the external table, then the data from the field
is used for that column. For a full description of the syntax, see "field_definitions
Clause".
column_transforms
The column_transforms clause is an optional clause used to describe how to load
columns in the external table that do not map directly to columns in the data file. This
is done using the following transforms: NULL, CONSTANT, CONCAT, and LOBFILE. For a full
description of the syntax, see "column_transforms Clause".
15.2 record_format_info Clause

The record_format_info clause contains information about the record, such as its
format, the character set of the data, and what rules are used to exclude records from
being loaded. The PREPROCESSOR clause allows you to optionally specify the name of a
user-supplied program that will run and modify the contents of a data file so that the
ORACLE_LOADER access driver can parse it.
The record_format_info clause is optional. The default value, whether the clause is
specified or not, is RECORDS DELIMITED BY NEWLINE. The syntax for the record_format_info
clause is as follows:
FIXED
integer
VARIABLE
et_record_spec_options
NEWLINE
RECORDS
DELIMITED BY
string
XMLTAG string
The et_record_spec_options clause allows you to optionally specify additional

formatting information. You can specify as many of the formatting options as you want,
in any order. The syntax of the options is as follows:
15-3
Chapter 15
CHARACTERSET string
directory_spec :
PREPROCESSOR file_spec
LANGUAGE
string
TERRITORY
LITTLE
DATA IS ENDIAN
BIG
CHECK
BYTEORDERMARK
NOCHECK
BYTES
STRING SIZES ARE IN
CHARACTERS
LOAD WHEN condition_spec
et_output_files
READSIZE integer
DISABLE_DIRECTORY_LINK_CHECK
DATE_CACHE
integer
SKIP
IGNORE
FIRST FILE
IGNORE
FIELD_NAMES
ALL FILES
NONE
DIRECTIO
IO_OPTIONS ( )
NODIRECTIO
DNFS_ENABLE
DNFS_DISABLE
DNFS_READBUFFERS integer
The following et_output_files diagram shows the options for specifying the bad,
discard, and log files. For each of these clauses, you must supply either a directory
object name or a file name, or both.
15-4
Chapter 15
NOBADFILE
directory object name : filename

BADFILE
NODISCARDFILE

DISCARDFILE
NOLOGFILE

LOGFILE
• FIXED length
• VARIABLE size
• DELIMITED BY
• XMLTAG
You can use the XMLTAG clause of the ORACLE_LOADER access driver to specify XML
tags that are used to load subdocuments from an XML document.
• CHARACTERSET
• EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA
• PREPROCESSOR
• LANGUAGE
• TERRITORY
• DATA IS...ENDIAN
• BYTEORDERMARK (CHECK | NOCHECK)
• STRING SIZES ARE IN
• LOAD WHEN
• BADFILE | NOBADFILE
• DISCARDFILE | NODISCARDFILE
• LOGFILE | NOLOGFILE
• SKIP
• FIELD NAMES
• READSIZE
• DISABLE_DIRECTORY_LINK_CHECK
• DATE_CACHE
• string
• condition_spec
• [directory object name:] [filename]
• condition
15-5
Chapter 15
• IO_OPTIONS clause
The IO_OPTIONS clause allows you to specify I/O options used by the operating
system for reading the data files.
• DNFS_DISABLE | DNFS_ENABLE
15.2.1 FIXED length

The FIXED clause is used to identify the records as all having a fixed size of length
bytes. The size specified for FIXED records must include any record termination
characters, such as newlines. Compared to other record types, fixed-length fields in
fixed-length records are the easiest field and record formats for the access driver to
process.
The following is an example of using FIXED records. It assumes there is a 1-byte
newline character at the end of each record in the data file. It is followed by a sample
of the data file that can be used to load it.
CREATE TABLE emp_load (first_name CHAR(15), last_name CHAR(20), year_of_birth CHAR(4))
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (TYPE ORACLE_LOADER DEFAULT DIRECTORY ext_tab_dir
ACCESS PARAMETERS (RECORDS FIXED 20 FIELDS (first_name CHAR(7),
last_name CHAR(8),
year_of_birth CHAR(4)))
LOCATION ('info.dat'));
Alvin Tolliver1976
KennethBaer 1963
Mary Dube 1973
15.2.2 VARIABLE size

The VARIABLE clause is used to indicate that the records have a variable length and that
each record is preceded by a character string containing a number with the count of
bytes for the record. The length of the character string containing the count field is the
size argument that follows the VARIABLE parameter. Note that size indicates a count of
bytes, not characters. The count at the beginning of the record must include any
record termination characters, but it does not include the size of the count field itself.
The number of bytes in the record termination characters can vary depending on how
the file is created and on what platform it is created.
The following is an example of using VARIABLE records. It assumes there is a 1-byte
newline character at the end of each record in the data file. It is followed by a sample
of the data file that can be used to load it.
ACCESS PARAMETERS (RECORDS VARIABLE 2 FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
(first_name CHAR(7),
last_name CHAR(8),
21Alvin,Tolliver,1976,
19Kenneth,Baer,1963,
16Mary,Dube,1973,
15-6
Chapter 15
15.2.3 DELIMITED BY
The DELIMITED BY clause is used to indicate the characters that identify the end of a
record.
If DELIMITED BY NEWLINE is specified, then the actual value used is platform-specific. On
UNIX platforms, NEWLINE is assumed to be "\n". On Windows operating systems,
NEWLINE is assumed to be "\r\n".
If DELIMITED BY string is specified, then string can be either text or a series of

hexadecimal digits enclosed within quotation marks and prefixed by OX or X. If it is
text, then the text is converted to the character set of the data file and the result is
used for identifying record boundaries. See "string".
If the following conditions are true, then you must use hexadecimal digits to identify the
delimiter:
• The character set of the access parameters is different from the character set of
the data file.
• Some characters in the delimiter string cannot be translated into the character set
of the data file.
The hexadecimal digits are converted into bytes, and there is no character set
translation performed on the hexadecimal string.
If the end of the file is found before the record terminator, then the access driver
proceeds as if a terminator was found, and all unprocessed data up to the end of the
file is considered part of the record.
Note:
Do not include any binary data, including binary counts for VARCHAR and VARRAW,
in a record that has delimiters. Doing so could cause errors or corruption,
because the binary data will be interpreted as characters during the search for
the delimiter.
The following is an example of using DELIMITED BY records.

ACCESS PARAMETERS (RECORDS DELIMITED BY '|' FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
last_name CHAR(8),
Alvin,Tolliver,1976|Kenneth,Baer,1963|Mary,Dube,1973
15-7
Chapter 15
15.2.4 XMLTAG
You can use the XMLTAG clause of the ORACLE_LOADER access driver to specify XML tags
that are used to load subdocuments from an XML document.
The access driver searches the data file for documents enclosed by those tags and
loads those documents as separate rows in the external table.
The XMLTAG clause accepts a list of one or more strings. The strings are used to build
tags that ORACLE_LOADER uses to search for subdocuments in the data file. The tags
specified in the access parameters do not include the “<” and “>” delimiters.
The ORACLE_LOADER access driver starts at the beginning of the file and looks for the
first occurrence of any of the tags listed in the XMLTAG clause. When it finds a match, it
searches for the corresponding closing tag. For example, if the tag is “ORDER_ITEM”,
then ORACLE_LOADER looks for the text string “<ORDER_ITEM>”, starting at the
beginning of the file. When it finds an occurrence of “<ORDER_ITEM>” it then looks
for “</ORDER_ITEM>”. Everything found between the <ORDER_ITEM> and </
ORDER_ITEM> tags is part of the document loaded for the row. ORACLE_LOADER then
searches for the next occurrence of any of the tags, starting from the first character
after the closing tag.
The ORACLE_LOADER access driver is not parsing the XML document to the elements that
match the tag names; it is only doing a string search through a text file. If the external
table is being accessed in parallel, then ORACLE_LOADER splits large files up so that
different sections are read independently. When it starts reading a section of the data
file, it starts looking for one of the tags specified by XMLTAG. If it reaches the end of a
section and is still looking for a matching end tag, then ORACLE_LOADER continues
reading into the next section until the matching end tag is found.
Restrictions When Using XMLTAG

• The XMLTAG clause cannot be used to load data files that have elements nested
inside of documents of the same element. For example, if a data file being loaded
with XMLTAG(‘FOO’) contains the following data:
<FOO><BAR><FOO></FOO></BAR></FOO>
then ORACLE_LOADER extracts everything between the first <FOO> and the first </FOO>
as a document, which does not constitute a valid document.
Similarly, if XMLTAG(“FOO”,”BAR”) is specified and the data file contains the
following:
<FOO><BAR></BAR></FOO>
then <BAR> and </BAR> are loaded, but as the document for "FOO".
• The limit on how large an extracted sub-document can be is determined by the
READSIZE access parameter. If the ORACLE_LOADER access driver sees a
subdocument larger than READSIZE, then it returns an error.
Example Use of the XMLTAG Clause

Suppose you create an external table T_XT as follows:
CREATE TABLE "T_XT"
(
15-8
Chapter 15
"C0" VARCHAR2(2000)
)
ORGANIZATION external
(
TYPE oracle_loader
DEFAULT DIRECTORY DMPDIR
ACCESS PARAMETERS
(
RECORDS
XMLTAG ("home address", "work address"," home phone ")
READSIZE 1024
SKIP 0
FIELDS NOTRIM
MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL
(
"C0" (1:2000) CHAR(2000)
)
)
location
(
't.dat'
)
)REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED
/
exit;
Assume the contents of the data file are as follows:

<first name>Lionel</first name><home address>23 Oak St, Tripoli, CT</home
address><last name>Rice</last name>
You could then perform the following SQL query:

SQL> SELECT C0 FROM T_XT;
C0
------------------------------------------------------------------
<home address>23 Oak St, Tripoli, CT</home address>
15.2.5 CHARACTERSET
The CHARACTERSET string clause identifies the character set of the data file. If a
character set is not specified, then the data is assumed to be in the default character
set for the database. See "string".
Note:
The settings of NLS environment variables on the client have no effect on the
character set used for the database.
See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for a listing of Oracle-supported
character sets
15-9
Chapter 15
15.2.6 EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA
Note:
The EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA clause is valid only for use with the Oracle SQL
Connector for Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). See Oracle Big Data
Connectors User's Guide for more information about the Oracle SQL Connector
for HDFS.
When you specify the EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA clause, the ORACLE_LOADER access driver is
used to load dump files that were generated with the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver.
LOGFILE
NOLOGFILE
READSIZE
DISABLE_DIRECTORY_LINK_CHECK PREPROCESSOR
EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA
The only access parameters that can be used with the EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA clause
are the following:
• DISABLE_DIRECTORY_LINK_CHECK
• READSIZE
• PREPROCESSOR
The following example uses the EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA clause. The example assumes
that the deptxt1.dmp dump file was previously generated by the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access
driver. The tkexcat program specified by the PREPROCESSOR parameter is a user-supplied
program to manipulate the input data.
CREATE TABLE deptxt1
(
deptno number(2),
dname varchar2(14),
loc varchar2(13)
)
(
TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
DEFAULT DIRECTORY dpump_dir
ACCESS PARAMETERS
(
EXTERNAL VARIABLE DATA
LOGFILE 'deptxt1.log'
READSIZE=10000
PREPROCESSOR tkexcat
)
15-10
Chapter 15
LOCATION ('deptxt1.dmp')
)
REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED
;
15.2.7 PREPROCESSOR
Caution:
There are security implications to consider when using the PREPROCESSOR clause.
See Oracle Database Security Guide for more information.
If the file you want to load contains data records that are not in a format supported by
the ORACLE_LOADER access driver, then use the PREPROCESSOR clause to specify a user-
supplied preprocessor program that will execute for every data file. Note that the
program specification must be enclosed in a shell script if it uses arguments (see the
description of "file_spec").
The preprocessor program converts the data to a record format supported by the
access driver and then writes the converted record data to standard output (stdout),
which the access driver reads as input. The syntax of the PREPROCESSOR clause is as
follows:
directory_spec :
PREPROCESSOR file_spec
directory_spec
Specifies the directory object containing the name of the preprocessor program to
execute for every data file. The user accessing the external table must have the
EXECUTE privilege for the directory object that is used. If directory_spec is omitted, then
the default directory specified for the external table is used.
Caution:
For security reasons, Oracle strongly recommends that a separate directory,
not the default directory, be used to store preprocessor programs. Do not store
any other files in the directory in which preprocessor programs are stored.
The preprocessor program must reside in a directory object, so that access to it can be
controlled for security reasons. The OS system manager must create a directory
corresponding to the directory object and must verify that OS-user ORACLE has
access to that directory. DBAs must ensure that only approved users are allowed
access to the directory object associated with the directory path. Although multiple
database users can have access to a directory object, only those with the EXECUTE
privilege can run a preprocessor in that directory. No existing database user with read-
write privileges to a directory object will be able to use the preprocessing feature.
15-11
Chapter 15
DBAs can prevent preprocessors from ever being used by never granting the EXECUTE
privilege to anyone for a directory object.
See Also:
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about granting the
EXECUTE privilege
file_spec
The name of the preprocessor program. It is appended to the path name associated
with the directory object that is being used (either the directory_spec or the default
directory for the external table). The file_spec cannot contain an absolute or relative
directory path.
If the preprocessor program requires any arguments (for example, gunzip -c), then
you must specify the program name and its arguments in an executable shell script (or
on Windows operating systems, in a batch (.bat) file). Shell scripts and batch files have
certain requirements, as discussed in the following sections.
It is important to verify that the correct version of the preprocessor program is in the
operating system directory.
The following is an example of specifying the PREPROCESSOR clause without using a shell
or batch file:
SQL> CREATE TABLE xtab (recno varchar2(2000))
2 ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (
3 TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
4 DEFAULT DIRECTORY data_dir
5 ACCESS PARAMETERS (
6 RECORDS DELIMITED BY NEWLINE
7 PREPROCESSOR execdir:'zcat'
8 FIELDS (recno char(2000)))
9 LOCATION ('foo.dat.gz'))
10 REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;
Table created.
Using Shell Scripts With the PREPROCESSOR Clause on Linux Operating

Systems
• The shell script must reside in directory_spec.
• The full path name must be specified for system commands such as gunzip.
• The preprocessor shell script must have EXECUTE permissions.
• The data file listed in the external table LOCATION clause should be referred to
by $1.
The following example shows how to specify a shell script on the PREPROCESSOR clause
when creating an external table.
SQL> CREATE TABLE xtab (recno varchar2(2000))
2 ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (
3 TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
4 DEFAULT DIRECTORY data_dir
5 ACCESS PARAMETERS (
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7 PREPROCESSOR execdir:'uncompress.sh'
8 FIELDS (recno char(2000)))
9 LOCATION ('foo.dat.gz'))
10 REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED;
Table created.
Using Batch Files With The PREPROCESSOR Clause on Windows Operating

Systems
• The batch file must reside in directory_spec.
• The full path name must be specified for system commands such as gunzip.
• The preprocessor batch file must have EXECUTE permissions.
• The first line of the batch file should contain @echo off. The reason for this
requirement is that when the batch file is run, the default is to display the
commands being executed, which has the unintended side-effect of the echoed
commands being treated as input to the external table access driver.
• To represent the input from the location clause, %1 should be used. (Note that this
differs from Linux-style shell scripts where the location clause is referenced by $1.)
• A full path should be specified to any executables in the batch file (sed.exe in the
following example). Note also that the MKS Toolkit may not exist on all Windows
installations so commands such as sed.exe may not be available.
The batch file used on Windows must have either a .bat or .cmd extension. Failure
to do so (e.g. trying to specify the preprocessor script as sed.sh) will result in the
following error:
SQL> select * from foo ;
select * from foo
*
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-29913: error in executing ODCIEXTTABLEFETCH callout

ORA-29400: data cartridge error
KUP-04095: preprocessor command
C:/Temp\sed.sh encountered error
"CreateProcess Failure for Preprocessor:
C:/Temp\sed.sh, errorcode: 193
The following is a simple example of using a batch file with the external table
PREPROCESSOR option on Windows. In this example a batch file uses the stream editor
(sed.exe) utility to perform a simple transformation of the input data.
create table deptxt
(
deptno char(2),
dname char(14),
loc char(13)
)
organization external
(
type ORACLE_LOADER
default directory def_dir1
access parameters
(
records delimited by newline
badfile 'deptxt.bad'
logfile 'deptxt.log'
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Chapter 15
preprocessor exec_dir:'sed.bat'
missing field values are null
)
location ('deptxt.dat')
)
reject limit unlimited ;
select * from deptxt ;
Where deptxt.dat contains:
10,ACCOUNTING,NEW YORK
20,RESEARCH,DALLAS
30,SALES,CHICAGO
40,OPERATIONS,BOSTON
The preprocessor program sed.bat has the following content:

@echo off
c:/mksnt/mksnt/sed.exe -e 's/BOSTON/CALIFORNIA/' %1
The PREPROCESSOR option passes the input data (deptxt.dat) to sed.bat. If you then
select from the deptxt table, the results show that the LOC column in the last row, which
used to be BOSTON, is now CALIFORNIA.
SQL> select * from deptxt ;
DE DNAME LOC
-- -------------- -------------
1a ACCOUNTING NEW YORK
20 RESEARCH DALLAS
30 SALES CHICAGO
40 OPERATIONS CALIFORNIA
4 rows selected.
• Using Parallel Processing with the PREPROCESSOR Clause

• Restrictions When Using the PREPROCESSOR Clause
15.2.7.1 Using Parallel Processing with the PREPROCESSOR Clause

External tables treats each data file specified on the LOCATION clause as a single
granule. To make the best use of parallel processing with the PREPROCESSOR clause, the
data to be loaded should be split into multiple files (granules). This is because external
tables limits the degree of parallelism to the number of data files present. For example,
if you specify a degree of parallelism of 16, but have only 10 data files, then in effect
the degree of parallelism is 10 because 10 slave processes will be busy and 6 will be
idle. It is best to not have any idle slave processes. So if you do specify a degree of
parallelism, then ideally it should be no larger than the number of data files so that all
slave processes are kept busy.
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See Also:
granules of parallelism
15.2.7.2 Restrictions When Using the PREPROCESSOR Clause

• The PREPROCESSOR clause is not available on databases that use the Oracle
Database Vault feature.
• The PREPROCESSOR clause does not work in conjunction with the COLUMN TRANSFORMS
clause.
15.2.8 LANGUAGE
The LANGUAGE clause allows you to specify a language name (for example, FRENCH),
from which locale-sensitive information about the data can be derived. The following
are some examples of the type of information that can be derived from the language
name:
• Day and month names and their abbreviations
• Symbols for equivalent expressions for A.M., P.M., A.D., and B.C.
• Default sorting sequence for character data when the ORDER BY SQL clause is
specified
• Writing direction (right to left or left to right)
• Affirmative and negative response strings (for example, YES and NO)
See Also:
languages
15.2.9 TERRITORY
The TERRITORY clause allows you to specify a territory name to further determine input
data characteristics. For example, in some countries a decimal point is used in
numbers rather than a comma (for example, 531.298 instead of 531,298).
See Also:
territories
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15.2.10 DATA IS...ENDIAN

The DATA IS...ENDIAN clause indicates the endianness of data whose byte order may
vary depending on the platform that generated the data file. Fields of the following
types are affected by this clause:
• INTEGER
• UNSIGNED INTEGER
• FLOAT
• BINARY_FLOAT
• DOUBLE
• BINARY_DOUBLE
• VARCHAR (numeric count only)
• VARRAW (numeric count only)
• Any character data type in the UTF16 character set

• Any string specified by RECORDS DELIMITED BY string and in the UTF16 character set
Windows-based platforms generate little-endian data. Big-endian platforms include
Sun Solaris and IBM MVS. If the DATA IS...ENDIAN clause is not specified, then the
data is assumed to have the same endianness as the platform where the access driver
is running. UTF-16 data files may have a mark at the beginning of the file indicating
the endianness of the data. This mark will override the DATA IS...ENDIAN clause.
15.2.11 BYTEORDERMARK (CHECK | NOCHECK)

The BYTEORDERMARK clause is used to specify whether the data file should be checked
for the presence of a byte-order mark (BOM). This clause is meaningful only when the
character set is Unicode.
BYTEORDERMARK NOCHECK indicates that the data file should not be checked for a BOM and
that all the data in the data file should be read as data.
BYTEORDERMARK CHECK indicates that the data file should be checked for a BOM. This is
the default behavior for a data file in a Unicode character set.
The following are examples of some possible scenarios:
• If the data is specified as being little or big-endian and CHECK is specified and it is
determined that the specified endianness does not match the data file, then an
error is returned. For example, suppose you specify the following:
DATA IS LITTLE ENDIAN
BYTEORDERMARK CHECK
If the BOM is checked in the Unicode data file and the data is actually big-endian,
then an error is returned because you specified little-endian.
• If a BOM is not found and no endianness is specified with the DATA IS...ENDIAN
parameter, then the endianness of the platform is used.
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• If BYTEORDERMARK NOCHECK is specified and the DATA IS...ENDIAN parameter specified

an endianness, then that value is used. Otherwise, the endianness of the platform
is used.
See Also:
"Byte Ordering"
15.2.12 STRING SIZES ARE IN

The STRING SIZES ARE IN clause is used to indicate whether the lengths specified for
character strings are in bytes or characters. If this clause is not specified, then the
access driver uses the mode that the database uses. Character types with embedded
lengths (such as VARCHAR) are also affected by this clause. If this clause is specified,
then the embedded lengths are a character count, not a byte count. Specifying STRING
SIZES ARE IN CHARACTERS is needed only when loading multibyte character sets, such as
UTF16.
15.2.13 LOAD WHEN

The LOAD WHEN condition_spec clause is used to identify the records that should be
passed to the database. The evaluation method varies:
• If the condition_spec references a field in the record, then the clause is evaluated
only after all fields have been parsed from the record, but before any NULLIF or
DEFAULTIF clauses have been evaluated.
• If the condition specification references only ranges (and no field names), then the
clause is evaluated before the fields are parsed. This is useful for cases where the
records in the file that are not to be loaded cannot be parsed into the current
record definition without errors.
See "condition_spec".
The following are some examples of using LOAD WHEN:
LOAD WHEN (empid != BLANKS)
LOAD WHEN ((dept_id = "SPORTING GOODS" OR dept_id = "SHOES") AND total_sales != 0)
15.2.14 BADFILE | NOBADFILE

The BADFILE clause names the file to which records are written when they cannot be
loaded because of errors. For example, a record would be written to the bad file if a
field in the data file could not be converted to the data type of a column in the external
table. The purpose of the bad file is to have one file where all rejected data can be
examined and fixed so that it can be loaded. If you do not intend to fix the data, then
you can use the NOBADFILE option to prevent creation of a bad file, even if there are bad
records.
If you specify the BADFILE clause, then you must supply either a directory object name
or file name, or both. See "[directory object name:] [filename]".
If neither BADFILE nor NOBADFILE is specified, then the default is to create a bad file if at
least one record is rejected. The name of the file is the table name followed by _%p,
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where %p is replaced with the PID of the process creating the file. The file is given an
extension of .bad. If the table name contains any characters that could be interpreted
as directory navigation (for example, %, /, or *), then those characters are not included
in the output file name.
Records that fail the LOAD WHEN clause are not written to the bad file but are written to
the discard file instead. Also, any errors in using a record from an external table (such
as a constraint violation when using INSERT INTO...AS SELECT... from an external
table) will not cause the record to be written to the bad file.
15.2.15 DISCARDFILE | NODISCARDFILE

The DISCARDFILE clause names the file to which records are written that fail the
condition in the LOAD WHEN clause. The discard file is created when the first record to be
discarded is encountered. If the same external table is accessed multiple times, then
the discard file is rewritten each time. If there is no need to save the discarded records
in a separate file, then use NODISCARDFILE.
If you specify DISCARDFILE, then you must supply either a directory object name or file
name, or both. See "[directory object name:] [filename]".
If neither DISCARDFILE nor NODISCARDFILE is specified, then the default is to create a
discard file if at least one record fails the LOAD WHEN clause. The name of the file is the
table name followed by _%p, where %p is replaced with the PID of the process creating
the file. The file is given an extension of .dcs. If the table name contains any
characters that could be interpreted as directory navigation (for example, %, /, or *),
then those characters are not included in the file name.
15.2.16 LOGFILE | NOLOGFILE

The LOGFILE clause names the file that contains messages generated by the external
tables utility while it was accessing data in the data file. If a log file already exists by
the same name, then the access driver reopens that log file and appends new log
information to the end. This is different from bad files and discard files, which overwrite
any existing file. The NOLOGFILE clause is used to prevent creation of a log file.
If you specify LOGFILE, then you must supply either a directory object name or file
name, or both. See "[directory object name:] [filename]".
If neither LOGFILE nor NOLOGFILE is specified, then the default is to create a log file. The
name of the file is the table name followed by _%p, where %p is replaced with the PID of
the process creating the file. The file is given an extension of .log. If the table name
contains any characters that could be interpreted as directory navigation (for example,
%, /, or *), then those characters are not included in the file name.
15.2.17 SKIP
The SKIP parameter skips the specified number of records in the data file before
loading. It can be specified only when nonparallel access is being made to the data. If
there is more than one data file in the same location for the same table, then the SKIP
parameter skips the specified number of records in the first data file only.
15.2.18 FIELD NAMES

You can use the FIELD NAMES clause to specify field order. The syntax is as follows:
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FIELD NAMES {FIRST | FIRST IGNORE | ALL | ALL IGNORE| NONE}
The FIELD NAMES options are:
• FIRST — Indicates that the first data file contains a list of field names for the data in
the first record. This list uses the same delimiter as the data in the data file. This
record is read and used to set up the mapping between the fields in the data file
and the columns in the target table. This record is skipped when the data is
processed. This can be useful if the order of the fields in the data file is different
from the order of the columns in the table, or if the number of fields in the data file
is different from the number of columns in the target table.
• FIRST IGNORE — Indicates that the first data file contains a list of field names for the
data in the first record, but that the information should be ignored. This record is
skipped when the data is processed, but is not used for setting up the fields.
• ALL — Indicates that all data files contain the list of column names for the data in
the first record. The first record is skipped in each data file when the data is
processed. It is assumed that the list is the same in each data file. If that is not the
case, then the load terminates when a mismatch is found on a data file.
• ALL IGNORE — Indicates that all data files contain a list of field names for the data in
the first record, but that the information should be ignored. This record is skipped
when the data is processed in every data file, but it is not used for setting up the
fields.
• NONE — Indicates that the data file contains normal data in the first record. This is
the default option.
15.2.19 READSIZE
The READSIZE parameter specifies the size of the read buffer used to process records.
The size of the read buffer must be at least as big as the largest input record the
access driver will encounter. The size is specified with an integer indicating the
number of bytes. The default value is 512 KB (524288 bytes). You must specify a
larger value if any of the records in the data file are larger than 512 KB. There is no
limit on how large READSIZE can be, but practically, it is limited by the largest amount of
memory that can be allocated by the access driver.
The amount of memory available for allocation is another limit because additional
buffers might be allocated. The additional buffer is used to correctly complete the
processing of any records that may have been split (either in the data; at the delimiter;
or if multi character/byte delimiters are used, in the delimiter itself).
15.2.20 DISABLE_DIRECTORY_LINK_CHECK
By default, the ORACLE_LOADER access driver checks before opening data and log files to
ensure that the directory being used is not a symbolic link. The
DISABLE_DIRECTORY_LINK_CHECK parameter (which takes no arguments) directs the
access driver to bypass this check, allowing you to use files for which the parent
directory may be a symbolic link.
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Note:
Use of this parameter involves security risks because symbolic links can
potentially be used to redirect the input/output of the external table load
operation.
15.2.21 DATE_CACHE
By default, the date cache feature is enabled (for 1000 elements). To completely
disable the date cache feature, set it to 0.
DATE_CACHE specifies the date cache size (in entries). For example, DATE_CACHE=5000
specifies that each date cache created can contain a maximum of 5000 unique date
entries. Every table has its own date cache, if one is needed. A date cache is created
only if at least one date or timestamp value is loaded that requires data type
conversion in order to be stored in the table.
The date cache feature is enabled by default. The default date cache size is 1000
elements. If the default size is used and the number of unique input values loaded
exceeds 1000, then the date cache feature is automatically disabled for that table.
However, if you override the default and specify a nonzero date cache size and that
size is exceeded, then the cache is not disabled.
You can use the date cache statistics (entries, hits, and misses) contained in the log
file to tune the size of the cache for future similar loads.
See Also:
"Specifying a Value for the Date Cache"
15.2.22 string
A string is a quoted series of characters or hexadecimal digits. If it is a series of
characters, then those characters will be converted into the character set of the data
file. If it is a series of hexadecimal digits, then there must be an even number of
hexadecimal digits. The hexadecimal digits are converted into their binary translation,
and the translation is treated as a character string in the character set of the data file.
This means that once the hexadecimal digits have been converted into their binary
translation, there is no other character set translation that occurs. The syntax for a
string is as follows:
" text "
’ text ’
X " hex digit hex digit "
0X ’ hex digit hex digit ’
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15.2.23 condition_spec
The condition_spec is an expression that evaluates to either true or false. It specifies
one or more conditions that are joined by Boolean operators. The conditions and
Boolean operators are evaluated from left to right. (Boolean operators are applied after
the conditions are evaluated.) Parentheses can be used to override the default order
of evaluation of Boolean operators. The evaluation of condition_spec clauses slows
record processing, so these clauses should be used sparingly. The syntax for
condition_spec is as follows:
condition
AND
condition_spec condition_spec
OR
condition
( )
AND
condition_spec condition_spec
OR
Note that if the condition specification contains any conditions that reference field
names, then the condition specifications are evaluated only after all fields have been
found in the record and after blank trimming has been done. It is not useful to compare
a field to BLANKS if blanks have been trimmed from the field.
The following are some examples of using condition_spec:

empid = BLANKS OR last_name = BLANKS
(dept_id = SPORTING GOODS OR dept_id = SHOES) AND total_sales != 0
See Also:
"condition"
15.2.24 [directory object name:] [filename]

This clause is used to specify the name of an output file (BADFILE, DISCARDFILE, or
LOGFILE). You must supply either a directory object name or file name, or both. The
directory object name is the name of a directory object where the user accessing the
external table has privileges to write. If the directory object name is omitted, then the
value specified for the DEFAULT DIRECTORY clause in the CREATE TABLE...ORGANIZATION
EXTERNAL statement is used.
The filename parameter is the name of the file to create in the directory object. The
access driver does some symbol substitution to help make file names unique in
parallel loads. The symbol substitutions supported for the UNIX and Windows
operating systems are as follows (other platforms may have different symbols):
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• %p is replaced by the process ID of the current process. For example, if the

process ID of the access driver is 12345, then exttab_%p.log becomes
exttab_12345.log.
• %a is replaced by the agent number of the current process. The agent number is
the unique number assigned to each parallel process accessing the external table.
This number is padded to the left with zeros to fill three characters. For example, if
the third parallel agent is creating a file and bad_data_%a.bad was specified as the
file name, then the agent would create a file named bad_data_003.bad.
• %% is replaced by %. If there is a need to have a percent sign in the file name, then
this symbol substitution is used.
If the % character is encountered followed by anything other than one of the preceding
characters, then an error is returned.
If %p or %a is not used to create unique file names for output files and an external table
is being accessed in parallel, then output files may be corrupted or agents may be
unable to write to the files.
If you do not specify BADFILE (or DISCARDFILE or LOGFILE), then the access driver uses
the name of the table followed by _%p as the name of the file. If no extension is
supplied for the file, then a default extension will be used. For bad files, the default
extension is .bad; for discard files, the default is .dsc; and for log files, the default
is .log.
15.2.25 condition
A condition compares a range of bytes or a field from the record against a constant
string. The source of the comparison can be either a field in the record or a byte range
in the record. The comparison is done on a byte-by-byte basis. If a string is specified
as the target of the comparison, then it will be translated into the character set of the
data file. If the field has a noncharacter data type, then no data type conversion is
performed on either the field value or the string. The syntax for a condition is as
follows:
AND
’string’
( FIELDNAME )
operator ’hexstring’
( range start : range end )
BLANKS
• range start : range end
15.2.25.1 range start : range end

This clause describes a range of bytes or characters in the record to use for a
condition. The value used for the STRING SIZES ARE clause determines whether range
refers to bytes or characters. The range start and range end are byte or character
offsets into the record. The range start must be less than or equal to the range end.
Finding ranges of characters is faster for data in fixed-width character sets than it is for
data in varying-width character sets. If the range refers to parts of the record that do
not exist, then the record is rejected when an attempt is made to reference the range.
The range start:range end must be enclosed in parentheses. For example, (10:13).
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Note:
The data file should not mix binary data (including data types with binary
counts, such as VARCHAR) and character data that is in a varying-width character
set or more than one byte wide. In these cases, the access driver may not find
the correct start for the field, because it treats the binary data as character data
when trying to find the start.
The following are some examples of using condition:

LOAD WHEN empid != BLANKS
LOAD WHEN (10:13) = 0x'00000830'
LOAD WHEN PRODUCT_COUNT = "MISSING"
15.2.26 IO_OPTIONS clause

The IO_OPTIONS clause allows you to specify I/O options used by the operating system
for reading the data files.
The only options available for specification are DIRECTIO (the default) and NODIRECTIO.
The DIRECTIO option is used by default, so an attempt is made to open the data file and
read it using direct I/O. If successful, then the operating system and NFS server (if the
file is on an NFS server) do not cache the data read from the file. This can improve the
read performance for the data file, especially if the file is large. If direct I/O is not
supported for the data file being read, then the file is opened and read but the DIRECTIO
option is ignored.
If the IO_OPTIONS clause is specified with the NODIRECTIO option, then direct I/O is not
used to read the data files.
If the IO_OPTIONS clause is not specified at all, then the default DIRECTIO option is used.
15.2.27 DNFS_DISABLE | DNFS_ENABLE

Use these parameters to enable and disable use of the Direct NFS Client on input data
files during an external tables operation.
improved performance when Oracle accesses files on those servers.
External tables uses the Direct NFS Client interfaces by default when it reads data
files over 1 gigabyte. For smaller files, the operating system's I/O interfaces are used.
To use the Direct NFS Client on all input data files, use DNFS_ENABLE.
To disable use of the Direct NFS Client for all data files, specify DNFS_DISABLE.
See Also:
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for Linux for information about
enabling Direct NFS Client Oracle Disk Manager Control of NFS
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field_definitions Clause
Use DNFS_READBUFFERS to control the number of read buffers used by the Direct NFS
Client. The Direct NFS Client is an API that can be implemented by file servers to
allow improved performance when Oracle accesses files on those servers.
The default value for DNFS_READBUFFERS is 4.
Using larger values might compensate for inconsistent I/O from the Direct NFS Client
file server, but it may result in increased memory usage.
See Also:
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for Linux for information about
enabling Direct NFS Client Oracle Disk Manager Control of NFS
15.3 field_definitions Clause

In the field_definitions clause you use the FIELDS parameter to name the fields in the
data file and specify how to find them in records.
If the field_definitions clause is omitted, then the following is assumed:
• The fields are delimited by ','

• The fields are of data type CHAR
• The maximum length of the field is 255
• The order of the fields in the data file is the order in which the fields were defined
in the external table
• No blanks are trimmed from the field
The following is an example of an external table created without any access
parameters. It is followed by a sample data file, info.dat, that can be used to load it.
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (TYPE ORACLE_LOADER DEFAULT DIRECTORY ext_tab_dir LOCATION ('info.dat'));
Alvin,Tolliver,1976
Kenneth,Baer,1963
The syntax for the field_definitions clause is as follows:
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IGNORE_CHARS_AFTER_EOR
WITH
EMBEDDED
WITHOUT
CSV
delim_spec
trim_spec
ALL FIELDS OVERRIDE THESE FIELDS

field_list
FIELDS MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL
REJECT ROWS WITH ALL NULL FIELDS
DATE
TIMESTAMP
DATE_FORMAT MASK string
NULLIF
NONULLIF
IGNORE_CHARS_AFTER_EOR
This optional parameter specifies that if extraneous characters are found after the last
end-of-record but before the end of the file that do not satisfy the record definition,
they will be ignored.
Error messages are written to the external tables log file if all four of the following
conditions apply:
• The IGNORE_CHARS_AFTER_EOR parameter is set or the field allows free formatting.
(Free formatting means either that the field is variable length or the field is
specified by a delimiter or enclosure characters and is also variable length).
• Characters remain after the last end-of-record in the file.
• The access parameter MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL is not set.
• The field does not have absolute positioning.
The error messages that get written to the external tables log file are as follows:
KUP-04021: field formatting error for field Col1
KUP-04023: field start is after end of record
KUP-04101: record 2 rejected in file /home/oracle/datafiles/example.dat
CSV
To direct external tables to access the data files as comma-separated-values format
files, use the FIELDS CSV clause. This assumes that the file is a stream record format file
with the normal carriage return string (for example, \n on UNIX or Linux operating
systems and either \n or \r\n on Windows operating systems). Record terminators can
be included (embedded) in data values. The syntax for the FIELDS CSV clause is as
follows:
FIELDS CSV [WITH EMBEDDED | WITHOUT EMBEDDED] [TERMINATED BY ','] [OPTIONALLY
ENCLOSED BY '"']
The following are key points regarding the FIELDS CSV clause:
• The default is to not use the FIELDS CSV clause.
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• The WITH EMBEDDED and WITHOUT EMBEDDED options specify whether record terminators
are included (embedded) in the data. The WITH EMBEDDED option is the default.
• If WITH EMBEDDED is used, then embedded record terminators must be enclosed, and
intra-datafile parallelism is disabled for external table loads.
• The TERMINATED BY ',' and OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"' options are the defaults
and do not have to be specified. You can override them with different termination
and enclosure characters.
• When the CSV clause is used, a delimiter specification is not allowed at the field
level and only delimitable data types are allowed. Delimitable data types include
CHAR, datetime, interval, and numeric EXTERNAL.
• The TERMINATED BY and ENCLOSED BY clauses cannot be used at the field level when
the CSV clause is specified.
• When the CSV clause is specified, the default trimming behavior is LDRTRIM. You can
override this by specifying one of the other external table trim options (NOTRIM,
LRTRIM, LTRIM, or RTRIM).
• The CSV clause must be specified after the IGNORE_CHARS_AFTER_EOR clause and
before the delim_spec clause.
delim_spec Clause
The delim_spec clause is used to identify how all fields are terminated in the record.
The delim_spec specified for all fields can be overridden for a particular field as part of
the field_list clause. For a full description of the syntax, see "delim_spec".
trim_spec Clause
The trim_spec clause specifies the type of whitespace trimming to be performed by
default on all character fields. The trim_spec clause specified for all fields can be
overridden for individual fields by specifying a trim_spec clause for those fields. For a
full description of the syntax, see "trim_spec".
ALL FIELDS OVERRIDE

The ALL FIELDS OVERRIDE clause tells the access driver that all fields are present and
that they are in the same order as the columns in the external table. You only need to
specify fields that have a special definition. This clause must be specified after the
optional trim_spec clause and before the optional MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL
clause.
The following is a sample use of thee ALL FIELDS OVERRIDE clause. The only field that
had to be specified was the hiredate, which required a data format mask. All the other
fields took default values.
FIELDS TERMINATED BY "," OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"' LDRTRIM
ALL FIELDS OVERRIDE
(
HIREDATE CHAR(20) DATE_FORMAT DATE MASK "DD-Month-YYYY"
)
15-26
Chapter 15
MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL

MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL sets to null any fields for which position is not explicitly
stated and there is not enough data to fill them. For a full description see "MISSING
FIELD VALUES ARE NULL".

REJECT ROWS WITH ALL NULL FIELDS indicates that a row will not be loaded into the
external table if all referenced fields in the row are null. If this parameter is not
specified, then the default value is to accept rows with all null fields. The setting of this
parameter is written to the log file either as "reject rows with all null fields" or as "rows
with all null fields are accepted."
DATE_FORMAT
The DATE_FORMAT clause allows you to specify a datetime format mask once at the fields
level, and have it apply to all fields of that type which do not have their own mask
specified. The datetime format mask must be specified after the optional REJECT ROWS
WITH ALL NULL FIELDS clause and before the fields_list clause.
The DATE_FORMAT can be specified for the following datetime types: DATE, TIME, TIME WITH
TIME ZONE, TIMESTAMP, and TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE.
The following example shows a sample use of the DATE_FORMAT clause that applies a
date mask of DD-Month-YYYY to any DATE type fields:
DATE_FORMAT DATE MASK "DD-Month-YYYY"
(
EMPNO,
ENAME,
JOB,
MGR,
HIREDATE CHAR(20),
SAL,
COMM,
DEPTNO,
PROJNO,
ENTRYDATE CHAR(20)
)
NULLIF | NO NULLIF
The NULLIF clause applies to all character fields (for example, CHAR, VARCHAR, VARCHARC,
external NUMBER, and datetime).

NULLIF {=|!=}{"char_string"|x'hex_string'|BLANKS}
If there is a match using the equal or not equal specification for a field, then the field is
set to NULL for that row.
The char_string and hex_string must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks.
If a NULLIF specification is specified at the field level, it overrides this NULLIF clause.
15-27
Chapter 15
If there is a field to which you do not want the NULLIF clause to apply, you can specify
NO NULLIF at the field level (as shown in the following example).
The NULLIF clause must be specified after the optional REJECT ROWS WITH ALL NULL
FIELDS clause and before the fields_list clause.
The following is an example of using the NULLIF clause. The MGR field is set to NO NULLIF
which means that the NULLIF="NONE" clause will not apply to that field.
NULLIF = "NONE"
(
EMPNO,
ENAME,
JOB,
MGR
)
field_list Clause
The field_list clause identifies the fields in the data file and their data types. For a full
description of the syntax, see "field_list".
• delim_spec
• trim_spec
• MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL
• field_list
• pos_spec Clause
• datatype_spec Clause
• init_spec Clause
• LLS Clause
If a field in a data file is a LOB location Specifier (LLS) field, then you can indicate
this by using the LLS clause.
15.3.1 delim_spec
The delim_spec clause is used to find the end (and if ENCLOSED BY is specified, the start)
of a field. Its syntax is as follows:
AND string
ENCLOSED BY string
OPTIONALLY AND string

string ENCLOSED BY string
TERMINATED BY
WHITESPACE
If ENCLOSED BY is specified, then the access driver starts at the current position in the
record and skips over all whitespace looking for the first delimiter. All whitespace
between the current position and the first delimiter is ignored. Next, the access driver
looks for the second enclosure delimiter (or looks for the first one again if a second
15-28
Chapter 15
one is not specified). Everything between those two delimiters is considered part of the
field.
If TERMINATED BY string is specified with the ENCLOSED BY clause, then the terminator
string must immediately follow the second enclosure delimiter. Any whitespace
between the second enclosure delimiter and the terminating delimiter is skipped. If
anything other than whitespace is found between the two delimiters, then the row is
rejected for being incorrectly formatted.
If TERMINATED BY is specified without the ENCLOSED BY clause, then everything between
the current position in the record and the next occurrence of the termination string is
considered part of the field.
If OPTIONALLY is specified, then TERMINATED BY must also be specified. The OPTIONALLY
parameter means the ENCLOSED BY delimiters can either both be present or both be
absent. The terminating delimiter must be present regardless of whether the ENCLOSED
BY delimiters are present. If OPTIONALLY is specified, then the access driver skips over
all whitespace, looking for the first nonblank character. Once the first nonblank
character is found, the access driver checks to see if the current position contains the
first enclosure delimiter. If it does, then the access driver finds the second enclosure
string and everything between the first and second enclosure delimiters is considered
part of the field. The terminating delimiter must immediately follow the second
enclosure delimiter (with optional whitespace allowed between the second enclosure
delimiter and the terminating delimiter). If the first enclosure string is not found at the
first nonblank character, then the access driver looks for the terminating delimiter. In
this case, leading blanks are trimmed.
See Also:
Trimming Whitespace for a description of the access driver's default trimming
behavior. You can override this behavior with LTRIM and RTRIM.
After the delimiters have been found, the current position in the record is set to the
spot after the last delimiter for the field. If TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE was specified, then
the current position in the record is set to after all whitespace following the field.
A missing terminator for the last field in the record is not an error. The access driver
proceeds as if the terminator was found. It is an error if the second enclosure delimiter
is missing.
The string used for the second enclosure can be included in the data field by including
the second enclosure twice. For example, if a field is enclosed by single quotation
marks, then it could contain a single quotation mark by specifying two single quotation
marks in a row, as shown in the word don't in the following example:
'I don''t like green eggs and ham'
There is no way to quote a terminator string in the field data without using enclosing
delimiters. Because the field parser does not look for the terminating delimiter until
after it has found the enclosing delimiters, the field can contain the terminating
delimiter.
In general, specifying single characters for the strings is faster than multiple
characters. Also, searching data in fixed-width character sets is usually faster than
searching data in varying-width character sets.
15-29
Chapter 15
Note:
The use of the backslash character (\) within strings is not supported in external
tables.
• Example: External Table with Terminating Delimiters

• Example: External Table with Enclosure and Terminator Delimiters
• Example: External Table with Optional Enclosure Delimiters
15.3.1.1 Example: External Table with Terminating Delimiters

The following is an example of an external table that uses terminating delimiters. It is
followed by a sample of the data file that can be used to load it.
ACCESS PARAMETERS (FIELDS TERMINATED BY WHITESPACE)
Alvin Tolliver 1976

Kenneth Baer 1963
Mary Dube 1973
15.3.1.2 Example: External Table with Enclosure and Terminator Delimiters

The following is an example of an external table that uses both enclosure and
terminator delimiters. Remember that all whitespace between a terminating string and
the first enclosure string is ignored, as is all whitespace between a second enclosing
delimiter and the terminator. The example is followed by a sample of the data file that
can be used to load it.
ACCESS PARAMETERS (FIELDS TERMINATED BY "," ENCLOSED BY "(" AND ")")
(Alvin) , (Tolliver),(1976)
(Kenneth), (Baer) ,(1963)
(Mary),(Dube) , (1973)
15.3.1.3 Example: External Table with Optional Enclosure Delimiters

The following is an example of an external table that uses optional enclosure
delimiters. Note that LRTRIM is used to trim leading and trailing blanks from fields. The
example is followed by a sample of the data file that can be used to load it.
ACCESS PARAMETERS (FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '(' and ')'
LRTRIM)
Alvin , Tolliver , 1976
15-30
Chapter 15
(Kenneth), (Baer), (1963)

( Mary ), Dube , (1973)
15.3.2 trim_spec
The trim_spec clause is used to specify that spaces should be trimmed from the
beginning of a text field, the end of a text field, or both. Spaces include blanks and
other nonprinting characters such as tabs, line feeds, and carriage returns. The syntax
for the trim_spec clause is as follows:
LRTRIM
NOTRIM
LTRIM
RTRIM
LDRTRIM
NOTRIM indicates that no characters will be trimmed from the field.
LDRTRIM is used to provide compatibility with SQL*Loader trim features. It is the same
as NOTRIM except in the following cases:
• If the field is not a delimited field, then spaces will be trimmed from the right.
• If the field is a delimited field with OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY specified, and the
The default is LDRTRIM. Specifying NOTRIM yields the fastest performance.
The trim_spec clause can be specified before the field list to set the default trimming
for all fields. If trim_spec is omitted before the field list, then LDRTRIM is the default trim
setting. The default trimming can be overridden for an individual field as part of the
datatype_spec.
If trimming is specified for a field that is all spaces, then the field will be set to NULL.
In the following example, all data is fixed-length; however, the character data will not
be loaded with leading spaces. The example is followed by a sample of the data file
that can be used to load it.
CREATE TABLE emp_load (first_name CHAR(15), last_name CHAR(20),
year_of_birth CHAR(4))
ACCESS PARAMETERS (FIELDS LTRIM)
Alvin, Tolliver,1976
Kenneth, Baer, 1963
Mary, Dube, 1973
15-31
Chapter 15
15.3.3 MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL

The effect of MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL depends on whether POSITION is used to
explicitly state field positions:
• The default behavior is that if field position is not explicitly stated and there is not
enough data in a record for all fields, then the record is rejected. You can override
this behavior by using MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL to define as NULL any fields
for which there is no data available.
• If field position is explicitly stated, then fields for which there are no values are
always defined as NULL, regardless of whether MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL is
used.
In the following example, the second record is stored with a NULL set for the
year_of_birth column, even though the data for the year of birth is missing from the
data file. If the MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL clause were omitted from the access
parameters, then the second row would be rejected because it did not have a value for
the year_of_birth column. The example is followed by a sample of the data file that
can be used to load it.
CREATE TABLE emp_load (first_name CHAR(15), last_name CHAR(20), year_of_birth INT)
ACCESS PARAMETERS (FIELDS TERMINATED BY ","
MISSING FIELD VALUES ARE NULL)
Alvin,Tolliver,1976
Baer,Kenneth
Mary,Dube,1973
15.3.4 field_list
The field_list clause identifies the fields in the data file and their data types.
Evaluation criteria for the field_list clause are as follows:
• If no data type is specified for a field, then it is assumed to be CHAR(1) for a

nondelimited field, and CHAR(255)for a delimited field.
• If no field list is specified, then the fields in the data file are assumed to be in the
same order as the fields in the external table. The data type for all fields is
CHAR(255) unless the column in the database is CHAR or VARCHAR. If the column in the
database is CHAR or VARCHAR, then the data type for the field is still CHAR but the
length is either 255 or the length of the column, whichever is greater.
• If no field list is specified and no delim_spec clause is specified, then the fields in
the data file are assumed to be in the same order as fields in the external table. All
fields are assumed to be CHAR(255) and terminated by a comma.
This example shows the definition for an external table with no field_list and a
delim_spec. It is followed by a sample of the data file that can be used to load it.
CREATE TABLE emp_load (first_name CHAR(15), last_name CHAR(20), year_of_birth INT)

ACCESS PARAMETERS (FIELDS TERMINATED BY "|")
Alvin|Tolliver|1976
15-32
Chapter 15
Kenneth|Baer|1963
Mary|Dube|1973
The syntax for the field_list clause is as follows:
pos_spec datatype_spec init_spec LLS_clause

( field_name )
field_name
The field_name is a string identifying the name of a field in the data file. If the string is
not within quotation marks, then the name is uppercased when matching field names
with column names in the external table.
If field_name matches the name of a column in the external table that is referenced in
the query, then the field value is used for the value of that external table column. If the
name does not match any referenced name in the external table, then the field is not
loaded but can be used for clause evaluation (for example WHEN or NULLIF).
pos_spec
The pos_spec clause indicates the position of the column within the record. For a full
description of the syntax, see "pos_spec Clause".
datatype_spec
The datatype_spec clause indicates the data type of the field. If datatype_spec is
omitted, then the access driver assumes the data type is CHAR(255). For a full
description of the syntax, see "datatype_spec Clause".
init_spec
The init_spec clause indicates when a field is NULL or has a default value. For a full
description of the syntax, see "init_spec Clause".
LLS Clause
When LLS is specified for a field, ORACLE_LOADER does not load the value of the field into
the corresponding column. Instead, it use the information in the value to determine
where to find the value of the field. See LLS Clause.
15.3.5 pos_spec Clause

The pos_spec clause indicates the position of the column within the record. The setting
of the STRING SIZES ARE IN clause determines whether pos_spec refers to byte positions
or character positions. Using character positions with varying-width character sets
takes significantly longer than using character positions with fixed-width character
sets. Binary and multibyte character data should not be present in the same data file
when pos_spec is used for character positions. If they are, then the results are
unpredictable. The syntax for the pos_spec clause is as follows:
15-33
Chapter 15
start
POSITION : end
( * )
– length
+
increment
–
• start
• *
• increment
• end
• length
15.3.5.1 start
The start parameter is the number of bytes or characters from the beginning of the
record to where the field begins. It positions the start of the field at an absolute spot in
the record rather than relative to the position of the previous field.
15.3.5.2 *
The * parameter indicates that the field begins at the first byte or character after the
end of the previous field. This is useful if you have a varying-length field followed by a
fixed-length field. This option cannot be used for the first field in the record.
15.3.5.3 increment
The increment parameter positions the start of the field at a fixed number of bytes or
characters from the end of the previous field. Use *-increment to indicate that the start
of the field starts before the current position in the record (this is a costly operation for
multibyte character sets). Use *+increment to move the start after the current position.
15.3.5.4 end
The end parameter indicates the absolute byte or character offset into the record for
the last byte of the field. If start is specified along with end, then end cannot be less
than start. If * or increment is specified along with end, and the start evaluates to an
offset larger than the end for a particular record, then that record will be rejected.
15.3.5.5 length
The length parameter indicates that the end of the field is a fixed number of bytes or
characters from the start. It is useful for fixed-length fields when the start is specified
with *.
The following example shows various ways of using pos_spec. It is followed by a

sample of the data file that can be used to load it.
CREATE TABLE emp_load (first_name CHAR(15),
last_name CHAR(20),
year_of_birth INT,
15-34
Chapter 15
phone CHAR(12),
area_code CHAR(3),
exchange CHAR(3),
extension CHAR(4))
(TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
DEFAULT DIRECTORY ext_tab_dir
ACCESS PARAMETERS
(FIELDS RTRIM
(first_name (1:15) CHAR(15),
last_name (*:+20),
year_of_birth (36:39),
phone (40:52),
area_code (*-12: +3),
exchange (*+1: +3),
extension (*+1: +4)))
Alvin Tolliver 1976415-922-1982

Kenneth Baer 1963212-341-7912
Mary Dube 1973309-672-2341
15.3.6 datatype_spec Clause

The datatype_spec clause is used to describe the data type of a field in the data file if
the data type is different than the default. The data type of the field can be different
than the data type of a corresponding column in the external table. The access driver
handles the necessary conversions. The syntax for the datatype_spec clause is as
follows:
15-35
Chapter 15
UNSIGNED EXTERNAL ( len ) delim_spec

INTEGER
( len ) delim_spec
EXTERNAL
DECIMAL
, scale
ZONED ( precision )
ORACLE_DATE
COUNTED
ORACLE_NUMBER
EXTERNAL ( len ) delim_spec

FLOAT
DOUBLE
EXTERNAL ( len ) delim_spec

BINARY_FLOAT
BINARY_DOUBLE
( len )
RAW
( len ) delim_spec trim_spec date_format_spec

CHAR
VARCHAR
VARRAW length_of_length ,
( max_len )
VARCHARC
VARRAWC
If the number of bytes or characters in any field is 0, then the field is assumed to be
NULL. The optional DEFAULTIF clause specifies when the field is set to its default value.
Also, the optional NULLIF clause specifies other conditions for when the column
associated with the field is set to NULL. If the DEFAULTIF or NULLIF clause is TRUE, then
the actions of those clauses override whatever values are read from the data file.
• [UNSIGNED] INTEGER [EXTERNAL] [(len)]

• DECIMAL [EXTERNAL] and ZONED [EXTERNAL]
• ORACLE_DATE
• ORACLE_NUMBER
• Floating-Point Numbers
• DOUBLE
• FLOAT [EXTERNAL]
• BINARY_DOUBLE
• BINARY_FLOAT
• RAW
15-36
Chapter 15
• CHAR
• date_format_spec
• VARCHAR and VARRAW
• VARCHARC and VARRAWC
See Also:
• "init_spec Clause" for more information about NULLIF and DEFAULTIF

• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more information about
data types
15.3.6.1 [UNSIGNED] INTEGER [EXTERNAL] [(len)]

This clause defines a field as an integer. If EXTERNAL is specified, then the number is a
character string. If EXTERNAL is not specified, then the number is a binary field. The valid
values for len in binary integer fields are 1, 2, 4, and 8. If len is omitted for binary
integers, then the default value is whatever the value of sizeof(int) is on the platform
where the access driver is running. Use of the DATA IS {BIG | LITTLE} ENDIAN clause
may cause the data to be byte-swapped before it is stored.
If EXTERNAL is specified, then the value of len is the number of bytes or characters in the
number (depending on the setting of the STRING SIZES ARE IN BYTES or CHARACTERS
clause). If no length is specified, then the default value is 255.
The default value of the [UNSIGNED] INTEGER [EXTERNAL] [(len)] data type is
determined as follows:
• If no length specified, then the default length is 1.
• If no length is specified and the field is delimited with a DELIMITED BY NEWLINE
clause, then the default length is 1.
• If no length is specified and the field is delimited with a DELIMITED BY clause, then
the default length is 255 (unless the delimiter is NEWLINE, as stated above).
15.3.6.2 DECIMAL [EXTERNAL] and ZONED [EXTERNAL]

The DECIMAL clause is used to indicate that the field is a packed decimal number. The
ZONED clause is used to indicate that the field is a zoned decimal number. The
precision field indicates the number of digits in the number. The scale field is used to
specify the location of the decimal point in the number. It is the number of digits to the
right of the decimal point. If scale is omitted, then a value of 0 is assumed.
Note that there are different encoding formats of zoned decimal numbers depending
on whether the character set being used is EBCDIC-based or ASCII-based. If the
language of the source data is EBCDIC, then the zoned decimal numbers in that file
must match the EBCDIC encoding. If the language is ASCII-based, then the numbers
must match the ASCII encoding.
If the EXTERNAL parameter is specified, then the data field is a character string whose
length matches the precision of the field.
15-37
Chapter 15
15.3.6.3 ORACLE_DATE
ORACLE_DATE is a field containing a date in the Oracle binary date format. This is the
format used by the DTYDAT data type in Oracle Call Interface (OCI) programs. The field
is a fixed length of 7.
15.3.6.4 ORACLE_NUMBER
ORACLE_NUMBER is a field containing a number in the Oracle number format. The field is a
fixed length (the maximum size of an Oracle number field) unless COUNTED is specified,
in which case the first byte of the field contains the number of bytes in the rest of the
field.
ORACLE_NUMBER is a fixed-length 22-byte field. The length of an ORACLE_NUMBER COUNTED
field is one for the count byte, plus the number of bytes specified in the count byte.
15.3.6.5 Floating-Point Numbers

The following four data types, DOUBLE, FLOAT, BINARY_DOUBLE, and BINARY_FLOAT are
floating-point numbers.
DOUBLE and FLOAT are the floating-point formats used natively on the platform in use.
They are the same data types used by default for the DOUBLE and FLOAT data types in a
C program on that platform. BINARY_FLOAT and BINARY_DOUBLE are floating-point numbers
that conform substantially with the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic, IEEE Standard 754-1985.
Because most platforms use the IEEE standard as their native floating-point format,
FLOAT and BINARY_FLOAT are the same on those platforms and DOUBLE and BINARY_DOUBLE
are also the same.
Note:
See Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more information about
floating-point numbers
15.3.6.6 DOUBLE
The DOUBLE clause indicates that the field is the same format as the C language DOUBLE
data type on the platform where the access driver is executing. Use of the DATA IS {BIG
| LITTLE} ENDIAN clause may cause the data to be byte-swapped before it is stored.
This data type may not be portable between certain platforms.
15.3.6.7 FLOAT [EXTERNAL]

The FLOAT clause indicates that the field is the same format as the C language FLOAT
data type on the platform where the access driver is executing. Use of the DATA IS {BIG
| LITTLE} ENDIAN clause may cause the data to be byte-swapped before it is stored.
This data type may not be portable between certain platforms.
If the EXTERNAL parameter is specified, then the field is a character string whose
maximum length is 255. See
15-38
Chapter 15
15.3.6.8 BINARY_DOUBLE
BINARY_DOUBLE is a 64-bit, double-precision, floating-point number data type. Each
BINARY_DOUBLE value requires 9 bytes, including a length byte. See the information in
the note provided for the FLOAT data type for more details about floating-point numbers.
15.3.6.9 BINARY_FLOAT
BINARY_FLOAT is a 32-bit, single-precision, floating-point number data type. Each
BINARY_FLOAT value requires 5 bytes, including a length byte. See the information in the
note provided for the FLOAT data type for more details about floating-point numbers.
15.3.6.10 RAW
The RAW clause is used to indicate that the source data is binary data. The len for RAW
fields is always in number of bytes. When a RAW field is loaded in a character column,
the data that is written into the column is the hexadecimal representation of the bytes
in the RAW field.
15.3.6.11 CHAR
The CHAR clause is used to indicate that a field is a character data type. The length
(len) for CHAR fields specifies the largest number of bytes or characters in the field. The
len is in bytes or characters, depending on the setting of the STRING SIZES ARE IN
clause.
If no length is specified for a field of data type CHAR, then the size of the field is
assumed to be 1, unless the field is delimited:
• For a delimited CHAR field, if a length is specified, then that length is used as a
maximum.
• For a delimited CHAR field for which no length is specified, the default is 255 bytes.
• For a delimited CHAR field that is greater than 255 bytes, you must specify a
maximum length. Otherwise you will receive an error stating that the field in the
data file exceeds maximum length.
The following example shows the use of the CHAR clause.
7 employee_hire_date DATE)
15-39
Chapter 15
18 employee_hire_date CHAR(10) date_format DATE mask "mm/dd/yyyy"

19 )
20 )
21 LOCATION ('info.dat')
22 );
Table created.
15.3.6.12 date_format_spec
The date_format_spec clause is used to indicate that a character string field contains
date data, time data, or both, in a specific format. This information is used only when a
character field is converted to a date or time data type and only when a character
string field is mapped into a date column.
For detailed information about the correct way to specify date and time formats, see
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
The syntax for the date_format_spec clause is as follows:
DATE
LOCAL MASK " date/time mask "

DATE_FORMAT WITH TIME ZONE
TIMESTAMP
YEAR_TO_MONTH
INTERVAL
DAY_TO_SECOND
• DATE
• MASK
• TIMESTAMP
• INTERVAL
15.3.6.12.1 DATE
The DATE clause indicates that the string contains a date.
15.3.6.12.2 MASK
The MASK clause is used to override the default globalization format mask for the data
type. If a date mask is not specified, then the settings of NLS parameters for the
database (not the session settings) for the appropriate globalization parameter for the
data type are used. The NLS_DATABASE_PARAMETERS view shows these settings.
• NLS_DATE_FORMAT for DATE data types
• NLS_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT for TIMESTAMP data types
• NLS_TIMESTAMP_TZ_FORMAT for TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE data types
Please note the following:

• The database setting for the NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS initialization parameter (that
is, from the NLS_DATABASE_PARAMETERS view) governs the decimal separator for
implicit conversion from character to numeric data types.
15-40
Chapter 15
• A group separator is not allowed in the default format.
15.3.6.12.3 TIMESTAMP
The TIMESTAMP clause indicates that a field contains a formatted timestamp.
15.3.6.12.4 INTERVAL
The INTERVAL clause indicates that a field contains a formatted interval. The type of
interval can be either YEAR TO MONTH or DAY TO SECOND.
The following example shows a sample use of a complex DATE character string and a
TIMESTAMP character string. It is followed by a sample of the data file that can be used
to load it.
7 employee_hire_date DATE,
8 rec_creation_date TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE)
19 employee_hire_date CHAR(22) date_format DATE mask "mm/dd/yyyy hh:mi:ss AM",
20 rec_creation_date CHAR(35) date_format TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE mask "DD-MON-RR
HH.MI.SSXFF AM TZH:TZM"
21 )
22 )
23 LOCATION ('infoc.dat')
24 );
Table created.
SQL> SELECT * FROM emp_load;
EMPLO EMPLOYEE_DOB EMPLOYEE_LAST_NAME EMPLOYEE_FIRST_ EMPLOYEE_MIDDLE

----- -------------------- -------------------- --------------- ---------------
EMPLOYEE_
---------
REC_CREATION_DATE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
56 november, 15, 1980 baker mary alice
01-SEP-04
01-DEC-04 11.22.03.034567 AM -08:00
87 december, 20, 1970 roper lisa marie

01-JAN-02
01-DEC-02 02.03.00.678573 AM -08:00
15-41
Chapter 15
2 rows selected.
The info.dat file looks like the following. Note that this is 2 long records. There is one
space between the data fields (09/01/2004, 01/01/2002) and the time field that follows.
56november, 15, 1980 baker mary alice 09/01/2004 08:23:01 AM01-DEC-04
11.22.03.034567 AM -08:00
87december, 20, 1970 roper lisa marie 01/01/2002 02:44:55 PM01-DEC-02
02.03.00.678573 AM -08:00
15.3.6.13 VARCHAR and VARRAW

The VARCHAR data type has a binary count field followed by character data. The value in
the binary count field is either the number of bytes in the field or the number of
characters. See "STRING SIZES ARE IN" for information about how to specify
whether the count is interpreted as a count of characters or count of bytes.
The VARRAW data type has a binary count field followed by binary data. The value in the
binary count field is the number of bytes of binary data. The data in the VARRAW field is
not affected by the DATA IS…ENDIAN clause.
The VARIABLE 2 clause in the ACCESS PARAMETERS clause specifies the size of the binary
field that contains the length.
The optional length_of_length field in the specification is the number of bytes in the
count field. Valid values for length_of_length for VARCHAR are 1, 2, 4, and 8. If
length_of_length is not specified, then a value of 2 is used. The count field has the
same endianness as specified by the DATA IS…ENDIAN clause.
The max_len field is used to indicate the largest size of any instance of the field in the
data file. For VARRAW fields, max_len is number of bytes. For VARCHAR fields, max_len is
either number of characters or number of bytes depending on the STRING SIZES ARE IN
clause.
The following example shows various uses of VARCHAR and VARRAW. The content of the
data file, info.dat, is shown following the example.
CREATE TABLE emp_load
last_name CHAR(20),
resume CHAR(2000),
picture RAW(2000))
(TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
ACCESS PARAMETERS
(RECORDS
VARIABLE 2
DATA IS BIG ENDIAN
CHARACTERSET US7ASCII
FIELDS (first_name VARCHAR(2,12),
last_name VARCHAR(2,20),
resume VARCHAR(4,10000),
picture VARRAW(4,100000)))
Contents of info.dat Data File

The contents of the data file used in the example are as follows:.
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0005Alvin0008Tolliver0000001DAlvin Tolliver's Resume etc. 0000001013f4690a30bc29d7e40023ab4599ffff
It is important to understand that, for the purposes of readable documentation, the

binary values for the count bytes and the values for the raw data are shown in the data
file in italics, with 2 characters per binary byte. The values in an actual data file would
be in binary format, not ASCII. Therefore, if you attempt to use this example by cutting
and pasting, then you will receive an error.
15.3.6.14 VARCHARC and VARRAWC

The VARCHARC data type has a character count field followed by character data. The
value in the count field is either the number of bytes in the field or the number of
characters. See "STRING SIZES ARE IN" for information about how to specify
whether the count is interpreted as a count of characters or count of bytes. The
optional length_of_length is either the number of bytes or the number of characters in
the count field for VARCHARC, depending on whether lengths are being interpreted as
characters or bytes.
The maximum value for length_of_lengths for VARCHARC is 10 if string sizes are in
characters, and 20 if string sizes are in bytes. The default value for length_of_length is
5.
The VARRAWC data type has a character count field followed by binary data. The value in
the count field is the number of bytes of binary data. The length_of_length is the
number of bytes in the count field.
The max_len field is used to indicate the largest size of any instance of the field in the
data file. For VARRAWC fields, max_len is number of bytes. For VARCHARC fields, max_len is
either number of characters or number of bytes depending on the STRING SIZES ARE IN
clause.
The following example shows various uses of VARCHARC and VARRAWC. The length of the
picture field is 0, which means the field is set to NULL.
CREATE TABLE emp_load

last_name CHAR(20),
resume CHAR(2000),
picture RAW (2000))
(TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
ACCESS PARAMETERS
(FIELDS (first_name VARCHARC(5,12),
last_name VARCHARC(2,20),
resume VARCHARC(4,10000),
picture VARRAWC(4,100000)))
00007William05Ricca0035Resume for William Ricca is missing0000
15.3.7 init_spec Clause

The init_spec clause is used to specify when a field should be set to NULL or when it
should be set to a default value. The syntax for the init_spec clause is as follows:
15-43
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DEFAULTIF
condition_spec
NULLIF
Only one NULLIF clause and only one DEFAULTIF clause can be specified for any field.
These clauses behave as follows:
• If NULLIF condition_spec is specified and it evaluates to TRUE, then the field is set to
NULL.
• If DEFAULTIF condition_spec is specified and it evaluates to TRUE, then the value of

the field is set to a default value. The default value depends on the data type of the
field, as follows:
– For a character data type, the default value is an empty string.
– For a numeric data type, the default value is a 0.
– For a date data type, the default value is NULL.
• If a NULLIF clause and a DEFAULTIF clause are both specified for a field, then the
NULLIF clause is evaluated first and the DEFAULTIF clause is evaluated only if the
NULLIF clause evaluates to FALSE.
15.3.8 LLS Clause

If a field in a data file is a LOB location Specifier (LLS) field, then you can indicate this
by using the LLS clause.
An LLS field contains the file name, offset, and length of the LOB data in the data file.
SQL*Loader uses this information to read data for the LOB column. The LLS clause for
ORACLE_LOADER has the following syntax:
directory object name

LLS
When the LLS clause is used, ORACLE_LOADER does not load the value of the field into the
corresponding column. Instead, it uses the information in the value to determine where
to find the value of the field. The LOB can be loaded in part or in whole and it can start
from an arbitrary position and for an arbitrary length. ORACLE_LOADER expects the
contents of the field to be filename.ext.nnn.mmm/ where each element is defined as
follows:
• filename.ext is the name of the file that contains the LOB
• nnn is the offset in bytes of the LOB within the file
• mmm is the length of the LOB in bytes A value of -1 means the LOB is NULL. A
value of 0 means the lob exists, but is empty.
• The forward slash (/) terminates the field
The LLS clause has an optional DIRECTORY clause which specifies an Oracle directory
object:
15-44
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column_transforms Clause
• If DIRECTORY is specified, then the file must exist there and you must have READ
access to that directory object.
• If DIRECTORY is not specified, then the file must exist in the same directory as the
data file.
An error is returned and the row rejected if any of the following are true:
• The file name contains a relative or absolute path specification.
• The file is not found, the offset is invalid, or the length extends beyond the end of
the file.
• The contents of the field do not match the expected format.
• The data type for the column associated with an LLS field is not a CLOB, BLOB or
NCLOB.
If an LLS field is referenced by a clause for any other field (for example a NULLIF
clause), then in the access parameters, the value used for evaluating the clause is the
string in the data file, not the data in the file pointed to by that string.
The character set for the data in the file pointed to by the LLS clause is assumed to be
the same character set as the data file.
15.4 column_transforms Clause

The optional COLUMN TRANSFORMS clause provides transforms that you can use to
describe how to load columns in the external table that do not map directly to columns
in the data file. The syntax for the column_transforms clause is as follows:
COLUMN TRANSFORMS ( transform )
Note:
The COLUMN TRANSFORMS clause does not work in conjunction with the
PREPROCESSOR clause.
• transform
15.4.1 transform
Each transform specified in the transform clause identifies a column in the external
table and then a specifies how to calculate the value of the column. The syntax is as
follows:
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NULL
CONSTANT string
field_name
CONCAT ( )
column_name FROM CONSTANT string
fieldname lobfile_attr_list
LOBFILE ( )
CONSTANT string :
STARTOF source_field ( length )
The NULL transform is used to set the external table column to NULL in every row. The
CONSTANT transform is used to set the external table column to the same value in every
row. The CONCAT transform is used to set the external table column to the concatenation
of constant strings and/or fields in the current record from the data file. The LOBFILE
transform is used to load data into a field for a record from another data file. Each of
these transforms is explained further in the following sections.
• column_name FROM
• NULL
• CONSTANT
• CONCAT
• LOBFILE
• lobfile_attr_list
• STARTOF source_field (length)
15.4.1.1 column_name FROM

The column_name uniquely identifies a column in the external table to be loaded. Note
that if the name of a column is mentioned in the transform clause, then that name
cannot be specified in the FIELDS clause as a field in the data file.
15.4.1.2 NULL
When the NULL transform is specified, every value of the field is set to NULL for every
record.
15.4.1.3 CONSTANT
The CONSTANT transform uses the value of the string specified as the value of the
column in the record. If the column in the external table is not a character string type,
then the constant string will be converted to the data type of the column. This
conversion will be done for every row.
The character set of the string used for data type conversions is the character set of
the database.
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15.4.1.4 CONCAT
The CONCAT transform concatenates constant strings and fields in the data file together
to form one string. Only fields that are character data types and that are listed in the
fields clause can be used as part of the concatenation. Other column transforms
cannot be specified as part of the concatenation.
15.4.1.5 LOBFILE
The LOBFILE transform is used to identify a file whose contents are to be used as the
value for a column in the external table. All LOBFILEs are identified by an optional
directory object and a file name in the form directory object:filename. The following
rules apply to use of the LOBFILE transform:
• Both the directory object and the file name can be either a constant string or the
name of a field in the field clause.
• If a constant string is specified, then that string is used to find the LOBFILE for
every row in the table.
• If a field name is specified, then the value of that field in the data file is used to find
the LOBFILE.
• If a field name is specified for either the directory object or the file name and if the
value of that field is NULL, then the column being loaded by the LOBFILE is also set
to NULL.
• If the directory object is not specified, then the default directory specified for the
external table is used.
• If a field name is specified for the directory object, then the FROM clause also needs
to be specified.
Note that the entire file is used as the value of the LOB column. If the same file is
referenced in multiple rows, then that file is reopened and reread in order to populate
each column.
15.4.1.6 lobfile_attr_list
The lobfile_attr_list lists additional attributes of the LOBFILE. The syntax is as
follows:
FROM ( directory object name )
CLOB
BLOB
CHARACTERSET = character set name
The FROM clause lists the names of all directory objects that will be used for LOBFILEs.
It is used only when a field name is specified for the directory object of the name of the
LOBFILE. The purpose of the FROM clause is to determine the type of access allowed to
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the named directory objects during initialization. If directory object in the value of field
is not a directory object in this list, then the row will be rejected.
The CLOB attribute indicates that the data in the LOBFILE is character data (as opposed
to RAW data). Character data may need to be translated into the character set used to
store the LOB in the database.
The CHARACTERSET attribute contains the name of the character set for the data in the
LOBFILEs.
The BLOB attribute indicates that the data in the LOBFILE is raw data.
If neither CLOB nor BLOB is specified, then CLOB is assumed. If no character set is
specified for character LOBFILEs, then the character set of the data file is assumed.
15.4.1.7 STARTOF source_field (length)

The STARTOF keyword allows you to create an external table in which a column can be a
substring of the data in the source field.
The length is the length of the substring, beginning with the first byte. It is assumed
that length refers to a byte count and that the external table column(s) being
transformed use byte length and not character length semantics. (Character length
semantics might give unexpected results.)
Only complete character encodings are moved; characters are never split. So if a
substring ends in the middle of a multibyte character, then the resulting string will be
shortened. For example, if a length of 10 is specified, but the 10th byte is the first byte
of a multibyte character, then only the first 9 bytes are returned.
The following example shows how you could use the STARTOF keyword if you only
wanted the first 4 bytes of the department name (dname) field:
SQL> CREATE TABLE dept (deptno NUMBER(2),
2 dname VARCHAR2(14),
3 loc VARCHAR2(13)
4 )
6 (
8 ACCESS PARAMETERS
9 (
11 FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','
12 (
13 deptno CHAR(2),
14 dname_source CHAR(14),
15 loc CHAR(13)
16 )
17 column transforms
18 (
19 dname FROM STARTOF dname_source (4)
20 )
21 )
22 LOCATION ('dept.dat')
23 );
Table created.
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Parallel Loading Considerations for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
If you now perform a SELECT operation from the dept table, only the first four bytes of
the dname field are returned:
SQL> SELECT * FROM dept;
DEPTNO DNAME LOC

---------- -------------- -------------
10 ACCO NEW YORK
20 RESE DALLAS
30 SALE CHICAGO
40 OPER BOSTON
4 rows selected.
15.5 Parallel Loading Considerations for the

ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
The ORACLE_LOADER access driver attempts to divide large data files into chunks that can
be processed separately.
The following file, record, and data characteristics make it impossible for a file to be
processed in parallel:
• Sequential data sources (such as a tape drive or pipe)
• Data in any multibyte character set whose character boundaries cannot be
determined starting at an arbitrary byte in the middle of a string
This restriction does not apply to any data file with a fixed number of bytes per
record.
• Records with the VAR format
Specifying a PARALLEL clause is of value only when large amounts of data are involved.
15.6 Performance Hints When Using the

ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
When you monitor performance, the most important measurement is the elapsed time
for a load. Other important measurements are CPU usage, memory usage, and I/O
rates.
You can alter performance by increasing or decreasing the degree of parallelism. The
degree of parallelism indicates the number of access drivers that can be started to
process the data files. The degree of parallelism enables you to choose on a scale
between slower load with little resource usage and faster load with all resources
utilized. The access driver cannot automatically tune itself, because it cannot
determine how many resources you want to dedicate to the access driver.
An additional consideration is that the access drivers use large I/O buffers for better
performance (you can use the READSIZE clause in the access parameters to specify the
size of the buffers). On databases with shared servers, all memory used by the access
drivers comes out of the system global area (SGA). For this reason, you should be
careful when using external tables on shared servers.
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Restrictions When Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
Performance can also sometimes be increased with use of date cache functionality. By
using the date cache to specify the number of unique dates anticipated during the
load, you can reduce the number of date conversions done when many duplicate date
or timestamp values are present in the input data. The date cache functionality
provided by external tables is identical to the date cache functionality provided by
SQL*Loader. See "DATE_CACHE" for a detailed description.
In addition to changing the degree of parallelism and using the date cache to improve
performance, consider the following information:
• Fixed-length records are processed faster than records terminated by a string.
• Fixed-length fields are processed faster than delimited fields.
• Single-byte character sets are the fastest to process.
• Fixed-width character sets are faster to process than varying-width character sets.
• Byte-length semantics for varying-width character sets are faster to process than
character-length semantics.
• Single-character delimiters for record terminators and field delimiters are faster to
process than multicharacter delimiters.
• Having the character set in the data file match the character set of the database is
faster than a character set conversion.
• Having data types in the data file match the data types in the database is faster
than data type conversion.
• Not writing rejected rows to a reject file is faster because of the reduced overhead.
• Condition clauses (including WHEN, NULLIF, and DEFAULTIF) slow down processing.
• The access driver takes advantage of multithreading to streamline the work as
much as possible.
15.7 Restrictions When Using the ORACLE_LOADER

Access Driver
This section lists restrictions to be aware of then you use the ORACLE_LOADER access
driver.
• Exporting and importing of external tables with encrypted columns is not
supported.
• Column processing: By default, the external tables feature fetches all columns
defined for an external table. This guarantees a consistent result set for all
queries. However, for performance reasons you can decide to process only the
referenced columns of an external table, thus minimizing the amount of data
conversion and data handling required to execute a query. In this case, a row that
is rejected because a column in the row causes a data type conversion error will
not get rejected in a different query if the query does not reference that column.
You can change this column-processing behavior with the ALTER TABLE command.
• An external table cannot load data into a LONG column.
• SQL strings cannot be specified in access parameters for the ORACLE_LOADER
access driver. As a workaround, you can use the DECODE clause in the SELECT
clause of the statement that is reading the external table. Alternatively, you can
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Reserved Words for the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver
create a view of the external table that uses the DECODE clause and select from that
view rather than the external table.
• The use of the backslash character (\) within strings is not supported in external
tables. See "Use of the Backslash Escape Character".
• When identifiers (for example, column or table names) are specified in the external
table access parameters, certain values are considered to be reserved words by
the access parameter parser. If a reserved word is used as an identifier, then it
must be enclosed in double quotation marks.
15.8 Reserved Words for the ORACLE_LOADER Access

Driver
When identifiers (for example, column or table names) are specified in the external
table access parameters, certain values are considered to be reserved words by the
access parameter parser. If a reserved word is used as an identifier, then it must be
enclosed in double quotation marks. The following are the reserved words for the
ORACLE_LOADER access driver:
• ALL
• AND
• ARE
• ASTERISK
• AT
• ATSIGN
• BADFILE
• BADFILENAME
• BACKSLASH
• BENDIAN
• BIG
• BLANKS
• BY
• BYTES
• BYTESTR
• CHAR
• CHARACTERS
• CHARACTERSET
• CHARSET
• CHARSTR
• CHECK
• CLOB
• COLLENGTH
15-51
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• COLON
• COLUMN
• COMMA
• CONCAT
• CONSTANT
• COUNTED
• DATA
• DATE
• DATE_CACHE
• DATE_FORMAT
• DATEMASK
• DAY
• DEBUG
• DECIMAL
• DEFAULTIF
• DELIMITBY
• DELIMITED
• DISCARDFILE
• DNFS_ENABLE
• DNFS_DISABLE
• DOT
• DOUBLE
• DOUBLETYPE
• DQSTRING
• DQUOTE
• DSCFILENAME
• ENCLOSED
• ENDIAN
• ENDPOS
• EOF
• EQUAL
• EXIT
• EXTENDED_IO_PARAMETERS
• EXTERNAL
• EXTERNALKW
• EXTPARM
15-52
Chapter 15
• FIELD
• FIELDS
• FILE
• FILEDIR
• FILENAME
• FIXED
• FLOAT
• FLOATTYPE
• FOR
• FROM
• HASH
• HEXPREFIX
• IN
• INTEGER
• INTERVAL
• LANGUAGE
• IS
• LEFTCB
• LEFTTXTDELIM
• LEFTP
• LENDIAN
• LDRTRIM
• LITTLE
• LOAD
• LOBFILE
• LOBPC
• LOBPCCONST
• LOCAL
• LOCALTZONE
• LOGFILE
• LOGFILENAME
• LRTRIM
• LTRIM
• MAKE_REF
• MASK
• MINUSSIGN
• MISSING
15-53
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• MISSINGFLD
• MONTH
• NEWLINE
• NO
• NOCHECK
• NOT
• NOBADFILE
• NODISCARDFILE
• NOLOGFILE
• NOTEQUAL
• NOTERMBY
• NOTRIM
• NULL
• NULLIF
• OID
• OPTENCLOSE
• OPTIONALLY
• OPTIONS
• OR
• ORACLE_DATE
• ORACLE_NUMBER
• PLUSSIGN
• POSITION
• PROCESSING
• QUOTE
• RAW
• READSIZE
• RECNUM
• RECORDS
• REJECT
• RIGHTCB
• RIGHTTXTDELIM
• RIGHTP
• ROW
• ROWS
• RTRIM
• SCALE
15-54
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• SECOND
• SEMI
• SETID
• SIGN
• SIZES
• SKIP
• STRING
• TERMBY
• TERMEOF
• TERMINATED
• TERMWS
• TERRITORY
• TIME
• TIMESTAMP
• TIMEZONE
• TO
• TRANSFORMS
• UNDERSCORE
• UINTEGER
• UNSIGNED
• VALUES
• VARCHAR
• VARCHARC
• VARIABLE
• VARRAW
• VARRAWC
• VLENELN
• VMAXLEN
• WHEN
• WHITESPACE
• WITH
• YEAR
• ZONED
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16
The ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
The ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver provides a set of access parameters unique to
external tables of the type ORACLE_DATAPUMP. You can use the access parameters to
modify the default behavior of the access driver. The information you provide through
the access driver ensures that data from the data source is processed so that it
See the following topics for more information:
To successfully use the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver, you must have some
knowledge of the file format and record format (including character sets and field data
types) of the data files on your platform. You must also know enough about SQL to be
able to create an external table and perform queries against it.
Note:
• It is sometimes difficult to describe syntax without using other syntax that is

not documented until later in the chapter. If it is not clear what some syntax
is supposed to do, then you might want to skip ahead and read about that
particular element.
• When identifiers (for example, column or table names) are specified in the
external table access parameters, certain values are considered to be
reserved words by the access parameter parser. If a reserved word is used
as an identifier, then it must be enclosed in double quotation marks. See
"Reserved Words for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver".
• access_parameters Clause
• Unloading and Loading Data with the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
• Supported Data Types
• Unsupported Data Types
• Performance Hints When Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
• Restrictions When Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
• Reserved Words for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
16.1 access_parameters Clause

When you create the external table, you can specify certain parameters in an
access_parameters clause. This clause is optional, as are its individual parameters. For
example, you could specify LOGFILE, but not VERSION, or vice versa. The syntax for the
access_parameters clause is as follows.
16-1
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Note:
See Also:

specifying opaque_format_spec when using the SQL CREATE
TABLE...ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL statement
ENABLED
ENCRYPTION
DISABLED
NOLOGFILE
directory object name :

LOGFILE file name
BASIC
LOW
ENABLED
MEDIUM
COMPRESSION
HIGH
DISABLED
ENABLED
HADOOP_TRAILERS
DISABLED
COMPATIBLE
VERSION LATEST
comments version number
• comments
• COMPRESSION
• ENCRYPTION
• VERSION Clause
• Effects of Using the SQL ENCRYPT Clause
16-2
Chapter 16
16.1.1 comments
Comments are lines that begin with two hyphens followed by text. Comments must be
placed before any access parameters, for example:
--This is a comment.
--This is another comment.
NOLOG
16.1.2 COMPRESSION
Default: DISABLED
Purpose
Specifies whether to compress data (and optionally, which compression algorithm to
use) before the data is written to the dump file set.

COMPRESSION [ENABLED {BASIC | LOW| MEDIUM | HIGH} | DISABLED]
• If ENABLED is specified, then all data is compressed for the entire unload operation.
You can additionally specify one of the following compression options:
– BASIC - Offers a good combination of compression ratios and speed; the
algorithm used is the same as in previous versions of Oracle Data Pump.
– LOW - Least impact on unload throughput and suited for environments where
CPU resources are the limiting factor.
– MEDIUM - Recommended for most environments. This option, like the BASIC
option, provides a good combination of compression ratios and speed, but it
uses a different algorithm than BASIC.
– HIGH - Best suited for unloads over slower networks where the limiting factor is
network speed.
Note:
To use these compression algorithms, the COMPATIBLE initialization
parameter must be set to at least 12.0.0. This feature requires that the
Oracle Advanced Compression option be enabled.
The performance of a compression algorithm is characterized by its CPU usage

and by the compression ratio (the size of the compressed output as a percentage
of the uncompressed input). These measures vary on the size and type of inputs
as well as the speed of the compression algorithms used. The compression ratio
generally increases from low to high, with a trade-off of potentially consuming
more CPU resources.
It is recommended that you run tests with the different compression levels on the
data in your environment. Choosing a compression level based on your
16-3
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environment, workload characteristics, and size and type of data is the only way to
ensure that the exported dump file set compression level meets your performance
and storage requirements.
• If DISABLED is specified, then no data is compressed for the upload operation.
Example
In the following example, the COMPRESSION parameter is set to ENABLED. Therefore, all
data written to the dept.dmp dump file will be in compressed format.
CREATE TABLE deptXTec3
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (TYPE ORACLE_DATAPUMP DEFAULT DIRECTORY def_dir1
ACCESS PARAMETERS (COMPRESSION ENABLED) LOCATION ('dept.dmp'));
16.1.3 ENCRYPTION
Default: DISABLED
Purpose
Specifies whether to encrypt data before it is written to the dump file set.

ENCRYPTION [ENABLED | DISABLED]
If ENABLED is specified, then all data is written to the dump file set in encrypted format.
If DISABLED is specified, then no data is written to the dump file set in encrypted format.
Restrictions
This parameter is used only for export operations.
Example
In the following example, the ENCRYPTION parameter is set to ENABLED. Therefore, all data
written to the dept.dmp file will be in encrypted format.
CREATE TABLE deptXTec3
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (TYPE ORACLE_DATAPUMP DEFAULT DIRECTORY def_dir1
ACCESS PARAMETERS (ENCRYPTION ENABLED) LOCATION ('dept.dmp'));
16.1.4 LOGFILE | NOLOGFILE

Default: If LOGFILE is not specified, then a log file is created in the default directory and
the name of the log file is generated from the table name and the process ID with an
extension of .log. If a log file already exists by the same name, then the access driver
reopens that log file and appends the new log information to the end.
Purpose
LOGFILE specifies the name of the log file that contains any messages generated while
the dump file was being accessed. NOLOGFILE prevents the creation of a log file.

NOLOGFILE
16-4
Chapter 16
or
LOGFILE [directory_object:]logfile_name
If a directory object is not specified as part of the log file name, then the directory
object specified by the DEFAULT DIRECTORY attribute is used. If a directory object is not
specified and no default directory was specified, then an error is returned. See "File
Names for LOGFILE" for information about using substitution variables to create
unique file names during parallel loads or unloads.
Example
In the following example, the dump file, dept_dmp, is in the directory identified by the
directory object, load_dir, but the log file, deptxt.log, is in the directory identified by the
directory object, log_dir.
CREATE TABLE dept_xt (dept_no INT, dept_name CHAR(20), location CHAR(20))
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (TYPE ORACLE_DATAPUMP DEFAULT DIRECTORY load_dir
ACCESS PARAMETERS (LOGFILE log_dir:deptxt) LOCATION ('dept_dmp'));
• Log File Naming in Parallel Loads
16.1.4.1 Log File Naming in Parallel Loads

The access driver does some symbol substitution to help make file names unique in
the case of parallel loads. The symbol substitutions supported are as follows:
• %p is replaced by the process ID of the current process. For example, if the
process ID of the access driver is 12345, then exttab_%p.log becomes
exttab_12345.log.
• %a is replaced by the agent number of the current process. The agent number is
the unique number assigned to each parallel process accessing the external table.
This number is padded to the left with zeros to fill three characters. For example, if
the third parallel agent is creating a file and exttab_%a.log was specified as the file
name, then the agent would create a file named exttab_003.log.
• %% is replaced by %. If there is a need to have a percent sign in the file name, then
this symbol substitution must be used.
If the % character is followed by anything other than one of the characters in the
preceding list, then an error is returned.
If %p or %a is not used to create unique file names for output files and an external table
is being accessed in parallel, then output files may be corrupted or agents may be
unable to write to the files.
If no extension is supplied for the file, then a default extension of .log is used. If the
name generated is not a valid file name, then an error is returned and no data is
loaded or unloaded.
16.1.5 VERSION Clause

The VERSION clause is used to specify the minimum release of Oracle Database that
will be reading the dump file. For example, if you specify 11.1, then both Oracle
Database 11g release 11.1 and 11.2 databases can read the dump file. If you specify
11.2, then only Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2) databases can read the dump
file.
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Unloading and Loading Data with the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
The default value is COMPATIBLE.
16.1.6 Effects of Using the SQL ENCRYPT Clause

If you specify the SQL ENCRYPT clause when you create an external table, then keep the
following in mind:
• The columns for which you specify the ENCRYPT clause will be encrypted before
being written into the dump file.
• If you move the dump file to another database, then the same encryption
password must be used for both the encrypted columns in the dump file and for
the external table used to read the dump file.
• If you do not specify a password for the correct encrypted columns in the external
table on the second database, then an error is returned. If you do not specify the
correct password, then garbage data is written to the dump file.
• The dump file that is produced must be at release 10.2 or higher. Otherwise, an
error is returned.
See Also:
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more information about using
the ENCRYPT clause on a CREATE TABLE statement
16.2 Unloading and Loading Data with the

ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
As part of creating an external table with a SQL CREATE TABLE AS SELECT statement, the
ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver can write data to a dump file. The data in the file is
written in a binary format that can only be read by the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver.
Once the dump file is created, it cannot be modified (that is, no data manipulation
language (DML) operations can be performed on it). However, the file can be read any
number of times and used as the dump file for another external table in the same
database or in a different database.
The following steps use the sample schema, oe, to show an extended example of how
you can use the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver to unload and load data. (The example
assumes that the directory object def_dir1 already exists, and that user oe has read
and write access to it.)
1. An external table will populate a file with data only as part of creating the external
table with the AS SELECT clause. The following example creates an external table
named inventories_xt and populates the dump file for the external table with the
data from table inventories in the oe schema.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inventories_xt
3 (
7 )
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Table created.
2. Describe both inventories and the new external table, as follows. They should
both match.
SQL> DESCRIBE inventories
Name Null? Type
---------------------------------------- --------- ----------------
PRODUCT_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(6)
WAREHOUSE_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(3)
QUANTITY_ON_HAND NOT NULL NUMBER(8)
SQL> DESCRIBE inventories_xt

Name Null? Type
----------------------------------------- -------- -----------------
PRODUCT_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(6)
WAREHOUSE_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(3)
QUANTITY_ON_HAND NOT NULL NUMBER(8)
3. Now that the external table is created, it can be queried just like any other table.
For example, select the count of records in the external table, as follows:
SQL> SELECT COUNT(*) FROM inventories_xt;
COUNT(*)
----------
1112
4. Compare the data in the external table against the data in inventories. There
should be no differences.
SQL> SELECT * FROM inventories MINUS SELECT * FROM inventories_xt;
no rows selected
5. After an external table has been created and the dump file populated by the CREATE
TABLE AS SELECT statement, no rows may be added, updated, or deleted from the
external table. Any attempt to modify the data in the external table will fail with an
error.
The following example shows an attempt to use data manipulation language
(DML) on an existing external table. This will return an error, as shown.
SQL> DELETE FROM inventories_xt WHERE warehouse_id = 5;
DELETE FROM inventories_xt WHERE warehouse_id = 5
*
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-30657: operation not supported on external organized table
6. The dump file created for the external table can now be moved and used as the
dump file for another external table in the same database or different database.
Note that when you create an external table that uses an existing file, there is no
AS SELECT clause for the CREATE TABLE statement.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inventories_xt2

2 (
3 product_id NUMBER(6),
4 warehouse_id NUMBER(3),
5 quantity_on_hand NUMBER(8)
6 )
8 (
16-7
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12 );
Table created.
7. Compare the data for the new external table against the data in the inventories
table. The product_id field will be converted to a compatible data type before the
comparison is done. There should be no differences.
SQL> SELECT * FROM inventories MINUS SELECT * FROM inventories_xt2;
no rows selected
8. Create an external table with three dump files and with a degree of parallelism of
three.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inventories_xt3
3 (
6 LOCATION ('inv_xt1.dmp', 'inv_xt2.dmp', 'inv_xt3.dmp')
7 )
8 PARALLEL 3
Table created.
9. Compare the data unload against inventories. There should be no differences.
SQL> SELECT * FROM inventories MINUS SELECT * FROM inventories_xt3;
no rows selected
10. Create an external table containing some rows from table inventories.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inv_part_xt

3 (
6 LOCATION ('inv_p1_xt.dmp')
7 )
8 AS SELECT * FROM inventories WHERE warehouse_id < 5;
Table created.
11. Create another external table containing the rest of the rows from inventories.
SQL> drop table inv_part_xt;
Table dropped.
SQL>
SQL> CREATE TABLE inv_part_xt
3 (
7 )
8 AS SELECT * FROM inventories WHERE warehouse_id >= 5;
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Table created.
12. Create an external table that uses the two dump files created in Steps 10 and 11.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inv_part_all_xt

2 (
4 warehouse_id NUMBER(3),
5 quantity_on_hand NUMBER(8)
6 )
8 (
11 LOCATION ('inv_p1_xt.dmp','inv_p2_xt.dmp')
12 );
Table created.
13. Compare the new external table to the inventories table. There should be no
differences. This is because the two dump files used to create the external table
have the same metadata (for example, the same table name inv_part_xt and the
same column information).
SQL> SELECT * FROM inventories MINUS SELECT * FROM inv_part_all_xt;
no rows selected
• Parallel Loading and Unloading

• Combining Dump Files
16.2.1 Parallel Loading and Unloading

The dump file must be on a disk big enough to hold all the data being written. If there
is insufficient space for all of the data, then an error is returned for the CREATE TABLE AS
SELECT statement. One way to alleviate the problem is to create multiple files in multiple
directory objects (assuming those directories are on different disks) when executing
the CREATE TABLE AS SELECT statement. Multiple files can be created by specifying
multiple locations in the form directory:file in the LOCATION clause and by specifying
the PARALLEL clause. Each parallel I/O server process that is created to populate the
external table writes to its own file. The number of files in the LOCATION clause should
match the degree of parallelization because each I/O server process requires its own
files. Any extra files that are specified will be ignored. If there are not enough files for
the degree of parallelization specified, then the degree of parallelization is lowered to
match the number of files in the LOCATION clause.
Here is an example of unloading the inventories table into three files.

SQL> CREATE TABLE inventories_XT_3
3 (
6 LOCATION ('inv_xt1.dmp', 'inv_xt2.dmp', 'inv_xt3.dmp')
7 )
8 PARALLEL 3
9 AS SELECT * FROM oe.inventories;
Table created.
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When the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver is used to load data, parallel processes can
read multiple dump files or even chunks of the same dump file concurrently. Thus,
data can be loaded in parallel even if there is only one dump file, as long as that file is
large enough to contain multiple file offsets. The degree of parallelization is not tied to
the number of files in the LOCATION clause when reading from ORACLE_DATAPUMP external
tables.
16.2.2 Combining Dump Files

Dump files populated by different external tables can all be specified in the LOCATION
clause of another external table. For example, data from different production
databases can be unloaded into separate files, and then those files can all be included
in an external table defined in a data warehouse. This provides an easy way of
aggregating data from multiple sources. The only restriction is that the metadata for all
of the external tables be exactly the same. This means that the character set, time
zone, schema name, table name, and column names must all match. Also, the
columns must be defined in the same order, and their data types must be exactly alike.
This means that after you create the first external table you must drop it so that you
can use the same table name for the second external table. This ensures that the
metadata listed in the two dump files is the same and they can be used together to
create the same external table.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inv_part_1_xt
3 (
7 )
8 AS SELECT * FROM oe.inventories WHERE warehouse_id < 5;
Table created.
SQL> DROP TABLE inv_part_1_xt;
SQL> CREATE TABLE inv_part_1_xt

3 (
5 DEFAULT directory def_dir1
7 )
8 AS SELECT * FROM oe.inventories WHERE warehouse_id >= 5;
Table created.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inv_part_all_xt

2 (
3 PRODUCT_ID NUMBER(6),
4 WAREHOUSE_ID NUMBER(3),
5 QUANTITY_ON_HAND NUMBER(8)
6 )
8 (
11 LOCATION ('inv_p1_xt.dmp','inv_p2_xt.dmp')
12 );
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Supported Data Types
Table created.
SQL> SELECT * FROM inv_part_all_xt MINUS SELECT * FROM oe.inventories;
no rows selected
16.3 Supported Data Types

You may encounter the following situations when you use external tables to move data
between databases:
• The database character set and the database national character set may be
different between the two platforms.
• The endianness of the platforms for the two databases may be different.
The ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver automatically resolves some of these situations.
The following data types are automatically converted during loads and unloads:
• Character (CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR2)
• RAW
• NUMBER
• Date/Time
• BLOB
• CLOB and NCLOB
• ROWID and UROWID
If you attempt to use a data type that is not supported for external tables, then you
receive an error. This is demonstrated in the following example, in which the
unsupported data type, LONG, is used:
SQL> CREATE TABLE bad_datatype_xt
2 (
4 language_id VARCHAR2(3),
5 translated_name NVARCHAR2(50),
6 translated_description LONG
7 )
9 (
12 LOCATION ('proddesc.dmp')
13 );
translated_description LONG
*
ERROR at line 6:
ORA-30656: column type not supported on external organized table
See Also:
"Unsupported Data Types"
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Unsupported Data Types
16.4 Unsupported Data Types

An external table supports a subset of all possible data types for columns. In
particular, it supports character data types (except LONG), the RAW data type, all numeric
data types, and all date, timestamp, and interval data types.
This section describes how you can use the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver to unload
and reload data for some of the unsupported data types, specifically:
• BFILE
• LONG and LONG RAW
• Final object types

• Tables of final object types
• Unloading and Loading BFILE Data Types
• Unloading LONG and LONG RAW Data Types
• Unloading and Loading Columns Containing Final Object Types
• Tables of Final Object Types
16.4.1 Unloading and Loading BFILE Data Types

The BFILE data type has two pieces of information stored in it: the directory object for
the file and the name of the file within that directory object.
You can unload BFILE columns using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver by storing the
directory object name and the file name in two columns in the external table. The
procedure DBMS_LOB.FILEGETNAME will return both parts of the name. However, because
this is a procedure, it cannot be used in a SELECT statement. Instead, two functions are
needed. The first will return the name of the directory object, and the second will return
the name of the file.
The steps in the following extended example demonstrate the unloading and loading
of BFILE data types.
1. Create a function to extract the directory object for a BFILE column. Note that if the
column is NULL, then NULL is returned.
SQL> CREATE FUNCTION get_dir_name (bf BFILE) RETURN VARCHAR2 IS
2 DIR_ALIAS VARCHAR2(255);
3 FILE_NAME VARCHAR2(255);
4 BEGIN
5 IF bf is NULL
6 THEN
7 RETURN NULL;
8 ELSE
9 DBMS_LOB.FILEGETNAME (bf, dir_alias, file_name);
10 RETURN dir_alias;
11 END IF;
12 END;
13 /
Function created.
2. Create a function to extract the file name for a BFILE column.
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Chapter 16
SQL> CREATE FUNCTION get_file_name (bf BFILE) RETURN VARCHAR2 is

2 dir_alias VARCHAR2(255);
3 file_name VARCHAR2(255);
4 BEGIN
5 IF bf is NULL
6 THEN
7 RETURN NULL;
8 ELSE
9 DBMS_LOB.FILEGETNAME (bf, dir_alias, file_name);
10 RETURN file_name;
11 END IF;
12 END;
13 /
Function created.
3. You can then add a row with a NULL value for the BFILE column, as follows:
SQL> INSERT INTO PRINT_MEDIA (product_id, ad_id, ad_graphic)
2 VALUES (3515, 12001, NULL);
1 row created.
You can use the newly created functions to populate an external table. Note that
the functions should set columns ad_graphic_dir and ad_graphic_file to NULL if the
BFILE column is NULL.
4. Create an external table to contain the data from the print_media table. Use the
get_dir_name and get_file_name functions to get the components of the BFILE
column.
SQL> CREATE TABLE print_media_xt
3 (
4 TYPE oracle_datapump
6 LOCATION ('pm_xt.dmp')
7 ) AS
8 SELECT product_id, ad_id,
9 get_dir_name (ad_graphic) ad_graphic_dir,
10 get_file_name(ad_graphic) ad_graphic_file
11 FROM print_media;
Table created.
5. Create a function to load a BFILE column from the data that is in the external table.
This function will return NULL if the ad_graphic_dir column in the external table is
NULL.
SQL> CREATE FUNCTION get_bfile (dir VARCHAR2, file VARCHAR2) RETURN

BFILE is
2 bf BFILE;
3 BEGIN
4 IF dir IS NULL
5 THEN
6 RETURN NULL;
7 ELSE
8 RETURN BFILENAME(dir,file);
9 END IF;
10 END;
11 /
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Chapter 16
Function created.
6. The get_bfile function can be used to populate a new table containing a BFILE
column.
SQL> CREATE TABLE print_media_int AS
3 get_bfile (ad_graphic_dir, ad_graphic_file) ad_graphic
4 FROM print_media_xt;
Table created.
7. The data in the columns of the newly loaded table should match the data in the
columns of the print_media table.
SQL> SELECT product_id, ad_id,
2 get_dir_name(ad_graphic),
3 get_file_name(ad_graphic)
4 FROM print_media_int
5 MINUS
7 get_dir_name(ad_graphic),
8 get_file_name(ad_graphic)
9 FROM print_media;
no rows selected
16.4.2 Unloading LONG and LONG RAW Data Types

The ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver can be used to unload LONG and LONG RAW columns,
but that data can only be loaded back into LOB fields. The steps in the following
extended example demonstrate the unloading of LONG and LONG RAW data types.
1. If a table to be unloaded contains a LONG or LONG RAW column, then define the
corresponding columns in the external table as CLOB for LONG columns or BLOB for
LONG RAW columns.
SQL> CREATE TABLE long_tab

2 (
3 key SMALLINT,
4 description LONG
5 );
Table created.
SQL> INSERT INTO long_tab VALUES (1, 'Description Text');
1 row created.
2. Now, an external table can be created that contains a CLOB column to contain the
data from the LONG column. Note that when loading the external table, the TO_LOB
operator is used to convert the LONG column into a CLOB.
SQL> CREATE TABLE long_tab_xt
3 (
6 LOCATION ('long_tab_xt.dmp')
7 )
8 AS SELECT key, TO_LOB(description) description FROM long_tab;
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Table created.
3. The data in the external table can be used to create another table exactly like the
one that was unloaded except the new table will contain a LOB column instead of
a LONG column.
SQL> CREATE TABLE lob_tab
2 AS SELECT * from long_tab_xt;
Table created.
4. Verify that the table was created correctly.
SQL> SELECT * FROM lob_tab;
KEY DESCRIPTION
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Description Text
16.4.3 Unloading and Loading Columns Containing Final Object Types

Final column objects are populated into an external table by moving each attribute in
the object type into a column in the external table. In addition, the external table needs
a new column to track whether the column object is atomically NULL. The following
steps demonstrate the unloading and loading of columns containing final object types.
1. In the following example, the warehouse column in the external table is used to
track whether the warehouse column in the source table is atomically NULL.
SQL> CREATE TABLE inventories_obj_xt
3 (
6 LOCATION ('inv_obj_xt.dmp')
7 )
8 AS
9 SELECT oi.product_id,
10 DECODE (oi.warehouse, NULL, 0, 1) warehouse,
11 oi.warehouse.location_id location_id,
12 oi.warehouse.warehouse_id warehouse_id,
13 oi.warehouse.warehouse_name warehouse_name,
14 oi.quantity_on_hand
15 FROM oc_inventories oi;
Table created.
The columns in the external table containing the attributes of the object type can
now be used as arguments to the type constructor function when loading a column
of that type. Note that the warehouse column in the external table is used to
determine whether to call the constructor function for the object or set the column
to NULL.
2. Load a new internal table that looks exactly like the oc_inventories view. (The use
of the WHERE 1=0 clause creates a new table that looks exactly like the old table but
does not copy any data from the old table into the new table.)
SQL> CREATE TABLE oc_inventories_2 AS SELECT * FROM oc_inventories
WHERE 1 = 0;
16-15
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Table created.
SQL> INSERT INTO oc_inventories_2

2 SELECT product_id,
3 DECODE (warehouse, 0, NULL,
4 warehouse_typ(warehouse_id, warehouse_name,
5 location_id)), quantity_on_hand
6 FROM inventories_obj_xt;
1112 rows created.
16.4.4 Tables of Final Object Types

Object tables have an object identifier that uniquely identifies every row in the table.
The following situations can occur:
• If there is no need to unload and reload the object identifier, then the external table
only needs to contain fields for the attributes of the type for the object table.
• If the object identifier (OID) needs to be unloaded and reloaded and the OID for
the table is one or more fields in the table, (also known as primary-key-based
OIDs), then the external table has one column for every attribute of the type for the
table.
• If the OID needs to be unloaded and the OID for the table is system-generated,
then the procedure is more complicated. In addition to the attributes of the type,
another column needs to be created to hold the system-generated OID.
The steps in the following example demonstrate this last situation.
1. Create a table of a type with system-generated OIDs:
SQL> CREATE TYPE person AS OBJECT (name varchar2(20)) NOT FINAL
2 /
Type created.
SQL> CREATE TABLE people OF person;
Table created.
SQL> INSERT INTO people VALUES ('Euclid');
1 row created.
2. Create an external table in which the column OID is used to hold the column
containing the system-generated OID.
SQL> CREATE TABLE people_xt
3 (
6 LOCATION ('people.dmp')
7 )
8 AS SELECT SYS_NC_OID$ oid, name FROM people;
Table created.
3. Create another table of the same type with system-generated OIDs. Then, execute
an INSERT statement to load the new table with data unloaded from the old table.
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Performance Hints When Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
SQL> CREATE TABLE people2 OF person;
Table created.
SQL>
SQL> INSERT INTO people2 (SYS_NC_OID$, SYS_NC_ROWINFO$)
2 SELECT oid, person(name) FROM people_xt;
1 row created.
SQL>
SQL> SELECT SYS_NC_OID$, name FROM people
2 MINUS
3 SELECT SYS_NC_OID$, name FROM people2;
no rows selected
16.5 Performance Hints When Using the

ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
When you monitor performance, the most important measurement is the elapsed time
for a load. Other important measurements are CPU usage, memory usage, and I/O
rates.
You can alter performance by increasing or decreasing the degree of parallelism. The
degree of parallelism indicates the number of access drivers that can be started to
process the data files. The degree of parallelism enables you to choose on a scale
between slower load with little resource usage and faster load with all resources
utilized. The access driver cannot automatically tune itself, because it cannot
determine how many resources you want to dedicate to the access driver.
An additional consideration is that the access drivers use large I/O buffers for better
performance. On databases with shared servers, all memory used by the access
drivers comes out of the system global area (SGA). For this reason, you should be
careful when using external tables on shared servers.
16.6 Restrictions When Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP

Access Driver
The ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver has the following restrictions:
• Exporting and importing of external tables with encrypted columns is not

supported.
• Column processing: By default, the external tables feature fetches all columns
defined for an external table. This guarantees a consistent result set for all
queries. However, for performance reasons you can decide to process only the
referenced columns of an external table, thus minimizing the amount of data
conversion and data handling required to execute a query. In this case, a row that
is rejected because a column in the row causes a data type conversion error will
not get rejected in a different query if the query does not reference that column.
You can change this column-processing behavior with the ALTER TABLE command.
• An external table cannot load data into a LONG column.
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Reserved Words for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver
• Handling of byte-order marks during a load: In an external table load for which the
data file character set is UTF8 or UTF16, it is not possible to suppress checking
for byte-order marks. Suppression of byte-order mark checking is necessary only if
the beginning of the data file contains binary data that matches the byte-order
mark encoding. (It is possible to suppress byte-order mark checking with
SQL*Loader loads.) Note that checking for a byte-order mark does not mean that
a byte-order mark must be present in the data file. If no byte-order mark is present,
then the byte order of the server platform is used.
• The external tables feature does not support the use of the backslash (\) escape
character within strings. See "Use of the Backslash Escape Character".
• When identifiers (for example, column or table names) are specified in the external
table access parameters, certain values are considered to be reserved words by
the access parameter parser. If a reserved word is used as an identifier, then it
16.7 Reserved Words for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access

Driver
When identifiers (for example, column or table names) are specified in the external
table access parameters, certain values are considered to be reserved words by the
access parameter parser. If a reserved word is used as an identifier, then it must be
enclosed in double quotation marks. The following are the reserved words for the
ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver:
• BADFILE
• COMPATIBLE
• COMPRESSION
• DATAPUMP
• DEBUG
• ENCRYPTION
• INTERNAL
• JOB
• LATEST
• LOGFILE
• NOBADFILE
• NOLOGFILE
• PARALLEL
• TABLE
• VERSION
• WORKERID
16-18
17
ORACLE_HDFS and ORACLE_HIVE
Access Drivers
The properties used to create an external table that uses the ORACLE_HDFS or
ORACLE_HIVE access drivers are specified in a SQL CREATE TABLE ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
statement, in the opaque_format_spec clause of ACCESS PARAMETERS.
The following topics are included:
• Syntax Rules for Specifying Properties

• ORACLE_HDFS Access Parameters
• ORACLE_HIVE Access Parameters
• Descriptions of com.oracle.bigdata Parameters
See Also:
• External Tables Examples for examples of using the ORACLE_HDFS and

ORACLE_HIVE access drivers
• Oracle Big Data SQL User's Guide
17.1 Syntax Rules for Specifying Properties

The properties are set using keyword-value pairs in the SQL CREATE TABLE ACCESS
PARAMETERS clause and in the configuration files. The syntax must obey these rules:
• The format of each keyword-value pair is a keyword, a colon or equal sign, and a
value. The following are valid keyword-value pairs:
keyword=value
keyword:value
The value is everything from the first non-whitespace character after the separator
to the end of the line. Whitespace between the separator and the value is ignored.
Trailing whitespace for the value is retained.
• A property definition can be on one line or multiple lines.
• A line terminator is a line feed, a carriage return, or a carriage return followed by
line feeds.
• When a property definition spans multiple lines, then precede the line terminators
with a backslash (escape character), except on the last line. In this example, the
value of the Keyword1 property is Value part 1 Value part 2 Value part 3.
17-1
Chapter 17
ORACLE_HDFS Access Parameters
Keyword1= Value part 1 \

Value part 2 \
Value part 3
• You can create a logical line by stripping each physical line of leading whitespace
and concatenating the lines. The parser extracts the property names and values
from the logical line.
• You can embed special characters in a property name or property value by
preceding a character with a backslash (escape character), indicating the
substitution. Table 17-1 describes the special characters.
Table 17-1 Special Characters in Properties
Escape Sequence Character

\b Backspace (\u0008)
\t Horizontal tab (\u0009)
\n Line feed (\u000a)
\f Form feed (\u000c)
\r Carriage return (\u000d)
\" Double quote (\u0022)
\' Single quote (\u0027)
\\ Backslash (\u005c)
When multiple backslashes are at the end of the line, the parser
continues the value to the next line only for an odd number of
backslashes.
\uxxxx 2-byte, big-endian, Unicode code point.
When a character requires two code points (4 bytes), the parser expects
\u for the second code point.
17.2 ORACLE_HDFS Access Parameters

The access parameters for the ORACLE_HDFS access driver provide the metadata
needed to locate the data in HDFS and generate a Hive table over it.
• Default Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HDFS
• Optional Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HDFS
17.2.1 Default Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HDFS

If you omit all access parameters from the CREATE TABLE statement, then ORACLE_HDFS
uses the following default values:
com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat=DELIMITED
com.oracle.bigdata.fileformat=TEXTFILE
com.oracle.bigdata.overflow={"action":"error"}
com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt={"action":"setnull"}
17-2
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ORACLE_HIVE Access Parameters
17.2.2 Optional Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HDFS

ORACLE_HDFS supports the following optional com.oracle.bigdata parameters, which you
can specify in the opaque_format_spec clause:
• com.oracle.bigdata.colmap
• com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt
• com.oracle.bigdata.fields
• com.oracle.bigdata.fileformat
• com.oracle.bigdata.log.exec
• com.oracle.bigdata.log.qc
• com.oracle.bigdata.overflow
• com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat
The following example shows a CREATE TABLE statement in which multiple access
parameters are set.
Example 17-1 Setting Multiple Access Parameters for ORACLE_HDFS
CREATE TABLE ORDER (CUST_NUM VARCHAR2(10),
ORDER_NUM VARCHAR2(20),
ORDER_DATE DATE,
ITEM_CNT NUMBER,
DESCRIPTION VARCHAR2(100),
ORDER_TOTAL (NUMBER8,2)) ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
(TYPE ORACLE_HDFS
ACCESS PARAMETERS (
com.oracle.bigdata.fields: (CUST_NUM, \
ORDER_NUM, \
ORDER_DATE, \
ORDER_LINE_ITEM_COUNT, \
DESCRIPTION, \
ORDER_TOTAL)
com.oracle.bigdata.colMap: {"col":"item_cnt", \
"field":"order_line_item_count"}
com.oracle.bigdata.overflow: {"action":"TRUNCATE", \
"col":"DESCRIPTION"}
com.oracle.bigdata.errorOpt: [{"action":"replace", \
"value":"INVALID NUM", \
"col":["CUST_NUM","ORDER_NUM"]} , \
{"action":"reject", \
"col":"ORDER_TOTAL}]
)
LOCATION ("hdfs:/usr/cust/summary/*"));
17.3 ORACLE_HIVE Access Parameters

ORACLE_HIVE retrieves metadata about external data sources from the Hive catalog. The
default mapping of Hive data to columns in the external table are usually appropriate.
However, some circumstances require special parameter settings, or you might want
to override the default values for reasons of your own.
• Default Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HIVE
17-3
Chapter 17
Descriptions of com.oracle.bigdata Parameters
• Optional Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HIVE
17.3.1 Default Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HIVE

If you omit all access parameters from the CREATE TABLE statement, then ORACLE_HIVE
uses the following default values:
com.oracle.bigdata.tablename=name of external table
com.oracle.bigdata.overflow={"action":"error"}
com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt={"action":"setnull"}
17.3.2 Optional Parameter Settings for ORACLE_HIVE

ORACLE_HIVE supports the following optional com.oracle.bigdata parameters, which you
can specify in the opaque_format_spec clause:
• com.oracle.bigdata.tablename
The following example shows a CREATE TABLE statement in which multiple access
parameters are set.
Example 17-2 Setting Multiple Access Parameters for ORACLE_HIVE
CREATE TABLE ORDER (cust_num VARCHAR2(10),
order_num VARCHAR2(20),
order_date DATE,
item_cnt NUMBER,
description VARCHAR2(100),
order_total (NUMBER8,2)) ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
(TYPE oracle_hive
ACCESS PARAMETERS (
com.oracle.bigdata.tableName: order_db.order_summary
com.oracle.bigdata.colMap: {"col":"ITEM_CNT", \
com.oracle.bigdata.overflow: {"action":"ERROR", \
com.oracle.bigdata.errorOpt: [{"action":"replace", \
"value":"INV_NUM" , \
"col":["CUST_NUM","ORDER_NUM"]} ,\
{"action":"reject", \
"col":"ORDER_TOTAL}]
));
17.4 Descriptions of com.oracle.bigdata Parameters

This topic provides descriptions of the com.oracle.bigdata parameters used by the
ORACLE_HIVE and ORACLE_HDFS access drivers.
• com.oracle.bigdata.datamode
17-4
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• com.oracle.bigdata.datamode
17.4.1 com.oracle.bigdata.colmap
Maps a column in the source data to a column in the Oracle external table. You can
define one or multiple pairs of column mappings. Use this property when the source
field names exceed the maximum length of Oracle column names, or when you want
to use different column names in the external table.
Default Value
A column in the external table with the same name as the Hive column
Syntax
A JSON document with the keyword-value pairs is shown in the following diagram:
colmap:
colmap_entry
=
com.oracle.bigdata.colmap ,
:
[ colmap_entry ]
colmap_entry:
{ "col" : name , "field" : name }
17-5
Chapter 17
Semantics
"col":name
"col": The keyword must be lowercase and enclosed in quotation marks.
name: The name of a column in the Oracle external table. It is case sensitive and must
be enclosed in quotation marks.
"field":name
"field": The keyword must be lowercase and enclosed in quotation marks.
name: The name of a field in the data source. It is not case sensitive, but it must be
enclosed in quotation marks. See "Syntax Rules for Specifying Properties".
Examples
This example maps a Hive column named ORDER_LINE_ITEM_COUNT to an Oracle column
named ITEM_CNT:
com.oracle.bigdata.colMap={"col":"ITEM_CNT", \
The following example shows the mapping of multiple columns.

com.oracle.bigdata.colmap:[{"col":"KOL1", "field":"PROJECT_NAME"},
{ "col":"KOL2","field":"wsdl_name"},{"col":"KOL3", "field":"method"}]
17.4.2 com.oracle.bigdata.datamode
Specifies the method that SmartScan uses to scan a Hadoop data source. The
method can make a significant difference in performance.
Default Value
automatic
Syntax
A JSON document with the keyword-value pairs shown in the following diagram:
datamode:
c
=
com.oracle.bigdata.datamode java
:
automatic
Semantics
automatic
Automatically selects the appropriate mode, based on the metadata. It selects c mode
if possible, or java mode if the data contains formats that are not supported by c mode.
17-6
Chapter 17
Uses Java to read the file buffers, but C code to process the data and convert it to
Oracle format. Specify this mode for delimited data.
If the data contains formats that the C code does not support, then it returns an error.
java
Uses the Java SerDes and InputFormats to process the data and convert it to Oracle
format. Specify this mode for Parquet, RCFile, and other data formats that require a
SerDe.
17.4.3 com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt
Describes how to handle errors that occur while the value of a column is calculated.
Default Value
{"action":"setnull"}
Syntax
erroropt:
error_element
=
com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt ,
:
[ error_element ]
error_element:
name
, "col" : ,
"reject"
[ name ]
{ "action" : "setnull" }
"replace" , "value" : string
Semantics
The "action", "reject", "setnull", "replace", "value", and "col" keywords must be
lowercase and enclosed in quotation marks. See "Syntax Rules for Specifying
Properties".
"action":value
value: One of these keywords:
• "reject": Does not load any rows.
• "setnull": Sets the column to NULL.
17-7
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• "replace": Sets the column to the specified value.
"value":string
string: Replaces a bad value in the external table. It must be enclosed in quotation
marks.
"col":name
name: Identifies a column in an external table. The column name is case sensitive, must
be enclosed in quotation marks, and can be listed only once.
Example
This example sets the value of the CUST_NUM or ORDER_NUM columns to INVALID if the Hive
value causes an error. For any other columns, an error just causes the Hive value to
be rejected.
com.oracle.bigdata.errorOpt: {"action":"replace",\
"value":"INVALID", \
"col":["CUST_NUM","ORDER_NUM"]
17.4.4 com.oracle.bigdata.fields
Lists the field names and data types of the data source.
Default Value
Not defined
Syntax
fields:
= COMMENT col_comment
com.oracle.bigdata.fields ( field_name data_type )
:
data_type:
primitive_type
ARRAY < data_type >
MAP < primitive_type , data_type >
COMMENT col_comment
STRUCT < field_name data_type >
UNIONTYPE < data_type >
17-8
Chapter 17
primitive_type:
TINYINT
SMALLINT
INT
BIGINT
BOOLEAN
FLOAT
DOUBLE
STRING
BINARY
TIMESTAMP
DECIMAL
Semantics
The syntax is the same as a field list for a Hive table. If you split the field list across
multiple lines, you must use a backslash to escape the new line characters.
field_name
The name of the Hive field. Use only alphanumeric characters and underscores (_).
The maximum length is 128 characters. Field names are case-insensitive.
data_type
The data type of the Hive field. Optional; the default is STRING. The character set must
be UTF8.
The data type can be complex or primitive:
Hive Complex Data Types
• ARRAY: Indexable list
• MAP: Key-value tuples
• STRUCT: List of elements
• UNIONTYPE: Multiple data types
Hive Primitive Data Types

• INT: 4 byte integer
• BIGINT: 8 byte integer
• SMALLINT: 2 byte integer
• TINYINT: 1 byte integer
• BOOLEAN: TRUE or FALSE
• FLOAT: single precision
17-9
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• DOUBLE: double precision
• STRING: character sequence
See Also:
"Data Types" in the Apache Hive Language Manual at
https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/Hive/LanguageManual+Types
COMMENT col_comment
A string literal enclosed in single quotation marks, which is stored as metadata for the
Hive table (comment property of TBLPROPERTIES).
17.4.5 com.oracle.bigdata.fileformat
Describes the row format of the data source, based on the ROW FORMAT clause for a Hive
table generated by ORACLE_HDFS.
Default Value
TEXTFILE
Syntax
A JSON document with the keyword-value pairs is shown in the following diagram.
fileformat:
SEQUENCEFILE
TEXTFILE
= RCFILE
com.oracle.bigdata.fileformat
: ORC
PARQUET
INPUTFORMAT input_class OUTPUTFORMAT output_class
Semantics
ORC
Optimized row columnar file format
PARQUET
Column-oriented, binary file format
RCFILE
Record columnar file format
SEQUENCEFILE
17-10
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Compressed file format

TEXTFILE
Plain text file format
INPUTFORMAT
Identifies a Java class that can extract records from the data file.
OUTPUTFORMAT
Identifies a Java class that can format the output records in the desired format
17.4.6 com.oracle.bigdata.log.exec
Specifies how the access driver generates log files generated by the C code for a
query, when it is running as parallel processes on CDH.
The access driver does not create or write log files when executing on a Hadoop
cluster node; the parallel query processes write them. The log files from the Java code
are controlled by log4j properties, which are specified in the configuration file or the
access parameters.
Default Value
Not defined (no logging)
Syntax
[directory_object:]file_name_template
Semantics
directory_object
The Oracle directory object for the HDFS path on the Hadoop cluster where the log file
is created.
file_name_template
A string used to generate file names. The following table describes the optional
variables that you can use in the template.
Table 17-2 Variables for com.oracle.bigdata.log.exec
Variable Value
%p Operating system process identifier (PID)
%a A number that uniquely identifies the process
%% A percent sign (%)
Example
The following example generates log file names that include the PID and a unique
number, such as xtlogp_hive14_3413_57:
com.oracle.bigdata.log.exec= xtlogp_hive14_%p_%a
17-11
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17.4.7 com.oracle.bigdata.log.qc
Specifies how the access driver generates log files for a query.
Default Value
Not defined (no logging)
Syntax
[directory_object:]file_name_template
Semantics
directory_object
Name of an Oracle directory object that points to the path where the log files are
written. If this value is omitted, then the logs are written to the default directory for the
external table.
file_name_template
A string used to generate file names. Table 17-3 describes the optional variables that
you can use in the string.
Table 17-3 Variables for com.oracle.bigdata.log.qc
Variable Value
%p Operating system process identifier (PID)
%% A percent sign (%)
Example
This example creates log file names that include the PID and a percent sign, such as
xtlogp_hive213459_%:
com.oracle.bigdata.log.qc= xtlogp_hive21%p_%%
17.4.8 com.oracle.bigdata.overflow
Describes how to handle string data that is too long for the columns in the external
table. The data source can be character or binary. For Hive, the data source can also
be STRUCT, UNIONTYPES, MAP, or ARRAY.
Default Value
{"action":"error"}
Syntax
overflow ::=
17-12
Chapter 17
overflow_element
=
com.oracle.bigdata.overflow ,
:
[ overflow_element ]
overflow_element ::=
name
, "col" : ,
"truncate" [ name ]
{ "action" : }
"error"
Semantics
The "action", "truncate", "error", and "col" tags must be lowercase and enclosed in
quotation marks. See "Syntax Rules for Specifying Properties".
"action":value
The value of "action" can be one of the following keywords:
• truncate: Shortens the data to fit the column.
• error: Throws an error. The com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt property controls the result of

the error.
"col":name
name: Identifies a column in the external table. The name is case sensitive and must be
enclosed in quotation marks.
Example
This example truncates the source data for the DESCRIPTION column, if it exceeds the
column width:
com.oracle.bigdata.overflow={"action":"truncate", \
17.4.9 com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat
Provides the information the access driver needs to extract fields from the records in a
file.
17-13
Chapter 17
Important:
The com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat is unrelated to the access parameter syntax
of traditional external tables that use "type ORACLE_LOADER." There are
keywords such as FIELDS, TERMINATED, and others that appear in both clauses,
but the commonality in naming is coincidental and does not imply common
functionality. The com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat access parameter is passed
without change to the default Hive serde. The Hive serde to extract columns
from rows is deliberately limited. Complex cases are handled by specialized
serdes.
Default Value
DELIMITED
Syntax
A JSON document with the keyword-value pairs is shown in the following diagram.
rowformat:
ESCAPED BY char
FIELDS TERMINATED BY char
COLLECTION ITEMS TERMINATED BY char
MAP KEYS TERMINATED BY char

DELIMITED
LINES TERMINATED BY char
NULL DEFINED AS char
WITH SERDEPROPERTIES ( prop_list )

SERDE serde_name
Semantics
DELIMITED
Describes the characters used to delimit the fields in a record:
• FIELDS TERMINATED BY: The character that delimits every field in the record. The
optional ESCAPED BY character precedes the delimit character when it appears
within a field value.
• COLLECTION ITEMS TERMINATED BY: The character that marks the end of an array
element. Used when a column is a collection or a nested record. In this case the
resulting value will be a JSON array.
• MAP KEYS TERMINATED BY: The character that marks the end of an entry in a MAP
field. Used when a column is a collection or a nested record. The resulting value is
a JSON object.
• LINES TERMINATED BY: The character that marks the end of a record.
17-14
Chapter 17
• NULL DEFINED AS: The character that indicates a null value.
SERDE
Identifies a SerDe that can parse the data and any properties of the SerDe that the
access driver might need.
Example
This example specifies a SerDe for an Avro container file:
com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat:
SERDE'org.apache.hadoop.hive.serde2.avro.AvroSerDe'
The next example specifies a SerDe for a file containing regular expressions:
com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat=\
SERDE 'org.apache.hadoop.hive.contrib.serde2.RegexSerDe' \
WITH SERDEPROPERTIES \
("input.regex" = "(\\\\d{6}) (\\\\d{5}) (.{29}) .*")
17.4.10 com.oracle.bigdata.tablename
Identifies the Hive table that contains the source data.
Default Value
DEFAULT.external_table_name
Syntax
[hive_database_name.]table_name
Semantics
The maximum length of hive_database_name and table_name is 128 UTF-8
characters (512 bytes).
hive_database_name
The Hive database where the source data resides. DEFAULT is the name of the initial
Hive database.
table_name
The Hive table with the data. If you omit table_name, then ORACLE_HIVE searches for a
Hive table with the same name as the external table. Table names are case-
insensitive.
Example
This setting indicates that the source data is in a table named ORDER_SUMMARY in the
Hive ORDER_DB database:
com.oracle.bigdata.tablename ORDER_DB.ORDER_SUMMARY
17-15
18
External Tables Examples
The following table lists examples of how to create external tables using various
access drivers and methods.
Table 18-1 Where to Find Examples of Using External Tables
For an Example That Shows ... See ...

Creating a partitioned external table using the Example 18-1
ORACLE_LOADER access driver
Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver to Example 18-2
create a subpartitioned external table and how
to use a virtual column to partition the table
ORACLE_HDFS access driver
ORACLE_HIVE access driver
Loading data from a CSV file, with no access Example 18-6
parameters
Loading data from a CSV file, with no access Example 18-7
parameters and:
• the default date mask for the session
does not match the format of date fields in
the data file
Loading data from a CSV file with no access Example 18-8
parameters and:
• the data is split across two data files
• each data file has a row containing the
names of the fields
• some fields in the data file are enclosed
by quotes (")
Loading data as in previous example except Example 18-9
that only the first file has a row of field names
Loading data using two data files Example 18-10
Loading data when most fields in the data file Example 18-11
use default settings for the access parameters
but a few do not
Loading LOBs Example 18-5
How data type conversion can cause Data Type Conversion During External Table
problems Use
• Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables

• Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver to Create Partitioned External
Tables
• Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables
• Using the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables
18-1
Chapter 18
Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables
• Loading LOBs From External Tables

• Loading CSV Files From External Tables
18.1 Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver to Create

Partitioned External Tables
Example 18-1 Using ORACLE_LOADER to Create a Partitioned External Table
This example assumes there are four data files with the following content:
p1a.dat:
1, AAAAA Plumbing,01372,
28, Sparkly Laundry,78907,
13, Andi's Doughnuts,54570,
p1b.dat:
51, DIY Supplies,61614,
87, Fast Frames,22201,
89, Friendly Pharmacy,89901,
p2.dat:
121, Pleasant Pets,33893,
130, Bailey the Bookmonger,99915,
105, Le Bistrot du Chat Noir,94114,
p3.dat:
210, The Electric Eel Diner,07101,
222, Everyt'ing General Store,80118,
231, Big Rocket Market,01754,
There are three fields in the data file: CUSTOMER_NUMBER, CUSTOMER_NAME and POSTAL_CODE.
The external table uses range partitioning on CUSTOMER_NUMBER to create three partitions.
• Partition 1 is for customer_number less than 100

Note that the first partition has two data files while the other partitions only have
one. The following is the output from SQLPlus for creating the file.
SQL> create table customer_list_xt
2 (CUSTOMER_NUMBER number, CUSTOMER_NAME VARCHAR2(50), POSTAL_CODE CHAR(5))
3 organization external
4 (type oracle_loader default directory def_dir1)
5 partition by range(CUSTOMER_NUMBER)
6 (
7 partition p1 values less than (100) location('p1a.dat', 'p1b.dat'),
8 partition p2 values less than (200) location('p2.dat'),
9 partition p3 values less than (300) location('p3.dat')
10 );
Table created.
SQL>
The following is the output from SELECT * for the entire table:
18-2
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Using the ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables
SQL> select customer_number, customer_name, postal_code

2 from customer_list_xt
3 order by customer_number;
CUSTOMER_NUMBER CUSTOMER_NAME POSTA

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
1 AAAAA Plumbing 01372
13 Andi's Doughnuts 54570
28 Sparkly Laundry 78907
51 DIY Supplies 61614
87 Fast Frames 22201
89 Friendly Pharmacy 89901
105 Le Bistrot du Chat Noir 94114
121 Pleasant Pets 33893
130 Bailey the Bookmonger 99915
210 The Electric Eel Diner 07101
222 Everyt'ing General Store 80118
231 Big Rocket Market 01754
12 rows selected.
SQL>
The following query should only read records from the first partition:
2 from customer_list_xt
3 where customer_number < 20

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
2 rows selected.
SQL>
The following query specifies the partition to read as part of the SELECT statement.
2 from customer_list_xt partition (p1)

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
6 rows selected.
SQL>
18-3
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Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables
18.2 Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver to

Create Partitioned External Tables
The example in this section shows how to create a subpartitioned external table and it
also shows how to use a virtual column to partition the table.
Example 18-2 Using the ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver to Create
In this example, the dump files used are the same as those created in the previous
example using the ORACLE_LOADER access driver. However, in this example, in addition
to partitioning the data using customer_number, the data is subpartitioned using
postal_code. For every partition, there is a subpartition where the postal_code is less
than 50000 and another subpartition for all other values of postal_code. With three
partitions, each containing two subpartitions, a total of six files is required. To create
the files, use the SQL CREATE TABLE AS SELECT statement to select the correct rows for
the partition and then write those rows into the file for the ORACLE_DATAPUMP driver.
The following statement creates a file with data for the first subpartition (postal_code
less than 50000) of partition p1 (customer_number less than 100).
SQL> create table customer_list_dp_p1_sp1_xt
3 (type oracle_datapump default directory def_dir1 location('p1_sp1.dmp'))
4 as
5 select customer_number, customer_name, postal_code
7 where to_number(postal_code) < 50000;
Table created.
SQL>
This statement creates a file with data for the second subpartition (all other values for
postal_code) of partition p1 (customer_number less than 100).
4 as
7 where to_number(postal_code) >= 50000;
Table created.
The files for other partitions are created in a similar fashion, as follows:
4 as
Table created.
18-4
Chapter 18
SQL>
4 as
Table created.
SQL>
4 as
Table created.
SQL>
4 as
Table created.
SQL>
You can select from each of these external tables to verify that it has the data you
intended to write out. After you have executed the SQL CREATE TABLE AS SELECT
statement, you can drop these external tables.
To use a virtual column to partition the table, create the partitioned ORACLE_DATAPUMP
table. Again, the table is partitioned on the customer_number column and subpartitioned
on the postal_code column. The postal_code column is a character field that contains
numbers, but this example partitions it based on the numeric value, not a character
string. In order to do this, create a virtual column, postal_code_num, whose value is the
postal_code field converted to a NUMBER data type. The SUBPARTITION clause uses the
virtual column to determine the subpartition for the row.
SQL> create table customer_list_dp_xt
2 (customer_number number,
3 CUSTOMER_NAME VARCHAR2(50),
4 postal_code CHAR(5),
5 postal_code_NUM as (to_number(postal_code)))
7 (type oracle_datapump default directory def_dir1)
8 partition by range(customer_number)
9 subpartition by range(postal_code_NUM)
10 (
11 partition p1 values less than (100)
12 (subpartition p1_sp1 values less than (50000) location('p1_sp1.dmp'),
13 subpartition p1_sp2 values less than (MAXVALUE) location('p1_sp2.dmp')),
18-5
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16 subpartition p2_sp2 values less than (MAXVALUE) location('p2_sp2.dmp')),
19 subpartition p3_sp2 values less than (MAXVALUE) location('p3_sp2.dmp'))
20 );
Table created.
SQL>
If you select all rows, then the data returned is the same as was returned in the
previous example using the ORACLE_LOADER access driver.
2 from customer_list_dp_xt
customer_number CUSTOMER_NAME POSTA

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
12 rows selected.
SQL>
The WHERE clause can limit the rows read to a subpartition. The following query should
only read the first subpartition of the first partition.
2 from customer_list_dp_xt
3 where customer_number < 20 and postal_code_NUM < 39998

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
1 row selected.
SQL>
You could also specify a specific subpartition in the query, as follows:

2 from customer_list_dp_xt subpartition (p2_sp2) order by customer_number;

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
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Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables

2 rows selected.
SQL>
18.3 Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to Create

This example provided in this section shows how to create a partitioned external table
using the ORACLE_HDFS access driver.
Example 18-3 Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to Create Partitioned

External Tables
In this example there are four data files stored in HDFS directory path "hdfs_pet/".
p1a.dat
1, AAAAA Plumbing,01372,
28, Sparkly Laundry,07101,
13, Andi'''s Doughnuts,01372,
p1b.dat
51, DIY Supplies,07101,
87, Fast Frames,01754,
89, Friendly Pharmacy,01372,
p2.dat
121, Pleasant Pets,01754,
130, Bailey the Bookmonger,01754,
105, Le Bistrot du Chat Noir,01754,
p3.dat
210, The Electric Eel Diner,07101,
222, Everyt'ing General Store,01372,
231, Big Rocket Market,01754,
For the purposes of this example, the data files are written to the HDFS directory using
the following:
hadoop dfs -mkdir hdfs_pet
hadoop dfs -put p1a.dat hdfs_pet/p1a.dat
hadoop dfs -put p1b.dat hdfs_pet/p1b.dat
hadoop dfs -put p2.dat hdfs_pet/p2.dat
hadoop dfs -put p3.dat hdfs_pet/p3.dat
The following is the CREATE TABLE command to create the partitioned external table:
create table customer_list_hdfs
(CUSTOMER_NUMBER number, CUSTOMER_NAME VARCHAR2(50), POSTAL_CODE CHAR(5))
organization external
(type oracle_hdfs
default directory def_dir1
access parameters
(com.oracle.bigdata.cluster = hadoop_cl_1
com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat = delimited fields terminated by ','))
partition by range(CUSTOMER_NUMBER)
(
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Using the ORACLE_HDFS Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables
partition p1 values less than (100) location('hdfs_pet/p1a.dat', 'hdfs_pet/

p1b.dat'),
partition p2 values less than (200) location('hdfs_pet/p2.dat'),
partition p3 values less than (300) location('hdfs_pet/p3.dat')
);
The following query shows a SELECT operation from the external table:
SQL> select * from customer_list_hdfs order by customer_number;

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
12 rows selected.
SQL>
You can also execute queries with a WHERE clause that excludes partitions that cannot
match the conditions in the WHERE clause from being read, as follows:
2 from customer_list_hdfs
3 where customer_number < 20

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
2 rows selected.
SQL>
You could also specify the partition you want to read as part of the FROM clause, as
shown in the following:
2 from customer_list_hdfs partition (p3)

--------------- -------------------------------------------------- -----
3 rows selected.
18-8
Chapter 18
Using the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver to Create Partitioned External Tables
SQL>
18.4 Using the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver to Create

To create a partitioned external table for an ORACLE_HIVE table, you need a partitioned
Hive external table. Then you need to use the PL/SQL procedure
DBMS_HADOOP.CREATE_EXTDDL_FOR_HIVE(). Additionally, this example creates the
partitioned Hive table from the HDFS files used in the previous example. Before the
partitioned Hive table can be created, you must create an HDFS directory in which to
store the data.
Example 18-4 Using the ORACLE_HIVE Access Driver to Create Partitioned
External Tables
This examples creates the Hive table using the data files from the previous example
showing how to use ORACLE_HDFS to create partitioned external tables.. The following
commands are all performed inside of the Hive CLI so they use Hive syntax.
First, use Hive to create a Hive external table on top of the HDFS data files, as follows:
create external table customer_list_no_part ( customer_number int,
customer_name string,
postal_code string)
row format delimited fields terminated by ','
stored as textfile
location '/user/doc/hdfs_pet'
Then execute the following commands to tell Hive to create the partitions dynamically:
set hive.exec.dynamic.partition=true
set hive.exec.dynamic.partition.mode=nonstrict
Create the partitioned Hive table:

create table customer_list( CUSTOMER_NUMBER int,
CUSTOMER_NAME string)
partitioned by (postal_code string)
row format delimited
fields terminated by '\t'
location '/user/doc/doc_pet'
Populate the hive table with data from table customer_list_no_part. This should create
the files for each partition with the correct rows.
insert overwrite table customer_list partition (postal_code) select * from
customer_list_no_part
The Hive customer_list table is populated with the rows. as shown in the following
query:
select * from customer_list order by customer_number
18-9
Chapter 18

Now you can go back to SQL*Plus to create the partitioned external table inside the
Oracle database. First, use PL/SQL function DBMS_HADOOP.CREATE_EXTDDL_FOR_HIVE() to
create the external table. The arguments are as follows:
1. the name of the Hadoop cluster
2. the name of the Hive user that owns the table
3. the name of the partitioned Hive table
4. a boolean value indicating whether you want the partition columns in the Hive
table to be included as columns in the external table
5. the name of the partitioned ORACLE_HIVE table that is created
6. a boolean value indicating whether the CREATE DDL is executed
7. a CLOB contains the CREATE DDL string
This example gets the CLOB for the CREATE DDL string and uses the
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE() procedure to write it. Setting SERVEROUTPUT ON tells SQL*Plus to
display the data from the DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE() procedure. Setting LINESIZE to 132
makes sure there are no line breaks at odd places when displaying the data from the
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE() procedure.
SQL> SET LINESIZE 132

SQL> SET SERVEROUTPUT ON
SQL>
SQL> DECLARE
2 DDLtxt clob;
3 BEGIN
4 dbms_hadoop.create_extddl_for_hive
5 ('hadoop_cl_1', 'default', 'customer_list',
6 TRUE, 'CUSTOMER_LIST_HIVE', TRUE, DDLtxt);
7 dbms_output.put_line('DDL Text is : ' || DDLtxt);
8 END;
9 /
External table successfully created.
DDL Text is : CREATE TABLE "DOC"."CUSTOMER_LIST_HIVE" (customer_number NUMBER,
customer_name VARCHAR2(4000), postal_code
VARCHAR2(4000)) ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL
(TYPE ORACLE_HIVE
DEFAULT DIRECTORY DEFAULT_DIR
ACCESS PARAMETERS
(
com.oracle.bigdata.cluster=hadoop_cl_1
com.oracle.bigdata.tablename=default.customer_list)
) REJECT LIMIT UNLIMITED
PARTITION BY
LIST (postal_code)
(
PARTITION "P_293620257" VALUES ('01372'),
PARTITION "P_292175793" VALUES ('01754'),
PARTITION "P_717839126"
VALUES ('07101')
)
18-10
Chapter 18
Because Hive does not specify a maximum character count for STRING columns, the
column definition for the external table is VARCHAR2(4000). If you want a smaller length
for some columns, you can call the DBMS_HADOOP.CREATE_EXTDDL_FOR_HIVE() procedure
and specify that you do not want to execute the CREATE DDL. Then, you can edit the
CREATE statement returned in the CLOB to set the length of the VARCHAR2 columns to a
more appropriate value.
Also, note that the numbers in the partition name can vary.
Now that the table is created, executing a SELECT * statement returns all of the rows.
Note that the SET LINESIZE executed above means that SQL*Plus uses 132 character
for customer_name and postal_code.
SQL> select * from customer_list_hive order by customer_number;
CUSTOMER_NUMBER
---------------
CUSTOMER_NAME
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------POSTAL_CODE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------- 1
AAAAA Plumbing
01372
13
Andi's Doughnuts
01372
28
Sparkly Laundry
07101
51
DIY Supplies
07101
87
Fast Frames
01754
89
Friendly Pharmacy
01372
105
Le Bistrot du Chat Noir
01754
121
Pleasant Pets
01754
130
Bailey the Bookmonger
01754
210
The Electric Eel Diner
07101
18-11
Chapter 18
Loading LOBs From External Tables
222
Everyt'ing General Store
01372
231
Big Rocket Market
01754
12 rows selected.
SQL>
SQL execution uses the partition information to prune partitions that do not match the
criteria in the WHERE clause.
2 from customer_list_hive
3 where postal_code = '01754'
CUSTOMER_NUMBER
---------------
CUSTOMER_NAME
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------POSTAL_CODE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------- 87
Fast Frames
01754
105
Le Bistrot du Chat Noir
01754
121
Pleasant Pets
01754
130
Bailey the Bookmonger
01754
231
Big Rocket Market
01754
5 rows selected.
SQL>
18.5 Loading LOBs From External Tables

External tables are particularly useful for loading large numbers of records from a
single file, so that each record appears in its own row in the table. The following
example shows how to perform such a load.
18-12
Chapter 18
Loading LOBs From External Tables
Example 18-5 Loading LOBs From External Tables

Suppose you define an external table, my_ext_table, as follows:
CREATE TABLE my_ext_table ( id NUMBER, author VARCHAR2(30), created DATE, text CLOB )
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (
TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
DEFAULT DIRECTORY MY_DIRECTORY
ACCESS PARAMETERS (
RECORDS DELIMITED BY 0x'0A'
( id CHAR(10),
author CHAR(30),
created DATE "YYYY-MM-DD",
text CHAR(131071)
)
)
LOCATION (
MY_DIRECTORY:'external.dmp'
)
);
The contents of the external.dmp file are as follows:

1,Roger,2015-08-08,The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
2,John,2012-01-01,"The angry aligator, acting alone, ate the antelope"
The second line in the dump file requires quotation marks around the full text string;
otherwise the field would be terminated at the comma.
Note:
Although not a problem in the dump file being used in this example, if
something in the full text string contained quotation marks, then you would
enclose it in another set of quotation marks, as follows for the word alone:
2,John,2012-01-01,"The angry aligator, acting ""alone"", ate the antelope"
If the full text might contain the record delimiter character (0x'0A', or newline), you can
specify a separate file for each document. External tables do not support filler fields,
so instead you must use a COLUMN TRANSFORMS clause to specify that the fname field
contains the name of the external file:
DROP TABLE my_ext_table2;
CREATE TABLE my_ext_table2 ( id NUMBER, author VARCHAR2(30), created DATE, text

CLOB )
ORGANIZATION EXTERNAL (
TYPE ORACLE_LOADER
DEFAULT DIRECTORY MY_DIRECTORY
ACCESS PARAMETERS (
RECORDS DELIMITED BY 0x'0A'
( id CHAR(10),
author CHAR(30),
created DATE "YYYY-MM-DD",
fname char(100)
)
18-13
Chapter 18
Loading CSV Files From External Tables
COLUMN TRANSFORMS (text FROM LOBFILE(fname) FROM (MY_DIRECTORY) )

)
LOCATION (
'loader.txt'
)
);
Note:
The FROM (MY_DIRECTORY) clause is not actually necessary since it has already
been specified as the default directory. However it is being shown here for
example purposes because if the loader.txt file and the individual CLOB files
were in different locations, it would be needed.
Once the data is in an external table, you can either leave it there and perform normal
table operations (DML and most DDL) on the external table, or you can use the
external table as a staging table to get the data into a normal table. To create a new
normal (non-external) table, you could use the following SQL statement:
CREATE TABLE normaltable AS SELECT * FROM externaltable;
You can similarly use the following SQL statement to insert data into the new normal
table:
INSERT INTO normaltable AS SELECT * FROM externaltable;
18.6 Loading CSV Files From External Tables

This topic provides examples of how to load CSV files from external tables under
various conditions. Some of the examples build on previous examples.
Example 18-6 Loading Data From CSV Files With No Access Parameters
This example requires the following conditions:
• The order of the columns in the table must match the order of fields in the data file.
• The records in the data file must be terminated by newline.
• The field in the records in the data file must be separated by commas (if field
values are enclosed in quotation marks, then the quotation marks are not removed
from the field).
• There cannot be any newline characters in the middle of a field.
The data for the external table is as follows:
events_all.csv
Winter Games,10-JAN-2010,10,
Hockey Tournament,18-MAR-2009,3,
Baseball Expo,28-APR-2009,2,
International Football Meeting,2-MAY-2009,14,
Track and Field Finale,12-MAY-2010,3,
Mid-summer Swim Meet,5-JUL-2010,4,
Rugby Kickoff,28-SEP-2009,6,
The definition of the external table is as follows:
18-14
Chapter 18
SQL> CREATE TABLE EVENTS_XT_1

2 (EVENT varchar2(30),
3 START_DATE date,
4 LENGTH number)
6 (default directory def_dir1 location ('events_all.csv'));
Table created.
The following shows a SELECT operation on the external table EVENTS_XT_1:

SQL> select START_DATE, EVENT, LENGTH
2 from EVENTS_XT_1
3 order by START_DATE;
START_DAT EVENT LENGTH

--------- ------------------------------ ----------
18-MAR-09 Hockey Tournament 3
28-APR-09 Baseball Expo 2
02-MAY-09 International Football Meeting 14
28-SEP-09 Rugby Kickoff 6
10-JAN-10 Winter Games 10
12-MAY-10 Track and Field Finale 3
05-JUL-10 Mid-summer Swim Meet 4
7 rows selected.
SQL>
Example 18-7 Default Date Mask For the Session Does Not Match the Format of
Data Fields in the Data File
This example is the same as the previous example, except that the default date mask
for the session does not match the format of date fields in the data file. In the example
below, the session format for dates is DD-Mon-YYYY whereas the format of dates in the
data file is MM/DD/YYYY. If the external table definition does not have a date mask, then
the ORACLE_LOADER access driver uses the session date mask to attempt to convert the
character data in the data file to a date data type. ou specify an access parameter for
the date mask to use for all fields in the data file that are used to load date columns in
the external table.
The following is the contents of the data file for the external table:
events_all_date_fmt.csv
Winter Games,1/10/2010,10
Hockey Tournament,3/18/2009,3
Baseball Expo,4/28/2009,2
International Football Meeting,5/2/2009,14
Track and Field Finale,5/12/2009,3
Mid-summer Swim Meet,7/5/2010,4
Rugby Kickoff,9/28/2009,6
The definition of the external table is as follows:

3 START_DATE date,
4 LENGTH number)
6 (default directory def_dir1
7 access parameters (fields date_format date mask "mm/dd/yyyy")
18-15
Chapter 18
8 location ('events_all_date_fmt.csv'));
Table created.
SQL>
The following shows a SELECT operation on the external table EVENTS_XT_2:

SQL> select START_DATE, EVENT, LENGTH
2 from EVENTS_XT_2
START_DAT EVENT LENGTH

--------- ------------------------------ ----------
7 rows selected.
Example 18-8 Data is Split Across Two Data Files

This example is that same as the first example in this section except for the following:
• The data is split across two data files.
• Each data file has a row containing the names of the fields.
• Some fields in the data file are enclosed by quotation marks.
The FIELD NAMES ALL FILES tells the access driver that the first row in each file contains
a row with names of the fields in the file. The access driver matches the names of the
fields to the names of the columns in the table. This means the order of the fields in
the file can be different than the order of the columns in the table. If a field name in the
first row is not enclosed in quotation marks, then the access driver uppercases the
name before trying to find the matching column name in the table. If the field name is
enclosed in quotation marks, then it does not change the case of the names before
looking for a matching name.
Because the fields are enclosed in quotation marks, the access parameter requires the
CSV WITHOUT EMBEDDED RECORD TERMINATORS clause. This clause states the following:
• Fields in the data file are separated by commas.

• If the fields are enclosed in double quotation marks, then the access driver
removes them from the field value.
• There are no new lines embedded in the field values (this option allows the access
driver to skip some checks that can slow the performance of SELECT operations on
the external table).
The two data files are as follows:
events_1.csv
"EVENT","START DATE","LENGTH",
"Winter Games", "10-JAN-2010", "10"
"Hockey Tournament", "18-MAR-2009", "3"
18-16
Chapter 18
"Baseball Expo", "28-APR-2009", "2"

"International Football Meeting", "2-MAY-2009", "14"
events_2.csv
Event,Start date,Length,
Track and Field Finale, 12-MAY-2009, 3
Mid-summer Swim Meet, 5-JUL-2010, 4
Rugby Kickoff, 28-SEP-2009, 6
The external table definition is as follows:

2 ("START DATE" date,
3 EVENT varchar2(30),
4 LENGTH number)
7 access parameters (records field names all files
8 fields csv without embedded record terminators)
9 location ('events_1.csv', 'events_2.csv'));
Table created.
The following shows the result of a SELECT operation on the EVENTS_XT_3 external table:
SQL> select "START DATE", EVENT, LENGTH
2 from EVENTS_XT_3
3 order by "START DATE";
START DAT EVENT LENGTH

--------- ------------------------------ ----------
7 rows selected.
Example 18-9 Data Is Split Across Two Files and Only the First File Has a Row
of Field Names
This example is the same as example 3 except that only the 1st file has a row of field
names. The first row of the second file has real data. The RECORDS clause changes
to "field names first file".
The two data files are as follows:
events_1.csv (same as for example 3)
"EVENT","START DATE","LENGTH",
"Winter Games", "10-JAN-2010", "10"
"Hockey Tournament", "18-MAR-2009", "3"
"Baseball Expo", "28-APR-2009", "2"
"International Football Meeting", "2-MAY-2009", "14"
events_2_no_header_row.csv
18-17
Chapter 18
Track and Field Finale, 12-MAY-2009, 3

Mid-summer Swim Meet, 5-JUL-2010, 4
Rugby Kickoff, 28-SEP-2009, 6
The external table definition is as follows:

2 ("START DATE" date,
3 EVENT varchar2(30),
4 LENGTH number)
7 access parameters (records field names first file
8 fields csv without embedded record terminators)
9 location ('events_1.csv', 'events_2_no_header_row.csv'));
Table created.
The following shows a SELECT operation on the EVENTS_XT_4 external table:

SQL> select "START DATE", EVENT, LENGTH
2 from EVENTS_XT_4
3 order by "START DATE";
START DAT EVENT LENGTH

--------- ------------------------------ ----------
7 rows selected.
Example 18-10 The Order of the Fields in the File Match the Order of the
Columns in the Table
This example has the following conditions:
• The order of the fields in the file match the order of the columns in the table.
• Fields are separated by newlines and are optionally enclosed in double quotation
marks.
• There are fields that have embedded newlines in their value and those fields are
enclosed in double quotation marks.
The contents of the data files are as follows:
event_contacts_1.csv
Winter Games, 10-JAN-2010, Ana Davis,

Hockey Tournament, 18-MAR-2009, "Daniel Dube
Michel Gagnon",
Baseball Expo, 28-APR-2009, "Robert Brown"
Internation Football Meeting, 2-MAY-2009,"Pete Perez
Randall Barnes
Melissa Gray",
event_contacts_2.csv
18-18
Chapter 18
Track and Field Finale, 12-MAY-2009, John Taylor,

Mid-summer Swim Meet, 5-JUL-2010, "Louise Stewart
Cindy Sanders"
Rugby Kickoff, 28-SEP-2009, "Don Nguyen
Ray Lavoie"
The table definition is as follows. The CSV WITH EMBEDDED RECORD TERMINATORS clause
tells the access driver how to handle fields enclosed by double quotation marks that
also have embedded new lines.
SQL> CREATE TABLE EVENTS_CONTACTS_1
3 START_DATE date,
4 CONTACT varchar2(120))
7 access parameters (fields CSV with embedded record terminators)
8 location ('event_contacts_1.csv', 'event_contacts_2.csv'));
Table created.
The following shows the result of a SELECT operation on the EVENT_CONTACTS_1 external
table:
SQL> column contact format a30
SQL> select START_DATE, EVENT, CONTACT
2 from EVENTS_CONTACTS_1
START_DAT EVENT CONTACT

--------- ------------------------------ ------------------------------
18-MAR-09 Hockey Tournament Daniel Dube
Michel Gagnon
28-APR-09 Baseball Expo Robert Brown

02-MAY-09 Internation Football Meeting Pete Perez
Randall Barnes
Melissa Gray
12-MAY-09 Track and Field Finale John Taylor

28-SEP-09 Rugby Kickoff Don Nguyen
Ray Lavoie
10-JAN-10 Winter Games Ana Davis

05-JUL-10 Mid-summer Swim Meet Louise Stewart
Cindy Sanders
7 rows selected.
Example 18-11 Not All Fields in the Data File Use Default Settings for the
Access Parameters
This example shows what to do when most field in the data file use default settings for
the access parameters but a few do not. Instead of listing the setting for all fields, this
example shows how you can set attributes for just the fields that are different from the
default. The differences are as follows:
• there are two date fields, one of which uses the session format, but
registration_deadline uses a different format
• registration_deadline also uses a value of NONE to indicate a null value.
18-19
Chapter 18
The content of the data file is as follows:

events_reg.csv
Winter Games,10-JAN-2010,10,12/1/2009,
Hockey Tournament,18-MAR-2009,3,3/11/2009,
Baseball Expo,28-APR-2009,2,NONE
International Football Meeting,2-MAY-2009,14,3/1/2009
Track and Field Finale,12-MAY-2010,3,5/10/010
Mid-summer Swim Meet,5-JUL-2010,4,6/20/2010
Rugby Kickoff,28-SEP-2009,6,NONE
The table definition is as follows. The ALL FIELDS OVERRIDE clause allows you to specify
information for that field while using defaults for the remaining fields. The remaining
fields have a data type of CHAR(255) and the field data is terminated by a comma with a
trimming option of LDRTRIM.
SQL> CREATE TABLE EVENT_REGISTRATION_1
3 START_DATE date,
4 LENGTH number,
5 REGISTRATION_DEADLINE date)
8 access parameters
9 (fields all fields override
10 (REGISTRATION_DEADLINE CHAR (10) DATE_FORMAT DATE MASK "mm/dd/yyyy"
11 NULLIF REGISTRATION_DEADLINE = 'NONE'))
12 location ('events_reg.csv'));
Table created.
The following shows the result of a SELECT operation on the EVENT_REGISTRATION_1

external table:
SQL> select START_DATE, EVENT, LENGTH, REGISTRATION_DEADLINE
2 from EVENT_REGISTRATION_1
START_DAT EVENT LENGTH REGISTRAT

--------- ------------------------------ ---------- ---------
18-MAR-09 Hockey Tournament 3 11-MAR-09
02-MAY-09 International Football Meeting 14 01-MAR-09
10-JAN-10 Winter Games 10 01-DEC-09
12-MAY-10 Track and Field Finale 3 10-MAY-10
05-JUL-10 Mid-summer Swim Meet 4 20-JUN-10
7 rows selected.
18-20
Part IV
Other Utilities
ADRCI: ADR Command Interpreter
Describes the Automatic Diagnostic Repository Command Interpreter (ADRCI), a
command-line tool used to manage Oracle Database diagnostic data.
DBVERIFY: Offline Database Verification Utility
Describes how to use the offline database verification utility, DBVERIFY.
DBNEWID Utility
Describes how to use the DBNEWID utility to change the name or ID, or both, for a
database.
Using LogMiner to Analyze Redo Log Files
Describes the Oracle LogMiner utility, which enables you to query redo logs through a
SQL interface.
Using the Metadata APIs
Describes the Metadata API, which you can use to extract and manipulate complete
representations of the metadata for database objects.
Original Export
Describes how to use the original Export utility to write data from an Oracle database
into dump files for use by the original Import utility.
Original Import
Describes how to use the original Import utility to import dump files created by the
original Export utility.
• ADRCI: ADR Command Interpreter
• DBVERIFY: Offline Database Verification Utility
• DBNEWID Utility
• Using LogMiner to Analyze Redo Log Files
• Using the Metadata APIs
• Original Export
• Original Import
19
ADRCI: ADR Command Interpreter
The Automatic Diagnostic Repository Command Interpreter (ADRCI) utility is a
command-line tool that you use to manage Oracle Database diagnostic data.
• About the ADR Command Interpreter (ADRCI) Utility

• Definitions
• Starting ADRCI and Getting Help
• Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before Using ADRCI Commands
• Viewing the Alert Log
• Finding Trace Files
• Viewing Incidents
• Packaging Incidents
• ADRCI Command Reference
• Troubleshooting ADRCI
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about managing
diagnostic data.
19.1 About the ADR Command Interpreter (ADRCI) Utility

ADRCI is a command-line tool that is part of the fault diagnosability infrastructure
introduced in Oracle Database 11g. ADRCI enables you to:
• View diagnostic data within the Automatic Diagnostic Repository (ADR).
• View Health Monitor reports.
• Package incident and problem information into a zip file for transmission to Oracle
Support.
Diagnostic data includes incident and problem descriptions, trace files, dumps, health
monitor reports, alert log entries, and more.
ADR data is secured by operating system permissions on the ADR directories, hence
there is no need to log in to ADRCI.
ADRCI has a rich command set, and can be used in interactive mode or within scripts.
19-1
Chapter 19
Definitions
Note:
The easier and recommended way to manage diagnostic data is with the
Oracle Enterprise Manager Support Workbench (Support Workbench). ADRCI
provides a command-line alternative to most of the functionality of the Support
Workbench, and adds capabilities such as listing and querying trace files.
See Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for complete information about the
Support Workbench.
19.2 Definitions
The following are definitions of terms used for ADRCI and the Oracle Database fault
diagnosability infrastructure:
Automatic Diagnostic Repository (ADR)

The Automatic Diagnostic Repository (ADR) is a file-based repository for database
diagnostic data such as traces, dumps, the alert log, health monitor reports, and more.
It has a unified directory structure across multiple instances and multiple products.
Beginning with release 11g, the database, Oracle Automatic Storage Management
(Oracle ASM), and other Oracle products or components store all diagnostic data in
the ADR. Each instance of each product stores diagnostic data underneath its own
ADR home directory (see "ADR Home"). For example, in an Oracle Real Application
Clusters (Oracle RAC) environment with shared storage and Oracle ASM, each
database instance and each Oracle ASM instance has a home directory within the
ADR. The ADR's unified directory structure enables customers and Oracle Support to
correlate and analyze diagnostic data across multiple instances and multiple products.
Problem
A problem is a critical error in the database. Critical errors include internal errors such
as ORA-00600 and other severe errors such as ORA-07445 (operating system exception)
or ORA-04031 (out of memory in the shared pool). Problems are tracked in the ADR.
Each problem has a problem key and a unique problem ID. (See "Problem Key".)
Incident
An incident is a single occurrence of a problem. When a problem occurs multiple
times, an incident is created for each occurrence. Incidents are tracked in the ADR.
Each incident is identified by a numeric incident ID, which is unique within the ADR.
When an incident occurs, the database makes an entry in the alert log, sends an
incident alert to Oracle Enterprise Manager, gathers diagnostic data about the incident
in the form of dump files (incident dumps), tags the incident dumps with the incident
ID, and stores the incident dumps in an ADR subdirectory created for that incident.
Diagnosis and resolution of a critical error usually starts with an incident alert. You can
obtain a list of all incidents in the ADR with an ADRCI command. Each incident is
mapped to a single problem only.
Incidents are flood-controlled so that a single problem does not generate too many
incidents and incident dumps. See Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more
information about incident flood control.
19-2
Chapter 19
Definitions
Problem Key
Every problem has a problem key, which is a text string that includes an error code
(such as ORA 600) and in some cases, one or more error parameters. Two incidents are
considered to have the same root cause if their problem keys match.
Incident Package
An incident package (package) is a collection of data about incidents for one or more
problems. Before sending incident data to Oracle Support it must be collected into a
package using the Incident Packaging Service (IPS). After a package is created, you
can add external files to the package, remove selected files from the package, or
scrub (edit) selected files in the package to remove sensitive data.
A package is a logical construct only, until you create a physical file from the package
contents. That is, an incident package starts out as a collection of metadata in the
ADR. As you add and remove package contents, only the metadata is modified. When
you are ready to upload the data to Oracle Support, you create a physical package
using ADRCI, which saves the data into a zip file. You can then upload the zip file to
Oracle Support.
Finalizing
Before ADRCI can generate a physical package from a logical package, the package
must be finalized. This means that other components are called to add any correlated
diagnostic data files to the incidents already in this package. Finalizing also adds
recent trace files, alert log entries, Health Monitor reports, SQL test cases, and
configuration information. This step is run automatically when a physical package is
generated, and can also be run manually using the ADRCI utility. After manually
finalizing a package, you can review the files that were added and then remove or edit
any that contain sensitive information.
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about correlated
diagnostic data
ADR Home
An ADR home is the root directory for all diagnostic data—traces, dumps, alert log,
and so on—for a particular instance of a particular Oracle product or component. For
example, in an Oracle RAC environment with Oracle ASM, each database instance
and each Oracle ASM instance has an ADR home. All ADR homes share the same
hierarchical directory structure. Some of the standard subdirectories in each ADR
home include alert (for the alert log), trace (for trace files), and incident (for incident
information). All ADR homes are located within the ADR base directory. (See "ADR
Base".)
Some ADRCI commands can work with multiple ADR homes simultaneously. The
current ADRCI homepath determines the ADR homes that are searched for diagnostic
data when an ADRCI command is issued. See "Homepath" for more information.
19-3
Chapter 19
Starting ADRCI and Getting Help
ADR Base
To permit correlation of diagnostic data across multiple ADR homes, ADR homes are
grouped together under the same root directory called the ADR base. For example, in
an Oracle RAC environment, the ADR base could be on a shared disk, and the ADR
home for each Oracle RAC instance could be located under this ADR base.
The location of the ADR base for a database instance is set by the DIAGNOSTIC_DEST
initialization parameter. If this parameter is omitted or is null, the database sets it to a
default value. See Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for details.
When multiple database instances share an Oracle home, whether they are multiple
single instances or the instances of an Oracle RAC database, and when one or more
of these instances set ADR base in different locations, the last instance to start up
determines the default ADR base for ADRCI.
Homepath
All ADRCI commands operate on diagnostic data in the current ADR homes. More
than one ADR home can be current at any one time. Some ADRCI commands (such
as SHOW INCIDENT) search for and display diagnostic data from all current ADR homes,
while other commands require that only one ADR home be current, and display an
error message if more than one are current.
The ADRCI homepath determines the ADR homes that are current. It does so by
pointing to a directory within the ADR base hierarchy. If it points to a single ADR home
directory, that ADR home is the only current ADR home. If the homepath points to a
directory that is above the ADR home directory level in the hierarchy, all ADR homes
that are below the directory that is pointed to become current.
The homepath is null by default when ADRCI starts. This means that all ADR homes
under ADR base are current.
The SHOW HOME and SHOW HOMEPATH commands display a list of the ADR homes that are
current, and the SET HOMEPATH command sets the homepath.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about the

structure and location of the ADR and its directories
• "Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before Using ADRCI Commands"
• "SET HOMEPATH"
• "SHOW HOMES"
19.3 Starting ADRCI and Getting Help

You can use ADRCI in interactive mode or batch mode. Details are provided in the
following sections:
• Using ADRCI in Interactive Mode
• Getting Help
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• Using ADRCI in Batch Mode
19.3.1 Using ADRCI in Interactive Mode

Interactive mode prompts you to enter individual commands one at a time.
To use ADRCI in interactive mode:
1. Ensure that the ORACLE_HOME and PATH environment variables are set properly.
On the Windows platform, these environment variables are set in the Windows
registry automatically upon installation. On other platforms, you must set and
check environment variables with operating system commands.
The PATH environment variable must include ORACLE_HOME/bin.
2. Enter the following command at the operating system command prompt:
ADRCI
The utility starts and displays the following prompt:

adrci>
3. Enter ADRCI commands, following each with the Enter key.
4. Enter one of the following commands to exit ADRCI:
EXIT
QUIT
19.3.2 Getting Help

With the ADRCI help system, you can:
• View a list of ADR commands.
• View help for an individual command.
• View a list of ADRCI command line options.
To view a list of ADRCI commands:
1. Start ADRCI in interactive mode.
See "Using ADRCI in Interactive Mode" for instructions.
2. At the ADRCI prompt, enter the following command:
HELP
To get help for a specific ADRCI command:
See "Using ADRCI in Interactive Mode" for instructions.
HELP command
For example, to get help on the SHOW TRACEFILE command, enter the following:
HELP SHOW TRACEFILE
To view a list of command line options:
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• Enter the following command at the operating system command prompt:

ADRCI -HELP
The utility displays output similar to the following:

Syntax:
adrci [-help] [script=script_filename] [exec="command [;command;...]"]
Options Description (Default)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
script script file name (None)
help help on the command options (None)
exec exec a set of commands (None)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
19.3.3 Using ADRCI in Batch Mode

Batch mode enables you to run a series of ADRCI commands at once, without being
prompted for input. To use batch mode, you add a command line parameter to the
ADRCI command when you start ADRCI. Batch mode enables you to include ADRCI
commands in shell scripts or Windows batch files. Like interactive mode, the
ORACLE_HOME and PATH environment variables must be set before starting ADRCI.
The following command line parameters are available for batch operation:
Table 19-1 ADRCI Command Line Parameters for Batch Operation
EXEC Enables you to submit one or more ADRCI commands on the operating
system command line that starts ADRCI. Commands are separated by
semicolons (;).
SCRIPT Enables you to run a script containing ADRCI commands.
To submit ADRCI commands on the command line:

ADRCI EXEC="COMMAND[; COMMAND]..."
For example, to run the SHOW HOMES command in batch mode, enter the following
command at the operating system command prompt:
ADRCI EXEC="SHOW HOMES"
To run the SHOW HOMES command followed by the SHOW INCIDENT command, enter the
following:
ADRCI EXEC="SHOW HOMES; SHOW INCIDENT"
To run ADRCI scripts:
• ADRCI SCRIPT=SCRIPT_FILE_NAME
For example, to run a script file named adrci_script.txt, enter the following
command at the operating system command prompt:
ADRCI SCRIPT=adrci_script.txt
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A script file contains a series of commands separated by semicolons (;) or line

breaks, such as:
• SET HOMEPATH diag/rdbms/orcl/orcl; SHOW ALERT -term
19.4 Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before Using ADRCI

Commands
When diagnosing a problem, you may want to work with diagnostic data from multiple
database instances or components, or you may want to focus on diagnostic data from
one instance or component. To work with diagnostic data from multiple instances or
components, you must ensure that the ADR homes for all of these instances or
components are current. To work with diagnostic data from only one instance or
component, you must ensure that only the ADR home for that instance or component
is current. You control the ADR homes that are current by setting the ADRCI
homepath.
If multiple homes are current, this means that the homepath points to a directory in the
ADR directory structure that contains multiple ADR home directories underneath it. To
focus on a single ADR home, you must set the homepath to point lower in the directory
hierarchy, to a single ADR home directory.
For example, if the Oracle RAC database with database name orclbi has two
instances, where the instances have SIDs orclbi1 and orclbi2, and Oracle RAC is
using a shared Oracle home, the following two ADR homes exist:
/diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi1/
/diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi2/
In all ADRCI commands and output, ADR home directory paths (ADR homes) are
always expressed relative to ADR base. So if ADR base is currently /u01/app/oracle,
the absolute paths of these two ADR homes are the following:
/u01/app/oracle/diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi1/
/u01/app/oracle/diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi2/
You use the SET HOMEPATH command to set one or more ADR homes to be current. If
ADR base is /u01/app/oracle and you want to set the homepath to /u01/app/oracle/
diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi2/, you use this command:
adrci> set homepath diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi2
When ADRCI starts, the homepath is null by default, which means that all ADR homes
under ADR base are current. In the previously cited example, therefore, the ADR
homes for both Oracle RAC instances would be current.
adrci> show homes
ADR Homes:
diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi1
In this case, any ADRCI command that you run, assuming that the command supports
more than one current ADR home, works with diagnostic data from both ADR homes.
If you were to set the homepath to /diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi2, only the ADR home for
the instance with SID orclbi2 would be current.
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adrci> set homepath diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi2

adrci> show homes
ADR Homes:
In this case, any ADRCI command that you run would work with diagnostic data from
this single ADR home only.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about the

structure of ADR homes
• "ADR Base"
• "ADR Home"
• "Homepath"
• "SET HOMEPATH"
• "SHOW HOMES"
19.5 Viewing the Alert Log

Beginning with Oracle Database 11g, the alert log is written as both an XML-formatted
file and as a text file. You can view either format of the file with any text editor, or you
can run an ADRCI command to view the XML-formatted alert log with the XML tags
omitted. By default, ADRCI displays the alert log in your default editor. You can use
the SET EDITOR command to change your default editor.
To view the alert log with ADRCI:

See "Starting ADRCI and Getting Help" for instructions.
2. (Optional) Use the SET HOMEPATH command to select (make current) a single ADR
home.
You can use the SHOW HOMES command first to see a list of current ADR homes. See
"Homepath" and "Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before Using ADRCI Commands"
for more information.
SHOW ALERT
If more than one ADR home is current, you are prompted to select a single ADR
home from a list. The alert log is displayed, with XML tags omitted, in your default
editor.
4. Exit the editor to return to the ADRCI command prompt.
The following are variations on the SHOW ALERT command:
SHOW ALERT -TAIL
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This displays the last portion of the alert log (the last 10 entries) in your terminal
session.
SHOW ALERT -TAIL 50
This displays the last 50 entries in the alert log in your terminal session.
SHOW ALERT -TAIL -F
This displays the last 10 entries in the alert log, and then waits for more messages to
arrive in the alert log. As each message arrives, it is appended to the display. This
command enables you to perform live monitoring of the alert log. Press CTRL+C to
stop waiting and return to the ADRCI prompt.
SPOOL /home/steve/MYALERT.LOG
SHOW ALERT -TERM
SPOOL OFF
This outputs the alert log, without XML tags, to the file /home/steve/MYALERT.LOG.
SHOW ALERT -P "MESSAGE_TEXT LIKE '%ORA-600%'"
This displays only alert log messages that contain the string 'ORA-600'. The output
looks something like this:
ADR Home = /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/log/diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi:
******************************************************************************
01-SEP-06 09.17.44.849000000 PM -07:00
AlertMsg1: ORA-600 dbgris01, addr=0xa9876541
See Also:
• "SHOW ALERT"
• "SET EDITOR"
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for instructions for viewing the alert
log with Oracle Enterprise Manager or with a text editor
19.6 Finding Trace Files

ADRCI enables you to view the names of trace files that are currently in the automatic
diagnostic repository (ADR). You can view the names of all trace files in the ADR, or
you can apply filters to view a subset of names. For example, ADRCI has commands
that enable you to:
• Obtain a list of trace files whose file name matches a search string.
• Obtain a list of trace files in a particular directory.
• Obtain a list of trace files that pertain to a particular incident.
You can combine filtering functions by using the proper command line parameters.
The SHOW TRACEFILE command displays a list of the trace files that are present in the
trace directory and in all incident directories under the current ADR home. When
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multiple ADR homes are current, the traces file lists from all ADR homes are output
one after another.
The following statement lists the names of all trace files in the current ADR homes,
without any filtering:
SHOW TRACEFILE
The following statement lists the name of every trace file that has the string mmon in its
file name. The percent sign (%) is used as a wildcard character, and the search string
is case sensitive.
SHOW TRACEFILE %mmon%
This statement lists the name of every trace file that is located in the /home/steve/temp
directory and that has the string mmon in its file name:
SHOW TRACEFILE %mmon% -PATH /home/steve/temp
This statement lists the names of trace files in reverse order of last modified time. That
is, the most recently modified trace files are listed first.
SHOW TRACEFILE -RT
This statement lists the names of all trace files related to incident number 1681:
SHOW TRACEFILE -I 1681
See Also:
• "SHOW TRACEFILE"
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about the directory
structure of the ADR
19.7 Viewing Incidents

The ADRCI SHOW INCIDENT command displays information about open incidents. For
each incident, the incident ID, problem key, and incident creation time are shown. If
the ADRCI homepath is set so that there are multiple current ADR homes, the report
includes incidents from all of them.
To view a report of all open incidents:
1. Start ADRCI in interactive mode, and ensure that the homepath points to the
correct directory within the ADR base directory hierarchy.
See "Starting ADRCI and Getting Help" and "Homepath" for details.
SHOW INCIDENT
ADRCI generates output similar to the following:

ADR Home = /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/log/diag/rdbms/orclbi/orclbi:
*****************************************************************************
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INCIDENT_ID PROBLEM_KEY CREATE_TIME

----------------- ------------------------- ---------------------------------
3808 ORA 603 2010-06-18 21:35:49.322161 -07:00
3807 ORA 600 [4137] 2010-06-18 21:35:47.862114 -07:00
3805 ORA 600 [4136] 2010-06-18 21:35:25.012579 -07:00
3804 ORA 1578 2010-06-18 21:35:08.483156 -07:00
4 rows fetched
The following are variations on the SHOW INCIDENT command:

SHOW INCIDENT -MODE BRIEF
SHOW INCIDENT -MODE DETAIL
These commands produce more detailed versions of the incident report.

SHOW INCIDENT -MODE DETAIL -P "INCIDENT_ID=1681"
This shows a detailed incident report for incident 1681 only.
See Also:
"ADRCI Command Reference"
19.8 Packaging Incidents

You can use ADRCI commands to package one or more incidents for transmission to
Oracle Support for analysis. Background information and instructions are presented in
the following topics:
• About Packaging Incidents
• Creating Incident Packages
19.8.1 About Packaging Incidents

Packaging incidents is a three-step process:
Step 1: Create a logical incident package.

The incident package (package) is denoted as logical because it exists only as
metadata in the automatic diagnostic repository (ADR). It has no content until you
generate a physical package from the logical package. The logical package is
assigned a package number, and you refer to it by that number in subsequent
commands.
You can create the logical package as an empty package, or as a package based on
an incident number, a problem number, a problem key, or a time interval. If you create
the package as an empty package, you can add diagnostic information to it in step 2.
Creating a package based on an incident means including diagnostic data—dumps,
health monitor reports, and so on—for that incident. Creating a package based on a
problem number or problem key means including in the package diagnostic data for
incidents that reference that problem number or problem key. Creating a package
based on a time interval means including diagnostic data on incidents that occurred in
the time interval.
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Step 2: Add diagnostic information to the incident package

If you created a logical package based on an incident number, a problem number, a
problem key, or a time interval, this step is optional. You can add additional incidents
to the package or you can add any file within the ADR to the package. If you created
an empty package, you must use ADRCI commands to add incidents or files to the
package.
Step 3: Generate the physical incident package

When you submit the command to generate the physical package, ADRCI gathers all
required diagnostic files and adds them to a zip file in a designated directory. You can
generate a complete zip file or an incremental zip file. An incremental file contains all
the diagnostic files that were added or changed since the last zip file was created for
the same logical package. You can create incremental files only after you create a
complete file, and you can create as many incremental files as you want. Each zip file
is assigned a sequence number so that the files can be analyzed in the correct order.
Zip files are named according to the following scheme:
packageName_mode_sequence.zip
where:
• packageName consists of a portion of the problem key followed by a timestamp
• mode is either COM or INC, for complete or incremental
• sequence is an integer
For example, if you generate a complete zip file for a logical package that was created
on September 6, 2006 at 4:53 p.m., and then generate an incremental zip file for the
same logical package, you would create files with names similar to the following:
ORA603_20060906165316_COM_1.zip
ORA603_20060906165316_INC_2.zip
19.8.2 Creating Incident Packages

The following sections present the ADRCI commands that you use to create a logical
incident package (package) and generate a physical package:
• Creating a Logical Incident Package

• Adding Diagnostic Information to a Logical Incident Package
• Generating a Physical Incident Package
See Also:
"About Packaging Incidents"
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Packaging Incidents
19.8.2.1 Creating a Logical Incident Package

You use variants of the IPS CREATE PACKAGE command to create a logical package
(package).
To create a package based on an incident:
IPS CREATE PACKAGE INCIDENT incident_number
For example, the following command creates a package based on incident 3:

IPS CREATE PACKAGE INCIDENT 3
ADRCI generates output similar to the following:

Created package 10 based on incident id 3, correlation level typical
The package number assigned to this logical package is 10.

