Preface

This document describes how to use the Oracle Database utilities for data transfer, data maintenance, and database administration. The preface contains these topics:

• Audience

• Documentation Accessibility

• Related Documentation

• Conventions

Audience

The utilities described in this book are intended for database administrators (DBAs), application programmers, security administrators, system operators, and other Oracle users who perform the following tasks:

• Archive data, back up an Oracle database, or move data between Oracle databases using the Export and Import utilities (both the original versions and the Data Pump versions)

• Load data into Oracle tables from operating system files using SQL*Loader, or from external sources using the external tables feature

• Perform a physical data structure integrity check on an offline database, using the DBVERIFY utility

• Maintain the internal database identifier (DBID) and the database name (DBNAME) for an operational database, using the DBNEWID utility

• Extract and manipulate complete representations of the metadata for database objects, using the Metadata API

• Query and analyze redo log files (through a SQL interface), using the LogMiner utility

To use this manual, you need a working knowledge of SQL and of Oracle fundamentals. You can find such information in Oracle Database Concepts. In addition, to use SQL*Loader, you must know how to use the file management facilities of your operating system.

Documentation Accessibility

Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible, with good usability, to the disabled community. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at

http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/

Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation

Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.

Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation

This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites.

TTY Access to Oracle Support Services

Oracle provides dedicated Text Telephone (TTY) access to Oracle Support Services within the United States of America 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For TTY support, call 800.446.2398.

Related Documentation

For more information, see these Oracle resources:

The Oracle Database documentation set, especially:

• Oracle Database Concepts

• Oracle Database SQL Language Reference

• Oracle Database Administrator's Guide

• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference

Some of the examples in this book use the sample schemas of the seed database, which is installed by default when you install Oracle Database. Refer to Oracle Database Sample Schemas for information about how these schemas were created and how you can use them yourself.

Oracle error message documentation is only available in HTML. If you only have access to the Oracle Database Documentation CD, you can browse the error messages by range. Once you find the specific range, use your browser's "find in page" feature to locate the specific message. When connected to the Internet, you can search for a specific error message using the error message search feature of the Oracle online documentation.

Printed documentation is available for sale in the Oracle Store at

http://oraclestore.oracle.com/

To download free release notes, installation documentation, white papers, or other collateral, please visit the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). You must register online before using OTN; registration is free and can be done at

http://www.oracle.com/technology

If you already have a username and password for OTN, then you can go directly to the documentation section of the OTN Web site at

http://www.oracle.com/technology

Syntax Diagrams

Syntax descriptions are provided in this book for various SQL, PL/SQL, or other command-line constructs in graphic form or Backus Naur Form (BNF). See Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about how to interpret these descriptions.

Conventions

The following text conventions are used in this document: