RE: Export-Import Questions

>All,
>
>Our client needs to have a copy of their 9i
>production database onto another
>machine which has Oracle 8i installed.
>What they have already done is create a separate 8i
>database on another
>machine. Now is it possible to take
>an export of the 9i production database and import
>the data onto the test 8i
>database ?? Our client at the
>moment is not really concerned with the version of
>the test database.
>
>Also, can we use the Oracle 8i export utility to
>export a 9i database or
>vice versa ?? And if so, can we
>import the data of the 9i database onto a 8i
>database ?? Do we necessarily
>have to use the highest
>version of the export utility and the import
>utility ??
>
>I shall be grateful for any help on this.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Samir
>
>Samir Sarkar
>Oracle DBA
>SchlumbergerSema
>Email : ssarkar2_at_slb.com
>Phone : +44 (0) 115 - 957 6028
>EPABX : +44 (0) 115 - 957 6418 Ext. 76028
>Fax : +44 (0) 115 - 957 6018
>

Samir,

   The general rule concerning this common problem is that you can import into a database version n data exported from version n - 1, but that importing into version n-1 data extracted from version n requires using export of version n-1 against the database at version n (otherwise imp screams). It assumes of course that you havn't made an extensive use of all the novelties from version n, either in terms of structure, or in terms of calls to arcane SYS packages which don't exist in version n-1. This doesn't seem to be your case however. There is an additional glitch, which is that exp makes use of tables (dictionary tables) which evolve over time. Before running export of version n-1 against a database at version n, you may have to run (as SYS) a special catalog script, usually called catexpsomething.sql, where something represents the version of the export utility you want to use (n-1) and which you will find under the usual $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin.

HTH, Stephane Faroult
Oriole

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Author: Stephane Faroult
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