The following are variations on the IPS CREATE PACKAGE command:
IPS CREATE PACKAGE
This creates an empty package. You must use the IPS ADD INCIDENT or IPS ADD FILE
commands to add diagnostic data to the package before generating it.
IPS CREATE PACKAGE PROBLEM problem_ID
This creates a package and includes diagnostic information for incidents that reference
the specified problem ID. (Problem IDs are integers.) You can obtain the problem ID
for an incident from the report displayed by the SHOW INCIDENT -MODE BRIEF command.
Because there can be many incidents with the same problem ID, ADRCI adds to the
package the diagnostic information for the first three incidents (early incidents) that
occurred and last three incidents (late incidents) that occurred with this problem ID,
excluding any incidents that are older than 90 days.
Note:
The number of early and late incidents, and the 90-day age limit are defaults
that can be changed. See "IPS SET CONFIGURATION".
ADRCI may also add other incidents that correlate closely in time or in other criteria
with the already added incidents.
IPS CREATE PACKAGE PROBLEMKEY "problem_key"
This creates a package and includes diagnostic information for incidents that reference
the specified problem key. You can obtain problem keys from the report displayed by
the SHOW INCIDENT command. Because there can be many incidents with the same
problem key, ADRCI adds to the package only the diagnostic information for the first
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three early incidents and last three late incidents with this problem key, excluding
incidents that are older than 90 days.
Note:
The number of early and late incidents, and the 90-day age limit are defaults
that can be changed. See "IPS SET CONFIGURATION".
ADRCI may also add other incidents that correlate closely in time or in other criteria
with the already added incidents.
The problem key must be enclosed in single quotation marks (') or double quotation
marks (") if it contains spaces or quotation marks.
IPS CREATE PACKAGE SECONDS sec
This creates a package and includes diagnostic information for all incidents that
occurred from sec seconds ago until now. sec must be an integer.
IPS CREATE PACKAGE TIME 'start_time' TO 'end_time'
This creates a package and includes diagnostic information for all incidents that
occurred within the specified time range. start_time and end_time must be in the
format 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS.FF TZR'. This is a valid format string for the
NLS_TIMESTAMP_TZ_FORMAT initialization parameter. The fraction (FF) portion of the time is
optional, and the HH24:MI:SS delimiters can be colons or periods.
For example, the following command creates a package with incidents that occurred
between July 24th and July 30th of 2010:
IPS CREATE PACKAGE TIME '2010-07-24 00:00:00 -07:00' to '2010-07-30 23.59.59 -07:00'
See Also:
"IPS CREATE PACKAGE"
19.8.2.2 Adding Diagnostic Information to a Logical Incident Package

You can add the following diagnostic information to an existing logical package
(package):
• All diagnostic information for a particular incident
• A named file within the ADR
To add an incident to an existing package:
IPS ADD INCIDENT incident_number PACKAGE package_number
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ADRCI Command Reference
To add a file in the ADR to an existing package:

• At the ADRCI prompt, enter the following command:
IPS ADD FILE filespec PACKAGE package_number
filespec must be a fully qualified file name (with path). Only files that are within the
ADR base directory hierarchy may be added.
See Also:
"ADRCI Command Reference"
19.8.2.3 Generating a Physical Incident Package

When you generate a package, you create a physical package (a zip file) for an
existing logical package.
To generate a physical incident package:
IPS GENERATE PACKAGE package_number IN path
This generates a complete physical package (zip file) in the designated path. For
example, the following command creates a complete physical package in the
directory /home/steve/diagnostics from logical package number 2:
IPS GENERATE PACKAGE 2 IN /home/steve/diagnostics
You can also generate an incremental package containing only the incidents that have
occurred since the last package generation.
To generate an incremental physical incident package:
• At the ADRCI prompt, enter the following command:
IPS GENERATE PACKAGE package_number IN path INCREMENTAL
See Also:
• "ADRCI Command Reference"

• "About Packaging Incidents"
19.9 ADRCI Command Reference

There are four command types in ADRCI:
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• Commands that work with one or more current ADR homes

• Commands that work with only one current ADR home, and that issue an error
message if there is more than one current ADR home
• Commands that prompt you to select an ADR home when there are multiple
current ADR homes
• Commands that do not need a current ADR home
All ADRCI commands support the case where there is a single current ADR home.
Table 19-2 lists the set of ADRCI commands.
Table 19-2 List of ADRCI commands
Command Description
CREATE REPORT Creates a report for the specified report type and ID.
ECHO Echoes the input string.
EXIT Exits the current ADRCI session.
HOST Executes operating system commands from ADRCI.
IPS Invokes the IPS utility. See Table 19-3 for the IPS commands
available within ADRCI.
PURGE Purges diagnostic data in the current ADR home, according to
current purging policies.
QUIT Exits the current ADRCI session.
RUN Runs an ADRCI script.
SELECT Retrieves qualified records from the specified incident or problem.
SET BASE Sets the ADR base for the current ADRCI session.
SET BROWSER Reserved for future use.
SET CONTROL Set purging policies for ADR contents.
SET ECHO Toggles command output.
SET EDITOR Sets the default editor for displaying trace and alert log contents.
SET HOMEPATH Makes current one or more ADR homes.
SET TERMOUT Toggles terminal output.
SHOW ALERT Shows alert log messages.
SHOW BASE Shows the current ADR base.
SHOW CONTROL Shows ADR information, including the current purging policy.
SHOW HM_RUN Shows Health Monitor run information.
SHOW HOMEPATH Shows the current homepath.
SHOW HOMES Lists the current ADR homes.
SHOW INCDIR Lists the trace files created for the specified incidents.
SHOW INCIDENT Outputs a list of incidents.
SHOW LOG Shows diagnostic log messages.
SHOW PROBLEM Outputs a list of problems.
SHOW REPORT Shows a report for the specified report type and ID.
SHOW TRACEFILE Lists qualified trace file names.
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Table 19-2 (Cont.) List of ADRCI commands
Command Description
SPOOL Directs output to a file.
Note:
Unless otherwise specified, all commands work with multiple current ADR
homes.
• CREATE REPORT
• ECHO
• EXIT
• HOST
• IPS
• PURGE
• QUIT
• RUN
• SELECT
• SET BASE
• SET BROWSER
• SET CONTROL
• SET ECHO
• SET EDITOR
• SET HOMEPATH
• SET TERMOUT
• SHOW ALERT
• SHOW BASE
• SHOW CONTROL
• SHOW HM_RUN
• SHOW HOMEPATH
• SHOW HOMES
• SHOW INCDIR
• SHOW INCIDENT
• SHOW LOG
• SHOW PROBLEM
• SHOW REPORT
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• SHOW TRACEFILE
• SPOOL
19.9.1 CREATE REPORT

Purpose
Creates a report for the specified report type and run ID and stores the report in the
ADR. Currently, only the hm_run (Health Monitor) report type is supported.
Note:
Results of Health Monitor runs are stored in the ADR in an internal format. To
view these results, you must create a Health Monitor report from them and then
view the report. You need create the report only once. You can then view it
multiple times.

create report report_type run_name
report_type must be hm_run. run_name is a Health Monitor run name. Obtain run names
with the SHOW HM_RUN command.
If the report already exists it is overwritten. Use the SHOW REPORT command to view
the report.
This command does not support multiple ADR homes.
Example
This example creates a report for the Health Monitor run with run name hm_run_1421:
create report hm_run hm_run_1421
Note:
CREATE REPORT does not work when multiple ADR homes are set. For information
about setting a single ADR home, see "Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before
Using ADRCI Commands".
19.9.2 ECHO
Purpose
Prints the input string. You can use this command to print custom text from ADRCI
scripts.

echo quoted_string
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The string must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks.

This command does not require an ADR home to be set before you can use it.
Example
These examples print the string "Hello, world!":
echo "Hello, world!"
echo 'Hello, world!'
19.9.3 EXIT
Purpose
Exits the ADRCI utility.

exit
EXIT is a synonym for the QUIT command.
19.9.4 HOST
Purpose
Execute operating system commands without leaving ADRCI.

host ["host_command_string"]
Use host by itself to enter an operating system shell, which allows you to enter multiple
operating system commands. Enter EXIT to leave the shell and return to ADRCI.
You can also specify the command on the same line (host_command_string) enclosed in
double quotation marks.
Examples
host
host "ls -l *.pl"
19.9.5 IPS
Purpose
Invokes the Incident Packaging Service (IPS). The IPS command provides options for
creating logical incident packages (packages), adding diagnostic data to packages,
and generating physical packages for transmission to Oracle Support.
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Chapter 19
See Also:
"Packaging Incidents" for more information about packaging
The IPS command set contains the following commands:
Table 19-3 IPS Command Set
Command Description
IPS ADD Adds an incident, problem, or problem key to a package.
IPS ADD FILE Adds a file to a package.
IPS ADD NEW INCIDENTS Finds and adds new incidents for the problems in the specified
package.
IPS COPY IN FILE Copies files into the ADR from the external file system.
IPS COPY OUT FILE Copies files out of the ADR to the external file system.
IPS CREATE PACKAGE Creates a new (logical) package.
IPS DELETE PACKAGE Deletes a package and its contents from the ADR.
IPS FINALIZE Finalizes a package before uploading.
IPS GENERATE PACKAGE Generates a zip file of the specified package contents in the
target directory.
IPS GET MANIFEST Retrieves and displays the manifest from a package zip file.
IPS GET METADATA Extracts metadata from a package zip file and displays it.
IPS PACK Creates a physical package (zip file) directly from incidents,
problems, or problem keys.
IPS REMOVE Removes incidents from an existing package.
IPS REMOVE FILE Remove a file from an existing package.
IPS SET CONFIGURATION Changes the value of an IPS configuration parameter.
IPS SHOW Displays the values of IPS configuration parameters.
CONFIGURATION
IPS SHOW FILES Lists the files in a package.
IPS SHOW INCIDENTS Lists the incidents in a package.
IPS SHOW PACKAGE Displays information about the specified package.
IPS UNPACK FILE Unpackages a package zip file into a specified path.
Note:
IPS commands do not work when multiple ADR homes are set. For information
about setting a single ADR home, see "Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before
Using ADRCI Commands".
• Using the <ADR_HOME> and <ADR_BASE> Variables in IPS Commands

• IPS ADD
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• IPS ADD FILE

• IPS ADD NEW INCIDENTS
• IPS COPY IN FILE
• IPS COPY OUT FILE
• IPS CREATE PACKAGE
• IPS DELETE PACKAGE
• IPS FINALIZE
• IPS GENERATE PACKAGE
• IPS GET MANIFEST
• IPS GET METADATA
• IPS PACK
• IPS REMOVE
• IPS REMOVE FILE
• IPS SET CONFIGURATION
• IPS SHOW CONFIGURATION
• IPS SHOW FILES
• IPS SHOW INCIDENTS
• IPS SHOW PACKAGE
• IPS UNPACK FILE
19.9.5.1 Using the <ADR_HOME> and <ADR_BASE> Variables in IPS

Commands
The IPS command set provides shortcuts for referencing the current ADR home and
ADR base directories. To access the current ADR home directory, use the <ADR_HOME>
variable as follows:
ips add file <ADR_HOME>/trace/orcl_ora_13579.trc package 12
Use the <ADR_BASE> variable to access the ADR base directory as follows:
ips add file <ADR_BASE>/diag/rdbms/orcl/orcl/trace/orcl_ora_13579.trc package 12
Note:
Type the angle brackets (< >) as shown.
19.9.5.2 IPS ADD

Purpose
Adds incidents to a package.
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ips add {incident first [n] | incident inc_id | incident last [n] |
problem first [n] | problem prob_id | problem last [n] |
problemkey pr_key | seconds secs | time start_time to end_time}
package package_id
Table 19-4 describes the arguments of IPS ADD.
Table 19-4 Arguments of IPS ADD command
Argument Description
incident first [n] Adds the first n incidents to the package, where n is a
positive integer. For example, if n is set to 5, then the
first five incidents are added. If n is omitted, then the
default is 1, and the first incident is added.
incident inc_id Adds an incident with ID inc_id to the package.
incident last [n] Adds the last n incidents to the package, where n is a
last five incidents are added. If n is omitted, then the
default is 1, and the last incident is added.
problem first [n] Adds the incidents for the first n problems to the
package, where n is a positive integer. For example, if n
is set to 5, then the incidents for the first five problems
are added. If n is omitted, then the default is 1, and the
incidents for the first problem is added.
Adds only the first three early incidents and last three
late incidents for each problem, excluding any older than
90 days. (Note: These limits are defaults and can be
changed. See "IPS SET CONFIGURATION".)
problem prob_id Adds all incidents with problem ID prob_id to the
package. Adds only the first three early incidents and
last three late incidents for the problem, excluding any
older than 90 days. (Note: These limits are defaults and
can be changed. See "IPS SET CONFIGURATION".)
problem last [n] Adds the incidents for the last n problems to the
is set to 5, then the incidents for the last five problems
incidents for the last problem is added.
problemkey pr_key Adds incidents with problem key pr_key to the package.
late incidents for the problem key, excluding any older
than 90 days. (Note: These limits are defaults and can
be changed.)
seconds secs Adds all incidents that have occurred within secs
seconds of the present time.
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Table 19-4 (Cont.) Arguments of IPS ADD command
time start_time to end_time Adds all incidents between start_time and end_time to
the package. Time format is 'YYYY-MM-YY HH24:MI:SS.FF
TZR'. Fractional part (FF) is optional.
package package_id Specifies the package to which to add incidents.
Examples
This example adds incident 22 to package 12:
ips add incident 22 package 12
This example adds the first three early incidents and the last three late incidents with
problem ID 6 to package 2, exuding any incidents older than 90 days:
ips add problem 6 package 2
This example adds all incidents taking place during the last minute to package 5:
ips add seconds 60 package 5
This example adds all incidents taking place between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on
May 1, 2010:
ips add time '2010-05-01 10:00:00.00 -07:00' to '2010-05-01 23:00:00.00 -07:00'
19.9.5.3 IPS ADD FILE

Purpose
Adds a file to an existing package.

ips add file file_name package package_id
file_name is the full path name of the file. You can use the <ADR_HOME> and <ADR_BASE>
variables if desired. The file must be under the same ADR base as the package.
package_id is the package ID.
Example
This example adds a trace file to package 12:
ips add file <ADR_HOME>/trace/orcl_ora_13579.trc package 12
See Also:
See "Using the <ADR_HOME> and <ADR_BASE> Variables in IPS
Commands" for information about the <ADR_HOME> directory syntax
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19.9.5.4 IPS ADD NEW INCIDENTS

Purpose
Find and add new incidents for all of the problems in the specified package.

ips add new incidents package package_id
package_id is the ID of the package to update. Only new incidents of the problems in
the package are added.
Example
This example adds up to three of the new late incidents for the problems in package
12:
ips add new incidents package 12
Note:
The number of late incidents added is a default that can be changed. See "IPS
SET CONFIGURATION".
19.9.5.5 IPS COPY IN FILE

Purpose
Copies a file into the ADR from the external file system.
To edit a file in a package, you must copy the file out to a designated directory, edit the
file, and copy it back into the package. You may want to do this to delete sensitive
data in the file before sending the package to Oracle Support.

ips copy in file filename [to new_name][overwrite] package package_id
[incident incid]
Copies an external file, filename (specified with full path name) into the ADR,
associating it with an existing package, package_id, and optionally an incident, incid.
Use the to new_name option to give the copied file a new file name within the ADR. Use
the overwrite option to overwrite a file that exists already.
Example
This example copies a trace file from the file system into the ADR, associating it with
package 2 and incident 4:
ips copy in file /home/nick/trace/orcl_ora_13579.trc to <ADR_HOME>/trace/
orcl_ora_13579.trc package 2 incident 4
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See Also:
• "Using the <ADR_HOME> and <ADR_BASE> Variables in IPS

Commands" for information about the <ADR_HOME> variable
• "IPS SHOW FILES" for information about listing files in a package
19.9.5.6 IPS COPY OUT FILE

Purpose
Copies a file from the ADR to the external file system.
To edit a file in a package, you must copy the file out to a designated directory, edit the
file, and copy it back into the package. You may want to do this to delete sensitive
data in the file before sending the package to Oracle Support.

ips copy out file source to target [overwrite]
Copies a file, source, to a location outside the ADR, target (specified with full path
name). Use the overwrite option to overwrite the file that exists already.
Example
This example copies the file orcl_ora_13579.trc, in the trace subdirectory of the current
ADR home, to a local folder.
ips copy out file <ADR_HOME>/trace/orcl_ora_13579.trc to /home/nick/trace/
orcl_ora_13579.trc
See Also:

Commands" for information about the <ADR_HOME> directory syntax
• "IPS SHOW FILES" for information about listing files in a package
19.9.5.7 IPS CREATE PACKAGE

Purpose
Creates a new package. ADRCI automatically assigns the package number for the
new package.

ips create package {incident first [n] | incident inc_id |
incident last [n] | problem first [n] | problem prob_id |
problem last [n] | problemkey prob_key | seconds secs |
time start_time to end_time} [correlate {basic |typical | all}]
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Optionally, you can add incidents to the new package using the provided options.
Table 19-5 describes the arguments for IPS CREATE PACKAGE.
Table 19-5 Arguments of IPS CREATE PACKAGE command
problemkey pr_key Adds all incidents with problem key pr_key to the
last three late incidents for the problem key, excluding
any older than 90 days. (Note: These limits are defaults
and can be changed.)
time start_time to end_time Adds all incidents taking place between start_time and
end_time to the package. Time format is 'YYYY-MM-YY
HH24:MI:SS.FF TZR'. Fractional part (FF) is optional.
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Table 19-5 (Cont.) Arguments of IPS CREATE PACKAGE command
correlate {basic |typical | all} Selects a method of including correlated incidents in the
package. There are three options for this argument:
• correlate basic includes incident dumps and
incident process trace files.
• correlate typical includes incident dumps and
any trace files that were modified within five minutes
of each incident. You can alter the time interval by
modifying the INCIDENT_TIME_WINDOW configuration
parameter.
• correlate all includes the incident dumps, and all
trace files that were modified between the time of
the first selected incident and the last selected
incident.
The default value is correlate typical.
Examples
This example creates a package with no incidents:
ips create package
Output:
Created package 5 without any contents, correlation level typical
This example creates a package containing all incidents between 10 AM and 11 PM

on the given day:
ips create package time '2010-05-01 10:00:00.00 -07:00' to '2010-05-01 23:00:00.00
-07:00'
Output:
Created package 6 based on time range 2010-05-01 10:00:00.00 -07:00 to 2010-05-01
23:00:00.00 -07:00, correlation level typical
This example creates a package and adds the first three early incidents and the last
three late incidents with problem ID 3, excluding incidents that are older than 90 days:
ips create package problem 3
Output:
Created package 7 based on problem id 3, correlation level typical
Note:
The number of early and late incidents added, and the 90-day age limit are
defaults that can be changed. See "IPS SET CONFIGURATION".
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See Also:
"Creating Incident Packages"
19.9.5.8 IPS DELETE PACKAGE

Purpose
Drops a package and its contents from the ADR.

ips delete package package_id
package_id is the package to delete.
Example
ips delete package 12
19.9.5.9 IPS FINALIZE

Purpose
Finalizes a package before uploading.

ips finalize package package_id
package_id is the package ID to finalize.
Example
ips finalize package 12
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about finalizing
packages
19.9.5.10 IPS GENERATE PACKAGE

Purpose
Creates a physical package (a zip file) in target directory.

ips generate package package_id [in path] [complete | incremental]
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package_id is the ID of the package to generate. Optionally, you can save the file in the
directory path. Otherwise, the package is generated in the current working directory.
The complete option means the package forces ADRCI to include all package files.
This is the default behavior.
The incremental option includes only files that have been added or changed since the
last time that this package was generated. With the incremental option, the command
finishes more quickly.
Example
This example generates a physical package file in path /home/steve:
ips generate package 12 in /home/steve
This example generates a physical package from files added or changed since the last
generation:
ips generate package 14 incremental
See Also:
"Generating a Physical Incident Package"
19.9.5.11 IPS GET MANIFEST

Purpose
Extracts the manifest from a package zip file and displays it.

ips get manifest from file filename
filename is a package zip file. The manifest is an XML-formatted set of metadata for
the package file, including information about ADR configuration, correlated files,
incidents, and how the package was generated.
Example
ips get manifest from file /home/steve/ORA603_20060906165316_COM_1.zip
19.9.5.12 IPS GET METADATA

Purpose
Extracts ADR-related metadata from a package file and displays it.

ips get metadata {from file filename | from adr}
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filename is a package zip file. The metadata in a package file (stored in the file
metadata.xml) contains information about the ADR home, ADR base, and product.
Use the from adr option to get the metadata from a package zip file that has been
unpacked into an ADR home using IPS UNPACK.
The from adr option requires an ADR home to be set.
Example
This example displays metadata from a package file:
ips get metadata from file /home/steve/ORA603_20060906165316_COM_1.zip
This next example displays metadata from a package file that was unpacked into the
directory /scratch/oracle/package1:
set base /scratch/oracle/package1
ips get metadata from adr
In this previous example, upon receiving the SET BASE command, ADRCI automatically
adds to the homepath the ADR home that was created in /scratch/oracle/package1 by
the IPS UNPACK FILE command.
See Also:
"IPS UNPACK FILE" for more information about unpacking package files
19.9.5.13 IPS PACK

Purpose
Creates a package and generates the physical package immediately.

ips pack [incident first [n] | incident inc_id | incident last [n] |
problem first [n] | problem prob_id | problem last [n] |
problemkey prob_key | seconds secs | time start_time to end_time]
[correlate {basic |typical | all}] [in path]
ADRCI automatically generates the package number for the new package. IPS PACK
creates an empty package if no package contents are specified.
Table 19-6 describes the arguments for IPS PACK.
Table 19-6 Arguments of IPS PACK command
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Table 19-6 (Cont.) Arguments of IPS PACK command
problemkey pr_key Adds incidents with problem key pr_key to the package.
late incidents for the problem key, excluding any older
than 90 days. (Note: These limits are defaults and can
be changed.)
time start_time to end_time Adds all incidents taking place between start_time and
end_time to the package. Time format is 'YYYY-MM-YY
HH24:MI:SS.FF TZR'. Fractional part (FF) is optional.
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Table 19-6 (Cont.) Arguments of IPS PACK command
correlate {basic |typical | all} Selects a method of including correlated incidents in the
package. There are three options for this argument:
• correlate basic includes incident dumps and
incident process trace files.
• correlate typical includes incident dumps and
any trace files that were modified within five minutes
of each incident. You can alter the time interval by
modifying the INCIDENT_TIME_WINDOW configuration
parameter.
• correlate all includes the incident dumps, and all
trace files that were modified between the time of
the first selected incident and the last selected
incident.
The default value is correlate typical.
in path Saves the physical package to directory path.
Example
This example creates an empty package:
ips pack
This example creates a physical package containing all information for incident 861:
ips pack incident 861
This example creates a physical package for all incidents in the last minute, fully
correlated:
ips pack seconds 60 correlate all
See Also:
"IPS SET CONFIGURATION" for more information about setting configuration
parameters.
19.9.5.14 IPS REMOVE

Purpose
Removes incidents from an existing package.

ips remove {incident inc_id | problem prob_id | problemkey prob_key}
package package_id
After removing incidents from a package, the incidents continue to be tracked within
the package metadata to prevent ADRCI from automatically including them later (such
as with ADD NEW INCIDENTS).
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Table 19-7 describes the arguments of IPS REMOVE.
Table 19-7 Arguments of IPS REMOVE command
incident inc_id Removes the incident with ID inc_id from the package
problem prob_id Removes all incidents with problem ID prob_id from the
package
problemkey pr_key Removes all incidents with problem key pr_key from the
package
package package_id Removes incidents from the package with ID
package_id.
Example
This example removes incident 22 from package 12:
ips remove incident 22 package 12
See Also:
"IPS GET MANIFEST" for information about package metadata
19.9.5.15 IPS REMOVE FILE

Purpose
Removes a file from an existing package.

ips remove file file_name package package_id
file_name is the file to remove from package package_id. The complete path of the file
must be specified. (You can use the <ADR_HOME> and <ADR_BASE> variables if desired.)
After removal, the file continues to be tracked within the package metadata to prevent
ADRCI from automatically including it later (such as with ADD NEW INCIDENTS). Removing
a file, therefore, only sets the EXCLUDE flag for the file to Explicitly excluded.
Example
This example removes a trace file from package 12:
ips remove file <ADR_HOME>/trace/orcl_ora_13579.trc package 12
Removed file <ADR_HOME>/trace/orcl_ora_13579.trc from package 12
ips show files package 12
.
.
.
FILE_ID 4
FILE_LOCATION <ADR_HOME>/trace
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FILE_NAME orcl_ora_13579.trc
LAST_SEQUENCE 0
EXCLUDE Explicitly excluded
.
.
.
See Also:
• "IPS GET MANIFEST" for information about package metadata

Commands" for information about the <ADR_BASE> directory syntax
• "IPS SHOW FILES"
19.9.5.16 IPS SET CONFIGURATION

Purpose
Changes the value of an IPS configuration parameter.

ips set configuration {parameter_id | parameter_name} value
parameter_id is the ID of the parameter to change, and parameter_name is the name of

the parameter to change. value is the new value. For a list of the configuration
parameters and their IDs, use "IPS SHOW CONFIGURATION".
Example
ips set configuration 3 10
19.9.5.17 IPS SHOW CONFIGURATION

Purpose
Displays a list of IPS configuration parameters and their values. These parameters
control various thresholds for IPS data, such as timeouts and incident inclusion
intervals.

ips show configuration {parameter_id | parameter_name}]
IPS SHOW CONFIGURATION lists the following information for each configuration parameter:
• Parameter ID
• Name
• Description
• Unit used by parameter (such as days or hours)
• Value
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• Default value
• Minimum Value
• Maximum Value
• Flags
Optionally, you can get information about a specific parameter by supplying a
parameter_id or a parameter_name.
Example
This command describes all IPS configuration parameters:
ips show configuration
Output:
PARAMETER INFORMATION:
PARAMETER_ID 1
NAME CUTOFF_TIME
DESCRIPTION Maximum age for an incident to be considered for
inclusion
UNIT Days
VALUE 90
DEFAULT_VALUE 90
MINIMUM 1
MAXIMUM 4294967295
FLAGS 0
PARAMETER_ID 2
NAME NUM_EARLY_INCIDENTS
DESCRIPTION How many incidents to get in the early part of the range
UNIT Number
VALUE 3
DEFAULT_VALUE 3
MINIMUM 1
MAXIMUM 4294967295
FLAGS 0
PARAMETER_ID 3
NAME NUM_LATE_INCIDENTS
DESCRIPTION How many incidents to get in the late part of the range
UNIT Number
VALUE 3
DEFAULT_VALUE 3
MINIMUM 1
MAXIMUM 4294967295
FLAGS 0
PARAMETER_ID 4
NAME INCIDENT_TIME_WINDOW
DESCRIPTION Incidents this close to each other are considered
correlated
UNIT Minutes
VALUE 5
DEFAULT_VALUE 5
MINIMUM 1
MAXIMUM 4294967295
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FLAGS 0
PARAMETER_ID 5
NAME PACKAGE_TIME_WINDOW
DESCRIPTION Time window for content inclusion is from x hours
before first included incident to x hours after last
incident
UNIT Hours
VALUE 24
DEFAULT_VALUE 24
MINIMUM 1
MAXIMUM 4294967295
FLAGS 0
PARAMETER_ID 6
NAME DEFAULT_CORRELATION_LEVEL
DESCRIPTION Default correlation level for packages
UNIT Number
VALUE 2
DEFAULT_VALUE 2
MINIMUM 1
MAXIMUM 4
FLAGS 0
Examples
This command describes configuration parameter NUM_EARLY_INCIDENTS:
ips show configuration num_early_incidents
This command describes configuration parameter 3:

ips show configuration 3
Configuration Parameter Descriptions

Table 19-8 describes the IPS configuration parameters in detail.
Table 19-8 IPS Configuration Parameters
Parameter ID Description
CUTOFF_TIME 1 Maximum age, in days, for an incident to be
considered for inclusion.
NUM_EARLY_INCIDENTS 2 Number of incidents to include in the early part of the
range when creating a package based on a problem.
By default, ADRCI adds the three earliest incidents
and three most recent incidents to the package.
NUM_LATE_INCIDENTS 3 Number of incidents to include in the late part of the
range when creating a package based on a problem.
By default, ADRCI adds the three earliest incidents
and three most recent incidents to the package.
INCIDENT_TIME_WINDOW 4 Number of minutes between two incidents in order for
them to be considered correlated.
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Table 19-8 (Cont.) IPS Configuration Parameters
Parameter ID Description
PACKAGE_TIME_WINDOW 5 Number of hours to use as a time window for
including incidents in a package. For example, a
value of 5 includes incidents five hours before the
earliest incident in the package, and five hours after
the most recent incident in the package.
DEFAULT_CORRELATION_LEVEL 6 The default correlation level to use for correlating
incidents in a package. The correlation levels are:
• 1 (basic): includes incident dumps and incident
process trace files.
• 2 (typical): includes incident dumps and any
trace files that were modified within the time
window specified by INCIDENT_TIME_WINDOW (see
above).
• 4 (all): includes the incident dumps, and all trace
files that were modified between the first
selected incident and the last selected incident.
Additional incidents can be included
automatically if they occurred in the same time
range.
See Also:
"IPS SET CONFIGURATION"
19.9.5.18 IPS SHOW FILES

Purpose
Lists files included in the specified package.

ips show files package package_id
package_id is the package ID to display.
Example
This example shows all files associated with package 1:
ips show files package 1
Output:
FILE_ID 1
FILE_LOCATION <ADR_HOME>/alert
FILE_NAME log.xml
LAST_SEQUENCE 1
EXCLUDE Included
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FILE_ID 2
FILE_NAME alert_adcdb.log
LAST_SEQUENCE 1
EXCLUDE Included
FILE_ID 27
FILE_LOCATION <ADR_HOME>/incident/incdir_4937
FILE_NAME adcdb_ora_692_i4937.trm
LAST_SEQUENCE 1
EXCLUDE Included
FILE_ID 28
FILE_LOCATION <ADR_HOME>/incident/incdir_4937
FILE_NAME adcdb_ora_692_i4937.trc
LAST_SEQUENCE 1
EXCLUDE Included
FILE_ID 29
FILE_NAME adcdb_ora_692.trc
LAST_SEQUENCE 1
EXCLUDE Included
FILE_ID 30
FILE_NAME adcdb_ora_692.trm
LAST_SEQUENCE 1
EXCLUDE Included
.
.
.
19.9.5.19 IPS SHOW INCIDENTS

Purpose
Lists incidents included in the specified package.

ips show incidents package package_id
package_id is the package ID to display.
Example
This example lists the incidents in package 1:
ips show incidents package 1
Output:
MAIN INCIDENTS FOR PACKAGE 1:
INCIDENT_ID 4985
PROBLEM_ID 1
EXCLUDE Included
CORRELATED INCIDENTS FOR PACKAGE 1:
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19.9.5.20 IPS SHOW PACKAGE

Purpose
Displays information about the specified package.

ips show package package_id {basic | brief | detail}
package_id is the ID of the package to display.
Use the basic option to display a minimal amount of information. It is the default when
no package_id is specified.
Use the brief option to display more information about the package than the basic
option. It is the default when a package_id is specified.
Use the detail option to show the information displayed by the brief option, as well as
some package history and information about the included incidents and files.
Example
ips show package 12
ips show package 12 brief
19.9.5.21 IPS UNPACK FILE

Purpose
Unpackages a physical package file into the specified path.

ips unpack file file_name [into path]
file_name is the full path name of the physical package (zip file) to unpack. Optionally,
you can unpack the file into directory path, which must exist and be writable. If you
omit the path, the current working directory is used. The destination directory is treated
as an ADR base, and the entire ADR base directory hierarchy is created, including a
valid ADR home.
Example
ips unpack file /tmp/ORA603_20060906165316_COM_1.zip into /tmp/newadr
19.9.6 PURGE
Purpose
Purges diagnostic data in the current ADR home, according to current purging policies.
Only ADR contents that are due to be purged are purged.
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Diagnostic data in the ADR has a default lifecycle. For example, information about
incidents and problems is subject to purging after one year, whereas the associated
dump files (dumps) are subject to purging after only 30 days.
Some Oracle products, such as Oracle Database, automatically purge diagnostic data
at the end of its life cycle. Other products and components require you to purge
diagnostic data manually with this command. You can also use this command to purge
data that is due to be automatically purged.
The SHOW CONTROL command displays the default purging policies for short-lived
ADR contents and long-lived ADR contents.

purge [-i {id | start_id end_id} |
-age mins [-type {ALERT|INCIDENT|TRACE|CDUMP|HM|UTSCDMP}]]
Table 19-9 describes the flags for PURGE.
Table 19-9 Flags for the PURGE command
Flag Description
-i {id1 | start_id end_id} Purges either a specific incident ID (id) or a
range of incident IDs (start_id and
end_id)
-age mins Purges only data older than mins minutes.
-type {ALERT|INCIDENT|TRACE|CDUMP|HM| Specifies the type of diagnostic data to
UTSCDMP} purge. Used with the -age clause.
The following types can be specified:
• ALERT - Alert logs
• INCIDENT - Incident data
• TRACE - Trace files (including dumps)
• CDUMP - Core dump files
• HM - Health Monitor run data and
reports
• UTSCDMP - Dumps of in-memory traces
for each session
The UTSCDMP data is stored in
directories under the trace directory.
Each of these directories is named
cdmp_timestamp. In response to a
critical error (such as an ORA-600 or
ORA-7445 error), a background
process creates such a directory and
writes each session's in-memory
tracing data into a trace file. This data
might be useful in determining what the
instance was doing in the seconds
leading up to the failure.
Examples
This example purges all diagnostic data in the current ADR home based on the default
purging policies:
purge
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This example purges all diagnostic data for all incidents between 123 and 456:
purge -i 123 456
This example purges all incident data from before the last hour:
purge -age 60 -type incident
Note:
PURGE does not work when multiple ADR homes are set. For information about
setting a single ADR home, see "Setting the ADRCI Homepath Before Using
ADRCI Commands".
19.9.7 QUIT
See "EXIT".
19.9.8 RUN
Purpose
Runs an ADRCI script.

run script_name
@ script_name
@@ script_name
script_name is the file containing the ADRCI commands to execute. ADRCI looks for
the script in the current directory unless a full path name is supplied. If the file name is
given without a file extension, ADRCI uses the default extension .adi.
The run and @ commands are synonyms. The @@ command is similar to run and @
except that when used inside a script, @@ uses the path of the calling script to locate
script_name, rather than the current directory.
Example
run my_script
@my_script
19.9.9 SELECT
Purpose
Retrieves qualified records for the specified incident or problem.
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select {*|[field1, [field2, ...]} FROM {incident|problem}
[WHERE predicate_string]
[ORDER BY field1 [, field2, ...] [ASC|DSC|DESC]]
[GROUP BY field1 [, field2, ...]]
[HAVING having_predicate_string]
Table 19-10 Flags for the SELECT command
Flag Description
field1, field2, ... Lists the fields to retrieve. If * is specified, then all fields are
retrieved.
incident|problem Indicates whether to query incidents or problems.
WHERE "predicate_string" Uses a SQL-like predicate string to show only the incident or
problem for which the predicate is true. The predicate string
Table 19-16 lists the fields that can be used in the predicate
string incidents.
string for problems.
ORDER BY field1, Show results sorted by field in the given order, as well as in
field2, ... [ASC|DSC|DESC] ascending (ASC) and descending order (DSC or DESC). When the
ORDER BY clause is specified, results are shown in ascending
order by default.
GROUP BY field1, Show results grouped by the specified fields.
field2, ... The GROUP BY flag groups rows but does not guarantee the order
of the result set. To order the groupings, use the ORDER BY flag.
HAVING Restrict the groups of returned rows to those groups for which
"having_predicate_string" the having predicate is true. The HAVING flag must be used in
combination with the GROUP BY flag.
Note:
The WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, and HAVING flags are similar to the clauses with
the same names in a SELECT SQL statement. See Oracle Database SQL
Language Reference for more information about the clauses in a SELECT SQL
statement.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the SELECT command:
• The command cannot join more than two tables.

• The command cannot use table aliases.
• The command can use only a limited set of functions, which are listed in this
section.
• The command cannot use column wildcard ("*") when joining tables or when
using the GROUP BY clause.
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• Statements must be on a single line.

• Statement cannot have subqueries.
• Statement cannot have a WITH clause.
• A limited set of pseudocolumns are allowed. For example, ROWNUM is allowed, but
ROWID is not allowed.
Examples
This example retrieves the incident_id and create_time for incidents with an
incident_id greater than 1:
select incident_id, create_time from incident where incident_id > 1
The following is sample output for this query:

INCIDENT_ID CREATE_TIME
-------------------- ----------------------------------------
4801 2011-05-27 10:10:26.541656 -07:00
4802 2011-05-27 10:11:02.456066 -07:00
4803 2011-05-27 10:11:04.759654 -07:00
This example retrieves the problem_id and first_incident for each problem with a
problem_key that includes 600:
select problem_id, first_incident from problem where problem_key like '%600%'
The following is sample output for this query:

PROBLEM_ID FIRST_INCIDENT
-------------------- --------------------
1 4801
2 4802
3 4803
Functions
This section describes functions that you can use with the SELECT command.
The purpose and syntax of these functions are similar to the corresponding SQL
functions, but there are some differences. This section notes the differences between
the functions used with the ADRCI utility and the SQL functions.
The following restrictions apply to all of the functions:
• The expressions must be simple expressions. See Oracle Database SQL
Language Reference for information about simple expressions.
• You cannot combine function calls. For example, the following combination of
function calls is not supported:
sum(length(column_name))
• No functions are overloaded.
• All function arguments are mandatory.
• The functions cannot be used with other ADRCI Utility commands.
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Table 19-11 ADRCI Utility Functions for the SELECT Command
Function Description
AVG Returns the average value of an expression.
CONCAT Returns the concatenation of two character strings.
COUNT Returns the number of rows returned by the query.
DECODE Compares an expression to each search value one by
one.
LENGTH Returns the length of a character string using as
defined by the input character set.
MAX Returns the maximum value of an expression.
MIN Returns the minimum value of an expression
NVL Replaces null (returned as a blank) with character data
in the results of a query.
REGEXP_LIKE Returns rows that match a specified pattern in a
specified regular expression.
SUBSTR Returns a portion of character data.
SUM Returns the sum of values of an expression.
TIMESTAMP_TO_CHAR Converts a value of TIMESTAMP data type to a value of
VARCHAR2 data type in a specified format.
TOLOWER Returns character data, with all letters lowercase.
TOUPPER Returns character data, with all letters uppercase.
• AVG
• CONCAT
• COUNT
• DECODE
• LENGTH
• MAX
• MIN
• NVL
• REGEXP_LIKE
• SUBSTR
• SUM
• TIMESTAMP_TO_CHAR
• TOLOWER
• TOUPPER
19.9.9.1 AVG
Returns the average value of an expression.
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Syntax
See Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the AVG function in the SELECT command:
• The expression must be a numeric column or a positive numeric constant.

• The function does not support the DISTINCT or ALL keywords.
• The function does not support the OVER clause.
19.9.9.2 CONCAT
Returns a concatenation of two character strings. The character data can be of the
data types CHAR and VARCHAR2. The return value is the same data type as the character
data.
Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the CONCAT function in the SELECT
command:
• The function does not support LOB data types, including BLOB, CLOB, NCLOB, and
BFILE data types.
• The function does not support national character set data types, including NCHAR,
NVARCHAR2, and NCLOB data types.
19.9.9.3 COUNT
Returns the number of rows returned by the query.
Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the COUNT function in the SELECT
command:
• The expression must be a column, a numeric constant, or a string constant.
• The function always counts all rows for the query, including duplicates and nulls.
Examples
This example returns the number of incidents for which flood_controlled is 0 (zero):
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select count(*) from incident where flood_controlled = 0;
This example returns the number of problems for which problem_key includes ORA-600:
select count(*) from problem where problem_key like '%ORA-600%';
19.9.9.4 DECODE
Compares an expression to each search value one by one. If the expression is equal
to a search, then Oracle Database returns the corresponding result. If no match is
found, then Oracle returns the specified default value.
Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the DECODE function in the SELECT
command:
• The search arguments must be character data.
• A default value must be specified.
Example
This example shows each incident_id and whether or not the incident is flood-
controlled. The example uses the DECODE function to display text instead of numbers for
the flood_controlled field.
select incident_id, decode(flood_controlled, 0, \
"Not flood-controlled", "Flood-controlled") from incident;
19.9.9.5 LENGTH
Returns the length of a character string using as defined by the input character set.
The character string can be any of the data types CHAR, VARCHAR2, NCHAR, NVARCHAR2,
CLOB, or NCLOB. The return value is of data type NUMBER. If the character sting has data
type CHAR, then the length includes all trailing blanks. If the character string is null, then
this function returns 0 (zero).
Note:
The SQL function returns null if the character string is null.
Syntax
Restrictions
The SELECT command does not support the following functions: LENGTHB, LENGTHC,
LENGTH2, and LENGTH4.
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Example
This example shows the problem_id and the length of the problem_key for each
problem.
select problem_id, length(problem_key) from problem;
19.9.9.6 MAX
Returns the maximum value of an expression.
Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the MAX function in the SELECT command:

Example
This example shows the maximum last_incident value for all of the recorded
problems.
select max(last_incident) from problem;
19.9.9.7 MIN
Returns the minimum value of an expression.
Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the MIN function in the SELECT command:

Example
This example shows the minimum first_incident value for all of the recorded
problems.
select min(first_incident) from problem;
19.9.9.8 NVL
Replaces null (returned as a blank) with character data in the results of a query. If the
first expression specified is null, then NVL returns second expression specified. If first
expression specified is not null, then NVL returns the value of the first expression.
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Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the NVL function in the SELECT command:
• The replacement value (second expression) must be specified as character data.

• The function does not support data conversions.
Example
This example replaces NULL in the output for singalling_component with the text "No
component."
select nvl(signalling_component, 'No component') from incident;
19.9.9.9 REGEXP_LIKE
Returns rows that match a specified pattern in a specified regular expression.
Note:
In SQL, REGEXP_LIKE is a condition instead of a function.
Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the REGEXP_LIKE function in the SELECT
command:
• The pattern match is always case-sensitive.
• The function does not support the match_param argument.
Example
This example shows the problem_id and problem_key for all problems where the
problem_key ends with a number.
select problem_id, problem_key from problem \

where regexp_like(problem_key, '[0-9]$') = true
19.9.9.10 SUBSTR
Returns a portion of character data. The portion of data returned begins at the
specified position and is the specified substring length characters long. SUBSTR
calculates lengths using characters as defined by the input character set.
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Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the SUBSTR function in the SELECT
command:
• The function supports only positive integers. It does not support negative values or
floating-point numbers.
• The SELECT command does not support the following functions: SUBSTRB, SUBSTRC,
SUBSTR2, and SUBSTR4.
Example
This example shows each problem_key starting with the fifth character in the key.
select substr(problem_key, 5) from problem;
19.9.9.11 SUM
Returns the sum of values of an expression.
Syntax
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the SUM function in the SELECT command:
• The expression must be a numeric column or a numeric constant.

19.9.9.12 TIMESTAMP_TO_CHAR
Converts a value of TIMESTAMP data type to a value of VARCHAR2 data type in a specified
format. If you do not specify a format, then the function converts values to the default
timestamp format.
Syntax
See the syntax of the TO_CHAR function in Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the TIMESTAMP_TO_CHAR function in the
SELECT command:
• The function converts only TIMESTAMP data type. TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE, TIMESTAMP
WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE, and other data types are not supported.
• The function does not support the nlsparm argument. The function uses the default
language for your session.
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Example
This example converts the create_time for each incident from a TIMESTAMP data type to
a VARCHAR2 data type in the DD-MON-YYYY format.
select timestamp_to_char(create_time, 'DD-MON-YYYY') from incident;
19.9.9.13 TOLOWER
Returns character data, with all letters lowercase. The character data can be of the
data. The database sets the case of the characters based on the binary mapping
defined for the underlying character set.
Syntax
See the syntax of the LOWER function in Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the TOLOWER function in the SELECT
command:
BFILE data types.
Example
This example shows each problem_key in all lowercase letters.
select tolower(problem_key) from problem;
19.9.9.14 TOUPPER
Returns character data, with all letters uppercase. The character data can be of the
data. The database sets the case of the characters based on the binary mapping
defined for the underlying character set.
Syntax
See the syntax of the UPPER function in Oracle Database SQL Language Reference.
Restrictions
The following restrictions apply when you use the TOUPPER function in the SELECT
command:
BFILE data types.
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Example
This example shows each problem_key in all uppercase letters.
select toupper(problem_key) from problem;
19.9.10 SET BASE

Purpose
Sets the ADR base to use in the current ADRCI session.

set base base_str
base_str is a full path to a directory. The format for base_str depends on the operating
system. If there are valid ADR homes under the base directory, these homes are
added to the homepath of the current ADRCI session.
Example
set base /u01/app/oracle
See Also:
"ADR Base"
19.9.11 SET BROWSER

Purpose
Sets the default browser for displaying reports.
Note:
This command is reserved for future use. At this time ADRCI does not support
HTML-formatted reports in a browser.

set browser browser_program
browser_program is the browser program name (it is assumed the browser can be
started from the current ADR working directory). If no browser is set, ADRCI will
display reports to the terminal or spool file.
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Example
set browser mozilla
See Also:
• "SHOW REPORT" for more information about showing reports

• "SPOOL" for more information about spooling
19.9.12 SET CONTROL

Purpose
Sets purging policies for ADR contents.

set control (purge_policy = value, ...)
purge_policy is either SHORTP_POLICY or LONGP_POLICY. See "SHOW CONTROL" for more

information.
value is the number of hours after which the ADR contents become eligible for purging.
The SHORTP_POLICY and LONGP_POLICY are not mutually exclusive. Each policy controls
different types of content.
This command works with a single ADR home only.
Example
set control (SHORTP_POLICY = 360)
19.9.13 SET ECHO

Purpose
Turns command output on or off. This command only affects output being displayed in
a script or using the spool mode.

set echo on|off
Example
set echo off
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See Also:
"SPOOL" for more information about spooling
19.9.14 SET EDITOR

Purpose
Sets the editor for displaying the alert log and the contents of trace files.

set editor editor_program
editor_program is the editor program name. If no editor is set, ADRCI uses the editor
specified by the operating system environment variable EDITOR. If EDITOR is not set,
ADRCI uses vi as the default editor.
Example
set editor xemacs
19.9.15 SET HOMEPATH

Purpose
Makes one or more ADR homes current. Many ADR commands work with the current
ADR homes only.

set homepath homepath_str1 homepath_str2 ...
The homepath_strn strings are the paths of the ADR homes relative to the current ADR
base. The diag directory name can be omitted from the path. If the specified path
contains multiple ADR homes, all of the homes are added to the homepath.
If a desired new ADR home is not within the current ADR base, use SET BASE to set a
new ADR base and then use SET HOMEPATH.
Example
set homepath diag/rdbms/orcldw/orcldw1 diag/rdbms/orcldw/orcldw2
The following command sets the same homepath as the previous example:
set homepath rdbms/orcldw/orcldw1 rdbms/orcldw/orcldw2
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See Also:
"Homepath"
19.9.16 SET TERMOUT

Purpose
Turns output to the terminal on or off.

set termout on|off
This setting is independent of spooling. That is, the output can be directed to both
terminal and a file at the same time.
See Also:
"SPOOL" for more information about spooling
Example
set termout on
19.9.17 SHOW ALERT

Purpose
Shows the contents of the alert log in the default editor.

show alert [-p "predicate_string"] [-tail [num] [-f]] [-term]
[-file alert_file_name]
Except when using the -term flag, this command works with only a single current ADR
home. If more than one ADR home is set, ADRCI prompts you to choose the ADR
home to use.
Table 19-12 Flags for the SHOW ALERT command
Flag Description
-p "predicate_string" Uses a SQL-like predicate string to show only the alert log
entries for which the predicate is true. The predicate string must
be enclosed in double quotation marks.
string.
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Table 19-12 (Cont.) Flags for the SHOW ALERT command
Flag Description
-tail [num] [-f] Displays the most recent entries in the alert log.
Use the num option to display the last num entries in the alert log.
If num is omitted, the last 10 entries are displayed.
If the -f option is given, after displaying the requested
messages, the command does not return. Instead, it remains
active and continuously displays new alert log entries to the
terminal as they arrive in the alert log. You can use this
command to perform live monitoring of the alert log. To terminate
the command, press CTRL+C.
-term Directs results to the terminal. Outputs the entire alert logs from
all current ADR homes, one after another. If this option is not
given, the results are displayed in the default editor.
-file alert_file_name Enables you to specify an alert file outside the ADR.
alert_file_name must be specified with a full path name. Note
that this option cannot be used with the -tail option.
Table 19-13 Alert Fields for SHOW ALERT
Field Type
ORIGINATING_TIMESTAMP timestamp
NORMALIZED_TIMESTAMP timestamp
ORGANIZATION_ID text(65)
COMPONENT_ID text(65)
HOST_ID text(65)
HOST_ADDRESS text(17)
MESSAGE_TYPE number
MESSAGE_LEVEL number
MESSAGE_ID text(65)
MESSAGE_GROUP text(65)
CLIENT_ID text(65)
MODULE_ID text(65)
PROCESS_ID text(33)
THREAD_ID text(65)
USER_ID text(65)
INSTANCE_ID text(65)
DETAILED_LOCATION text(161)
UPSTREAM_COMP_ID text(101)
DOWNSTREAM_COMP_ID text(101)
EXECUTION_CONTEXT_ID text(101)
EXECUTION_CONTEXT_SEQUENCE number
ERROR_INSTANCE_ID number
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Table 19-13 (Cont.) Alert Fields for SHOW ALERT
Field Type
ERROR_INSTANCE_SEQUENCE number
MESSAGE_TEXT text(2049)
MESSAGE_ARGUMENTS text(129)
SUPPLEMENTAL_ATTRIBUTES text(129)
SUPPLEMENTAL_DETAILS text(4000)
PROBLEM_KEY text(65)
Examples
This example shows all alert messages for the current ADR home in the default editor:
show alert
This example shows all alert messages for the current ADR home and directs the
output to the terminal instead of the default editor:
show alert -term
This example shows all alert messages for the current ADR home with message text
describing an incident:
show alert -p "message_text like '%incident%'"
This example shows the last twenty alert messages, and then keeps the alert log
open, displaying new alert log entries as they arrive:
show alert -tail 20 -f
This example shows all alert messages for a single ADR home in the default editor
when multiple ADR homes have been set:
show alert
Choose the alert log from the following homes to view:
1: diag/tnslsnr/dbhost1/listener
2: diag/asm/+asm/+ASM
3: diag/rdbms/orcl/orcl
4: diag/clients/user_oracle/host_9999999999_11
Q: to quit
Please select option:

3
See Also:
"SET EDITOR"
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19.9.18 SHOW BASE

Purpose
Shows the current ADR base.

show base [-product product_name]
Optionally, you can show the product's ADR base location for a specific product. The
products currently supported are CLIENT and ADRCI.
Example
This example shows the current ADR base:
show base
Output:
ADR base is "/u01/app/oracle"
This example shows the current ADR base for Oracle Database clients:
show base -product client
19.9.19 SHOW CONTROL

Purpose
Displays information about the ADR, including the purging policy.

show control
Displays various attributes of the ADR, including the following purging policy attributes:
Attribute Name Description

SHORTP_POLICY Number of hours after which to purge ADR contents that have a short
life. Default is 720 (30 days).
A setting of 0 (zero) means that all contents that have a short life can
be purged. The maximum setting is 35791394. If a value greater than
35791394 is specified, then this attribute is set to 0 (zero).
The ADR contents that have a short life include the following:
• Trace files, including those files stored in the cdmp_timestamp
subdirectories
• Core dump files
• Packaging information
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Attribute Name Description

LONGP_POLICY Number of hours after which to purge ADR contents that have a long
life. Default is 8760 (365 days).
A setting of 0 (zero) means that all contents that have a long life can
be purged. The maximum setting is 35791394. If a value greater than
35791394 is specified, then this attribute is set to 0 (zero).
The ADR contents that have a long life include the following:
• Incident information
• Incident dumps
• Alert logs
Note:
The SHORTP_POLICY and LONGP_POLICY attributes are not mutually exclusive. Each
policy controls different types of content.
19.9.20 SHOW HM_RUN

Purpose
Shows all information for Health Monitor runs.

show hm_run [-p "predicate_string"]
predicate_string is a SQL-like predicate specifying the field names to select.

Table 19-14 displays the list of field names you can use.
Table 19-14 Fields for Health Monitor Runs
Field Type
RUN_ID number
RUN_NAME text(31)
CHECK_NAME text(31)
NAME_ID number
MODE number
START_TIME timestamp
RESUME_TIME timestamp
END_TIME timestamp
MODIFIED_TIME timestamp
TIMEOUT number
FLAGS number
STATUS number
SRC_INCIDENT_ID number
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Table 19-14 (Cont.) Fields for Health Monitor Runs
Field Type
NUM_INCIDENTS number
ERR_NUMBER number
REPORT_FILE bfile
Examples
This example displays data for all Health Monitor runs:
show hm_run
This example displays data for the Health Monitor run with ID 123:
show hm_run -p "run_id=123"
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about Health
Monitor
19.9.21 SHOW HOMEPATH

Purpose
Identical to the SHOW HOMES command.

show homepath | show homes | show home
Example
show homepath
Output:
ADR Homes:
diag/tnslsnr/dbhost1/listener
diag/asm/+asm/+ASM
diag/rdbms/orcl/orcl
diag/clients/user_oracle/host_9999999999_11
See Also:
"SET HOMEPATH" for information about how to set the homepath
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19.9.22 SHOW HOMES

Purpose
Show the ADR homes in the current ADRCI session.

show homes | show home | show homepath
Example
show homes
Output:
ADR Homes:
diag/tnslsnr/dbhost1/listener
diag/asm/+asm/+ASM
diag/rdbms/orcl/orcl
diag/clients/user_oracle/host_9999999999_11
19.9.23 SHOW INCDIR

Purpose
Shows trace files for the specified incident.

show incdir [id | id_low id_high]
You can provide a single incident ID (id) or a range of incidents (id_low to id_high). If
no incident ID is given, trace files for all incidents are listed.
Examples
This example shows all trace files for all incidents:
show incdir
Output:
ADR Home = /u01/app/oracle/log/diag/rdbms/emdb/emdb:
*************************************************************************
diag/rdbms/emdb/emdb/incident/incdir_3801/emdb_ora_23604_i3801.trc
diag/rdbms/emdb/emdb/incident/incdir_3801/emdb_m000_23649_i3801_a.trc
diag/rdbms/emdb/emdb/incident/incdir_3633/emdb_pmon_28970_i3633.trc
diag/rdbms/emdb/emdb/incident/incdir_3713/emdb_smon_28994_i3713.trc
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This example shows all trace files for incident 3713:

show incdir 3713
Output:
*************************************************************************
diag/rdbms/emdb/emdb/incident/incdir_3713/emdb_smon_28994_i3713.trc
This example shows all tracefiles for incidents between 3801 and 3804:
show incdir 3801 3804
Output:
*************************************************************************
19.9.24 SHOW INCIDENT

Purpose
Lists all of the incidents associated with the current ADR home. Includes both open
and closed incidents.

show incident [-p "predicate_string"] [-mode {BASIC|BRIEF|DETAIL}] [-
orderby field1, field2, ... [ASC|DSC]]
Table 19-15 describes the flags for SHOW INCIDENT.
Table 19-15 Flags for SHOW INCIDENT command
Flag Description
-p "predicate_string" Use a predicate string to show only the incidents for
which the predicate is true. The predicate string
Table 19-16 lists the fields that can be used in the
predicate string.
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Table 19-15 (Cont.) Flags for SHOW INCIDENT command
Flag Description
-mode {BASIC|BRIEF|DETAIL} Choose an output mode for incidents. BASIC is the
default.
• BASIC displays only basic incident information
(the INCIDENT_ID, PROBLEM_ID, and
CREATE_TIME fields). It does not display flood-
controlled incidents.
• BRIEF displays all information related to the
incidents, as given by the fields in Table 19-16.
It includes flood-controlled incidents.
• DETAIL displays all information for the incidents
(as with BRIEF mode) as well as information
about incident dumps. It includes flood-
controlled incidents.
-orderby field1, field2, ... [ASC| Show results sorted by field in the given order, as
DSC] well as in ascending (ASC) and descending order
(DSC). By default, results are shown in ascending
order.
Table 19-16 Incident Fields for SHOW INCIDENT
Field Type Description

INCIDENT_ID number ID of the incident
PROBLEM_ID number ID of the problem to which the
incident belongs
CREATE_TIME timestamp Time when the incident was created
CLOSE_TIME timestamp Time when the incident was closed
STATUS number Status of this incident
FLAGS number Flags for internal use
FLOOD_CONTROLLED number (decoded to a Encodes the flood control status for
text status by ADRCI) the incident
ERROR_FACILITY text(10) Error facility for the error that caused
the incident
ERROR_NUMBER number Error number for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG1 text(64) First argument for the error that
caused the incident
Error arguments provide additional
information about the error, such as
the code location that issued the
error.
ERROR_ARG2 text(64) Second argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG3 text(64) Third argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG4 text(64) Fourth argument for the error that
caused the incident
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Table 19-16 (Cont.) Incident Fields for SHOW INCIDENT

ERROR_ARG5 text(64) Fifth argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG6 text(64) Sixth argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG7 text(64) Seventh argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG8 text(64) Eighth argument for the error that
caused the incident
SIGNALLING_COMPONENT text(64) Component that signaled the error
that caused the incident
SIGNALLING_SUBCOMPONENT text(64) Subcomponent that signaled the error
that caused the incident
SUSPECT_COMPONENT text(64) Component that has been
automatically identified as possibly
causing the incident
SUSPECT_SUBCOMPONENT text(64) Subcomponent that has been
automatically identified as possibly
causing the incident
ECID text(64) Execution Context ID
IMPACT number Encodes the impact of the incident
ERROR_ARG9 text(64) Ninth argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG10 text(64) Tenth argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG11 text(64) Eleventh argument for the error that
caused the incident
ERROR_ARG12 text(64) Twelfth argument for the error that
caused the incident
Examples
This example shows all incidents for this ADR home:
show incident
Output:
*************************************************************************
INCIDENT_ID PROBLEM_KEY CREATE_TIME
-------------------- -------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
3808 ORA 603 2010-06-18 21:35:49.322161 -07:00
3807 ORA 600 [4137] 2010-06-18 21:35:47.862114 -07:00
3806 ORA 603 2010-06-18 21:35:26.666485 -07:00
3805 ORA 600 [4136] 2010-06-18 21:35:25.012579 -07:00
3804 ORA 1578 2010-06-18 21:35:08.483156 -07:00
3713 ORA 600 [4136] 2010-06-18 21:35:44.754442 -07:00
3633 ORA 600 [4136] 2010-06-18 21:35:35.776151 -07:00
7 rows fetched
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This example shows the detail view for incident 3805:

adrci> show incident -mode DETAIL -p "incident_id=3805"
Output:
*************************************************************************
**********************************************************
INCIDENT INFO RECORD 1
**********************************************************
INCIDENT_ID 3805
STATUS closed
CREATE_TIME 2010-06-18 21:35:25.012579 -07:00
PROBLEM_ID 2
CLOSE_TIME 2010-06-18 22:26:54.143537 -07:00
FLOOD_CONTROLLED none
ERROR_FACILITY ORA
ERROR_NUMBER 600
ERROR_ARG1 4136
ERROR_ARG2 2
ERROR_ARG3 18.0.628
ERROR_ARG4 <NULL>
ERROR_ARG5 <NULL>
ERROR_ARG6 <NULL>
ERROR_ARG7 <NULL>
ERROR_ARG8 <NULL>
SIGNALLING_COMPONENT <NULL>
SIGNALLING_SUBCOMPONENT <NULL>
SUSPECT_COMPONENT <NULL>
SUSPECT_SUBCOMPONENT <NULL>
ECID <NULL>
IMPACTS 0
PROBLEM_KEY ORA 600 [4136]
FIRST_INCIDENT 3805
FIRSTINC_TIME 2010-06-18 21:35:25.012579 -07:00
LAST_INCIDENT 3713
LASTINC_TIME 2010-06-18 21:35:44.754442 -07:00
IMPACT1 0
IMPACT2 0
IMPACT3 0
IMPACT4 0
KEY_NAME Client ProcId
KEY_VALUE oracle@dbhost1 (TNS V1-V3).23716_3083142848
KEY_NAME SID
KEY_VALUE 127.52237
KEY_NAME ProcId
KEY_VALUE 23.90
KEY_NAME PQ
KEY_VALUE (0, 1182227717)
OWNER_ID 1
INCIDENT_FILE /.../emdb/emdb/incident/incdir_3805/emdb_ora_23716_i3805.trc
OWNER_ID 1
INCIDENT_FILE /.../emdb/emdb/trace/emdb_ora_23716.trc
OWNER_ID 1
INCIDENT_FILE /.../emdb/emdb/incident/incdir_3805/emdb_m000_23767_i3805_a.trc
1 rows fetched
19-64
Chapter 19
19.9.25 SHOW LOG

Purpose
Show diagnostic log messages.

show log [-l log_name] [-p "predicate_string"] [-term] [ [-tail [num] [-f]] ]
Table 19-17 describes the flags for SHOW LOG.
Table 19-17 Flags for SHOW LOG command
Flag Description
-l log_name Name of the log to show.
If no log name is specified, then this command displays all
messages from all diagnostic logs under the current ADR Home.
-p "predicate_string" Use a SQL-like predicate string to show only the log entries for
which the predicate is true. The predicate string must be
string.
-term Direct results to the terminal.
If this option is not specified, then this command opens the
results in an editor. By default, it opens the results in emacs, but
you can use the SET EDITOR command to open the results in
other editors.
-tail [num] [-f] Displays the most recent entries in the log.
Use the num option to display the last num entries in the log. If
num is omitted, the last 10 entries are displayed.
If the -f option is given, after displaying the requested
messages, the command does not return. Instead, it remains
active and continuously displays new log entries to the terminal
as they arrive in the log. You can use this command to perform
live monitoring of the log. To terminate the command, press
CTRL+C.
Table 19-18 Log Fields for SHOW LOG
Field Type
ORIGINATING_TIMESTAMP timestamp
NORMALIZED_TIMESTAMP timestamp
ORGANIZATION_ID text(65)
COMPONENT_ID text(65)
HOST_ID text(65)
HOST_ADDRESS text(17)
MESSAGE_TYPE number
MESSAGE_LEVEL number
19-65
Chapter 19
Table 19-18 (Cont.) Log Fields for SHOW LOG
Field Type
MESSAGE_ID text(65)
MESSAGE_GROUP text(65)
CLIENT_ID text(65)
MODULE_ID text(65)
PROCESS_ID text(33)
THREAD_ID text(65)
USER_ID text(65)
INSTANCE_ID text(65)
DETAILED_LOCATION text(161)
UPSTREAM_COMP_ID text(101)
DOWNSTREAM_COMP_ID text(101)
EXECUTION_CONTEXT_ID text(101)
EXECUTION_CONTEXT_SEQUENCE number
ERROR_INSTANCE_ID number
ERROR_INSTANCE_SEQUENCE number
MESSAGE_TEXT text(2049)
MESSAGE_ARGUMENTS text(129)
SUPPLEMENTAL_ATTRIBUTES text(129)
SUPPLEMENTAL_DETAILS text(4000)
PROBLEM_KEY text(65)
19.9.26 SHOW PROBLEM

Purpose
Show problem information for the current ADR home.

show problem [-p "predicate_string"] [-last num | -all]
[-orderby field1, field2, ... [ASC|DSC]]
The following table describes the flags for SHOW PROBLEM.
Table 19-19 Flags for SHOW PROBLEM command
Flag Description
-p "predicate_string" Use a SQL-like predicate string to show only the incidents for
which the predicate is true. The predicate string must be
The table "Problem Fields for SHOW PROBLEM" lists the fields
that can be used in the predicate string.
19-66
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Table 19-19 (Cont.) Flags for SHOW PROBLEM command
Flag Description
-last num | -all Shows the last num problems, or lists all the problems. By
default, SHOW PROBLEM lists the most recent 50 problems.
-orderby field1, Show results sorted by field in the given order (field1,
field2, ... [ASC|DSC] field2, ...), as well as in ascending (ASC) and descending order
(DSC). By default, results are shown in ascending order.
Table 19-20 Problem Fields for SHOW PROBLEM

PROBLEM_ID number ID of the problem
PROBLEM_KEY text(550) Problem key for the problem
FIRST_INCIDENT number Incident ID of the first incident for the problem
FIRSTINC_TIME timestamp Creation time of the first incident for the
problem
LAST_INCIDENT number Incident ID of the last incident for the problem
LASTINC_TIME timestamp Creation time of the last incident for the
problem
IMPACT1 number Encodes an impact of this problem
SERVICE_REQUEST text(64) Service request for the problem (entered
through Support Workbench)
BUG_NUMBER text(64) Bug number for the problem (entered through
Support Workbench)
Example
This example lists all the problems in the current ADR home:
show problem -all
This example shows the problem with ID 4:

show problem -p "problem_id=4"
19.9.27 SHOW REPORT

Purpose
Show a report for the specified report type and run name. Currently, only the hm_run
(Health Monitor) report type is supported, and only in XML formatting. To view HTML-
formatted Health Monitor reports, use Oracle Enterprise Manager or the DBMS_HM
PL/SQL package. See Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information.
19-67
Chapter 19

SHOW REPORT report_type run_name
report_type must be hm_run. run_name is the Health Monitor run name from which you
created the report. You must first create the report using the CREATE REPORT command.
Example
show report hm_run hm_run_1421
See Also:
• "CREATE REPORT"
• "SHOW HM_RUN"
19.9.28 SHOW TRACEFILE

Purpose
List trace files.

show tracefile [file1 file2 ...] [-rt | -t]
[-i inc1 inc2 ...] [-path path1 path2 ...]
This command searches for one or more files under the trace directory and all incident
directories of the current ADR homes, unless the -i or -path flags are given.
This command does not require an ADR home to be set unless using the -i option.
Table 19-21 describes the arguments of SHOW TRACEFILE.
Table 19-21 Arguments for SHOW TRACEFILE Command
file1 file2 ... Filter results by file name. The % symbol is a wildcard character.
19-68
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Table 19-22 Flags for SHOW TRACEFILE Command
Flag Description
-rt | -t Order the trace file names by timestamp. -t sorts the file names
in ascending order by timestamp, and -rt sorts them in reverse
order. Note that file names are only ordered relative to their
directory. Listing multiple directories of trace files applies a
separate ordering to each directory.
Timestamps are listed next to each file name when using this
option.
-i inc1 inc2 ... Select only the trace files produced for the given incident IDs.
-path path1 path2 ... Query only the trace files under the given path names.
Examples
This example shows all the trace files under the current ADR home:
show tracefile
This example shows all the mmon trace files, sorted by timestamp in reverse order:
show tracefile %mmon% -rt
This example shows all trace files for incidents 1 and 4, under the path /home/steve/
temp:
show tracefile -i 1 4 -path /home/steve/temp
19.9.29 SPOOL
Purpose
Directs ADRCI output to a file.

SPOOL filename [[APPEND] | [OFF]]
filename is the file name where the output is to be directed. If a full path name is not
given, the file is created in the current ADRCI working directory. If no file extension is
given, the default extension .ado is used. APPEND causes the output to be appended to
the end of the file. Otherwise, the file is overwritten. Use OFF to turn off spooling.
Example
spool myfile
spool myfile.ado append
spool off
spool
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Troubleshooting ADRCI
19.10 Troubleshooting ADRCI

The following are some common ADRCI error messages, with their possible causes
and remedies:
No ADR base is set

Cause: You may have started ADRCI with a null or invalid value for the ORACLE_HOME
environment variable.
Action: Exit ADRCI, set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable, and restart ADRCI. See
"ADR Base" for more information.
DIA-48323: Specified pathname string must be inside current ADR home

Cause: A file outside of the ADR home is not allowed as an incident file for this
command.
Action: Retry using an incident file inside the ADR home.
DIA-48400: ADRCI initialization failed

Cause: The ADR Base directory does not exist.
Action: Check the value of the DIAGNOSTIC_DEST initialization parameter, and ensure
that it points to an ADR base directory that contains at least one ADR home. If
DIAGNOSTIC_DEST is missing or null, check for a valid ADR base directory hierarchy in
ORACLE_HOME/log.
DIA-48431: Must specify at least one ADR home path

Cause: The command requires at least one ADR home to be current.
Action: Use the SET HOMEPATH command to make one or more ADR homes current.
DIA-48432: The ADR home path string is not valid

Cause: The supplied ADR home is not valid, possibly because the path does not exist.
Action: Check if the supplied ADR home path exists.
DIA-48447: The input path [path] does not contain any ADR homes
Cause: When using SET HOMEPATH to set an ADR home, you must supply a path relative
to the current ADR base.
Action: If the new desired ADR home is not within the current ADR base, first set ADR
base with SET BASE, and then use SHOW HOMES to check the ADR homes under the new
ADR base. Next, use SET HOMEPATH to set a new ADR home if necessary.
DIA-48448: This command does not support multiple ADR homes

Cause: There are multiple current ADR homes in the current ADRCI session.
Action: Use the SET HOMEPATH command to make a single ADR home current.
19-70
20
DBVERIFY: Offline Database Verification
Utility
DBVERIFY is an external command-line utility that performs a physical data structure
integrity check.
DBVERIFY can be used on offline or online databases, as well on backup files. You
use DBVERIFY primarily when you need to ensure that a backup database (or data
file) is valid before it is restored, or as a diagnostic aid when you have encountered
data corruption problems. Because DBVERIFY can be run against an offline database,
integrity checks are significantly faster.
DBVERIFY checks are limited to cache-managed blocks (that is, data blocks).
Because DBVERIFY is only for use with data files, it does not work against control files
or redo logs.
There are two command-line interfaces to DBVERIFY. With the first interface, you
specify disk blocks of a single data file for checking. With the second interface, you
specify a segment for checking. Both interfaces are started with the dbv command. The
following sections provide descriptions of these interfaces:
• Using DBVERIFY to Validate Disk Blocks of a Single Data File
• Using DBVERIFY to Validate a Segment
20.1 Using DBVERIFY to Validate Disk Blocks of a Single

Data File
In this mode, DBVERIFY scans one or more disk blocks of a single data file and
performs page checks.
Note:
If the file you are verifying is an Oracle Automatic Storage Management (Oracle
ASM) file, then you must supply a USERID. This is because DBVERIFY needs to
connect to an Oracle instance to access Oracle ASM files.
• DBVERIFY Syntax When Validating Blocks of a Single File

• DBVERIFY Parameters When Validating Blocks of a Single File
• Sample DBVERIFY Output For a Single Data File
20-1
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Using DBVERIFY to Validate Disk Blocks of a Single Data File
20.1.1 DBVERIFY Syntax When Validating Blocks of a Single File

The syntax for DBVERIFY when you want to validate disk blocks of a single data file is as
follows:
USERID = username/password
FILE = filename
START
= block_address
END
BLOCKSIZE = integer
dbv LOGFILE = filename
FEEDBACK = integer
Y
HELP =
N
PARFILE = filename
HIGH_SCN = integer
20.1.2 DBVERIFY Parameters When Validating Blocks of a Single File

Descriptions of the DBVERIFY parameters used to validate blocks of a single file are
as follows:
USERID Specifies your username and password.
This parameter is only necessary when the files being verified are
Oracle ASM files.
If you do specify this parameter, both a username and a password
must be entered; otherwise a DBV-00112: USERID incorrectly
specified error is returned.
FILE The name of the database file to verify.
START The starting block address to verify. Specify block addresses in
Oracle blocks (as opposed to operating system blocks). If you do
not specify START, then DBVERIFY defaults to the first block in the
file.
END The ending block address to verify. If you do not specify END, then
DBVERIFY defaults to the last block in the file.
BLOCKSIZE BLOCKSIZE is required only if the file to be verified does not have a
block size of 2 KB. If the file does not have block size of 2 KB and
you do not specify BLOCKSIZE, then you will receive the error
DBV-00103.
20-2
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Using DBVERIFY to Validate Disk Blocks of a Single Data File
HIGH_SCN When a value is specified for HIGH_SCN, DBVERIFY writes
diagnostic messages for each block whose block-level SCN
exceeds the value specified.
This parameter is optional. There is no default.
LOGFILE Specifies the file to which logging information should be written.
The default sends output to the terminal display.
FEEDBACK Causes DBVERIFY to send a progress display to the terminal in
the form of a single period (.) for n number of pages verified during
the DBVERIFY run. If n = 0, then there is no progress display.
HELP Provides online help.
PARFILE Specifies the name of the parameter file to use. You can store
various values for DBVERIFY parameters in flat files. This enables
you to customize parameter files to handle different types of data
files and to perform specific types of integrity checks on data files.
20.1.3 Sample DBVERIFY Output For a Single Data File

The following is a sample verification of the file t_db1.dbf.The feedback parameter has
been given the value 100 to display one period (.) for every 100 pages processed. A
portion of the resulting output is also shown.
% dbv FILE=t_db1.dbf FEEDBACK=100
.
.
.
DBVERIFY - Verification starting : FILE = t_db1.dbf
................................................................................
DBVERIFY - Verification complete
Total Pages Examined : 9216

Total Pages Processed (Data) : 2044
Total Pages Failing (Data) : 0
Total Pages Processed (Index): 733
Total Pages Failing (Index): 0
Total Pages Empty : 5686
Total Pages Marked Corrupt : 0
Total Pages Influx : 0
Notes:
• Pages = Blocks
• Total Pages Examined = number of blocks in the file
• Total Pages Processed = number of blocks that were verified (formatted blocks)
• Total Pages Failing (Data) = number of blocks that failed the data block checking
routine
• Total Pages Failing (Index) = number of blocks that failed the index block checking
routine
20-3
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Using DBVERIFY to Validate a Segment
• Total Pages Marked Corrupt = number of blocks for which the cache header is
invalid, thereby making it impossible for DBVERIFY to identify the block type
• Total Pages Influx = number of blocks that are being read and written to at the
same time. If the database is open when DBVERIFY is run, then DBVERIFY reads
blocks multiple times to get a consistent image. But because the database is open,
there may be blocks that are being read and written to at the same time (INFLUX).
DBVERIFY cannot get a consistent image of pages that are in flux.
20.2 Using DBVERIFY to Validate a Segment

In this mode, DBVERIFY enables you to specify a table segment or index segment for
verification. It checks to ensure that a row chain pointer is within the segment being
verified.
This mode requires that you specify a segment (data or index) to be validated. It also
requires that you log on to the database with SYSDBA privileges, because information
about the segment must be retrieved from the database.
During this mode, the segment is locked. If the specified segment is an index, then the
parent table is locked. Note that some indexes, such as IOTs, do not have parent
tables.
• DBVERIFY Syntax When Validating a Segment
• DBVERIFY Parameters When Validating a Single Segment
• Sample DBVERIFY Output For a Validated Segment
20.2.1 DBVERIFY Syntax When Validating a Segment

The syntax for DBVERIFY when you want to validate a segment is as follows:
USERID = username/password
SEGMENT_ID = tsn.segfile.segblock
LOGFILE = filename
FEEDBACK = integer
dbv
Y
HELP =
N
PARFILE = filename
HIGH_SCN = integer
20.2.2 DBVERIFY Parameters When Validating a Single Segment

Descriptions of the DBVERIFY parameters used to validate a single segment are as
follows:
20-4
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Using DBVERIFY to Validate a Segment
USERID Specifies your username and password. If you do not enter both a
username and a password, the error DBV-00112: USERID
incorrectly specified is returned.
If you are connecting to a container database (CDB), you would
enter username@cdbname/password.
SEGMENT_ID Specifies the segment to verify. It is composed of the tablespace
ID number (tsn), segment header file number (segfile), and
segment header block number (segblock). You can get this
information from SYS_USER_SEGS. The relevant columns are
TABLESPACE_ID, HEADER_FILE, and HEADER_BLOCK. You must have
SYSDBA privileges to query SYS_USER_SEGS.
HIGH_SCN When a value is specified for HIGH_SCN, DBVERIFY writes
diagnostic messages for each block whose block-level SCN
exceeds the value specified.
This parameter is optional. There is no default.
LOGFILE Specifies the file to which logging information should be written.
The default sends output to the terminal display.
FEEDBACK Causes DBVERIFY to send a progress display to the terminal in
the form of a single period (.) for n number of pages verified during
the DBVERIFY run. If n = 0, then there is no progress display.
HELP Provides online help.
PARFILE Specifies the name of the parameter file to use. You can store
various values for DBVERIFY parameters in flat files. This enables
you to customize parameter files to handle different types of data
files and to perform specific types of integrity checks on data files.
20.2.3 Sample DBVERIFY Output For a Validated Segment

The following is a sample of the output that would be shown for a DBVERIFY
operation to validate SEGMENT_ID 1.2.67.
DBVERIFY - Verification starting : SEGMENT_ID = 1.2.67
DBVERIFY - Verification complete
Total Pages Examined : 8

Total Pages Processed (Data) : 0
Total Pages Failing (Data) : 0
Total Pages Processed (Index): 1
Total Pages Failing (Index): 0
Total Pages Processed (Other): 2
Total Pages Processed (Seg) : 1
Total Pages Failing (Seg) : 0
Total Pages Empty : 4
Total Pages Marked Corrupt : 0
Total Pages Influx : 0
Highest block SCN : 7358 (0.7358)
20-5
21
DBNEWID Utility
DBNEWID is a database utility that can change the internal database identifier (DBID)
and the database name (DBNAME) for an operational database.
• What Is the DBNEWID Utility?
• Ramifications of Changing the DBID and DBNAME
• DBNEWID Considerations for CDBs and PDBs
The DBNEWID parameter PDB allows you to change the DBID on pluggable
databases (PDBs).
• Changing the DBID and DBNAME of a Database
• DBNEWID Syntax
21.1 What Is the DBNEWID Utility?

Before the introduction of the DBNEWID utility, you could manually create a copy of a
database and give it a new database name (DBNAME) by re-creating the control file.
However, you could not give the database a new identifier (DBID). The DBID is an
internal, unique identifier for a database. Because Recovery Manager (RMAN)
distinguishes databases by DBID, you could not register a seed database and a
manually copied database together in the same RMAN repository. The DBNEWID
utility solves this problem by allowing you to change any of the following:
• Only the DBID of a database
• Only the DBNAME of a database
• Both the DBNAME and DBID of a database
21.2 Ramifications of Changing the DBID and DBNAME

Changing the DBID of a database is a serious procedure. When the DBID of a
database is changed, all previous backups and archived logs of the database become
unusable. This is similar to creating a database except that the data is already in the
data files. After you change the DBID, backups and archive logs that were created
before the change can no longer be used because they still have the original DBID,
which does not match the current DBID. You must open the database with the
RESETLOGS option, which re-creates the online redo logs and resets their sequence to 1.
Consequently, you should make a backup of the whole database immediately after
changing the DBID.
Changing the DBNAME without changing the DBID does not require you to open with
the RESETLOGS option, so database backups and archived logs are not invalidated.
However, changing the DBNAME does have consequences. You must change the
DB_NAME initialization parameter after a database name change to reflect the new name.
Also, you may have to re-create the Oracle password file. If you restore an old backup
21-1
Chapter 21
DBNEWID Considerations for CDBs and PDBs
of the control file (before the name change), then you should use the initialization
parameter file and password file from before the database name change.
Note:
Do not change the DBID or DBNAME of a database if you are using a capture
process to capture changes to the database. See Oracle Streams Concepts
and Administration for more information about capture processes.
• Considerations for Global Database Names
21.2.1 Considerations for Global Database Names

If you are dealing with a database in a distributed database system, then each
database should have a unique global database name. The DBNEWID utility does not
change global database names. This can only be done with the SQL ALTER DATABASE
statement, for which the syntax is as follows:
ALTER DATABASE RENAME GLOBAL_NAME TO newname.domain;
The global database name is made up of a database name and a domain, which are
determined by the DB_NAME and DB_DOMAIN initialization parameters when the database
is first created.
The following example changes the database name to sales in the domain
us.example.com:
ALTER DATABASE RENAME GLOBAL_NAME TO sales.us.example.com
You would do this after you finished using DBNEWID to change the database name.
See Also:
Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about global
database names
21.3 DBNEWID Considerations for CDBs and PDBs

The DBNEWID parameter PDB allows you to change the DBID on pluggable databases
(PDBs).
By default, when you run the DBNEWID utility on a container database (CDB) it
changes the DBID of only the CDB; the DBIDs of the pluggable databases (PDBs)
comprising the CDB remain the same. This could cause problems with duplicate
DBIDs for PDBs in some cases, such as when a CDB is cloned.
As of Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2), you can change the DBID on the PDBs
by using the new DBNEWID PDB parameter. You cannot specify a particular PDB;
either all of them or none of them will have new DBIDs. The PDB parameter is
applicable only in a CDB environment. It has the following format:
21-2
Chapter 21
Changing the DBID and DBNAME of a Database
PDB=[ALL | NONE]
• If you specify ALL, then in addition to the DBID for the CDB changing, the DBIDs
for all PDBs comprising the CDB are also changed.
• Specifying NONE (the default) leaves the PDB DBIDs the same, even if the CDB
DBID is changed.
Oracle recommends that you use PDB=ALL, but PDB=NONE is the default for backward
compatibility reasons.
21.4 Changing the DBID and DBNAME of a Database

This section contains these topics:
• Changing the DBID and Database Name
• Changing Only the Database ID
• Changing Only the Database Name
• Troubleshooting DBNEWID
21.4.1 Changing the DBID and Database Name

The following steps describe how to change the DBID of a database. Optionally, you
can change the database name as well.
1. Ensure that you have a recoverable whole database backup.
2. Ensure that the target database is mounted but not open, and that it was shut
down consistently before mounting. For example:
SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE
STARTUP MOUNT
3. Start the DBNEWID utility on the command line, specifying a valid user (TARGET)
that has the SYSDBA privilege (you will be prompted for a password):
% nid TARGET=SYS
To change the database name in addition to the DBID, also specify the DBNAME
parameter on the command line (you will be prompted for a password). The
following example changes the database name to test_db:
% nid TARGET=SYS DBNAME=test_db
The DBNEWID utility performs validations in the headers of the data files and
control files before attempting I/O to the files. If validation is successful, then
DBNEWID prompts you to confirm the operation (unless you specify a log file, in
which case it does not prompt), changes the DBID (and the DBNAME, if specified,
as in this example) for each data file, including offline normal and read-only data
files, shuts down the database, and then exits. The following is an example of
what the output for this would look like:
.
.
.
Connected to database PROD (DBID=86997811)
.
.
21-3
Chapter 21
.
Control Files in database:
/oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf1.dbf
The following datafiles are offline clean:

/oracle/TEST_DB/data/tbs_61.dbf (23)
/oracle/TEST_DB/data/temp3.dbf (3)
These files must be writable by this utility.
The following datafiles are read-only:

Changing database ID from 86997811 to 1250654267

Changing database name from PROD to TEST_DB
Control File /oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf1.dbf - modified
Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/tbs_01.dbf - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/tbs_ax1.dbf - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/temp1.dbf - dbid changed, wrote new name
Control File /oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf1.dbf - dbid changed, wrote new name
Control File /oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf2.dbf - dbid changed, wrote new name
Instance shut down
Database name changed to TEST_DB.

Modify parameter file and generate a new password file before restarting.
Database ID for database TEST_DB changed to 1250654267.
All previous backups and archived redo logs for this database are unusable.
Database has been shutdown, open database with RESETLOGS option.
Successfully changed database name and ID.
DBNEWID - Completed successfully.
If validation is not successful, then DBNEWID terminates and leaves the target
database intact, as shown in the following sample output. You can open the
database, fix the error, and then either resume the DBNEWID operation or
continue using the database without changing its DBID.
.
.
.
.
.
.

21-4
Chapter 21

The following datafiles are offline immediate:

NID-00122: Database should have no offline immediate datafiles
Change of database name failed during validation - database is intact.

DBNEWID - Completed with validation errors.
4. Mount the database. For example:
STARTUP MOUNT
5. Open the database in RESETLOGS mode and resume normal use. For example:
ALTER DATABASE OPEN RESETLOGS;
Make a new database backup. Because you reset the online redo logs, the old
backups and archived logs are no longer usable in the current incarnation of the
database.
21.4.2 Changing Only the Database ID

To change the database ID without changing the database name, follow the steps in
"Changing the DBID and Database Name", but in Step 3 do not specify the optional
database name (DBNAME). The following is an example of the type of output that is
generated when only the database ID is changed.
.
.
.
.
.
.


Changing database ID from 86997811 to 4004383693

Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/tbs_01.dbf - dbid changed
21-5
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Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/tbs_ax1.dbf - dbid changed

Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/temp1.dbf - dbid changed
Control File /oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf1.dbf - dbid changed
Control File /oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf2.dbf - dbid changed
Instance shut down

Database has been shutdown, open database with RESETLOGS option.
Succesfully changed database ID.
DBNEWID - Completed succesfully.
21.4.3 Changing Only the Database Name

The following steps describe how to change the database name without changing the
DBID.
1. Ensure that you have a recoverable whole database backup.
2. Ensure that the target database is mounted but not open, and that it was shut
down consistently before mounting. For example:
SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE
STARTUP MOUNT
3. Start the utility on the command line, specifying a valid user with the SYSDBA
privilege (you will be prompted for a password). You must specify both the DBNAME
and SETNAME parameters. This example changes the name to test_db:
% nid TARGET=SYS DBNAME=test_db SETNAME=YES
DBNEWID performs validations in the headers of the control files (not the data
files) before attempting I/O to the files. If validation is successful, then DBNEWID
prompts for confirmation, changes the database name in the control files, shuts
down the database and exits. The following is an example of what the output for
this would look like:
.
.
.


Changing database name from PROD to TEST_DB

21-6
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Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/tbs_01.dbf - wrote new name
Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/tbs_ax1.dbf - wrote new name
Datafile /oracle/TEST_DB/data/temp1.dbf - wrote new name
Control File /oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf1.dbf - wrote new name
Control File /oracle/TEST_DB/data/cf2.dbf - wrote new name
Instance shut down

Successfully changed database name.
DBNEWID - Completed successfully.
If validation is not successful, then DBNEWID terminates and leaves the target
database intact. You can open the database, fix the error, and then either resume
the DBNEWID operation or continue using the database without changing the
database name. (For an example of what the output looks like for an unsuccessful
validation, see Step 3 in "Changing the DBID and Database Name".)
4. Set the DB_NAME initialization parameter in the initialization parameter file (PFILE) to
the new database name.
Note:
The DBNEWID utility does not change the server parameter file (SPFILE).
Therefore, if you use SPFILE to start your Oracle database, then you must
re-create the initialization parameter file from the server parameter file,
remove the server parameter file, change the DB_NAME in the initialization
parameter file, and then re-create the server parameter file.
5. Create a new password file.

