If SQL*Loader is properly configured the load can be sped up in a meaningful way by means of the direct path load. Direct path was a new feature introduced in Oracle 7.3, and it hasn't changed too much since then. Direct path is an Oracle feature that allows an insertion process to go directly to the database files without using the database transactional mechanism. It allows the data load process to be performed in the fastest possible way. It must be noted that there is a price to pay in the transaction and recoverability models for the increased processing speed.

When a conventional path load takes place, SQL*Loader fills a bind array buffer and passes it to the Oracle database so it is processed by means of regular SQL INSERT commands—SQL*Loader performs a batch insert assembling 64 rows (by default). Afterwards a commit command is issued. This approach makes the database buffer to allocate resources to perform the insert, and generates a transaction...