Moving data with external tables

You can use external tables to load and unload database data.

About this task

You issue a series of SQL statements that perform the following functions:
  • Transfer operational data efficiently to or from other systems
  • Transfer data files across platforms in HCL® OneDB® internal data format
  • Use the database server to convert data between delimited ASCII, fixed-ASCII, and HCL OneDB internal (raw) representation
  • Use SQL INSERT and SELECT statements to specify the mapping of data to new columns in a database table
  • Provide parallel standard INSERT operations so that data can be loaded without dropping indexes
  • Use named pipes to support loading data to and unloading data from storage devices, including tape drives and direct network connections
  • Maintain a record of load and unload statistics during the run
  • Perform express (high-speed) and deluxe (data-checking) transfers

You can issue the SQL statements with DB-Access or embed them in an ESQL/C program.