6. Start up the database and resume normal use. For example:
STARTUP
Because you have changed only the database name, and not the database ID, it is
not necessary to use the RESETLOGS option when you open the database. This
means that all previous backups are still usable.
21.4.4 Troubleshooting DBNEWID

If the DBNEWID utility succeeds in its validation stage but detects an error while
performing the requested change, then the utility stops and leaves the database in the
middle of the change. In this case, you cannot open the database until the DBNEWID
operation is either completed or reverted. DBNEWID displays messages indicating the
status of the operation.
Before continuing or reverting, fix the underlying cause of the error. Sometimes the
only solution is to restore the whole database from a recent backup and perform
recovery to the point in time before DBNEWID was started. This underscores the
importance of having a recent backup available before running DBNEWID.
21-7
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DBNEWID Syntax
If you choose to continue with the change, then re-execute your original command.
The DBNEWID utility resumes and attempts to continue the change until all data files
and control files have the new value or values. At this point, the database is shut
down. You should mount it before opening it with the RESETLOGS option.
If you choose to revert a DBNEWID operation, and if the reversion succeeds, then
DBNEWID reverts all performed changes and leaves the database in a mounted state.
If DBNEWID is run against a release 10.1 or later Oracle database, then a summary of
the operation is written to the alert file. For example, for a change of database name
and database ID, you might see something similar to the following:
*** DBNEWID utility started ***
DBID will be changed from 86997811 to new DBID of 1250452230 for
database PROD
DBNAME will be changed from PROD to new DBNAME of TEST_DB
Starting datafile conversion
Setting recovery target incarnation to 1
Datafile conversion complete
Database has been shutdown, open with RESETLOGS option.
Successfully changed database name and ID.
*** DBNEWID utility finished successfully ***
For a change of just the database name, the alert file might show something similar to
the following:
DBNAME will be changed from PROD to new DBNAME of TEST_DB
Starting datafile conversion
Datafile conversion complete
Successfully changed database name.
*** DBNEWID utility finished successfully ***
In case of failure during DBNEWID the alert will also log the failure:
DBID will be changed from 86997811 to new DBID of 86966847 for database
AV3
Change of database ID failed.
Must finish change or REVERT changes before attempting any database
operation.
*** DBNEWID utility finished with errors ***
21.5 DBNEWID Syntax

The following diagrams show the syntax for the DBNEWID utility.
21-8
Chapter 21
DBNEWID Syntax
username password @ service_name

nid TARGET = /
YES
REVERT =
NO
YES
SETNAME =
NO
DBNAME = new_db_name
ALL
PDB =
NONE
YES
APPEND = YES
NO HELP =
LOGFILE = logfile NO
• DBNEWID Parameters
• Restrictions and Usage Notes
• Additional Restrictions for Releases Earlier Than Oracle Database 10g
21.5.1 DBNEWID Parameters

The following table describes the parameters in the DBNEWID syntax.
Table 21-1 Parameters for the DBNEWID Utility
TARGET Specifies the username and password used to connect to the database. The user
must have the SYSDBA privilege. If you are using operating system authentication,
then you can connect with the slash (/). If the $ORACLE_HOME and $ORACLE_SID
variables are not set correctly in the environment, then you can specify a secure (IPC
or BEQ) service to connect to the target database. A target database must be
specified in all invocations of the DBNEWID utility.
REVERT Specify YES to indicate that a failed change of DBID should be reverted (default is
NO). The utility signals an error if no change DBID operation is in progress on the
target database. A successfully completed change of DBID cannot be reverted.
REVERT=YES is valid only when a DBID change failed.
DBNAME=new_db_name Changes the database name of the database. You can change the DBID and the
DBNAME of a database at the same time. To change only the DBNAME, also specify
the SETNAME parameter.
SETNAME Specify YES to indicate that DBNEWID should change the database name of the
database but should not change the DBID (default is NO). When you specify
SETNAME=YES, the utility writes only to the target database control files.
21-9
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DBNEWID Syntax
Table 21-1 (Cont.) Parameters for the DBNEWID Utility
PDB Changes the DBID on either all or none of the pluggable databases (PDBs) in a
multitenant container database (CDB). (By default, when you run the DBNEWID
utility on a container database (CDB) it changes the DBID of only the CDB; the
DBIDs of the pluggable databases (PDBs) comprising the CDB remain the same.)
The PDB parameter is applicable only in a CDB environment.
LOGFILE=logfile Specifies that DBNEWID should write its messages to the specified file. By default
the utility overwrites the previous log. If you specify a log file, then DBNEWID does
not prompt for confirmation.
APPEND Specify YES to append log output to the existing log file (default is NO).
HELP Specify YES to print a list of the DBNEWID syntax options (default is NO).
21.5.2 Restrictions and Usage Notes

The DBNEWID utility has the following restrictions:
• To change the DBID of a database, the database must be mounted and must have
been shut down consistently before mounting. In the case of an Oracle Real
Application Clusters database, the database must be mounted in NOPARALLEL
mode.
• You must open the database with the RESETLOGS option after changing the DBID.
However, you do not have to open with the RESETLOGS option after changing only
the database name.
• No other process should be running against the database when DBNEWID is
executing. If another session shuts down and starts the database, then DBNEWID
terminates unsuccessfully.
• All online data files should be consistent without needing recovery.
• Normal offline data files should be accessible and writable. If this is not the case,
then you must drop these files before invoking the DBNEWID utility.
• All read-only tablespaces must be accessible and made writable at the operating
system level before invoking DBNEWID. If these tablespaces cannot be made
writable (for example, they are on a CD-ROM), then you must unplug the
tablespaces using the transportable tablespace feature and then plug them back in
the database before invoking the DBNEWID utility.
• The DBNEWID utility does not change global database names. See
"Considerations for Global Database Names".
21.5.3 Additional Restrictions for Releases Earlier Than Oracle

Database 10g
The following additional restrictions apply if the DBNEWID utility is run against an
Oracle Database release earlier than 10.1:
• The nid executable file should be owned and run by the Oracle owner because it
needs direct access to the data files and control files. If another user runs the
utility, then set the user ID to the owner of the data files and control files.
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DBNEWID Syntax
• The DBNEWID utility must access the data files of the database directly through a
local connection. Although DBNEWID can accept a net service name, it cannot
change the DBID of a nonlocal database.
21-11
22
Using LogMiner to Analyze Redo Log Files
Oracle LogMiner, which is part of Oracle Database, enables you to query online and
archived redo log files through a SQL interface. Redo log files contain information
about the history of activity on a database.
You can use LogMiner from a command line or you can access it through the Oracle
LogMiner Viewer graphical user interface. Oracle LogMiner Viewer is a part of Oracle
Enterprise Manager. See the Oracle Enterprise Manager online Help for more
information about Oracle LogMiner Viewer.
Note:
Many of the examples in this section make use of the LogMiner CONTINUOUS_MINE
option. As of Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1), the LogMiner
CONTINUOUS_MINE option is deprecated. It is still supported for backward
compatibility reasons, but Oracle recommends that you discontinue using it.
There is no replacement functionality.
• LogMiner Benefits
• Introduction to LogMiner
• Using LogMiner in a CDB
• LogMiner Dictionary Files and Redo Log Files
• Starting LogMiner
• Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS for Redo Data of Interest
You access the redo data of interest by querying the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
• Filtering and Formatting Data Returned to V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
LogMiner can potentially deal with large amounts of information. You can limit the
information that is returned to the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, and the speed at which
it is returned.
• Reapplying DDL Statements Returned to V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
Some DDL statements that you issue cause Oracle to internally execute one or
more other DDL statements.
• Calling DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR Multiple Times
• Supplemental Logging
• Accessing LogMiner Operational Information in Views
• Steps in a Typical LogMiner Session
• Examples Using LogMiner
• Supported Data Types, Storage Attributes, and Database and Redo Log File
Versions
22-1
Chapter 22
LogMiner Benefits
22.1 LogMiner Benefits

All changes made to user data or to the database dictionary are recorded in the Oracle
redo log files so that database recovery operations can be performed.
Because LogMiner provides a well-defined, easy-to-use, and comprehensive relational
interface to redo log files, it can be used as a powerful data auditing tool, and also as a
sophisticated data analysis tool. The following list describes some key capabilities of
LogMiner:
• Pinpointing when a logical corruption to a database, such as errors made at the
application level, may have begun. These might include errors such as those
where the wrong rows were deleted because of incorrect values in a WHERE clause,
rows were updated with incorrect values, the wrong index was dropped, and so
forth. For example, a user application could mistakenly update a database to give
all employees 100 percent salary increases rather than 10 percent increases, or a
database administrator (DBA) could accidently delete a critical system table. It is
important to know exactly when an error was made so that you know when to
initiate time-based or change-based recovery. This enables you to restore the
database to the state it was in just before corruption. See Querying
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS Based on Column Values for details about how you can
use LogMiner to accomplish this.
• Determining what actions you would have to take to perform fine-grained recovery
at the transaction level. If you fully understand and take into account existing
dependencies, then it may be possible to perform a table-specific undo operation
to return the table to its original state. This is achieved by applying table-specific
reconstructed SQL statements that LogMiner provides in the reverse order from
which they were originally issued. See "Scenario 1: Using LogMiner to Track
Changes Made by a Specific User" for an example.
Normally you would have to restore the table to its previous state, and then apply
an archived redo log file to roll it forward.
• Performance tuning and capacity planning through trend analysis. You can
determine which tables get the most updates and inserts. That information
provides a historical perspective on disk access statistics, which can be used for
tuning purposes. See "Scenario 2: Using LogMiner to Calculate Table Access
Statistics" for an example.
• Performing postauditing. LogMiner can be used to track any data manipulation
language (DML) and data definition language (DDL) statements executed on the
database, the order in which they were executed, and who executed them.
(However, to use LogMiner for such a purpose, you need to have an idea when
the event occurred so that you can specify the appropriate logs for analysis;
otherwise you might have to mine a large number of redo log files, which can take
a long time. Consider using LogMiner as a complementary activity to auditing
database use. See the Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information
about database auditing.)
22.2 Introduction to LogMiner

The following sections provide a brief introduction to LogMiner, including the following
topics:
• LogMiner Configuration
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Introduction to LogMiner
• Directing LogMiner Operations and Retrieving Data of Interest
22.2.1 LogMiner Configuration

There are four basic objects in a LogMiner configuration that you should be familiar
with: the source database, the mining database, the LogMiner dictionary, and the redo
log files containing the data of interest:
• The source database is the database that produces all the redo log files that you
want LogMiner to analyze.
• The mining database is the database that LogMiner uses when it performs the
analysis.
• The LogMiner dictionary allows LogMiner to provide table and column names,
instead of internal object IDs, when it presents the redo log data that you request.
LogMiner uses the dictionary to translate internal object identifiers and data types
to object names and external data formats. Without a dictionary, LogMiner returns
internal object IDs and presents data as binary data.
For example, consider the following SQL statement:
INSERT INTO HR.JOBS(JOB_ID, JOB_TITLE, MIN_SALARY, MAX_SALARY)
VALUES('IT_WT','Technical Writer', 4000, 11000);
Without the dictionary, LogMiner will display:

insert into "UNKNOWN"."OBJ# 45522"("COL 1","COL 2","COL 3","COL 4") values
(HEXTORAW('45465f4748'),HEXTORAW('546563686e6963616c20577269746572'),
HEXTORAW('c229'),HEXTORAW('c3020b'));
• The redo log files contain the changes made to the database or database
dictionary.
• Sample LogMiner Configuration
• Requirements
22.2.1.1 Sample LogMiner Configuration

Figure 22-1 shows a sample LogMiner configuration. In this figure, the source
database in Boston generates redo log files that are archived and shipped to a
database in San Francisco. A LogMiner dictionary has been extracted to these redo
log files. The mining database, where LogMiner will actually analyze the redo log files,
is in San Francisco. The Boston database is running Oracle Database 11g and the
San Francisco database is running Oracle Database 12c.
Figure 22-1 Sample LogMiner Database Configuration
Source Mining
Database Database
Archived Redo Log Files
Boston containing LogMiner dictionary San Francisco
22-3
Chapter 22
Figure 22-1 shows just one valid LogMiner configuration. Other valid configurations
are those that use the same database for both the source and mining database, or use
another method for providing the data dictionary. These other data dictionary options
are described in "LogMiner Dictionary Options".
22.2.1.2 Requirements
The following are requirements for the source and mining database, the data
dictionary, and the redo log files that LogMiner will mine:
• Source and mining database
– Both the source database and the mining database must be running on the
same hardware platform.
– The mining database can be the same as, or completely separate from, the
source database.
– The mining database must run the same release or a later release of the
Oracle Database software as the source database.
– The mining database must use the same character set (or a superset of the
character set) used by the source database.
• LogMiner dictionary
– The dictionary must be produced by the same source database that generates
the redo log files that LogMiner will analyze.
• All redo log files:
– Must be produced by the same source database.
– Must be associated with the same database RESETLOGS SCN.
– Must be from a release 8.0 or later Oracle Database. However, several of the
LogMiner features introduced as of release 9.0.1 work only with redo log files
produced on an Oracle9i or later database. See "Supported Databases and
Redo Log File Versions".
LogMiner does not allow you to mix redo log files from different databases or to use a
dictionary from a different database than the one that generated the redo log files to be
analyzed.
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Note:
You must enable supplemental logging before generating log files that will be
analyzed by LogMiner.
When you enable supplemental logging, additional information is recorded in
the redo stream that is needed to make the information in the redo log files
useful to you. Therefore, at the very least, you must enable minimal
supplemental logging, as the following SQL statement shows:
ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA;
To determine whether supplemental logging is enabled, query the V$DATABASE

view, as the following SQL statement shows:
SELECT SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_MIN FROM V$DATABASE;
If the query returns a value of YES or IMPLICIT, then minimal supplemental

logging is enabled. See "Supplemental Logging" for complete information about
supplemental logging.
22.2.2 Directing LogMiner Operations and Retrieving Data of Interest

You direct LogMiner operations using the DBMS_LOGMNR and DBMS_LOGMNR_D PL/SQL
packages, and retrieve data of interest using the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, as follows:
1. Specify a LogMiner dictionary.

Use the DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD procedure or specify the dictionary when you start
LogMiner (in Step 3), or both, depending on the type of dictionary you plan to use.
2. Specify a list of redo log files for analysis.
Use the DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE procedure, or direct LogMiner to create a list of
log files for analysis automatically when you start LogMiner (in Step 3).
3. Start LogMiner.
Use the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure.
4. Request the redo data of interest.
Query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
5. End the LogMiner session.
Use the DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR procedure.
You must have the EXECUTE_CATALOG_ROLE role and the LOGMINING privilege to query the
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view and to use the LogMiner PL/SQL packages.
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Using LogMiner in a CDB
Note:
When mining a specified time or SCN range of interest within archived logs
generated by an Oracle RAC database, you must ensure that you have
specified all archived logs from all redo threads that were active during that
time or SCN range. If you fail to do this, then any queries of V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
return only partial results (based on the archived logs specified to LogMiner
through the DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE procedure). This restriction is also in effect
when you are mining the archived logs at the source database using the
CONTINUOUS_MINE option. You should only use CONTINUOUS_MINE on an Oracle RAC
database if no thread is being enabled or disabled.
See Also:
"Steps in a Typical LogMiner Session" for an example of using LogMiner
22.3 Using LogMiner in a CDB

LogMiner can be used in a multitenant container database (CDB), but the following
sections discuss some differences to be aware of when using LogMiner in a CDB
versus a non-CDB:
LogMiner supports CDBs that have PDBs of different character sets provided the root
container has a character set that is a superset of all the PDBs.
To administer a multitenant environment you must have the CDB_DBA role.
• LogMiner V$ Views and DBA Views in a CDB

In a CDB, views used by LogMiner to show information about LogMiner sessions
running in the system contain an additional column named CON_ID.
• The V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS View in a CDB
In a CDB, the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view and its associated functions are restricted to
the root database. Several new columns exist in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS in support of
CDBs.
• Enabling Supplemental Logging in a CDB
• Using a Flat File Dictionary in a CDB
See Also:
• Oracle Multitenant Administrator’s Guide for more information about CDBs

• Oracle Database Reference for more information about views
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Using LogMiner in a CDB
22.3.1 LogMiner V$ Views and DBA Views in a CDB

In a CDB, views used by LogMiner to show information about LogMiner sessions
running in the system contain an additional column named CON_ID.
The CON_ID column identifies the container ID associated with the session for which
information is being displayed. When you query the view from a pluggable database
(PDB), only information associated with the database is displayed. The following views
are affected by this new behavior:
• V$LOGMNR_DICTIONARY_LOAD
• V$LOGMNR_LATCH
• V$LOGMNR_PROCESS
• V$LOGMNR_SESSION
• V$LOGMNR_STATS
Note:
To support CDBs, the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view has several other new columns in
addition to CON_ID.
The following DBA views have analogous CDB views whose names begin with CDB.
Type of Log View DBA View CDB View

LogMiner Log Views DBA_LOGMNR_LOG CDB_LOGMNR_LOG
LogMiner Purged Log Views DBA_LOGMNR_PURGED_LOG CDB_LOGMNR_PURGED_LOG
LogMiner Session Log DBA_LOGMNR_SESSION CDB_LOGMNR_SESSION
Views
The DBA views show only information related to sessions defined in the container in
which they are queried.
The CDB views contain an additional CON_ID column, which identifies the container
whose data a given row represents. When CDB views are queried from the root, they
can be used to see information about all containers.
22.3.2 The V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS View in a CDB

In a CDB, the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view and its associated functions are restricted to the
root database. Several new columns exist in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS in support of CDBs.
• CON_ID — contains the ID associated with the container from which the query is
executed. Because V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS is restricted to the root database, this
column returns a value of 1 when a query is done on a CDB.
• SRC_CON_NAME — the PDB name. This information is available only when mining is
performed with a LogMiner dictionary.
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LogMiner Dictionary Files and Redo Log Files
• SRC_CON_ID — the container ID of the PDB that generated the redo record. This
information is available only when mining is performed with a LogMiner dictionary.
• SRC_CON_DBID — the PDB identifier. This information is available only when mining
is performed with a current LogMiner dictionary.
• SRC_CON_GUID — contains the GUID associated with the PDB. This information is
available only when mining is performed with a current LogMiner dictionary.
22.3.3 Enabling Supplemental Logging in a CDB

In a CDB, the syntax for enabling and disabling database-wide supplemental logging is
the same as in a non-CDB database:
ALTER DATABASE [ADD|DROP] SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA ...
However, note the following:

• In a CDB, supplemental logging levels that are enabled from CDB$ROOT are enabled
across the CDB.
• If at least minimal supplemental logging is enabled in CDB$ROOT, then additional
supplemental logging levels can be enabled at the PDB level.
• Supplemental logging levels enabled at the CDB level from CDB$ROOT cannot be
disabled at the PDB level.
• Dropping all supplemental logging from CDB$ROOT disables all supplemental logging
across the CDB regardless of previous PDB level settings.
Supplemental logging operations started with CREATE TABLE and ALTER TABLE statements
can be executed from either the root database or a PDB and affect only the table to
which they are applied.
22.3.4 Using a Flat File Dictionary in a CDB

You cannot take a dictionary snapshot for an entire CDB in a single flat file. You must
be connected to a distinct PDB, and can take a snapshot of only that PDB in a flat file.
Thus, when using a flat file dictionary, you can only mine the redo logs for the changes
associated with the PDB whose data dictionary is contained within the flat file.
22.4 LogMiner Dictionary Files and Redo Log Files

Before you begin using LogMiner, it is important to understand how LogMiner works
with the LogMiner dictionary file (or files) and redo log files. This will help you to get
accurate results and to plan the use of your system resources.
The following concepts are discussed in this section:
• LogMiner Dictionary Options
• Redo Log File Options
22.4.1 LogMiner Dictionary Options

LogMiner requires a dictionary to translate object IDs into object names when it returns
redo data to you. LogMiner gives you three options for supplying the dictionary:
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Chapter 22
• Using the Online Catalog

Oracle recommends that you use this option when you will have access to the
source database from which the redo log files were created and when no changes
to the column definitions in the tables of interest are anticipated. This is the most
efficient and easy-to-use option.
• Extracting a LogMiner Dictionary to the Redo Log Files
Oracle recommends that you use this option when you do not expect to have
access to the source database from which the redo log files were created, or if you
anticipate that changes will be made to the column definitions in the tables of
interest.
• Extracting the LogMiner Dictionary to a Flat File
This option is maintained for backward compatibility with previous releases. This
option does not guarantee transactional consistency. Oracle recommends that you
use either the online catalog or extract the dictionary to redo log files instead.
Figure 22-2 shows a decision tree to help you select a LogMiner dictionary, depending
on your situation.
Figure 22-2 Decision Tree for Choosing a LogMiner Dictionary
Will Will
LogMiner the database Will
have access to be open for the instance
the source No write No be started?
database? access?
Yes Yes Yes
Will
column Might
definitions be column
unchanged? No definitions
change? No
Yes Yes
Will
the database
No be open?
Yes
Use the dictionary Use the dictionary Use the dictionary

in the online catalog. in the redo log files. extracted to a flat file.
22-9
Chapter 22
The following sections provide instructions on how to specify each of the available
dictionary options.
• Using the Online Catalog
• Extracting a LogMiner Dictionary to the Redo Log Files
• Extracting the LogMiner Dictionary to a Flat File
22.4.1.1 Using the Online Catalog

To direct LogMiner to use the dictionary currently in use for the database, specify the
online catalog as your dictionary source when you start LogMiner, as follows:
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR(-
OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG);
In addition to using the online catalog to analyze online redo log files, you can use it to
analyze archived redo log files, if you are on the same system that generated the
archived redo log files.
The online catalog contains the latest information about the database and may be the
fastest way to start your analysis. Because DDL operations that change important
tables are somewhat rare, the online catalog generally contains the information you
need for your analysis.
Remember, however, that the online catalog can only reconstruct SQL statements that
are executed on the latest version of a table. As soon as a table is altered, the online
catalog no longer reflects the previous version of the table. This means that LogMiner
will not be able to reconstruct any SQL statements that were executed on the previous
version of the table. Instead, LogMiner generates nonexecutable SQL (including
hexadecimal-to-raw formatting of binary values) in the SQL_REDO column of the
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view similar to the following example:
insert into HR.EMPLOYEES(col#1, col#2) values (hextoraw('4a6f686e20446f65'),

hextoraw('c306'));"
The online catalog option requires that the database be open.

The online catalog option is not valid with the DDL_DICT_TRACKING option of
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR.
22.4.1.2 Extracting a LogMiner Dictionary to the Redo Log Files

To extract a LogMiner dictionary to the redo log files, the database must be open and
in ARCHIVELOG mode and archiving must be enabled. While the dictionary is being
extracted to the redo log stream, no DDL statements can be executed. Therefore, the
dictionary extracted to the redo log files is guaranteed to be consistent (whereas the
dictionary extracted to a flat file is not).
To extract dictionary information to the redo log files, execute the PL/SQL
DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD procedure with the STORE_IN_REDO_LOGS option. Do not specify a file
name or location.
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD( -
OPTIONS=> DBMS_LOGMNR_D.STORE_IN_REDO_LOGS);
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See Also:

ARCHIVELOG mode
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for a complete

description of DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD
The process of extracting the dictionary to the redo log files does consume database
resources, but if you limit the extraction to off-peak hours, then this should not be a
problem, and it is faster than extracting to a flat file. Depending on the size of the
dictionary, it may be contained in multiple redo log files. If the relevant redo log files
have been archived, then you can find out which redo log files contain the start and
end of an extracted dictionary. To do so, query the V$ARCHIVED_LOG view, as follows:
SELECT NAME FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG WHERE DICTIONARY_BEGIN='YES';
SELECT NAME FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG WHERE DICTIONARY_END='YES';
Specify the names of the start and end redo log files, and other redo logs in between
them, with the ADD_LOGFILE procedure when you are preparing to begin a LogMiner
session.
Oracle recommends that you periodically back up the redo log files so that the
information is saved and available at a later date. Ideally, this will not involve any extra
steps because if your database is being properly managed, then there should already
be a process in place for backing up and restoring archived redo log files. Again,
because of the time required, it is good practice to do this during off-peak hours.
22.4.1.3 Extracting the LogMiner Dictionary to a Flat File

When the LogMiner dictionary is in a flat file, fewer system resources are used than
when it is contained in the redo log files. Oracle recommends that you regularly back
up the dictionary extract to ensure correct analysis of older redo log files.
To extract database dictionary information to a flat file, use the DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD
procedure with the STORE_IN_FLAT_FILE option.
The following steps describe how to extract a dictionary to a flat file. Steps 1 and 2 are
preparation steps. You only need to do them once, and then you can extract a
dictionary to a flat file as many times as you want to.
1. The DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD procedure requires access to a directory where it can
place the dictionary file. Because PL/SQL procedures do not normally access user
directories, you must specify a directory location or the procedure will fail. The
directory location must be a directory object. The following is an example of using
the SQL CREATE DIRECTORY statement to create a directory object named
my_dictionary_dir for the path /oracle/database.
SQL> CREATE DIRECTORY "my_dictionary_dir" AS '/oracle/database';
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Note:
Prior to Oracle Database 12c release 2 (12.2), you used the UTL_FILE_DIR
initialization parameter to specify a directory location. However, as of
Oracle Database 12c release 2 (12.2), the UTL_FILE_DIR initialization
parameter is deprecated. It is still supported for backward compatibility, but
Oracle strongly recommends that you instead use directory objects.
2. If the database is closed, then use SQL*Plus to mount and open the database
whose redo log files you want to analyze. For example, entering the SQL STARTUP
command mounts and opens the database:
SQL> STARTUP
3. Execute the PL/SQL procedure DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD. The following example
extracts the LogMiner dictionary file to a flat file named dictionary.ora in the
directory object my_dictionary_dir that was created in step 1.
SQL> EXECUTE dbms_logmnr_d.build(dictionary_location=>'my_dictionary_dir', -
dictionary_filename=>'dictionary.ora', -
options => dbms_logmnr_d.store_in_flat_file);
You could also specify a file name and location without specifying the
STORE_IN_FLAT_FILE option. The result would be the same.
22.4.2 Redo Log File Options

To mine data in the redo log files, LogMiner needs information about which redo log
files to mine. Changes made to the database that are found in these redo log files are
delivered to you through the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
You can direct LogMiner to automatically and dynamically create a list of redo log files
to analyze, or you can explicitly specify a list of redo log files for LogMiner to analyze,
as follows:
• Automatically
If LogMiner is being used on the source database, then you can direct LogMiner to
find and create a list of redo log files for analysis automatically. Use the
CONTINUOUS_MINE option when you start LogMiner with the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR
procedure, and specify a time or SCN range. Although this example specifies the
dictionary from the online catalog, any LogMiner dictionary can be used. (The
CONTINUOUS_MINE option requires that the database be mounted and that archiving
be enabled. )
Note:
As of Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1), the LogMiner
compatibility reasons, but Oracle recommends that you discontinue using
it. There is no replacement functionality.
LogMiner will use the database control file to find and add redo log files that satisfy
your specified time or SCN range to the LogMiner redo log file list. For example:
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Starting LogMiner
ALTER SESSION SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT = 'DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS';

EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR( -
STARTTIME => '01-Jan-2012 08:30:00', -
ENDTIME => '01-Jan-2012 08:45:00', -
OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG + -
DBMS_LOGMNR.CONTINUOUS_MINE);
(To avoid the need to specify the date format in the PL/SQL call to the
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure, this example uses the SQL ALTER SESSION SET
NLS_DATE_FORMAT statement first.)
You can also direct LogMiner to automatically build a list of redo log files to
analyze by specifying just one redo log file using DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE, and
then specifying the CONTINUOUS_MINE option when you start LogMiner. The
previously described method is more typical, however.
• Manually
Use the DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE procedure to manually create a list of redo log
files before you start LogMiner. After the first redo log file has been added to the
list, each subsequently added redo log file must be from the same database and
associated with the same database RESETLOGS SCN. When using this method,
LogMiner need not be connected to the source database.
For example, to start a new list of redo log files, specify the NEW option of the
DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE PL/SQL procedure to signal that this is the beginning of a
new list. For example, enter the following to specify /oracle/logs/log1.f:
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE( -
LOGFILENAME => '/oracle/logs/log1.f', -
OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.NEW);
If desired, add more redo log files by specifying the ADDFILE option of the PL/SQL
DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE procedure. For example, enter the following to add /
oracle/logs/log2.f:
OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.ADDFILE);
To determine which redo log files are being analyzed in the current LogMiner
session, you can query the V$LOGMNR_LOGS view, which contains one row for each
redo log file.
22.5 Starting LogMiner

You call the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure to start LogMiner. Because the
options available with the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure allow you to control
output to the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, you must call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR before
querying the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
When you start LogMiner, you can:

• Specify how LogMiner should filter data it returns (for example, by starting and
ending time or SCN value)
• Specify options for formatting the data returned by LogMiner
• Specify the LogMiner dictionary to use
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Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS for Redo Data of Interest
The following list is a summary of LogMiner settings that you can specify with the
OPTIONS parameter to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR and where to find more information
about them.
• DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG — See "Using the Online Catalog"
• DICT_FROM_REDO_LOGS — See "Start LogMiner"
• CONTINUOUS_MINE — See "Redo Log File Options"
• COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY — See "Showing Only Committed Transactions"
• SKIP_CORRUPTION — See "Skipping Redo Corruptions"
• NO_SQL_DELIMITER — See "Formatting Reconstructed SQL Statements for Re-

execution"
• PRINT_PRETTY_SQL — See "Formatting the Appearance of Returned Data for
Readability"
• NO_ROWID_IN_STMT — See "Formatting Reconstructed SQL Statements for Re-
execution"
• DDL_DICT_TRACKING — See "Tracking DDL Statements in the LogMiner Dictionary"
When you execute the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure, LogMiner checks to

ensure that the combination of options and parameters that you have specified is valid
and that the dictionary and redo log files that you have specified are available.
However, the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view is not populated until you query the view, as
described in How the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS View Is Populated.
Note that parameters and options are not persistent across calls to
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR. You must specify all desired parameters and options
(including SCN and time ranges) each time you call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR.
22.6 Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS for Redo Data of

Interest
You access the redo data of interest by querying the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
(Note that you must have either the SYSDBA or LOGMINING privilege to query
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS.) This view provides historical information about changes made to
the database, including (but not limited to) the following:
• The type of change made to the database: INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, or DDL (OPERATION
column).
• The SCN at which a change was made (SCN column).
• The SCN at which a change was committed (COMMIT_SCN column).
• The transaction to which a change belongs (XIDUSN, XIDSLT, and XIDSQN columns).
• The table and schema name of the modified object (SEG_NAME and SEG_OWNER
columns).
• The name of the user who issued the DDL or DML statement to make the change
(USERNAME column).
• If the change was due to a SQL DML statement, the reconstructed SQL
statements showing SQL DML that is equivalent (but not necessarily identical) to
the SQL DML used to generate the redo records (SQL_REDO column).
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• If a password is part of the statement in a SQL_REDO column, then the password is

encrypted. SQL_REDO column values that correspond to DDL statements are always
identical to the SQL DDL used to generate the redo records.
• If the change was due to a SQL DML change, the reconstructed SQL statements
showing the SQL DML statements needed to undo the change (SQL_UNDO column).
SQL_UNDO columns that correspond to DDL statements are always NULL. The
SQL_UNDO column may be NULL also for some data types and for rolled back
operations.
Note:
LogMiner supports Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), in that
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS shows DML operations performed on tables with encrypted
columns (including the encrypted columns being updated), provided the
LogMiner data dictionary contains the metadata for the object in question and
provided the appropriate master key is in the Oracle wallet. The wallet must be
open or V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS cannot interpret the associated redo records. TDE
support is not available if the database is not open (either read-only or read-
write).
See Also:
Oracle Database Advanced Security Guide for more information about TDE
Example of Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS

To find any delete operations that a user named Ron performed on the oe.orders
table, issue a SQL query similar to the following:
SELECT OPERATION, SQL_REDO, SQL_UNDO
FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
WHERE SEG_OWNER = 'OE' AND SEG_NAME = 'ORDERS' AND
OPERATION = 'DELETE' AND USERNAME = 'RON';
The following output is produced by the query. The formatting may be different on your
display than that shown here.
OPERATION SQL_REDO SQL_UNDO
DELETE delete from "OE"."ORDERS" insert into "OE"."ORDERS"

where "ORDER_ID" = '2413' ("ORDER_ID","ORDER_MODE",
and "ORDER_MODE" = 'direct' "CUSTOMER_ID","ORDER_STATUS",
and "CUSTOMER_ID" = '101' "ORDER_TOTAL","SALES_REP_ID",
and "ORDER_STATUS" = '5' "PROMOTION_ID")
and "ORDER_TOTAL" = '48552' values ('2413','direct','101',
and "SALES_REP_ID" = '161' '5','48552','161',NULL);
and "PROMOTION_ID" IS NULL
and ROWID = 'AAAHTCAABAAAZAPAAN';
DELETE delete from "OE"."ORDERS" insert into "OE"."ORDERS"

where "ORDER_ID" = '2430' ("ORDER_ID","ORDER_MODE",
and "ORDER_MODE" = 'direct' "CUSTOMER_ID","ORDER_STATUS",
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and "CUSTOMER_ID" = '101' "ORDER_TOTAL","SALES_REP_ID",

and "ORDER_STATUS" = '8' "PROMOTION_ID")
and "ORDER_TOTAL" = '29669.9' values('2430','direct','101',
and "SALES_REP_ID" = '159' '8','29669.9','159',NULL);
and "PROMOTION_ID" IS NULL
and ROWID = 'AAAHTCAABAAAZAPAAe';
This output shows that user Ron deleted two rows from the oe.orders table. The
reconstructed SQL statements are equivalent, but not necessarily identical, to the
actual statement that Ron issued. The reason for this difference is that the original
WHERE clause is not logged in the redo log files, so LogMiner can only show deleted (or
updated or inserted) rows individually.
Therefore, even though a single DELETE statement may be responsible for the deletion
of both rows, the output in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS does not reflect that fact. The actual
DELETE statement may have been DELETE FROM OE.ORDERS WHERE CUSTOMER_ID ='101' or it
may have been DELETE FROM OE.ORDERS WHERE PROMOTION_ID = NULL.
• How the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS View Is Populated

The V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS fixed view is unlike other views in that it is not a selective
presentation of data stored in a table. Instead, it is a relational presentation of the
data that you request from the redo log files.
• Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS Based on Column Values
LogMiner lets you make queries based on column values.
• Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS Based on XMLType Columns and Tables
LogMiner supports redo generated for XMLType columns. XMLType data stored as
CLOB is supported when redo is generated at a compatibility setting of 11.0.0.0 or
higher.
22.6.1 How the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS View Is Populated

The V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS fixed view is unlike other views in that it is not a selective
presentation of data stored in a table. Instead, it is a relational presentation of the data
that you request from the redo log files.
LogMiner populates the view only in response to a query against it. You must
successfully start LogMiner before you can query V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS.
When a SQL select operation is executed against the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, the redo
log files are read sequentially. Translated information from the redo log files is returned
as rows in the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view. This continues until either the filter criteria
specified at startup are met or the end of the redo log file is reached.
In some cases, certain columns in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS may not be populated. For
example:
• The TABLE_SPACE column is not populated for rows where the value of the OPERATION
column is DDL. This is because a DDL may operate on more than one tablespace.
For example, a table can be created with multiple partitions spanning multiple
table spaces; hence it would not be accurate to populate the column.
• LogMiner does not generate SQL redo or SQL undo for temporary tables. The
SQL_REDO column will contain the string "/* No SQL_REDO for temporary tables */"
and the SQL_UNDO column will contain the string "/* No SQL_UNDO for temporary
tables */".
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LogMiner returns all the rows in SCN order unless you have used the
COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option to specify that only committed transactions should be
retrieved. SCN order is the order normally applied in media recovery.
See Also:
"Showing Only Committed Transactions" for more information about the
COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR
Note:
Because LogMiner populates the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view only in response to a
query and does not store the requested data in the database, the following is
true:
• Every time you query V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS, LogMiner analyzes the redo log
files for the data you request.
• The amount of memory consumed by the query is not dependent on the
number of rows that must be returned to satisfy a query.
• The time it takes to return the requested data is dependent on the amount
and type of redo log data that must be mined to find that data.
For the reasons stated in the previous note, Oracle recommends that you create a
table to temporarily hold the results from a query of V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS if you need to
maintain the data for further analysis, particularly if the amount of data returned by a
query is small in comparison to the amount of redo data that LogMiner must analyze to
provide that data.
22.6.2 Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS Based on Column Values

LogMiner lets you make queries based on column values.
For instance, you can perform a query to show all updates to the hr.employees table
that increase salary more than a certain amount. Data such as this can be used to
analyze system behavior and to perform auditing tasks.
LogMiner data extraction from redo log files is performed using two mine functions:
DBMS_LOGMNR.MINE_VALUE and DBMS_LOGMNR.COLUMN_PRESENT. Support for these mine
functions is provided by the REDO_VALUE and UNDO_VALUE columns in the
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
The following is an example of how you could use the MINE_VALUE function to select all
updates to hr.employees that increased the salary column to more than twice its
original value:
SELECT SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
WHERE
SEG_NAME = 'EMPLOYEES' AND
SEG_OWNER = 'HR' AND
OPERATION = 'UPDATE' AND
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DBMS_LOGMNR.MINE_VALUE(REDO_VALUE, 'HR.EMPLOYEES.SALARY') >

2*DBMS_LOGMNR.MINE_VALUE(UNDO_VALUE, 'HR.EMPLOYEES.SALARY');
As shown in this example, the MINE_VALUE function takes two arguments:
• The first one specifies whether to mine the redo (REDO_VALUE) or undo (UNDO_VALUE)
portion of the data. The redo portion of the data is the data that is in the column
after an insert, update, or delete operation; the undo portion of the data is the data
that was in the column before an insert, update, or delete operation. It may help to
think of the REDO_VALUE as the new value and the UNDO_VALUE as the old value.
• The second argument is a string that specifies the fully qualified name of the
column to be mined (in this case, hr.employees.salary). The MINE_VALUE function
always returns a string that can be converted back to the original data type.
• The Meaning of NULL Values Returned by the MINE_VALUE Function
• Usage Rules for the MINE_VALUE and COLUMN_PRESENT Functions
• Restrictions When Using the MINE_VALUE Function To Get an NCHAR Value
22.6.2.1 The Meaning of NULL Values Returned by the MINE_VALUE Function

If the MINE_VALUE function returns a NULL value, then it can mean either:
• The specified column is not present in the redo or undo portion of the data.
• The specified column is present and has a null value.
To distinguish between these two cases, use the DBMS_LOGMNR.COLUMN_PRESENT function
which returns a 1 if the column is present in the redo or undo portion of the data.
Otherwise, it returns a 0. For example, suppose you wanted to find out the increment
by which the values in the salary column were modified and the corresponding
transaction identifier. You could issue the following SQL query:
SELECT
(XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) AS XID,
(DBMS_LOGMNR.MINE_VALUE(REDO_VALUE, 'HR.EMPLOYEES.SALARY') -
DBMS_LOGMNR.MINE_VALUE(UNDO_VALUE, 'HR.EMPLOYEES.SALARY')) AS INCR_SAL
WHERE
OPERATION = 'UPDATE' AND
DBMS_LOGMNR.COLUMN_PRESENT(REDO_VALUE, 'HR.EMPLOYEES.SALARY') = 1 AND
DBMS_LOGMNR.COLUMN_PRESENT(UNDO_VALUE, 'HR.EMPLOYEES.SALARY') = 1;
22.6.2.2 Usage Rules for the MINE_VALUE and COLUMN_PRESENT

Functions
The following usage rules apply to the MINE_VALUE and COLUMN_PRESENT functions:
• They can only be used within a LogMiner session.

• They must be started in the context of a select operation from the
• They do not support LONG, LONG RAW, CLOB, BLOB, NCLOB, ADT, or COLLECTION data
types.
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22.6.2.3 Restrictions When Using the MINE_VALUE Function To Get an

NCHAR Value
If the DBMS_LOGMNR.MINE_VALUE function is used to get an NCHAR value that includes
characters not found in the database character set, then those characters are returned
as the replacement character (for example, an inverted question mark) of the database
character set.
22.6.3 Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS Based on XMLType

Columns and Tables
LogMiner supports redo generated for XMLType columns. XMLType data stored as CLOB is
supported when redo is generated at a compatibility setting of 11.0.0.0 or higher.
XMLType data stored as object-relational and binary XML is supported for redo
generated at a compatibility setting of 11.2.0.3 and higher.
LogMiner presents the SQL_REDO in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS in different ways depending on
the XMLType storage. In all cases, the contents of the SQL_REDO column, in combination
with the STATUS column, require careful scrutiny, and usually require reassembly before
a SQL or PL/SQL statement can be generated to redo the change. There may be
cases when it is not possible to use the SQL_REDO data to construct such a change. The
examples in the following subsections are based on XMLType stored as CLOB which is
generally the simplest to use for reconstruction of the complete row change.
Note:
XMLType data stored as CLOB is deprecated as of Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1).
Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS For Changes to Tables With XMLType

Columns
The example in this section is for a table named XML_CLOB_COL_TAB that has the
following columns:
• f1 NUMBER
• f2 VARCHAR2(100)
• f3 XMLTYPE
• f4 XMLTYPE
• f5 VARCHAR2(10)
Assume that a LogMiner session has been started with the logs and with the
COMMITED_DATA_ONLY option. The following query is executed against V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
for changes to the XML_CLOB_COL_TAB table.
SELECT OPERATION, STATUS, SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
WHERE SEG_OWNER = 'SCOTT' AND TABLE_NAME = 'XML_CLOB_COL_TAB';
The query output looks similar to the following:
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OPERATION STATUS SQL_REDO
INSERT 0 insert into "SCOTT"."XML_CLOB_COL_TAB"("F1","F2","F5") values

('5010','Aho40431','PETER')
XML DOC BEGIN 5 update "SCOTT"."XML_CLOB_COL_TAB" a set a."F3" = XMLType(:1)

where a."F1" = '5010' and a."F2" = 'Aho40431' and a."F5" = 'PETER'
XML DOC WRITE 5 XML Data
XML DOC END 5
In the SQL_REDO columns for the XML DOC WRITE operations there will be actual data for
the XML document. It will not be the string 'XML Data'.
This output shows that the general model for an insert into a table with an XMLType
column is the following:
1. An initial insert with all of the scalar columns.
2. An XML DOC BEGIN operation with an update statement that sets the value for one
XMLType column using a bind variable.
3. One or more XML DOC WRITE operations with the data for the XML document.
4. An XML DOC END operation to indicate that all of the data for that XML document has
been seen.
5. If there is more than one XMLType column in the table, then steps 2 through 4 will
be repeated for each XMLType column that is modified by the original DML.
If the XML document is not stored as an out-of-line column, then there will be no XML
DOC BEGIN, XML DOC WRITE, or XML DOC END operations for that column. The document will
be included in an update statement similar to the following:
OPERATION STATUS SQL_REDO
UPDATE 0 update "SCOTT"."XML_CLOB_COL_TAB" a

set a."F3" = XMLType('<?xml version="1.0"?>
<PO pono="1">
<PNAME>Po_99</PNAME>
<CUSTNAME>Dave Davids</CUSTNAME>
</PO>')
where a."F1" = '5006' and a."F2" = 'Janosik' and a."F5" = 'MMM'
Querying V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS For Changes to XMLType Tables

DMLs to XMLType tables are slightly different from DMLs to XMLType columns. The XML
document represents the value for the row in the XMLType table. Unlike the XMLType
column case, an initial insert cannot be done which is then followed by an update
containing the XML document. Rather, the whole document must be assembled before
anything can be inserted into the table.
Another difference for XMLType tables is the presence of the OBJECT_ID column. An
object identifier is used to uniquely identify every object in an object table. For XMLType
tables, this value is generated by Oracle Database when the row is inserted into the
table. The OBJECT_ID value cannot be directly inserted into the table using SQL.
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Therefore, LogMiner cannot generate SQL_REDO which is executable that includes this
value.
The V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view has a new OBJECT_ID column which is populated for
changes to XMLType tables. This value is the object identifier from the original table.
However, even if this same XML document is inserted into the same XMLType table, a
new object identifier will be generated. The SQL_REDO for subsequent DMLs, such as
updates and deletes, on the XMLType table will include the object identifier in the WHERE
clause to uniquely identify the row from the original table.
• Restrictions When Using LogMiner With XMLType Data
• Example of a PL/SQL Procedure for Assembling XMLType Data
22.6.3.1 Restrictions When Using LogMiner With XMLType Data

Mining XMLType data should only be done when using the
DBMS_LOGMNR.COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option. Otherwise, incomplete changes could be
displayed or changes which should be displayed as XML might be displayed as CLOB
changes due to missing parts of the row change. This can lead to incomplete and
invalid SQL_REDO for these SQL DML statements.
The SQL_UNDO column is not populated for changes to XMLType data.
22.6.3.2 Example of a PL/SQL Procedure for Assembling XMLType Data

The example presented in this section shows a procedure that can be used to mine
and assemble XML redo for tables that contain out of line XML data. This shows how
to assemble the XML data using a temporary LOB. Once the XML document is
assembled, it can be used in a meaningful way. This example queries the assembled
document for the EmployeeName element and then stores the returned name, the XML
document and the SQL_REDO for the original DML in the EMPLOYEE_XML_DOCS table.
Note:
This procedure is an example only and is simplified. It is only intended to
illustrate that DMLs to tables with XMLType data can be mined and assembled
using LogMiner.
Before calling this procedure, all of the relevant logs must be added to a LogMiner
session and DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR() must be called with the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY
option. The MINE_AND_ASSEMBLE() procedure can then be called with the schema and
table name of the table that has XML data to be mined.
-- table to store assembled XML documents
create table employee_xml_docs (
employee_name varchar2(100),
sql_stmt varchar2(4000),
xml_doc SYS.XMLType);
-- procedure to assemble the XML documents

create or replace procedure mine_and_assemble(
schemaname in varchar2,
tablename in varchar2)
AS
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loc_c CLOB;
row_op VARCHAR2(100);
row_status NUMBER;
stmt VARCHAR2(4000);
row_redo VARCHAR2(4000);
xml_data VARCHAR2(32767 CHAR);
data_len NUMBER;
xml_lob clob;
xml_doc XMLType;
BEGIN
-- Look for the rows in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS that are for the appropriate schema
-- and table name but limit it to those that are valid sql or that need assembly
-- because they are XML documents.
For item in ( SELECT operation, status, sql_redo FROM v$logmnr_contents

where seg_owner = schemaname and table_name = tablename
and status IN (DBMS_LOGMNR.VALID_SQL, DBMS_LOGMNR.ASSEMBLY_REQUIRED_SQL))
LOOP
row_op := item.operation;
row_status := item.status;
row_redo := item.sql_redo;
CASE row_op
WHEN 'XML DOC BEGIN' THEN

BEGIN
-- save statement and begin assembling XML data
stmt := row_redo;
xml_data := '';
data_len := 0;
DBMS_LOB.CreateTemporary(xml_lob, TRUE);
END;
WHEN 'XML DOC WRITE' THEN

BEGIN
-- Continue to assemble XML data
xml_data := xml_data || row_redo;
data_len := data_len + length(row_redo);
DBMS_LOB.WriteAppend(xml_lob, length(row_redo), row_redo);
END;
WHEN 'XML DOC END' THEN

BEGIN
-- Now that assembly is complete, we can use the XML document
xml_doc := XMLType.createXML(xml_lob);
insert into employee_xml_docs values
(extractvalue(xml_doc, '/EMPLOYEE/NAME'), stmt, xml_doc);
commit;
-- reset
xml_data := '';
data_len := 0;
xml_lob := NULL;
END;
WHEN 'INSERT' THEN

BEGIN
stmt := row_redo;
END;
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Chapter 22
WHEN 'UPDATE' THEN

BEGIN
stmt := row_redo;
END;
WHEN 'INTERNAL' THEN

DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Skip rows marked INTERNAL');
ELSE
BEGIN
stmt := row_redo;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Other - ' || stmt);
IF row_status != DBMS_LOGMNR.VALID_SQL then
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Skip rows marked non-executable');
ELSE
dbms_output.put_line('Status : ' || row_status);
END IF;
END;
END CASE;
End LOOP;
End;
/
show errors;
This procedure can then be called to mine the changes to the SCOTT.XML_DATA_TAB and
apply the DMLs.
EXECUTE MINE_AND_ASSEMBLE ('SCOTT', 'XML_DATA_TAB');
As a result of this procedure, the EMPLOYEE_XML_DOCS table will have a row for each out-
of-line XML column that was changed. The EMPLOYEE_NAME column will have the value
extracted from the XML document and the SQL_STMT column and the XML_DOC column
reflect the original row change.
The following is an example query to the resulting table that displays only the
employee name and SQL statement:
SELECT EMPLOYEE_NAME, SQL_STMT FROM EMPLOYEE_XML_DOCS;
EMPLOYEE_NAME
SQL_STMT
Scott Davis update "SCOTT"."XML_DATA_TAB" a set a."F3" = XMLType(:1)

where a."F1" = '5000' and a."F2" = 'Chen' and a."F5" = 'JJJ'
Richard Harry update "SCOTT"."XML_DATA_TAB" a set a."F4" = XMLType(:1)

where a."F1" = '5000' and a."F2" = 'Chen' and a."F5" = 'JJJ'
Margaret Sally update "SCOTT"."XML_DATA_TAB" a set a."F4" = XMLType(:1)

where a."F1" = '5006' and a."F2" = 'Janosik' and a."F5" = 'MMM'
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Chapter 22
Filtering and Formatting Data Returned to V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
22.7 Filtering and Formatting Data Returned to

V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
LogMiner can potentially deal with large amounts of information. You can limit the
information that is returned to the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, and the speed at which it is
returned.
The following sections demonstrate how to specify these limits and their impact on the
data returned when you query V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS.
In addition, LogMiner offers features for formatting the data that is returned to
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS, as described in the following sections:
• Formatting Reconstructed SQL Statements for Re-execution

• Formatting the Appearance of Returned Data for Readability
You request each of these filtering and formatting features using parameters or
options to the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure.
• Showing Only Committed Transactions

• Skipping Redo Corruptions
• Filtering Data by Time
• Filtering Data by SCN
• Formatting Reconstructed SQL Statements for Re-execution
• Formatting the Appearance of Returned Data for Readability
22.7.1 Showing Only Committed Transactions

When you use the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR, only rows
belonging to committed transactions are shown in the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view. This
enables you to filter out rolled back transactions, transactions that are in progress, and
internal operations.
To enable this option, specify it when you start LogMiner, as follows:
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR(OPTIONS => -
DBMS_LOGMNR.COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY);
When you specify the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option, LogMiner groups together all DML
operations that belong to the same transaction. Transactions are returned in the order
in which they were committed.
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Chapter 22
Note:
If the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option is specified and you issue a query, then
LogMiner stages all redo records within a single transaction in memory until
LogMiner finds the commit record for that transaction. Therefore, it is possible
to exhaust memory, in which case an "Out of Memory" error will be returned. If
this occurs, then you must restart LogMiner without the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY
option specified and reissue the query.
The default is for LogMiner to show rows corresponding to all transactions and to
return them in the order in which they are encountered in the redo log files.
For example, suppose you start LogMiner without specifying the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY
option and you execute the following query:
SELECT (XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) AS XID,
USERNAME, SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS WHERE USERNAME != 'SYS'
AND SEG_OWNER IS NULL OR SEG_OWNER NOT IN ('SYS', 'SYSTEM');
The output is as follows. Both committed and uncommitted transactions are returned
and rows from different transactions are interwoven.
XID USERNAME SQL_REDO
1.15.3045 RON set transaction read write;

1.15.3045 RON insert into "HR"."JOBS"("JOB_ID","JOB_TITLE",
"MIN_SALARY","MAX_SALARY") values ('9782',
'HR_ENTRY',NULL,NULL);
1.18.3046 JANE set transaction read write;
1.18.3046 JANE insert into "OE"."CUSTOMERS"("CUSTOMER_ID",
"CUST_FIRST_NAME","CUST_LAST_NAME",
"CUST_ADDRESS","PHONE_NUMBERS","NLS_LANGUAGE",
"NLS_TERRITORY","CREDIT_LIMIT","CUST_EMAIL",
"ACCOUNT_MGR_ID") values ('9839','Edgar',
'Cummings',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,
NULL,NULL,NULL);
1.9.3041 RAJIV set transaction read write;
1.9.3041 RAJIV insert into "OE"."CUSTOMERS"("CUSTOMER_ID",
"CUST_FIRST_NAME","CUST_LAST_NAME","CUST_ADDRESS",
"PHONE_NUMBERS","NLS_LANGUAGE","NLS_TERRITORY",
"CREDIT_LIMIT","CUST_EMAIL","ACCOUNT_MGR_ID")
values ('9499','Rodney','Emerson',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,
NULL,NULL,NULL);
1.15.3045 RON commit;
'FI_ENTRY',NULL,NULL);
1.18.3046 JANE commit;
"ACCOUNT_MGR_ID") values ('8933','Ronald',
'Frost',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL);
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Now suppose you start LogMiner, but this time you specify the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY
option. If you execute the previous query again, then the output is as follows:
'HR_ENTRY',NULL,NULL);
"ACCOUNT_MGR_ID") values ('9839','Edgar',
'Cummings',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,
NULL,NULL,NULL);
"ACCOUNT_MGR_ID") values ('8933','Ronald',
'Frost',NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL);
'FI_ENTRY',NULL,NULL);
Because the COMMIT statement for the 1.15.3045 transaction was issued before the
COMMIT statement for the 1.18.3046 transaction, the entire 1.15.3045 transaction is
returned first. This is true even though the 1.18.3046 transaction started before the
1.15.3045 transaction. None of the 1.9.3041 transaction is returned because a COMMIT
statement was never issued for it.
See Also:
See "Examples Using LogMiner" for a complete example that uses the
COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option
22.7.2 Skipping Redo Corruptions

When you use the SKIP_CORRUPTION option to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR, any corruptions
in the redo log files are skipped during select operations from the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
view. For every corrupt redo record encountered, a row is returned that contains the
value CORRUPTED_BLOCKS in the OPERATION column, 1343 in the STATUS column, and the
number of blocks skipped in the INFO column.
Be aware that the skipped records may include changes to ongoing transactions in the
corrupted blocks; such changes will not be reflected in the data returned from the
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Chapter 22
The default is for the select operation to terminate at the first corruption it encounters
in the redo log file.
The following SQL example shows how this option works:
-- Add redo log files of interest.
--
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE(-
logfilename => '/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_16_482701534.log' -
options => DBMS_LOGMNR.NEW);
-- Start LogMiner
--
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR();
-- Select from the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view. This example shows corruptions are -- in
the redo log files.
--
SELECT rbasqn, rbablk, rbabyte, operation, status, info
FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS;
ERROR at line 3:
ORA-00368: checksum error in redo log block
ORA-00353: log corruption near block 6 change 73528 time 11/06/2011 11:30:23
ORA-00334: archived log: /usr/oracle/data/dbarch1_16_482701534.log
-- Restart LogMiner. This time, specify the SKIP_CORRUPTION option.

--
options => DBMS_LOGMNR.SKIP_CORRUPTION);
-- Select from the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view again. The output indicates that
-- corrupted blocks were skipped: CORRUPTED_BLOCKS is in the OPERATION
-- column, 1343 is in the STATUS column, and the number of corrupt blocks
-- skipped is in the INFO column.
--
SELECT rbasqn, rbablk, rbabyte, operation, status, info
RBASQN RBABLK RBABYTE OPERATION STATUS INFO

13 2 76 START 0
13 2 76 DELETE 0
13 3 100 INTERNAL 0
13 3 380 DELETE 0
13 0 0 CORRUPTED_BLOCKS 1343 corrupt blocks 4 to 19 skipped
13 20 116 UPDATE 0
22.7.3 Filtering Data by Time

To filter data by time, set the STARTTIME and ENDTIME parameters in the
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure.
To avoid the need to specify the date format in the call to the PL/SQL
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure, you can use the SQL ALTER SESSION SET
NLS_DATE_FORMAT statement first, as shown in the following example.
ALTER SESSION SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT = 'DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS';

DICTFILENAME => '/oracle/database/dictionary.ora', -
STARTTIME => '01-Jan-2012 08:30:00', -
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Chapter 22
ENDTIME => '01-Jan-2012 08:45:00'-

OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.CONTINUOUS_MINE);
The timestamps should not be used to infer ordering of redo records. You can infer the
order of redo records by using the SCN.
See Also:
• "Examples Using LogMiner" for a complete example of filtering data by time

• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for information
about what happens if you specify starting and ending times and they are
not found in the LogMiner redo log file list, and for information about how
these parameters interact with the CONTINUOUS_MINE option
22.7.4 Filtering Data by SCN

To filter data by SCN (system change number), use the STARTSCN and ENDSCN
parameters to the PL/SQL DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure, as shown in this
example:
STARTSCN => 621047, -
ENDSCN => 625695, -
The STARTSCN and ENDSCN parameters override the STARTTIME and ENDTIME parameters in
situations where all are specified.
See Also:
• "Examples Using LogMiner" for a complete example of filtering data by

SCN
• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for information
about what happens if you specify starting and ending SCN values and
they are not found in the LogMiner redo log file list and for information
about how these parameters interact with the CONTINUOUS_MINE option
22.7.5 Formatting Reconstructed SQL Statements for Re-execution

By default, a ROWID clause is included in the reconstructed SQL_REDO and SQL_UNDO
statements and the statements are ended with a semicolon.
However, you can override the default settings, as follows:
• Specify the NO_ROWID_IN_STMT option when you start LogMiner.
This excludes the ROWID clause from the reconstructed statements. Because row
IDs are not consistent between databases, if you intend to re-execute the SQL_REDO
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Chapter 22
or SQL_UNDO statements against a different database than the one against which
they were originally executed, then specify the NO_ROWID_IN_STMT option when you
start LogMiner.
• Specify the NO_SQL_DELIMITER option when you start LogMiner.
This suppresses the semicolon from the reconstructed statements. This is helpful
for applications that open a cursor and then execute the reconstructed statements.
Note that if the STATUS field of the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view contains the value 2 (invalid
sql), then the associated SQL statement cannot be executed.
22.7.6 Formatting the Appearance of Returned Data for Readability

Sometimes a query can result in a large number of columns containing reconstructed
SQL statements, which can be visually busy and hard to read. LogMiner provides the
PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option to address this problem. The PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option to the
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure formats the reconstructed SQL statements as
follows, which makes them easier to read:
insert into "HR"."JOBS"
values
"JOB_ID" = '9782',
"JOB_TITLE" = 'HR_ENTRY',
"MIN_SALARY" IS NULL,
"MAX_SALARY" IS NULL;
update "HR"."JOBS"
set
"JOB_TITLE" = 'FI_ENTRY'
where
"JOB_TITLE" = 'HR_ENTRY' and
ROWID = 'AAAHSeAABAAAY+CAAX';
update "HR"."JOBS"
set
"JOB_TITLE" = 'FI_ENTRY'
where
"JOB_TITLE" = 'HR_ENTRY' and
delete from "HR"."JOBS"

where
"JOB_ID" = '9782' and
"JOB_TITLE" = 'FI_ENTRY' and
"MIN_SALARY" IS NULL and
"MAX_SALARY" IS NULL and
SQL statements that are reconstructed when the PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option is enabled
are not executable, because they do not use standard SQL syntax.
See Also:
"Examples Using LogMiner" for a complete example of using the
PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option
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Chapter 22
Reapplying DDL Statements Returned to V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
22.8 Reapplying DDL Statements Returned to

V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
Some DDL statements that you issue cause Oracle to internally execute one or more
other DDL statements.
To reapply SQL DDL from the SQL_REDO or SQL_UNDO columns of the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
view as it was originally applied to the database, do not execute statements that were
executed internally by Oracle.
Note:
If you execute DML statements that were executed internally by Oracle, then
you may corrupt your database. See Step 5 of "Example 4: Using the LogMiner
Dictionary in the Redo Log Files" for an example.
To differentiate between DDL statements that were issued by a user from those that
were issued internally by Oracle, query the INFO column of V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS. The
value of the INFO column indicates whether the DDL was executed by a user or by
Oracle.
To reapply SQL DDL as it was originally applied, re-execute the DDL SQL contained in
the SQL_REDO or SQL_UNDO column of V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS only if the INFO column contains
the value USER_DDL.
22.9 Calling DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR Multiple

Times
Even after you have successfully called DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR and selected from
the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, you can call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR again without
ending the current LogMiner session and specify different options and time or SCN
ranges. The following list presents reasons why you might want to do this:
• You want to limit the amount of redo data that LogMiner has to analyze.
• You want to specify different options. For example, you might decide to specify the
PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option or that you only want to see committed transactions (so
you specify the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option).
• You want to change the time or SCN range to be analyzed.
Examples: Calling DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR Multiple Times

The following are some examples of when it could be useful to call
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR multiple times.
Example 1: Mining Only a Subset of the Data in the Redo Log Files
Suppose the list of redo log files that LogMiner has to mine include those generated
for an entire week. However, you want to analyze only what happened from 12:00 to
1:00 each day. You could do this most efficiently by:
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Chapter 22
Supplemental Logging
1. Calling DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR with this time range for Monday.

2. Selecting changes from the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
3. Repeating Steps 1 and 2 for each day of the week.
If the total amount of redo data is large for the week, then this method would make the
whole analysis much faster, because only a small subset of each redo log file in the list
would be read by LogMiner.
Example 2: Adjusting the Time Range or SCN Range
Suppose you specify a redo log file list and specify a time (or SCN) range when you
start LogMiner. When you query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, you find that only part of
the data of interest is included in the time range you specified. You can call
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR again to expand the time range by an hour (or adjust the
SCN range).
Example 3: Analyzing Redo Log Files As They Arrive at a Remote Database
Suppose you have written an application to analyze changes or to replicate changes
from one database to another database. The source database sends its redo log files
to the mining database and drops them into an operating system directory. Your
application:
1. Adds all redo log files currently in the directory to the redo log file list
2. Calls DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR with appropriate settings and selects from the
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view
3. Adds additional redo log files that have newly arrived in the directory
4. Repeats Steps 2 and 3, indefinitely
22.10 Supplemental Logging

Redo log files are generally used for instance recovery and media recovery. The data
needed for such operations is automatically recorded in the redo log files. However, a
redo-based application may require that additional columns be logged in the redo log
files. The process of logging these additional columns is called supplemental
logging.
By default, Oracle Database does not provide any supplemental logging, which means
that by default LogMiner is not usable. Therefore, you must enable at least minimal
supplemental logging before generating log files which will be analyzed by LogMiner.
The following are examples of situations in which additional columns may be needed:
• An application that applies reconstructed SQL statements to a different database
must identify the update statement by a set of columns that uniquely identify the
row (for example, a primary key), not by the ROWID shown in the reconstructed SQL
returned by the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, because the ROWID of one database will be
different and therefore meaningless in another database.
• An application may require that the before-image of the whole row be logged, not
just the modified columns, so that tracking of row changes is more efficient.
A supplemental log group is the set of additional columns to be logged when
supplemental logging is enabled. There are two types of supplemental log groups that
determine when columns in the log group are logged:
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Chapter 22
• Unconditional supplemental log groups: The before-images of specified

columns are logged any time a row is updated, regardless of whether the update
affected any of the specified columns. This is sometimes referred to as an
ALWAYS log group.
• Conditional supplemental log groups: The before-images of all specified
columns are logged only if at least one of the columns in the log group is updated.
Supplemental log groups can be system-generated or user-defined.
In addition to the two types of supplemental logging, there are two levels of
supplemental logging, as described in the following sections:
• Database-Level Supplemental Logging

• Disabling Database-Level Supplemental Logging
• Table-Level Supplemental Logging
• Tracking DDL Statements in the LogMiner Dictionary
• DDL_DICT_TRACKING and Supplemental Logging Settings
• DDL_DICT_TRACKING and Specified Time or SCN Ranges
See Also:
Querying Views for Supplemental Logging Settings
22.10.1 Database-Level Supplemental Logging

LogMiner provides different types of database-level supplemental logging: minimal
supplemental logging, identification key logging, and procedural supplemental logging,
as described in the following sections. Minimal supplemental logging does not impose
significant overhead on the database generating the redo log files. However, enabling
database-wide identification key logging can impose overhead on the database
generating the redo log files. Oracle recommends that you at least enable minimal
supplemental logging for LogMiner.
• Minimal Supplemental Logging
• Database-Level Identification Key Logging
• Procedural Supplemental Logging
Procedural supplemental logging causes LogMiner to log certain procedural
invocations to redo, so that they can be replicated by rolling upgrades or Oracle
GoldenGate.
22.10.1.1 Minimal Supplemental Logging

Minimal supplemental logging logs the minimal amount of information needed for
LogMiner to identify, group, and merge the redo operations associated with DML
changes. It ensures that LogMiner (and any product building on LogMiner technology)
has sufficient information to support chained rows and various storage arrangements,
such as cluster tables and index-organized tables. To enable minimal supplemental
logging, execute the following SQL statement:
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Chapter 22
22.10.1.2 Database-Level Identification Key Logging

Identification key logging is necessary when redo log files will not be mined at the
source database instance, for example, when the redo log files will be mined at a
logical standby database.
Using database identification key logging, you can enable database-wide before-
image logging for all updates by specifying one or more of the following options to the
SQL ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG statement:
• ALL system-generated unconditional supplemental log group
This option specifies that when a row is updated, all columns of that row (except
for LOBs, LONGS, and ADTs) are placed in the redo log file.
To enable all column logging at the database level, execute the following
statement:
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (ALL) COLUMNS;
• PRIMARY KEY system-generated unconditional supplemental log group
This option causes the database to place all columns of a row's primary key in the
redo log file whenever a row containing a primary key is updated (even if no value
in the primary key has changed).
If a table does not have a primary key, but has one or more non-null unique index
key constraints or index keys, then one of the unique index keys is chosen for
logging as a means of uniquely identifying the row being updated.
If the table has neither a primary key nor a non-null unique index key, then all
columns except LONG and LOB are supplementally logged; this is equivalent to
specifying ALL supplemental logging for that row. Therefore, Oracle recommends
that when you use database-level primary key supplemental logging, all or most
tables be defined to have primary or unique index keys.
To enable primary key logging at the database level, execute the following
statement:
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (PRIMARY KEY) COLUMNS;
• UNIQUE system-generated conditional supplemental log group
This option causes the database to place all columns of a row's composite unique
key or bitmap index in the redo log file if any column belonging to the composite
unique key or bitmap index is modified. The unique key can be due to either a
unique constraint or a unique index.
To enable unique index key and bitmap index logging at the database level,
execute the following statement:
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (UNIQUE) COLUMNS;
• FOREIGN KEY system-generated conditional supplemental log group
This option causes the database to place all columns of a row's foreign key in the
redo log file if any column belonging to the foreign key is modified.
To enable foreign key logging at the database level, execute the following SQL
statement:
ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (FOREIGN KEY) COLUMNS;
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Note:
Regardless of whether identification key logging is enabled, the SQL
statements returned by LogMiner always contain the ROWID clause. You can
filter out the ROWID clause by using the NO_ROWID_IN_STMT option to the
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure call. See "Formatting Reconstructed
SQL Statements for Re-execution" for details.
Keep the following in mind when you use identification key logging:
• If the database is open when you enable identification key logging, then all DML
cursors in the cursor cache are invalidated. This can affect performance until the
cursor cache is repopulated.
• When you enable identification key logging at the database level, minimal
supplemental logging is enabled implicitly.
• Supplemental logging statements are cumulative. If you issue the following SQL
statements, then both primary key and unique key supplemental logging is
enabled:
ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (PRIMARY KEY) COLUMNS;
ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (UNIQUE) COLUMNS;
22.10.1.3 Procedural Supplemental Logging

Procedural supplemental logging causes LogMiner to log certain procedural
invocations to redo, so that they can be replicated by rolling upgrades or Oracle
GoldenGate.
Procedural supplemental logging must be enabled for rolling upgrades and Oracle
GoldenGate to support replication of AQ queue tables, hierarchy-enabled tables, and
tables with SDO_TOPO_GEOMETRY or SDO_GEORASTER columns. Use the following SQL
statement to enable procedural supplemental logging:
ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA FOR PROCEDURAL REPLICATION END SUBHEADING
If procedural supplemental logging is enabled, then minimal supplemental logging

cannot be dropped unless procedural supplemental logging is dropped first.
22.10.2 Disabling Database-Level Supplemental Logging

You disable database-level supplemental logging using the SQL ALTER DATABASE
statement with the DROP SUPPLEMENTAL LOGGING clause. You can drop supplemental
logging attributes incrementally. For example, suppose you issued the following SQL
statements, in the following order:
ALTER DATABASE DROP SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (PRIMARY KEY) COLUMNS;
ALTER DATABASE DROP SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA;
The statements would have the following effects:

• After the first statement, primary key supplemental logging is enabled.
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Chapter 22
• After the second statement, primary key and unique key supplemental logging are
enabled.
• After the third statement, only unique key supplemental logging is enabled.
• After the fourth statement, all supplemental logging is not disabled. The following
error is returned: ORA-32589: unable to drop minimal supplemental logging.
To disable all database supplemental logging, you must first disable any identification
key logging that has been enabled, then disable minimal supplemental logging. The
following example shows the correct order:
ALTER DATABASE DROP SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (PRIMARY KEY) COLUMNS;
ALTER DATABASE DROP SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (UNIQUE) COLUMNS;
ALTER DATABASE DROP SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA;
Dropping minimal supplemental log data is allowed only if no other variant of

database-level supplemental logging is enabled.
22.10.3 Table-Level Supplemental Logging

Table-level supplemental logging specifies, at the table level, which columns are to be
supplementally logged. You can use identification key logging or user-defined
conditional and unconditional supplemental log groups to log supplemental
information, as described in the following sections.
• Table-Level Identification Key Logging
• Table-Level User-Defined Supplemental Log Groups
• Usage Notes for User-Defined Supplemental Log Groups
22.10.3.1 Table-Level Identification Key Logging

Identification key logging at the table level offers the same options as those provided
at the database level: all, primary key, foreign key, and unique key. However, when
you specify identification key logging at the table level, only the specified table is
affected. For example, if you enter the following SQL statement (specifying database-
level supplemental logging), then whenever a column in any database table is
changed, the entire row containing that column (except columns for LOBs, LONGs, and
ADTs) will be placed in the redo log file:
ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (ALL) COLUMNS;
However, if you enter the following SQL statement (specifying table-level supplemental
logging) instead, then only when a column in the employees table is changed will the
entire row (except for LOB, LONGs, and ADTs) of the table be placed in the redo log file.
If a column changes in the departments table, then only the changed column will be
placed in the redo log file.
ALTER TABLE HR.EMPLOYEES ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (ALL) COLUMNS;
Keep the following in mind when you use table-level identification key logging:
• If the database is open when you enable identification key logging on a table, then
all DML cursors for that table in the cursor cache are invalidated. This can affect
performance until the cursor cache is repopulated.
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• Supplemental logging statements are cumulative. If you issue the following SQL
statements, then both primary key and unique index key table-level supplemental
logging is enabled:
ALTER TABLE HR.EMPLOYEES
ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (PRIMARY KEY) COLUMNS;
ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (UNIQUE) COLUMNS;
See "Database-Level Identification Key Logging" for a description of each of the
identification key logging options.
22.10.3.2 Table-Level User-Defined Supplemental Log Groups

In addition to table-level identification key logging, Oracle supports user-defined
supplemental log groups. With user-defined supplemental log groups, you can specify
which columns are supplementally logged. You can specify conditional or
unconditional log groups, as follows:
• User-defined unconditional log groups
To enable supplemental logging that uses user-defined unconditional log groups,
use the ALWAYS clause as shown in the following example:
ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG GROUP emp_parttime (EMPLOYEE_ID, LAST_NAME,
DEPARTMENT_ID) ALWAYS;
This creates a log group named emp_parttime on the hr.employees table that
consists of the columns employee_id, last_name, and department_id. These columns
are logged every time an UPDATE statement is executed on the hr.employees table,
regardless of whether the update affected these columns. (To have the entire row
image logged any time an update is made, use table-level ALL identification key
logging, as described previously).
Note:
LOB, LONG, and ADT columns cannot be supplementally logged.
• User-defined conditional supplemental log groups

To enable supplemental logging that uses user-defined conditional log groups,
omit the ALWAYS clause from the SQL ALTER TABLE statement, as shown in the
following example:
ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG GROUP emp_fulltime (EMPLOYEE_ID, LAST_NAME,
DEPARTMENT_ID);
This creates a log group named emp_fulltime on table hr.employees. As in the

previous example, it consists of the columns employee_id, last_name, and
department_id. But because the ALWAYS clause was omitted, before-images of the
columns are logged only if at least one of the columns is updated.
For both unconditional and conditional user-defined supplemental log groups, you can
explicitly specify that a column in the log group be excluded from supplemental logging
by specifying the NO LOG option. When you specify a log group and use the NO LOG
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option, you must specify at least one column in the log group without the NO LOG option,
as shown in the following example:
ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG GROUP emp_parttime(
DEPARTMENT_ID NO LOG, EMPLOYEE_ID);
This enables you to associate this column with other columns in the named
supplemental log group such that any modification to the NO LOG column causes the
other columns in the supplemental log group to be placed in the redo log file. This
might be useful, for example, for logging certain columns in a group if a LONG column
changes. You cannot supplementally log the LONG column itself; however, you can use
changes to that column to trigger supplemental logging of other columns in the same
row.
22.10.3.3 Usage Notes for User-Defined Supplemental Log Groups

Keep the following in mind when you specify user-defined supplemental log groups:
• A column can belong to more than one supplemental log group. However, the
before-image of the columns gets logged only once.
• If you specify the same columns to be logged both conditionally and
unconditionally, then the columns are logged unconditionally.
22.10.4 Tracking DDL Statements in the LogMiner Dictionary

LogMiner automatically builds its own internal dictionary from the LogMiner dictionary
that you specify when you start LogMiner (either an online catalog, a dictionary in the
redo log files, or a flat file). This dictionary provides a snapshot of the database objects
and their definitions.
If your LogMiner dictionary is in the redo log files or is a flat file, then you can use the
DDL_DICT_TRACKING option to the PL/SQL DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure to direct
LogMiner to track data definition language (DDL) statements. DDL tracking enables
LogMiner to successfully track structural changes made to a database object, such as
adding or dropping columns from a table. For example:
DBMS_LOGMNR.DDL_DICT_TRACKING + DBMS_LOGMNR.DICT_FROM_REDO_LOGS);
See "Example 5: Tracking DDL Statements in the Internal Dictionary" for a complete
example.
With this option set, LogMiner applies any DDL statements seen in the redo log files to
its internal dictionary.
Note:
In general, it is a good idea to keep supplemental logging and the DDL tracking
feature enabled, because if they are not enabled and a DDL event occurs, then
LogMiner returns some of the redo data as binary data. Also, a metadata
version mismatch could occur.
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When you enable DDL_DICT_TRACKING, data manipulation language (DML) operations

performed on tables created after the LogMiner dictionary was extracted can be shown
correctly.
For example, if a table employees is updated through two successive DDL operations
such that column gender is added in one operation, and column commission_pct is
dropped in the next, then LogMiner will keep versioned information for employees for
each of these changes. This means that LogMiner can successfully mine redo log files
that are from before and after these DDL changes, and no binary data will be
presented for the SQL_REDO or SQL_UNDO columns.
Because LogMiner automatically assigns versions to the database metadata, it will

detect and notify you of any mismatch between its internal dictionary and the
dictionary in the redo log files. If LogMiner detects a mismatch, then it generates
binary data in the SQL_REDO column of the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, the INFO column
contains the string "Dictionary Version Mismatch", and the STATUS column will contain
the value 2.
Note:
It is important to understand that the LogMiner internal dictionary is not the
same as the LogMiner dictionary contained in a flat file, in redo log files, or in
the online catalog. LogMiner does update its internal dictionary, but it does not
update the dictionary that is contained in a flat file, in redo log files, or in the
online catalog.
The following list describes the requirements for specifying the DDL_DICT_TRACKING
option with the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure.
• The DDL_DICT_TRACKING option is not valid with the DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG option.

• The DDL_DICT_TRACKING option requires that the database be open.
• Supplemental logging must be enabled database-wide, or log groups must have
been created for the tables of interest.
22.10.5 DDL_DICT_TRACKING and Supplemental Logging Settings

Note the following interactions that occur when various settings of dictionary tracking
and supplemental logging are combined:
• If DDL_DICT_TRACKING is enabled, but supplemental logging is not enabled and:
– A DDL transaction is encountered in the redo log file, then a query of
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS will terminate with the ORA-01347 error.
– A DML transaction is encountered in the redo log file, then LogMiner will not
assume that the current version of the table (underlying the DML) in its
dictionary is correct, and columns in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS will be set as follows:
* The SQL_REDO column will contain binary data.
* The STATUS column will contain a value of 2 (which indicates that the SQL
is not valid).
* The INFO column will contain the string 'Dictionary Mismatch'.
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• If DDL_DICT_TRACKING is not enabled and supplemental logging is not enabled, and

the columns referenced in a DML operation match the columns in the LogMiner
dictionary, then LogMiner assumes that the latest version in its dictionary is
correct, and columns in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS will be set as follows:
– LogMiner will use the definition of the object in its dictionary to generate values
for the SQL_REDO and SQL_UNDO columns.
– The status column will contain a value of 3 (which indicates that the SQL is not
guaranteed to be accurate).
– The INFO column will contain the string 'no supplemental log data found'.
• If DDL_DICT_TRACKING is not enabled and supplemental logging is not enabled and
there are more modified columns in the redo log file for a table than the LogMiner
dictionary definition for the table defines, then:
– The SQL_REDO and SQL_UNDO columns will contain the string 'Dictionary Version
Mismatch'.
– The STATUS column will contain a value of 2 (which indicates that the SQL is not
valid).
– The INFO column will contain the string 'Dictionary Mismatch'.
Also be aware that it is possible to get unpredictable behavior if the dictionary
definition of a column indicates one type but the column is really another type.
22.10.6 DDL_DICT_TRACKING and Specified Time or SCN Ranges

Because LogMiner must not miss a DDL statement if it is to ensure the consistency of
its dictionary, LogMiner may start reading redo log files before your requested starting
time or SCN (as specified with DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR) when the DDL_DICT_TRACKING
option is enabled. The actual time or SCN at which LogMiner starts reading redo log
files is referred to as the required starting time or the required starting SCN.
No missing redo log files (based on sequence numbers) are allowed from the required
starting time or the required starting SCN.
LogMiner determines where it will start reading redo log data as follows:
• After the dictionary is loaded, the first time that you call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR,
LogMiner begins reading as determined by one of the following, whichever causes
it to begin earlier:
– Your requested starting time or SCN value
– The commit SCN of the dictionary dump
• On subsequent calls to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR, LogMiner begins reading as
determined for one of the following, whichever causes it to begin earliest:
– Your requested starting time or SCN value
– The start of the earliest DDL transaction where the COMMIT statement has not
yet been read by LogMiner
– The highest SCN read by LogMiner
The following scenario helps illustrate this:
Suppose you create a redo log file list containing five redo log files. Assume that a
dictionary is contained in the first redo file, and the changes that you have indicated
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Accessing LogMiner Operational Information in Views
you want to see (using DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR) are recorded in the third redo log file.
You then do the following:
1. Call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR. LogMiner will read:
a. The first log file to load the dictionary
b. The second redo log file to pick up any possible DDLs contained within it
c. The third log file to retrieve the data of interest
2. Call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR again with the same requested range.
LogMiner will begin with redo log file 3; it no longer needs to read redo log file 2,
because it has already processed any DDL statements contained within it.
3. Call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR again, this time specifying parameters that require
data to be read from redo log file 5.
LogMiner will start reading from redo log file 4 to pick up any DDL statements that
may be contained within it.
Query the REQUIRED_START_DATE or the REQUIRED_START_SCN columns of the
V$LOGMNR_PARAMETERS view to see where LogMiner will actually start reading. Regardless
of where LogMiner starts reading, only rows in your requested range will be returned
from the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
22.11 Accessing LogMiner Operational Information in Views

LogMiner operational information (as opposed to redo data) is contained in the
following views. You can use SQL to query them as you would any other view.
• V$LOGMNR_DICTIONARY
Shows information about a LogMiner dictionary file that was created using the
STORE_IN_FLAT_FILE option to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR. The information shown
includes information about the database from which the LogMiner dictionary was
created.
• V$LOGMNR_LOGS
Shows information about specified redo log files, as described in "Querying

V$LOGMNR_LOGS".
• V$LOGMNR_PARAMETERS
Shows information about optional LogMiner parameters, including starting and

ending system change numbers (SCNs) and starting and ending times.
• V$DATABASE, DBA_LOG_GROUPS, ALL_LOG_GROUPS, USER_LOG_GROUPS,
DBA_LOG_GROUP_COLUMNS, ALL_LOG_GROUP_COLUMNS, USER_LOG_GROUP_COLUMNS
Shows information about the current settings for supplemental logging, as

described in "Querying Views for Supplemental Logging Settings".
• Querying V$LOGMNR_LOGS
You can query the V$LOGMNR_LOGS view to determine which redo log files have been
manually or automatically added to the list of redo log files for LogMiner to
analyze.
• Querying Views for Supplemental Logging Settings
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22.11.1 Querying V$LOGMNR_LOGS

You can query the V$LOGMNR_LOGS view to determine which redo log files have been
manually or automatically added to the list of redo log files for LogMiner to analyze.
This view contains one row for each redo log file. It provides valuable information
about each of the redo log files, including file name, SCN and time ranges, and
whether it contains all or part of the LogMiner dictionary.
After a successful call to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR, the STATUS column of the
V$LOGMNR_LOGS view contains one of the following values:
• 0
Indicates that the redo log file will be processed during a query of the
• 1
Indicates that this will be the first redo log file to be processed by LogMiner during
a select operation against the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
• 2
Indicates that the redo log file has been pruned and therefore will not be
processed by LogMiner during a query of the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view. It has been
pruned because it is not needed to satisfy your requested time or SCN range.
• 4
Indicates that a redo log file (based on sequence number) is missing from the
LogMiner redo log file list.
The V$LOGMNR_LOGS view contains a row for each redo log file that is missing from the
list, as follows:
• The FILENAME column will contain the consecutive range of sequence numbers and
total SCN range gap.
For example: 'Missing log file(s) for thread number 1, sequence number(s) 100 to
102'.
• The INFO column will contain the string 'MISSING_LOGFILE'.
Information about files missing from the redo log file list can be useful for the following
reasons:
• The DDL_DICT_TRACKING and CONTINUOUS_MINE options that can be specified when you
call DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR will not allow redo log files to be missing from the
LogMiner redo log file list for the requested time or SCN range. If a call to
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR fails, then you can query the STATUS column in the
V$LOGMNR_LOGS view to determine which redo log files are missing from the list. You
can then find and manually add these redo log files and attempt to call
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR again.
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Note:
As of Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1), the LogMiner
compatibility reasons, but Oracle recommends that you discontinue using
it. There is no replacement functionality.
• Although all other options that can be specified when you call
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR allow files to be missing from the LogMiner redo log file
list, you may not want to have missing files. You can query the V$LOGMNR_LOGS view
before querying the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view to ensure that all required files are in
the list. If the list is left with missing files and you query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view,
then a row is returned in V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS with the following column values:
– In the OPERATION column, a value of 'MISSING_SCN'
– In the STATUS column, a value of 1291
– In the INFO column, a string indicating the missing SCN range (for example,
'Missing SCN 100 - 200')
22.11.2 Querying Views for Supplemental Logging Settings

You can query several views to determine the current settings for supplemental
logging, as described in the following list:
• V$DATABASE view
– SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_FK column
This column contains one of the following values:

* NO - if database-level identification key logging with the FOREIGN KEY option
is not enabled
* YES - if database-level identification key logging with the FOREIGN KEY option
is enabled
– SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_ALL column

* NO - if database-level identification key logging with the ALL option is not
enabled
* YES - if database-level identification key logging with the ALL option is
enabled
– SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_UI column
* NO - if database-level identification key logging with the UNIQUE option is not

enabled
* YES - if database-level identification key logging with the UNIQUE option is
enabled
– SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_MIN column

* NO - if no database-level supplemental logging is enabled
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Steps in a Typical LogMiner Session
* IMPLICIT - if minimal supplemental logging is enabled because database-

level identification key logging options is enabled
* YES - if minimal supplemental logging is enabled because the SQL ALTER
DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA statement was issued
• DBA_LOG_GROUPS, ALL_LOG_GROUPS, and USER_LOG_GROUPS views
– ALWAYS column

* ALWAYS - indicates that the columns in this log group will be supplementally
logged if any column in the associated row is updated
* CONDITIONAL - indicates that the columns in this group will be
supplementally logged only if a column in the log group is updated
– GENERATED column

* GENERATED NAME - if the LOG_GROUP name was system-generated
* USER NAME - if the LOG_GROUP name was user-defined
– LOG_GROUP_TYPE column
This column contains one of the following values to indicate the type of logging
defined for this log group. USER LOG GROUP indicates that the log group was
user-defined (as opposed to system-generated).
* ALL COLUMN LOGGING
* FOREIGN KEY LOGGING
* PRIMARY KEY LOGGING
* UNIQUE KEY LOGGING
* USER LOG GROUP
• DBA_LOG_GROUP_COLUMNS, ALL_LOG_GROUP_COLUMNS, and USER_LOG_GROUP_COLUMNS views
– The LOGGING_PROPERTY column

* LOG - indicates that this column in the log group will be supplementally
logged
* NO LOG - indicates that this column in the log group will not be
supplementally logged
22.12 Steps in a Typical LogMiner Session

This section describes the steps in a typical LogMiner session. Each step is described
in its own subsection.
1. Enable Supplemental Logging
2. Extract a LogMiner Dictionary (unless you plan to use the online catalog)
3. Specify Redo Log Files for Analysis
4. Start LogMiner
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5. Typical LogMiner Session Task 5: Query V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS

6. End the LogMiner Session
To run LogMiner, you use the DBMS_LOGMNR PL/SQL package. Additionally, you might
also use the DBMS_LOGMNR_D package if you choose to extract a LogMiner dictionary
rather than use the online catalog.
The DBMS_LOGMNR package contains the procedures used to initialize and run LogMiner,
including interfaces to specify names of redo log files, filter criteria, and session
characteristics. The DBMS_LOGMNR_D package queries the database dictionary tables of
the current database to create a LogMiner dictionary file.
The LogMiner PL/SQL packages are owned by the SYS schema. Therefore, if you are
not connected as user SYS, then:
• You must include SYS in your call. For example:

EXECUTE SYS.DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR;
• You must have been granted the EXECUTE_CATALOG_ROLE role.
See Also:
– Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for details

about syntax and parameters for these LogMiner packages
– Oracle Database Development Guide for more information about
PL/SQL packages
• Typical LogMiner Session Task 1: Enable Supplemental Logging

• Typical LogMiner Session Task 2: Extract a LogMiner Dictionary
• Typical LogMiner Session Task 3: Specify Redo Log Files for Analysis
• Typical LogMiner Session Task 4: Start LogMiner
• Typical LogMiner Session Task 5: Query V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
At this point, LogMiner is started. You can perform queries against the
• Typical LogMiner Session Task 6: End the LogMiner Session
22.12.1 Typical LogMiner Session Task 1: Enable Supplemental

Logging
Enable the type of supplemental logging you want to use. At the very least, you must
enable minimal supplemental logging, as follows:
See "Supplemental Logging" for more information.
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22.12.2 Typical LogMiner Session Task 2: Extract a LogMiner

Dictionary
To use LogMiner, you must supply it with a dictionary by doing one of the following:
• Specify use of the online catalog by using the DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG option
when you start LogMiner. See "Using the Online Catalog".
• Extract database dictionary information to the redo log files. See "Extracting a
LogMiner Dictionary to the Redo Log Files".
• Extract database dictionary information to a flat file. See "Extracting the LogMiner
Dictionary to a Flat File ".
22.12.3 Typical LogMiner Session Task 3: Specify Redo Log Files for
Analysis
Before you can start LogMiner, you must specify the redo log files that you want to
analyze. To do so, execute the DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE procedure, as demonstrated
in the following steps. You can add and remove redo log files in any order.
Note:
If you will be mining in the database instance that is generating the redo log
files, then you only need to specify the CONTINUOUS_MINE option and one of the
following when you start LogMiner:
• The STARTSCN parameter
• The STARTTIME parameter
For more information, see "Redo Log File Options".
1. Use SQL*Plus to start an Oracle instance, with the database either mounted or
unmounted. For example, enter the STARTUP statement at the SQL prompt:
STARTUP
2. Create a list of redo log files. Specify the NEW option of the DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE
PL/SQL procedure to signal that this is the beginning of a new list. For example,
enter the following to specify the /oracle/logs/log1.f redo log file:
3. If desired, add more redo log files by specifying the ADDFILE option of the
DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE PL/SQL procedure. For example, enter the following to
add the /oracle/logs/log2.f redo log file:
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The OPTIONS parameter is optional when you are adding additional redo log files.
For example, you could simply enter the following:
LOGFILENAME=>'/oracle/logs/log2.f');
4. If desired, remove redo log files by using the DBMS_LOGMNR.REMOVE_LOGFILE PL/SQL
procedure. For example, enter the following to remove the /oracle/logs/log2.f
redo log file:
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.REMOVE_LOGFILE( -
LOGFILENAME => '/oracle/logs/log2.f');
22.12.4 Typical LogMiner Session Task 4: Start LogMiner

After you have created a LogMiner dictionary file and specified which redo log files to
analyze, you must start LogMiner. Take the following steps:
1. Execute the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure to start LogMiner.
Oracle recommends that you specify a LogMiner dictionary option. If you do not,
then LogMiner cannot translate internal object identifiers and data types to object
names and external data formats. Therefore, it would return internal object IDs and
present data as binary data. Additionally, the MINE_VALUE and COLUMN_PRESENT
functions cannot be used without a dictionary.
If you are specifying the name of a flat file LogMiner dictionary, then you must
supply a fully qualified file name for the dictionary file. For example, to start
LogMiner using /oracle/database/dictionary.ora, issue the following statement:
DICTFILENAME =>'/oracle/database/dictionary.ora');
If you are not specifying a flat file dictionary name, then use the OPTIONS parameter
to specify either the DICT_FROM_REDO_LOGS or DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG option.
If you specify DICT_FROM_REDO_LOGS, then LogMiner expects to find a dictionary in
the redo log files that you specified with the DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE procedure. To
determine which redo log files contain a dictionary, look at the V$ARCHIVED_LOG
view. See "Extracting a LogMiner Dictionary to the Redo Log Files" for an
example.
Note:
If you add additional redo log files after LogMiner has been started, you
must restart LogMiner. LogMiner will not retain options that were included
in the previous call to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR; you must respecify the
options you want to use. However, LogMiner will retain the dictionary
specification from the previous call if you do not specify a dictionary in the
current call to DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR.
For more information about the DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG option, see "Using the
Online Catalog".
2. Optionally, you can filter your query by time or by SCN. See "Filtering Data by
Time" or "Filtering Data by SCN".
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Examples Using LogMiner
3. You can also use the OPTIONS parameter to specify additional characteristics of
your LogMiner session. For example, you might decide to use the online catalog
as your LogMiner dictionary and to have only committed transactions shown in the
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, as follows:

DBMS_LOGMNR.DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG + -
DBMS_LOGMNR.COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY);
For more information about DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR options, see Oracle

Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference.
You can execute the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure multiple times, specifying
different options each time. This can be useful, for example, if you did not get the
desired results from a query of V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS, and want to restart LogMiner
with different options. Unless you need to respecify the LogMiner dictionary, you
do not need to add redo log files if they were already added with a previous call to
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR.
22.12.5 Typical LogMiner Session Task 5: Query

V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
At this point, LogMiner is started. You can perform queries against the
SeeFiltering and Formatting Data Returned to V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS for examples

of this.
22.12.6 Typical LogMiner Session Task 6: End the LogMiner Session

To properly end a LogMiner session, use the DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR PL/SQL
procedure, as follows:
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR;
This procedure closes all the redo log files and allows all the database and system
resources allocated by LogMiner to be released.
If this procedure is not executed, then LogMiner retains all its allocated resources until
the end of the Oracle session in which it was called. It is particularly important to use
this procedure to end the LogMiner session if either the DDL_DICT_TRACKING option or
the DICT_FROM_REDO_LOGS option was used.
22.13 Examples Using LogMiner

This section provides several examples of using LogMiner in each of the following
general categories:
• Examples of Mining by Explicitly Specifying the Redo Log Files of Interest
• Examples of Mining Without Specifying the List of Redo Log Files Explicitly
• Example Scenarios
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Note:
All examples in this section assume that minimal supplemental logging has
been enabled:
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA;
See "Supplemental Logging" for more information.

