While SQL*Loader is an excellent tool to load data from an external file, it lacks the ability to offload data for the purposes of populating another database. Historically, standard tools such as Export (exp) and Import (imp) were used for such a purpose. However, as time went on and the needs for transporting data evolved, these tools began to show their age. So, in Version 10g, Oracle introduced a new tool to replace Export and Import – Oracle Data Pump.
Oracle Data Pump is the primary tool used to transport data from one Oracle database to another. It is an extremely effective tool for this purpose, but it is also important to understand its limitations. It is not a replacement for SQL*Loader and cannot load delimited data or data from another RDBMS into an Oracle database. It cannot be used to present flatfile data to a user in the way that an external table can. Nor is it a backup and recovery tool in the...