Data Pump 12c – Pumping Data with the LOGTIME Parameter

Since its release, Oracle Data Pump has been a worthy successor to the traditional exp/imp tools.  However, one area lacking with Data Pump has been something as simple as the ability to identify how long each step of a Data Pump job actually takes.  The log will show start time at the top of the log and end time at the bottom, but the time of execution for each step is a mystery.  Oracle 12c solves this problem with the LOGTIME parameter, which adds a timestamp to the execution of each step of the Data Pump job.  Here’s what it looks like without the parameter.

/home/oracle:test1:expdp altdotoracle/altdotoracle \

> directory=data_pump_dir dumpfile=expdp.dmp \

> tables=employee

Export: Release 12.1.0.1.0 - Production on Tue Aug 13 09:32:38 2013

Copyright (c) 1982, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

Connected to: Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition Release 12.1.0.1.0 - 64bit Production

With the Partitioning, OLAP, Advanced Analytics and Real Application Testing options

Starting "ALTDOTORACLE"."SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01":  altdotoracle/******** directory=data_pump_dir dumpfile=expdp.dmp tables=employee

Estimate in progress using BLOCKS method...

Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/TABLE_DATA

Total estimation using BLOCKS method: 64 KB

Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/TABLE

Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/STATISTICS/TABLE_STATISTICS

Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/STATISTICS/MARKER

. . exported "ALTDOTORACLE"."EMPLOYEE"                   10.93 KB      16 rows

Master table "ALTDOTORACLE"."SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01" successfully loaded/unloaded

******************************************************************************

Dump file set for ALTDOTORACLE.SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01 is:

  /oracle/base/admin/test1/dpdump/expdp.dmp

Job "ALTDOTORACLE"."SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01" successfully completed at Tue Aug 13 09:32:51 2013 elapsed 0 00:00:11

With the LOGTIME parameter, each step is prefixed with a timestamp, indicating the start time for each event that is processed.

/home/oracle:test1:expdp altdotoracle/altdotoracle \

> directory=data_pump_dir dumpfile=expdp.dmp \

> tables=employee LOGTIME=ALL

Export: Release 12.1.0.1.0 - Production on Tue Aug 13 09:34:54 2013

Copyright (c) 1982, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

Connected to: Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition Release 12.1.0.1.0 - 64bit Production

With the Partitioning, OLAP, Advanced Analytics and Real Application Testing options

13-AUG-13 09:34:56.757: Starting "ALTDOTORACLE"."SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01":  altdotoracle/******** directory=data_pump_dir dumpfile=expdp.dmp tables=employee LOGTIME=ALL

13-AUG-13 09:34:57.019: Estimate in progress using BLOCKS method...

13-AUG-13 09:34:57.364: Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/TABLE_DATA

13-AUG-13 09:34:57.396: Total estimation using BLOCKS method: 64 KB

13-AUG-13 09:34:57.742: Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/TABLE

13-AUG-13 09:34:57.894: Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/STATISTICS/TABLE_STATISTICS

13-AUG-13 09:34:57.964: Processing object type TABLE_EXPORT/TABLE/STATISTICS/MARKER

13-AUG-13 09:35:04.853: . . exported "ALTDOTORACLE"."EMPLOYEE"   10.93 KB      16 rows

13-AUG-13 09:35:05.123: Master table "ALTDOTORACLE"."SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01" successfully loaded/unloaded

13-AUG-13 09:35:05.127: ******************************************************************************

13-AUG-13 09:35:05.128: Dump file set for ALTDOTORACLE.SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01 is:

13-AUG-13 09:35:05.131:   /oracle/base/admin/test1/dpdump/expdp.dmp

13-AUG-13 09:35:05.134: Job "ALTDOTORACLE"."SYS_EXPORT_TABLE_01" successfully completed at Tue Aug 13 09:35:05 2013 elapsed 0 00:00:09

The parameter works similarly with Data Pump Import.  Note that, although it is documented, the LOGTIME parameter is not described when you do a expdp help=y or impdp help=y command.

RMAN 12c – More SQL without ‘sql’

Up until version 12c, the RMAN command line parser was capable of parsing certain DML and DDL statements.  To do this, we use the “sql” command from the RMAN command line, like this.

11gHost> rman

Recovery Manager: Release 11.2.0.2.0 - Production on Wed Aug 7 15:29:19 2013

Copyright (c) 1982, 2009, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

RMAN> connect target

connected to target database: TEST2 (DBID=1111111111)

RMAN> sql 'create table altdotoracle (col1 number)';

sql statement: create table altdotoracle (col1 number)

RMAN> sql 'insert into altdotoracle values (1)';

sql statement: insert into altdotoracle values (1)

However, one operation we could not do was SELECT.  The RMAN parser lacked the facility to return arrays of data to the screen.  This shouldn’t be surprising, considering that RMAN is intended to be used to run backup and restore operations.

RMAN> sql 'select * from altdotoracle';

sql statement: select * from altdotoracle

The statement does not error, but no data is returned.  Now, in version 12c, we get two new benefits in this area.  First, we no longer need to use the ‘sql’ command.  For example…

12cHost> rman

Recovery Manager: Release 12.1.0.1.0 - Production on Wed Aug 7 15:35:27 2013

Copyright (c) 1982, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

RMAN> connect target

connected to target database: TEST1 (DBID=1212121212)

RMAN> create table altdotoracle (col1 number);

Statement processed

RMAN> insert into altdotoracle values (1);

Statement processed

Additionally, the RMAN parser in 12c allows us to run SELECT commands, as well as DESCRIBE commands.

RMAN> select * from altdotoracle;

      COL1

----------

         1

RMAN> describe altdotoracle

 Name                                      Null?    Type

 ----------------------------------------- -------- ----------------------------

 COL1                                               NUMBER

The ability to use the ‘sql’ RMAN command is still supported for backward compatibility.  A simple thing, but useful!

Oracle 12c - Out With the Grid, In With the Cloud

So Oracle database 12c is out now.  The cloud (and hence the “c”) is hanging over us.  At least we don’t have to hear about “the grid” anymore.  New versions of Oracle are funny things – as DBAs, we’re kinda excited about the possibilities, but then reality sets in and we realize that our company isn’t going to upgrade for a long time.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing – some of us have experienced the pain of the “release 1’s” that have come out in recent years.  There are generally early adopters and then everyone else.  Over the course of my time as a DBA, I’ve swung from wanting to be on “the bleeding edge” to saying “we’re not upgrading until the terminal release!”  Reality is somewhere in the middle – every release probably has something useful to us.  Inevitably, what I see is that new versions come out and DBAs don’t get familiar with the new features.  Let’s be honest – so many features seem oriented towards selling something that we miss the good ones.  But understanding a new feature set can be extremely useful.  I’m not promising anything, but 12c could have that one new thing that could make your life so much easier that you eventually can’t live without it.  Who could really deny the importance of stuff like ASM and the AWR that came with version 10g?  Of course, reading through the actual new features documentation can be about as pleasant as giving yourself a root canal.  So, since I’ve combed through some of the docs, I wanted to spare you the pain and give you some of the good stuff.  Over the next few posts, we’ll take a look at some new features in 12c – I think they could be useful, so maybe you will too.  All of the meat and none of the fat!