All examples, except "Example 2: Mining the Redo Log Files in a Given
SCN Range" and the "Example Scenarios", assume that the
NLS_DATE_FORMAT parameter has been set as follows:
SQL> ALTER SESSION SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT = 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss';
Because LogMiner displays date data using the setting for the
NLS_DATE_FORMAT parameter that is active for the user session, this step is
optional. However, setting the parameter explicitly lets you predict the date
format.
• Examples of Mining by Explicitly Specifying the Redo Log Files of Interest

• Examples of Mining Without Specifying the List of Redo Log Files Explicitly
• Example Scenarios
22.13.1 Examples of Mining by Explicitly Specifying the Redo Log

Files of Interest
The following examples demonstrate how to use LogMiner when you know which redo
log files contain the data of interest. This section contains the following list of
examples; these examples are best read sequentially, because each example builds
on the example or examples that precede it:
The SQL output formatting may be different on your display than that shown in these
examples.
• Example 1: Finding All Modifications in the Last Archived Redo Log File
• Example 2: Grouping DML Statements into Committed Transactions
• Example 3: Formatting the Reconstructed SQL
• Example 4: Using the LogMiner Dictionary in the Redo Log Files
• Example 5: Tracking DDL Statements in the Internal Dictionary
• Example 6: Filtering Output by Time Range
22.13.1.1 Example 1: Finding All Modifications in the Last Archived Redo Log
File
The easiest way to examine the modification history of a database is to mine at the
source database and use the online catalog to translate the redo log files. This
example shows how to do the simplest analysis using LogMiner.
22-48
Chapter 22
This example assumes that you know you want to mine the redo log file that was most
recently archived. It finds all modifications that are contained in the last archived redo
log generated by the database (assuming that the database is not an Oracle Real
Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) database).
1. Determine which redo log file was most recently archived.
SELECT NAME FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE FIRST_TIME = (SELECT MAX(FIRST_TIME) FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG);
NAME
-------------------------------------------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_16_482701534.dbf
2. Specify the list of redo log files to be analyzed. In this case, it is the redo log file
that was returned by the query in Step 1.
LOGFILENAME => '/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_16_482701534.dbf', -
3. Start LogMiner and specify the dictionary to use.
OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG);
4. Query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view.
Note that there are four transactions (two of them were committed within the redo
log file being analyzed, and two were not). The output shows the DML statements
in the order in which they were executed; thus transactions interleave among
themselves.
SELECT username AS USR, (XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) AS XID,
SQL_REDO, SQL_UNDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS WHERE username IN ('HR', 'OE');
USR XID SQL_REDO SQL_UNDO

---- --------- ----------------------------------------------------
HR 1.11.1476 set transaction read write;
HR 1.11.1476 insert into "HR"."EMPLOYEES"( delete from "HR"."EMPLOYEES"

"EMPLOYEE_ID","FIRST_NAME", where "EMPLOYEE_ID" = '306'
"LAST_NAME","EMAIL", and "FIRST_NAME" = 'Nandini'
"PHONE_NUMBER","HIRE_DATE", and "LAST_NAME" = 'Shastry'
"JOB_ID","SALARY", and "EMAIL" = 'NSHASTRY'
"COMMISSION_PCT","MANAGER_ID", and "PHONE_NUMBER" = '1234567890'
"DEPARTMENT_ID") values and "HIRE_DATE" = TO_DATE('10-JAN-2012
('306','Nandini','Shastry', 13:34:43', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss')
'NSHASTRY', '1234567890', and "JOB_ID" = 'HR_REP' and
TO_DATE('10-jan-2012 13:34:43', "SALARY" = '120000' and
'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'), "COMMISSION_PCT" = '.05' and
'HR_REP','120000', '.05', "DEPARTMENT_ID" = '10' and
'105','10'); ROWID = 'AAAHSkAABAAAY6rAAO';
OE 1.1.1484 set transaction read write;
OE 1.1.1484 update "OE"."PRODUCT_INFORMATION" update "OE"."PRODUCT_INFORMATION"

set "WARRANTY_PERIOD" = set "WARRANTY_PERIOD" =
TO_YMINTERVAL('+05-00') where TO_YMINTERVAL('+01-00') where
"PRODUCT_ID" = '1799' and "PRODUCT_ID" = '1799' and
"WARRANTY_PERIOD" = "WARRANTY_PERIOD" =
TO_YMINTERVAL('+01-00') and TO_YMINTERVAL('+05-00') and
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAB'; ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAB';
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Chapter 22

ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAC'; ROWID ='AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAC';

"EMPLOYEE_ID","FIRST_NAME", "EMPLOYEE_ID" = '307' and
"LAST_NAME","EMAIL", "FIRST_NAME" = 'John' and
"PHONE_NUMBER","HIRE_DATE", "LAST_NAME" = 'Silver' and
"JOB_ID","SALARY", "EMAIL" = 'JSILVER' and
"COMMISSION_PCT","MANAGER_ID", "PHONE_NUMBER" = '5551112222'
"DEPARTMENT_ID") values and "HIRE_DATE" = TO_DATE('10-jan-2012
('307','John','Silver', 13:41:03', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss')
'JSILVER', '5551112222', and "JOB_ID" ='105' and "DEPARTMENT_ID"
TO_DATE('10-jan-2012 13:41:03', = '50' and ROWID = 'AAAHSkAABAAAY6rAAP';
'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),
'SH_CLERK','110000', '.05',
'105','50');
OE 1.1.1484 commit;
HR 1.15.1481 delete from "HR"."EMPLOYEES" insert into "HR"."EMPLOYEES"(

where "EMPLOYEE_ID" = '205' and "EMPLOYEE_ID","FIRST_NAME",
"FIRST_NAME" = 'Shelley' and "LAST_NAME","EMAIL","PHONE_NUMBER",
"LAST_NAME" = 'Higgins' and "HIRE_DATE", "JOB_ID","SALARY",
"EMAIL" = 'SHIGGINS' and "COMMISSION_PCT","MANAGER_ID",
"PHONE_NUMBER" = '515.123.8080' "DEPARTMENT_ID") values
and "HIRE_DATE" = TO_DATE( ('205','Shelley','Higgins',
'07-jun-1994 10:05:01', and 'SHIGGINS','515.123.8080',
'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss') TO_DATE('07-jun-1994 10:05:01',
and "JOB_ID" = 'AC_MGR' 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),
and "SALARY"= '12000' 'AC_MGR','12000',NULL,'101','110');
and "COMMISSION_PCT" IS NULL
and "MANAGER_ID"
= '101' and "DEPARTMENT_ID" =
'110' and ROWID =
'AAAHSkAABAAAY6rAAM';

ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9tAAD'; ROWID ='AAAHTKAABAAAY9tAAD';
HR 1.11.1476 commit;
SQL> EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR();
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Chapter 22
22.13.1.2 Example 2: Grouping DML Statements into Committed Transactions

As shown in the first example, "Example 1: Finding All Modifications in the Last
Archived Redo Log File", LogMiner displays all modifications it finds in the redo log
files that it analyzes by default, regardless of whether the transaction has been
committed or not. In addition, LogMiner shows modifications in the same order in
which they were executed. Because DML statements that belong to the same
transaction are not grouped together, visual inspection of the output can be difficult.
Although you can use SQL to group transactions, LogMiner provides an easier way. In
this example, the latest archived redo log file will again be analyzed, but it will return
only committed transactions.
1. Determine which redo log file was most recently archived by the database.
NAME
-------------------------------------------
2. Specify the redo log file that was returned by the query in Step 1. The list will
consist of one redo log file.
3. Start LogMiner by specifying the dictionary to use and the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY
option.
Although transaction 1.11.1476 was started before transaction 1.1.1484 (as
revealed in "Example 1: Finding All Modifications in the Last Archived Redo Log
File"), it committed after transaction 1.1.1484 committed. In this example,
therefore, transaction 1.1.1484 is shown in its entirety before transaction
1.11.1476. The two transactions that did not commit within the redo log file being
analyzed are not returned.
SELECT username AS USR, (XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) AS XID, SQL_REDO,
SQL_UNDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS WHERE username IN ('HR', 'OE');
;
USR XID SQL_REDO SQL_UNDO
---- --------- ------------------------------- ---------------------------------

ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAB'; ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAB';
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Chapter 22

ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAC'; ROWID ='AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAC';
OE 1.1.1484 commit;

"EMPLOYEE_ID","FIRST_NAME", where "EMPLOYEE_ID" = '306'
"LAST_NAME","EMAIL", and "FIRST_NAME" = 'Nandini'
"PHONE_NUMBER","HIRE_DATE", and "LAST_NAME" = 'Shastry'
"JOB_ID","SALARY", and "EMAIL" = 'NSHASTRY'
"COMMISSION_PCT","MANAGER_ID", and "PHONE_NUMBER" = '1234567890'
"DEPARTMENT_ID") values and "HIRE_DATE" = TO_DATE('10-JAN-2012
('306','Nandini','Shastry', 13:34:43', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss')
'NSHASTRY', '1234567890', and "JOB_ID" = 'HR_REP' and
TO_DATE('10-jan-2012 13:34:43', "SALARY" = '120000' and
'dd-mon-yyy hh24:mi:ss'), "COMMISSION_PCT" = '.05' and
'HR_REP','120000', '.05', "DEPARTMENT_ID" = '10' and
'105','10'); ROWID = 'AAAHSkAABAAAY6rAAO';

"EMPLOYEE_ID","FIRST_NAME", "EMPLOYEE_ID" = '307' and
"LAST_NAME","EMAIL", "FIRST_NAME" = 'John' and
"PHONE_NUMBER","HIRE_DATE", "LAST_NAME" = 'Silver' and
"JOB_ID","SALARY", "EMAIL" = 'JSILVER' and
"COMMISSION_PCT","MANAGER_ID", "PHONE_NUMBER" = '5551112222'
"DEPARTMENT_ID") values and "HIRE_DATE" = TO_DATE('10-jan-2012
('307','John','Silver', 13:41:03', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss')
'JSILVER', '5551112222', and "JOB_ID" ='105' and "DEPARTMENT_ID"
TO_DATE('10-jan-2012 13:41:03', = '50' and ROWID = 'AAAHSkAABAAAY6rAAP';
'SH_CLERK','110000', '.05',
'105','50');
EXECUTE DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR();
22.13.1.3 Example 3: Formatting the Reconstructed SQL

As shown in "Example 2: Grouping DML Statements into Committed Transactions ",
using the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option with the dictionary in the online redo log file is an
easy way to focus on committed transactions. However, one aspect remains that
makes visual inspection difficult: the association between the column names and their
respective values in an INSERT statement are not apparent. This can be addressed by
specifying the PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option. Note that specifying this option will make some
of the reconstructed SQL statements nonexecutable.
1. Determine which redo log file was most recently archived.
NAME
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-------------------------------------------
2. Specify the redo log file that was returned by the query in Step 1.
3. Start LogMiner by specifying the dictionary to use and the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY and
PRINT_PRETTY_SQL options.
DBMS_LOGMNR.COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY + -
DBMS_LOGMNR.PRINT_PRETTY_SQL);
The DBMS_LOGMNR.PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option changes only the format of the

reconstructed SQL, and therefore is useful for generating reports for visual
inspection.
4. Query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view for SQL_REDO statements.
SELECT username AS USR, (XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) AS XID, SQL_REDO
USR XID SQL_REDO

---- --------- -----------------------------------------------------
OE 1.1.1484 update "OE"."PRODUCT_INFORMATION"

set
"WARRANTY_PERIOD" = TO_YMINTERVAL('+05-00')
where
"PRODUCT_ID" = '1799' and
"WARRANTY_PERIOD" = TO_YMINTERVAL('+01-00') and
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAB';

set
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAC';
OE 1.1.1484 commit;
HR 1.11.1476 insert into "HR"."EMPLOYEES"

values
"EMPLOYEE_ID" = 306,
"FIRST_NAME" = 'Nandini',
"LAST_NAME" = 'Shastry',
"EMAIL" = 'NSHASTRY',
"PHONE_NUMBER" = '1234567890',
"HIRE_DATE" = TO_DATE('10-jan-2012 13:34:43',
'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss',
"JOB_ID" = 'HR_REP',
"SALARY" = 120000,
"COMMISSION_PCT" = .05,
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Chapter 22
"MANAGER_ID" = 105,
"DEPARTMENT_ID" = 10;
HR 1.11.1476 insert into "HR"."EMPLOYEES"

values
"EMPLOYEE_ID" = 307,
"FIRST_NAME" = 'John',
"LAST_NAME" = 'Silver',
"EMAIL" = 'JSILVER',
"PHONE_NUMBER" = '5551112222',
"JOB_ID" = 'SH_CLERK',
"SALARY" = 110000,
"COMMISSION_PCT" = .05,
"MANAGER_ID" = 105,
"DEPARTMENT_ID" = 50;
5. Query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view for reconstructed SQL_UNDO statements.
SELECT username AS USR, (XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) AS XID, SQL_UNDO
USR XID SQL_UNDO

---- --------- -----------------------------------------------------

set
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAB';

set
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9mAAC';
OE 1.1.1484 commit;
HR 1.11.1476 delete from "HR"."EMPLOYEES"

where
"EMPLOYEE_ID" = 306 and
"FIRST_NAME" = 'Nandini' and
"LAST_NAME" = 'Shastry' and
"EMAIL" = 'NSHASTRY' and
"PHONE_NUMBER" = '1234567890' and
'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss') and
"JOB_ID" = 'HR_REP' and
"SALARY" = 120000 and
"COMMISSION_PCT" = .05 and
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Chapter 22
"MANAGER_ID" = 105 and

"DEPARTMENT_ID" = 10 and
ROWID = 'AAAHSkAABAAAY6rAAO';
HR 1.11.1476 delete from "HR"."EMPLOYEES"

where
"EMPLOYEE_ID" = 307 and
"FIRST_NAME" = 'John' and
"LAST_NAME" = 'Silver' and
"EMAIL" = 'JSILVER' and
"PHONE_NUMBER" = '555122122' and
'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss') and
"JOB_ID" = 'SH_CLERK' and
"SALARY" = 110000 and
"COMMISSION_PCT" = .05 and
"MANAGER_ID" = 105 and
"DEPARTMENT_ID" = 50 and
ROWID = 'AAAHSkAABAAAY6rAAP';
22.13.1.4 Example 4: Using the LogMiner Dictionary in the Redo Log Files
This example shows how to use the dictionary that has been extracted to the redo log
files. When you use the dictionary in the online catalog, you must mine the redo log
files in the same database that generated them. Using the dictionary contained in the
redo log files enables you to mine redo log files in a different database.
SELECT NAME, SEQUENCE# FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
NAME SEQUENCE#
-------------------------------------------- --------------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_210_482701534.dbf 210
2. The dictionary may be contained in more than one redo log file. Therefore, you
need to determine which redo log files contain the start and end of the dictionary.
Query the V$ARCHIVED_LOG view, as follows:
a. Find a redo log file that contains the end of the dictionary extract. This redo log
file must have been created before the redo log file that you want to analyze,
but should be as recent as possible.
SELECT NAME, SEQUENCE#, DICTIONARY_BEGIN d_beg, DICTIONARY_END d_end
FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE SEQUENCE# = (SELECT MAX (SEQUENCE#) FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE DICTIONARY_END = 'YES' and SEQUENCE# <= 210);
NAME SEQUENCE# D_BEG D_END

-------------------------------------------- ---------- ----- ------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_208_482701534.dbf 208 NO YES
b. Find the redo log file that contains the start of the data dictionary extract that
matches the end of the dictionary found in the previous step:
22-55
Chapter 22

FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE DICTIONARY_BEGIN = 'YES' and SEQUENCE# <= 208);

-------------------------------------------- ---------- ----- ------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_207_482701534.dbf 207 YES NO
c. Specify the list of the redo log files of interest. Add the redo log files that
contain the start and end of the dictionary and the redo log file that you want to
analyze. You can add the redo log files in any order.
LOGFILENAME => '/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_208_482701534.dbf');
d. Query the V$LOGMNR_LOGS view to display the list of redo log files to be analyzed,
including their timestamps.
In the output, LogMiner flags a missing redo log file. LogMiner lets you
proceed with mining, provided that you do not specify an option that requires
the missing redo log file for proper functioning.
3. Start LogMiner by specifying the dictionary to use and the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY and
PRINT_PRETTY_SQL options.
OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.DICT_FROM_REDO_LOGS + -
To reduce the number of rows returned by the query, exclude from the query all
DML statements done in the SYS or SYSTEM schemas. (This query specifies a
timestamp to exclude transactions that were involved in the dictionary extraction.)
The output shows three transactions: two DDL transactions and one DML
transaction. The DDL transactions, 1.2.1594 and 1.18.1602, create the table
oe.product_tracking and create a trigger on table oe.product_information,
respectively. In both transactions, the DML statements done to the system tables
(tables owned by SYS) are filtered out because of the query predicate.
The DML transaction, 1.9.1598, updates the oe.product_information table. The
update operation in this transaction is fully translated. However, the query output
also contains some untranslated reconstructed SQL statements. Most likely, these
statements were done on the oe.product_tracking table that was created after the
data dictionary was extracted to the redo log files.
(The next example shows how to run LogMiner with the DDL_DICT_TRACKING option
so that all SQL statements are fully translated; no binary data is returned.)
SELECT USERNAME AS usr, SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
WHERE SEG_OWNER IS NULL OR SEG_OWNER NOT IN ('SYS', 'SYSTEM') AND
TIMESTAMP > '10-jan-2012 15:59:53';
USR XID SQL_REDO

--- -------- -----------------------------------
22-56
Chapter 22
SYS 1.2.1594 set transaction read write;

SYS 1.2.1594 create table oe.product_tracking (product_id number not null,
modified_time date,
old_list_price number(8,2),
old_warranty_period interval year(2) to month);
SYS 1.2.1594 commit;

SYS 1.18.1602 create or replace trigger oe.product_tracking_trigger
before update on oe.product_information
for each row
when (new.list_price <> old.list_price or
new.warranty_period <> old.warranty_period)
declare
begin
insert into oe.product_tracking values
(:old.product_id, sysdate,
:old.list_price, :old.warranty_period);
end;

set
"WARRANTY_PERIOD" = TO_YMINTERVAL('+08-00'),
"LIST_PRICE" = 100
where
"PRODUCT_ID" = 1729 and
"LIST_PRICE" = 80 and
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9yAAA';
OE 1.9.1598 insert into "UNKNOWN"."OBJ# 33415"

values
"COL 1" = HEXTORAW('c2121e'),
"COL 2" = HEXTORAW('7867010d110804'),
"COL 3" = HEXTORAW('c151'),
"COL 4" = HEXTORAW('800000053c');

set
"LIST_PRICE" = 92
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9zAAA';
OE 1.9.1598 insert into "UNKNOWN"."OBJ# 33415"

values
"COL 2" = HEXTORAW('7867010d110808'),
"COL 4" = HEXTORAW('800000053c');
OE 1.9.1598 commit;
5. Issue additional queries, if desired.
Display all the DML statements that were executed as part of the CREATE TABLE
DDL statement. This includes statements executed by users and internally by
Oracle.
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Chapter 22
Note:
If you choose to reapply statements displayed by a query such as the one
shown here, then reapply DDL statements only. Do not reapply DML
statements that were executed internally by Oracle, or you risk corrupting
your database. In the following output, the only statement that you should
use in a reapply operation is the CREATE TABLE OE.PRODUCT_TRACKING
statement.
SELECT SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS

WHERE XIDUSN = 1 and XIDSLT = 2 and XIDSQN = 1594;
SQL_REDO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
set transaction read write;
insert into "SYS"."OBJ$"

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"DATAOBJ#" = 33415,
"OWNER#" = 37,
"NAME" = 'PRODUCT_TRACKING',
"NAMESPACE" = 1,
"SUBNAME" IS NULL,
"TYPE#" = 2,
"CTIME" = TO_DATE('13-jan-2012 14:01:03', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),
"MTIME" = TO_DATE('13-jan-2012 14:01:03', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),
"STIME" = TO_DATE('13-jan-2012 14:01:03', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),
"STATUS" = 1,
"REMOTEOWNER" IS NULL,
"LINKNAME" IS NULL,
"FLAGS" = 0,
"OID$" IS NULL,
"SPARE1" = 6,
"SPARE2" = 1,
"SPARE3" IS NULL,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"SPARE6" IS NULL;
insert into "SYS"."TAB$"

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"DATAOBJ#" = 33415,
"TS#" = 0,
"FILE#" = 1,
"BLOCK#" = 121034,
"BOBJ#" IS NULL,
"TAB#" IS NULL,
"COLS" = 5,
"CLUCOLS" IS NULL,
"PCTFREE$" = 10,
"PCTUSED$" = 40,
"INITRANS" = 1,
"MAXTRANS" = 255,
"FLAGS" = 1,
"AUDIT$" = '--------------------------------------',
"ROWCNT" IS NULL,
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Chapter 22
"BLKCNT" IS NULL,
"EMPCNT" IS NULL,
"AVGSPC" IS NULL,
"CHNCNT" IS NULL,
"AVGRLN" IS NULL,
"AVGSPC_FLB" IS NULL,
"FLBCNT" IS NULL,
"ANALYZETIME" IS NULL,
"SAMPLESIZE" IS NULL,
"DEGREE" IS NULL,
"INSTANCES" IS NULL,
"INTCOLS" = 5,
"KERNELCOLS" = 5,
"PROPERTY" = 536870912,
"TRIGFLAG" = 0,
"SPARE1" = 178,
"SPARE2" IS NULL,
"SPARE3" IS NULL,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"SPARE6" = TO_DATE('13-jan-2012 14:01:05', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),
insert into "SYS"."COL$"

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"COL#" = 1,
"SEGCOL#" = 1,
"SEGCOLLENGTH" = 22,
"OFFSET" = 0,
"NAME" = 'PRODUCT_ID',
"TYPE#" = 2,
"LENGTH" = 22,
"FIXEDSTORAGE" = 0,
"PRECISION#" IS NULL,
"SCALE" IS NULL,
"NULL$" = 1,
"DEFLENGTH" IS NULL,
"SPARE6" IS NULL,
"INTCOL#" = 1,
"PROPERTY" = 0,
"CHARSETID" = 0,
"CHARSETFORM" = 0,
"SPARE1" = 0,
"SPARE2" = 0,
"SPARE3" = 0,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"DEFAULT$" IS NULL;

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"COL#" = 2,
"SEGCOL#" = 2,
"SEGCOLLENGTH" = 7,
"OFFSET" = 0,
"NAME" = 'MODIFIED_TIME',
"TYPE#" = 12,
"LENGTH" = 7,
"FIXEDSTORAGE" = 0,
"PRECISION#" IS NULL,
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Chapter 22
"SCALE" IS NULL,
"NULL$" = 0,
"SPARE6" IS NULL,
"INTCOL#" = 2,
"PROPERTY" = 0,
"CHARSETID" = 0,
"CHARSETFORM" = 0,
"SPARE1" = 0,
"SPARE2" = 0,
"SPARE3" = 0,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"DEFAULT$" IS NULL;

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"COL#" = 3,
"SEGCOL#" = 3,
"SEGCOLLENGTH" = 22,
"OFFSET" = 0,
"NAME" = 'OLD_LIST_PRICE',
"TYPE#" = 2,
"LENGTH" = 22,
"FIXEDSTORAGE" = 0,
"PRECISION#" = 8,
"SCALE" = 2,
"NULL$" = 0,
"SPARE6" IS NULL,
"INTCOL#" = 3,
"PROPERTY" = 0,
"CHARSETID" = 0,
"CHARSETFORM" = 0,
"SPARE1" = 0,
"SPARE2" = 0,
"SPARE3" = 0,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"DEFAULT$" IS NULL;

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"COL#" = 4,
"SEGCOL#" = 4,
"SEGCOLLENGTH" = 5,
"OFFSET" = 0,
"NAME" = 'OLD_WARRANTY_PERIOD',
"TYPE#" = 182,
"LENGTH" = 5,
"FIXEDSTORAGE" = 0,
"PRECISION#" = 2,
"SCALE" = 0,
"NULL$" = 0,
"SPARE6" IS NULL,
"INTCOL#" = 4,
"PROPERTY" = 0,
"CHARSETID" = 0,
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Chapter 22
"CHARSETFORM" = 0,
"SPARE1" = 0,
"SPARE2" = 2,
"SPARE3" = 0,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"DEFAULT$" IS NULL;
insert into "SYS"."CCOL$"

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"CON#" = 2090,
"COL#" = 1,
"POS#" IS NULL,
"INTCOL#" = 1,
"SPARE1" = 0,
"SPARE2" IS NULL,
"SPARE3" IS NULL,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"SPARE6" IS NULL;
insert into "SYS"."CDEF$"

values
"OBJ#" = 33415,
"CON#" = 2090,
"COLS" = 1,
"TYPE#" = 7,
"ROBJ#" IS NULL,
"RCON#" IS NULL,
"RRULES" IS NULL,
"MATCH#" IS NULL,
"REFACT" IS NULL,
"ENABLED" = 1,
"CONDLENGTH" = 24,
"SPARE6" IS NULL,
"INTCOLS" = 1,
"MTIME" = TO_DATE('13-jan-2012 14:01:08', 'dd-mon-yyyy hh24:mi:ss'),
"DEFER" = 12,
"SPARE1" = 6,
"SPARE2" IS NULL,
"SPARE3" IS NULL,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"CONDITION" = '"PRODUCT_ID" IS NOT NULL';
create table oe.product_tracking (product_id number not null,

modified_time date,
old_product_description varchar2(2000),
update "SYS"."SEG$"
set
"TYPE#" = 5,
"BLOCKS" = 5,
"EXTENTS" = 1,
"INIEXTS" = 5,
"MINEXTS" = 1,
"MAXEXTS" = 121,
"EXTSIZE" = 5,
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"EXTPCT" = 50,
"USER#" = 37,
"LISTS" = 0,
"GROUPS" = 0,
"CACHEHINT" = 0,
"HWMINCR" = 33415,
"SPARE1" = 1024
where
"TS#" = 0 and
"FILE#" = 1 and
"BLOCK#" = 121034 and
"TYPE#" = 3 and
"BLOCKS" = 5 and
"EXTENTS" = 1 and
"INIEXTS" = 5 and
"MINEXTS" = 1 and
"MAXEXTS" = 121 and
"EXTSIZE" = 5 and
"EXTPCT" = 50 and
"USER#" = 37 and
"LISTS" = 0 and
"GROUPS" = 0 and
"BITMAPRANGES" = 0 and
"CACHEHINT" = 0 and
"SCANHINT" = 0 and
"HWMINCR" = 33415 and
"SPARE1" = 1024 and
"SPARE2" IS NULL and
ROWID = 'AAAAAIAABAAAdMOAAB';
insert into "SYS"."CON$"

values
"OWNER#" = 37,
"NAME" = 'SYS_C002090',
"CON#" = 2090,
"SPARE1" IS NULL,
"SPARE2" IS NULL,
"SPARE3" IS NULL,
"SPARE4" IS NULL,
"SPARE5" IS NULL,
"SPARE6" IS NULL;
commit;
22.13.1.5 Example 5: Tracking DDL Statements in the Internal Dictionary

By using the DBMS_LOGMNR.DDL_DICT_TRACKING option, this example ensures that the
LogMiner internal dictionary is updated with the DDL statements encountered in the
redo log files.
SELECT NAME, SEQUENCE# FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
NAME SEQUENCE#
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-------------------------------------------- --------------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_210_482701534.dbf 210
2. Because the dictionary may be contained in more than one redo log file, you need
to determine which redo log files contain the start and end of the data dictionary.
Query the V$ARCHIVED_LOG view, as follows:
a. Find a redo log that contains the end of the data dictionary extract. This redo
log file must have been created before the redo log files that you want to
analyze, but should be as recent as possible.
FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE DICTIONARY_END = 'YES' and SEQUENCE# < 210);

-------------------------------------------- ---------- ----- ------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_208_482701534.dbf 208 NO YES
b. Find the redo log file that contains the start of the data dictionary extract that
matches the end of the dictionary found by the previous SQL statement:
FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE DICTIONARY_BEGIN = 'YES' and SEQUENCE# <= 208);

-------------------------------------------- ---------- ----- ------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_208_482701534.dbf 207 YES NO
3. Ensure that you have a complete list of redo log files.
To successfully apply DDL statements encountered in the redo log files, ensure
that all files are included in the list of redo log files to mine. The missing log file
corresponding to sequence# 209 must be included in the list. Determine the
names of the redo log files that you need to add to the list by issuing the following
query:
WHERE SEQUENCE# >= 207 AND SEQUENCE# <= 210
ORDER BY SEQUENCE# ASC;
NAME
--------------------------------------------
4. Specify the list of the redo log files of interest.
Include the redo log files that contain the beginning and end of the dictionary, the
redo log file that you want to mine, and any redo log files required to create a list
without gaps. You can add the redo log files in any order.
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5. Start LogMiner by specifying the dictionary to use and the DDL_DICT_TRACKING,
COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY, and PRINT_PRETTY_SQL options.
DBMS_LOGMNR.DDL_DICT_TRACKING + -
To reduce the number of rows returned, exclude from the query all DML
statements done in the SYS or SYSTEM schemas. (This query specifies a timestamp
to exclude transactions that were involved in the dictionary extraction.)
The query returns all the reconstructed SQL statements correctly translated and
the insert operations on the oe.product_tracking table that occurred because of
the trigger execution.
SELECT USERNAME AS usr,(XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) as XID, SQL_REDO FROM
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
TIMESTAMP > '10-jan-2012 15:59:53';
USR XID SQL_REDO

----------- -------- -----------------------------------
modified_time date,

for each row
declare
begin
end;

set
"LIST_PRICE" = 100
where
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OE 1.9.1598 insert into "OE"."PRODUCT_TRACKING"

values
"PRODUCT_ID" = 1729,
"MODIFIED_TIME" = TO_DATE('13-jan-2012 16:07:03',
"OLD_LIST_PRICE" = 80,
"OLD_WARRANTY_PERIOD" = TO_YMINTERVAL('+05-00');

set
"LIST_PRICE" = 92
where

values
OE 1.9.1598 commit;
22.13.1.6 Example 6: Filtering Output by Time Range

In the previous two examples, rows were filtered by specifying a timestamp-based
predicate (timestamp > '10-jan-2012 15:59:53') in the query. However, a more efficient
way to filter out redo records based on timestamp values is by specifying the time
range in the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure call, as shown in this example.
1. Create a list of redo log files to mine.

Suppose you want to mine redo log files generated since a given time. The
following procedure creates a list of redo log files based on a specified time. The
subsequent SQL EXECUTE statement calls the procedure and specifies the starting
time as 2 p.m. on Jan-13-2012.
--
-- my_add_logfiles
-- Add all archived logs generated after a specified start_time.
--
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE my_add_logfiles (in_start_time IN DATE) AS
CURSOR c_log IS
WHERE FIRST_TIME >= in_start_time;
count pls_integer := 0;
my_option pls_integer := DBMS_LOGMNR.NEW;
BEGIN
FOR c_log_rec IN c_log
LOOP
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DBMS_LOGMNR.ADD_LOGFILE(LOGFILENAME => c_log_rec.name,

OPTIONS => my_option);
my_option := DBMS_LOGMNR.ADDFILE;
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Added logfile ' || c_log_rec.name);
END LOOP;
END;
/
EXECUTE my_add_logfiles(in_start_time => '13-jan-2012 14:00:00');

2. Query the V$LOGMNR_LOGS to see the list of redo log files.
This example includes the size of the redo log files in the output.
SELECT FILENAME name, LOW_TIME start_time, FILESIZE bytes
FROM V$LOGMNR_LOGS;
NAME START_TIME BYTES

----------------------------------- -------------------- ----------------
/usr/orcl/arch1_310_482932022.dbf 13-jan-2012 14:02:35 23683584
3. Adjust the list of redo log files.
Suppose you realize that you want to mine just the redo log files generated
between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
You could use the query predicate (timestamp > '13-jan-2012 15:00:00' and
timestamp < '13-jan-2012 16:00:00') to accomplish this. However, the query
predicate is evaluated on each row returned by LogMiner, and the internal mining
engine does not filter rows based on the query predicate. Thus, although you only
wanted to get rows out of redo log files arch1_311_482932022.dbf to
arch1_315_482932022.dbf, your query would result in mining all redo log files
registered to the LogMiner session.
Furthermore, although you could use the query predicate and manually remove
the redo log files that do not fall inside the time range of interest, the simplest
solution is to specify the time range of interest in the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR
procedure call.
Although this does not change the list of redo log files, LogMiner will mine only
those redo log files that fall in the time range specified.
STARTTIME => '13-jan-2012 15:00:00', -
ENDTIME => '13-jan-2012 16:00:00', -
SELECT TIMESTAMP, (XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) AS XID,
SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS WHERE SEG_OWNER = 'OE';
TIMESTAMP XID SQL_REDO
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--------------------- ----------- --------------------------------

13-jan-2012 15:29:31 1.17.2376 update "OE"."PRODUCT_INFORMATION"
set
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9TAAE';
13-jan-2012 15:29:34 1.17.2376 insert into "OE"."PRODUCT_TRACKING"
values
13-jan-2012 15:52:43 1.15.1756 update "OE"."PRODUCT_INFORMATION"

set
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9UAAB';
13-jan-2012 15:52:43 1.15.1756 insert into "OE"."PRODUCT_TRACKING"

values

22.13.2 Examples of Mining Without Specifying the List of Redo Log

Files Explicitly
The previous set of examples explicitly specified the redo log file or files to be mined.
However, if you are mining in the same database that generated the redo log files,
then you can mine the appropriate list of redo log files by just specifying the time (or
SCN) range of interest. To mine a set of redo log files without explicitly specifying
them, use the DBMS_LOGMNR.CONTINUOUS_MINE option to the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR
procedure, and specify either a time range or an SCN range of interest.
Note:
As of Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1), the LogMiner CONTINUOUS_MINE
option is deprecated. It is still supported for backward compatibility reasons, but
Oracle recommends that you discontinue using it. There is no replacement
functionality.
This section contains the following list of examples; these examples are best read in
sequential order, because each example builds on the example or examples that
precede it:
The SQL output formatting may be different on your display than that shown in these
examples.
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• Example 1: Mining Redo Log Files in a Given Time Range

• Example 2: Mining the Redo Log Files in a Given SCN Range
• Example 3: Using Continuous Mining to Include Future Values in a Query
22.13.2.1 Example 1: Mining Redo Log Files in a Given Time Range

This example is similar to "Example 4: Using the LogMiner Dictionary in the Redo Log
Files", except the list of redo log files are not specified explicitly. This example
assumes that you want to use the data dictionary extracted to the redo log files.
1. Determine the timestamp of the redo log file that contains the start of the data
dictionary.
SELECT NAME, FIRST_TIME FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE SEQUENCE# = (SELECT MAX(SEQUENCE#) FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG

WHERE DICTIONARY_BEGIN = 'YES');
NAME FIRST_TIME
-------------------------------------------- --------------------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_207_482701534.dbf 10-jan-2012 12:01:34
2. Display all the redo log files that have been generated so far.
This step is not required, but is included to demonstrate that the CONTINUOUS_MINE
option works as expected, as will be shown in Step 4.
SELECT FILENAME name FROM V$LOGMNR_LOGS
WHERE LOW_TIME > '10-jan-2012 12:01:34';
NAME
----------------------------------------------
3. Start LogMiner by specifying the dictionary to use and the COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY,
PRINT_PRETTY_SQL, and CONTINUOUS_MINE options.
STARTTIME => '10-jan-2012 12:01:34', -
ENDTIME => SYSDATE, -
DBMS_LOGMNR.PRINT_PRETTY_SQL + -
4. Query the V$LOGMNR_LOGS view.
This step shows that the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure with the
CONTINUOUS_MINE option includes all of the redo log files that have been generated
so far, as expected. (Compare the output in this step to the output in Step 2.)
SELECT FILENAME name FROM V$LOGMNR_LOGS;
NAME
------------------------------------------------------
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To reduce the number of rows returned by the query, exclude all DML statements
done in the SYS or SYSTEM schema. (This query specifies a timestamp to exclude
transactions that were involved in the dictionary extraction.)
Note that all reconstructed SQL statements returned by the query are correctly
translated.
SELECT USERNAME AS usr,(XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) as XID,
SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
TIMESTAMP > '10-jan-2012 15:59:53';
USR XID SQL_REDO

----------- -------- -----------------------------------
modified_time date,

for each row
declare
begin
end;

set
"LIST_PRICE" = 100
where
values

set
"LIST_PRICE" = 92
where

values
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OE 1.9.1598 commit;

22.13.2.2 Example 2: Mining the Redo Log Files in a Given SCN Range
This example shows how to specify an SCN range of interest and mine the redo log
files that satisfy that range. You can use LogMiner to see all committed DML
statements whose effects have not yet been made permanent in the data files.
Note that in this example (unlike the other examples) it is not assumed that you have
set the NLS_DATE_FORMAT parameter.
1. Determine the SCN of the last checkpoint taken.

SELECT CHECKPOINT_CHANGE#, CURRENT_SCN FROM V$DATABASE;
CHECKPOINT_CHANGE# CURRENT_SCN
------------------ ---------------
56453576 56454208
2. Start LogMiner and specify the CONTINUOUS_MINE option.
STARTSCN => 56453576, -

ENDSCN => 56454208, -
DBMS_LOGMNR.PRINT_PRETTY_SQL + -
3. Display the list of archived redo log files added by LogMiner.
SELECT FILENAME name, LOW_SCN, NEXT_SCN FROM V$LOGMNR_LOGS;
NAME LOW_SCN NEXT_SCN

-------------------------------------------- -------- --------
/usr/oracle/data/db1arch_1_215_482701534.dbf 56316771 56453579
Note that the redo log file that LogMiner added does not contain the whole SCN
range. When you specify the CONTINUOUS_MINE option, LogMiner adds only archived
redo log files when you call the DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure. LogMiner will
add the rest of the SCN range contained in the online redo log files automatically,
as needed during the query execution. Use the following query to determine
whether the redo log file added is the latest archived redo log file produced.
WHERE SEQUENCE# = (SELECT MAX(SEQUENCE#) FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG);
NAME
--------------------------------------------
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4. Query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view for changes made to the user tables.
The following query does not return the SET TRANSACTION READ WRITE and COMMIT
statements associated with transaction 1.6.1911 because these statements do not
have a segment owner (SEG_OWNER) associated with them.
Note that the default NLS_DATE_FORMAT, 'DD-MON-RR', is used to display the column
MODIFIED_TIME of type DATE.
SELECT SCN, (XIDUSN || '.' || XIDSLT || '.' || XIDSQN) as XID, SQL_REDO
WHERE SEG_OWNER NOT IN ('SYS', 'SYSTEM');
SCN XID SQL_REDO

---------- ---------- -------------
56454198 1.6.1911 update "OE"."PRODUCT_INFORMATION"
set
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9AAAC';
56454199 1.6.1911 insert into "OE"."PRODUCT_TRACKING"

values
"MODIFIED_TIME" = TO_DATE('17-JAN-03', 'DD-MON-RR'),
56454204 1.6.1911 update "OE"."PRODUCT_INFORMATION"

set
where
ROWID = 'AAAHTKAABAAAY9QAAA';
56454206 1.6.1911 insert into "OE"."PRODUCT_TRACKING"
values
"MODIFIED_TIME" = TO_DATE('17-JAN-03', 'DD-MON-RR'),

22.13.2.3 Example 3: Using Continuous Mining to Include Future Values in a

Query
To specify that a query not finish until some future time occurs or SCN is reached, use
the CONTINUOUS_MINE option and set either the ENDTIME or ENDSCN option in your call to the
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure to a time in the future or to an SCN value that has
not yet been reached.
This examples assumes that you want to monitor all changes made to the table
hr.employees from now until 5 hours from now, and that you are using the dictionary in
the online catalog.
1. Start LogMiner.
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STARTTIME => SYSDATE, -

ENDTIME => SYSDATE + 5/24, -
OPTIONS => DBMS_LOGMNR.CONTINUOUS_MINE + -
DBMS_LOGMNR.DICT_FROM_ONLINE_CATALOG);
This select operation will not complete until it encounters the first redo log file
record that is generated after the time range of interest (5 hours from now). You
can end the select operation prematurely by pressing Ctrl+C.
This example specifies the SET ARRAYSIZE statement so that rows are displayed as
they are entered in the redo log file. If you do not specify the SET ARRAYSIZE
statement, then rows are not returned until the SQL internal buffer is full.
SET ARRAYSIZE 1;
SELECT USERNAME AS usr, SQL_REDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS
WHERE SEG_OWNER = 'HR' AND TABLE_NAME = 'EMPLOYEES';
22.13.3 Example Scenarios

The examples in this section demonstrate how to use LogMiner for typical scenarios.
This section includes the following examples:
• Scenario 1: Using LogMiner to Track Changes Made by a Specific User
• Scenario 2: Using LogMiner to Calculate Table Access Statistics
22.13.3.1 Scenario 1: Using LogMiner to Track Changes Made by a Specific

User
This example shows how to see all changes made to the database in a specific time
range by a single user: joedevo. Connect to the database and then take the following
steps:
1. Create the LogMiner dictionary file.
To use LogMiner to analyze joedevo's data, you must either create a LogMiner
dictionary file before any table definition changes are made to tables that joedevo
uses or use the online catalog at LogMiner startup. See "Extract a LogMiner
Dictionary" for examples of creating LogMiner dictionaries. This example uses a
LogMiner dictionary that has been extracted to the redo log files.
2. Add redo log files.
Assume that joedevo has made some changes to the database. You can now
specify the names of the redo log files that you want to analyze, as follows:
LOGFILENAME => 'log1orc1.ora', -
If desired, add additional redo log files, as follows:

LOGFILENAME => 'log2orc1.ora', -
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3. Start LogMiner and limit the search to the specified time range:
DICTFILENAME => 'orcldict.ora', -
STARTTIME => TO_DATE('01-Jan-1998 08:30:00','DD-MON-YYYY HH:MI:SS'), -
ENDTIME => TO_DATE('01-Jan-1998 08:45:00', 'DD-MON-YYYY HH:MI:SS'));
At this point, the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view is available for queries. You decide to find
all of the changes made by user joedevo to the salary table. Execute the following
SELECT statement:
SELECT SQL_REDO, SQL_UNDO FROM V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS

WHERE USERNAME = 'joedevo' AND SEG_NAME = 'salary';
For both the SQL_REDO and SQL_UNDO columns, two rows are returned (the format of
the data display will be different on your screen). You discover that joedevo
requested two operations: he deleted his old salary and then inserted a new,
higher salary. You now have the data necessary to undo this operation.
SQL_REDO SQL_UNDO
-------- --------
delete from SALARY insert into SALARY(NAME, EMPNO, SAL)
where EMPNO = 12345 values ('JOEDEVO', 12345, 500)
and NAME='JOEDEVO'
and SAL=500;
insert into SALARY(NAME, EMPNO, SAL) delete from SALARY

values('JOEDEVO',12345, 2500) where EMPNO = 12345
and NAME = 'JOEDEVO'
2 rows selected and SAL = 2500;
Use the DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR procedure to finish the LogMiner session properly:
DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR( );
22.13.3.2 Scenario 2: Using LogMiner to Calculate Table Access Statistics

In this example, assume you manage a direct marketing database and want to
determine how productive the customer contacts have been in generating revenue for
a 2-week period in January. Assume that you have already created the LogMiner
dictionary and added the redo log files that you want to search (as demonstrated in the
previous example). Take the following steps:
1. Start LogMiner and specify a range of times:
STARTTIME => TO_DATE('07-Jan-2012 08:30:00','DD-MON-YYYY HH:MI:SS'), -
ENDTIME => TO_DATE('21-Jan-2012 08:45:00','DD-MON-YYYY HH:MI:SS'), -
DICTFILENAME => '/usr/local/dict.ora');
2. Query the V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view to determine which tables were modified in the
time range you specified, as shown in the following example. (This query filters out
system tables that traditionally have a $ in their name.)
SELECT SEG_OWNER, SEG_NAME, COUNT(*) AS Hits FROM
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS WHERE SEG_NAME NOT LIKE '%$' GROUP BY
SEG_OWNER, SEG_NAME ORDER BY Hits DESC;
3. The following data is displayed. (The format of your display may be different.)
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Supported Data Types, Storage Attributes, and Database and Redo Log File Versions
SEG_OWNER SEG_NAME Hits

--------- -------- ----
CUST ACCOUNT 384
UNIV EXECDONOR 325
UNIV DONOR 234
UNIV MEGADONOR 32
HR EMPLOYEES 12
SYS DONOR 12
The values in the Hits column show the number of times that the named table had
an insert, delete, or update operation performed on it during the 2-week period
specified in the query. In this example, the cust.account table was modified the
most during the specified 2-week period, and the hr.employees and sys.donor
tables were modified the least during the same time period.
Use the DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR procedure to finish the LogMiner session properly:
DBMS_LOGMNR.END_LOGMNR( );
22.14 Supported Data Types, Storage Attributes, and

Database and Redo Log File Versions
The following sections provide information about data type and storage attribute
support and the releases of the database and redo log files supported:
• Supported Data Types and Table Storage Attributes
• Unsupported Data Types and Table Storage Attributes
• Supported Databases and Redo Log File Versions
• SecureFiles LOB Considerations
22.14.1 Supported Data Types and Table Storage Attributes
Note:
As of Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1), the maximum size of the
VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR2, and RAW data types has been increased to 32 KB when the
COMPATIBLE initialization parameter is set to 12.0 or higher and the
MAX_STRING_SIZE initialization parameter is set to EXTENDED.
LogMiner treats 32 KB columns as LOBs for the purposes of supplemental

logging.
A 32 KB column cannot be part of an ALWAYS supplemental logging group.
LogMiner supports the following data types and table storage attributes. As described
in "Compatibility Requirements", some data types are supported only in certain
releases.
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Data Types
• BINARY_DOUBLE
• BINARY_FLOAT
• BLOB
• CHAR
• CLOB and NCLOB
• DATE
• LOBs stored as SecureFiles (requires that the database be run at a compatibility

of 11.2 or higher.
• LONG
• LONG RAW
• NCHAR
• NUMBER
• NVARCHAR2
• Objects stored as VARRAYs

• Objects (Simple and Nested ADTs without Collections)
Object support (including Oracle-supplied types such as SDO_GEOMETRY, ORDIMAGE,
and so on) requires that the database be running Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1) or higher with a redo compatibility setting of 12.0.0.0 or higher. The contents
of the SQL_REDO column for the XML data-related operations is never valid SQL or
PL/SQL.
• Oracle Text
• RAW
• TIMESTAMP
• TIMESTAMP WITH TIMEZONE
• TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIMEZONE
• VARCHAR and VARCHAR2
• XDB
• XMLType data for all storage models, assuming the following primary database
compatibility requirements:
– XMLType stored in CLOB format requires that the database be run at a
compatibility setting of 11.0 or higher (XMLType stored as CLOB is deprecated as
of Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1).)
– XMLType stored in object-relational format or as binary XML requires that the
database be running Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.3) or higher with
a redo compatibility setting of 11.2.0.3 or higher. The contents of the SQL_REDO
column for the XML data-related operations is never valid SQL or PL/SQL.
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Table Storage Types

• Cluster tables (including index clusters and heap clusters).
• Index-organized tables (IOTs) (partitioned and nonpartitioned, including overflow
segments).
• Heap-organized tables (partitioned and nonpartitioned).
• Advanced row compression and basic table compression. Both of these options
require a database compatibility setting of 11.1.0 or higher.
• Tables containing LOB columns stored as SecureFiles, when database
compatibility is set to 11.2 or higher.
• Tables using Hybrid Columnar Compression, when database compatibility is set to
11.2.0.2 or higher.
See Also:
– Oracle Database Concepts for more information about Hybrid

Columnar Compression
• Compatibility Requirements
22.14.1.1 Compatibility Requirements

LogMiner support for certain data types and table storage attributes has the following
database compatibility requirements:
• Multibyte CLOB support requires the database to run at a compatibility of 10.1 or
higher.
• IOT support without LOBs and Overflows requires the database to run at a
compatibility of 10.1 or higher.
• IOT support with LOB and Overflow requires the database to run at a compatibility
of 10.2 or higher.
• TDE and TSE support require the database to run at a compatibility of 11.1 or
higher.
• Basic compression and advanced row compression require the database to run at
a compatibility of 11.1 or higher.
• Hybrid Columnar Compression support is dependent on the underlying storage
system and requires the database to run at a compatibility of 11.2 or higher.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Concepts for more information about Hybrid Columnar

Compression
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22.14.2 Unsupported Data Types and Table Storage Attributes

LogMiner does not support the following data types and table storage attributes. If a
table contains columns having any of these unsupported data types, then the entire
table is ignored by LogMiner.
• BFILE
• Nested tables
• Objects with nested tables
• Tables with identity columns
• Temporal validity columns
• PKREF columns
• PKOID columns
• Nested table attributes and stand-alone nested table columns
22.14.3 Supported Databases and Redo Log File Versions

LogMiner runs only on databases of release 8.1 or later, but you can use it to analyze
redo log files from release 8.0 databases. However, the information that LogMiner is
able to retrieve from a redo log file depends on the version of the log, not the release
of the database in use. For example, redo log files for Oracle9i can be augmented to
capture additional information when supplemental logging is enabled. This allows
LogMiner functionality to be used to its fullest advantage. Redo log files created with
older releases of Oracle will not have that additional data and may therefore have
limitations on the operations and data types supported by LogMiner.
See Also:
"Steps in a Typical LogMiner Session" and "Supplemental Logging"
22.14.4 SecureFiles LOB Considerations

SecureFiles LOBs are supported when database compatibility is set to 11.2 or later.
Only SQL_REDO columns can be filled in for SecureFiles LOB columns; SQL_UNDO columns
are not filled in.
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and data compression can be enabled on
SecureFiles LOB columns at the primary database.
Deduplication of SecureFiles LOB columns is fully supported. Fragment operations are
not supported.
If LogMiner encounters redo generated by unsupported operations, then it generates
rows with the OPERATION column set to UNSUPPORTED. No SQL_REDO or SQL_UNDO will
be generated for these redo records.
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Using the Metadata APIs
The DBMS_METADATA API enables you to do the following:
• Retrieve an object's metadata as XML

• Transform the XML in a variety of ways, including transforming it into SQL DDL
• Submit the XML to re-create the object extracted by the retrieval
The DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API lets you compare objects between databases to identify
metadata changes over time in objects of the same type.
• Why Use the DBMS_METADATA API?
• Overview of the DBMS_METADATA API
• Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve an Object's Metadata
• Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Re-Create a Retrieved Object
• Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve Collections of Different Object
Types
• Using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API to Compare Object Metadata
• Performance Tips for the Programmatic Interface of the DBMS_METADATA API
• Example Usage of the DBMS_METADATA API
• Summary of DBMS_METADATA Procedures
• Summary of DBMS_METADATA_DIFF Procedures
23.1 Why Use the DBMS_METADATA API?

Over time, as you have used the Oracle database, you may have developed your own
code for extracting metadata from the dictionary, manipulating the metadata (adding
columns, changing column data types, and so on) and then converting the metadata to
DDL so that you could re-create the object on the same or another database. Keeping
that code updated to support new dictionary features has probably proven to be
challenging.
The DBMS_METADATA API eliminates the need for you to write and maintain your own
code for metadata extraction. It provides a centralized facility for the extraction,
manipulation, and re-creation of dictionary metadata. And it supports all dictionary
objects at their most current level.
Although the DBMS_METADATA API can dramatically decrease the amount of custom code
you are writing and maintaining, it does not involve any changes to your normal
database procedures. The DBMS_METADATA API is installed in the same way as data
dictionary views, by running catproc.sql to run a SQL script at database installation
time. Once it is installed, it is available whenever the instance is operational, even in
restricted mode.
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Overview of the DBMS_METADATA API
The DBMS_METADATA API does not require you to make any source code changes when
you change database releases because it is upwardly compatible across different
Oracle releases. XML documents retrieved by one release can be processed by the
submit interface on the same or later release. For example, XML documents retrieved
by an Oracle9i database can be submitted to Oracle Database 10g.
23.2 Overview of the DBMS_METADATA API

For the purposes of the DBMS_METADATA API, every entity in the database is modeled as
an object that belongs to an object type. For example, the table scott.emp is an object
and its object type is TABLE. When you fetch an object's metadata you must specify the
object type.
To fetch a particular object or set of objects within an object type, you specify a filter.
Different filters are defined for each object type. For example, two of the filters defined
for the TABLE object type are SCHEMA and NAME. They allow you to say, for example, that
you want the table whose schema is scott and whose name is emp.
The DBMS_METADATA API makes use of XML (Extensible Markup Language) and XSLT
(Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation). The DBMS_METADATA API represents
object metadata as XML because it is a universal format that can be easily parsed and
transformed. The DBMS_METADATA API uses XSLT to transform XML documents into
either other XML documents or into SQL DDL.
You can use the DBMS_METADATA API to specify one or more transforms (XSLT scripts) to
be applied to the XML when the metadata is fetched (or when it is resubmitted). The
API provides some predefined transforms, including one named DDL that transforms
the XML document into SQL creation DDL.
You can then specify conditions on the transform by using transform parameters. You
can also specify optional parse items to access specific attributes of an object's
metadata.
For more details about all of these options and examples of their implementation, see
• Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve an Object's Metadata
• Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Re-Create a Retrieved Object
• Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve Collections of Different Object
Types
Using Views to Determine Valid DBMS_METADATA Options

You can use the following views to determine which DBMS_METADATA transforms are
allowed for each object type transformation, the parameters for each transform, and
their parse items.
• DBMS_METADATA_TRANSFORMS — documents all valid Oracle-supplied
transforms that are used with the DBMS_METADATA package.
• DBMS_METADATA_TRANSFORM_PARAMS — documents the valid transform
parameters for each transform.
• DBMS_METADATA_PARSE_ITEMS— documents the valid parse items.
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Overview of the DBMS_METADATA API
For example, suppose you want to know which transforms are allowed for INDEX
objects. The following query returns the transforms that are valid for INDEX objects, the
required input types, and the resulting output types:
SQL> SELECT transform, output_type, input_type, description
2 FROM dbms_metadata_transforms
3 WHERE object_type='INDEX';
TRANSFORM OUTPUT_TYP INPUT_TYPE DESCRIPTION

---------- ---------- --------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ALTERXML ALTER_XML SXML difference doc Generate ALTER_XML from SXML difference
document
SXMLDDL DDL SXML Convert SXML to DDL
MODIFY XML XML Modify XML document according to
transform parameters
SXML SXML XML Convert XML to SXML
DDL DDL XML Convert XML to SQL to create the object
ALTERDDL ALTER_DDL ALTER_XML Convert ALTER_XML to ALTER_DDL
MODIFYSXML SXML SXML Modify SXML document
You might then want to know which transform parameters are valid for the DDL
transform:
SQL> SELECT param, datatype, default_val, description
2 FROM dbms_metadata_transform_params
3 WHERE object_type='INDEX' and transform='DDL'
4 ORDER BY param;
PARAM DATATYPE DEFAULT_VA DESCRIPTION

------------------------- ---------- ----------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
INCLUDE_PARTITIONS TEXT Include generated interval and list
partitions in DDL
transformation
INDEX_COMPRESSION_CLAUSE TEXT "" Text of user-specified index
compression clause
PARTITIONING BOOLEAN TRUE Include partitioning clauses in
transformation
PARTITION_NAME TEXT "" Name of partition selected for the
transformation
PCTSPACE NUMBER "" Percentage by which space
allocation is to be modified
SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES BOOLEAN TRUE Include segment attribute clauses
(physical attributes, storage
attribues, tablespace,
logging) in transformation
STORAGE BOOLEAN TRUE Include storage clauses in
transformation
SUBPARTITION_NAME TEXT "" Name of subpartition selected for
the transformation
TABLESPACE BOOLEAN TRUE Include tablespace clauses in
transformation
You can also perform the following query which returns specific metadata about the
INDEX object type::
SQL> SELECT parse_item, description

2 FROM dbms_metadata_parse_items
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Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve an Object's Metadata
3 WHERE object_type='INDEX' and convert='Y';
PARSE_ITEM DESCRIPTION
-------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------
OBJECT_TYPE Object type
TABLESPACE Object tablespace (default tablespace for partitioned objects)
BASE_OBJECT_SCHEMA Schema of the base object
SCHEMA Object schema, if any
NAME Object name
BASE_OBJECT_NAME Name of the base object
BASE_OBJECT_TYPE Object type of the base object
SYSTEM_GENERATED Y = system-generated object; N = not system-generated
23.3 Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve an

Object's Metadata
The retrieval interface of the DBMS_METADATA API lets you specify the kind of object to be
retrieved. This can be either a particular object type (such as a table, index, or
procedure) or a heterogeneous collection of object types that form a logical unit (such
as a database export or schema export). By default, metadata that you fetch is
returned in an XML document.
Note:
To access objects that are not in your own schema you must have the
SELECT_CATALOG_ROLE role. However, roles are disabled within many PL/SQL
objects (stored procedures, functions, definer's rights APIs). Therefore, if you
are writing a PL/SQL program that will access objects in another schema (or, in
general, any objects for which you need the SELECT_CATALOG_ROLE role), then you
must put the code in an invoker's rights API.
You can use the programmatic interface for casual browsing, or you can use it to
develop applications. You would use the browsing interface if you simply wanted to
make ad hoc queries of the system metadata. You would use the programmatic
interface when you want to extract dictionary metadata as part of an application. In
such cases, the procedures provided by the DBMS_METADATA API can be used in place of
SQL scripts and customized code that you may be currently using to do the same
thing.
• Typical Steps Used for Basic Metadata Retrieval
• Retrieving Multiple Objects
• Placing Conditions on Transforms
• Accessing Specific Metadata Attributes
23.3.1 Typical Steps Used for Basic Metadata Retrieval

When you retrieve metadata, you use the DBMS_METADATA PL/SQL API. The following
examples illustrate the programmatic and browsing interfaces.
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The DBMS_METADATA programmatic interface example provides a basic demonstration of

using the DBMS_METADATA programmatic interface to retrieve metadata for one table. It
creates a DBMS_METADATA program that creates a function named get_table_md. This
function returns metadata for one table.
The DBMS_METADATA browsing interface example demonstrates how you can use the
browsing interface to obtain the same results.
Example 23-1 Using the DBMS_METADATA Programmatic Interface to Retrieve
Data
1. Create a DBMS_METADATA program that creates a function named get_table_md, which
will return the metadata for one table, timecards, in the hr schema. The content of
such a program looks as follows. (For this example, name the program
metadata_program.sql.)
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_table_md RETURN CLOB IS

-- Define local variables.
h NUMBER; --handle returned by OPEN
th NUMBER; -- handle returned by ADD_TRANSFORM
doc CLOB;
BEGIN
-- Specify the object type.

h := DBMS_METADATA.OPEN('TABLE');
-- Use filters to specify the particular object desired.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h,'SCHEMA','HR');
DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h,'NAME','TIMECARDS');
-- Request that the metadata be transformed into creation DDL.

th := DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM(h,'DDL');
-- Fetch the object.

doc := DBMS_METADATA.FETCH_CLOB(h);
-- Release resources.
DBMS_METADATA.CLOSE(h);
RETURN doc;
END;
/
2. Connect as user hr.
3. Run the program to create the get_table_md function:
SQL> @metadata_program
4. Use the newly created get_table_md function in a select operation. To generate

complete, uninterrupted output, set the PAGESIZE to 0 and set LONG to some large
number, as shown, before executing your query:
SQL> SET PAGESIZE 0
SQL> SET LONG 1000000
SQL> SELECT get_table_md FROM dual;
5. The output, which shows the metadata for the timecards table in the hr schema,
looks similar to the following:
CREATE TABLE "HR"."TIMECARDS"
"WEEK" NUMBER(2,0),
"JOB_ID" VARCHAR2(10),
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"HOURS_WORKED" NUMBER(4,2),
FOREIGN KEY ("EMPLOYEE_ID")
REFERENCES "HR"."EMPLOYEES" ("EMPLOYEE_ID") ENABLE
) PCTFREE 10 PCTUSED 40 INITRANS 1 MAXTRANS 255 NOCOMPRESS LOGGING
STORAGE(INITIAL 65536 NEXT 1048576 MINEXTENTS 1 MAXEXTENTS 2147483645
PCTINCREASE 0 FREELISTS 1 FREELIST GROUPS 1 BUFFER_POOL DEFAULT)
TABLESPACE "EXAMPLE"
Example 23-2 Using the DBMS_METADATA Browsing Interface to Retrieve
Data
SQL> SET PAGESIZE 0
SQL> SELECT DBMS_METADATA.GET_DDL('TABLE','TIMECARDS','HR') FROM dual;
The results of this query are same as shown in step 5 in the DBMS_METADATA
programmatic interface example.
23.3.2 Retrieving Multiple Objects

In the previous example “Using the DBMS_METADATA Programmatic Interface to Retrieve
Data,” the FETCH_CLOB procedure was called only once, because it was known that
there was only one object. However, you can also retrieve multiple objects, for
example, all the tables in schema scott. To do this, you need to use the following
construct:
LOOP
--
-- When there are no more objects to be retrieved, FETCH_CLOB returns NULL.
--
EXIT WHEN doc IS NULL;
END LOOP;
The following example demonstrates use of this construct and retrieving multiple
objects. Connect as user scott for this example. The password is tiger.
Example 23-3 Retrieving Multiple Objects

1. Create a table named my_metadata and a procedure named get_tables_md, as
follows. Because not all objects can be returned, they are stored in a table and
queried at the end.
DROP TABLE my_metadata;
CREATE TABLE my_metadata (md clob);
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE get_tables_md IS
-- Define local variables
h NUMBER; -- handle returned by 'OPEN'
th NUMBER; -- handle returned by 'ADD_TRANSFORM'
doc CLOB; -- metadata is returned in a CLOB
BEGIN

-- Use filters to specify the schema.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h,'SCHEMA','SCOTT');

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-- Fetch the objects.

LOOP

-- Store the metadata in a table.

INSERT INTO my_metadata(md) VALUES (doc);
COMMIT;
END LOOP;
END;
/
2. Execute the procedure:
EXECUTE get_tables_md;
3. Query the my_metadata table to see what was retrieved:
SET LONG 9000000
SET PAGES 0
SELECT * FROM my_metadata;
23.3.3 Placing Conditions on Transforms

You can use transform parameters to specify conditions on the transforms you add. To
do this, you use the SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM procedure. For example, if you have added
the DDL transform for a TABLE object, then you can specify the SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES
transform parameter to indicate that you do not want segment attributes (physical,
storage, logging, and so on) to appear in the DDL. The default is that segment
attributes do appear in the DDL.
Example 23-4 shows use of the SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM procedure.
Example 23-4 Placing Conditions on Transforms

1. Create a function named get_table_md, as follows:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_table_md RETURN CLOB IS
doc CLOB;
BEGIN



th := dbms_metadata.add_transform(h,'DDL');
-- Specify that segment attributes are not to be returned.

-- Note that this call uses the TRANSFORM handle, not the OPEN handle.
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Chapter 23
DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM(th,'SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES',false);

RETURN doc;
END;
/
2. Perform the following query:
SQL> SELECT get_table_md FROM dual;

CREATE TABLE "HR"."TIMECARDS"
"WEEK" NUMBER(2,0),
REFERENCES "HR"."EMPLOYEES" ("EMPLOYEE_ID") ENABLE
)
The examples shown up to this point have used a single transform, the DDL transform.
The DBMS_METADATA API also enables you to specify multiple transforms, with the output
of the first being the input to the next and so on.
Oracle supplies a transform called MODIFY that modifies an XML document. You can do
things like change schema names or tablespace names. To do this, you use remap
parameters and the SET_REMAP_PARAM procedure.
Example 23-5 shows a sample use of the SET_REMAP_PARAM procedure. It first adds the
MODIFY transform and specifies remap parameters to change the schema name from hr
to scott. It then adds the DDL transform. The output of the MODIFY transform is an XML
document that becomes the input to the DDL transform. The end result is the creation
DDL for the timecards table with all instances of schema hr changed to scott.
Example 23-5 Modifying an XML Document

1. Create a function named remap_schema:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION remap_schema RETURN CLOB IS
h NUMBER; --handle returned by OPEN
doc CLOB;
BEGIN


-- Request that the schema name be modified.

th := DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM(h,'MODIFY');
DBMS_METADATA.SET_REMAP_PARAM(th,'REMAP_SCHEMA','HR','SCOTT');
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DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM(th,'SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES',false);

RETURN doc;
END;
/
2. Perform the following query:
SELECT remap_schema FROM dual;

CREATE TABLE "SCOTT"."TIMECARDS"
"WEEK" NUMBER(2,0),
REFERENCES "SCOTT"."EMPLOYEES" ("EMPLOYEE_ID") ENABLE
)
If you are familiar with XSLT, then you can add your own user-written transforms
to process the XML.
23.3.4 Accessing Specific Metadata Attributes

It is often desirable to access specific attributes of an object's metadata, for example,
its name or schema. You could get this information by parsing the returned metadata,
but the DBMS_METADATA API provides another mechanism; you can specify parse items,
specific attributes that will be parsed out of the metadata and returned in a separate
data structure. To do this, you use the SET_PARSE_ITEM procedure.
Example 23-6 fetches all tables in a schema. For each table, a parse item is used to
get its name. The name is then used to get all indexes on the table. The example
illustrates the use of the FETCH_DDL function, which returns metadata in a sys.ku$_ddls
object.
This example assumes you are connected to a schema that contains some tables and
indexes. It also creates a table named my_metadata.
Example 23-6 Using Parse Items to Access Specific Metadata Attributes

1. Create a table named my_metadata and a procedure named
get_tables_and_indexes, as follows:

CREATE TABLE my_metadata (
object_type VARCHAR2(30),
name VARCHAR2(30),
md CLOB);
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE get_tables_and_indexes IS
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Chapter 23

h1 NUMBER; -- handle returned by OPEN for tables
h2 NUMBER; -- handle returned by OPEN for indexes
th1 NUMBER; -- handle returned by ADD_TRANSFORM for tables
th2 NUMBER; -- handle returned by ADD_TRANSFORM for indexes
doc sys.ku$_ddls; -- metadata is returned in sys.ku$_ddls,
-- a nested table of sys.ku$_ddl objects
ddl CLOB; -- creation DDL for an object
pi sys.ku$_parsed_items; -- parse items are returned in this object
-- which is contained in sys.ku$_ddl
objname VARCHAR2(30); -- the parsed object name
idxddls sys.ku$_ddls; -- metadata is returned in sys.ku$_ddls,
-- a nested table of sys.ku$_ddl objects
idxname VARCHAR2(30); -- the parsed index name
BEGIN
-- This procedure has an outer loop that fetches tables,
-- and an inner loop that fetches indexes.
-- Specify the object type: TABLE.

h1 := DBMS_METADATA.OPEN('TABLE');
-- Request that the table name be returned as a parse item.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_PARSE_ITEM(h1,'NAME');

th1 := DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM(h1,'DDL');

DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM(th1,'SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES',false);
-- Set up the outer loop: fetch the TABLE objects.

LOOP
doc := dbms_metadata.fetch_ddl(h1);
-- When there are no more objects to be retrieved, FETCH_DDL returns NULL.

-- Loop through the rows of the ku$_ddls nested table.

FOR i IN doc.FIRST..doc.LAST LOOP
ddl := doc(i).ddlText;
pi := doc(i).parsedItems;
-- Loop through the returned parse items.
IF pi IS NOT NULL AND pi.COUNT > 0 THEN
FOR j IN pi.FIRST..pi.LAST LOOP
IF pi(j).item='NAME' THEN
objname := pi(j).value;
END IF;
END LOOP;
END IF;
-- Insert information about this object into our table.
INSERT INTO my_metadata(object_type, name, md)
VALUES ('TABLE',objname,ddl);
COMMIT;
END LOOP;
-- Now fetch indexes using the parsed table name as

-- a BASE_OBJECT_NAME filter.

h2 := DBMS_METADATA.OPEN('INDEX');
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-- The base object is the table retrieved in the outer loop.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h2,'BASE_OBJECT_NAME',objname);
-- Exclude system-generated indexes.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h2,'SYSTEM_GENERATED',false);
-- Request that the index name be returned as a parse item.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_PARSE_ITEM(h2,'NAME');


DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM(th2,'SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES',false);
LOOP
idxddls := dbms_metadata.fetch_ddl(h2);
-- When there are no more objects to be retrieved, FETCH_DDL returns NULL.

EXIT WHEN idxddls IS NULL;
FOR i in idxddls.FIRST..idxddls.LAST LOOP

ddl := idxddls(i).ddlText;
pi := idxddls(i).parsedItems;
-- Loop through the returned parse items.
IF pi IS NOT NULL AND pi.COUNT > 0 THEN
FOR j IN pi.FIRST..pi.LAST LOOP
IF pi(j).item='NAME' THEN
idxname := pi(j).value;
END IF;
END LOOP;
END IF;
-- Store the metadata in our table.

INSERT INTO my_metadata(object_type, name, md)
VALUES ('INDEX',idxname,ddl);
COMMIT;
END LOOP; -- for loop
END LOOP;
DBMS_METADATA.CLOSE(h2);
END LOOP;
END;
/
EXECUTE get_tables_and_indexes;
3. Perform the following query to see what was retrieved:
SET LONG 9000000
SET PAGES 0
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Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Re-Create a Retrieved Object
23.4 Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Re-Create a

Retrieved Object
When you fetch metadata for an object, you may want to use it to re-create the object
in a different database or schema.
You may not be ready to make remapping decisions when you fetch the metadata.
You may want to defer these decisions until later. To accomplish this, you fetch the
metadata as XML and store it in a file or table. Later you can use the submit interface
to re-create the object.
The submit interface is similar in form to the retrieval interface. It has an OPENW
procedure in which you specify the object type of the object to be created. You can
specify transforms, transform parameters, and parse items. You can call the CONVERT
function to convert the XML to DDL, or you can call the PUT function to both convert
XML to DDL and submit the DDL to create the object.
Example 23-7 fetches the XML for a table in one schema, and then uses the submit
interface to re-create the table in another schema.
Example 23-7 Using the Submit Interface to Re-Create a Retrieved Object
1. Connect as a privileged user:
CONNECT system
Enter password: password
2. Create an invoker's rights package to hold the procedure because access to
objects in another schema requires the SELECT_CATALOG_ROLE role. In a definer's
rights PL/SQL object (such as a procedure or function), roles are disabled.
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE example_pkg AUTHID current_user IS
PROCEDURE move_table(
table_name in VARCHAR2,
from_schema in VARCHAR2,
to_schema in VARCHAR2 );
END example_pkg;
/
CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE BODY example_pkg IS
PROCEDURE move_table(
table_name in VARCHAR2,
from_schema in VARCHAR2,
to_schema in VARCHAR2 ) IS

h1 NUMBER; -- handle returned by OPEN
h2 NUMBER; -- handle returned by OPENW
th1 NUMBER; -- handle returned by ADD_TRANSFORM for MODIFY
th2 NUMBER; -- handle returned by ADD_TRANSFORM for DDL
xml CLOB; -- XML document
errs sys.ku$_SubmitResults := sys.ku$_SubmitResults();
err sys.ku$_SubmitResult;
result BOOLEAN;
BEGIN

h1 := DBMS_METADATA.OPEN('TABLE');
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Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Re-Create a Retrieved Object
-- Use filters to specify the name and schema of the table.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h1,'NAME',table_name);
DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h1,'SCHEMA',from_schema);
-- Fetch the XML.

xml := DBMS_METADATA.FETCH_CLOB(h1);
IF xml IS NULL THEN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Table ' || from_schema || '.' || table_name
|| ' not found');
RETURN;
END IF;
-- Use the submit interface to re-create the object in another schema.
-- Specify the object type using OPENW (instead of OPEN).

h2 := DBMS_METADATA.OPENW('TABLE');
-- First, add the MODIFY transform.

th1 := DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM(h2,'MODIFY');
-- Specify the desired modification: remap the schema name.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_REMAP_PARAM(th1,'REMAP_SCHEMA',from_schema,to_schema);
-- Now add the DDL transform so that the modified XML can be
-- transformed into creation DDL.
-- Call PUT to re-create the object.

result := DBMS_METADATA.PUT(h2,xml,0,errs);
IF NOT result THEN
-- Process the error information.
FOR i IN errs.FIRST..errs.LAST LOOP
err := errs(i);
FOR j IN err.errorLines.FIRST..err.errorLines.LAST LOOP
dbms_output.put_line(err.errorLines(j).errorText);
END LOOP;
END LOOP;
END IF;
END;
END example_pkg;
/
3. Now create a table named my_example in the schema SCOTT:
CONNECT scott
Enter password:
-- The password is tiger.
DROP TABLE my_example;

CREATE TABLE my_example (a NUMBER, b VARCHAR2(30));
CONNECT system
SET LONG 9000000

SET PAGESIZE 0
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON SIZE 100000
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Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve Collections of Different Object Types
4. Copy the my_example table to the SYSTEM schema:

DROP TABLE my_example;
EXECUTE example_pkg.move_table('MY_EXAMPLE','SCOTT','SYSTEM');
5. Perform the following query to verify that it worked:
SELECT DBMS_METADATA.GET_DDL('TABLE','MY_EXAMPLE') FROM dual;
23.5 Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve

Collections of Different Object Types
There may be times when you need to retrieve collections of objects in which the
objects are of different types, but comprise a logical unit. For example, you might need
to retrieve all the objects in a database or a schema, or a table and all its dependent
indexes, constraints, grants, audits, and so on. To make such a retrieval possible, the
DBMS_METADATA API provides several heterogeneous object types. A heterogeneous
object type is an ordered set of object types.
Oracle supplies the following heterogeneous object types:
• TABLE_EXPORT - a table and its dependent objects
• SCHEMA_EXPORT - a schema and its contents
• DATABASE_EXPORT - the objects in the database
These object types were developed for use by the Data Pump Export utility, but you
can use them in your own applications.
You can use only the programmatic retrieval interface (OPEN, FETCH, CLOSE) with these
types, not the browsing interface or the submit interface.
You can specify filters for heterogeneous object types, just as you do for the
homogeneous types. For example, you can specify the SCHEMA and NAME filters for
TABLE_EXPORT, or the SCHEMA filter for SCHEMA_EXPORT.
Example 23-8 shows how to retrieve the object types in the scott schema. Connect as
user scott. The password is tiger.
Example 23-8 Retrieving Heterogeneous Object Types

1. Create a table to store the retrieved objects:
CREATE TABLE my_metadata (md CLOB);
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE get_schema_md IS

h NUMBER; -- handle returned by OPEN
BEGIN

h := DBMS_METADATA.OPEN('SCHEMA_EXPORT');

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Using the DBMS_METADATA API to Retrieve Collections of Different Object Types

LOOP

-- Store the metadata in the table.

COMMIT;
END LOOP;
END;
/
EXECUTE get_schema_md;
SET LONG 9000000
SET PAGESIZE 0
In this example, objects are returned ordered by object type; for example, all tables are
returned, then all grants on tables, then all indexes on tables, and so on. The order is,
generally speaking, a valid creation order. Thus, if you take the objects in the order in
which they were returned and use the submit interface to re-create them in the same
order in another schema or database, then there will usually be no errors. (The
exceptions usually involve circular references; for example, if package A contains a
call to package B, and package B contains a call to package A, then one of the
packages will need to be recompiled a second time.)
• Filtering the Return of Heterogeneous Object Types
23.5.1 Filtering the Return of Heterogeneous Object Types

For finer control of the objects returned, use the SET_FILTER procedure and specify that
the filter apply only to a specific member type. You do this by specifying the path name
of the member type as the fourth parameter to SET_FILTER. In addition, you can use the
EXCLUDE_PATH_EXPR filter to exclude all objects of an object type. For a list of valid path
names, see the TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS catalog view.
Example 23-9 shows how you can use SET_FILTER to specify finer control on the
objects returned. Connect as user scott. The password is tiger.
Example 23-9 Filtering the Return of Heterogeneous Object Types

1. Create a table, my_metadata, to store the retrieved objects. And create a procedure,
get_schema_md2.

CREATE TABLE my_metadata (md CLOB);
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE get_schema_md2 IS
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Using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API to Compare Object Metadata

BEGIN

h := DBMS_METADATA.OPEN('SCHEMA_EXPORT');

-- Use the fourth parameter to SET_FILTER to specify a filter

-- that applies to a specific member object type.
DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h,'NAME_EXPR','!=''MY_METADATA''','TABLE');
-- Use the EXCLUDE_PATH_EXPR filter to exclude procedures.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(h,'EXCLUDE_PATH_EXPR','=''PROCEDURE''');

-- Use the fourth parameter to SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM to specify a parameter

-- that applies to a specific member object type.
DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM(th,'SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTES',false,'TABLE');

LOOP
doc := dbms_metadata.fetch_clob(h);

-- Store the metadata in the table.

COMMIT;
END LOOP;
END;
/
EXECUTE get_schema_md2;
SET LONG 9000000
SET PAGESIZE 0
23.6 Using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API to Compare

Object Metadata
This section provides an example that uses the retrieval, comparison, and submit
interfaces of DBMS_METADATA and DBMS_METADATA_DIFF to fetch metadata for two tables,
compare the metadata, and generate ALTER statements which make one table like the
other. For simplicity, function variants are used throughout the example.
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Example 23-10 Comparing Object Metadata

1. Create two tables, TAB1 and TAB2:
SQL> CREATE TABLE TAB1
2 ( "EMPNO" NUMBER(4,0),
3 "ENAME" VARCHAR2(10),
4 "JOB" VARCHAR2(9),
5 "DEPTNO" NUMBER(2,0)
6 ) ;
Table created.
SQL> CREATE TABLE TAB2

2 ( "EMPNO" NUMBER(4,0) PRIMARY KEY ENABLE,
3 "ENAME" VARCHAR2(20),
4 "MGR" NUMBER(4,0),
5 "DEPTNO" NUMBER(2,0)
6 ) ;
Table created.
Note the differences between TAB1 and TAB2:

• The table names are different
• TAB2 has a primary key constraint; TAB1 does not
• The length of the ENAME column is different in each table

• TAB1 has a JOB column; TAB2 does not
• TAB2 has a MGR column; TAB1 does not
2. Create a function to return the table metadata in SXML format. The following are
some key points to keep in mind about SXML when you are using the
DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API:
• SXML is an XML representation of object metadata.

• The SXML returned is not the same as the XML returned by
DBMS_METADATA.GET_XML, which is complex and opaque and contains binary
values, instance-specific values, and so on.
• SXML looks like a direct translation of SQL creation DDL into XML. The tag
names and structure correspond to names in the Oracle Database SQL
Language Reference.
• SXML is designed to support editing and comparison.
To keep this example simple, a transform parameter is used to suppress physical
properties:
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_table_sxml(name IN VARCHAR2) RETURN CLOB IS
2 open_handle NUMBER;
3 transform_handle NUMBER;
4 doc CLOB;
5 BEGIN
6 open_handle := DBMS_METADATA.OPEN('TABLE');
7 DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER(open_handle,'NAME',name);
8 --
9 -- Use the 'SXML' transform to convert XML to SXML
10 --
11 transform_handle := DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM(open_handle,'SXML');
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12 --
13 -- Use this transform parameter to suppress physical properties
14 --
15 DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM(transform_handle,'PHYSICAL_PROPERTIES',
16 FALSE);
17 doc := DBMS_METADATA.FETCH_CLOB(open_handle);
18 DBMS_METADATA.CLOSE(open_handle);
19 RETURN doc;
20 END;
21 /
Function created.
3. Use the get_table_sxml function to fetch the table SXML for the two tables:
SQL> SELECT get_table_sxml('TAB1') FROM dual;
<TABLE xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/ku" version="1.0">

<SCHEMA>SCOTT</SCHEMA>
<NAME>TAB1</NAME>
<RELATIONAL_TABLE>
<COL_LIST>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>EMPNO</NAME>
<DATATYPE>NUMBER</DATATYPE>
<PRECISION>4</PRECISION>
<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>ENAME</NAME>
<DATATYPE>VARCHAR2</DATATYPE>
<LENGTH>10</LENGTH>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>JOB</NAME>
<LENGTH>9</LENGTH>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>DEPTNO</NAME>
<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
</COL_LIST>
</RELATIONAL_TABLE>
</TABLE>
1 row selected.
SQL> SELECT get_table_sxml('TAB2') FROM dual;

<NAME>TAB2</NAME>
<RELATIONAL_TABLE>
<COL_LIST>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>EMPNO</NAME>
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<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>ENAME</NAME>
<LENGTH>20</LENGTH>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>MGR</NAME>
<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>DEPTNO</NAME>
<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
</COL_LIST>
<PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST>
<PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>EMPNO</NAME>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
</COL_LIST>
</PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST_ITEM>
</PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST>
</RELATIONAL_TABLE>
</TABLE>
1 row selected.
4. Compare the results using the DBMS_METADATA browsing APIs:

SQL> SELECT dbms_metadata.get_sxml('TABLE','TAB1') FROM dual;
SQL> SELECT dbms_metadata.get_sxml('TABLE','TAB2') FROM dual;
5. Create a function using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API to compare the metadata for
the two tables. In this function, the get_table_sxml function that was just defined in
step 2 is used.
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION compare_table_sxml(name1 IN VARCHAR2,
2 name2 IN VARCHAR2) RETURN CLOB IS
3 doc1 CLOB;
4 doc2 CLOB;
5 diffdoc CLOB;
6 openc_handle NUMBER;
7 BEGIN
8 --
9 -- Fetch the SXML for the two tables
10 --
11 doc1 := get_table_sxml(name1);
12 doc2 := get_table_sxml(name2);
13 --
14 -- Specify the object type in the OPENC call
15 --
16 openc_handle := DBMS_METADATA_DIFF.OPENC('TABLE');
17 --
18 -- Add each document
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Chapter 23
19 --
20 DBMS_METADATA_DIFF.ADD_DOCUMENT(openc_handle,doc1);
21 DBMS_METADATA_DIFF.ADD_DOCUMENT(openc_handle,doc2);
22 --
23 -- Fetch the SXML difference document
24 --
25 diffdoc := DBMS_METADATA_DIFF.FETCH_CLOB(openc_handle);
26 DBMS_METADATA_DIFF.CLOSE(openc_handle);
27 RETURN diffdoc;
28 END;
29 /
Function created.
6. Use the function to fetch the SXML difference document for the two tables:
SQL> SELECT compare_table_sxml('TAB1','TAB2') FROM dual;

<NAME value1="TAB1">TAB2</NAME>
<RELATIONAL_TABLE>
<COL_LIST>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>EMPNO</NAME>
<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>ENAME</NAME>
<LENGTH value1="10">20</LENGTH>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM src="1">
<NAME>JOB</NAME>
<LENGTH>9</LENGTH>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>DEPTNO</NAME>
<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST_ITEM src="2">
<NAME>MGR</NAME>
<SCALE>0</SCALE>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
</COL_LIST>
<PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST src="2">
<PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST_ITEM>
<COL_LIST>
<COL_LIST_ITEM>
<NAME>EMPNO</NAME>
</COL_LIST_ITEM>
</COL_LIST>
</PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST_ITEM>
</PRIMARY_KEY_CONSTRAINT_LIST>
</RELATIONAL_TABLE>
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</TABLE>
1 row selected.
The SXML difference document shows the union of the two SXML documents,
with the XML attributes value1 and src identifying the differences. When an
element exists in only one document it is marked with src. Thus, <COL_LIST_ITEM
src="1"> means that this element is in the first document (TAB1) but not in the
second. When an element is present in both documents but with different values,
the element's value is the value in the second document and the value1 gives its
value in the first. For example, <LENGTH value1="10">20</LENGTH> means that the
length is 10 in TAB1 (the first document) and 20 in TAB2.
7. Compare the result using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF browsing APIs:
SQL> SELECT dbms_metadata_diff.compare_sxml('TABLE','TAB1','TAB2') FROM dual;
8. Create a function using the DBMS_METADATA.CONVERT API to generate an ALTERXML
document. This is an XML document containing ALTER statements to make one
object like another. You can also use parse items to get information about the
individual ALTER statements. (This example uses the functions defined thus far.)
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_table_alterxml(name1 IN VARCHAR2,
3 diffdoc CLOB;
4 openw_handle NUMBER;
6 alterxml CLOB;
7 BEGIN
8 --
9 -- Use the function just defined to get the difference document
10 --
11 diffdoc := compare_table_sxml(name1,name2);
12 --
13 -- Specify the object type in the OPENW call
14 --
15 openw_handle := DBMS_METADATA.OPENW('TABLE');
16 --
17 -- Use the ALTERXML transform to generate the ALTER_XML document
18 --
19 transform_handle := DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM(openw_handle,'ALTERXML');
20 --
21 -- Request parse items
22 --
23 DBMS_METADATA.SET_PARSE_ITEM(openw_handle,'CLAUSE_TYPE');
24 DBMS_METADATA.SET_PARSE_ITEM(openw_handle,'NAME');
25 DBMS_METADATA.SET_PARSE_ITEM(openw_handle,'COLUMN_ATTRIBUTE');
26 --
27 -- Create a temporary LOB
28 --
29 DBMS_LOB.CREATETEMPORARY(alterxml, TRUE );
30 --
31 -- Call CONVERT to do the transform
32 --
33 DBMS_METADATA.CONVERT(openw_handle,diffdoc,alterxml);
34 --
35 -- Close context and return the result
36 --
37 DBMS_METADATA.CLOSE(openw_handle);
38 RETURN alterxml;
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Chapter 23
39 END;
40 /
Function created.
9. Use the function to fetch the ALTER_XML document:
SQL> SELECT get_table_alterxml('TAB1','TAB2') FROM dual;
<ALTER_XML xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/ku" version="1.0">

<OBJECT_TYPE>TABLE</OBJECT_TYPE>
<OBJECT1>
<NAME>TAB1</NAME>
</OBJECT1>
<OBJECT2>
<NAME>TAB2</NAME>
</OBJECT2>
<ALTER_LIST>
<ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<ITEM>NAME</ITEM>
<VALUE>MGR</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<ITEM>CLAUSE_TYPE</ITEM>
<VALUE>ADD_COLUMN</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
</PARSE_LIST>
<SQL_LIST>
<SQL_LIST_ITEM>
<TEXT>ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" ADD ("MGR" NUMBER(4,0))</TEXT>
</SQL_LIST_ITEM>
</SQL_LIST>
</ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<ITEM>NAME</ITEM>
<VALUE>JOB</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<VALUE>DROP_COLUMN</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
</PARSE_LIST>
<SQL_LIST>
<SQL_LIST_ITEM>
<TEXT>ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" DROP ("JOB")</TEXT>
</SQL_LIST_ITEM>
</SQL_LIST>
</ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<ITEM>NAME</ITEM>
<VALUE>ENAME</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
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Chapter 23
<VALUE>MODIFY_COLUMN</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<ITEM>COLUMN_ATTRIBUTE</ITEM>
<VALUE> SIZE_INCREASE</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
</PARSE_LIST>
<SQL_LIST>
<SQL_LIST_ITEM>
<TEXT>ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" MODIFY
("ENAME" VARCHAR2(20))
</TEXT>
</SQL_LIST_ITEM>
</SQL_LIST>
</ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<VALUE>ADD_CONSTRAINT</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
</PARSE_LIST>
<SQL_LIST>
<SQL_LIST_ITEM>
<TEXT>ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" ADD PRIMARY KEY
("EMPNO") ENABLE
</TEXT>
</SQL_LIST_ITEM>
</SQL_LIST>
</ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<ITEM>NAME</ITEM>
<VALUE>TAB1</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
<VALUE>RENAME_TABLE</VALUE>
</PARSE_LIST_ITEM>
</PARSE_LIST>
<SQL_LIST>
<SQL_LIST_ITEM>
<TEXT>ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" RENAME TO "TAB2"</TEXT>
</SQL_LIST_ITEM>
</SQL_LIST>
</ALTER_LIST_ITEM>
</ALTER_LIST>
</ALTER_XML>
1 row selected.
10. Compare the result using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF browsing API:
SQL> SELECT dbms_metadata_diff.compare_alter_xml('TABLE','TAB1','TAB2') FROM

dual;
11. The ALTER_XML document contains an ALTER_LIST of each of the alters. Each
ALTER_LIST_ITEM has a PARSE_LIST containing the parse items as name-
value pairs and a SQL_LIST containing the SQL for the particular alter. You can
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Chapter 23
parse this document and decide which of the SQL statements to execute, using
the information in the PARSE_LIST. (Note, for example, that in this case one of
the alters is a DROP_COLUMN, and you might choose not to execute that.)
12. Create one last function that uses the DBMS_METADATA.CONVERT API and the ALTER DDL
transform to convert the ALTER_XML document into SQL DDL:
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION get_table_alterddl(name1 IN VARCHAR2,
3 alterxml CLOB;
4 openw_handle NUMBER;
6 alterddl CLOB;
7 BEGIN
8 --
9 -- Use the function just defined to get the ALTER_XML document
10 --
11 alterxml := get_table_alterxml(name1,name2);
12 --
13 -- Specify the object type in the OPENW call
14 --
15 openw_handle := DBMS_METADATA.OPENW('TABLE');
16 --
17 -- Use ALTERDDL transform to convert the ALTER_XML document to SQL DDL
18 --
19 transform_handle := DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM(openw_handle,'ALTERDDL');
20 --
21 -- Use the SQLTERMINATOR transform parameter to append a terminator
22 -- to each SQL statement
23 --
24 DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM(transform_handle,'SQLTERMINATOR',true);
25 --
26 -- Create a temporary lob
27 --
28 DBMS_LOB.CREATETEMPORARY(alterddl, TRUE );
29 --
30 -- Call CONVERT to do the transform
31 --
32 DBMS_METADATA.CONVERT(openw_handle,alterxml,alterddl);
33 --
34 -- Close context and return the result
35 --
36 DBMS_METADATA.CLOSE(openw_handle);
37 RETURN alterddl;
38 END;
39 /
Function created.
13. Use the function to fetch the SQL ALTER statements:
SQL> SELECT get_table_alterddl('TAB1','TAB2') FROM dual;

ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" ADD ("MGR" NUMBER(4,0))
/
ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" DROP ("JOB")
/
ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" MODIFY ("ENAME" VARCHAR2(20))
/
ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" ADD PRIMARY KEY ("EMPNO") ENABLE
/
ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" RENAME TO "TAB2"
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Performance Tips for the Programmatic Interface of the DBMS_METADATA API
1 row selected.
14. Compare the results using the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF browsing API:
SQL> SELECT dbms_metadata_diff.compare_alter('TABLE','TAB1','TAB2') FROM dual;

ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" ADD ("MGR" NUMBER(4,0))
ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" DROP ("JOB")
ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" MODIFY ("ENAME" VARCHAR2(20))
ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" ADD PRIMARY KEY ("EMPNO") USING INDEX
PCTFREE 10 INITRANS 2 STORAGE ( INITIAL 16384 NEXT 16384 MINEXTENTS 1
MAXEXTENTS 505 PCTINCREASE 50 FREELISTS 1 FREELIST GROUPS 1 BUFFER_POOL
DEFAULT) ENABLE ALTER TABLE "SCOTT"."TAB1" RENAME TO "TAB2"
1 row selected.
23.7 Performance Tips for the Programmatic Interface of the

DBMS_METADATA API
This section describes how to enhance performance when using the programmatic
interface of the DBMS_METADATA API.
1. Fetch all of one type of object before fetching the next. For example, if you are
retrieving the definitions of all objects in your schema, first fetch all tables, then all
indexes, then all triggers, and so on. This will be much faster than nesting OPEN
contexts; that is, fetch one table then all of its indexes, grants, and triggers, then
the next table and all of its indexes, grants, and triggers, and so on. "Example
Usage of the DBMS_METADATA API" reflects this second, less efficient means,
but its purpose is to demonstrate most of the programmatic calls, which are best
shown by this method.
2. Use the SET_COUNT procedure to retrieve more than one object at a time. This
minimizes server round trips and eliminates many redundant function calls.
3. When writing a PL/SQL package that calls the DBMS_METADATA API, declare LOB
variables and objects that contain LOBs (such as SYS.KU$_DDLS) at package scope
rather than within individual functions. This eliminates the creation and deletion of
LOB duration structures upon function entrance and exit, which are very expensive
operations.
23.8 Example Usage of the DBMS_METADATA API

This section provides an example of how the DBMS_METADATA API could be used. A script
is provided that automatically runs the demo for you by performing the following
actions:
• Establishes a schema (MDDEMO) and some payroll users.
• Creates three payroll-like tables within the schema and any associated indexes,
triggers, and grants.
• Creates a package, PAYROLL_DEMO, that uses the DBMS_METADATA API. The
PAYROLL_DEMO package contains a procedure, GET_PAYROLL_TABLES, that retrieves the
DDL for the two tables in the MDDEMO schema that start with PAYROLL. For each table,
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Example Usage of the DBMS_METADATA API
it retrieves the DDL for the table's associated dependent objects; indexes, grants,
and triggers. All the DDL is written to a table named MDDEMO.DDL.
To execute the example, do the following:
1. Start SQL*Plus as user system. You will be prompted for a password.
sqlplus system
2. Install the demo, which is located in the file mddemo.sql in rdbms/demo:
SQL> @mddemo
For an explanation of what happens during this step, see "What Does the
DBMS_METADATA Example Do?".
3. Connect as user mddemo. You will be prompted for a password, which is also
mddemo.
SQL> CONNECT mddemo

Enter password:
4. Set the following parameters so that query output will be complete and readable:
SQL> SET PAGESIZE 0
5. Execute the GET_PAYROLL_TABLES procedure, as follows:
SQL> CALL payroll_demo.get_payroll_tables();
6. Execute the following SQL query:
SQL> SELECT ddl FROM DDL ORDER BY SEQNO;
The output generated is the result of the execution of the GET_PAYROLL_TABLES

procedure. It shows all the DDL that was performed in Step 2 when the demo was
installed. See "Output Generated from the GET_PAYROLL_TABLES Procedure "
for a listing of the actual output.
• What Does the DBMS_METADATA Example Do?
• Output Generated from the GET_PAYROLL_TABLES Procedure
23.8.1 What Does the DBMS_METADATA Example Do?

