How the transfer options process data

Bulk copy transfer and express transfer allow you to quickly and directly transfer large amounts of compatible data between databases.

Destination-template transfer allows you the flexibility and control to insert the data in a template before sending it to the target database.

Table 8-1 further describes the conditions that determine the type of transfer you select:

Table 8-1: Comparison of two transfer command types

Use bulk copy and express transfer to:

Use destination-template transfer to:

Execute the transfer quickly

Exercise more control over the transfer

Perform implicit datatype conversions

Move tables of data in which you need to explicitly specify datatype conversion, such as when the data is structurally incompatible

Move entire tables of data in which column types are compatible between the source and destination databases:

Move entire tables of data.

Perform actions other than INSERT against a target database using input from the source database, such as UPDATE, DELETE, and CREATE

Update, delete, and create actions can be performed against a target database.

For detailed information about bulk copy and express transfer, see Chapter 9, “Using Bulk Copy Transfer and Express Transfer.” For detailed information about destination-template transfer, see Chapter 10, “Using Destination-Template Transfer.”