You load data into an Oracle database on Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service using the same tools you would use for an Oracle database on another system.

The location of the database in an Oracle data center does not place any special restrictions on data loading. However, transmission speeds across the Internet tend to be slower, sometimes much slower, than on internal networks, and you should factor this in when choosing any data loading approach.

The following sections outline several common tools and techniques used to load data into an Oracle database. Also, see Migrating Oracle Databases to Exadata Cloud Service for additional techniques and more specific information about migrating existing Oracle databases to Exadata Cloud Service.

Using SQL*Loader to Load Data into the Database

SQL*Loader is a high-speed data loading utility that loads data from external files into tables in an Oracle database. SQL*Loader accepts input data in a variety of formats, can perform filtering, and can load data into multiple Oracle database tables during the same load session. SQL*Loader provides three methods for loading data: Conventional Path Load, Direct Path Load, and External Table Load.

For information, see "SQL Loader" in Oracle Database Utilities for Release 18, 12.2, 12.1 or 11.2.

Using Oracle Data Pump Import to Load Data into the Database

Oracle Data Pump is an Oracle Database feature that offers very fast bulk data and metadata movement between Oracle databases. Oracle Data Pump provides two high-speed, parallel utilities: Export (expdp) and Import (impdp). Data Pump automatically manages multiple, parallel streams for maximum throughput of unload and load operations. The degree of parallelism can be adjusted on-the-fly.

For information, see "Data Pump Import" in Oracle Database Utilities for Release 18, 12.2, 12.1 or 11.2.

Using Transportable Tablespaces to Load Data into the Database

Transportable Tablespaces is an Oracle Database feature that copies a set of tablespaces from one Oracle database to another. Moving data using transportable tablespaces can be much more efficient than performing either an export/import or unload/load of the same data. This is because the tablespace datafiles are copied to the destination location, which avoids the cost of formatting the data into Oracle blocks. Also, in some circumstances, your Transportable Tablespace can contain previously encrypted or compressed data, which avoids the cost of decrypting and re-encrypting, or expanding and re-compressing the data.

For information, see "Transporting Tablespaces Between Databases" in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for Release 18, 12.2, 12.1 or 11.2.

Using Pluggable Databases (PDBs) to Load Data into the Database

The multitenant architecture of Oracle Database 12c and later releases supports the moving of a pluggable database (PDB) from one container database (CDB) to another. This capability makes it easy to load data into Exadata Cloud Service, provided that the source data is already inside a PDB on Oracle Database 12c or a later release.

For information about PDBs and how to unplug, move, and plug them, see "Overview of Configuring and Managing a Multitenant Environment" in Oracle Multitenant Administrator’s Guide for Release 18 or "Overview of Managing a Multitenant Environment" in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for Release 12.2 or 12.1.

Using Oracle Data Transfer Service to Move Large Data Sets

Regardless of how you load data into your databases, it typically makes sense to use a bulk data transfer mechanism to move data close to your Exadata Cloud Service instance before performing a data loading operation.

For smaller data sets, the data can easily be copied over the Internet. However, when the data set is large this may not be feasible. To accommodate these situations, you can use Oracle Data Transfer Service to physically send large data sets to Oracle Cloud.

When you engage Oracle Data Transfer Service:

1. Oracle sends a storage appliance to your data center.

2. You install and configure the appliance into your environment and copy data to the appliance using NFS.

3. Before shipping the appliance back to Oracle, you remove and retain the encryption key from the appliance to ensure in-transit data security.

4. Oracle picks up the appliance and ships it back to the Oracle Cloud data center.

5. You transmit the appliance encryption key to Oracle using a secure communication channel.

6. Oracle copies your data to an Oracle Storage Cloud Service container and provides you with logs to verify the data transfer.

7. You load the data into an Exadata Cloud Service database.

8. Oracle scrubs the storage appliance to remove all traces of the data.

Oracle can provide additional consulting and advanced support services to assist with:

• Installing and configuring the storage appliance in your data center.

• Copying data to the storage appliance.

• Loading data into an Exadata Cloud Service database.