Files Related to SQL*Loader

Each execution of SQL*Loader uses a control file (load_nnn.ctl, which is a copy of the file sqlld.tablename.ctl created by the generate command) and a data file (lpipe_nnn.dat) as input.

As a result of the bulk loading process, SQL*Loader produces a log file (load_nnn.log) and, if there are any records that cannot be loaded due to data errors, a discard file (lpipe_nnn.bad) for each table. Discard files are placed into the subdirectory named discards.

Windows Log Files

In Windows, to prevent log files and discard files from being overwritten as a result of successive executions of SQL*Loader during segmented bulk load operations, the DATABridge Client uses the SQL*Loader log and discard files as temporary files and does the following:

  • At the end of the first load segment, the DATABridge Client copies the temporary log file to the permanent log file (sqlld.tablename.log). If a discard file was produced, the DATABridge Client also copies the temporary discard file to the permanent discard file (sqlld.tablename.bad).
  • At the end of every subsequent load segment, the DATABridge Client appends the temporary log files to the end of the permanent log file (sqlld.tablename.log). If a temporary discard file was produced, the DATABridge Client either copies it or appends it to the permanent discard file (sqlld.tablename.bad), depending on whether this file exists or not.
  • The DATABridge Client deletes the temporary log and discard files as soon as they are appended to DATABridge Client permanent log and discard files.

UNIX Log Files

In order to maintain compatibility with the Windows Clients, the UNIX Client renames the log and discard files at the end of a SQL*Loader operation. Therefore, the log file load_nnn.log is renamed sqlld_tablename.log and the discard file lpipe_nnn.bad is renamed sqlld_tablename.bad in the SQL*Loader shell scripts.

List of Files Related to SQL*Loader

The table below lists files related to SQL*Loader and DATABridge Client operations. In some of the filenames below, nnn is the value in the table_number column of the DATATABLES client control table. It is unique within each data source.

File

Description

sqlld.tablename.ctl

The SQL*Loader control file created by the generate command. It describes the format of the data in the data file (lpipe_nnn.dat).

lpipe_nnn.dat

For Windows: This is a temporary file that the DATABridge Client creates. It contains the data to be loaded into an Oracle table.

This file is automatically deleted after a successful load of a table. If the table is not loaded successfully, the file is not deleted. This gives you the opportunity to manually run SQL*Loader to determine why it is failing.

For UNIX: This is a UNIX pipe that the SQL*Loader shell script creates and uses to pass data to the SQL*Loader program. This pipe is automatically removed after a successful load of a table.

If the DATABridge Client or SQL*Loader abends, the pipe is not immediately deleted. If you run the DATABridge Client again, you receive a warning message as the pipe is being deleted. You can continue running the DATABridge Client.

sqlld.tablename.log

For Windows: This file is a concatenation of all of the load_nnn.log files created during the cloning process.

Caution: Do not delete the sqlld.tablename.log file until you have looked at it. It can contain valuable information such as error messages about rows that were not loaded.

sqlld.tablename.bad

For Windows: This file is a concatenation of all of the load_nnn.bad files created during the cloning process. It is created in the discards subdirectory only if discard records exist.

Caution: Do not delete the sqlld.tablename.bad file until you have looked at it to determine which records were rejected by SQL*Loader. Correct the bad data. Then use SQL*Loader to load these records into the appropriate table.

The following temporary files are created while the bulk loader is being launched, but they are deleted before the run is completed:

  • load_nnn.ctl
  • load_nnn.log (renamed in UNIX to sqlld_tablename.log)
  • lpipe_nnn.bad (renamed in UNIX to sqlld.tablename.bad)

You see these files only if the bulk loader operation abends.