In Oracle database, SQL Loader is a powerful tool used to load data from external files into the database tables. It provides a fast and efficient way to load large volumes of data. On the other hand, Oracle Data Pump is a utility for exporting and importing data and metadata between Oracle databases.

You can use SQL Loader with Oracle Data Pump to enhance the data loading process. In this article, we will discuss how to integrate SQL Loader with Oracle Data Pump.

Prerequisites

• Oracle Database installed and running.
• SQL Loader and Data Pump utilities installed.
• Access privileges to use SQL Loader and Data Pump.

Steps to use SQL Loader with Oracle Data Pump

1. Create a control file:
   • The control file specifies the format of the data and the table to which the data is to be loaded. Create a control file using a text editor with the .ctl extension.
   • Here’s an example of a control file mydata.ctl:

LOAD DATA
INFILE 'input_data.txt'
APPEND
INTO TABLE my_table
FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '"'
( 
   column1,
   column2,
   column3
)

1. Create a parameter file:
   • The parameter file contains the parameters that control the behavior of the Data Pump utility. Create a parameter file using a text editor with the .par extension.
   • Here’s an example of a parameter file mydata.par:

DIRECTORY=my_dir
DUMPFILE=mydata.dmp
LOGFILE=mydata.log
JOB_NAME=mydata_job
TABLES=(my_table)

1. Run the SQL Loader:
   • Use the SQL*Loader command to load the data into the Oracle database using the control file created before.
   • Open the command prompt or terminal and run the following command:

sqlldr username/password control=mydata.ctl

1. Run the Data Pump export:
   • Use the Data Pump export utility (expdp) to create a data pump export dump file.
   • Open the command prompt or terminal and run the following command:

expdp username/password parfile=mydata.par

1. Run the Data Pump import:
   • Use the Data Pump import utility (impdp) to import the data into another Oracle database.
   • Open the command prompt or terminal and run the following command:

impdp username/password parfile=mydata.par

Conclusion

By using SQL Loader with Oracle Data Pump, you can efficiently load data from external files into Oracle database tables. This combination of utilities allows for fast and flexible data loading, making it an essential tool for database administrators and developers.

#oracle #sqlloader