Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 8
Data Pump
Data Pump is often described as an upgraded version of the old
exp
/
imp
utilities. That depiction is inaccurate; it's
a bit like calling a modern smartphone a replacement for an old rotary-dial landline. Although the old utilities are
dependable and work well, Data Pump encompasses that functionality and while adding completely new dimensions
to how data can be lifted and moved between environments. This chapter will help explain how Data Pump makes
your current data transfer tasks easier and will also show how to move information and solve problems in ways that
you didn't think were possible.
Data Pump enables you to efficiently back up, replicate, secure, and transform large amounts data and metadata.
You can use Data Pump in a variety of ways:
•
Perform point-in-time logical backups of the entire database or subsets of data
•
Replicate entire databases or subsets of data for testing or development
•
Quickly generate DDL required to recreate objects
•
Sometimes, DBAs exert a Luddite-like attachment to the
exp
/
imp
utilities because the DBAs are familiar with
the syntax of these utilities, and they get the job done quickly. Even if those legacy utilities are easy to use, you should
consider using Data Pump going forward. Data Pump contains substantial functionality over the old
exp
/
imp
utilities:
Upgrade a database by exporting from the old version and importing into the new version
•
Performance with large data sets, allowing efficient export and import gigabytes of data
•
Interactive command line utility, which lets you disconnect and then later attach to active
Data Pump jobs
•
Ability to export large amounts of data from a remote database and import them directly into a
local database without creating a dump file
•
Ability to make on-the-fly changes to schemas, tablespaces, data files, and storage settings
from export to import
•
Sophisticated filtering of objects and data
•
Security-controlled (via database) directory objects
•
Advanced features, such as compression and encryption
This chapter begins with a discussion on the Data Pump architecture. Subsequent topics include basic export
and import tasks, moving data across networks, filtering data, and running Data Pump in legacy mode.
