Comparing Data Streams with Distribution Paths

Important: Data Streams is hosted by the Distribution Service, but it is not a Distribution Path. A Distribution Path moves Oracle GoldenGate trail data between services. A Data Stream publishes decoded change records to an application over WebSocket.

The following table explains the detailed differentiation between Data Streams and Distribution Paths:

Capability	Data Stream	Distribution Path
Primary consumer	Application, integration service, data platform, or custom CDC client	Oracle GoldenGate Receiver Service or another GoldenGate deployment
Wire protocol	WebSocket (ws or wss)	Oracle GoldenGate trail distribution protocol
Payload	JSON schema records, metadata, DML, and DDL	GoldenGate trail blocks
Client checkpoint	Consumer saves the opaque pos value	GoldenGate services manage trail checkpoints
Typical use	Event-driven applications, direct CDC ingestion, custom integrations	GoldenGate-to-GoldenGate trail transport