When the mddemo script is run, the following steps take place. You can adapt these
steps to your own situation.
1. Drops users as follows, if they exist. This will ensure that you are starting out with
fresh data. If the users do not exist, then a message to that effect is displayed, no
harm is done, and the demo continues to execute.
CONNECT system
SQL> DROP USER mddemo CASCADE;
SQL> DROP USER mddemo_clerk CASCADE;
SQL> DROP USER mddemo_mgr CASCADE;
2. Creates user mddemo, identified by mddemo:
SQL> CREATE USER mddemo IDENTIFIED BY mddemo;
SQL> GRANT resource, connect, create session,
1 create table,
2 create procedure,
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Chapter 23
3 create sequence,
4 create trigger,
5 create view,
6 create synonym,
7 alter session,
8 TO mddemo;
3. Creates user mddemo_clerk, identified by clerk:
CREATE USER mddemo_clerk IDENTIFIED BY clerk;
4. Creates user mddemo_mgr, identified by mgr:
CREATE USER mddemo_mgr IDENTIFIED BY mgr;
5. Connect to SQL*Plus as mddemo (the password is also mddemo):
CONNECT mddemo
Enter password:
6. Creates some payroll-type tables:
SQL> CREATE TABLE payroll_emps
2 ( lastname VARCHAR2(60) NOT NULL,
3 firstname VARCHAR2(20) NOT NULL,
4 mi VARCHAR2(2),
5 suffix VARCHAR2(10),
6 dob DATE NOT NULL,
7 badge_no NUMBER(6) PRIMARY KEY,
8 exempt VARCHAR(1) NOT NULL,
9 salary NUMBER (9,2),
10 hourly_rate NUMBER (7,2) )
11 /
SQL> CREATE TABLE payroll_timecards

2 (badge_no NUMBER(6) REFERENCES payroll_emps (badge_no),
3 week NUMBER(2),
4 job_id NUMBER(5),
5 hours_worked NUMBER(4,2) )
6 /
7. Creates a dummy table, audit_trail. This table is used to show that tables that do
not start with payroll are not retrieved by the GET_PAYROLL_TABLES procedure.
SQL> CREATE TABLE audit_trail
2 (action_time DATE,
3 lastname VARCHAR2(60),
4 action LONG )
5 /
8. Creates some grants on the tables just created:
SQL> GRANT UPDATE (salary,hourly_rate) ON payroll_emps TO mddemo_clerk;
SQL> GRANT ALL ON payroll_emps TO mddemo_mgr WITH GRANT OPTION;
SQL> GRANT INSERT,UPDATE ON payroll_timecards TO mddemo_clerk;

SQL> GRANT ALL ON payroll_timecards TO mddemo_mgr WITH GRANT OPTION;
9. Creates some indexes on the tables just created:
SQL> CREATE INDEX i_payroll_emps_name ON payroll_emps(lastname);
SQL> CREATE INDEX i_payroll_emps_dob ON payroll_emps(dob);
SQL> CREATE INDEX i_payroll_timecards_badge ON payroll_timecards(badge_no);
10. Creates some triggers on the tables just created:
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Chapter 23
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE check_sal( salary in number) AS BEGIN

2 RETURN;
3 END;
4 /
Note that the security is kept fairly loose to keep the example simple.
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER salary_trigger BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE OF salary
ON payroll_emps
FOR EACH ROW WHEN (new.salary > 150000)
CALL check_sal(:new.salary)
/
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER hourly_trigger BEFORE UPDATE OF hourly_rate ON

payroll_emps
FOR EACH ROW
BEGIN :new.hourly_rate:=:old.hourly_rate;END;
/
11. Sets up a table to hold the generated DDL:
CREATE TABLE ddl (ddl CLOB, seqno NUMBER);

12. Creates the PAYROLL_DEMO package, which provides examples of how DBMS_METADATA
procedures can be used.
SQL> CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE payroll_demo AS PROCEDURE get_payroll_tables;
END;
/
Note:
To see the entire script for this example, including the contents of the
PAYROLL_DEMO package, see the file mddemo.sql located in your $ORACLE_HOME/
rdbms/demo directory.
23.8.2 Output Generated from the GET_PAYROLL_TABLES

Procedure
After you execute the mddemo.payroll_demo.get_payroll_tables procedure, you can
execute the following query:
SQL> SELECT ddl FROM ddl ORDER BY seqno;
The results are as follows, which reflect all the DDL executed by the script as
described in the previous section.
CREATE TABLE "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS"
( "LASTNAME" VARCHAR2(60) NOT NULL ENABLE,
"FIRSTNAME" VARCHAR2(20) NOT NULL ENABLE,
"MI" VARCHAR2(2),
"SUFFIX" VARCHAR2(10),
"DOB" DATE NOT NULL ENABLE,
"BADGE_NO" NUMBER(6,0),
"EXEMPT" VARCHAR2(1) NOT NULL ENABLE,
"HOURLY_RATE" NUMBER(7,2),
PRIMARY KEY ("BADGE_NO") ENABLE
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) ;
GRANT UPDATE ("SALARY") ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_CLERK";

GRANT UPDATE ("HOURLY_RATE") ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_CLERK";
GRANT ALTER ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT DELETE ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT INDEX ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT INSERT ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT SELECT ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT UPDATE ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT REFERENCES ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT ON COMMIT REFRESH ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT QUERY REWRITE ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
CREATE INDEX "MDDEMO"."I_PAYROLL_EMPS_DOB" ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" ("DOB")

PCTFREE 10 INITRANS 2 MAXTRANS 255
STORAGE(INITIAL 10240 NEXT 10240 MINEXTENTS 1 MAXEXTENTS 121 PCTINCREASE 50
FREELISTS 1 FREELIST GROUPS 1 BUFFER_POOL DEFAULT) TABLESPACE "SYSTEM" ;
CREATE INDEX "MDDEMO"."I_PAYROLL_EMPS_NAME" ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" ("LASTNAME")

CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER hourly_trigger before update of hourly_rate on payroll_emps

for each row
begin :new.hourly_rate:=:old.hourly_rate;end;
/
ALTER TRIGGER "MDDEMO"."HOURLY_TRIGGER" ENABLE;
CREATE OR REPLACE TRIGGER salary_trigger before insert or update of salary on payroll_emps

for each row
WHEN (new.salary > 150000) CALL check_sal(:new.salary)
/
ALTER TRIGGER "MDDEMO"."SALARY_TRIGGER" ENABLE;
CREATE TABLE "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS"

( "BADGE_NO" NUMBER(6,0),
"WEEK" NUMBER(2,0),
"JOB_ID" NUMBER(5,0),
FOREIGN KEY ("BADGE_NO")
REFERENCES "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_EMPS" ("BADGE_NO") ENABLE
) ;
GRANT INSERT ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_CLERK";

GRANT UPDATE ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_CLERK";
GRANT ALTER ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT DELETE ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT INDEX ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT INSERT ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT SELECT ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT UPDATE ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT REFERENCES ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT ON COMMIT REFRESH ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
GRANT QUERY REWRITE ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" TO "MDDEMO_MGR" WITH GRANT OPTION;
CREATE INDEX "MDDEMO"."I_PAYROLL_TIMECARDS_BADGE" ON "MDDEMO"."PAYROLL_TIMECARDS" ("BADGE_NO")

23-29
Chapter 23
Summary of DBMS_METADATA Procedures

23.9 Summary of DBMS_METADATA Procedures

This section provides brief descriptions of the procedures provided by the
DBMS_METADATA API. For detailed descriptions of these procedures, see Oracle
The following table provides a brief description of the procedures provided by the
DBMS_METADATA programmatic interface for retrieving multiple objects.
Table 23-1 DBMS_METADATA Procedures Used for Retrieving Multiple Objects
PL/SQL Procedure Name Description

Specifies the type of object to be retrieved, the version of its
DBMS_METADATA.OPEN()
metadata, and the object model.
Specifies restrictions on the objects to be retrieved, for example,

DBMS_METADATA.SET_FILTER()
the object name or schema.
Specifies the maximum number of objects to be retrieved in a
DBMS_METADATA.SET_COUNT()
single FETCH_xxx call.
Returns the text of the queries that are used by FETCH_xxx. You
DBMS_METADATA.GET_QUERY()
can use this as a debugging aid.
Enables output parsing by specifying an object attribute to be
DBMS_METADATA.SET_PARSE_ITEM()
parsed and returned. You can query the
DBMS_METADATA_PARSE_ITEMS to see all valid parse items.
Specifies a transform that FETCH_xxx applies to the XML
DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM()
representation of the retrieved objects. You can query the
DBMS_METADATA_TRANSFORMS view to see all valid Oracle-supplied
transforms.
Specifies parameters to the XSLT stylesheet identified by
DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM()
transform_handle. You can query the
DBMS_METADATA_TRANSFORM_PARAMS view to see all the valid
transform parameters for each transform.
Specifies parameters to the XSLT stylesheet identified by
DBMS_METADATA.SET_REMAP_PARAM()
transform_handle.
Returns metadata for objects meeting the criteria established by
DBMS_METADATA.FETCH_xxx()
OPEN, SET_FILTER, SET_COUNT, ADD_TRANSFORM, and so on.
Invalidates the handle returned by OPEN and cleans up the
DBMS_METADATA.CLOSE()
associated state.
The following table lists the procedures provided by the DBMS_METADATA browsing
interface and provides a brief description of each one. These functions return
metadata for one or more dependent or granted objects. These procedures do not
support heterogeneous object types.
23-30
Chapter 23
Summary of DBMS_METADATA Procedures
Table 23-2 DBMS_METADATA Procedures Used for the Browsing Interface
PL/SQL Procedure Description

Name
Provides a way to return metadata for a single object. Each GET_xxx
DBMS_METADATA.GET_xx
call consists of an OPEN procedure, one or two SET_FILTER calls,
x()
optionally an ADD_TRANSFORM procedure, a FETCH_xxx call, and a CLOSE
procedure.
The object_type parameter has the same semantics as in the OPEN
procedure. schema and name are used for filtering.
If a transform is specified, then session-level transform flags are
inherited.
Returns the metadata for one or more dependent objects, specified as
DBMS_METADATA.GET_DE
XML or DDL.
PENDENT_xxx()
Returns the metadata for one or more granted objects, specified as

DBMS_METADATA.GET_GR
XML or DDL.
ANTED_xxx()
The following table provides a brief description of the DBMS_METADATA procedures and
functions used for XML submission.
Table 23-3 DBMS_METADATA Procedures and Functions for Submitting XML

Data
PL/SQL Name Description

Opens a write context.
DBMS_METADATA.OPENW()
Specifies a transform for the XML documents

DBMS_METADATA.ADD_TRANSFORM()
SET_TRANSFORM_PARAM specifies a parameter to a transform.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_TRANSFORM_P
ARAM() and SET_REMAP_PARAM specifies a remapping for a transform.
DBMS_METADATA.SET_REMAP_PARA
M()
Specifies an object attribute to be parsed.

DBMS_METADATA.SET_PARSE_ITEM(
)
Converts an XML document to DDL.

DBMS_METADATA.CONVERT()
Submits an XML document to the database.

DBMS_METADATA.PUT()
Closes the context opened with OPENW.

DBMS_METADATA.CLOSE()
23-31
Chapter 23
Summary of DBMS_METADATA_DIFF Procedures
23.10 Summary of DBMS_METADATA_DIFF Procedures

This section provides brief descriptions of the procedures and functions provided by
the DBMS_METADATA_DIFF API. For detailed descriptions of these procedures, see Oracle
Table 23-4 DBMS_METADATA_DIFF Procedures and Functions
PL/SQL Procedure Name Description

OPENC function Specifies the type of objects to be compared.
ADD_DOCUMENT procedure Specifies an SXML document to be compared.
FETCH_CLOB functions and procedures Returns a CLOB showing the differences between the two
documents specified by ADD_DOCUMENT.
CLOSE procedure Invalidates the handle returned by OPENC and cleans up associated
state.
23-32
24
Original Export
The original Export utility (exp) writes data from an Oracle database into an operating
system file in binary format. This file is stored outside the database, and it can be read
into another Oracle database using the original Import utility.
Note:
Original Export is desupported for general use as of Oracle Database 11g. The
only supported use of original Export in Oracle Database 11g is backward
migration of XMLType data to Oracle Database 10g release 2 (10.2) or earlier.
Therefore, Oracle recommends that you use the new Data Pump Export and
Import utilities, except in the following situations which require original Export
and Import:
• You want to import files that were created using the original Export utility
(exp).
• You want to export files that will be imported using the original Import utility
(imp). An example of this would be exporting data from Oracle Database
10g and then importing it into an earlier database release.

• What is the Export Utility?
• Before Using Export
• Invoking Export
• Export Modes
• Export Parameters
• Example Export Sessions
• Warning, Error, and Completion Messages
• Conventional Path Export Versus Direct Path Export
• Invoking a Direct Path Export
• Using Instance Affinity with Export and Import
• Considerations When Exporting Database Objects
• Transportable Tablespaces
• Exporting From a Read-Only Database
24-1
Chapter 24
What is the Export Utility?
• Using Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration

• Using Different Releases of Export and Import
24.1 What is the Export Utility?

The Export utility provides a simple way for you to transfer data objects between
Oracle databases, even if they reside on platforms with different hardware and
software configurations.
When you run Export against an Oracle database, objects (such as tables) are
extracted, followed by their related objects (such as indexes, comments, and grants), if
any.
An Export file is an Oracle binary-format dump file that is typically located on disk or
tape. The dump files can be transferred using FTP or physically transported (in the
case of tape) to a different site. The files can then be used with the Import utility to
transfer data between databases that are on systems not connected through a
network. The files can also be used as backups in addition to normal backup
procedures.
Export dump files can only be read by the Oracle Import utility. The version of the
Import utility cannot be earlier than the version of the Export utility used to create the
dump file.
You can also display the contents of an export file without actually performing an
import. To do this, use the Import SHOW parameter. See "SHOW" for more
information.To load data from ASCII fixed-format or delimited files, use the
SQL*Loader utility.
24.2 Before Using Export

Before you begin using Export, be sure you take care of the following items (described
in detail in the following sections):
• If you created your database manually, ensure that the catexp.sql or catalog.sql
script has been run. If you created your database using the Database
Configuration Assistant (DBCA), it is not necessary to run these scripts.
• Ensure there is sufficient disk or tape storage to write the export file
• Verify that you have the required access privileges
• Running catexp.sql or catalog.sql
• Ensuring Sufficient Disk Space for Export Operations
• Verifying Access Privileges for Export and Import Operations
24.2.1 Running catexp.sql or catalog.sql

To use Export, you must run the script catexp.sql or catalog.sql (which runs
catexp.sql) after the database has been created or migrated to a newer release.
The catexp.sql or catalog.sql script needs to be run only once on a database. The
script performs the following tasks to prepare the database for export and import
operations:
24-2
Chapter 24
Invoking Export
• Creates the necessary export and import views in the data dictionary
• Creates the EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE roles
• Assigns all necessary privileges to the EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE
roles
• Assigns EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE to the DBA role
• Records the version of catexp.sql that has been installed
The EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE roles are powerful. Database
administrators should use caution when granting these roles to users.
24.2.2 Ensuring Sufficient Disk Space for Export Operations

Before you run Export, ensure that there is sufficient disk or tape storage space to
write the export file. If there is not enough space, then Export terminates with a write-
failure error.
You can use table sizes to estimate the maximum space needed. You can find table
sizes in the USER_SEGMENTS view of the Oracle data dictionary. The following query
displays disk usage for all tables:
SELECT SUM(BYTES) FROM USER_SEGMENTS WHERE SEGMENT_TYPE='TABLE';
The result of the query does not include disk space used for data stored in LOB (large
object) or VARRAY columns or in partitioned tables.
See Also:
Oracle Database Reference for more information about dictionary views
24.2.3 Verifying Access Privileges for Export and Import Operations

To use Export, you must have the CREATE SESSION privilege on an Oracle database.
This privilege belongs to the CONNECT role established during database creation. To
export tables owned by another user, you must have the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role
enabled. This role is granted to all database administrators (DBAs).
If you do not have the system privileges contained in the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role, then
you cannot export objects contained in another user's schema. For example, you
cannot export a table in another user's schema, even if you created a synonym for it.
Several system schemas cannot be exported because they are not user schemas;
they contain Oracle-managed data and metadata. Examples of schemas that are not
exported include SYS, ORDSYS, and MDSYS.
24.3 Invoking Export

You can start Export and specify parameters by using any of the following methods:
• Command-line entries
• Parameter files
24-3
Chapter 24
Invoking Export
• Interactive mode
Before you use one of these methods, be sure to read the descriptions of the available
parameters. See "Export Parameters ".
• Invoking Export as SYSDBA
• Command-Line Entries
• Parameter Files
• Interactive Mode
• Getting Online Help
24.3.1 Invoking Export as SYSDBA

SYSDBA is used internally and has specialized functions; its behavior is not the same as
for generalized users. Therefore, you should not typically need to start Export as
SYSDBA except in the following situations:
• At the request of Oracle technical support

• When importing a transportable tablespace set
24.3.2 Command-Line Entries

You can specify all valid parameters and their values from the command line using the
following syntax (you will then be prompted for a username and password):
exp PARAMETER=value
or
exp PARAMETER=(value1,value2,...,valuen)
The number of parameters cannot exceed the maximum length of a command line on
the system.
24.3.3 Parameter Files

You can specify all valid parameters and their values in a parameter file. Storing the
parameters in a file allows them to be easily modified or reused, and is the
recommended method for invoking Export. If you use different parameters for different
databases, then you can have multiple parameter files.
Create the parameter file using any flat file text editor. The command-line option
PARFILE=filename tells Export to read the parameters from the specified file rather than
from the command line. For example:
The syntax for parameter file specifications is one of the following:
PARAMETER=value
PARAMETER=(value)
PARAMETER=(value1, value2, ...)
The following example shows a partial parameter file listing:

FULL=y
FILE=dba.dmp
24-4
Chapter 24
Invoking Export
GRANTS=y
INDEXES=y
CONSISTENT=y
Note:
The maximum size of the parameter file may be limited by the operating
system. The name of the parameter file is subject to the file-naming
conventions of the operating system.
You can add comments to the parameter file by preceding them with the pound (#)
sign. Export ignores all characters to the right of the pound (#) sign.
You can specify a parameter file at the same time that you are entering parameters on
the command line. In fact, you can specify the same parameter in both places. The
position of the PARFILE parameter and other parameters on the command line
determines which parameters take precedence. For example, assume the parameter
file params.dat contains the parameter INDEXES=y and Export is started with the
following line:
exp PARFILE=params.dat INDEXES=n
In this case, because INDEXES=n occurs after PARFILE=params.dat, INDEXES=n overrides

the value of the INDEXES parameter in the parameter file.
24.3.4 Interactive Mode

If you prefer to be prompted for the value of each parameter, then specify exp at the
command line. After you enter your username and password at the prompts,
commonly used parameters are displayed.
You can accept the default parameter value, if one is provided, or enter a different
value. The command-line interactive method does not provide prompts for all
functionality and is provided only for backward compatibility. If you want to use an
interactive interface, then Oracle recommends that you use the Oracle Enterprise
Manager Export Wizard.
• Restrictions When Using Export's Interactive Method
24.3.4.1 Restrictions When Using Export's Interactive Method

Keep in mind the following points when you use the interactive method:
• In user mode, Export prompts for all usernames to be included in the export before
exporting any data. To indicate the end of the user list and begin the current
Export session, press Enter.
• In table mode, if you do not specify a schema prefix, then Export defaults to the
exporter's schema or the schema containing the last table exported in the current
session.
For example, if beth is a privileged user exporting in table mode, then Export
assumes that all tables are in the beth schema until another schema is specified.
Only a privileged user (someone with the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role) can export
tables in another user's schema.
24-5
Chapter 24
Export Modes
• If you specify a null table list to the prompt "Table to be exported," then the Export
utility exits.
24.3.5 Getting Online Help

Export provides online help. Enter exp help=y on the command line to display Export
help.
24.4 Export Modes

The Export utility supports four modes of operation:
• Full: Exports a full database. Only users with the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role can use
this mode. Use the FULL parameter to specify this mode.
• Tablespace: Enables a privileged user to move a set of tablespaces from one
Oracle database to another. Use the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE parameter to specify
this mode.
• User: Enables you to export all objects that belong to you (such as tables, grants,
indexes, and procedures). A privileged user importing in user mode can import all
objects in the schemas of a specified set of users. Use the OWNER parameter to
specify this mode in Export.
• Table: Enables you to export specific tables and partitions. A privileged user can
qualify the tables by specifying the schema that contains them. For any table for
which a schema name is not specified, Export defaults to the exporter's schema
name. Use the TABLES parameter to specify this mode.
See Table 24-1 for a list of objects that are exported and imported in each mode.
Note:
The original Export utility does not export any table that was created with
deferred segment creation and has not had a segment created for it. The most
common way for a segment to be created is to store a row into the table,
though other operations such as ALTER TABLE ALLOCATE EXTENTS will also create
a segment. If a segment does exist for the table and the table is exported, then
the SEGMENT CREATION DEFERRED clause is not included in the CREATE TABLE
statement that is executed by the original Import utility.
You can use conventional path Export or direct path Export to export in any mode
except tablespace mode.The differences between conventional path Export and direct
path Export are described in "Conventional Path Export Versus Direct Path Export".
Table 24-1 Objects Exported in Each Mode
Object Table Mode User Mode Full Database Tablespace

Mode Mode
Analyze cluster No Yes Yes No
Analyze tables/statistics Yes Yes Yes Yes
Application contexts No No Yes No
24-6
Chapter 24
Export Modes
Table 24-1 (Cont.) Objects Exported in Each Mode

Mode Mode
Auditing information Yes Yes Yes No
B-tree, bitmap, domain Yes1 Yes Yes Yes
function-based indexes
Cluster definitions No Yes Yes Yes
Column and table Yes Yes Yes Yes
comments
Database links No Yes Yes No
Default roles No No Yes No
Dimensions No Yes Yes No
Directory aliases No No Yes No
External tables (without Yes Yes Yes No
data)
Foreign function libraries No Yes Yes No
Indexes owned by users Yes (Privileged Yes Yes Yes
other than table owner users only)
Index types No Yes Yes No
Java resources and No Yes Yes No
classes
Job queues No Yes Yes No
Nested table data Yes Yes Yes Yes
Object grants Yes (Only for Yes Yes Yes
tables and
indexes)
Object type definitions Yes Yes Yes Yes
used by table
Object types No Yes Yes No
Operators No Yes Yes No
Password history No No Yes No
Postinstance actions and No No Yes No
objects
Postschema procedural No Yes Yes No
actions and objects
Posttable actions Yes Yes Yes Yes
Posttable procedural Yes Yes Yes Yes
actions and objects
Preschema procedural No Yes Yes No
objects and actions
Pretable actions Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pretable procedural Yes Yes Yes Yes
actions
Private synonyms No Yes Yes No
24-7
Chapter 24
Export Modes
Table 24-1 (Cont.) Objects Exported in Each Mode

Mode Mode
Procedural objects No Yes Yes No
Profiles No No Yes No
Public synonyms No No Yes No
Referential integrity Yes Yes Yes No
constraints
Refresh groups No Yes Yes No
Resource costs No No Yes No
Role grants No No Yes No
Roles No No Yes No
Rollback segment No No Yes No
definitions
Security policies for table Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sequence numbers No Yes Yes No
Snapshot logs No Yes Yes No
Snapshots and No Yes Yes No
materialized views
System privilege grants No No Yes No
Table constraints Yes Yes Yes Yes
(primary, unique, check)
Table data Yes Yes Yes Yes
Table definitions Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tablespace definitions No No Yes No
Tablespace quotas No No Yes No
Triggers Yes Yes2 Yes3 Yes
Triggers owned by other Yes (Privileged No No No
users users only)
User definitions No No Yes No
User proxies No No Yes No
User views No Yes Yes No
User-stored procedures, No Yes Yes No
packages, and functions
1 Nonprivileged users can export and import only indexes they own on tables they own. They cannot export
indexes they own that are on tables owned by other users, nor can they export indexes owned by other
users on their own tables. Privileged users can export and import indexes on the specified users' tables,
even if the indexes are owned by other users. Indexes owned by the specified user on other users' tables
are not included, unless those other users are included in the list of users to export.
2 Nonprivileged and privileged users can export and import all triggers owned by the user, even if they are
on tables owned by other users.
3 A full export does not export triggers owned by schema SYS. You must manually re-create SYS triggers
either before or after the full import. Oracle recommends that you re-create them after the import in case
they define actions that would impede progress of the import.
• Table-Level and Partition-Level Export
24-8
Chapter 24
Export Parameters
24.4.1 Table-Level and Partition-Level Export

You can export tables, partitions, and subpartitions in the following ways:
• Table-level Export: exports all data from the specified tables
• Partition-level Export: exports only data from the specified source partitions or
subpartitions
In all modes, partitioned data is exported in a format such that partitions or
subpartitions can be imported selectively.
• Table-Level Export
• Partition-Level Export
24.4.1.1 Table-Level Export

In table-level Export, you can export an entire table (partitioned or nonpartitioned)
along with its indexes and other table-dependent objects. If the table is partitioned,
then all of its partitions and subpartitions are also exported. This applies to both direct
path Export and conventional path Export. You can perform a table-level export in any
Export mode.
24.4.1.2 Partition-Level Export

In partition-level Export, you can export one or more specified partitions or
subpartitions of a table. You can only perform a partition-level export in table mode.
For information about how to specify table-level and partition-level Exports, see
"TABLES".
24.5 Export Parameters

This section contains descriptions of the Export command-line parameters.
• BUFFER
• COMPRESS
• CONSISTENT
• CONSTRAINTS
• DIRECT
• FEEDBACK
• FILE
• FILESIZE
• FLASHBACK_SCN
• FLASHBACK_TIME
• FULL
• GRANTS
• HELP
24-9
Chapter 24
Export Parameters
• INDEXES
• LOG
• OBJECT_CONSISTENT
• OWNER
• PARFILE
• QUERY
• RECORDLENGTH
• RESUMABLE
• RESUMABLE_NAME
• ROWS
• STATISTICS
• TABLES
• TABLESPACES
• TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE
• TRIGGERS
• TTS_FULL_CHECK
• USERID (username/password)
• VOLSIZE
24.5.1 BUFFER
Default: operating system-dependent. See your Oracle operating system-specific
documentation to determine the default value for this parameter.
Specifies the size, in bytes, of the buffer used to fetch rows. As a result, this parameter
determines the maximum number of rows in an array fetched by Export. Use the
following formula to calculate the buffer size:
buffer_size = rows_in_array * maximum_row_size
If you specify zero, then the Export utility fetches only one row at a time.
Tables with columns of type LOBs, LONG, BFILE, REF, ROWID, LOGICAL ROWID, or DATE are
fetched one row at a time.
Note:
The BUFFER parameter applies only to conventional path Export. It has no effect
on a direct path Export. For direct path Exports, use the RECORDLENGTH
parameter to specify the size of the buffer that Export uses for writing to the
export file.
• Example: Calculating Buffer Size
24-10
Chapter 24
Export Parameters
24.5.1.1 Example: Calculating Buffer Size

This section shows an example of how to calculate buffer size.
The following table is created:
CREATE TABLE sample (name varchar(30), weight number);
The maximum size of the name column is 30, plus 2 bytes for the indicator. The
maximum size of the weight column is 22 (the size of the internal representation for
Oracle numbers), plus 2 bytes for the indicator.
Therefore, the maximum row size is 56 (30+2+22+2).
To perform array operations for 100 rows, a buffer size of 5600 should be specified.
24.5.2 COMPRESS
Default: y
Specifies how Export and Import manage the initial extent for table data.
The default, COMPRESS=y, causes Export to flag table data for consolidation into one
initial extent upon import. If extent sizes are large (for example, because of the
PCTINCREASE parameter), then the allocated space will be larger than the space required
to hold the data.
If you specify COMPRESS=n, then Export uses the current storage parameters, including
the values of initial extent size and next extent size. The values of the parameters may
be the values specified in the CREATE TABLE or ALTER TABLE statements or the values
modified by the database system. For example, the NEXT extent size value may be
modified if the table grows and if the PCTINCREASE parameter is nonzero.
The COMPRESS parameter does not work with bitmapped tablespaces.
Note:
Although the actual consolidation is performed upon import, you can specify the
COMPRESS parameter only when you export, not when you import. The Export
utility, not the Import utility, generates the data definitions, including the storage
parameter definitions. Therefore, if you specify COMPRESS=y when you export,
then you can import the data in consolidated form only.
Note:
Neither LOB data nor subpartition data is compressed. Rather, values of initial
extent size and next extent size at the time of export are used.
24-11
Chapter 24
Export Parameters
24.5.3 CONSISTENT
Default: n
Specifies whether Export uses the SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY statement to ensure that
the data seen by Export is consistent to a single point in time and does not change
during the execution of the exp command. You should specify CONSISTENT=y when you
anticipate that other applications will be updating the target data after an export has
started.
If you use CONSISTENT=n, then each table is usually exported in a single transaction.
However, if a table contains nested tables, then the outer table and each inner table
are exported as separate transactions. If a table is partitioned, then each partition is
exported as a separate transaction.
Therefore, if nested tables and partitioned tables are being updated by other
applications, then the data that is exported could be inconsistent. To minimize this
possibility, export those tables at a time when updates are not being done.
Table 24-2 shows a sequence of events by two users: user1 exports partitions in a
table and user2 updates data in that table.
Table 24-2 Sequence of Events During Updates by Two Users
TIme Sequence user1 user2

1 Begins export of TAB:P1 No activity
2 No activity Updates TAB:P2 Updates TAB:P1
Commits transaction
3 Ends export of TAB:P1 No activity
4 Exports TAB:P2 No activity
If the export uses CONSISTENT=y, then none of the updates by user2 are written to the
export file.
If the export uses CONSISTENT=n, then the updates to TAB:P1 are not written to the
export file. However, the updates to TAB:P2 are written to the export file, because the
update transaction is committed before the export of TAB:P2 begins. As a result, the
user2 transaction is only partially recorded in the export file, making it inconsistent.
If you use CONSISTENT=y and the volume of updates is large, then the rollback segment
usage will be large. In addition, the export of each table will be slower, because the
rollback segment must be scanned for uncommitted transactions.
Keep in mind the following points about using CONSISTENT=y:
• CONSISTENT=y is unsupported for exports that are performed when you are
connected as user SYS or you are using AS SYSDBA, or both.
• Export of certain metadata may require the use of the SYS schema within recursive
SQL. In such situations, the use of CONSISTENT=y will be ignored. Oracle
recommends that you avoid making metadata changes during an export process
in which CONSISTENT=y is selected.
• To minimize the time and space required for such exports, you should export
tables that need to remain consistent separately from those that do not. For
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example, export the emp and dept tables together in a consistent export, and then
export the remainder of the database in a second pass.
• A "snapshot too old" error occurs when rollback space is used up, and space
taken up by committed transactions is reused for new transactions. Reusing space
in the rollback segment allows database integrity to be preserved with minimum
space requirements, but it imposes a limit on the amount of time that a read-
consistent image can be preserved.
If a committed transaction has been overwritten and the information is needed for
a read-consistent view of the database, then a "snapshot too old" error results.
To avoid this error, you should minimize the time taken by a read-consistent
export. (Do this by restricting the number of objects exported and, if possible, by
reducing the database transaction rate.) Also, make the rollback segment as large
as possible.
Note:
Rollback segments will be deprecated in a future Oracle database release.
Oracle recommends that you use automatic undo management instead.
See Also:
"OBJECT_CONSISTENT"
24.5.4 CONSTRAINTS
Default: y
Specifies whether the Export utility exports table constraints.
24.5.5 DIRECT
Default: n
Specifies the use of direct path Export.

Specifying DIRECT=y causes Export to extract data by reading the data directly,
bypassing the SQL command-processing layer (evaluating buffer). This method can
be much faster than a conventional path Export.
For information about direct path Exports, including security and performance
considerations, see "Invoking a Direct Path Export".
24.5.6 FEEDBACK
Default: 0 (zero)
Specifies that Export should display a progress meter in the form of a period for n
number of rows exported. For example, if you specify FEEDBACK=10, then Export
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displays a period each time 10 rows are exported. The FEEDBACK value applies to all
tables being exported; it cannot be set individually for each table.
24.5.7 FILE
Default: expdat.dmp
Specifies the names of the export dump files. The default extension is .dmp, but you
can specify any extension. Because Export supports multiple export files, you can
specify multiple file names to be used. For example:
exp scott FILE = dat1.dmp, dat2.dmp, dat3.dmp FILESIZE=2048
When Export reaches the value you have specified for the maximum FILESIZE, Export
stops writing to the current file, opens another export file with the next name specified
by the FILE parameter, and continues until complete or the maximum value of FILESIZE
is again reached. If you do not specify sufficient export file names to complete the
export, then Export prompts you to provide additional file names.
24.5.8 FILESIZE
Default: Data is written to one file until the maximum size, as specified in Table 24-3, is
reached.
Export supports writing to multiple export files, and Import can read from multiple
export files. If you specify a value (byte limit) for the FILESIZE parameter, then Export
will write only the number of bytes you specify to each dump file.
When the amount of data Export must write exceeds the maximum value you specified
for FILESIZE, it will get the name of the next export file from the FILE parameter (see
"FILE" for more information) or, if it has used all the names specified in the FILE
parameter, then it will prompt you to provide a new export file name. If you do not
specify a value for FILESIZE (note that a value of 0 is equivalent to not specifying
FILESIZE), then Export will write to only one file, regardless of the number of files
specified in the FILE parameter.
Note:
If the space requirements of your export file exceed the available disk space,
then Export will terminate, and you will have to repeat the Export after making
sufficient disk space available.
The FILESIZE parameter has a maximum value equal to the maximum value that can
be stored in 64 bits.
Table 24-3 shows that the maximum size for dump files depends on the operating
system you are using and on the release of the Oracle database that you are using.
Table 24-3 Maximum Size for Dump Files
Operating System Release of Oracle Database Maximum Size

Any Before 8.1.5 2 gigabytes
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Table 24-3 (Cont.) Maximum Size for Dump Files
Operating System Release of Oracle Database Maximum Size

32-bit 8.1.5 2 gigabytes
64-bit 8.1.5 and later Unlimited
32-bit with 32-bit files Any 2 gigabytes
32-bit with 64-bit files 8.1.6 and later Unlimited
The maximum value that can be stored in a file is dependent on your operating
system. You should verify this maximum value in your Oracle operating system-
specific documentation before specifying FILESIZE. You should also ensure that the file
size you specify for Export is supported on the system on which Import will run.
The FILESIZE value can also be specified as a number followed by KB (number of
kilobytes). For example, FILESIZE=2KB is the same as FILESIZE=2048. Similarly, MB
specifies megabytes (1024 * 1024) and GB specifies gigabytes (1024**3). B remains
the shorthand for bytes; the number is not multiplied to obtain the final file size
(FILESIZE=2048B is the same as FILESIZE=2048).
Default: none
Specifies the system change number (SCN) that Export will use to enable flashback.
The export operation is performed with data consistent as of this specified SCN.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide for more information
about performing flashback recovery
The following is an example of specifying an SCN. When the export is performed, the
data will be consistent as of SCN 3482971.
> exp FILE=exp.dmp FLASHBACK_SCN=3482971
Default: none
Enables you to specify a timestamp. Export finds the SCN that most closely matches
the specified timestamp. This SCN is used to enable flashback. The export operation
is performed with data consistent as of this SCN.
procedure accepts. This means that you can specify it in either of the following ways:
> exp FILE=exp.dmp FLASHBACK_TIME="TIMESTAMP '2006-05-01 11:00:00'"
> exp FILE=exp.dmp FLASHBACK_TIME="TO_TIMESTAMP('12-02-2005 14:35:00', 'DD-MM-YYYY HH24:MI:SS')"
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Also, the old format, as shown in the following example, will continue to be accepted to
ensure backward compatibility:
> exp FILE=exp.dmp FLASHBACK_TIME="'2006-05-01 11:00:00'"
See Also:
• Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide for more information
about performing flashback recovery
information about the DBMS_FLASHBACK PL/SQL package
24.5.11 FULL
Default: n
Indicates that the export is a full database mode export (that is, it exports the entire
database). Specify FULL=y to export in full database mode. You need to have the
EXP_FULL_DATABASE role to export in this mode.
• Points to Consider for Full Database Exports and Imports
24.5.11.1 Points to Consider for Full Database Exports and Imports

A full database export and import can be a good way to replicate or clean up a
database. However, to avoid problems be sure to keep the following points in mind:
• A full export does not export triggers owned by schema SYS. You must manually
re-create SYS triggers either before or after the full import. Oracle recommends that
you re-create them after the import in case they define actions that would impede
progress of the import.
• A full export also does not export the default profile. If you have modified the
default profile in the source database (for example, by adding a password
verification function owned by schema SYS), then you must manually pre-create the
function and modify the default profile in the target database after the import
completes.
• If possible, before beginning, make a physical copy of the exported database and
the database into which you intend to import. This ensures that any mistakes are
reversible.
• Before you begin the export, it is advisable to produce a report that includes the
following information:
– A list of tablespaces and data files
– A list of rollback segments
– A count, by user, of each object type such as tables, indexes, and so on
This information lets you ensure that tablespaces have already been created and
that the import was successful.
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• If you are creating a completely new database from an export, then remember to
create an extra rollback segment in SYSTEM and to make it available in your
initialization parameter file (init.ora)before proceeding with the import.
• When you perform the import, ensure you are pointing at the correct instance. This
is very important because on some UNIX systems, just the act of entering a
subshell can change the database against which an import operation was
performed.
• Do not perform a full import on a system that has more than one database unless
you are certain that all tablespaces have already been created. A full import
creates any undefined tablespaces using the same data file names as the
exported database. This can result in problems in the following situations:
– If the data files belong to any other database, then they will become corrupted.
This is especially true if the exported database is on the same system,
because its data files will be reused by the database into which you are
importing.
– If the data files have names that conflict with existing operating system files.
24.5.12 GRANTS
Default: y
Specifies whether the Export utility exports object grants. The object grants that are
exported depend on whether you use full database mode or user mode. In full
database mode, all grants on a table are exported. In user mode, only those granted
by the owner of the table are exported. System privilege grants are always exported.
24.5.13 HELP
Default: none
Displays a description of the Export parameters. Enter exp help=y on the command line
to display the help content.
24.5.14 INDEXES
Default: y
Specifies whether the Export utility exports indexes.
24.5.15 LOG
Default: none
Specifies a file name (for example, export.log) to receive informational and error
messages.
If you specify this parameter, then messages are logged in the log file and displayed to
the terminal display.
24.5.16 OBJECT_CONSISTENT
Default: n
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Specifies whether the Export utility uses the SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY statement to
ensure that the data exported is consistent to a single point in time and does not
change during the export. If OBJECT_CONSISTENT is set to y, then each object is exported
in its own read-only transaction, even if it is partitioned. In contrast, if you use the
CONSISTENT parameter, then there is only one read-only transaction.
See Also:
"CONSISTENT"
24.5.17 OWNER
Default: none
Indicates that the export is a user-mode export and lists the users whose objects will
be exported. If the user initiating the export is the database administrator (DBA), then
multiple users can be listed.
User-mode exports can be used to back up one or more database users. For example,
a DBA may want to back up the tables of deleted users for a period of time. User
mode is also appropriate for users who want to back up their own data or who want to
move objects from one owner to another.
24.5.18 PARFILE
Default: none
Specifies a file name for a file that contains a list of Export parameters. For more
information about using a parameter file, see "Invoking Export".
24.5.19 QUERY
Default: none
This parameter enables you to select a subset of rows from a set of tables when doing
a table mode export. The value of the query parameter is a string that contains a WHERE
clause for a SQL SELECT statement that will be applied to all tables (or table partitions)
listed in the TABLES parameter.
For example, if user scott wants to export only those employees whose job title is
SALESMAN and whose salary is less than 1600, then he could do the following (this
example is UNIX-based):
exp scott TABLES=emp QUERY=\"WHERE job=\'SALESMAN\' and sal \<1600\"
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Note:
Because the value of the QUERY parameter contains blanks, most operating
systems require that the entire string WHERE job=\'SALESMAN\' and sal\<1600 be
placed in double quotation marks or marked as a literal by some method.
Operating system reserved characters also need to be preceded by an escape
character. See your Oracle operating system-specific documentation for
information about special and reserved characters on your system.
When executing this query, Export builds a SQL SELECT statement similar to the
following:
SELECT * FROM emp WHERE job='SALESMAN' and sal <1600;
The values specified for the QUERY parameter are applied to all tables (or table
partitions) listed in the TABLES parameter. For example, the following statement will
unload rows in both emp and bonus that match the query:
exp scott TABLES=emp,bonus QUERY=\"WHERE job=\'SALESMAN\' and sal\<1600\"
Again, the SQL statements that Export executes are similar to the following:
SELECT * FROM emp WHERE job='SALESMAN' and sal <1600;
SELECT * FROM bonus WHERE job='SALESMAN' and sal <1600;
If a table is missing the columns specified in the QUERY clause, then an error message
will be produced, and no rows will be exported for the offending table.
• Restrictions When Using the QUERY Parameter
24.5.19.1 Restrictions When Using the QUERY Parameter

• The QUERY parameter cannot be specified for full, user, or tablespace-mode
exports.
• The QUERY parameter must be applicable to all specified tables.
• The QUERY parameter cannot be specified in a direct path Export (DIRECT=y)
• The QUERY parameter cannot be specified for tables with inner nested tables.
• You cannot determine from the contents of the export file whether the data is the
result of a QUERY export.
24.5.20 RECORDLENGTH
Default: operating system-dependent
Specifies the length, in bytes, of the file record. The RECORDLENGTH parameter is
necessary when you must transfer the export file to another operating system that
uses a different default value.
If you do not define this parameter, then it defaults to your platform-dependent value
for buffer size.
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You can set RECORDLENGTH to any value equal to or greater than your system's buffer
size. (The highest value is 64 KB.) Changing the RECORDLENGTH parameter affects only
the size of data that accumulates before writing to the disk. It does not affect the
operating system file block size.
Note:
You can use this parameter to specify the size of the Export I/O buffer.
24.5.21 RESUMABLE
Default: n
Because this parameter is disabled by default, you must set RESUMABLE=y to use its
associated parameters, RESUMABLE_NAME and RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT.
See Also:

Default: 'User USERNAME (USERID), Session SESSIONID, Instance INSTANCEID'
The value for this parameter identifies the statement that is resumable. This value is a
user-defined text string that is inserted in either the USER_RESUMABLE or DBA_RESUMABLE
view to help you identify a specific resumable statement that has been suspended.
This parameter is ignored unless the RESUMABLE parameter is set to y to enable
The value of the parameter specifies the time period during which an error must be
fixed. If the error is not fixed within the timeout period, then execution of the statement
is terminated.
24.5.24 ROWS
Default: y
Specifies whether the rows of table data are exported.
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24.5.25 STATISTICS
Default: ESTIMATE
Specifies the type of database optimizer statistics to generate when the exported data
is imported. Options are ESTIMATE, COMPUTE, and NONE.
In some cases, Export will place the precalculated statistics in the export file, and also
the ANALYZE statements to regenerate the statistics.
However, the precalculated optimizer statistics will not be used at export time if a table
has columns with system-generated names.
The precalculated optimizer statistics are flagged as questionable at export time if:
• There are row errors while exporting
• The client character set or NCHAR character set does not match the server character
set or NCHAR character set
• A QUERY clause is specified
• Only certain partitions or subpartitions are exported
Note:
Specifying ROWS=n does not preclude saving the precalculated statistics in
the export file. This enables you to tune plan generation for queries in a
nonproduction database using statistics from a production database.
24.5.26 TABLES
Default: none
Specifies that the export is a table-mode export and lists the table names and partition
and subpartition names to export. You can specify the following when you specify the
name of the table:
• schemaname specifies the name of the user's schema from which to export the table
or partition. If a schema name is not specified, then the exporter's schema is used
as the default. System schema names such as ORDSYS, MDSYS, CTXSYS, LBACSYS, and
ORDPLUGINS are reserved by Export.
• tablename specifies the name of the table or tables to be exported. Table-level

export lets you export entire partitioned or nonpartitioned tables. If a table in the
list is partitioned and you do not specify a partition name, then all its partitions and
subpartitions are exported.
The table name can contain any number of '%' pattern matching characters, which
can each match zero or more characters in the table name against the table
objects in the database. All the tables in the relevant schema that match the
specified pattern are selected for export, as if the respective table names were
explicitly specified in the parameter.
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• partition_name indicates that the export is a partition-level Export. Partition-level

Export lets you export one or more specified partitions or subpartitions within a
table.
The syntax you use to specify the preceding is in the form:
schemaname.tablename:partition_name
schemaname.tablename:subpartition_name
If you use tablename:partition_name, then the specified table must be partitioned, and
partition_name must be the name of one of its partitions or subpartitions. If the
specified table is not partitioned, then the partition_name is ignored and the entire
table is exported.
See "Example Export Session Using Partition-Level Export" for several examples of
partition-level Exports.
• Table Name Restrictions
24.5.26.1 Table Name Restrictions

sensitivity can be preserved in the different Export modes.
TABLES='\"Emp\"'
– In interactive mode:
Table(T) to be exported: "Emp"
TABLES='"Emp"'
• Table names specified on the command line cannot include a pound (#) sign,
file, if a table name includes a pound (#) sign, then the Export utility interprets the
marks.
For example, if the parameter file contains the following line, then Export interprets
everything on the line after emp# as a comment and does not export the tables dept
and mydata:
However, given the following line, the Export utility exports all three tables,
because emp# is enclosed in quotation marks:
TABLES=("emp#", dept, mydata)
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Note:
quotation marks, or the reverse. Different operating systems also have
other restrictions on table naming.
24.5.27 TABLESPACES
Default: none
The TABLESPACES parameter specifies that all tables in the specified tablespace be
exported to the Export dump file. This includes all tables contained in the list of
tablespaces and all tables that have a partition located in the list of tablespaces.
Indexes are exported with their tables, regardless of where the index is stored.
You must have the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role to use TABLESPACES to export all tables in the
tablespace.
When TABLESPACES is used in conjunction with TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE=y, you can specify
a limited list of tablespaces to be exported from the database to the export file.
24.5.28 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE
Default: n
When specified as y, this parameter enables the export of transportable tablespace

metadata.
Encrypted columns are not supported in transportable tablespace mode.
Note:
See Also:
• "Transportable Tablespaces"
24.5.29 TRIGGERS
Default: y
Specifies whether the Export utility exports triggers.
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24.5.30 TTS_FULL_CHECK
Default: n
When TTS_FULL_CHECK is set to y, Export verifies that a recovery set (set of tablespaces
to be recovered) has no dependencies (specifically, IN pointers) on objects outside the
recovery set, and the reverse.
24.5.31 USERID (username/password)

Default: none
Specifies the username, password, and optional connect string of the user performing
the export. If you omit the password, then Export will prompt you for it.
Your operating system may require you to treat AS SYSDBA as a special string, in which
case the entire string would be enclosed in quotation marks.
See Also:
• The user's guide for your Oracle Net protocol for information about
specifying a connect string for Oracle Net
24.5.32 VOLSIZE
Default: none
Specifies the maximum number of bytes in an export file on each volume of tape.
The VOLSIZE parameter has a maximum value equal to the maximum value that can be
stored in 64 bits on your platform.
The VOLSIZE value can be specified as a number followed by KB (number of kilobytes).
For example, VOLSIZE=2KB is the same as VOLSIZE=2048. Similarly, MB specifies
megabytes (1024 * 1024) and GB specifies gigabytes (1024**3). B remains the
shorthand for bytes; the number is not multiplied to get the final file size (VOLSIZE=2048B
is the same as VOLSIZE=2048).
24.6 Example Export Sessions

This section provides examples of the following types of Export sessions:
In each example, you are shown how to use both the command-line method and the
parameter file method. Some examples use vertical ellipses to indicate sections of
example output that were too long to include.
• Example Export Session in Full Database Mode
• Example Export Session in User Mode
• Example Export Sessions in Table Mode
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• Example Export Session Using Partition-Level Export
24.6.1 Example Export Session in Full Database Mode

Only users with the DBA role or the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role can export in full database
mode. In this example, an entire database is exported to the file dba.dmp with all GRANTS
and all data.
Parameter File Method

> exp PARFILE=params.dat
The params.dat file contains the following information:

FILE=dba.dmp
GRANTS=y
FULL=y
ROWS=y
Command-Line Method
> exp FULL=y FILE=dba.dmp GRANTS=y ROWS=y
Export Messages
Information is displayed about the release of Export you are using and the release of
Oracle Database that you are connected to. Status messages are written out as the
entire database is exported. A final completion message is returned when the export
completes successfully, without warnings.
24.6.2 Example Export Session in User Mode

User-mode exports can be used to back up one or more database users. For example,
a DBA may want to back up the tables of deleted users for a period of time. User
mode is also appropriate for users who want to back up their own data or who want to
move objects from one owner to another. In this example, user scott is exporting his
own tables.

> exp scott PARFILE=params.dat

FILE=scott.dmp
OWNER=scott
GRANTS=y
ROWS=y
COMPRESS=y
Command-Line Method
> exp scott FILE=scott.dmp OWNER=scott GRANTS=y ROWS=y COMPRESS=y
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Oracle Database that you are connected to. Then, status messages similar to the
following are shown:
.
.
. about to export SCOTT's tables via Conventional Path ...
. . exporting table BONUS 0 rows exported
. . exporting table DEPT 4 rows exported
. . exporting table EMP 14 rows exported
. . exporting table SALGRADE 5 rows exported
.
.
.
Export terminated successfully without warnings.
24.6.3 Example Export Sessions in Table Mode

In table mode, you can export table data or the table definitions. (If no rows are
exported, then the CREATE TABLE statement is placed in the export file, with grants and
indexes, if they are specified.)
A user with the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role can use table mode to export tables from any
user's schema by specifying TABLES=schemaname.tablename.
If schemaname is not specified, then Export defaults to the exporter's schema name. In
the following example, Export defaults to the SYSTEM schema for table a and table c:
> exp TABLES=(a, scott.b, c, mary.d)
A user with the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role can also export dependent objects that are
owned by other users. A nonprivileged user can export only dependent objects for the
specified tables that the user owns.
Exports in table mode do not include cluster definitions. As a result, the data is
exported as unclustered tables. Thus, you can use table mode to uncluster tables.
• Example 1: DBA Exporting Tables for Two Users
• Example 2: User Exports Tables That He Owns
• Example 3: Using Pattern Matching to Export Various Tables
24.6.3.1 Example 1: DBA Exporting Tables for Two Users

In this example, a DBA exports specified tables for two users.


FILE=expdat.dmp
TABLES=(scott.emp,blake.dept)
GRANTS=y
INDEXES=y
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Command-Line Method
> exp FILE=expdat.dmp TABLES=(scott.emp,blake.dept) GRANTS=y INDEXES=y
Export Messages
.
.
.
About to export specified tables via Conventional Path ...
Current user changed to SCOTT
Current user changed to BLAKE
24.6.3.2 Example 2: User Exports Tables That He Owns

In this example, user blake exports selected tables that he owns.

> exp blake PARFILE=params.dat

FILE=blake.dmp
TABLES=(dept,manager)
ROWS=y
COMPRESS=y
Command-Line Method
> exp blake FILE=blake.dmp TABLES=(dept, manager) ROWS=y COMPRESS=y
Export Messages
.
.
.

. . exporting table MANAGER 4 rows exported
24.6.3.3 Example 3: Using Pattern Matching to Export Various Tables

In this example, pattern matching is used to export various tables for users scott and
blake.
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FILE=misc.dmp
TABLES=(scott.%P%,blake.%,scott.%S%)
Command-Line Method
> exp FILE=misc.dmp TABLES=(scott.%P%,blake.%,scott.%S%)
Export Messages
.
.
.
Current user changed to BLAKE
. . exporting table MANAGER 4 rows exported
. . exporting table BONUS 0 rows exported
. . exporting table SALGRADE 5 rows exported
24.6.4 Example Export Session Using Partition-Level Export

In partition-level Export, you can specify the partitions and subpartitions of a table that
you want to export.
• Example 1: Exporting a Table Without Specifying a Partition
• Example 2: Exporting a Table with a Specified Partition
• Example 3: Exporting a Composite Partition
24.6.4.1 Example 1: Exporting a Table Without Specifying a Partition

Assume emp is a table that is partitioned on employee name. There are two partitions, m
and z. As this example shows, if you export the table without specifying a partition,
then all of the partitions are exported.

The params.dat file contains the following:

TABLES=(emp)
ROWS=y
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Command-Line Method
> exp scott TABLES=emp rows=y
Export Messages
.
.
.
. . exporting table EMP
. . exporting partition M 8 rows exported
. . exporting partition Z 6 rows exported
24.6.4.2 Example 2: Exporting a Table with a Specified Partition

Assume emp is a table that is partitioned on employee name. There are two partitions, m
and z. As this example shows, if you export the table and specify a partition, then only
the specified partition is exported.


TABLES=(emp:m)
ROWS=y
Command-Line Method
> exp scott TABLES=emp:m rows=y
Export Messages
.
.
.
. . exporting partition M 8 rows exported
24.6.4.3 Example 3: Exporting a Composite Partition

Assume emp is a partitioned table with two partitions, m and z. Table emp is partitioned
using the composite method. Partition m has subpartitions sp1 and sp2, and partition z
has subpartitions sp3 and sp4. As the example shows, if you export the composite
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Warning, Error, and Completion Messages
partition m, then all its subpartitions (sp1 and sp2) will be exported. If you export the
table and specify a subpartition (sp4), then only the specified subpartition is exported.


TABLES=(emp:m,emp:sp4)
ROWS=y
Command-Line Method
> exp scott TABLES=(emp:m, emp:sp4) ROWS=y
Export Messages
.
.
.
. . exporting composite partition M
. . exporting subpartition SP1 1 rows exported
. . exporting composite partition Z
24.7 Warning, Error, and Completion Messages

This section describes the different types of messages issued by Export and how to
save them in a log file.
• Log File
• Warning Messages
• Nonrecoverable Error Messages
• Completion Messages
24.7.1 Log File

You can capture all Export messages in a log file, either by using the LOG parameter or,
for those systems that permit it, by redirecting the output to a file. A log of detailed
information is written about successful unloads and any errors that may have
occurred.
24.7.2 Warning Messages

Export does not terminate after recoverable errors. For example, if an error occurs
while exporting a table, then Export displays (or logs) an error message, skips to the
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next table, and continues processing. These recoverable errors are known as
warnings.
Export also issues warnings when invalid objects are encountered.
For example, if a nonexistent table is specified as part of a table-mode Export, then
the Export utility exports all other tables. Then it issues a warning and terminates
successfully.
24.7.3 Nonrecoverable Error Messages

Some errors are nonrecoverable and terminate the Export session. These errors
typically occur because of an internal problem or because a resource, such as
memory, is not available or has been exhausted. For example, if the catexp.sql script
is not executed, then Export issues the following nonrecoverable error message:
EXP-00024: Export views not installed, please notify your DBA
24.7.4 Completion Messages

When an export completes without errors, a message to that effect is displayed, for
example:
Export terminated successfully without warnings
If one or more recoverable errors occurs but the job continues to completion, then a
message similar to the following is displayed:
Export terminated successfully with warnings
If a nonrecoverable error occurs, then the job terminates immediately and displays a
message stating so, for example:
Export terminated unsuccessfully

Export provides the results of an operation immediately upon completion. Depending
on the platform, the outcome may be reported in a process exit code and the results
recorded in the log file. This enables you to check the outcome from the command line
or script. Table 24-4 shows the exit codes that get returned for various results.
Table 24-4 Exit Codes for Export
Result Exit Code

Export terminated successfully without EX_SUCC
warnings
Export terminated successfully with warnings EX_OKWARN
Export terminated unsuccessfully EX_FAIL
For UNIX, the exit codes are as follows:

EX_SUCC 0
EX_OKWARN 0
EX_FAIL 1
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Conventional Path Export Versus Direct Path Export
24.9 Conventional Path Export Versus Direct Path Export

Export provides two methods for exporting table data:
• Conventional path Export
• Direct path Export
Conventional path Export uses the SQL SELECT statement to extract data from tables.
Data is read from disk into a buffer cache, and rows are transferred to the evaluating
buffer. The data, after passing expression evaluation, is transferred to the Export
client, which then writes the data into the export file.
Direct path Export is much faster than conventional path Export because data is read
from disk into the buffer cache and rows are transferred directly to the Export client.
The evaluating buffer (that is, the SQL command-processing layer) is bypassed. The
data is already in the format that Export expects, thus avoiding unnecessary data
conversion. The data is transferred to the Export client, which then writes the data into
the export file.
24.10 Invoking a Direct Path Export

To use direct path Export, specify the DIRECT=y parameter on the command line or in
the parameter file. The default is DIRECT=n, which extracts the table data using the
conventional path. The rest of this section discusses the following topics:
• Security Considerations for Direct Path Exports

• Performance Considerations for Direct Path Exports
• Restrictions for Direct Path Exports
24.10.1 Security Considerations for Direct Path Exports

Oracle Virtual Private Database (VPD) and Oracle Label Security are not enforced
during direct path Exports.
The following users are exempt from Virtual Private Database and Oracle Label
Security enforcement regardless of the export mode, application, or utility used to
extract data from the database:
• The database user SYS
• Database users granted the EXEMPT ACCESS POLICY privilege, either directly or
through a database role
This means that any user who is granted the EXEMPT ACCESS POLICY privilege is
completely exempt from enforcement of VPD and Oracle Label Security. This is a
powerful privilege and should be carefully managed. This privilege does not affect the
enforcement of traditional object privileges such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE.
These privileges are enforced even if a user has been granted the EXEMPT ACCESS POLICY
privilege.
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Network Considerations
See Also:
• "Support for Fine-Grained Access Control"

• Oracle Label Security Administrator's Guide
• Oracle Database Security Guide for more information about using VPD to
control data access
24.10.2 Performance Considerations for Direct Path Exports

You may be able to improve performance by increasing the value of the RECORDLENGTH
parameter when you start a direct path Export. Your exact performance gain depends
upon the following factors:
• DB_BLOCK_SIZE
• The types of columns in your table

• Your I/O layout (The drive receiving the export file should be separate from the
disk drive where the database files reside.)
The following values are generally recommended for RECORDLENGTH:
• Multiples of the file system I/O block size

• Multiples of DB_BLOCK_SIZE
An export file that is created using direct path Export will take the same amount of time
to import as an export file created using conventional path Export.
24.10.3 Restrictions for Direct Path Exports

Keep the following restrictions in mind when you are using direct path mode:
• To start a direct path Export, you must use either the command-line method or a
parameter file. You cannot start a direct path Export using the interactive method.
• The Export parameter BUFFER applies only to conventional path Exports. For direct
path Export, use the RECORDLENGTH parameter to specify the size of the buffer that
Export uses for writing to the export file.
• You cannot use direct path when exporting in tablespace mode
(TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=Y).
• The QUERY parameter cannot be specified in a direct path Export.
• A direct path Export can only export data when the NLS_LANG environment variable
of the session invoking the export equals the database character set. If NLS_LANG is
not set or if it is different than the database character set, then a warning is
displayed and the export is discontinued. The default value for the NLS_LANG
environment variable is AMERICAN_AMERICA.US7ASCII.
24.11 Network Considerations

This section describes factors to consider when using Export across a network.
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• Transporting Export Files Across a Network

• Exporting with Oracle Net
24.11.1 Transporting Export Files Across a Network

Because the export file is in binary format, use a protocol that supports binary
transfers to prevent corruption of the file when you transfer it across a network. For
example, use FTP or a similar file transfer protocol to transmit the file in binary mode.
Transmitting export files in character mode causes errors when the file is imported.
24.11.2 Exporting with Oracle Net

With Oracle Net, you can perform exports over a network. For example, if you run
Export locally, then you can write data from a remote Oracle database into a local
export file.
To use Export with Oracle Net, include the connection qualifier string @connect_string
when entering the username and password in the exp command. For the exact syntax
of this clause, see the user's guide for your Oracle Net protocol.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Net Services Administrator's Guide

Considerations
The following sections describe the globalization support behavior of Export with
respect to character set conversion of user data and data definition language (DDL).
• User Data
• Single-Byte Character Sets and Export and Import
• Multibyte Character Sets and Export and Import
24.12.1 User Data

The Export utility always exports user data, including Unicode data, in the character
sets of the Export server. (Character sets are specified at database creation.) If the
character sets of the source database are different than the character sets of the
import database, then a single conversion is performed to automatically convert the
data to the character sets of the Import server.
• Effect of Character Set Sorting Order on Conversions
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24.12.1.1 Effect of Character Set Sorting Order on Conversions

If the export character set has a different sorting order than the import character set,
then tables that are partitioned on character columns may yield unpredictable results.
For example, consider the following table definition, which is produced on a database
having an ASCII character set:
CREATE TABLE partlist
(
part VARCHAR2(10),
partno NUMBER(2)
)
PARTITION BY RANGE (part)
(
PARTITION part_low VALUES LESS THAN ('Z')
TABLESPACE tbs_1,
PARTITION part_mid VALUES LESS THAN ('z')
TABLESPACE tbs_2,
PARTITION part_high VALUES LESS THAN (MAXVALUE)
TABLESPACE tbs_3
);
This partitioning scheme makes sense because z comes after Z in ASCII character
sets.
When this table is imported into a database based upon an EBCDIC character set, all
of the rows in the part_mid partition will migrate to the part_low partition because z
comes before Z in EBCDIC character sets. To obtain the desired results, the owner of
partlist must repartition the table following the import.
See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for more information about
character sets

Up to three character set conversions may be required for data definition language
(DDL) during an export/import operation:
1. Export writes export files using the character set specified in the NLS_LANG
environment variable for the user session. A character set conversion is performed
if the value of NLS_LANG differs from the database character set.
2. If the export file's character set is different than the import user session character
set, then Import converts the character set to its user session character set. Import
can only perform this conversion for single-byte character sets. This means that
for multibyte character sets, the import file's character set must be identical to the
export file's character set.
3. A final character set conversion may be performed if the target database's
character set is different from the character set used by the import user session.
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Using Instance Affinity with Export and Import
To minimize data loss due to character set conversions, ensure that the export
database, the export user session, the import user session, and the import database
all use the same character set.
24.12.3 Single-Byte Character Sets and Export and Import

Some 8-bit characters can be lost (that is, converted to 7-bit equivalents) when you
import an 8-bit character set export file. This occurs if the system on which the import
occurs has a native 7-bit character set, or the NLS_LANG operating system environment
variable is set to a 7-bit character set. Most often, this is apparent when accented
characters lose the accent mark.
To avoid this unwanted conversion, you can set the NLS_LANG operating system
environment variable to be that of the export file character set.
24.12.4 Multibyte Character Sets and Export and Import

equivalent in the target character set are replaced with a default character. (The
default character is defined by the target character set.) To guarantee 100%
conversion, the target character set must be a superset (or equivalent) of the source
character set.
Note:
When the character set width differs between the Export server and the Import
server, truncation of data can occur if conversion causes expansion of data. If
truncation occurs, then Import displays a warning message.
24.13 Using Instance Affinity with Export and Import

You can use instance affinity to associate jobs with instances in databases you plan to
export and import. Be aware that there may be some compatibility issues if you are
using a combination of releases.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about affinity
24.14 Considerations When Exporting Database Objects

The following sections describe points you should consider when you export particular
database objects.
• Exporting Sequences
• Exporting LONG and LOB Data Types
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Considerations When Exporting Database Objects
• Exporting Foreign Function Libraries

• Exporting Offline Locally Managed Tablespaces
• Exporting Directory Aliases
• Exporting BFILE Columns and Attributes
• Exporting External Tables
• Exporting Object Type Definitions
• Exporting Nested Tables
• Exporting Advanced Queue (AQ) Tables
• Exporting Synonyms
• Possible Export Errors Related to Java Synonyms
• Support for Fine-Grained Access Control
24.14.1 Exporting Sequences

If transactions continue to access sequence numbers during an export, then sequence
numbers might be skipped. The best way to ensure that sequence numbers are not
skipped is to ensure that the sequences are not accessed during the export.
Sequence numbers can be skipped only when cached sequence numbers are in use.
When a cache of sequence numbers has been allocated, they are available for use in
the current database. The exported value is the next sequence number (after the
cached values). Sequence numbers that are cached, but unused, are lost when the
sequence is imported.
24.14.2 Exporting LONG and LOB Data Types

On export, LONG data types are fetched in sections. However, enough memory must be
available to hold all of the contents of each row, including the LONG data.
LONG columns can be up to 2 gigabytes in length.
All data in a LOB column does not need to be held in memory at the same time. LOB
data is loaded and unloaded in sections.
Note:
Oracle also recommends that you convert existing LONG columns to LOB
columns. LOB columns are subject to far fewer restrictions than LONG columns.
Further, LOB functionality is enhanced in every release, whereas LONG
functionality has been static for several releases.
24.14.3 Exporting Foreign Function Libraries

The contents of foreign function libraries are not included in the export file. Instead,
only the library specification (name, location) is included in full database mode and
user-mode export. You must move the library's executable files and update the library
specification if the database is moved to a new location.
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24.14.4 Exporting Offline Locally Managed Tablespaces

If the data you are exporting contains offline locally managed tablespaces, then Export
will not be able to export the complete tablespace definition and will display an error
message. You can still import the data; however, you must create the offline locally
managed tablespaces before importing to prevent DDL commands that may reference
the missing tablespaces from failing.
24.14.5 Exporting Directory Aliases

Directory alias definitions are included only in a full database mode export. To move a
database to a new location, the database administrator must update the directory
aliases to point to the new location.
Directory aliases are not included in user-mode or table-mode export. Therefore, you
must ensure that the directory alias has been created on the target system before the
directory alias is used.
24.14.6 Exporting BFILE Columns and Attributes

The export file does not hold the contents of external files referenced by BFILE columns
or attributes. Instead, only the names and directory aliases for files are copied on
Export and restored on Import. If you move the database to a location where the old
directories cannot be used to access the included files, then the database
administrator (DBA) must move the directories containing the specified files to a new
location where they can be accessed.
24.14.7 Exporting External Tables

The contents of external tables are not included in the export file. Instead, only the
table specification (name, location) is included in full database mode and user-mode
export. You must manually move the external data and update the table specification if
the database is moved to a new location.
24.14.8 Exporting Object Type Definitions

In all Export modes, the Export utility includes information about object type definitions
used by the tables being exported. The information, including object name, object
identifier, and object geometry, is needed to verify that the object type on the target
system is consistent with the object instances contained in the export file. This ensures
that the object types needed by a table are created with the same object identifier at
import time.
Note, however, that in table mode, user mode, and tablespace mode, the export file
does not include a full object type definition needed by a table if the user running
Export does not have execute access to the object type. In this case, only enough
information is written to verify that the type exists, with the same object identifier and
the same geometry, on the Import target system.
The user must ensure that the proper type definitions exist on the target system, either
by working with the DBA to create them, or by importing them from full database mode
or user-mode exports performed by the DBA.
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It is important to perform a full database mode export regularly to preserve all object
type definitions. Alternatively, if object type definitions from different schemas are
used, then the DBA should perform a user mode export of the appropriate set of users.
For example, if table1 belonging to user scott contains a column on blake's type
type1, then the DBA should perform a user mode export of both blake and scott to
preserve the type definitions needed by the table.
24.14.9 Exporting Nested Tables

Inner nested table data is exported whenever the outer containing table is exported.
Although inner nested tables can be named, they cannot be exported individually.
24.14.10 Exporting Advanced Queue (AQ) Tables

Queues are implemented on tables. The export and import of queues constitutes the
export and import of the underlying queue tables and related dictionary tables. You
can export and import queues only at queue table granularity.
When you export a queue table, both the table definition information and queue data
are exported. Because the queue table data and the table definition is exported, the
user is responsible for maintaining application-level data integrity when queue table
data is imported.
See Also:
Oracle Database Advanced Queuing User's Guide
24.14.11 Exporting Synonyms

You should be cautious when exporting compiled objects that reference a name used
as a synonym and as another object. Exporting and importing these objects will force a
recompilation that could result in changes to the object definitions.
The following example helps to illustrate this problem:
CREATE PUBLIC SYNONYM emp FOR scott.emp;
CONNECT blake/paper;
CREATE TRIGGER t_emp BEFORE INSERT ON emp BEGIN NULL; END;
CREATE VIEW emp AS SELECT * FROM dual;
If the database in the preceding example were exported, then the reference to emp in
the trigger would refer to blake's view rather than to scott's table. This would cause an
error when Import tried to reestablish the t_emp trigger.
24.14.12 Possible Export Errors Related to Java Synonyms

If an export operation attempts to export a synonym named DBMS_JAVA when there is no
corresponding DBMS_JAVA package or when Java is either not loaded or loaded
incorrectly, then the export will terminate unsuccessfully. The error messages that are
generated include, but are not limited to, the following: EXP-00008, ORA-00904, and
ORA-29516.
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Transportable Tablespaces
If Java is enabled, then ensure that both the DBMS_JAVA synonym and DBMS_JAVA
package are created and valid before rerunning the export.
If Java is not enabled, then remove Java-related objects before rerunning the export.
24.14.13 Support for Fine-Grained Access Control

You can export tables with fine-grained access control policies enabled. When doing
so, consider the following:
• The user who imports from an export file containing such tables must have the
appropriate privileges (specifically, the EXECUTE privilege on the DBMS_RLS package
so that the tables' security policies can be reinstated). If a user without the correct
privileges attempts to export a table with fine-grained access policies enabled,
then only those rows that the exporter is privileged to read will be exported.
• If fine-grained access control is enabled on a SELECT statement, then conventional
path Export may not export the entire table because fine-grained access may
rewrite the query.
• Only user SYS, or a user with the EXP_FULL_DATABASE role enabled or who has been
granted EXEMPT ACCESS POLICY, can perform direct path Exports on tables having
fine-grained access control.
24.15 Transportable Tablespaces

The transportable tablespace feature enables you to move a set of tablespaces from
one Oracle database to another.
Note:
To move or copy a set of tablespaces, you must make the tablespaces read-only, copy
the data files of these tablespaces, and use Export and Import to move the database
information (metadata) stored in the data dictionary. Both the data files and the
metadata export file must be copied to the target database. The transport of these files
can be done using any facility for copying flat binary files, such as the operating
system copying facility, binary-mode FTP, or publishing on CD-ROMs.
After copying the data files and exporting the metadata, you can optionally put the
tablespaces in read/write mode.
Export and Import provide the following parameters to enable movement of
transportable tablespace metadata.
• TABLESPACES
See "TABLESPACES" and "TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE" for more information about

using these parameters during an export operation.
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Chapter 24
Exporting From a Read-Only Database
See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for details about managing

24.16 Exporting From a Read-Only Database

To extract metadata from a source database, Export uses queries that contain
ordering clauses (sort operations). For these queries to succeed, the user performing
the export must be able to allocate sort segments. For these sort segments to be
allocated in a read-only database, the user's temporary tablespace should be set to
point at a temporary, locally managed tablespace.
24.17 Using Export and Import to Partition a Database

Migration
When you use the Export and Import utilities to migrate a large database, it may be
more efficient to partition the migration into multiple export and import jobs. If you
decide to partition the migration, then be aware of the following advantages and
disadvantages.
• Advantages of Partitioning a Migration
• Disadvantages of Partitioning a Migration
• How to Use Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration
24.17.1 Advantages of Partitioning a Migration

Partitioning a migration has the following advantages:
• Time required for the migration may be reduced, because many of the subjobs can
be run in parallel.
• The import can start as soon as the first export subjob completes, rather than
waiting for the entire export to complete.
24.17.2 Disadvantages of Partitioning a Migration

Partitioning a migration has the following disadvantages:
• The export and import processes become more complex.
• Support of cross-schema references for certain types of objects may be
compromised. For example, if a schema contains a table with a foreign key
constraint against a table in a different schema, then you may not have the
required parent records when you import the table into the dependent schema.
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Using Different Releases of Export and Import
24.17.3 How to Use Export and Import to Partition a Database

Migration
To perform a database migration in a partitioned manner, take the following steps:
1. For all top-level metadata in the database, issue the following commands:
a. exp FILE=full FULL=y CONSTRAINTS=n TRIGGERS=n ROWS=n INDEXES=n
b. imp FILE=full FULL=y
2. For each scheman in the database, issue the following commands:

a. exp OWNER=scheman FILE=scheman
b. imp FILE=scheman FROMUSER=scheman TOUSER=scheman IGNORE=y
All exports can be done in parallel. When the import of full.dmp completes, all
remaining imports can also be done in parallel.
24.18 Using Different Releases of Export and Import

This section describes compatibility issues that relate to using different releases of
Export and the Oracle database.
Whenever you are moving data between different releases of the Oracle database, the
following basic rules apply:
• The Import utility and the database to which data is being imported (the target
database) must be the same release. For example, if you try to use the Import
utility 9.2.0.7 to import into a 9.2.0.8 database, then you may encounter errors.
• The version of the Export utility must be equal to the release of either the source
or target database, whichever is earlier.
For example, to create an export file for an import into a later release database,
use a version of the Export utility that equals the source database. Conversely, to
create an export file for an import into an earlier release database, use a version of
the Export utility that equals the release of the target database.
– In general, you can use the Export utility from any Oracle8 release to export
from an Oracle9i server and create an Oracle8 export file.
• Restrictions When Using Different Releases of Export and Import
• Examples of Using Different Releases of Export and Import
24.18.1 Restrictions When Using Different Releases of Export and

Import
The following restrictions apply when you are using different releases of Export and
Import:
• Export dump files can be read only by the Import utility because they are stored in
a special binary format.
• Any export dump file can be imported into a later release of the Oracle database.
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• The Import utility cannot read export dump files created by the Export utility of a
later maintenance release. For example, a release 9.2 export dump file cannot be
imported by a release 9.0.1 Import utility.
• Whenever a lower version of the Export utility runs with a later release of the
Oracle database, categories of database objects that did not exist in the earlier
release are excluded from the export.
• Export files generated by Oracle9i Export, either direct path or conventional path,
are incompatible with earlier releases of Import and can be imported only with
Oracle9i Import. When backward compatibility is an issue, use the earlier release
or version of the Export utility against the Oracle9i database.
24.18.2 Examples of Using Different Releases of Export and Import

Table 24-5 shows some examples of which Export and Import releases to use when
moving data between different releases of the Oracle database.
Table 24-5 Using Different Releases of Export and Import
Export from->Import to Use Export Release Use Import Release

8.1.6 -> 8.1.6 8.1.6 8.1.6
8.1.5 -> 8.0.6 8.0.6 8.0.6
8.1.7 -> 8.1.6 8.1.6 8.1.6
9.0.1 -> 8.1.6 8.1.6 8.1.6
9.0.1 -> 9.0.2 9.0.1 9.0.2
9.0.2 -> 10.1.0 9.0.2 10.1.0
10.1.0 -> 9.0.2 9.0.2 9.0.2
Table 24-5 covers moving data only between the original Export and Import utilities.
For Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1) or later, Oracle recommends the Data
Pump Export and Import utilities in most cases because these utilities provide greatly
enhanced performance compared to the original Export and Import utilities.
See Also:
Oracle Database Upgrade Guide for more information about exporting and
importing data between different releases, including releases later than 10.1
24-43
25
Original Import
The original Import utility (imp) imports dump files that were created using the original
Export utility.
• What Is the Import Utility?
• Before Using Import
• Importing into Existing Tables
• Effect of Schema and Database Triggers on Import Operations
• Invoking Import
• Import Modes
• Import Parameters
• Example Import Sessions
• Error Handling During an Import
• Table-Level and Partition-Level Import
• Controlling Index Creation and Maintenance
• Using Instance Affinity
• Considerations When Importing Database Objects
• Support for Fine-Grained Access Control
• Snapshots and Snapshot Logs
• Transportable Tablespaces
• Storage Parameters
• Read-Only Tablespaces
• Dropping a Tablespace
• Reorganizing Tablespaces
• Importing Statistics
• Using Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration
• Tuning Considerations for Import Operations
• Using Different Releases of Export and Import
25-1
Chapter 25
What Is the Import Utility?
25.1 What Is the Import Utility?

