Advantages and Disadvantages of Datapump

Advantages:

===> Better control on the job running – it provides features like start,  stop, restart

===> Improved performance because of It is server side technology with parallel streams option

===> Using the parallel streams option, data pump can backup large volume of data quickly

===> Data pump is 15-50% faster than the conventional export import.

===> It has the ability to estimate the job times

===> Failed jobs can be restarted

===> Using exclude/include option we can perform fine-grained object selection

===> Backup jobs can be monitored

===> It has the remapping capabilities

===> It supports the export/import operations over the network. The NETWORK_LINK parameter initiate the export using a 

database link

===> Using “Query” parameter DBA can extract the data from tables like SELECT

“Content” parameter gives the flexibility for what to import/export. For example Metadata only, data or both

===> It supports full range of data types

===> It supports cross platform compatibility

===> No need to specify the buffer size like in normal exp/imp

===> It has its own performace tuning features

===> V$session_longops view can be used for the time estimation for the data pump jobs

===> It supports interactive mode that allows the dba to monitor or interact with ongoing jobs

===> Dumps will be in compressed

===> Data can be encrypted

===> XML schemas and XML type is supported by the Data Pump

Disadvantages:

===> Export cannot be taken to tape

===> Import will work only with Oracle 10g or above

===> Cannot use with Unix pipes

Related Views:

DBA_DATAPUMP_JOBS

USER_DATAPUMP_JOBS

DBA_DIRECTORIES

DATABASE_EXPORT_OBJECTS

SCHEMA_EXPORT_OBJECTS

TABLE_EXPORT_OBJECTS

DBA_DATAPUMP_SESSIONS

Enjoy:-)