Re: Oracle data file format

On 8 Jun 2002, Rauf Sarwar wrote:

> What I don't understand is why people like to experiment with their
> databases when Oracle has provided tools like exp/imp to move
> databases between platforms and versions. Shortest distance between
> WinNT/2000 <--> Unix <--> Linux etc is via exp/imp. Any other route
> will be at one's own risk.

I think people experiment because they are curious and intelligent. I think the goal of doing experiments like this is to increase knowledge and unrestanding of computing architectures and data storage internals. Every top-level Oracle person I know got where they are by experimenting with unsupported procedures and poking their nose where Oracle never intended.

This kind of violent response to simple experimentation just tells me that there are a lot of uninnovative and self-satidfied DBAs still out there.

Export is dreadfully slow compared to file copy. In any environment with scale and availability commensurate with real commerce, the downtime and unreliability associated with moving a database via export/import is unacceptable. That is why our friend whose nickname begins with "x$" wanted to build a cross-platform datafile muncher.

--
Jeremiah Wilton
http://www.speakeasy.net/~jwilton



> Sybrand Bakker <postbus_at_sybrandb.demon.nl> wrote in message news:<a544gu8u780pfqar6isgdp51sud8m9ru09_at_4ax.com>...

> > On Sat, 08 Jun 2002 06:30:36 GMT, "Jim Kennedy"

> > <kennedy-family_at_attbi.com> wrote:

> > 

> > >Bad idea.  Just use export and import.

> > >Jim

> > >"Yong Huang" <yong321_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message

> > >news:b3cb12d6.0206070941.72956f15_at_posting.google.com...

> > >> But more interesting is the test of reusing the same datafile between

> > >> WindowsWhatever and Intel Linux (has to be Intel Linux, not Sparc e.g.

> > >> due to byte ordering). Can anyone do this test? If that succeeds which

> > >> I doubt, then we can try Windows and True64.

> > >>

> > >> In any case, all these are unsupported. Somebody I know had a plan to

> > >> write a program to directly modify datafiles to support cross-platform

> > >> datafile move. Not sure about his progress. That's even more

> > >> un-supported!

> > >>

> > >> Yong Huang

> > >

> > 

> > 

> > Not only that: unprofessional advice. Will Mr. Yong Huang assume

> > responsibility if someone following this advice screws up or does he

> > have a very good lawyer?

> > There is also no difference between 'unsupported' and 'even more

> > unsupported'. If I would know the e-mail address of the Oracle Legal

> > Affairs department I would forward this post so they can sue him.

> > 

> > 

> > Regards

> > 

> > 

> > Sybrand Bakker, Senior Oracle DBA

> > 

> > To reply remove -verwijderdit from my e-mail address

> 

> 

> 

>