The Import utility reads object definitions and table data from dump files created by the
original Export utility. The dump file is in an Oracle binary-format that can be read only
by original Import.
The version of the Import utility cannot be earlier than the version of the Export utility
used to create the dump file.
• Table Objects: Order of Import
25.1.1 Table Objects: Order of Import

Table objects are imported as they are read from the export dump file. The dump file
contains objects in the following order:
1. Type definitions
2. Table definitions
3. Table data
4. Table indexes
5. Integrity constraints, views, procedures, and triggers
6. Bitmap, function-based, and domain indexes
The order of import is as follows: new tables are created, data is imported and indexes
are built, triggers are imported, integrity constraints are enabled on the new tables,
and any bitmap, function-based, and/or domain indexes are built. This sequence
prevents data from being rejected due to the order in which tables are imported. This
sequence also prevents redundant triggers from firing twice on the same data (once
when it is originally inserted and again during the import).
25.2 Before Using Import

Before you begin using Import, be sure you take care of the following items (described
in detail in the following sections):
• If you created your database manually, ensure that the catexp.sql or catalog.sql
script has been run. If you created your database using the Database
Configuration Assistant (DBCA), it is not necessary to run these scripts.
• Verify that you have the required access privileges.
• Running catexp.sql or catalog.sql
• Verifying Access Privileges for Import Operations
• Processing Restrictions
25.2.1 Running catexp.sql or catalog.sql

To use Import, you must run the script catexp.sql or catalog.sql (which runs
catexp.sql) after the database has been created or migrated to a newer version.
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Chapter 25
Before Using Import
The catexp.sql or catalog.sql script needs to be run only once on a database. The
script performs the following tasks to prepare the database for export and import
operations:
• Creates the necessary import views in the data dictionary
• Creates the EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE roles
• Assigns all necessary privileges to the EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE
roles
• Assigns EXP_FULL_DATABASE and IMP_FULL_DATABASE to the DBA role
• Records the version of catexp.sql that has been installed
25.2.2 Verifying Access Privileges for Import Operations

To use Import, you must have the CREATE SESSION privilege on an Oracle database.
This privilege belongs to the CONNECT role established during database creation.
You can perform an import operation even if you did not create the export file.
However, keep in mind that if the export file was created by a user with the
EXP_FULL_DATABASE role, then you must have the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role to import it.
Both of these roles are typically assigned to database administrators (DBAs).
• Importing Objects Into Your Own Schema
• Importing Grants
• Importing Objects Into Other Schemas
• Importing System Objects
25.2.2.1 Importing Objects Into Your Own Schema

Table 25-1 lists the privileges required to import objects into your own schema. All of
these privileges initially belong to the RESOURCE role.
Table 25-1 Privileges Required to Import Objects into Your Own Schema
Object Required Privilege (Privilege Type, If Applicable)

Clusters CREATE CLUSTER (System) or UNLIMITED TABLESPACE (System).
The user must also be assigned a tablespace quota.
Database links CREATE DATABASE LINK (System) and CREATE SESSION (System) on
remote database
Triggers on tables CREATE TRIGGER (System)
Triggers on schemas CREATE ANY TRIGGER (System)
Indexes CREATE INDEX (System) or UNLIMITED TABLESPACE (System). The
user must also be assigned a tablespace quota.
Integrity constraints ALTER TABLE (Object)
Libraries CREATE ANY LIBRARY (System)
Packages CREATE PROCEDURE (System)
Private synonyms CREATE SYNONYM (System)
Sequences CREATE SEQUENCE (System)
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Before Using Import
Table 25-1 (Cont.) Privileges Required to Import Objects into Your Own
Schema
Object Required Privilege (Privilege Type, If Applicable)

Snapshots CREATE SNAPSHOT (System)
Stored functions CREATE PROCEDURE (System)
Stored procedures CREATE PROCEDURE (System)
Table data INSERT TABLE (Object)
Table definitions (including CREATE TABLE (System) or UNLIMITED TABLESPACE (System). The
comments and audit user must also be assigned a tablespace quota.
options)
Views CREATE VIEW (System) and SELECT (Object) on the base table, or
SELECT ANY TABLE (System)
Object types CREATE TYPE (System)
Foreign function libraries CREATE LIBRARY (System)
Dimensions CREATE DIMENSION (System)
Operators CREATE OPERATOR (System)
Indextypes CREATE INDEXTYPE (System)
25.2.2.2 Importing Grants

To import the privileges that a user has granted to others, the user initiating the import
must either own the objects or have object privileges with the WITH GRANT OPTION.
Table 25-2 shows the required conditions for the authorizations to be valid on the
target system.
Table 25-2 Privileges Required to Import Grants
Grant Conditions
Object privileges The object must exist in the user's schema, or
the user must have the object privileges with the WITH GRANT
OPTION or,
the user must have the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role enabled.
System privileges User must have the SYSTEM privilege and also the WITH ADMIN
OPTION.
25.2.2.3 Importing Objects Into Other Schemas

To import objects into another user's schema, you must have the IMP_FULL_DATABASE
role enabled.
25.2.2.4 Importing System Objects

To import system objects from a full database export file, the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role
must be enabled. The parameter FULL specifies that the following system objects are
included in the import:
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Importing into Existing Tables
• Profiles
• Public database links
• Public synonyms
• Roles
• Rollback segment definitions
• Resource costs
• Foreign function libraries
• Context objects
• System procedural objects
• System audit options
• System privileges
• Tablespace definitions
• Tablespace quotas
• User definitions
• Directory aliases
• System event triggers
25.2.3 Processing Restrictions

The following restrictions apply when you process data with the Import utility:
• When a type definition has evolved and data referencing that evolved type is
exported, the type definition on the import system must have evolved in the same
manner.
• The table compression attribute of tables and partitions is preserved during export
and import. However, the import process does not use the direct path API, hence
the data will not be stored in the compressed format when imported.
25.3 Importing into Existing Tables

This section describes factors to consider when you import data into existing tables:
• Manually Creating Tables Before Importing Data
• Disabling Referential Constraints
• Manually Ordering the Import
25.3.1 Manually Creating Tables Before Importing Data

When you choose to create tables manually before importing data into them from an
export file, you should use either the same table definition previously used or a
compatible format. For example, although you can increase the width of columns and
change their order, you cannot do the following:
• Add NOT NULL columns
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Importing into Existing Tables
• Change the data type of a column to an incompatible data type (LONG to NUMBER, for
example)
• Change the definition of object types used in a table
• Change DEFAULT column values
Note:
When tables are manually created before data is imported, the CREATE TABLE
statement in the export dump file will fail because the table already exists.
To avoid this failure and continue loading data into the table, set the Import
parameter IGNORE=y. Otherwise, no data will be loaded into the table
because of the table creation error.
25.3.2 Disabling Referential Constraints

In the normal import order, referential constraints are imported only after all tables are
imported. This sequence prevents errors that could occur if a referential integrity
constraint exists for data that has not yet been imported.
These errors can still occur when data is loaded into existing tables. For example, if
table emp has a referential integrity constraint on the mgr column that verifies that the
manager number exists in emp, then a legitimate employee row might fail the
referential integrity constraint if the manager's row has not yet been imported.
When such an error occurs, Import generates an error message, bypasses the failed
row, and continues importing other rows in the table. You can disable constraints
manually to avoid this.
Referential constraints between tables can also cause problems. For example, if the
emp table appears before the dept table in the export dump file, but a referential check
exists from the emp table into the dept table, then some of the rows from the emp table
may not be imported due to a referential constraint violation.
To prevent errors like these, you should disable referential integrity constraints when
importing data into existing tables.
25.3.3 Manually Ordering the Import

When the constraints are reenabled after importing, the entire table is checked, which
may take a long time for a large table. If the time required for that check is too long,
then it may be beneficial to order the import manually.
To do so, perform several imports from an export file instead of one. First, import
tables that are the targets of referential checks. Then, import the tables that reference
them. This option works if tables do not reference each other in a circular fashion, and
if a table does not reference itself.
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Effect of Schema and Database Triggers on Import Operations
25.4 Effect of Schema and Database Triggers on Import

Operations
Triggers that are defined to trigger on DDL events for a specific schema or on DDL-
related events for the database, are system triggers. These triggers can have
detrimental effects on certain import operations. For example, they can prevent
successful re-creation of database objects, such as tables. This causes errors to be
returned that give no indication that a trigger caused the problem.
Database administrators and anyone creating system triggers should verify that such
triggers do not prevent users from performing database operations for which they are
authorized. To test a system trigger, take the following steps:
1. Define the trigger.
2. Create some database objects.
3. Export the objects in table or user mode.
4. Delete the objects.
5. Import the objects.
6. Verify that the objects have been successfully re-created.
Note:
A full export does not export triggers owned by schema SYS. You must
manually re-create SYS triggers either before or after the full import. Oracle
recommends that you re-create them after the import in case they define
actions that would impede progress of the import.
25.5 Invoking Import

You can start Import, and specify parameters by using any of the following methods:
• Command-line entries
• Parameter files
• Interactive mode
Before you use one of these methods, be sure to read the descriptions of the available
parameters. See "Import Parameters".
• Command-Line Entries
• Parameter Files
• Interactive Mode
• Invoking Import As SYSDBA
• Getting Online Help
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Invoking Import
25.5.1 Command-Line Entries

You can specify all valid parameters and their values from the command line using the
following syntax (you will then be prompted for a username and password):
imp PARAMETER=value
or
imp PARAMETER=(value1,value2,...,valuen)
The number of parameters cannot exceed the maximum length of a command line on
the system.
25.5.2 Parameter Files

You can specify all valid parameters and their values in a parameter file. Storing the
parameters in a file allows them to be easily modified or reused. If you use different
parameters for different databases, then you can have multiple parameter files.
Create the parameter file using any flat file text editor. The command-line option
PARFILE=filename tells Import to read the parameters from the specified file rather than
from the command line. For example:
The syntax for parameter file specifications can be any of the following:
PARAMETER=value
PARAMETER=(value)
PARAMETER=(value1, value2, ...)
The following example shows a partial parameter file listing:

FULL=y
FILE=dba.dmp
GRANTS=y
INDEXES=y
CONSISTENT=y
Note:
The maximum size of the parameter file may be limited by the operating
system. The name of the parameter file is subject to the file-naming
conventions of the operating system.
You can add comments to the parameter file by preceding them with the pound (#)
sign. Import ignores all characters to the right of the pound (#) sign.
You can specify a parameter file at the same time that you are entering parameters on
the command line. In fact, you can specify the same parameter in both places. The
position of the PARFILE parameter and other parameters on the command line
determines which parameters take precedence. For example, assume the parameter
file params.dat contains the parameter INDEXES=y and Import is started with the
following line:
imp PARFILE=params.dat INDEXES=n
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Import Modes
In this case, because INDEXES=n occurs after PARFILE=params.dat, INDEXES=n overrides

the value of the INDEXES parameter in the parameter file.
See Also:
• "Import Parameters"
• "Network Considerations" for information about how to specify an export
from a remote database
25.5.3 Interactive Mode

If you prefer to be prompted for the value of each parameter, then you can simply
specify imp at the command line. You will be prompted for a username and password.
Commonly used parameters are then displayed. You can accept the default value, if
one is provided, or enter a different value. The command-line interactive method does
not provide prompts for all functionality and is provided only for backward compatibility.
25.5.4 Invoking Import As SYSDBA

SYSDBA is used internally and has specialized functions; its behavior is not the same as
for generalized users. Therefore, you should not typically need to start Import as
SYSDBA, except in the following situations:
• At the request of Oracle technical support

• When importing a transportable tablespace set
25.5.5 Getting Online Help

Import provides online help. Enter imp help=y to display Import help.
25.6 Import Modes

The Import utility supports four modes of operation:
• Full: Imports a full database. Only users with the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role can use
this mode. Use the FULL parameter to specify this mode.
• Tablespace: Enables a privileged user to move a set of tablespaces from one
Oracle database to another. Use the TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE parameter to specify
this mode.
• User: Enables you to import all objects that belong to you (such as tables, grants,
indexes, and procedures). A privileged user importing in user mode can import all
objects in the schemas of a specified set of users. Use the FROMUSER parameter to
specify this mode.
• Table: Enables you to import specific tables and partitions. A privileged user can
qualify the tables by specifying the schema that contains them. Use the TABLES
parameter to specify this mode.
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Note:
When you use table mode to import tables that have columns of type
ANYDATA, you may receive the following error:
ORA-22370: Incorrect usage of method. Nonexistent type.

This indicates that the ANYDATA column depends on other types that are not
present in the database. You must manually create dependent types in the
target database before you use table mode to import tables that use the
ANYDATA type.
A user with the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role must specify one of these modes. Otherwise, an
error results. If a user without the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role fails to specify one of these
modes, then a user-level Import is performed.
Note:
As of Oracle Database 12c release 2 (12.2) the import utility (imp), for security
reasons, will no longer import objects as user SYS. If a dump file contains
objects that need to be re-created as user SYS, then the imp utility tries to re-
create them as user SYSTEM instead. If the object cannot be re-created by user
SYSTEM, then you must manually re-create the object yourself after the import is
completed.
If the import job is run by a user with the DBA role, and not all objects can be re-
created by user SYSTEM, then the following warning message is written to the log
file:
IMP-00403:
Warning: This import generated a separate SQL file "logfilename_sys" which
contains DDL that failed due to a privilege issue.
The SQL file that is generated contains the failed DDL of objects that could not
be re-created by user SYSTEM. To re-create those objects, you must manually
execute the failed DDL after the import finishes.
The SQL file is automatically named by appending '_sys.sql' to the file name
specified for the LOG parameter. For example, if the log file name was
JulyImport, then the SQL file name would be JulyImport_sys.sql.
If no log file was specified, then the default name of the SQL file is
import_sys.sql.
Note: Not all import jobs generate a SQL file; only those jobs run as user DBA.
The following table lists the objects that are imported in each mode.
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Table 25-3 Objects Imported in Each Mode

Mode Mode
Analyze cluster No Yes Yes No
Analyze tables/statistics Yes Yes Yes Yes
Application contexts No No Yes No
Auditing information Yes Yes Yes No
B-tree, bitmap, domain Yes1 Yes Yes Yes
function-based indexes
Cluster definitions No Yes Yes Yes
Column and table Yes Yes Yes Yes
comments
Database links No Yes Yes No
Default roles No No Yes No
Dimensions No Yes Yes No
Directory aliases No No Yes No
External tables (without Yes Yes Yes No
data)
Foreign function libraries No Yes Yes No
Indexes owned by users Yes (Privileged Yes Yes Yes
other than table owner users only)
Index types No Yes Yes No
Java resources and No Yes Yes No
classes
Job queues No Yes Yes No
Nested table data Yes Yes Yes Yes
Object grants Yes (Only for Yes Yes Yes
tables and
indexes)
Object type definitions Yes Yes Yes Yes
used by table
Object types No Yes Yes No
Operators No Yes Yes No
Password history No No Yes No
Postinstance actions and No No Yes No
objects
Postschema procedural No Yes Yes No
actions and objects
Posttable actions Yes Yes Yes Yes
Posttable procedural Yes Yes Yes Yes
actions and objects
Preschema procedural No Yes Yes No
objects and actions
Pretable actions Yes Yes Yes Yes
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Table 25-3 (Cont.) Objects Imported in Each Mode

Mode Mode
Pretable procedural Yes Yes Yes Yes
actions
Private synonyms No Yes Yes No
Procedural objects No Yes Yes No
Profiles No No Yes No
Public synonyms No No Yes No
Referential integrity Yes Yes Yes No
constraints
Refresh groups No Yes Yes No
Resource costs No No Yes No
Role grants No No Yes No
Roles No No Yes No
Rollback segment No No Yes No
definitions
Security policies for table Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sequence numbers No Yes Yes No
Snapshot logs No Yes Yes No
Snapshots and No Yes Yes No
materialized views
System privilege grants No No Yes No
Table constraints Yes Yes Yes Yes
(primary, unique, check)
Table data Yes Yes Yes Yes
Table definitions Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tablespace definitions No No Yes No
Tablespace quotas No No Yes No
Triggers Yes Yes2 Yes3 Yes
Triggers owned by other Yes (Privileged No No No
users users only)
User definitions No No Yes No
User proxies No No Yes No
User views No Yes Yes No
User-stored procedures, No Yes Yes No
packages, and functions
1 Nonprivileged users can export and import only indexes they own on tables they own. They cannot export
indexes they own that are on tables owned by other users, nor can they export indexes owned by other
users on their own tables. Privileged users can export and import indexes on the specified users' tables,
even if the indexes are owned by other users. Indexes owned by the specified user on other users' tables
are not included, unless those other users are included in the list of users to export.
2 Nonprivileged and privileged users can export and import all triggers owned by the user, even if they are
on tables owned by other users.
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Import Parameters
3 A full export does not export triggers owned by schema SYS. You must manually re-create SYS triggers
either before or after the full import. Oracle recommends that you re-create them after the import in case
they define actions that would impede progress of the import.
25.7 Import Parameters

This section contains descriptions of the Import command-line parameters.
• BUFFER
• COMMIT
• COMPILE
• CONSTRAINTS
• DATA_ONLY
• DATAFILES
• DESTROY
• FEEDBACK
• FILE
• FILESIZE
• FROMUSER
• FULL
• GRANTS
• HELP
• IGNORE
• INDEXES
• INDEXFILE
• LOG
• PARFILE
• RECORDLENGTH
• RESUMABLE
• RESUMABLE_NAME
• ROWS
• SHOW
• STATISTICS
• STREAMS_CONFIGURATION
• STREAMS_INSTANTIATION
• TABLES
• TABLESPACES
• TOID_NOVALIDATE
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• TOUSER
• TTS_OWNERS
• USERID (username/password)
• VOLSIZE
25.7.1 BUFFER
The integer specified for BUFFER is the size, in bytes, of the buffer through which data
rows are transferred.
BUFFER determines the number of rows in the array inserted by Import. The following
formula gives an approximation of the buffer size that inserts a given array of rows:
buffer_size = rows_in_array * maximum_row_size
For tables containing LOBs, LONG, BFILE, REF, ROWID,UROWID, or TIMESTAMP columns,
rows are inserted individually. The size of the buffer must be large enough to contain
the entire row, except for LOB and LONG columns. If the buffer cannot hold the longest
row in a table, then Import attempts to allocate a larger buffer.
For DATE columns, two or more rows are inserted at once if the buffer is large enough.
Note:
See your Oracle operating system-specific documentation to determine the
default value for this parameter.
25.7.2 COMMIT
Default: n
Specifies whether Import should commit after each array insert. By default, Import
commits only after loading each table, and Import performs a rollback when an error
occurs, before continuing with the next object.
If a table has nested table columns or attributes, then the contents of the nested tables
are imported as separate tables. Therefore, the contents of the nested tables are
always committed in a transaction distinct from the transaction used to commit the
outer table.
If COMMIT=n and a table is partitioned, then each partition and subpartition in the Export
file is imported in a separate transaction.
For tables containing LOBs, LONG, BFILE, REF, ROWID, UROWID, or TIMESTAMP columns,
array inserts are not done. If COMMIT=y, then Import commits these tables after each
row.
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25.7.3 COMPILE
Default: y
Specifies whether Import should compile packages, procedures, and functions as they
are created.
If COMPILE=n, then these units are compiled on their first use. For example, packages
that are used to build domain indexes are compiled when the domain indexes are
created.
See Also:
"Importing Stored Procedures_ Functions_ and Packages "
25.7.4 CONSTRAINTS
Default: y
Specifies whether table constraints are to be imported. The default is to import

constraints. If you do not want constraints to be imported, then you must set the
parameter value to n.
Note that primary key constraints for index-organized tables (IOTs) and object tables
are always imported.
25.7.5 DATA_ONLY
Default: n
To import only data (no metadata) from a dump file, specify DATA_ONLY=y.
When you specify DATA_ONLY=y, any import parameters related to metadata that are
entered on the command line (or in a parameter file) become invalid. This means that
no metadata from the dump file will be imported.
The metadata-related parameters are the following: COMPILE, CONSTRAINTS, DATAFILES,
DESTROY, GRANTS, IGNORE, INDEXES, INDEXFILE, ROWS=n, SHOW, SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES,
STATISTICS, STREAMS_CONFIGURATION, STREAMS_INSTANTIATION, TABLESPACES,
TOID_NOVALIDATE, TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE, TTS_OWNERS.
25.7.6 DATAFILES
Default: none
When TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE is specified as y, use this parameter to list the data files to
be transported into the database.
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Import Parameters
See Also:
"TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE"
25.7.7 DESTROY
Default: n
Specifies whether the existing data files making up the database should be reused.
That is, specifying DESTROY=y causes Import to include the REUSE option in the data file
clause of the SQL CREATE TABLESPACE statement, which causes Import to reuse the
original database's data files after deleting their contents.
Note that the export file contains the data file names used in each tablespace. If you
specify DESTROY=y and attempt to create a second database on the same system (for
testing or other purposes), then the Import utility will overwrite the first database's data
files when it creates the tablespace. In this situation you should use the default,
DESTROY=n, so that an error occurs if the data files already exist when the tablespace is
created. Also, when you need to import into the original database, you will need to
specify IGNORE=y to add to the existing data files without replacing them.
Note:
If data files are stored on a raw device, thenDESTROY=n does not prevent files
from being overwritten.
25.7.8 FEEDBACK
Default: 0 (zero)
Specifies that Import should display a progress meter in the form of a period for n
number of rows imported. For example, if you specify FEEDBACK=10, then Import displays
a period each time 10 rows have been imported. The FEEDBACK value applies to all
tables being imported; it cannot be individually set for each table.
25.7.9 FILE
Default: expdat.dmp
Specifies the names of the export files to import. The default extension is .dmp.
Because Export supports multiple export files (see the following description of the
FILESIZE parameter), you may need to specify multiple file names to be imported. For
example:
imp scott IGNORE=y FILE = dat1.dmp, dat2.dmp, dat3.dmp FILESIZE=2048
You need not be the user who exported the export files; however, you must have read
access to the files. If you were not the exporter of the export files, then you must also
have the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role granted to you.
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25.7.10 FILESIZE
Lets you specify the same maximum dump file size you specified on export.
Note:
The maximum size allowed is operating system-dependent. You should verify
this maximum value in your Oracle operating system-specific documentation
before specifying FILESIZE.
The FILESIZE value can be specified as a number followed by KB (number of

kilobytes). For example, FILESIZE=2KB is the same as FILESIZE=2048. Similarly, MB
specifies megabytes (1024 * 1024) and GB specifies gigabytes (1024**3). B remains
the shorthand for bytes; the number is not multiplied to obtain the final file size
(FILESIZE=2048B is the same as FILESIZE=2048).
25.7.11 FROMUSER
Default: none
A comma-delimited list of schemas to import. This parameter is relevant only to users
with the IMP_FULL_DATABASE role. The parameter enables you to import a subset of
schemas from an export file containing multiple schemas (for example, a full export
dump file or a multischema, user-mode export dump file).
Schema names that appear inside function-based indexes, functions, procedures,
triggers, type bodies, views, and so on, are not affected by FROMUSER or TOUSER
processing. Only the name of the object is affected. After the import has completed,
items in any TOUSER schema should be manually checked for references to old
(FROMUSER) schemas, and corrected if necessary.
You will typically use FROMUSER in conjunction with the Import parameter TOUSER, which
you use to specify a list of usernames whose schemas will be targets for import (see
"TOUSER"). The user that you specify with TOUSER must exist in the target database
before the import operation; otherwise an error is returned.
If you do not specify TOUSER, then Import will do the following:
• Import objects into the FROMUSER schema if the export file is a full dump or a
multischema, user-mode export dump file
• Create objects in the importer's schema (regardless of the presence of or absence
of the FROMUSER schema on import) if the export file is a single-schema, user-mode
export dump file created by an unprivileged user
Note:
Specifying FROMUSER=SYSTEM causes only schema objects belonging to user
SYSTEM to be imported; it does not cause system objects to be imported.
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25.7.12 FULL
Default: y
Specifies whether to import the entire export dump file.

• Points to Consider for Full Database Exports and Imports
25.7.12.1 Points to Consider for Full Database Exports and Imports

A full database export and import can be a good way to replicate or clean up a
database. However, to avoid problems be sure to keep the following points in mind:
• A full export does not export triggers owned by schema SYS. You must manually
re-create SYS triggers either before or after the full import. Oracle recommends that
you re-create them after the import in case they define actions that would impede
progress of the import.
• A full export also does not export the default profile. If you have modified the
default profile in the source database (for example, by adding a password
verification function owned by schema SYS), then you must manually pre-create the
function and modify the default profile in the target database after the import
completes.
• If possible, before beginning, make a physical copy of the exported database and
the database into which you intend to import. This ensures that any mistakes are
reversible.
• Before you begin the export, it is advisable to produce a report that includes the
following information:
– A list of tablespaces and data files
– A list of rollback segments
– A count, by user, of each object type such as tables, indexes, and so on
This information lets you ensure that tablespaces have already been created and
that the import was successful.
• If you are creating a completely new database from an export, then remember to
create an extra rollback segment in SYSTEM and to make it available in your
initialization parameter file (init.ora)before proceeding with the import.
• When you perform the import, ensure you are pointing at the correct instance. This
is very important because on some UNIX systems, just the act of entering a
subshell can change the database against which an import operation was
performed.
• Do not perform a full import on a system that has more than one database unless
you are certain that all tablespaces have already been created. A full import
creates any undefined tablespaces using the same data file names as the
exported database. This can result in problems in the following situations:
– If the data files belong to any other database, then they will become corrupted.
This is especially true if the exported database is on the same system,
because its data files will be reused by the database into which you are
importing.
– If the data files have names that conflict with existing operating system files.
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25.7.13 GRANTS
Default: y
Specifies whether to import object grants.

By default, the Import utility imports any object grants that were exported. If the export
was a user-mode export, then the export file contains only first-level object grants
(those granted by the owner).
If the export was a full database mode export, then the export file contains all object
grants, including lower-level grants (those granted by users given a privilege with the
WITH GRANT OPTION). If you specify GRANTS=n, then the Import utility does not import
object grants. (Note that system grants are imported even if GRANTS=n.)
Note:
Export does not export grants on data dictionary views for security reasons that
affect Import. If such grants were exported, then access privileges would be
changed and the importer would not be aware of this.
25.7.14 HELP
Default: none
Displays a description of the Import parameters. Enter imp HELP=y on the command line
to display the help content.
25.7.15 IGNORE
Default: n
Specifies how object creation errors should be handled. If you accept the default,
IGNORE=n, then Import logs or displays object creation errors before continuing.
If you specify IGNORE=y, then Import overlooks object creation errors when it attempts to
create database objects, and continues without reporting the errors.
Note that only object creation errors are ignored; other errors, such as operating
system, database, and SQL errors, are not ignored and may cause processing to stop.
In situations where multiple refreshes from a single export file are done with IGNORE=y,
certain objects can be created multiple times (although they will have unique system-
defined names). You can prevent this for certain objects (for example, constraints) by
doing an import with CONSTRAINTS=n. If you do a full import with CONSTRAINTS=n, then no
constraints for any tables are imported.
If a table already exists and IGNORE=y, then rows are imported into existing tables
without any errors or messages being given. You might want to import data into tables
that already exist in order to use new storage parameters or because you have
already created the table in a cluster.
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If a table already exists and IGNORE=n, then errors are reported and the table is skipped
with no rows inserted. Also, objects dependent on tables, such as indexes, grants, and
constraints, will not be created.
Note:
When you import into existing tables, if no column in the table is uniquely
indexed, rows could be duplicated.
25.7.16 INDEXES
Default: y
Specifies whether to import indexes. System-generated indexes such as LOB indexes,

OID indexes, or unique constraint indexes are re-created by Import regardless of the
setting of this parameter.
You can postpone all user-generated index creation until after Import completes, by
specifying INDEXES=n.
If indexes for the target table already exist at the time of the import, then Import
performs index maintenance when data is inserted into the table.
25.7.17 INDEXFILE
Default: none
Specifies a file to receive index-creation statements.
When this parameter is specified, index-creation statements for the requested mode
are extracted and written to the specified file, rather than used to create indexes in the
database. No database objects are imported.
If the Import parameter CONSTRAINTS is set to y, then Import also writes table constraints
to the index file.
The file can then be edited (for example, to change storage parameters) and used as
a SQL script to create the indexes.
To make it easier to identify the indexes defined in the file, the export file's CREATE TABLE
statements and CREATE CLUSTER statements are included as comments.
Perform the following steps to use this feature:

1. Import using the INDEXFILE parameter to create a file of index-creation statements.
2. Edit the file, making certain to add a valid password to the connect strings.
3. Rerun Import, specifying INDEXES=n.
(This step imports the database objects while preventing Import from using the
index definitions stored in the export file.)
4. Execute the file of index-creation statements as a SQL script to create the index.
The INDEXFILE parameter can be used only with the FULL=y, FROMUSER, TOUSER, or
TABLES parameters.
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25.7.18 LOG
Default: none
Specifies a file (for example, import.log) to receive informational and error messages.
If you specify a log file, then the Import utility writes all information to the log in addition
to the terminal display.
25.7.19 PARFILE
Default: none
Specifies a file name for a file that contains a list of Import parameters. For more
information about using a parameter file, see "Parameter Files".
25.7.20 RECORDLENGTH
Specifies the length, in bytes, of the file record. The RECORDLENGTH parameter is
necessary when you must transfer the export file to another operating system that
uses a different default value.
If you do not define this parameter, then it defaults to your platform-dependent value
for BUFSIZ.
You can set RECORDLENGTH to any value equal to or greater than your system's BUFSIZ.
(The highest value is 64 KB.) Changing the RECORDLENGTH parameter affects only the
size of data that accumulates before writing to the database. It does not affect the
operating system file block size.
You can also use this parameter to specify the size of the Import I/O buffer.
25.7.21 RESUMABLE
Default: n
Because this parameter is disabled by default, you must set RESUMABLE=y to use its
associated parameters, RESUMABLE_NAME and RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT.
See Also:

Default: 'User USERNAME (USERID), Session SESSIONID, Instance INSTANCEID'
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The value for this parameter identifies the statement that is resumable. This value is a
user-defined text string that is inserted in either the USER_RESUMABLE or DBA_RESUMABLE
view to help you identify a specific resumable statement that has been suspended.
The value of the parameter specifies the time period during which an error must be
fixed. If the error is not fixed within the timeout period, then execution of the statement
is terminated.
25.7.24 ROWS
Default: y
Specifies whether to import the rows of table data.

If ROWS=n, then statistics for all imported tables will be locked after the import operation
is finished.
25.7.25 SHOW
Default: n
When SHOW=y, the contents of the export dump file are listed to the display and not
imported. The SQL statements contained in the export are displayed in the order in
which Import will execute them.
The SHOW parameter can be used only with the FULL=y, FROMUSER, TOUSER, or TABLES
parameter.
Default: the value of the Oracle database configuration parameter,
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES, as specified in the initialization parameter file
Both Import and the Oracle database provide a SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter. The
Import SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter is specified at the Import command line. The
Oracle database SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter is specified as a configuration
parameter in the initialization parameter file. It is important to understand how they
affect each other.
If you do not specify a value for SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES at the Import command line,
then Import uses the database setting for the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES configuration
parameter, as specified in the initialization parameter file.
If you do specify a value for SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES at the Import command line, then it
overrides the value of the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES configuration parameter in the
initialization parameter file.
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A value of y means that Import will skip building indexes that were set to the Index
Unusable state (by either system or user). Other indexes (not previously set to Index
Unusable) continue to be updated as rows are inserted.
This parameter enables you to postpone index maintenance on selected index
partitions until after row data has been inserted. You then have the responsibility to
rebuild the affected index partitions after the Import.
Note:
Indexes that are unique and marked Unusable are not allowed to skip index
maintenance. Therefore, the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter has no effect on
unique indexes.
You can use the INDEXFILE parameter in conjunction with INDEXES=n to provide the SQL
scripts for re-creating the index. If the SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter is not
specified, then row insertions that attempt to update unusable indexes will fail.
See Also:
The ALTER SESSION statement in the Oracle Database SQL Language Reference
25.7.27 STATISTICS
Default: ALWAYS
Specifies what is done with the database optimizer statistics at import time.
The options are:
• ALWAYS
Always import database optimizer statistics regardless of whether they are

questionable.
• NONE
Do not import or recalculate the database optimizer statistics.

• SAFE
Import database optimizer statistics only if they are not questionable. If they are
questionable, then recalculate the optimizer statistics.
• RECALCULATE
Do not import the database optimizer statistics. Instead, recalculate them on

import. This requires that the original export operation that created the dump file
must have generated the necessary ANALYZE statements (that is, the export was
not performed with STATISTICS=NONE). These ANALYZE statements are included in the
dump file and used by the import operation for recalculation of the table's statistics.
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Import Parameters
See Also:
– Oracle Database Concepts for more information about the optimizer

and the statistics it uses
– "Importing Statistics"
25.7.28 STREAMS_CONFIGURATION
Default: y
Specifies whether to import any general Streams metadata that may be present in the
export dump file.
See Also:
25.7.29 STREAMS_INSTANTIATION
Default: n
Specifies whether to import Streams instantiation metadata that may be present in the
export dump file. Specify y if the import is part of an instantiation in a Streams
environment.
See Also:
25.7.30 TABLES
Default: none
Specifies that the import is a table-mode import and lists the table names and partition
and subpartition names to import. Table-mode import lets you import entire partitioned
or nonpartitioned tables. The TABLES parameter restricts the import to the specified
tables and their associated objects, as listed in Import Modes. You can specify the
following values for the TABLES parameter:
• tablename specifies the name of the table or tables to be imported. If a table in the
list is partitioned and you do not specify a partition name, then all its partitions and
subpartitions are imported. To import all the exported tables, specify an asterisk (*)
as the only table name parameter.
tablename can contain any number of '%' pattern matching characters, which can
each match zero or more characters in the table names in the export file. All the
tables whose names match all the specified patterns of a specific table name in
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Import Parameters
the list are selected for import. A table name in the list that consists of all pattern
matching characters and no partition name results in all exported tables being
imported.
• partition_name and subpartition_name let you restrict the import to one or more
specified partitions or subpartitions within a partitioned table.
The syntax you use to specify the preceding is in the form:
tablename:partition_name
tablename:subpartition_name
If you use tablename:partition_name, then the specified table must be partitioned, and
partition_name must be the name of one of its partitions or subpartitions. If the
specified table is not partitioned, then the partition_name is ignored and the entire
table is imported.
The number of tables that can be specified at the same time is dependent on
command-line limits.
As the export file is processed, each table name in the export file is compared against
each table name in the list, in the order in which the table names were specified in the
parameter. To avoid ambiguity and excessive processing time, specific table names
should appear at the beginning of the list, and more general table names (those with
patterns) should appear at the end of the list.
Although you can qualify table names with schema names (as in scott.emp) when
exporting, you cannot do so when importing. In the following example, the TABLES
parameter is specified incorrectly:
imp TABLES=(jones.accts, scott.emp, scott.dept)
The valid specification to import these tables is as follows:

imp FROMUSER=jones TABLES=(accts)
imp FROMUSER=scott TABLES=(emp,dept)
For a more detailed example, see "Example Import Using Pattern Matching to Import
Various Tables".
Note:
Some operating systems, such as UNIX, require that you use escape
characters before special characters, such as a parenthesis, so that the
character is not treated as a special character. On UNIX, use a backslash (\) as
the escape character, as shown in the following example:
TABLES=$emp,dept$
• Table Name Restrictions
25.7.30.1 Table Name Restrictions

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Import Parameters
sensitivity can be preserved in the different Import modes.
tables='\"Emp\"'
– In interactive mode:
Table(T) to be exported: "Exp"
tables='"Emp"'
• Table names specified on the command line cannot include a pound (#) sign,
file, if a table name includes a pound (#) sign, then the Import utility interprets the
marks.
For example, if the parameter file contains the following line, then Import interprets
everything on the line after emp# as a comment and does not import the tables dept
and mydata:
However, given the following line, the Import utility imports all three tables because
emp# is enclosed in quotation marks:
TABLES=("emp#", dept, mydata)
Note:
quotation marks, or the reverse; see your Oracle operating system-specific
table naming.
into Import.
25.7.31 TABLESPACES
Default: none
When TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE is specified as y, use this parameter to list the tablespaces
to be transported into the database. If there is more than one tablespace in the export
file, then you must specify all of them as part of the import operation.
See "TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE" for more information.
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Import Parameters
25.7.32 TOID_NOVALIDATE
Default: none
When you import a table that references a type, but a type of that name already exists
in the database, Import attempts to verify that the preexisting type is, in fact, the type
used by the table (rather than a different type that just happens to have the same
name).
To do this, Import compares the type's unique identifier (TOID) with the identifier
stored in the export file. Import will not import the table rows if the TOIDs do not match.
In some situations, you may not want this validation to occur on specified types (for
example, if the types were created by a cartridge installation). You can use the
TOID_NOVALIDATE parameter to specify types to exclude from TOID comparison.

TOID_NOVALIDATE=([schemaname.]typename [, ...])
For example:
imp scott TABLES=jobs TOID_NOVALIDATE=typ1
imp scott TABLES=salaries TOID_NOVALIDATE=(fred.typ0,sally.typ2,typ3)
If you do not specify a schema name for the type, then it defaults to the schema of the
importing user. For example, in the first preceding example, the type typ1 defaults to
scott.typ1 and in the second example, the type typ3 defaults to scott.typ3.
Note that TOID_NOVALIDATE deals only with table column types. It has no effect on table
types.
The output of a typical import with excluded types would contain entries similar to the
following:
[...]
. importing IMP3's objects into IMP3
. . skipping TOID validation on type IMP2.TOIDTYP0
. . importing table "TOIDTAB3"
[...]
Note:
When you inhibit validation of the type identifier, it is your responsibility to
ensure that the attribute list of the imported type matches the attribute list of the
existing type. If these attribute lists do not match, then results are
unpredictable.
25.7.33 TOUSER
Default: none
Specifies a list of user names whose schemas will be targets for Import. The user
names must exist before the import operation; otherwise an error is returned. The
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IMP_FULL_DATABASE role is required to use this parameter. To import to a different

schema than the one that originally contained the object, specify TOUSER. For example:
imp FROMUSER=scott TOUSER=joe TABLES=emp
If multiple schemas are specified, then the schema names are paired. The following
example imports scott's objects into joe's schema, and fred's objects into ted's
schema:
imp FROMUSER=scott,fred TOUSER=joe,ted
If the FROMUSER list is longer than the TOUSER list, then the remaining schemas will be
imported into either the FROMUSER schema, or into the importer's schema, based on
normal defaulting rules. You can use the following syntax to ensure that any extra
objects go into the TOUSER schema:
imp FROMUSER=scott,adams TOUSER=ted,ted
Note that user ted is listed twice.
See Also:
"FROMUSER" for information about restrictions when using FROMUSER and
TOUSER
25.7.34 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE
Default: n
When specified as y, instructs Import to import transportable tablespace metadata

from an export file.
Encrypted columns are not supported in transportable tablespace mode.
Note:
25.7.35 TTS_OWNERS
Default: none
When TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE is specified as y, use this parameter to list the users who
own the data in the transportable tablespace set.
See "TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE".
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25.7.36 USERID (username/password)

Default: none
Specifies the username, password, and an optional connect string of the user
performing the import.
Your operating system may require you to treat AS SYSDBA as a special string, in which
case the entire string would be enclosed in quotation marks.
See Also:
• The user's guide for your Oracle Net protocol for information about
specifying a connect string for Oracle Net
25.7.37 VOLSIZE
Default: none
Specifies the maximum number of bytes in a dump file on each volume of tape.
The VOLSIZE parameter has a maximum value equal to the maximum value that can be
stored in 64 bits on your platform.
The VOLSIZE value can be specified as number followed by KB (number of kilobytes).
For example, VOLSIZE=2KB is the same as VOLSIZE=2048. Similarly, MB specifies
megabytes (1024 * 1024) and GB specifies gigabytes (1024**3). The shorthand for
bytes remains B; the number is not multiplied to get the final file size (VOLSIZE=2048B is
the same as VOLSIZE=2048).
25.8 Example Import Sessions

This section gives some examples of import sessions that show you how to use the
parameter file and command-line methods. The examples illustrate the following
scenarios:
• Example Import of Selected Tables for a Specific User
• Example Import of Tables Exported by Another User
• Example Import of Tables from One User to Another
• Example Import Session Using Partition-Level Import
• Example Import Using Pattern Matching to Import Various Tables
25.8.1 Example Import of Selected Tables for a Specific User

In this example, using a full database export file, an administrator imports the dept and
emp tables into the scott schema.
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> imp PARFILE=params.dat

FILE=dba.dmp
SHOW=n
IGNORE=n
GRANTS=y
FROMUSER=scott
TABLES=(dept,emp)
Command-Line Method
> imp FILE=dba.dmp FROMUSER=scott TABLES=(dept,emp)
Import Messages
Information is displayed about the release of Import you are using and the release of
Oracle Database that you are connected to. Status messages are also displayed.
25.8.2 Example Import of Tables Exported by Another User

This example illustrates importing the unit and manager tables from a file exported by
blake into the scott schema.


FILE=blake.dmp
SHOW=n
IGNORE=n
GRANTS=y
ROWS=y
FROMUSER=blake
TOUSER=scott
TABLES=(unit,manager)
Command-Line Method
> imp FROMUSER=blake TOUSER=scott FILE=blake.dmp TABLES=(unit,manager)
Import Messages
25.8.3 Example Import of Tables from One User to Another

In this example, a database administrator (DBA) imports all tables belonging to scott
into user blake's account.
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FILE=scott.dmp
FROMUSER=scott
TOUSER=blake
TABLES=(*)
Command-Line Method
> imp FILE=scott.dmp FROMUSER=scott TOUSER=blake TABLES=(*)
Import Messages
.
.
.
Warning: the objects were exported by SCOTT, not by you
import done in WE8DEC character set and AL16UTF16 NCHAR character set
. importing SCOTT's objects into BLAKE
. . importing table "BONUS" 0 rows imported
. . importing table "DEPT" 4 rows imported
. . importing table "EMP" 14 rows imported
. . importing table "SALGRADE" 5 rows imported
Import terminated successfully without warnings.
25.8.4 Example Import Session Using Partition-Level Import

This section describes an import of a table with multiple partitions, a table with
partitions and subpartitions, and repartitioning a table on different columns.
• Example 1: A Partition-Level Import
• Example 2: A Partition-Level Import of a Composite Partitioned Table
• Example 3: Repartitioning a Table on a Different Column
25.8.4.1 Example 1: A Partition-Level Import

In this example, emp is a partitioned table with three partitions: P1, P2, and P3.
A table-level export file was created using the following command:

> exp scott TABLES=emp FILE=exmpexp.dat ROWS=y
Export Messages
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.
.
.
. . exporting partition P1 7 rows exported
In a partition-level Import you can specify the specific partitions of an exported table
that you want to import. In this example, these are P1 and P3 of table emp:
> imp scott TABLES=(emp:p1,emp:p3) FILE=exmpexp.dat ROWS=y
Import Messages
25.8.4.2 Example 2: A Partition-Level Import of a Composite Partitioned Table

This example demonstrates that the partitions and subpartitions of a composite
partitioned table are imported. emp is a partitioned table with two composite partitions:
P1 and P2. Partition P1 has three subpartitions: P1_SP1, P1_SP2, and P1_SP3. Partition P2
has two subpartitions: P2_SP1 and P2_SP2.
A table-level export file was created using the following command:

> exp scott TABLES=emp FILE=exmpexp.dat ROWS=y
Export Messages
When the command executes, the following Export messages are displayed:
.
.
.
. . exporting composite partition P1
. . exporting subpartition P1_SP1 2 rows exported
. . exporting composite partition P2
The following Import command results in the importing of subpartition P1_SP2 and
P1_SP3 of composite partition P1 in table emp and all subpartitions of composite partition
P2 in table emp.
> imp scott TABLES=(emp:p1_sp2,emp:p1_sp3,emp:p2) FILE=exmpexp.dat ROWS=y
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Import Messages
.
.
.
. importing SCOTT's objects into SCOTT
. . importing subpartition "EMP":"P1_SP2" 10 rows imported
25.8.4.3 Example 3: Repartitioning a Table on a Different Column

This example assumes the emp table has two partitions based on the empno column.
This example repartitions the emp table on the deptno column.
Perform the following steps to repartition a table on a different column:

1. Export the table to save the data.
2. Drop the table from the database.
3. Create the table again with the new partitions.
4. Import the table data.
The following example illustrates these steps.
> exp scott table=emp file=empexp.dat
.
.
.

. . exporting partition EMP_LOW 4 rows exported
. . exporting partition EMP_HIGH 10 rows exported
SQL> connect scott

Connected.
SQL> drop table emp cascade constraints;
Statement processed.
SQL> create table emp
2 (
3 empno number(4) not null,
4 ename varchar2(10),
5 job varchar2(9),
6 mgr number(4),
7 hiredate date,
8 sal number(7,2),
9 comm number(7,2),
10 deptno number(2)
11 )
12 partition by range (deptno)
13 (
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Chapter 25
14 partition dept_low values less than (15)

15 tablespace tbs_1,
16 partition dept_mid values less than (25)
17 tablespace tbs_2,
18 partition dept_high values less than (35)
19 tablespace tbs_3
20 );
Statement processed.
SQL> exit
> imp scott tables=emp file=empexp.dat ignore=y

.
.
.
import done in WE8DEC character set and AL16UTF16 NCHAR character set
. . importing partition "EMP":"EMP_LOW" 4 rows imported
. . importing partition "EMP":"EMP_HIGH" 10 rows imported
The following SQL SELECT statements show that the data is partitioned on the deptno
column:
SQL> connect scott
Connected.
SQL> select empno, deptno from emp partition (dept_low);
EMPNO DEPTNO
---------- ----------
7782 10
7839 10
7934 10
3 rows selected.
SQL> select empno, deptno from emp partition (dept_mid);
EMPNO DEPTNO
---------- ----------
7369 20
7566 20
7788 20
7876 20
7902 20
5 rows selected.
SQL> select empno, deptno from emp partition (dept_high);
EMPNO DEPTNO
---------- ----------
7499 30
7521 30
7654 30
7698 30
7844 30
7900 30
6 rows selected.
SQL> exit;
25.8.5 Example Import Using Pattern Matching to Import Various

Tables
In this example, pattern matching is used to import various tables for user scott.
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imp PARFILE=params.dat

FILE=scott.dmp
IGNORE=n
GRANTS=y
ROWS=y
FROMUSER=scott
TABLES=(%d%,b%s)
Command-Line Method
imp FROMUSER=scott FILE=scott.dmp TABLES=(%d%,b%s)
Import Messages
.
.
.
import done in US7ASCII character set and AL16UTF16 NCHAR character set
import server uses JA16SJIS character set (possible charset conversion)
. . importing table "BONUS" 0 rows imported
. . importing table "DEPT" 4 rows imported
. . importing table "SALGRADE" 5 rows imported

Import provides the results of an operation immediately upon completion. Depending
on the platform, the outcome may be reported in a process exit code and the results
recorded in the log file. This enables you to check the outcome from the command line
or script. Table 25-4 shows the exit codes that get returned for various results.
Table 25-4 Exit Codes for Import
Result Exit Code

Import terminated successfully without EX_SUCC
warnings
Import terminated successfully with warnings EX_OKWARN
Import terminated unsuccessfully EX_FAIL
For UNIX, the exit codes are as follows:

EX_SUCC 0
EX_OKWARN 0
EX_FAIL 1
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Error Handling During an Import
25.10 Error Handling During an Import

This section describes errors that can occur when you import database objects.
• Row Errors
• Errors Importing Database Objects
25.10.1 Row Errors

If a row is rejected due to an integrity constraint violation or invalid data, then Import
displays a warning message but continues processing the rest of the table. Some
errors, such as "tablespace full," apply to all subsequent rows in the table. These
errors cause Import to stop processing the current table and skip to the next table.
A "tablespace full" error can suspend the import if the RESUMABLE=y parameter is
specified.
• Failed Integrity Constraints
• Invalid Data
25.10.1.1 Failed Integrity Constraints

A row error is generated if a row violates one of the integrity constraints in force on
your system, including:
• NOT NULL constraints
• Uniqueness constraints
• Primary key (not null and unique) constraints
• Referential integrity constraints
• Check constraints
See Also:
– Oracle Database Development Guide for information about using

integrity constraints in applications
– Oracle Database Concepts for more information about integrity
constraints
25.10.1.2 Invalid Data

Row errors can also occur when the column definition for a table in a database is
different from the column definition in the export file. The error is caused by data that is
too long to fit into a new table's columns, by invalid data types, or by any other INSERT
error.
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Error Handling During an Import
25.10.2 Errors Importing Database Objects

Errors can occur for many reasons when you import database objects, as described in
this section. When these errors occur, import of the current database object is
discontinued. Import then attempts to continue with the next database object in the
export file.
• Object Already Exists
• Sequences
• Resource Errors
• Domain Index Metadata
25.10.2.1 Object Already Exists

If a database object to be imported already exists in the database, then an object
creation error occurs. What happens next depends on the setting of the IGNORE
parameter.
If IGNORE=n (the default), then the error is reported, and Import continues with the next
database object. The current database object is not replaced. For tables, this behavior
means that rows contained in the export file are not imported.
If IGNORE=y, then object creation errors are not reported. The database object is not
replaced. If the object is a table, then rows are imported into it. Note that only object
creation errors are ignored; all other errors (such as operating system, database, and
SQL errors) are reported and processing may stop.
Note:
Specifying IGNORE=y can cause duplicate rows to be entered into a table unless
one or more columns of the table are specified with the UNIQUE integrity
constraint. This could occur, for example, if Import were run twice.
25.10.2.2 Sequences
If sequence numbers need to be reset to the value in an export file as part of an
import, then you should drop sequences. If a sequence is not dropped before the
import, then it is not set to the value captured in the export file, because Import does
not drop and re-create a sequence that already exists. If the sequence already exists,
then the export file's CREATE SEQUENCE statement fails and the sequence is not imported.
25.10.2.3 Resource Errors

Resource limitations can cause objects to be skipped. When you are importing tables,
for example, resource errors can occur because of internal problems or when a
resource such as memory has been exhausted.
If a resource error occurs while you are importing a row, then Import stops processing
the current table and skips to the next table. If you have specified COMMIT=y, then
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Import commits the partial import of the current table. If not, then a rollback of the
current table occurs before Import continues. See the description of "COMMIT".
25.10.2.4 Domain Index Metadata

Domain indexes can have associated application-specific metadata that is imported
using anonymous PL/SQL blocks. These PL/SQL blocks are executed at import time,
before the CREATE INDEX statement. If a PL/SQL block causes an error, then the
associated index is not created because the metadata is considered an integral part of
the index.
25.11 Table-Level and Partition-Level Import

You can import tables, partitions, and subpartitions in the following ways:
• Table-level Import: Imports all data from the specified tables in an export file.
• Partition-level Import: Imports only data from the specified source partitions or
subpartitions.
• Guidelines for Using Table-Level Import
• Guidelines for Using Partition-Level Import
• Migrating Data Across Partitions and Tables
25.11.1 Guidelines for Using Table-Level Import

For each specified table, table-level Import imports all rows of the table. With table-
level Import:
• All tables exported using any Export mode (except TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES) can be
imported.
• Users can import the entire (partitioned or nonpartitioned) table, partitions, or
subpartitions from a table-level export file into a (partitioned or nonpartitioned)
target table with the same name.
If the table does not exist, and if the exported table was partitioned, then table-level
Import creates a partitioned table. If the table creation is successful, then table-level
Import reads all source data from the export file into the target table. After Import, the
target table contains the partition definitions of all partitions and subpartitions
associated with the source table in the export file. This operation ensures that the
physical and logical attributes (including partition bounds) of the source partitions are
maintained on import.
25.11.2 Guidelines for Using Partition-Level Import

Partition-level Import can only be specified in table mode. It lets you selectively load
data from specified partitions or subpartitions in an export file. Keep the following
guidelines in mind when using partition-level Import.
• Import always stores the rows according to the partitioning scheme of the target
table.
• Partition-level Import inserts only the row data from the specified source partitions
or subpartitions.
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Table-Level and Partition-Level Import
• If the target table is partitioned, then partition-level Import rejects any rows that fall
above the highest partition of the target table.
• Partition-level Import cannot import a nonpartitioned exported table. However, a
partitioned table can be imported from a nonpartitioned exported table using table-
level Import.
• Partition-level Import is legal only if the source table (that is, the table called
tablename at export time) was partitioned and exists in the export file.
• If the partition or subpartition name is not a valid partition in the export file, then
Import generates a warning.
• The partition or subpartition name in the parameter refers to only the partition or
subpartition in the export file, which may not contain all of the data of the table on
the export source system.
• If ROWS=y (default), and the table does not exist in the import target system, then the
table is created and all rows from the source partition or subpartition are inserted
into the partition or subpartition of the target table.
• If ROWS=y (default) and IGNORE=y, but the table already existed before import, then all
rows for the specified partition or subpartition in the table are inserted into the
table. The rows are stored according to the existing partitioning scheme of the
target table.
• If ROWS=n, then Import does not insert data into the target table and continues to
process other objects associated with the specified table and partition or
subpartition in the file.
• If the target table is nonpartitioned, then the partitions and subpartitions are
imported into the entire table. Import requires IGNORE=y to import one or more
partitions or subpartitions from the export file into a nonpartitioned table on the
import target system.
25.11.3 Migrating Data Across Partitions and Tables

If you specify a partition name for a composite partition, then all subpartitions within
the composite partition are used as the source.
In the following example, the partition specified by the partition name is a composite
partition. All of its subpartitions will be imported:
imp SYSTEM FILE=expdat.dmp FROMUSER=scott TABLES=b:py
The following example causes row data of partitions qc and qd of table scott.e to be
imported into the table scott.e:
imp scott FILE=expdat.dmp TABLES=(e:qc, e:qd) IGNORE=y
If table e does not exist in the import target database, then it is created and data is
inserted into the same partitions. If table e existed on the target system before import,
then the row data is inserted into the partitions whose range allows insertion. The row
data can end up in partitions of names other than qc and qd.
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Controlling Index Creation and Maintenance
Note:
With partition-level Import to an existing table, you must set up the target
partitions or subpartitions properly and use IGNORE=y.
25.12 Controlling Index Creation and Maintenance

This section describes the behavior of Import with respect to index creation and
maintenance.
• Delaying Index Creation
• Index Creation and Maintenance Controls
25.12.1 Delaying Index Creation

Import provides you with the capability of delaying index creation and maintenance
services until after completion of the import and insertion of exported data. Performing
index creation, re-creation, or maintenance after Import completes is generally faster
than updating the indexes for each row inserted by Import.
Index creation can be time consuming, and therefore can be done more efficiently
after the import of all other objects has completed. You can postpone creation of
indexes until after the import completes by specifying INDEXES=n. (INDEXES=y is the
default.) You can then store the missing index definitions in a SQL script by running
Import while using the INDEXFILE parameter. The index-creation statements that would
otherwise be issued by Import are instead stored in the specified file.
After the import is complete, you must create the indexes, typically by using the
contents of the file (specified with INDEXFILE) as a SQL script after specifying
passwords for the connect statements.
25.12.2 Index Creation and Maintenance Controls

If SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=y, then the Import utility postpones maintenance on all
indexes that were set to Index Unusable before the Import. Other indexes (not
previously set to Index Unusable) continue to be updated as rows are inserted. This
approach saves on index updates during the import of existing tables.
Delayed index maintenance may cause a violation of an existing unique integrity
constraint supported by the index. The existence of a unique integrity constraint on a
table does not prevent existence of duplicate keys in a table that was imported with
INDEXES=n. The supporting index will be in an UNUSABLE state until the duplicates are
removed and the index is rebuilt.
• Example of Postponing Index Maintenance
25.12.2.1 Example of Postponing Index Maintenance

For example, assume that partitioned table t with partitions p1 and p2 exists on the
import target system. Assume that local indexes p1_ind on partition p1 and p2_ind on
partition p2 exist also. Assume that partition p1 contains a much larger amount of data
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Network Considerations
in the existing table t, compared with the amount of data to be inserted by the export
file (expdat.dmp). Assume that the reverse is true for p2.
Consequently, performing index updates for p1_ind during table data insertion time is
more efficient than at partition index rebuild time. The opposite is true for p2_ind.
Users can postpone local index maintenance for p2_ind during import by using the
following steps:
1. Issue the following SQL statement before import:
ALTER TABLE t MODIFY PARTITION p2 UNUSABLE LOCAL INDEXES;
2. Issue the following Import command:
imp scott FILE=expdat.dmp TABLES = (t:p1, t:p2) IGNORE=y
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=y
This example executes the ALTER SESSION SET SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=y statement

before performing the import.
3. Issue the following SQL statement after import:
ALTER TABLE t MODIFY PARTITION p2 REBUILD UNUSABLE LOCAL INDEXES;
In this example, local index p1_ind on p1 will be updated when table data is inserted
into partition p1 during import. Local index p2_ind on p2 will be updated at index rebuild
time, after import.
25.13 Network Considerations

With Oracle Net, you can perform imports over a network. For example, if you run
Import locally, then you can read data into a remote Oracle database.
To use Import with Oracle Net, include the connection qualifier string @connect_string
when entering the username and password in the imp command. For the exact syntax
of this clause, see the user's guide for your Oracle Net protocol.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Net Services Administrator's Guide

Considerations
The following sections describe the globalization support behavior of Import with
respect to character set conversion of user data and data definition language (DDL).
• User Data
• Single-Byte Character Sets
• Multibyte Character Sets
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Chapter 25
25.14.1 User Data

The Export utility always exports user data, including Unicode data, in the character
sets of the Export server. (Character sets are specified at database creation.) If the
character sets of the source database are different than the character sets of the
import database, then a single conversion is performed to automatically convert the
data to the character sets of the Import server.
• Effect of Character Set Sorting Order on Conversions
25.14.1.1 Effect of Character Set Sorting Order on Conversions

If the export character set has a different sorting order than the import character set,
then tables that are partitioned on character columns may yield unpredictable results.
For example, consider the following table definition, which is produced on a database
having an ASCII character set:
CREATE TABLE partlist
(
part VARCHAR2(10),
partno NUMBER(2)
)
PARTITION BY RANGE (part)
(
PARTITION part_low VALUES LESS THAN ('Z')
TABLESPACE tbs_1,
PARTITION part_mid VALUES LESS THAN ('z')
TABLESPACE tbs_2,
PARTITION part_high VALUES LESS THAN (MAXVALUE)
TABLESPACE tbs_3
);
This partitioning scheme makes sense because z comes after Z in ASCII character
sets.
When this table is imported into a database based upon an EBCDIC character set, all
of the rows in the part_mid partition will migrate to the part_low partition because z
comes before Z in EBCDIC character sets. To obtain the desired results, the owner of
partlist must repartition the table following the import.
See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for more information about
character sets

Up to three character set conversions may be required for data definition language
(DDL) during an export/import operation:
1. Export writes export files using the character set specified in the NLS_LANG
environment variable for the user session. A character set conversion is performed
if the value of NLS_LANG differs from the database character set.
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Using Instance Affinity
2. If the export file's character set is different than the import user session character
set, then Import converts the character set to its user session character set. Import
can only perform this conversion for single-byte character sets. This means that
for multibyte character sets, the import file's character set must be identical to the
export file's character set.
3. A final character set conversion may be performed if the target database's
character set is different from the character set used by the import user session.
To minimize data loss due to character set conversions, ensure that the export
database, the export user session, the import user session, and the import database
all use the same character set.
25.14.3 Single-Byte Character Sets

Some 8-bit characters can be lost (that is, converted to 7-bit equivalents) when you
import an 8-bit character set export file. This occurs if the system on which the import
occurs has a native 7-bit character set, or the NLS_LANG operating system environment
variable is set to a 7-bit character set. Most often, this is apparent when accented
characters lose the accent mark.
To avoid this unwanted conversion, you can set the NLS_LANG operating system
environment variable to be that of the export file character set.
25.14.4 Multibyte Character Sets

equivalent in the target character set are replaced with a default character. (The
default character is defined by the target character set.) To guarantee 100%
conversion, the target character set must be a superset (or equivalent) of the source
character set.
Note:
When the character set width differs between the Export server and the Import
server, truncation of data can occur if conversion causes expansion of data. If
truncation occurs, then Import displays a warning message.
25.15 Using Instance Affinity

You can use instance affinity to associate jobs with instances in databases you plan to
export and import. Be aware that there may be some compatibility issues if you are
using a combination of releases.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about affinity
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Chapter 25
Considerations When Importing Database Objects
25.16 Considerations When Importing Database Objects

The following sections describe restrictions and points you should consider when you
import particular database objects.
• Importing Object Identifiers
• Importing Existing Object Tables and Tables That Contain Object Types
• Importing Nested Tables
• Importing REF Data
• Importing BFILE Columns and Directory Aliases
• Importing Foreign Function Libraries
• Importing Stored Procedures, Functions, and Packages
• Importing Java Objects
• Importing External Tables
• Importing Advanced Queue (AQ) Tables
• Importing LONG Columns
• Importing LOB Columns When Triggers Are Present
• Importing Views
• Importing Partitioned Tables
25.16.1 Importing Object Identifiers

The Oracle database assigns object identifiers to uniquely identify object types, object
tables, and rows in object tables. These object identifiers are preserved by Import.
When you import a table that references a type, but a type of that name already exists
in the database, Import attempts to verify that the preexisting type is, in fact, the type
used by the table (rather than a different type that just happens to have the same
name).
To do this, Import compares the types's unique identifier (TOID) with the identifier
stored in the export file. If those match, then Import then compares the type's unique
hashcode with that stored in the export file. Import will not import table rows if the
TOIDs or hashcodes do not match.
In some situations, you may not want this validation to occur on specified types (for
example, if the types were created by a cartridge installation). You can use the
parameter TOID_NOVALIDATE to specify types to exclude from the TOID and hashcode
comparison. See "TOID_NOVALIDATE" for more information.
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Note:
Be very careful about using TOID_NOVALIDATE, because type validation provides
an important capability that helps avoid data corruption. Be sure you are
confident of your knowledge of type validation and how it works before
attempting to perform an import operation with this feature disabled.
Import uses the following criteria to decide how to handle object types, object tables,
and rows in object tables:
• For object types, if IGNORE=y, the object type already exists, and the object
identifiers, hashcodes, and type descriptors match, then no error is reported. If the
object identifiers or hashcodes do not match and the parameter TOID_NOVALIDATE
has not been set to ignore the object type, then an error is reported and any tables
using the object type are not imported.
• For object types, if IGNORE=n and the object type already exists, then an error is
reported. If the object identifiers, hashcodes, or type descriptors do not match and
the parameter TOID_NOVALIDATE has not been set to ignore the object type, then any
tables using the object type are not imported.
• For object tables, if IGNORE=y, then the table already exists, and the object
identifiers, hashcodes, and type descriptors match, no error is reported. Rows are
imported into the object table. Import of rows may fail if rows with the same object
identifier already exist in the object table. If the object identifiers, hashcodes, or
type descriptors do not match, and the parameter TOID_NOVALIDATE has not been
set to ignore the object type, then an error is reported and the table is not
imported.
• For object tables, if IGNORE=n and the table already exists, then an error is reported
and the table is not imported.
Because Import preserves object identifiers of object types and object tables, consider
the following when you import objects from one schema into another schema using the
FROMUSER and TOUSER parameters:
• If the FROMUSER object types and object tables already exist on the target system,
then errors occur because the object identifiers of the TOUSER object types and
object tables are already in use. The FROMUSER object types and object tables must
be dropped from the system before the import is started.
• If an object table was created using the OID AS option to assign it the same object
identifier as another table, then both tables cannot be imported. You can import
one of the tables, but the second table receives an error because the object
identifier is already in use.
25.16.2 Importing Existing Object Tables and Tables That Contain

Object Types
Users frequently create tables before importing data to reorganize tablespace usage
or to change a table's storage parameters. The tables must be created with the same
definitions as were previously used or a compatible format (except for storage
parameters). For object tables and tables that contain columns of object types, format
compatibilities are more restrictive.
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Chapter 25
For object tables and for tables containing columns of objects, each object the table
references has its name, structure, and version information written out to the export
file. Export also includes object type information from different schemas, as needed.
Import verifies the existence of each object type required by a table before importing
the table data. This verification consists of a check of the object type's name followed
by a comparison of the object type's structure and version from the import system with
that found in the export file.
If an object type name is found on the import system, but the structure or version do
not match that from the export file, then an error message is generated and the table
data is not imported.
The Import parameter TOID_NOVALIDATE can be used to disable the verification of the
object type's structure and version for specific objects.
25.16.3 Importing Nested Tables

Inner nested tables are exported separately from the outer table. Therefore, situations
may arise where data in an inner nested table might not be properly imported:
• Suppose a table with an inner nested table is exported and then imported without
dropping the table or removing rows from the table. If the IGNORE=y parameter is
used, then there will be a constraint violation when inserting each row in the outer
table. However, data in the inner nested table may be successfully imported,
resulting in duplicate rows in the inner table.
• If nonrecoverable errors occur inserting data in outer tables, then the rest of the
data in the outer table is skipped, but the corresponding inner table rows are not
skipped. This may result in inner table rows not being referenced by any row in the
outer table.
• If an insert to an inner table fails after a recoverable error, then its outer table row
will already have been inserted in the outer table and data will continue to be
inserted into it and any other inner tables of the containing table. This
circumstance results in a partial logical row.
• If nonrecoverable errors occur inserting data in an inner table, then Import skips
the rest of that inner table's data but does not skip the outer table or other nested
tables.
You should always carefully examine the log file for errors in outer tables and inner
tables. To be consistent, table data may need to be modified or deleted.
Because inner nested tables are imported separately from the outer table, attempts to
access data from them while importing may produce unexpected results. For example,
if an outer row is accessed before its inner rows are imported, an incomplete row may
be returned to the user.
25.16.4 Importing REF Data

REF columns and attributes may contain a hidden ROWID that points to the referenced
type instance. Import does not automatically recompute these ROWIDs for the target
database. You should execute the following statement to reset the ROWIDs to their
proper values:
ANALYZE TABLE [schema.]table VALIDATE REF UPDATE;
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Chapter 25
See Also:
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for more information about the
ANALYZE statement
25.16.5 Importing BFILE Columns and Directory Aliases

Export and Import do not copy data referenced by BFILE columns and attributes from
the source database to the target database. Export and Import only propagate the
names of the files and the directory aliases referenced by the BFILE columns. It is the
responsibility of the DBA or user to move the actual files referenced through BFILE
columns and attributes.
When you import table data that contains BFILE columns, the BFILE locator is imported
with the directory alias and file name that was present at export time. Import does not
verify that the directory alias or file exists. If the directory alias or file does not exist,
then an error occurs when the user accesses the BFILE data.
For directory aliases, if the operating system directory syntax used in the export
system is not valid on the import system, then no error is reported at import time. The
error occurs when the user seeks subsequent access to the file data. It is the
responsibility of the DBA or user to ensure the directory alias is valid on the import
system.
25.16.6 Importing Foreign Function Libraries

Import does not verify that the location referenced by the foreign function library is
correct. If the formats for directory and file names used in the library's specification on
the export file are invalid on the import system, then no error is reported at import time.
Subsequent usage of the callout functions will receive an error.
It is the responsibility of the DBA or user to manually move the library and ensure the
library's specification is valid on the import system.
25.16.7 Importing Stored Procedures, Functions, and Packages

The behavior of Import when a local stored procedure, function, or package is
imported depends upon whether the COMPILE parameter is set to y or to n.
When a local stored procedure, function, or package is imported and COMPILE=y, the
procedure, function, or package is recompiled upon import and retains its original
timestamp specification. If the compilation is successful, then it can be accessed by
remote procedures without error.
If COMPILE=n, then the procedure, function, or package is still imported, but the original
timestamp is lost. The compilation takes place the next time the procedure, function, or
package is used.
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See Also:
"COMPILE"
25.16.8 Importing Java Objects

When you import Java objects into any schema, the Import utility leaves the resolver
unchanged. (The resolver is the list of schemas used to resolve Java full names.) This
means that after an import, all user classes are left in an invalid state until they are
either implicitly or explicitly revalidated. An implicit revalidation occurs the first time the
classes are referenced. An explicit revalidation occurs when the SQL statement ALTER
JAVA CLASS...RESOLVE is used. Both methods result in the user classes being resolved
successfully and becoming valid.
25.16.9 Importing External Tables

Import does not verify that the location referenced by the external table is correct. If
the formats for directory and file names used in the table's specification on the export
file are invalid on the import system, then no error is reported at import time.
Subsequent usage of the callout functions will result in an error.
It is the responsibility of the DBA or user to manually move the table and ensure the
table's specification is valid on the import system.
25.16.10 Importing Advanced Queue (AQ) Tables

Importing a queue table also imports any underlying queues and the related dictionary
information. A queue can be imported only at the granularity level of the queue table.
When a queue table is imported, export pre-table and post-table action procedures
maintain the queue dictionary.
See Also:
Oracle Database Advanced Queuing User's Guide
25.16.11 Importing LONG Columns

LONG columns can be up to 2 gigabytes in length. In importing and exporting, the LONG
columns must fit into memory with the rest of each row's data. The memory used to
store LONG columns, however, does not need to be contiguous, because LONG data is
loaded in sections.
Import can be used to convert LONG columns to CLOB columns. To do this, first create a
table specifying the new CLOB column. When Import is run, the LONG data is converted to
CLOB format. The same technique can be used to convert LONG RAW columns to BLOB
columns.
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Chapter 25
Note:
Oracle recommends that you convert existing LONG columns to LOB columns.
LOB columns are subject to far fewer restrictions than LONG columns. Further,
LOB functionality is enhanced in every release, whereas LONG functionality has
been static for several releases.
25.16.12 Importing LOB Columns When Triggers Are Present

As of Oracle Database 10g, LOB handling has been improved to ensure that triggers
work properly and that performance remains high when LOBs are being loaded. To
achieve these improvements, the Import utility automatically changes all LOBs that
were empty at export time to be NULL after they are imported.
If you have applications that expect the LOBs to be empty rather than NULL, then after
the import you can issue a SQL UPDATE statement for each LOB column. Depending on
whether the LOB column type was a BLOB or a CLOB, the syntax would be one of the
following:
UPDATE <tablename> SET <lob column> = EMPTY_BLOB() WHERE <lob column> = IS NULL;
UPDATE <tablename> SET <lob column> = EMPTY_CLOB() WHERE <lob column> = IS NULL;
It is important to note that once the import is performed, there is no way to distinguish
between LOB columns that are NULL versus those that are empty. Therefore, if that
information is important to the integrity of your data, then be sure you know which LOB
columns are NULL and which are empty before you perform the import.
25.16.13 Importing Views

Views are exported in dependency order. In some cases, Export must determine the
ordering, rather than obtaining the order from the database. In doing so, Export may
not always be able to duplicate the correct ordering, resulting in compilation warnings
when a view is imported, and the failure to import column comments on such views.
In particular, if viewa uses the stored procedure procb, and procb uses the view viewc,
then Export cannot determine the proper ordering of viewa and viewc. If viewa is
exported before viewc, and procb already exists on the import system, then viewa
receives compilation warnings at import time.
Grants on views are imported even if a view has compilation errors. A view could have
compilation errors if an object it depends on, such as a table, procedure, or another
view, does not exist when the view is created. If a base table does not exist, then the
server cannot validate that the grantor has the proper privileges on the base table with
the GRANT option. Access violations could occur when the view is used if the grantor
does not have the proper privileges after the missing tables are created.
Importing views that contain references to tables in other schemas requires that the
importer have the READ ANY TABLE or SELECT ANY TABLE privilege. If the importer has not
been granted this privilege, then the views will be imported in an uncompiled state.
Note that granting the privilege to a role is insufficient. For the view to be compiled, the
privilege must be granted directly to the importer.
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Support for Fine-Grained Access Control
25.16.14 Importing Partitioned Tables

Import attempts to create a partitioned table with the same partition or subpartition
names as the exported partitioned table, including names of the form SYS_Pnnn. If a
table with the same name already exists, then Import processing depends on the value
of the IGNORE parameter.
Unless SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES=y,inserting the exported data into the target table fails if
Import cannot update a nonpartitioned index or index partition that is marked Indexes
Unusable or is otherwise not suitable.
25.17 Support for Fine-Grained Access Control

To restore the fine-grained access control policies, the user who imports from an
export file containing such tables must have the EXECUTE privilege on the DBMS_RLS
package, so that the security policies on the tables can be reinstated.
If a user without the correct privileges attempts to import from an export file that
contains tables with fine-grained access control policies, then a warning message is
issued.
25.18 Snapshots and Snapshot Logs
Note:
In certain situations, particularly those involving data warehousing, snapshots
may be referred to as materialized views. This section retains the term
snapshot.
• Snapshot Log
• Snapshots
25.18.1 Snapshot Log

The snapshot log in a dump file is imported if the master table already exists for the
database to which you are importing and it has a snapshot log.
When a ROWID snapshot log is exported, ROWIDs stored in the snapshot log have no
meaning upon import. As a result, each ROWID snapshot's first attempt to do a fast
refresh fails, generating an error indicating that a complete refresh is required.
To avoid the refresh error, do a complete refresh after importing a ROWID snapshot log.
After you have done a complete refresh, subsequent fast refreshes will work properly.
In contrast, when a primary key snapshot log is exported, the values of the primary
keys do retain their meaning upon import. Therefore, primary key snapshots can do a
fast refresh after the import.
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Transportable Tablespaces
25.18.2 Snapshots
A snapshot that has been restored from an export file has reverted to a previous state.
On import, the time of the last refresh is imported as part of the snapshot table
definition. The function that calculates the next refresh time is also imported.
Each refresh leaves a signature. A fast refresh uses the log entries that date from the
time of that signature to bring the snapshot up to date. When the fast refresh is
complete, the signature is deleted and a new signature is created. Any log entries that
are not needed to refresh other snapshots are also deleted (all log entries with times
before the earliest remaining signature).
• Importing a Snapshot
• Importing a Snapshot into a Different Schema
25.18.2.1 Importing a Snapshot

When you restore a snapshot from an export file, you may encounter a problem under
certain circumstances.
Assume that a snapshot is refreshed at time A, exported at time B, and refreshed
again at time C. Then, because of corruption or other problems, the snapshot needs to
be restored by dropping the snapshot and importing it again. The newly imported
version has the last refresh time recorded as time A. However, log entries needed for
a fast refresh may no longer exist. If the log entries do exist (because they are needed
for another snapshot that has yet to be refreshed), then they are used, and the fast
refresh completes successfully. Otherwise, the fast refresh fails, generating an error
that says a complete refresh is required.
25.18.2.2 Importing a Snapshot into a Different Schema

Snapshots and related items are exported with the schema name given in the DDL
statements. To import them into a different schema, use the FROMUSER and TOUSER
parameters. This does not apply to snapshot logs, which cannot be imported into a
different schema.
Note:
Schema names that appear inside function-based indexes, functions,
procedures, triggers, type bodies, views, and so on, are not affected by
FROMUSER or TOUSER processing. Only the name of the object is affected. After the
import has completed, items in any TOUSER schema should be manually checked
for references to old (FROMUSER) schemas, and corrected if necessary.
25.19 Transportable Tablespaces

The transportable tablespace feature enables you to move a set of tablespaces from
one Oracle database to another.
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Storage Parameters
Note:
To move or copy a set of tablespaces, you must make the tablespaces read-only,
manually copy the data files of these tablespaces to the target database, and use
Export and Import to move the database information (metadata) stored in the data
dictionary over to the target database. The transport of the data files can be done
using any facility for copying flat binary files, such as the operating system copying
facility, binary-mode FTP, or publishing on CD-ROMs.
After copying the data files and exporting the metadata, you can optionally put the
tablespaces in read/write mode.
Export and Import provide the following parameters to enable movement of
transportable tablespace metadata.
• TABLESPACES
See "TABLESPACES" and "TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE" for information about using

these parameters during an import operation.
See Also:
• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for details about managing

25.20 Storage Parameters

By default, a table is imported into its original tablespace.
If the tablespace no longer exists, or the user does not have sufficient quota in the
tablespace, then the system uses the default tablespace for that user, unless the table:
• Is partitioned
• Is a type table
• Contains LOB, VARRAY, or OPAQUE type columns
• Has an index-organized table (IOT) overflow segment
If the user does not have sufficient quota in the default tablespace, then the user's
tables are not imported. See "Reorganizing Tablespaces" to see how you can use this
to your advantage.
• The OPTIMAL Parameter
• Storage Parameters for OID Indexes and LOB Columns
• Overriding Storage Parameters
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Read-Only Tablespaces
25.20.1 The OPTIMAL Parameter

The storage parameter OPTIMAL for rollback segments is not preserved during export
and import.
25.20.2 Storage Parameters for OID Indexes and LOB Columns

Tables are exported with their current storage parameters. For object tables, the
OIDINDEX is created with its current storage parameters and name, if given. For
tables that contain LOB, VARRAY, or OPAQUE type columns, LOB, VARRAY, or OPAQUE type
data is created with their current storage parameters.
If you alter the storage parameters of existing tables before exporting, then the tables
are exported using those altered storage parameters. Note, however, that storage
parameters for LOB data cannot be altered before exporting (for example, chunk size
for a LOB column, whether a LOB column is CACHE or NOCACHE, and so forth).
Note that LOB data might not reside in the same tablespace as the containing table.
The tablespace for that data must be read/write at the time of import or the table will
not be imported.
If LOB data resides in a tablespace that does not exist at the time of import, or the
user does not have the necessary quota in that tablespace, then the table will not be
imported. Because there can be multiple tablespace clauses, including one for the
table, Import cannot determine which tablespace clause caused the error.
25.20.3 Overriding Storage Parameters

Before using the Import utility to import data, you may want to create large tables with
different storage parameters. If so, then you must specify IGNORE=y on the command
line or in the parameter file.
25.21 Read-Only Tablespaces

Read-only tablespaces can be exported. On import, if the tablespace does not already
exist in the target database, then the tablespace is created as a read/write tablespace.
To get read-only functionality, you must manually make the tablespace read-only after
the import.
If the tablespace already exists in the target database and is read-only, then you must
make it read/write before the import.
25.22 Dropping a Tablespace

You can drop a tablespace by redefining the objects to use different tablespaces
before the import. You can then issue the imp command and specify IGNORE=y.
In many cases, you can drop a tablespace by doing a full database export, then
creating a zero-block tablespace with the same name (before logging off) as the
tablespace you want to drop. During import, with IGNORE=y, the relevant CREATE
TABLESPACE statement will fail and prevent the creation of the unwanted tablespace.
25-53
Chapter 25
Reorganizing Tablespaces
All objects from that tablespace will be imported into their owner's default tablespace
except for partitioned tables, type tables, and tables that contain LOB or VARRAY
columns or index-only tables with overflow segments. Import cannot determine which
tablespace caused the error. Instead, you must first create a table and then import the
table again, specifying IGNORE=y.
Objects are not imported into the default tablespace if the tablespace does not exist, or
you do not have the necessary quotas for your default tablespace.
25.23 Reorganizing Tablespaces

If a user's quota allows it, the user's tables are imported into the same tablespace from
which they were exported. However, if the tablespace no longer exists or the user
does not have the necessary quota, then the system uses the default tablespace for
that user as long as the table is unpartitioned, contains no LOB or VARRAY columns, is
not a type table, and is not an index-only table with an overflow segment. This
scenario can be used to move a user's tables from one tablespace to another.
For example, you need to move joe's tables from tablespace A to tablespace B after a
full database export. Follow these steps:
1. If joe has the UNLIMITED TABLESPACE privilege, then revoke it. Set joe's quota on
tablespace A to zero. Also revoke all roles that might have such privileges or
quotas.
When you revoke a role, it does not have a cascade effect. Therefore, users who
were granted other roles by joe will be unaffected.
2. Export joe's tables.
3. Drop joe's tables from tablespace A.
4. Give joe a quota on tablespace B and make it the default tablespace for joe.
5. Import joe's tables. (By default, Import puts joe's tables into tablespace B.)
25.24 Importing Statistics

If statistics are requested at export time and analyzer statistics are available for a
table, then Export will include the ANALYZE statement used to recalculate the statistics
for the table into the dump file. In most circumstances, Export will also write the
precalculated optimizer statistics for tables, indexes, and columns to the dump file.
See the description of the Import parameter "STATISTICS".
Because of the time it takes to perform an ANALYZE statement, it is usually preferable for
Import to use the precalculated optimizer statistics for a table (and its indexes and
columns) rather than execute the ANALYZE statement saved by Export. By default,
Import will always use the precalculated statistics that are found in the export dump
file.
The Export utility flags certain precalculated statistics as questionable. The importer
might want to import only unquestionable statistics, not precalculated statistics, in the
following situations:
• Character set translations between the dump file and the import client and the
import database could potentially change collating sequences that are implicit in
the precalculated statistics.
25-54
Chapter 25
Using Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration
• Row errors occurred while importing the table.

• A partition level import is performed (column statistics will no longer be accurate).
Note:
Specifying ROWS=n will not prevent the use of precalculated statistics. This
feature allows plan generation for queries to be tuned in a nonproduction
database using statistics from a production database. In these cases, the
import should specify STATISTICS=SAFE.
In certain situations, the importer might want to always use ANALYZE statements rather
than precalculated statistics. For example, the statistics gathered from a fragmented
database may not be relevant when the data is imported in a compressed form. In
these cases, the importer should specify STATISTICS=RECALCULATE to force the
recalculation of statistics.
If you do not want any statistics to be established by Import, then you should specify
STATISTICS=NONE.
25.25 Using Export and Import to Partition a Database

Migration
When you use the Export and Import utilities to migrate a large database, it may be
more efficient to partition the migration into multiple export and import jobs. If you
decide to partition the migration, then be aware of the following advantages and
disadvantages.
• Advantages of Partitioning a Migration
• Disadvantages of Partitioning a Migration
• How to Use Export and Import to Partition a Database Migration
25.25.1 Advantages of Partitioning a Migration

Partitioning a migration has the following advantages:
• Time required for the migration may be reduced, because many of the subjobs can
be run in parallel.
• The import can start as soon as the first export subjob completes, rather than
waiting for the entire export to complete.
25.25.2 Disadvantages of Partitioning a Migration

Partitioning a migration has the following disadvantages:
• The export and import processes become more complex.
• Support of cross-schema references for certain types of objects may be
compromised. For example, if a schema contains a table with a foreign key
constraint against a table in a different schema, then you may not have the
required parent records when you import the table into the dependent schema.
25-55
Chapter 25
Tuning Considerations for Import Operations
25.25.3 How to Use Export and Import to Partition a Database

Migration
To perform a database migration in a partitioned manner, take the following steps:
1. For all top-level metadata in the database, issue the following commands:
a. exp FILE=full FULL=y CONSTRAINTS=n TRIGGERS=n ROWS=n INDEXES=n
b. imp FILE=full FULL=y
2. For each scheman in the database, issue the following commands:

a. exp OWNER=scheman FILE=scheman
b. imp FILE=scheman FROMUSER=scheman TOUSER=scheman IGNORE=y
All exports can be done in parallel. When the import of full.dmp completes, all
remaining imports can also be done in parallel.
25.26 Tuning Considerations for Import Operations

This section discusses some ways to possibly improve the performance of an import
operation. The information is categorized as follows:
• Changing System-Level Options
• Changing Initialization Parameters
• Changing Import Options
• Dealing with Large Amounts of LOB Data
• Dealing with Large Amounts of LONG Data
25.26.1 Changing System-Level Options

The following suggestions about system-level options may help improve performance
of an import operation:
• Create and use one large rollback segment and take all other rollback segments
offline. Generally a rollback segment that is one half the size of the largest table
being imported should be big enough. It can also help if the rollback segment is
created with the minimum number of two extents, of equal size.
Note:
Oracle recommends that you use automatic undo management instead of
rollback segments.
• Put the database in NOARCHIVELOG mode until the import is complete. This will
reduce the overhead of creating and managing archive logs.
• Create several large redo files and take any small redo log files offline. This will
result in fewer log switches being made.
25-56
Chapter 25
Tuning Considerations for Import Operations
• If possible, have the rollback segment, table data, and redo log files all on
separate disks. This will reduce I/O contention and increase throughput.
• If possible, do not run any other jobs at the same time that may compete with the
import operation for system resources.
• Ensure that there are no statistics on dictionary tables.
• Set TRACE_LEVEL_CLIENT=OFF in the sqlnet.ora file.
• If possible, increase the value of DB_BLOCK_SIZE when you re-create the database.
The larger the block size, the smaller the number of I/O cycles needed. This
change is permanent, so be sure to carefully consider all effects it will have before
making it.
25.26.2 Changing Initialization Parameters

The following suggestions about settings in your initialization parameter file may help
improve performance of an import operation.
• Set LOG_CHECKPOINT_INTERVAL to a number that is larger than the size of the redo log
files. This number is in operating system blocks (512 on most UNIX systems). This
reduces checkpoints to a minimum (at log switching time).
• Increase the value of SORT_AREA_SIZE. The amount you increase it depends on
other activity taking place on the system and on the amount of free memory
available. (If the system begins swapping and paging, then the value is probably
set too high.)
• Increase the value for DB_BLOCK_BUFFERS and SHARED_POOL_SIZE.
25.26.3 Changing Import Options

The following suggestions about usage of import options may help improve
performance. Be sure to also read the individual descriptions of all the available
options in "Import Parameters".
• Set COMMIT=N. This causes Import to commit after each object (table), not after
each buffer. This is why one large rollback segment is needed. (Because rollback
segments will be deprecated in future releases, Oracle recommends that you use
automatic undo management instead.)
• Specify a large value for BUFFER or RECORDLENGTH, depending on system activity,
database size, and so on. A larger size reduces the number of times that the
export file has to be accessed for data. Several megabytes is usually enough. Be
sure to check your system for excessive paging and swapping activity, which can
indicate that the buffer size is too large.
• Consider setting INDEXES=N because indexes can be created at some point after
the import, when time is not a factor. If you choose to do this, then you need to use
the INDEXFILE parameter to extract the DLL for the index creation or to rerun the
import with INDEXES=Y and ROWS=N.
25.26.4 Dealing with Large Amounts of LOB Data

Keep the following in mind when you are importing large amounts of LOB data:
25-57
Chapter 25
Eliminating indexes significantly reduces total import time. This is because LOB data
requires special consideration during an import because the LOB locator has a primary
key that cannot be explicitly dropped or ignored during an import.
Ensure that there is enough space available in large contiguous chunks to complete
the data load.
25.26.5 Dealing with Large Amounts of LONG Data

Keep in mind that importing a table with a LONG column may cause a higher rate of I/O
and disk usage, resulting in reduced performance of the import operation. There are
no specific parameters that will improve performance during an import of large
amounts of LONG data, although some of the more general tuning suggestions made
in this section may help overall performance.
See Also:
"Importing LONG Columns"
25.27 Using Different Releases of Export and Import

This section describes compatibility issues that relate to using different releases of
Export and the Oracle database.
Whenever you are moving data between different releases of the Oracle database, the
following basic rules apply:
• The Import utility and the database to which data is being imported (the target
database) must be the same version. For example, if you try to use the Import
utility 9.2.0.7 to import into a 9.2.0.8 database, then you may encounter errors.
• The version of the Export utility must be equal to the version of either the source or
target database, whichever is earlier.
For example, to create an export file for an import into a later release database,
use a version of the Export utility that equals the source database. Conversely, to
create an export file for an import into an earlier release database, use a version of
the Export utility that equals the version of the target database.
– In general, you can use the Export utility from any Oracle8 release to export
from an Oracle9i server and create an Oracle8 export file.
• Restrictions When Using Different Releases of Export and Import
• Examples of Using Different Releases of Export and Import
25.27.1 Restrictions When Using Different Releases of Export and

Import
The following restrictions apply when you are using different releases of Export and
Import:
• Export dump files can be read only by the Import utility because they are stored in
a special binary format.
25-58
Chapter 25
• Any export dump file can be imported into a later release of the Oracle database.
• The Import utility cannot read export dump files created by the Export utility of a
later maintenance release or version. For example, a release 9.2 export dump file
cannot be imported by a release 9.0.1 Import utility.
• Whenever a lower version of the Export utility runs with a later version of the
Oracle database, categories of database objects that did not exist in the earlier
version are excluded from the export.
• Export files generated by Oracle9i Export, either direct path or conventional path,
are incompatible with earlier releases of Import and can be imported only with
Oracle9i Import. When backward compatibility is an issue, use the earlier release
or version of the Export utility against the Oracle9i database.
25.27.2 Examples of Using Different Releases of Export and Import

Table 25-5 shows some examples of which Export and Import releases to use when
moving data between different releases of the Oracle database.
Table 25-5 Using Different Releases of Export and Import
Export from->Import to Use Export Release Use Import Release

8.1.6 -> 8.1.6 8.1.6 8.1.6
8.1.5 -> 8.0.6 8.0.6 8.0.6
8.1.7 -> 8.1.6 8.1.6 8.1.6
9.0.1 -> 8.1.6 8.1.6 8.1.6
9.0.1 -> 9.0.2 9.0.1 9.0.2
9.0.2 -> 10.1.0 9.0.2 10.1.0
10.1.0 -> 9.0.2 9.0.2 9.0.2
Table 25-5 covers moving data only between the original Export and Import utilities.
For Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1) or later, Oracle recommends the Data
Pump Export and Import utilities in most cases because these utilities provide greatly
enhanced performance compared to the original Export and Import utilities.
See Also:
Oracle Database Upgrade Guide for more information about exporting and
importing data between different releases, including releases later than 10.1
25-59
Part V
Appendixes
This section contains the following topics:
• SQL*Loader Syntax Diagrams
This appendix describes SQL*Loader syntax in graphic form (sometimes called
railroad diagrams or DDL diagrams).
• Instant Client for SQL*Loader, Export, and Import
Oracle Instant Client allows you to run your applications without installing the
standard Oracle client or having an Oracle home.
A
SQL*Loader Syntax Diagrams
This appendix describes SQL*Loader syntax in graphic form (sometimes called
railroad diagrams or DDL diagrams).
For information about the syntax notation used, see the Oracle Database SQL
Language Reference
The following diagrams are shown with certain clauses collapsed (such as pos_spec).
These diagrams are expanded and explained further along in the appendix.
A-1
Appendix A
Options Clause
BINDSIZE =n
OPTIONS (
COLUMNARRAYROWS =n
DATE_CACHE =n
IGNORE
EVALUATE_ONCE
DEFAULTS = EVALUATE_EVERY_ROW
IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED_EVALUATE_ONCE
IGNORE_UNSUPPORTED_EVALUATE_EVERY_ROW
degree_num
DEFAULT
DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM =
AUTO
NONE
TRUE
DIRECT =
FALSE
TRUE
DIRECT_PATH_LOCK_WAIT =
FALSE
TRUE
EMPTY_LOBS_ARE_NULL =
FALSE
ERRORS =n
NOT_USED
EXTERNAL_TABLE = GENERATE_ONLY
EXECUTE
FILE = tablespace file
LOAD =n
TRUE
MULTITHREADING =
FALSE
TRUE
PARALLEL =
FALSE
)
A-2
Appendix A
Options_Cont
READSIZE =n
TRUE
RESUMABLE =
FALSE
RESUMABLE_NAME = ’text string’
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT =n
ROWS =n
HEADER
FEEDBACK
ERRORS
SILENT =
DISCARDS
PARTITIONS
ALL
SKIP =n
TRUE
SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE =
FALSE
TRUE
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES =
FALSE
STREAMSIZE =n
LRTRIM
NOTRIM
TRIM = TRIM
RTRIM
LDRTRIM
)
A-3
Appendix A
Load Statement
UNRECOVERABLE
RECOVERABLE LOAD DATA DEFAULT EXPRESSION CACHE n
CONTINUE_LOAD
BYTE
SEMANTICS
LENGTH CHAR
CHARACTERSET char_set_name CHARACTER
BIG ENDIAN CHECK

BYTEORDER BYTEORDERMARK
LITTLE NOCHECK
IGNORE
FIRST FILE
IGNORE
FIELD NAMES
ALL FILES
NONE
INSERT
APPEND
, REPLACE
infile_clause READSIZE size READBUFFERS integer TRUNCATE
,
concatenate_clause PRESERVE BLANKS BEGINDATA
into_table_clause
A-4
Appendix A
infile_clause
* os_file_proc_clause
INFILE
input_filename
BADFILE
DISCARDFILE
var
fix
’string’
" "
X’hex_string’
str
integer
Note:
On the BADFILE and DISCARDFILE clauses, you must specify either a directory
path, or a filename, or both.
concatenate_clause
integer
CONCATENATE
( integer )
THIS
NEXT PRESERVE (
pos_spec )
str
CONTINUEIF PRESERVE ( operator
X’hex_str’
LAST
A-5
Appendix A
into_table_clause
,
INDEXES
SORTED ( name )
INTO TABLE name
PARTITION name
( )
SINGLEROW SUBPARTITION name
YES
REPLACE
NO
RESUME
INSERT
DELETE
USING
TRUNCATE
REPLACE
TRUNCATE
APPEND
OPTIONS ( STORAGE=(storage_spec) , FILE=database_filename )
EVALUATE CHECK_CONSTRAINTS into_table_clause_continued
A-6
Appendix A
into_table_clause_continued
DISABLED_CONSTRAINTS EXCEPTIONS table

REENABLE
WHEN field_condition
OID_spec
SID_spec
XMLTYPE_spec
WITH
EMBEDDED
WITHOUT
CSV delim_spec NULLCOLS
FIELDS TRAILING
DATE
TIMESTAMP
FORMAT mask
" char_string "
= X’hexstr’
!= BLANKS
NULLIF
SKIP n
field_list
field_condition
AND
’char_string’
( full_fieldname )
pos_spec
BLANKS
A-7
Appendix A
delim_spec
enclosure_spec
OPTIONALLY
enclosure_spec
termination_spec
full_fieldname
full_fieldname
termination_spec
WHITESPACE
BY X’hexstr’
TERMINATED
’string’
EOF
enclosure_spec
AND
ENCLOSED
oid_spec
OID ( fieldname )
sid_spec
fieldname
SID ( )
CONSTANT SID_val
A-8
Appendix A
xmltype_spec
XMLTYPE ( fieldname )
field_list
dgen_fld_spec
scalar_fld_spec
( column_name col_obj_fld_spec )
collection_fld_spec
filler_fld_spec
dgen_fld_spec
RECNUM
SYSDATE
CONSTANT val
COUNT
, incr
SEQUENCE ( MAX )
integer
REF_spec
SID_spec init_spec
BFILE_spec
EXPRESSION " sql_string "
ref_spec
fieldname
REF ( )
CONSTANT val
A-9
Appendix A
init_spec
NULLIF
field_condition
DEFAULTIF
bfile_spec
fieldname fieldname
BFILE ( , )
CONSTANT val CONSTANT val
filler_fld_spec
FILLER pos_spec datatype_spec PIECED
BOUNDFILLER
scalar_fld_spec
LOBFILE_spec
datatype_spec PIECED
POSITION pos_spec
lobfile_spec
fieldname CHARACTERSET name

LOBFILE (
CONSTANT filename
BYTE
SEMANTICS
LENGTH CHAR BIG ENDIAN
BYTEORDER
CHARACTER LITTLE
CHECK
BYTEORDERMARK
NOCHECK
)
A-10
Appendix A
lls_field_spec

lob_column_name LLS
pos_spec
:
end
start –
( +integer )
*
datatype_spec
delim_spec
SIGNED
( length ) UNSIGNED
( length ) delim_spec
INTEGER
EXTERNAL
EXTERNAL
FLOAT
EXTERNAL
DECIMAL
, scale
ZONED ( precision )
DOUBLE
BYTEINT
SIGNED
UNSIGNED
SMALLINT
( length )
RAW
EXTERNAL ( graphic_char_length )
GRAPHIC
VARGRAPHIC ( max_length )
VARCHAR
datatype_spec_cont
A-11
Appendix A
datatype_spec_cont
CHAR
, max_size_bytes
VARCHARC ( length_of_length )
, max_size_bytes
VARRAWC ( length_of_length )
LONG ( max_bytes )
VARRAW
EXTERNAL ( length ) "mask" delim_spec

DATE
LOCAL
TIME fractional_second_precision WITH TIME ZONE "mask"
TIMESTAMP
year_precision
YEAR TO MONTH
day_precision fractional_second_precision
DAY TO SECOND
INTERVAL
col_obj_fld_spec
TREAT AS typename init_spec sql_string_spec

COLUMN OBJECT field_list
collection_fld_spec
nested_table_spec
BOUNDFILLER
varray_spec
nested_table_spec
SDF_spec count_spec init_spec
NESTED TABLE count_spec field_list
delim_spec
A-12
Appendix A
varray_spec
SDF_spec count_spec init_spec
VARRAY count_spec field_list
delim_spec
sdf_spec
field_name
CONSTANT filename os_file_proc_clause READSIZE size

SDF (
BYTE
SEMANTICS
LENGTH CHAR
CHARACTERSET name CHARACTER
BIG ENDIAN CHECK

BYTEORDER BYTEORDERMARK
LITTLE NOCHECK delim_spec
)
count_spec
fieldname
COUNT ( )
CONSTANT positive_integer
A-13
B
Instant Client for SQL*Loader, Export, and
Import
Oracle Instant Client allows you to run your applications without installing the standard
Oracle client or having an Oracle home.
The following topics are discussed:
• What is the Tools Instant Client?
• Choosing the Instant Client to Install
Before you install the Tools Instant Client Tools package, you must first choose
either Basic Instant Client or Instant Client Light.
• Installing Tools Instant Client by Downloading from OTN
The OTN downloads for Linux are RPM packages. The OTN downloads for UNIX
and Windows are zip files.
• Installing Tools Instant Client from the 12c Client Release Media
The Tools Instant Client package can be installed from client release media.
• Configuring Tools Instant Client Package
The Tools Instant Client package executable should only be used with the
matching version of the OCI Instant Client. No ORACLE_HOME or ORACLE_SID
environment variables need to be set.
• Connecting to a Database with the Tools Instant Client Package
After the Tools Instant Client package is installed and configured, you can connect
to a database.
• Uninstalling Instant Client
B.1 What is the Tools Instant Client?

