Deleting Historical Data on Oracle Databases By Marin Komadina is an interesting look at the various options available for mass-deleting data from an Oracle database. What makes it interesting is the article conclusion (that the most efficient way is to embed the DELETE statement in an EXECUTE IMMEDIATE dynamic sql call, within an anonymous PL/SQL block) but also the way in which the conclusion is reached - through tracing code using the various options using the event 10046 feature. One to bookmark.

Speed and Simplify Data Movement by Kimberley Floss looks at the new Data Pump feature in Oracle 10g, with the bit that caught our eye being the facility to pipe the output from a data pump export right into the input of a data pump import routine. Lucas Jellema from Amis covered this the other week as well, commenting at the time that "This allows for direct data transfer without the creation of the intermediate dmp file. It also allows the Import to start processing as soon as the Export has started, without having to wait for the Export to complete."

Making a Connection from Oracle to SQL Server is a step-by-step look at how you can connect your Oracle database to a SQL Server database, using the generic connectivity feature. It always amazes me how difficult this is to set up, given that all we're doing is connecting via ODBC, but this is a pretty good explanation as to how to do it, with lots of pictures and examples of configuration file entries. See also How to read flat files and Excel files as data sources into Discoverer.

Lastly, Oracle are sponsoring a DMReview web seminar on Successful Data Warehousing: Guarantee Data Quality with Oracle Warehouse Builder, hosted by Mary Jo Nott from DM Review and Oracle's Paul Narth.

Successful Data Warehousing: Guarantee Data Quality with Oracle Warehouse Builder Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 Time: 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT Duration: 1 hour Efficient extraction, transformation and loading (ETL) of data into your data warehouse is a pre-requisite for successful business intelligence solutions. Oracle Warehouse Builder helps you turn data into quality information, managing the full life-cycle from data warehouse design to information access. Register today to join Mary Jo Nott from DM Review and Paul Narth from Oracle Corporation as they discuss how Oracle Warehouse Builder is addressing the data quality challenge. During this one-hour, interactive discussion, you will learn how Oracle Warehouse Builder: Manages information life cycles Extracts data from heterogeneous data sources Transforms disparate data into quality data Reduces ETL development times This is your opportunity to hear about Oracle Warehouse Builder first-hand from the experts. And you'll find out how to try Oracle Warehouse Builder yourself for FREE. Register today to attend.