The Tools Instant Client package is available on platforms that support the OCI Instant
Client. The Tools package contains several command-line utilities, including
SQL*Loader, Data Pump Export, Data Pump Import, Original (classic) Export, and
Original (classic) Import. Instant Client installations are standalone, with all the
functionality of the command-line versions of the products. The Instant Client connects
to existing remote Oracle databases, but does not include its own database. It is easy
to install and uses significantly less disk space than the full Oracle Database Client
installation required to use the command-line versions of products.
See the Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide for more information about the OCI
Instant Client.
To use the Tools Instant Client, you need two packages:
• Tools Instant Client Package
• Either the Basic OCI Instant Client package, or the OCI Instant Client Light
package.
B-1
Appendix B
Choosing the Instant Client to Install
The basic steps required to use the Tools Instant Client are as follows. Each of these
steps is described in this appendix.
1. Choose which OCI Package (Basic or Light) you want to use, and also select the
directory in which to install the Instant Client files.
2. Copy the Tools Instant Client Package, and the OCI Instant Client package of your
choice, from an installed Oracle instance or download them from OTN.
3. Install (unpack) the Tools Instant Client package and the OCI package. A new
directory instantclient_12_2 is created as part of the installation.
4. Configure the Instant Client.
5. Connect to a remote instance with the utility you want to run.
Both the Tools package and OCI package must be from Oracle Database version
12.2.0.0.0, or higher, and the versions for both must be the same.
B.2 Choosing the Instant Client to Install

Before you install the Tools Instant Client Tools package, you must first choose either
Basic Instant Client or Instant Client Light.
Basic Instant Client

The Tools Instant Client package, when used with Basic Instant Client works with any
NLS_LANG setting supported by the Oracle Database. It supports all character sets and
language settings available in the Oracle Database.
Instant Client Light

The Instant Client Light (English) version of Instant Client further reduces the disk
space requirements of the client installation. The size of the library has been reduced
by removing error message files for languages other than English and leaving only a
few supported character set definitions out of around 250.
Instant Client Light is geared toward applications that use either US7ASCII, WE8DEC,
WE8ISO8859P1, WE8MSWIN1252, or a Unicode character set. There is no restriction on the
LANGUAGE and the TERRITORY fields of the NLS_LANG setting, so the Instant Client Light
operates with any language and territory settings. Because only English error
messages are provided with the Instant Client Light, error messages generated on the
client side, such as Net connection errors, are always reported in English, even if
NLS_LANG is set to a language other than AMERICAN. Error messages generated by the
database side, such as syntax errors in SQL statements, are in the selected language
provided the appropriate translated message files are installed in the Oracle home of
the database instance.
B.3 Installing Tools Instant Client by Downloading from OTN

The OTN downloads for Linux are RPM packages. The OTN downloads for UNIX and
Windows are zip files.
Instant Client packages should never be installed on an Oracle home.
B-2
Appendix B
Installing Tools Instant Client by Downloading from OTN
Installing Instant Client from Linux RPM Packages

1. Download the RPM packages containing the Tools Instant Client package, and the
OCI package from the OTN Instant Client page at http://www.oracle.com/
technology/tech/oci/instantclient/instantclient.html. Both packages must be version
12.2.0.0.0 or higher, and the versions of both must be the same.
2. Use rpm -i for the initial install of the RPM packages, or rpm -u to upgrade to a
newer version of the packages. Install the OCI Package first.
3. Configure Instant Client. See Configuring Tools Instant Client Package.
Installing Instant Client from the UNIX or Windows Zip Files

1. Download the RPM packages containing the Tools Instant Client package, and the
OCI package from the OTN Instant Client page at http://www.oracle.com/
technology/tech/oci/instantclient/instantclient.html. Both packages must be version
12.2.0.0.0 or higher, and the versions of both must be the same.
2. Create a new directory, for example, /home/instantclient12_2 on UNIX or c:
\instantclient12_2 on Windows.
3. Unzip the two packages into the new directory. Install the OCI Package first.
4. Configure Instant Client. See Configuring Tools Instant Client Package
List of Files Required for Tools Instant Client

The following table lists the required files from the Tools Instant Client package. You
also need the files from one of the OCI packages (either Basic or Light). Other files
installed that are not listed here can be ignored, or can be removed to save disk
space.
See the Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide for more information about required
files for the OCI Instant Client.
Table B-1 Instant Client Files in the Tools Package
Linux and UNIX Windows Description

exp exp.exe Original (classic) export
executable
expdp expdp.exe Data Pump export executable
imp imp.exe Original (classic) import
executable
impdp impdp.exe Data Pump import executable
libnfsodm12.so Not applicable A shared library used by the
SQL*Loader Instant Client to
use the Oracle Disk Manager
(ODM).
sqlldr sqlldr.exe SQL*Loader executable
TOOLS_README Not applicable Readme for the Tools Instant
Client package
B-3
Appendix B
Installing Tools Instant Client from the 12c Client Release Media
Table B-1 (Cont.) Instant Client Files in the Tools Package
Linux and UNIX Windows Description

wrc wrc.exe The Tools Instant Client
package contains tools other
than those described in this
appendix. The wrc tool is the
Workload Replay Client (wrc)
for the Oracle Database
Replay feature. The wrc tool is
listed here for completeness
sake, but it is not covered by
the information in this
appendix.
B.4 Installing Tools Instant Client from the 12c Client

Release Media
The Tools Instant Client package can be installed from client release media.
1. Run the installer on the Oracle Database 12c Client Release media and choose
the Administrator option.
2. Create a new directory, for example, /home/instantclient12_2 on UNIX and Linux,
or c:\instantclient12_2 on Windows.
3. Copy the Tools Instant Client package and the OCI Instant Client files to the new
directory. All files must be copied from the same Oracle home.
4. Configure the Tools Instant Client package. See Configuring Tools Instant Client
Package.
Installing Tools Instant Client on UNIX or Linux

To install the Tools Instant Client using the Basic Instant Client package on UNIX and
Linux, copy the following files:
$ORACLE_HOME/instantclient/libociei.so
$ORACLE_HOME/lib/libnfsodm12.so
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/exp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/imp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/expdp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/impdp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/sqlldr
To install the Tools Instant Client using the Instant Client Light package on UNIX and
Linux, copy the following files:
$ORACLE_HOME/instantclient/light/libociicus.so
$ORACLE_HOME/lib/libnfsodm12.so
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/exp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/imp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/expdp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/impdp
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/sqlldr
B-4
Appendix B
Configuring Tools Instant Client Package
Installing Tools Instant Client on Windows

To install the Tools Instant Client using the Basic Instant Client package on Windows,
copy the following files:
%ORACLE_HOME%\instantclient\oraociei12.dll
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\exp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\imp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\expdp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\impdp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\sqlldr.exe
To install the Tools Instant Client using the Instant Client Light package on Windows,
copy the following files:
ORACLE_HOME%\instantclient\light\oraociicus12.dll
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\exp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\imp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\expdp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\impdp.exe
%ORACLE_HOME%\bin\sqlldr.exe
B.5 Configuring Tools Instant Client Package

The Tools Instant Client package executable should only be used with the matching
version of the OCI Instant Client. No ORACLE_HOME or ORACLE_SID environment variables
need to be set.
Configuring Tools Instant Client Package (from RPMS) on Linux

The RPMs downloaded from OTN install into Oracle specific sub-directories in the /usr
file system. The subdirectory structure enables multiple versions of Instant Client to be
available.
1. Add the name of the directory containing the Instant Client libraries to
LD_LIBRARY_PATH. Remove any other Oracle directories.
For example, to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH in the Bourne or Korn shells, use the following
syntax:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/oracle/12.2.0.1/client/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH
Or, to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH in the C shell, use the following syntax:

% setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /usr/lib/oracle/12.2.0.1/client/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
2. Make sure the Tools executables installed from the RPM are the first executables
found in your PATH. For example, to test this you could enter which sqlldr which
should return /usr/bin/sqlldr. If it does not, then remove any other Oracle
directories from PATH, or put /usr/bin before other Tools executables in PATH, or
use an absolute or relative path to start Tools Instant Client.
For example, to set PATH in the bash shell:
PATH=/usr/bin:${PATH}
export PATH
3. Set Oracle globalization variables required for your locale. A default locale will be
assumed if no variables are set.
B-5
Appendix B
Connecting to a Database with the Tools Instant Client Package
NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8
export NLS_LANG
Configuring Tools Instant Client Package (from Client Media or Zip File) on Linux
and UNIX
1. Add the name of the directory containing the Instant Client files to the appropriate
shared library path LD_LIBRARY_PATH, LIBPATH or SHLIB_PATH. Remove any other
Oracle directories.
For example on Solaris in the Bourne or Korn shells:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/home/instantclient12_2:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH
2. Add the directory containing the Instant Client files to the PATH environment
variable. If it is not set, then an absolute or relative path must be used to start the
utilities provided in the Tools package. Remove any other Oracle directories from
PATH. For example:
PATH=/home/instantclient12_2:${PATH}
export PATH
assumed if no variables are set. For example:
NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8
export NLS_LANG
Configuring Tools Instant Client Package on Windows

The environment may be configured using SET commands in a Windows command
prompt or made permanent by setting Environment Variables in System Properties.
For example, to set environment variables in Windows 2000 using System Properties,
open System from the Control Panel, click the Advanced tab and then click
Environment Variables.
1. Add the directory containing the Instant Client files to the PATH system environment
variable. Remove any other Oracle directories from PATH.
For example, add c:\instantclient12_2 to the beginning of PATH.
assumed if no variables are set.
For example, to set NLS_LANG for a Japanese environment, create a user
environment variable NLS_LANG set to JAPANESE_JAPAN.JA16EUC.
B.6 Connecting to a Database with the Tools Instant Client

Package
After the Tools Instant Client package is installed and configured, you can connect to a
database.
The utilities supplied in the Tools Instant Client are always remote from any database
server. It is assumed that the server has an Oracle instance up and running and has
the TNS listener running. For the Data Pump Export and Import clients, the dump files
reside on the remote server; an Oracle directory object on the server must exist and
should have the appropriate permissions.
B-6
Appendix B
Uninstalling Instant Client
To connect to a database you must specify the database using an Oracle Net
connection identifier. The following information uses the SQL*Loader (sqlldr) utility, but
the information applies to other utilities supplied in the Tools Instant Client package as
well.
An example using an Easy Connection identifier to connect to the HR schema in the
MYDB database running on mymachine is:
sqlldr hr/your_password@\"//mymachine.mydomain:port/MYDB\"
Alternatively you can use a Net Service Name:

sqlldr hr/your_password@MYDB
Net Service Names can be stored in a number of places, including LDAP. The use of
LDAP is recommended to take advantage of the new features of Oracle Database 12c
To use Net Service Names configured in a local Oracle Net tnsnames.ora file, set the
environment variable TNS_ADMIN to the directory containing the tnsnames.ora file. For
example, on UNIX, if your tnsnames.ora file is in /home/user1 and it defines the Net
Service Name MYDB2:
TNS_ADMIN=/home/user1
export TNS_ADMIN
sqlldr hr@MYDB2
If TNS_ADMIN is not set, then an operating system dependent set of directories is

examined to find tnsnames.ora . This search path includes looking in the directory
specified by the ORACLE_HOME environment variable for network/admin/tnsnames.ora .
This is the only reason to set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable for SQL*Loader
Instant Client. If ORACLE_HOME is set when running Instant Client applications, it must be
set to a directory that exists.
This example assumes the ORACLE_HOME environment variable is set, and
the $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora or ORACLE_HOME\network\admin
\tnsnames.ora file defines the Net Service Name MYDB3:
sqlldr hr@MYDB3
The TWO_TASK (on UNIX) or LOCAL (on Windows) environment variable can be set to a
connection identifier. This removes the need to explicitly enter the connection identifier
whenever a connection is made in SQL*Loader or SQL*Loader Instant Client. This
UNIX example connects to the database known as MYDB4:
TNS_ADMIN=/home/user1
export TNS_ADMIN
TWO_TASK=MYDB4
export TWO_TASK
sqlldr hr
On Windows, TNS_ADMIN and LOCAL may be set in the System Properties.
B.7 Uninstalling Instant Client

The Tools Instant Client package can be removed separately from the OCI Instant
Client. After uninstalling the Tools Instant Client package, the remaining OCI Instant
Client libraries enable custom written OCI programs or third party database utilities to
connect to a database.
B-7
Appendix B
Uninstalling Instant Client
Uninstalling Tools Instant Client

1. For installations on Linux from RPM packages, use rpm -e only on the Tools
Instant Client package
OR
For installations on UNIX and Windows, and installations on Linux from the Client
Release media, manually remove any files specific to the Tools Instant Client. The
files to be deleted should be in the Instant Client directory that you specified at
installation. Be sure you do not remove any Oracle home files.
Reset environment variables and remove tnsnames.ora if necessary.
Uninstalling the Complete Instant Client

1. For installations on Linux from RPM packages, use rpm -qa to find the Tools
Instant Client and Basic OCI package names and run rpm -eto remove them
OR
For installations on UNIX and Windows, and installations on Linux from the Client
Release media, manually delete the directory containing the Tools executable and
Oracle libraries.
2. Reset environment variables such as PATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH and TNS_ADMIN.
3. Remove tnsnames.ora if necessary.
B-8
Index
A append to table
SQL*Loader, 9-38
ABORT_STEP parameter archive logging
Data Pump Export utility, 2-13 disabling in Data Pump jobs, 3-61
Data Pump Import utility, 3-13 enabling in Data Pump jobs, 3-61
ACCESS PARAMETERS clause archived LOBs
special characters, 17-2 restrictions on export, 2-62
access privileges archiving
Export and Import, 24-3 disabling
ACCESS_METHOD parameter effect on direct path loads, 12-17
Data Pump Export utility, 2-14 array overflows, 17-12
Data Pump Import utility, 3-14 arrays
ADD_FILE parameter committing after insert, 25-14
Data Pump Export utility atomic null, 11-6
interactive-command mode, 2-66 ATTACH parameter
ADR Data Pump Export utility, 2-14
See automatic diagnostic repository Data Pump Import utility, 3-15
ADR base attaching to an existing job
in ADRCI utility, 19-4 Data Pump Export utility, 2-14
ADR home attribute-value constructors
in ADRCI utility, 19-3 overriding, 11-7
ADRCI attributes
troubleshooting, 19-70 null, 11-5
ADRCI utility, 19-1 auditing Data Pump jobs
ADR base, 19-4 unified auditing
ADR home, 19-3 Data Pump, 1-24
batch mode, 19-6 auditing direct path loads
commands, 19-15 when using SQL*Loader, 12-13
getting help, 19-4 automatic diagnostic repository, 19-2
homepath, 19-4
interactive mode, 19-5
starting, 19-4 B
Advanced Queuing, 24-39 backslash escape character, 9-7
exporting advanced queue tables, 24-39 backups
importing advanced queue tables, 25-48 restoring dropped snapshots
aliases Import, 25-51
directory bad files
exporting, 24-38 specifying for SQL*Loader, 9-14
importing, 25-47 BAD parameter
analyzer statistics, 25-54 SQL*Loader command line, 8-4
analyzing redo log files, 22-1 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-5
ANYDATA type BADFILE parameter
using SQL strings to load, 10-54 SQL*Loader utility, 9-14
APPEND parameter BEGINDATA parameter
SQL*Loader utility, 9-43 SQL*Loader control file, 9-13
Index-1
Index
BFILEs C
in original Export, 24-38
in original Import, 25-47 cached sequence numbers
loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16 Export, 24-37
big-endian data catalog.sql script
external tables, 15-16 preparing database for Export and Import,
binary overflows, 17-12 24-2, 25-2
bind arrays catexp.sql script
determining size of for SQL*Loader, 9-50 preparing database for Export and Import,
minimizing SQL*Loader memory 24-2, 25-2
requirements, 9-53 CDBs
minimum requirements, 9-49 Oracle Data Pump support, 1-8
size with multiple SQL*Loader INTO TABLE using Data Pump to move data into, 1-8
statements, 9-54 changing a database ID, 21-3
specifying maximum size, 8-6 changing a database name, 21-6
specifying number of rows, 8-27 CHAR data type
SQL*Loader performance implications, 9-49 delimited form and SQL*Loader, 10-23
BINDSIZE parameter character fields
SQL*Loader command line, 8-6, 9-49 delimiters and SQL*Loader, 10-14, 10-23
blanks determining length for SQL*Loader, 10-28
loading fields consisting of blanks, 10-41 SQL*Loader data types, 10-14
SQL*Loader BLANKS parameter for field character overflows, 17-12
comparison, 10-31 character sets
trailing, 10-26 conversion
trimming, 10-41 during Export and Import, 24-34, 25-42
external tables, 8-32, 13-20, 15-31 eight-bit to seven-bit conversions
whitespace, 10-41 Export/Import, 24-36, 25-43
BLANKS parameter identifying for external tables, 15-9
SQL*Loader utility, 10-31 multibyte
BLOBs Export/Import, 24-36
loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16 SQL*Loader, 9-21
buffer cache size single-byte
and Data Pump operations involving Export/Import, 24-36, 25-43
Streams, 5-4 SQL*Loader control file, 9-25
BUFFER parameter SQL*Loader conversion between, 9-21
Export utility, 24-10 Unicode, 9-21
Import utility, 25-14 character strings
buffers external tables
calculating for export, 24-10 specifying bytes or characters, 15-17
specifying with SQL*Loader BINDSIZE SQL*Loader, 10-32
parameter, 9-50 character-length semantics, 9-26
byte order, 10-37 CHARACTERSET parameter
big-endian, 10-37 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-6
little-endian, 10-37 SQL*Loader utility, 9-25, 13-6
specifying in SQL*Loader control file, 10-38 check constraints
byte order marks, 10-38 overriding disabling of, 12-22
precedence CLOBs
for first primary datafile, 10-38 loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16
for LOBFILEs and SDFs, 10-39 CLUSTER parameter
suppressing checks for, 10-40 Data Pump Export utility, 2-15
BYTEORDER parameter Data Pump Import utility, 3-16
SQL*Loader utility, 10-38 collection types supported by SQL*Loader, 7-16
BYTEORDERMARK parameter collections, 7-15
SQL*Loader utility, 10-40 loading, 11-29
column array rows
Index-2
Index
column array rows (continued) COMPRESS parameter (continued)

specifying number of, 12-18 Export utility, 24-11
column mapping, 17-5 compression
column objects specifying algorithm in Data Pump jobs, 2-17
loading, 11-1 specifying for tables in Data Pump jobs, 3-64
with user-defined constructors, 11-7 specifying level for external tables, 16-3
COLUMNARRAYROWS parameter compression algorithms
SQL*Loader command line, 8-6 specifying in Data Pump jobs, 2-17
columns COMPRESSION parameter
exporting LONG data types, 24-37 Data Pump Export utility, 2-16
loading REF columns, 11-13 COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM parameter
naming Data Pump Export utility, 2-17
SQL*Loader, 10-5 CONCATENATE parameter
objects SQL*Loader utility, 9-31
loading nested column objects, 11-3 concurrent conventional path loads, 12-26
stream record format, 11-2 configuration
variable record format, 11-3 of LogMiner utility, 22-3
reordering before Import, 25-5 CONSISTENT parameter
setting to a constant value with SQL*Loader, Export utility, 24-12
10-55 nested tables and, 24-12
setting to a unique sequence number with partitioned table and, 24-12
SQL*Loader, 10-57 consolidating
setting to an expression value with extents, 24-11
SQL*Loader, 10-56 CONSTANT parameter
setting to null with SQL*Loader, 10-56 SQL*Loader, 10-55
setting to the current date with SQL*Loader, constraints
10-57 automatic integrity and SQL*Loader, 12-24
setting to the datafile record number with direct path load, 12-21
SQL*Loader, 10-56 disabling referential constraints, 25-6
specifying enabling
SQL*Loader, 10-5 after a parallel direct path load, 12-30
specifying as PIECED enforced on a direct load, 12-22
SQL*Loader, 12-13 failed
using SQL*Loader, 10-56 Import, 25-36
com.oracle.bigdata.colmap, 17-5 load method, 12-7
com.oracle.bigdata.datamode, 17-6 CONSTRAINTS parameter
com.oracle.bigdata.erroropt, 17-7 Export utility, 24-13
com.oracle.bigdata.fields, 17-8 Import utility, 25-15
com.oracle.bigdata.fileformat, 17-10 constructors
com.oracle.bigdata.log.qc, 17-12 attribute-value, 11-7
com.oracle.bigdata.overflow, 17-12 overriding, 11-7
com.oracle.bigdata.rowformat, 17-13 user-defined, 11-7
com.oracle.bigdata.tablename, 17-15 loading column objects with, 11-7
comments CONTENT parameter
in Export and Import parameter files, 24-5, Data Pump Export utility, 2-18
25-8 Data Pump Import utility, 3-15
with external tables, 15-2, 16-3 CONTINUE_CLIENT parameter
COMMIT parameter Data Pump Export utility
Import utility, 25-14 interactive-command mode, 2-66
COMPILE parameter Data Pump Import utility
Import utility, 25-15 interactive-command mode, 3-77
completion messages CONTINUEIF parameter
Export, 24-31 SQL*Loader utility, 9-31
Import, 24-31 control files
COMPRESS parameter character sets, 9-25
3
Index
control files (continued) data (continued)

data definition language syntax, 9-2 loading into more than one table (continued)
specifying data, 9-13 SQL*Loader, 9-43
specifying SQL*Loader discard file, 9-17 maximum length of delimited data for
SQL*Loader, 9-2 SQL*Loader, 10-25
CONTROL parameter moving between operating systems using
SQL*Loader command line, 8-7 SQL*Loader, 10-36
conventional path Export recovery
compared to direct path, 24-32 SQL*Loader direct path load, 12-11
conventional path loads saving in a direct path load, 12-10
behavior when discontinued, 9-28 saving rows
compared to direct path loads, 12-7 SQL*Loader, 12-16
concurrent, 12-27 unsorted
of a single partition, 12-2 SQL*Loader, 12-15
SQL*Loader bind array, 9-49 values optimized for SQL*Loader
when to use, 12-2 performance, 10-55
conversion of character sets data fields
during Export/Import, 24-34, 25-42 specifying the SQL*Loader data type, 10-7
effect of character set sorting on, 24-35, data files
25-42 specifying buffering for SQL*Loader, 9-14
conversion of data specifying for SQL*Loader, 9-10
during direct path loads, 12-4 data mode, 17-6
conversion of input characters, 9-23 DATA parameter
CREATE REPORT command, ADRCI utility, SQL*Loader command line, 8-8, 13-8
19-18 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-7
CREATE SESSION privilege Data Pump Export utility
Export, 24-3, 25-3 ABORT_STEP parameter, 2-13
Import, 24-3, 25-3 ACCESS_METHOD parameter, 2-14
creating adding additional dump files, 1-17
incident package, 19-12 ATTACH parameter, 2-14
tables CLUSTER parameter, 2-15
manually, before import, 25-5 command-line mode, 2-10, 3-9
CSV parameter COMPRESSION parameter, 2-16
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-7 COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM parameter,
2-17
CONTENT parameter, 2-18
D controlling resource consumption, 5-2
data DATA_OPTIONS parameter, 2-19
conversion DIRECTORY parameter, 2-20
direct path load, 12-4 dump file set, 2-1
delimiter marks in data and SQL*Loader, DUMPFILE parameter, 2-21
10-25 encryption of SecureFiles, 2-24
distinguishing different input formats for ENCRYPTION parameter, 2-23
SQL*Loader, 9-44 ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM parameter,
distinguishing different input row object 2-25
subtypes, 9-44, 9-46 ENCRYPTION_MODE parameter, 2-25
exporting, 24-20 ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter,
generating unique values with SQL*Loader, 2-26
10-57 ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT parameter,
including in control files, 9-13 2-28
loading data contained in the SQL*Loader ESTIMATE parameter, 2-29
control file, 10-55 ESTIMATE_ONLY parameter, 2-30
loading in sections EXCLUDE parameter, 2-31
SQL*Loader, 12-13 excluding objects, 2-31
loading into more than one table export modes, 2-3
Index-4
Index
Data Pump Export utility (continued) Data Pump Export utility (continued)
FILESIZE command TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK parameter,
interactive-command mode, 2-67 2-58
FILESIZE parameter, 2-33 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter,
filtering data that is exported 2-58
using EXCLUDE parameter, 2-31 TRANSPORTABLE parameter, 2-60
using INCLUDE parameter, 2-37 VERSION parameter, 2-62
FLASHBACK_SCN parameter, 2-33 versioning, 1-21
FLASHBACK_TIME parameter, 2-34 VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter, 2-63
FULL parameter, 2-35 Data Pump Import utility
HELP parameter ABORT_STEP parameter, 3-13
interactive-command mode, 2-67 ACCESS_METHOD parameter, 3-14
INCLUDE parameter, 2-37 ATTACH parameter, 3-15
interactive-command mode, 2-65 attaching to an existing job, 3-15
ADD_FILE parameter, 2-66 changing name of source datafile, 3-44
CONTINUE_CLIENT parameter, 2-66 CLUSTER parameter, 3-16
EXIT_CLIENT parameter, 2-67 CONTENT parameter, 3-17
FILESIZE, 2-67 controlling resource consumption, 5-2
HELP parameter, 2-67 DATA_OPTIONS parameter, 3-17
KILL_JOB parameter, 2-68 DIRECTORY parameter, 3-19
PARALLEL parameter, 2-68 DUMPFILE parameter, 3-20
START_JOB parameter, 2-69 ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter,
STATUS parameter, 2-69, 3-79 3-21
STOP_JOB parameter, 2-70, 3-80 ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT parameter,
interfaces, 2-2 3-23
invoking ESTIMATE parameter, 3-24
as SYSDBA, 2-2, 3-2 estimating size of job, 3-24
job names EXCLUDE parameter, 3-24
specifying, 2-39 filtering data that is imported
JOB_NAME parameter, 2-39 using EXCLUDE parameter, 3-24
KEEP_MASTER parameter, 2-39 using INCLUDE parameter, 3-30
LOGFILE parameter, 2-40 FLASHBACK_SCN parameter, 3-26
LOGTIME parameter, 2-41 FLASHBACK_TIME parameter, 3-28
METRICS parameter, 2-42 full import mode, 3-4
NETWORK_LINK parameter, 2-43 FULL parameter, 3-29
NOLOGFILE parameter, 2-45 HELP parameter
PARALLEL parameter command-line mode, 3-30
command-line mode, 2-45 interactive-command mode, 3-77
interactive-command mode, 2-68 INCLUDE parameter, 3-30
PARFILE parameter, 2-46 interactive-command mode, 3-76
QUERY parameter, 2-47 CONTINUE_CLIENT parameter, 3-77
REMAP_DATA parameter, 2-49 EXIT_CLIENT parameter, 3-77
REUSE_DUMPFILES parameter, 2-50 HELP parameter, 3-77
SAMPLE parameter, 2-51 KILL_JOB parameter, 3-78
SCHEMAS parameter, 2-51 PARALLEL parameter, 3-78
SecureFiles LOB considerations, 1-23 START_JOB parameter, 3-79
SERVICE_NAME parameter, 2-52 STATUS, 3-79
SOURCE_EDITION parameter, 2-53 STOP_JOB parameter, 3-80
specifying a job name, 2-39 interfaces, 3-3
STATUS parameter, 2-54 JOB_NAME parameter, 3-31
syntax diagrams, 2-73 KEEP_MASTER parameter, 3-32
TABLES parameter, 2-54 LOGFILE parameter, 3-32
TABLESPACES parameter, 2-57 LOGTIME parameter, 3-33
transparent data encryption, 2-26 MASTER_ONLY parameter, 3-34
METRICS parameter, 3-34
5
Index
Data Pump Import utility (continued) data types (continued)

NETWORK_LINK parameter, 3-35 BLOBs (continued)
NOLOGFILE parameter, 3-37 loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16
PARALLEL parameter CLOBs
command-line mode, 3-37 loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16
PARFILE parameter, 3-39 converting SQL*Loader, 10-21
PARTITION_OPTIONS parameter, 3-40 describing for external table fields, 15-35
QUERY parameter, 3-41 determining character field lengths for
REMAP_DATA parameter, 3-43 SQL*Loader, 10-28
REMAP_DATAFILE parameter, 3-44 determining DATE length, 10-29
REMAP_SCHEMA parameter, 3-46 identifying for external tables, 15-32
REMAP_TABLE parameter, 3-48 native
REMAP_TABLESPACE parameter, 3-49 conflicting length specifications in
REUSE_DATAFILES parameter, 3-49 SQL*Loader, 10-20
schema mode, 3-5 NCLOBs
SCHEMAS parameter, 3-50 loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16
SERVICE_NAME parameter, 3-51 nonscalar, 11-5
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter, specifying in SQL*Loader, 10-7
3-52 supported by the LogMiner utility, 22-74
SOURCE_EDITION parameter, 3-53 types used by SQL*Loader, 10-7
specifying a job name, 3-31 unsupported by LogMiner utility, 22-77
specifying dump file set to import, 3-20 data types (HDFS), 17-8
SQLFILE parameter, 3-54 DATA_OPTIONS parameter
STATUS parameter, 3-55 Data Pump Export utility, 2-19
STREAMS_CONFIGURATION parameter, Data Pump Import utility, 3-17
3-55 database ID (DBID)
syntax diagrams, 3-81 changing, 21-3
table mode, 3-5 database identifier
TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION parameter, 3-56 changing, 21-3
TABLES parameter, 3-57 database migration
tablespace mode, 3-6 partitioning of, 24-41, 25-55
TABLESPACES parameter, 3-59 database name (DBNAME)
TARGET_EDITION parameter, 3-60 changing, 21-6
TRANSFORM parameter, 3-61 database objects
transparent data encryption, 3-21 exporting LONG columns, 24-37
TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK parameter, databases
3-68 changing the database ID, 21-3
TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter, changing the name, 21-6
3-69 exporting entire, 24-16
TRANSPORTABLE parameter, 3-70 full import, 25-18
transportable tablespace mode, 3-6 privileges for exporting and importing, 24-3,
VERSION parameter, 3-72 25-3
versioning, 1-21 reusing existing datafiles
VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter (Network Import, 25-16
Import), 3-73 datafiles
VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter (Non- preventing overwrite during import, 25-16
Network Import), 3-75 reusing during import, 25-16
Data Pump legacy mode, 4-1 specifying, 8-8, 13-8
data source name, 17-15 specifying format for SQL*Loader, 9-14
data types DATAFILES parameter
BFILEs Import utility, 25-15
in original Export, 24-38 DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE role, 1-10
in original Import, 25-47 DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE role, 1-10
loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16 date cache feature
BLOBs DATE_CACHE parameter, 8-9
Index-6
Index
date cache feature (continued) DBVERIFY utility (continued)

external tables, 15-50 validating a segment, 20-4
SQL*Loader, 12-19 validating disk blocks, 20-1
DATE data type default schema
delimited form and SQL*Loader, 10-23 as determined by SQL*Loader, 9-37
determining length, 10-29 DEFAULTIF parameter
mask SQL*Loader, 10-30
SQL*Loader, 10-29 DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter
DATE_CACHE parameter SQL*Loader command line, 8-11
SQL*Loader utility, 8-9 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-9
DATE_FORMAT parameter DELETE ANY TABLE privilege
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-9 SQL*Loader, 9-39
DBID (database identifier) DELETE CASCADE
changing, 21-3 effect on loading nonempty tables, 9-38
DBMS_LOGMNR PL/SQL procedure SQL*Loader, 9-39
LogMiner utility and, 22-5 DELETE privilege
DBMS_LOGMNR_D PL/SQL procedure SQL*Loader, 9-38
LogMiner utility and, 22-5 delimited data
DBMS_LOGMNR_D.ADD_LOGFILES PL/SQL maximum length for SQL*Loader, 10-25
procedure delimited fields
LogMiner utility and, 22-5 field length, 10-29
DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD PL/SQL procedure delimited LOBs, 11-24
LogMiner utility and, 22-5 delimited text files, 17-13
DBMS_LOGMNR_D.END_LOGMNR PL/SQL delimiters
procedure in external tables, 15-7
LogMiner utility and, 22-5 loading trailing blanks, 10-26
DBMS_LOGMNR.COLUMN_PRESENT function, marks in data and SQL*Loader, 10-25
22-17 specifying for external tables, 15-28
DBMS_LOGMNR.MINE_VALUE function, 22-17 specifying for SQL*Loader, 9-40, 10-23
null values and, 22-18 SQL*Loader enclosure, 10-44
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR PL/SQL SQL*Loader field specifications, 10-44
procedure, 22-13 termination, 10-44
calling multiple times, 22-30 DESTROY parameter
COMMITTED_DATA_ONLY option, 22-24 Import utility, 25-16
LogMiner utility and, 22-5 dictionary
options for, 22-14 requirements for LogMiner utility, 22-4
PRINT_PRETTY_SQL option, 22-29 dictionary version mismatch, 22-38
SKIP_CORRUPTION option, 22-26 Direct NFS Client
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR procedure controlling number of read buffers, 8-15
ENDTIME parameter, 22-27, 22-28 use during SQL*Loader operations, 8-14
STARTTIME parameter, 22-27, 22-28 using with external tables, 15-23
DBMS_METADATA PL/SQL package, 23-4 DIRECT parameter
DBNAME Export utility, 24-13
changing, 21-6 SQL*Loader command-line, 8-12
DBNEWID utility, 21-1 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-10
changing a database ID, 21-3 direct path Export, 24-32
changing a database name, 21-6 compared to conventional path, 24-32
effect on global database names, 21-2 effect of EXEMPT ACCESS POLICY
restrictions, 21-10 privilege, 24-32
syntax, 21-8 performance issues, 24-33
troubleshooting a database ID change, 21-7 restrictions, 24-33
DBVERIFY utility security considerations, 24-32
output, 20-3 direct path load
restrictions, 20-1 advantages, 12-5
syntax, 20-2 behavior when discontinued, 9-29
7
Index
direct path load (continued) discarded SQL*Loader records (continued)

choosing sort order causes, 9-19
SQL*Loader, 12-16 discard file, 9-17
compared to conventional path load, 12-7 limiting, 9-18
concurrent, 12-27 discontinued loads, 9-28
conditions for use, 12-6 continuing, 9-30
data saves, 12-10, 12-16 conventional path behavior, 9-28
dropping indexes, 12-21 direct path behavior, 9-29
effect of disabling archiving, 12-17 DNFS_ENABLE parameter
effect of PRIMARY KEY constraints, 12-30 SQL*Loader command-line, 8-14
effect of UNIQUE KEY constraints, 12-30 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-11
field defaults, 12-7 DNFS_READBUFFERS parameter
improper sorting SQL*Loader command-line, 8-15
SQL*Loader, 12-15 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-12
indexes, 12-8 dropped snapshots
instance recovery, 12-11 Import, 25-51
intersegment concurrency, 12-27 dump files
intrasegment concurrency, 12-27 maximum size, 24-14
location of data conversion, 12-4 DUMPFILE parameter
media recovery, 12-12 Data Pump Export utility, 2-21
optimizing on multiple-CPU systems, 12-20 Data Pump Import utility, 3-20
partitioned load
SQL*Loader, 12-26
performance, 12-8, 12-14
E
preallocating storage, 12-14 EBCDIC character set
presorting data, 12-15 Import, 24-36, 25-43
recovery, 12-11 ECHO command, ADRCI utility, 19-18
ROWS command-line parameter, 12-11 eight-bit character set support, 24-36, 25-43
setting up, 12-8 enclosed fields
specifying, 12-8 whitespace, 10-47
specifying number of rows to be read, 8-27 ENCLOSED_BY parameter
SQL*Loader data loading method, 7-12 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-12
table insert triggers, 12-24 enclosure delimiters, 10-23
temporary segment storage requirements, SQL*Loader, 10-44
12-9 encrypted columns
triggers, 12-21 in external tables, 16-6
using, 12-7, 12-8 ENCRYPTION parameter
version requirements, 12-6 Data Pump Export utility, 2-23
directory aliases encryption password
exporting, 24-38 Data Pump export, 2-29
importing, 25-47 Data Pump Import, 3-23
directory objects ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM parameter
using with Data Pump Data Pump Export utility, 2-25
effect of Oracle ASM, 1-19 ENCRYPTION_MODE parameter
DIRECTORY parameter Data Pump Export utility, 2-25
Data Pump Export utility, 2-20 ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD parameter
Data Pump Import utility, 3-19 Data Pump Export utility, 2-26
disabled unique indexes Data Pump Import utility, 3-21
loading tables with, 1-3 ENCRYPTION_PWD_PROMPT parameter
discard files Data Pump Export utility, 2-28
SQL*Loader, 9-17 Data Pump Import utility, 3-23
specifying a maximum, 9-19 error handling, 17-7
DISCARD parameter errors
SQL*Loader command-line, 8-13 caused by tab characters in SQL*Loader
discarded SQL*Loader records, 7-9 data, 10-4
Index-8
Index
errors (continued) Export (continued)

LONG data, 25-36 example sessions (continued)
object creation, 25-37 table mode, 24-26
Import parameter IGNORE, 25-19 user mode, 24-18, 24-25
resource errors on import, 25-37 exit codes, 24-31, 25-35
writing to export log file, 24-17 exporting an entire database, 24-16
ERRORS parameter exporting indexes, 24-17
SQL*Loader command line, 8-17 exporting sequence numbers, 24-37
escape character exporting synonyms, 24-39
quoted strings and, 9-7 exporting to another operating system,
usage in Data Pump Export, 2-10 24-19, 25-21
usage in Data Pump Import, 3-9 FEEDBACK parameter, 24-13
usage in Export, 24-22 FILE parameter, 24-14
usage in Import, 25-24 FILESIZE parameter, 24-14
ESTIMATE parameter FLASHBACK_SCN parameter, 24-15
Data Pump Export utility, 2-29 FLASHBACK_TIME parameter, 24-15
Data Pump Import utility, 3-23 full database mode
ESTIMATE_ONLY parameter example, 24-25
Data Pump Export utility, 2-30 FULL parameter, 24-16
estimating size of job GRANTS parameter, 24-17
Data Pump Export utility, 2-29 HELP parameter, 24-17
EVALUATE CHECK_CONSTRAINTS clause, INDEXES parameter, 24-17
12-22 invoking, 24-3, 25-7
EXCLUDE parameter log files
Data Pump Export utility, 2-31 specifying, 24-17
Data Pump Import utility, 3-24 LOG parameter, 24-17
exit codes logging error messages, 24-17
Export and Import, 24-31, 25-35 LONG columns, 24-37
SQL*Loader, 1-23, 8-34 OBJECT_CONSISTENT parameter, 24-17
EXIT command, ADRCI utility, 19-19 online help, 24-6
EXIT_CLIENT parameter OWNER parameter, 24-18
Data Pump Export utility parameter file, 24-18
interactive-command mode, 2-67 maximum size, 24-5, 25-8
Data Pump Import utility parameter syntax, 24-9
interactive-command mode, 3-77 PARFILE parameter, 24-18
EXP_FULL_DATABASE role partitioning a database migration, 24-41,
assigning in Export, 24-3, 25-3 25-55
expdat.dmp QUERY parameter, 24-18
Export output file, 24-14 RECORDLENGTH parameter, 24-19
Export redirecting output to a log file, 24-30
BUFFER parameter, 24-10 remote operation, 24-34, 25-41
character set conversion, 24-34, 25-42 restrictions based on privileges, 24-3
COMPRESS parameter, 24-11 RESUMABLE parameter, 24-20
CONSISTENT parameter, 24-12 RESUMABLE_NAME parameter, 24-20
CONSTRAINTS parameter, 24-13 RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT parameter, 24-20
conventional path, 24-32 ROWS parameter, 24-20
creating sequence numbers, 24-37
necessary privileges, 24-3, 25-3 storage requirements, 24-3
necessary views, 24-3, 25-3 table mode
DIRECT parameter, 24-13 example session, 24-26
direct path, 24-32 table name restrictions, 24-22
displaying online help, 24-17 TABLES parameter, 24-21
example sessions, 24-24 TABLESPACES parameter, 24-23
full database mode, 24-25 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE parameter,
partition-level, 24-28 24-23
9
Index
Export (continued) external tables (continued)

TRIGGERS parameter, 24-23 use of SQL strings, 15-50
TTS_FULL_CHECK parameter, 24-24 using comments, 15-2, 16-3
user access privileges, 24-3, 25-3 variable-length records, 15-6
user mode EXTERNAL_TABLE parameter
example session, 24-18, 24-25 SQL*Loader command line, 8-17
specifying, 24-18 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-13
USERID parameter, 24-24
VOLSIZE parameter, 24-24
export dump file
F
importing the entire file, 25-18 fatal errors
export file See nonrecoverable error messages
listing contents before importing, 25-22 FEEDBACK parameter
specifying, 24-14 Export utility, 24-13
exporting Import utility, 25-16
archived LOBs, 2-62 field conditions
EXPRESSION parameter specifying for SQL*Loader, 10-30
SQL*Loader, 10-56 field extraction, 17-13
extents field length
consolidating, 24-11 SQL*Loader specifications, 10-44
EXTERNAL parameter field location
EXTERNAL SQL*Loader data types field names, 17-8
numeric FIELD_NAMES parameter
determining len, 10-28 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-14
external tables, fields
access parameters, 14-5, 15-2, 16-2 comparing to literals with SQL*Loader, 10-32
and encrypted columns, 16-6 delimited
big-endian data, 15-16 determining length, 10-29
cacheing data during reads, 15-23 SQL*Loader, 10-23
column_transforms clause, 15-3 loading all blanks, 10-41
data types, 15-35 predetermined size
date cache feature, 15-50 length, 10-29
delimiters, 15-7 SQL*Loader, 10-44
describing data type of a field, 15-35 relative positioning and SQL*Loader, 10-45
field_definitions clause, 15-3, 15-24 specifying default delimiters for SQL*Loader,
fixed-length records, 15-6 9-40
identifying character sets, 15-9 specifying for SQL*Loader, 10-5
identifying data types, 15-32 SQL*Loader delimited
improving performance when using specifications, 10-44
date cache feature, 15-50 FIELDS clause
IO_OPTIONS clause, 15-23 SQL*Loader, 9-40
little-endian data, 15-16 file allocation in Data Pump
opaque_format_spec, 14-5, 15-2, 16-2 adding dump files, 1-17
preprocessing data, 15-11 default file locations, 1-17
record_format_info clause, 15-3 NFS errors, 1-16
reserved words, 15-51, 16-18 file names
restrictions, 15-50 quotation marks and, 9-7
setting a field to a default value, 15-43 specifying multiple SQL*Loader, 9-12
setting a field to null, 15-43 SQL*Loader, 9-5
skipping records when loading data, 15-18 SQL*Loader bad file, 9-14
specifying compression level, 16-3 FILE parameter
specifying delimiters, 15-28 Export utility, 24-14
specifying load conditions, 15-17 Import utility, 25-16
trimming blanks, 8-32, 13-20, 15-31 SQL*Loader command line, 8-19
Index-10
Index
FILE parameter (continued) grants (continued)

SQL*Loader utility, 12-29 exporting, 24-17
FILESIZE parameter importing, 25-19
Data Pump Export utility, 2-33 GRANTS parameter
Export utility, 24-14 Export utility, 24-17
Import utility, 25-17 Import utility, 25-19
FILLER field
using as argument to init_spec, 10-5
filtering data
H
using Data Pump Export utility, 2-1 HELP parameter
using Data Pump Import utility, 3-1 Data Pump Export utility
filtering metadata that is imported command-line mode, 2-37
Data Pump Import utility, 3-24 interactive-command mode, 2-67
finalizing Data Pump Import utility
in ADRCI utility, 19-3 command-line mode, 3-29
fine-grained access support interactive-command mode, 3-77
Export and Import, 25-50 Export utility, 24-17
fixed-format records, 7-4 Import utility, 25-19
fixed-length records hexadecimal strings
external tables, 15-6 SQL*Loader, 10-32
FLASHBACK_SCN parameter Hive table sources, 17-15
Data Pump Export utility, 2-33 homepath
Data Pump Import utility, 3-26 in ADRCI utility, 19-4
Export utility, 24-15 HOST command, ADRCI utility, 19-19
FLASHBACK_TIME parameter
Data Pump Export utility, 2-34
Data Pump Import utility, 3-27 I
Export utility, 24-15 IGNORE parameter
foreign function libraries Import utility, 25-19
exporting, 24-37 IMP_FULL_DATABASE role
importing, 25-47, 25-48 assigning in Import, 24-3, 25-3
formats Import
SQL*Loader input records and, 9-45 BUFFER parameter, 25-14
formatting errors character set conversion, 24-34, 24-36,
SQL*Loader, 9-14 25-42, 25-43
FROMUSER parameter COMMIT parameter, 25-14
Import utility, 25-17 committing after array insert, 25-14
full database mode COMPILE parameter, 25-15
Import, 25-18 CONSTRAINTS parameter, 25-15
specifying with FULL, 24-16 creating
full export mode necessary privileges, 24-3, 25-3
Data Pump Export utility, 2-4 necessary views, 24-3, 25-3
FULL parameter creating an index-creation SQL script, 25-20
Data Pump Export utility, 2-35 database optimizer statistics, 25-23
Data Pump Import utility, 3-28 DATAFILES parameter, 25-15
Export utility, 24-16 DESTROY parameter, 25-16
Import utility, 25-18 disabling referential constraints, 25-6
full transportable export, 2-4 displaying online help, 25-19
full transportable import, 3-4 dropping a tablespace, 25-53
errors importing database objects, 25-37
G example sessions, 25-29
all tables from one user to another, 25-30
globalization selected tables for specific user, 25-29
SQL*Loader, 9-21 tables exported by another user, 25-30
grants using partition-level Import, 25-31
11
Index
Import (continued) Import (continued)

exit codes, 24-31, 25-35 SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter,
export file 25-22
importing the entire file, 25-18 snapshot master table, 25-50
listing contents before import, 25-22 snapshots, 25-50
FEEDBACK parameter, 25-16 restoring dropped, 25-51
FILE parameter, 25-16 specifying by user, 25-17
FILESIZE parameter, 25-17 specifying index creation commands, 25-20
FROMUSER parameter, 25-17 specifying the export file, 25-16
FULL parameter, 25-18 STATISTICS parameter, 25-23
grants storage parameters
specifying for import, 25-19 overriding, 25-53
GRANTS parameter, 25-19 stored functions, 25-47
HELP parameter, 25-19 stored procedures, 25-47
IGNORE parameter, 25-19 STREAMS_CONFIGURATION parameter,
importing grants, 25-19 25-24
importing objects into other schemas, 25-4 STREAMS_INSTANTIATION parameter,
importing tables, 25-24 25-24
INDEXFILE parameter, 25-20 system objects, 25-4
INSERT errors, 25-36 table name restrictions, 2-55, 3-58, 25-26
invalid data, 25-36 table objects
invoking, 24-3, 25-7 import order, 25-2
LOG parameter, 25-21 table-level, 25-38
LONG columns, 25-48 TABLES parameter, 25-24
manually creating tables before import, 25-5 TABLESPACES parameter, 25-26
manually ordering tables, 25-6 TOID_NOVALIDATE parameter, 25-27
NLS_LANG environment variable, 24-36, TOUSER parameter, 25-27
25-43 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE parameter,
object creation errors, 25-19 25-28
online help, 24-6 TTS_OWNER parameter, 25-28
parameter file, 25-21 tuning considerations, 25-56
maximum size, 24-5, 25-8 user access privileges, 24-3, 25-3
parameter syntax, 25-13 USERID parameter, 25-29
PARFILE parameter, 25-21 VOLSIZE parameter, 25-29
partition-level, 25-38 incident
pattern matching of table names, 25-24 fault diagnosability infrastructure, 19-2
read-only tablespaces, 25-53 packaging, 19-11
RECORDLENGTH parameter, 25-21 incident package
records fault diagnosability infrastructure, 19-3
specifying length, 25-21 INCLUDE parameter
redirecting output to a log file, 24-30 Data Pump Export utility, 2-37
refresh error, 25-50 Data Pump Import utility, 3-30
remote operation, 24-34, 25-41 index options
reorganizing tablespace during, 25-54 SORTED INDEXES with SQL*Loader, 9-43
resource errors, 25-37 SQL*Loader SINGLEROW parameter, 9-43
restrictions Index Unusable state
importing into own schema, 25-3 indexes left in Index Unusable state, 9-30,
RESUMABLE parameter, 25-21 12-10
RESUMABLE_NAME parameter, 25-21 indexes
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT parameter, 25-22 creating manually, 25-20
reusing existing datafiles, 25-16 direct path load
schema objects, 25-4 left in direct load state, 12-10
sequences, 25-37 dropping
SHOW parameter, 25-22 SQL*Loader, 12-21
single-byte character sets, 24-36, 25-43 estimating storage requirements, 12-9
Index-12
Index
indexes (continued) invoking (continued)

exporting, 24-17 Import (continued)
index-creation commands with a parameter file, 24-4, 25-8
Import, 25-20 IPS command, ADRCI utility, 19-19
left in unusable state, 9-30, 12-15
multiple-column
SQL*Loader, 12-16
J
presorting data JOB_NAME parameter
SQL*Loader, 12-15 Data Pump Export utility, 2-39
skipping unusable, 8-30 Data Pump Import utility, 3-31
SQL*Loader, 9-42
state after discontinued load, 9-30
unique, 25-20 K
INDEXES parameter KEEP_MASTER parameter
Export utility, 24-17 Data Pump Export utility, 2-39
INDEXFILE parameter Data Pump Import utility, 3-32
Import utility, 25-20 key values
INFILE parameter generating with SQL*Loader, 10-57
SQL*Loader utility, 9-10 KILL_JOB parameter
insert errors Data Pump Export utility
Import, 25-36 interactive-command mode, 2-68
specifying, 8-17 Data Pump Import utility, 3-78
INSERT into table
SQL*Loader, 9-37
instance affinity L
Export and Import, 24-36
leading whitespace
instance recovery, 12-12
definition, 10-43
integrity constraints
trimming and SQL*Loader, 10-46
disabled during direct path load, 12-22
legacy mode in Data Pump, 4-1
enabled during direct path load, 12-22
length indicator
failed on Import, 25-36
determining size, 9-51
load method, 12-7
length-value pair specified LOBs, 11-25
interactive method
libraries
Data Pump Export utility, 2-2
foreign function
internal LOBs
exporting, 24-37
loading, 11-17
importing, 25-47, 25-48
interrupted loads, 9-28
little-endian data
INTO TABLE statement
external tables, 15-16
effect on bind array size, 9-54
LOAD parameter
multiple statements with SQL*Loader, 9-43
SQL*Loader command line, 8-20, 13-15
SQL*Loader, 9-35
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-15
column names, 10-5
loading
discards, 9-19
collections, 11-29
invalid data
column objects, 11-1
Import, 25-36
in variable record format, 11-3
invoking
with a derived subtype, 11-4
Export, 24-3, 25-7
with user-defined constructors, 11-7
at the command line, 24-4, 25-8
datafiles containing tabs
direct path, 24-32
SQL*Loader, 10-4
interactively, 24-5, 25-9
external table data
with a parameter file, 24-4, 25-8
skipping records, 15-18
Import, 24-3, 25-7
specifying conditions, 15-16, 15-21
as SYSDBA, 24-4, 25-9
LOBs, 11-16
at the command line, 24-4, 25-8
nested column objects, 11-3
interactively, 24-5, 25-9
13
Index
loading (continued) LogMiner utility (continued)

object tables, 11-10 DDL tracking
object tables with a subtype, 11-12 time or SCN ranges, 22-39
REF columns, 11-13 determining redo log files being analyzed,
subpartitioned tables, 12-4 22-13
tables, 12-4 dictionary
LOB data purpose of, 22-3
in delimited fields, 11-18 dictionary extracted to flat file
in length-value pair fields, 11-20 stored information about, 22-40
in predetermined size fields, 11-18 dictionary options, 22-8
loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16 flat file and, 22-9
no compression during export, 24-11 online catalog and, 22-9
size of read buffer, 8-25 redo log files and, 22-9
specifying storage in Data Pump, 3-63 ending a session, 22-47
types supported by SQL*Loader, 7-17, 11-16 executing reconstructed SQL, 22-28
LOB data types, 7-8 extracting data values from redo logs, 22-17
LOBFILEs, 7-8, 11-17, 11-21 filtering data by SCN, 22-28
log files, 17-12 filtering data by time, 22-27
after a discontinued load, 9-30 formatting returned data, 22-29
Export, 24-17, 24-30 graphical user interface, 22-1
Import, 24-30, 25-21 levels of supplemental logging, 22-31
limiting data written to by Data Pump, 3-61 LogMiner dictionary defined, 22-3
specifying for SQL*Loader, 8-21 mining a subset of data in redo log files,
SQL*Loader, 7-11 22-30
LOG parameter mining database definition for, 22-3
Export utility, 24-17 operations overview, 22-5
Import utility, 25-21 parameters
SQL*Loader command line, 8-21 stored information about, 22-40
LOGFILE parameter redo log files
Data Pump Export utility, 2-40 on a remote database, 22-31
Data Pump Import utility, 3-32 stored information about, 22-40
logical records requirements for dictionary, 22-4
consolidating multiple physical records using requirements for redo log files, 22-4
SQL*Loader, 9-31 requirements for source and mining
LogMiner utility, 22-31 databases, 22-4
accessing redo data of interest, 22-14 restrictions with XMLType data, 22-21
adjusting redo log file list, 22-31 sample configuration, 22-3
analyzing output, 22-16 showing committed transactions only, 22-24
configuration, 22-3 skipping corruptions, 22-26
considerations for reapplying DDL source database definition for, 22-3
statements, 22-30 specifying redo log files to mine, 22-12
current log file list automatically, 22-12
stored information about, 22-41 manually, 22-13
DBMS_LOGMNR PL/SQL procedure and, specifying redo logs for analysis, 22-45
22-5 starting, 22-13, 22-46
DBMS_LOGMNR_D PL/SQL procedure and, starting multiple times within a session, 22-30
22-5 steps for extracting dictionary to a flat file,
DBMS_LOGMNR_D.ADD_LOGFILES 22-11
PL/SQL procedure and, 22-5 steps for extracting dictionary to redo log
DBMS_LOGMNR_D.BUILD PL/SQL files, 22-10
procedure and, 22-5 steps for using dictionary in online catalog,
DBMS_LOGMNR_D.END_LOGMNR 22-10
PL/SQL procedure and, 22-5 steps in a typical session, 22-43
DBMS_LOGMNR.START_LOGMNR PL/SQL supplemental log groups, 22-31
procedure and, 22-5 conditional, 22-31
Index-14
Index
LogMiner utility (continued) Metadata API (continued)

supplemental log groups (continued) retrieving collections, 23-14
unconditional, 22-31 using to retrieve object metadata, 23-4
supplemental logging, 22-31 METRICS parameter
database level, 22-32 Data Pump Export utility, 2-42
database-level identification keys, 22-33 Data Pump Import utility, 3-34
disabling database-level, 22-34 missing data columns
interactions with DDL tracking, 22-38 SQL*Loader, 9-42
log groups, 22-31 multibyte character sets
minimal, 22-32 blanks with SQL*Loader, 10-32
stored information about, 22-40 SQL*Loader, 9-21
table-level identification keys, 22-35 multiple-column indexes
table-level log groups, 22-36 SQL*Loader, 12-16
user-defined log groups, 22-37 multiple-CPU systems
support for transparent data encryption, optimizing direct path loads, 12-20
22-14 multiple-table load
supported data types, 22-74 generating unique sequence numbers using
supported database versions, 22-77 SQL*Loader, 10-58
supported redo log file versions, 22-77 SQL*Loader control file specification, 9-43
suppressing delimiters in SQL_REDO and multitenant architecture, 22-7
SQL_UNDO, 22-29 multitenant container databases, 1-8, 22-6
table-level supplemental logging, 22-35 multithreading
tracking DDL statements, 22-37 on multiple-CPU systems, 12-20
requirements, 22-38 MULTITHREADING parameter
unsupported data types, 22-77 SQL*Loader command line, 8-21
using in a CDB, 22-6
using the online catalog, 22-10
using to analyze redo log files, 22-1
N
V$DATABASE view, 22-40 named pipes
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, 22-5, 22-16, external table loads, 7-13
22-24 native data types
V$LOGMNR_LOGS view conflicting length specifications
querying, 22-41 SQL*Loader, 10-20
views, 22-40 NCLOBs
LogMiner Viewer, 22-1 loading with SQL*Loader, 11-16
LOGTIME parameter nested column objects
Data Pump Export utility, 2-41 loading, 11-3
Data Pump Import utility, 3-33 nested tables
LONG data exporting, 24-39
exporting, 24-37 consistency and, 24-12
importing, 25-48 importing, 25-46
NETWORK_LINK parameter
M Data Pump Export utility, 2-43
Data Pump Import utility, 3-35
master tables networks
Oracle Data Pump API, 1-12 Export and Import, 24-33, 25-41
snapshots NFS errors when using Data Pump, 1-16
original Import, 25-50 NLS_LANG environment variable, 24-35, 25-42
MASTER_ONLY parameter with Export and Import, 24-36, 25-43
Data Pump Import utility, 3-34 NO_INDEX_ERRORS parameter
materialized views, 25-50 SQL*Loader command line, 8-22
media recovery NOLOGFILE parameter
direct path load, 12-12 Data Pump Export utility, 2-44
Metadata API Data Pump Import utility, 3-37
enhancing performance, 23-25 nonrecoverable error messages,
15
Index
nonrecoverable error messages (continued) online help (continued)

Export, 24-31 Export and Import, 24-6
Import, 24-31 opaque_format_spec, 14-5, 15-2, 16-2
nonscalar data types, 11-5 operating systems
NOT NULL constraint moving data to different systems using
load method, 12-7 SQL*Loader, 10-36
null data OPTIMAL storage parameter
missing columns at end of record during used with Export/Import, 25-53
load, 9-42 optimizer statistics, 25-54
unspecified columns and SQL*Loader, 10-5 optimizing
NULL values direct path loads, 12-14
objects, 11-5 SQL*Loader input file processing, 9-14
NULLIF clause OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY clause
SQL*Loader, 10-30, 10-41 SQL*Loader, 10-45
NULLIF parameter OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY parameter
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-16 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-16
NULLIF...BLANKS clause OPTIONS parameter
SQL*Loader, 10-31 for parallel loads, 9-39
nulls SQL*Loader utility, 9-4
atomic, 11-6 ORA-39357: Warning: Oracle Data Pump
attribute, 11-5 operations are not typically needed when
NUMBER data type connected to the root or seed of a
SQL*Loader, 10-22 container database, 1-8
numeric EXTERNAL data types Oracle Advanced Queuing
delimited form and SQL*Loader, 10-23 See Advanced Queuing
determining length, 10-28 Oracle Automatic Storage Management (ASM)
Data Pump and, 1-19
Oracle Data Pump
O direct path loads
object identifiers, 11-10 restrictions, 1-5
importing, 25-44 master table, 1-12
object names tuning performance, 5-2
SQL*Loader, 9-5 Oracle Data Pump API, 6-1
object tables client interface, 6-1
loading, 11-10 job states, 6-2
with a subtype monitoring job progress, 1-15
loading, 11-12 ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver
object type definitions effect of SQL ENCRYPT clause on, 16-6
exporting, 24-38 reserved words, 16-1, 16-18
object types supported by SQL*Loader, 7-16 ORACLE_HIVE
OBJECT_CONSISTENT parameter access parameters, 17-3
Export utility, 24-17 ORACLE_LOADER access driver
objects, 7-15 reserved words, 15-1, 15-51
creation errors, 25-37 ORC files, 17-10
ignoring existing objects during import, 25-19 overflow handling, 17-12
import creation errors, 25-19 OWNER parameter
loading nested column objects, 11-3 Export utility, 24-18
NULL values, 11-5
stream record format, 11-2 P
variable record format, 11-3
offline locally managed tablespaces packages
exporting, 24-38 creating, 19-12
OID padding of literal strings
See object identifiers SQL*Loader, 10-32
online help parallel loads, 12-26
Index-16
Index
parallel loads (continued) performance (continued)

restrictions on direct path, 12-28 tuning original Import, 25-56
when using PREPROCESSOR clause, 15-14 PIECED parameter
PARALLEL parameter SQL*Loader, 12-13
Data Pump Export utility POSITION parameter
command-line interface, 2-45 using with data containing tabs, 10-4
interactive-command mode, 2-68 with multiple SQL*Loader INTO TABLE
Data Pump Import utility clauses, 9-46, 10-3, 10-4
command-line mode, 3-37 predetermined size fields
interactive-command mode, 3-78 SQL*Loader, 10-44
SQL*Loader command line, 8-22 predetermined size LOBs, 11-23
parameter files preprocessing data for external tables, 15-11
Export, 24-18 effects of parallel processing, 15-14
Export and Import prerequisites
comments in, 24-5, 25-8 SQL*Loader, 12-1
maximum size, 24-5, 25-8 PRESERVE parameter, 9-33
Import, 25-21 preserving
SQL*Loader, 8-23 whitespace, 10-48
PARFILE parameter PRIMARY KEY constraints
Data Pump Export utility, 2-46 effect on direct path load, 12-30
Data Pump Import utility, 3-39 primary key OIDs
Export command line, 24-18 example, 11-10
Import command line, 25-21 primary key REF columns, 11-15
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-17 privileges
Parquet files, 17-10 EXEMPT ACCESS POLICY
parsing HDFS files, 17-13 effect on direct path export, 24-32
PARTITION_MEMORY parameter required for Export and Import, 24-3, 25-3
SQL*Loader utility, 8-23 required for SQL*Loader, 12-1
PARTITION_OPTIONS parameter problem
Data Pump Import utility, 3-40 fault diagnosability infrastructure, 19-2
partition-level Export, 24-9 problem key
example session, 24-28 fault diagnosability infrastructure, 19-3
partition-level Import, 25-38 PURGE command, ADRCI utility, 19-39
specifying, 24-21
partitioned loads
concurrent conventional path loads, 12-26
Q
SQL*Loader, 12-26 QUERY parameter
partitioned object support in SQL*Loader, 7-17 Data Pump Export utility, 2-47
partitioned tables Data Pump Import utility, 3-41
export consistency and, 24-12 Export utility, 24-18
exporting, 24-9 restrictions, 24-19
importing, 25-29, 25-38 QUIT command, ADRCI utility, 19-41
loading, 12-4 quotation marks
partitioning a database migration, 24-41, 25-55 escape characters and, 9-7
advantages of, 24-41, 25-55 file names and, 9-7
disadvantages of, 24-41, 25-55 SQL strings and, 9-6
procedure during export, 24-42, 25-56 table names and, 2-55, 3-58, 24-22, 25-26
pattern matching usage in Data Pump Export, 2-10
table names during import, 25-24 usage in Data Pump Import, 3-9
performance use with database object names, 9-6
improving when using integrity constraints,
12-26
optimizing for direct path loads, 12-14 R
optimizing reading of SQL*Loader data files, RC files, 17-10
9-14 read-consistent export, 24-12
17
Index
read-only tablespaces referential integrity constraints (continued)

Import, 25-53 SQL*Loader, 12-21
READSIZE parameter refresh error
SQL*Loader command line, 8-24 snapshots
effect on LOBs, 8-25 Import, 25-50
maximum size, 8-25 reject files
RECNUM parameter specifying for SQL*Loader, 9-14
use with SQL*Loader SKIP parameter, 10-56 rejected records
RECORDLENGTH parameter SQL*Loader, 7-9, 9-14
Export utility, 24-19 relative field positioning
Import utility, 25-21 where a field starts and SQL*Loader, 10-45
records with multiple SQL*Loader INTO TABLE
consolidating into a single logical record clauses, 9-45
SQL*Loader, 9-31 REMAP_DATA parameter
discarded by SQL*Loader, 7-9, 9-17 Data Pump Export utility, 2-49
distinguishing different formats for Data Pump Import utility, 3-43
SQL*Loader, 9-45 REMAP_DATAFILE parameter
extracting multiple logical records using Data Pump Import utility, 3-44
SQL*Loader, 9-43 REMAP_SCHEMA parameter
fixed format, 7-4 Data Pump Import utility, 3-46
missing data columns during load, 9-42 REMAP_TABLE parameter
rejected by SQL*Loader, 7-9, 7-10, 9-14 Data Pump Import utility, 3-48
setting column to record number with REMAP_TABLESPACE parameter
specifying how to load, 8-20, 13-15 remote operation
specifying length for export, 24-19 Export/Import, 24-34, 25-41
specifying length for import, 25-21 REPLACE table
stream record format, 7-6 replacing a table using SQL*Loader, 9-38
recovery reserved words
direct path load external tables, 15-51, 16-18
SQL*Loader, 12-11 ORACLE_DATAPUMP access driver, 16-1,
replacing rows, 9-38 16-18
redo log file ORACLE_LOADER access driver, 15-1,
LogMiner utility 15-51
versions supported, 22-77 SQL*Loader, 7-4
redo log files resource consumption
analyzing, 22-1 controlling in Data Pump Export utility, 5-2
requirements for LogMiner utility, 22-4 controlling in Data Pump Import utility, 5-2
specifying for the LogMiner utility, 22-12 resource errors
redo logs Import, 25-37
direct path load, 12-12 RESOURCE role, 25-3
instance and media recovery restrictions
SQL*Loader, 12-12 importing into another user’s schema, 25-4
minimizing use during direct path loads, table names in Export parameter file, 24-22
12-17 table names in Import parameter file, 2-55,
saving space 3-58, 25-26
direct path load, 12-17 RESUMABLE parameter
REF columns, 11-13 Export utility, 24-20
loading, 11-13 Import utility, 25-21
primary key, 11-15 SQL*Loader command line, 8-25
system-generated, 11-14 resumable space allocation
REF data enabling and disabling, 8-25, 24-20, 25-21
importing, 25-46 RESUMABLE_NAME parameter
referential integrity constraints Export utility, 24-20
disabling for import, 25-6 Import utility, 25-21
Index-18
Index
RESUMABLE_NAME parameter (continued) scientific notation for FLOAT EXTERNAL, 10-19

SQL*Loader command line, 8-25 script files
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT parameter running before Export and Import, 24-2, 25-2
Export utility, 24-20 SDFs
Import utility, 25-22 See secondary datafiles
SQL*Loader command line, 8-26 secondary datafiles, 7-8, 11-31
retrieving object metadata SecureFiles
using Metadata API, 23-4 encryption during Data Pump export, 2-24
REUSE_DATAFILES parameter SecureFiles LOB
Data Pump Import utility, 3-49 export considerations, 1-23
REUSE_DUMPFILES parameter security considerations
Data Pump Export utility, 2-50 direct path export, 24-32
roles segments
DATAPUMP_EXP_FULL_DATABASE, 1-10 temporary
DATAPUMP_IMP_FULL_DATABASE, 1-10 FILE parameter in SQL*Loader, 12-29
EXP_FULL_DATABASE, 24-3 SELECT command, ADRCI utility, 19-41
IMP_FULL_DATABASE, 25-3 functions, 19-41
RESOURCE, 25-3 sequence files, 17-10
rollback segments sequence numb, 10-57
effects of CONSISTENT Export parameter, sequence numbers
24-12 cached, 24-37
row errors exporting, 24-37
Import, 25-36 for multiple tables and SQL*Loader, 10-58
row format description, 17-10 generated by SQL*Loader SEQUENCE
row formats, 17-13 clause, 10-57
ROWID columns generated, not read and SQL*Loader, 10-5
loading with SQL*Loader, 12-2 SerDe parsing, 17-13
rows SERVICE_NAME parameter
choosing which to load using SQL*Loader, Data Pump Export utility, 2-52
9-39 Data Pump Import utility, 3-51
exporting, 24-20 SET BASE command, ADRCI utility, 19-51
specifying number to insert before save SET BROWSER command, ADRCI utility, 19-51
SQL*Loader, 12-11 SET CONTROL command, ADRCI utility, 19-52
updates to existing rows with SQL*Loader, SET ECHO command, ADRCI utility, 19-52
9-38 SET EDITOR command, ADRCI utility, 19-53
ROWS parameter SET HOMEPATH command, ADRCI utility, 19-53
Export utility, 24-20 SET TERMOUT command, ADRCI utility, 19-54
performance issues short records with missing data
SQL*Loader command line, 8-27 SHOW ALERT command, ADRCI utility, 19-54
using to specify when data saves occur, SHOW BASE command, ADRCI utility, 19-57
12-11 SHOW CONTROL command, ADRCI utility,
RUN command, ADRCI utility, 19-41 19-57
SHOW HM_RUN command, ADRCI utility, 19-58
SHOW HOMEPATH command, ADRCI utility,
S 19-59
SAMPLE parameter SHOW HOMES command, ADRCI utility, 19-60
Data Pump Export utility, 2-51 SHOW INCDIR command, ADRCI utility, 19-60
schema mode export SHOW INCIDENT command, ADRCI utility,
Data Pump Export utility, 2-5 19-61
schemas SHOW LOG command, ADRCI utility, 19-65
specifying for Export, 24-21 SHOW parameter
SCHEMAS parameter Import utility, 25-22
Data Pump Export utility, 2-51 SHOW PROBLEM command, ADRCI utility,
Data Pump Import utility, 3-50 19-66
19
Index
SHOW REPORT command, ADRCI utility, 19-67 SQL*Loader (continued)

SHOW TRACEFILE command, ADRCI utility, auditing direct path loads, 12-13
19-68 BAD command-line parameter, 8-4
SILENT parameter bad file, 13-5
SQL*Loader command line, 13-18 bad files, 8-5
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-17 BADFILE parameter, 9-14
single-byte character sets bind arrays and performance, 9-49
Export and Import, 24-36, 25-43 BINDSIZE command-line parameter, 8-6,
single-table loads 9-49
continuing, 9-30 choosing which rows to load, 9-39
SINGLEROW parameter, 9-43 COLUMNARRAYROWS command-line
SKIP parameter parameter, 8-6
effect on SQL*Loader RECNUM command-line parameters, 8-1
specification, 10-56 continuing single-table loads, 9-30
SQL*Loader command line, 8-29 CONTROL command-line parameter, 8-7
SKIP_INDEX_MAINTENANCE parameter control file, 9-2
SQL*Loader command line, 8-30 conventional path loads, 7-12, 12-2
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter DATA command-line parameter, 8-8, 13-8
Import utility, 25-22 data conversion, 7-9
SQL*Loader command line, 8-30 data definition language
SKIP_USABLE_INDEXES parameter syntax diagrams, A-1
Data Pump Import utility, 3-52 data type specifications, 7-9
skipping unusable indexes, 8-30 DATE_CACHE command-line parameter, 8-9
SmartScan mode, 17-6 DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM command-line
snapshot log parameter, 8-11
Import, 25-50 determining default schema, 9-37
snapshots, 25-51 DIRECT command-line parameter, 8-12
importing, 25-50 direct path method, 7-12
master table auditing, 12-13
Import, 25-50 using date cache feature to improve
restoring dropped performance, 12-19
Import, 25-51 DISCARD command-line parameter, 8-13
SORTED INDEXES clause discarded records, 7-9
direct path loads, 9-43 DISCARDFILE parameter, 9-18
SQL*Loader, 12-15 DISCARDMAX parameter, 9-18
sorting DISCARDS parameter, 9-18
multiple-column indexes DNFS_ENABLE command-line parameter,
SQL*Loader, 12-16 8-14
optimum sort order DNFS_READBUFFERS command-line
SQL*Loader, 12-16 parameter, 8-15
presorting in direct path load, 12-15 errors caused by tabs, 10-4
SORTED INDEXES clause ERRORS command-line parameter, 8-17
SQL*Loader, 12-15 exclusive access, 12-26
source name, 17-15 express mode, 13-1
SOURCE_EDITION parameter external table loads, 7-13
Data Pump Export utility, 2-53 EXTERNAL_TABLE command-line
Data Pump Import utility, 3-53 parameter, 8-17
SPOOL command, ADRCI utility, 19-69 FILE command-line parameter, 8-19
SQL operators file names, 9-5
applying to fields, 10-49 globalization technology, 9-21
SQL strings index options, 9-42
applying SQL operators to fields, 10-49 inserting rows into tables, 9-37
quotation marks and, 9-6 INTO TABLE statement, 9-35
SQL*Loader LOAD command-line parameter, 8-20, 13-15
appending rows to tables, 9-38 load methods, 12-1
Index-20
Index
SQL*Loader (continued) SQL*Loader express mode (continued)

loading column objects, 11-1 CHARACTERSET parameter, 13-6
loading data across different platforms, 10-36 CSV parameter, 13-7
loading data contained in the control file, DATA parameter, 13-7
10-55 DATE_FORMAT parameter, 13-9
loading object tables, 11-10 default values, 13-2
LOG command-line parameter, 8-21 DEGREE_OF_PARALLELISM parameter,
log files, 7-11 13-9
methods of loading data, 7-11 DIRECT parameter, 13-10
multiple INTO TABLE statements, 9-43 DNFS_ENABLE parameter, 13-11
MULTITHREADING command-line DNFS_READBUFFERS parameter, 13-12
parameter, 8-21 ENCLOSED_BY parameter, 13-12
NO_INDEX_ERRORS command-line EXTERNAL_TABLE parameter, 13-13
parameter, 8-22 FIELD_NAMES parameter, 13-14
object names, 9-5 LOAD parameter, 13-15
PARALLEL command-line parameter, 8-22 NULLIF parameter, 13-16
parallel data loading, 12-26, 12-27, 12-31 OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY parameter,
portable data types, 10-14 13-16
READSIZE command-line parameter, 8-24 PARFILE parameter, 13-17
maximum size, 8-25 SILENT parameter, 13-17
rejected records, 7-9 syntax diagrams, 13-21
replacing rows in tables, 9-38 TABLE parameter, 13-18
required privileges, 12-1 TERMINATED_BY parameter, 13-19
RESUMABLE command-line parameter, 8-25 TIMESTAMP_FORMAT parameter, 13-19
RESUMABLE_NAME command-line TRIM parameter, 13-20
parameter, 8-25 USERID parameter, 13-21
RESUMABLE_TIMEOUT command-line SQL*Loader utility
parameter, 8-26 PARTITION_MEMORY parameter, 8-23
ROWS command-line parameter, 8-27 SQLFILE parameter
SILENT command-line parameter, 13-18 Data Pump Import utility, 3-54
SINGLEROW parameter, 9-43 START_JOB parameter
SKIP command-line parameter, 8-29 Data Pump Export utility
SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES command-line interactive-command mode, 2-69
parameter, 8-30 Data Pump Import utility
SORTED INDEXES during direct path loads, interactive-command mode, 3-79
9-43 starting
specifying columns, 10-5 LogMiner utility, 22-13
specifying data files, 9-10 statistics
specifying field conditions, 10-30 analyzer, 25-54
specifying fields, 10-5 optimizer, 25-54
specifying load method, 8-12 specifying for Import, 25-23
specifying more than one data file, 9-12 STATISTICS parameter
STREAMSIZE command-line parameter, Import utility, 25-23
8-31 STATUS parameter
suppressing messages, 13-18 Data Pump Export utility, 2-54
TRIM command-line parameter, 8-32 interactive-command mode, 2-69
USERID command-line parameter, 8-33, Data Pump Import utility, 3-55
13-21 interactive-command mode, 3-79
SQL*Loader control files STOP_JOB parameter
guidelines when creating, 7-3 Data Pump Export utility
SQL*Loader data types interactive-command mode, 2-70
nonportable, 10-8 Data Pump Import utility
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-1 interactive-command mode, 3-80
BAD parameter, 13-5 storage parameters
byte-order handling, 13-3 estimating export requirements, 24-3
21
Index
storage parameters (continued) system objects

OPTIMAL parameter, 25-53 importing, 25-4
overriding system triggers
Import, 25-53 effect on import, 25-7
preallocating testing, 25-7
direct path load, 12-14 system-generated OID REF columns, 11-14
temporary for a direct path load, 12-9
using with Export/Import, 25-52
stored functions
T
importing, 25-47 table compression
effect of COMPILE parameter, 25-47 specifying type in Data Pump jobs, 3-64
stored package, 25-47 table names
stored packages preserving case sensitivity, 24-22
importing, 25-47 TABLE parameter
stored procedures SQL*Loader express mode, 13-18
direct path load, 12-25 TABLE_EXISTS_ACTION parameter
importing, 25-47 Data Pump Import utility, 3-56
effect of COMPILE parameter, 25-47 table-level Export, 24-9
stream buffer table-level Import, 25-38
specifying size for direct path, 12-18 table-mode Export
stream record format, 7-6 Data Pump Export utility, 2-6
loading column objects in, 11-2 specifying, 24-21
Streams environment in Data Pump table-mode Import
setting buffer cache size, 5-4 examples, 25-29
STREAMS_CONFIGURATION parameter tables, 14-1
Data Pump Import utility, 3-55 Advanced Queuing
Import utility, 25-24 exporting, 24-39
STREAMS_INSTANTIATION parameter importing, 25-48
Import utility, 25-24 appending rows with SQL*Loader, 9-38
STREAMSIZE parameter defining before Import, 25-5
SQL*Loader command line, 8-31 definitions
string comparisons creating before Import, 25-5
SQL*Loader, 10-32 exclusive access during direct path loads
struct overflows, 17-12 SQL*Loader, 12-26
subpartitioned tables external, 14-1
loading, 12-4 importing, 25-24
subtypes insert triggers
loading multiple, 9-47 direct path load in SQL*Loader, 12-24
supplemental logging, 22-31 inserting rows using SQL*Loader, 9-37
LogMiner utility, 22-31 loading data into more than one table using
database-level identification keys, 22-33 SQL*Loader, 9-43
log groups, 22-31 loading object tables, 11-10
table-level, 22-35 maintaining consistency during Export, 24-12
table-level identification keys, 22-35 manually ordering for Import, 25-6
table-level log groups, 22-36 master table
See also LogMiner utility Import, 25-50
synonyms name restrictions
exporting, 24-39 Export, 24-22
syntax diagrams Import, 2-55, 3-58, 25-24, 25-26
Data Pump Export, 2-73 nested
Data Pump Import, 3-81 exporting, 24-39
SQL*Loader, A-1 importing, 25-46
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-21 objects
SYSDATE parameter order of import, 25-2
SQL*Loader, 10-57 partitioned, 24-9
Index-22
Index
tables (continued) TOID_NOVALIDATE parameter

replacing rows using SQL*Loader, 9-38 Import utility, 25-27
specifying for export, 24-21 TOUSER parameter
specifying table-mode Export, 24-21 Import utility, 25-27
SQL*Loader method for individual tables, trace files
9-37 viewing with ADRCI, 19-9
truncating trailing blanks
SQL*Loader, 9-38 loading with delimiters, 10-26
updating existing rows using SQL*Loader, TRAILING NULLCOLS parameter
9-38 SQL*Loader utility, 9-4, 9-42
See also external tables trailing whitespace
TABLES parameter trimming, 10-47
Data Pump Export utility, 2-54 TRANSFORM parameter
Data Pump Import utility, 3-57 Data Pump Import utility, 3-61
Export utility, 24-21 transparent data encryption
Import utility, 25-24 as handled by Data Pump Export, 2-26
tablespace mode Export as handled by Data Pump Import, 3-21
Data Pump Export utility, 2-6 LogMiner support, 22-14
tablespaces TRANSPORT_DATAFILES parameter
dropping during import, 25-53 Data Pump Import utility, 3-65
exporting a set of, 24-40, 25-51 TRANSPORT_FULL_CHECK parameter
metadata Data Pump Export utility, 2-58
transporting, 25-28 Data Pump Import utility, 3-67
read-only TRANSPORT_TABLESPACE parameter
Import, 25-53 Export utility, 24-23
reorganizing Import utility, 25-28
Import, 25-54 TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameter
TABLESPACES parameter Data Pump Export utility, 2-58
Data Pump Export utility, 2-57 Data Pump Import utility, 3-68
Data Pump Import utility, 3-59 transportable option
Export utility, 24-23 used during full-mode export, 2-4
Import utility, 25-26 used during full-mode import, 3-4
tabs used during table-mode export, 2-56
loading datafiles containing tabs, 10-4 TRANSPORTABLE parameter
trimming, 10-41 Data Pump Export utility, 2-60
whitespace, 10-41 Data Pump Import utility, 3-70
TARGET_EDITION parameter transportable tablespaces, 24-40, 25-51
Data Pump Import utility, 3-60 transportable-tablespace mode Export
temporary segments, 12-29 Data Pump Export utility, 2-7
FILE parameter triggers
SQL*Loader, 12-29 database insert, 12-24
temporary storage in a direct path load, 12-9 logon
TERMINATED BY clause effect in SQL*Loader, 9-37
with OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY, 10-45 permanently disabled, 12-26
terminated fields replacing with integrity constraints, 12-24
specified with a delimiter, 10-44 system
TERMINATED_BY parameter testing, 25-7
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-19 update
text files, 17-10 SQL*Loader, 12-25
text overflows, 17-12 TRIGGERS parameter
TIMESTAMP_FORMAT parameter Export utility, 24-23
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-19 TRIM parameter
timestamps SQL*Loader command line, 8-32
on Data Pump Export operations, 2-41 SQL*Loader express mode, 13-20
on Data Pump Import operations, 3-33 trimming
23
Index
trimming (continued) variable-length records

summary, 10-41 external tables, 15-6
trailing whitespace VARRAY columns
SQL*Loader, 10-47 memory issues when loading, 11-33
TTS_FULL_CHECK parameter VERSION parameter
Export utility, 24-24 Data Pump Export utility, 2-62
TTS_OWNERS parameter Data Pump Import utility, 3-72
Import utility, 25-28 viewing
trace files with ADRCI, 19-9
views
U exporting as tables, 2-63
unified auditing VIEWS_AS_TABLES
during SQL*Loader operations, 12-13 Data Pump Export parameter, 2-63
union overflows, 17-12 VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Network Import)
UNIQUE KEY constraints Data Pump Import parameter, 3-73
effect on direct path load, 12-30 VIEWS_AS_TABLES (Non-Network Import)
unique values Data Pump Import parameter, 3-75
generating with SQL*Loader, 10-57 VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter
unloading entire database Data Pump Export utility, 2-63
Data Pump Export utility, 2-4 VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter (Network
UNRECOVERABLE clause Import)
unsorted data VIEWS_AS_TABLES parameter (Non_Network
direct path load Import)
user mode export VOLSIZE parameter
specifying, 24-18 Export utility, 24-24
USER_SEGMENTS view Import utility, 25-29
Export and, 24-3
user-defined constructors, 11-7 W
loading column objects with, 11-7
USERID parameter warning messages
Export utility, 24-24 Export, 24-31
Import utility, 25-29 Import, 24-31
SQL*Loader command line, 8-33, 13-21 WHEN clause
SQL*Loader express mode, 13-21 SQL*Loader, 9-39, 10-30
SQL*Loader discards resulting from, 9-19
whitespace
V included in a field, 10-46
V$DATABASE view, 22-40 leading, 10-43
V$LOGMNR_CONTENTS view, 22-16 preserving, 10-48
formatting information returned to, 22-24 terminating a field, 10-46
impact of querying, 22-16 trimming, 10-41
information within, 22-14
limiting information returned to, 22-24 X
LogMiner utility, 22-5
requirements for querying, 22-13, 22-16 XML columns
V$LOGMNR_LOGS view, 22-13 loading with SQL*Loader, 11-17
querying, 22-41 treatment by SQL*Loader, 11-17
V$SESSION_LONGOPS view XML type tables
monitoring Data Pump jobs with, 1-15 identifying in SQL*Loader, 9-8
VARCHAR2 data type XMLTYPE clause
SQL*Loader, 10-22 in SQL*Loader control file, 9-8
variable records, 7-5
format, 11-3
Index-24

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Oracle® Database

12c Release 2 (12.2)

Primary Author: Rhonda Day

Changes in This Release for Oracle Database Utilities

Part I Oracle Data Pump

1 Overview of Oracle Data Pump

2 Data Pump Export

3 Data Pump Import

4 Data Pump Legacy Mode

5 Data Pump Performance

6 The Data Pump API

8 SQL*Loader Command-Line Reference

9 SQL*Loader Control File Reference

10 SQL*Loader Field List Reference

11 Loading Objects, LOBs, and Collections

12 Conventional and Direct Path Loads

Part III External Tables

14 External Tables Concepts

15 The ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver

16 The ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver

18 External Tables Examples

Part IV Other Utilities

19 ADRCI: ADR Command Interpreter

22 Using LogMiner to Analyze Redo Log Files

23 Using the Metadata APIs

A SQL*Loader Syntax Diagrams

B Instant Client for SQL*Loader, Export, and Import

For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle

Access to Oracle Support

Changes in Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1)

Oracle Data Pump Export and Import

TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES parameters for more information about

• In SQL*Loader express mode, the ENCLOSED_BY, OPTIONALLY_ENCLOSED_BY, and

Oracle External Tables

DBMS_METADATA and DBMS_METADATA_DIFF PL/SQL Packages

These topics are discussed:

• What Happens During Execution of a Data Pump Job?

• Auditing Data Pump Jobs

• Character Set and Globalization Support Considerations

1.1 Data Pump Components

• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for a description

1.2 How Does Data Pump Move Data?

• Using Data File Copying to Move Data

1.2.1 Using Data File Copying to Move Data

• Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference for information about

1.2.2 Using Direct Path to Move Data

Situations in Which Direct Path Load Is Not Used

Situations in Which Direct Path Unload Is Not Used

• The table contains a column of an evolved type that needs upgrading.

1.2.3 Using External Tables to Move Data

• The ORACLE_DATAPUMP Access Driver

1.2.4 Using Conventional Path to Move Data

1.2.5 Using Network Link Import to Move Data

Supported Link Types

Unsupported Link Types

• The Export NETWORK_LINK parameter for information about performing

1.3 Using Data Pump With CDBs

• Using Data Pump to Move Databases Into a CDB

1.3.1 Using Data Pump to Move Databases Into a CDB

1.3.2 Using Data Pump to Move PDBs Within Or Between CDBs