Moving Data Between Different Database Releases...

Moving Data Between Different Database Releases

Because most Data Pump operations are performed on the server side, if you are using any release of the database other than COMPATIBLE, then you must provide the server with the specific release information. Otherwise, errors may occur. To specify release information, use the VERSION parameter.

See Also:
The Export VERSION parameter

The Import VERSION parameter

Keep the following information in mind when you are using Data Pump Export and Import to move data between different database releases:

If you specify a database release that is older than the current database release, then certain features may be unavailable. For example, specifying VERSION=10.1 causes an error if data compression is also specified for the job because compression was not supported in Oracle Database 10g release 1 (10.1).

On a Data Pump export, if you specify a database release that is older than the current database release, then a dump file set is created that you can import into that older release of the database. However, the dump file set does not contain any objects that the older database release does not support.

Data Pump Import can always read dump file sets created by older releases of the database.

Data Pump Import cannot read dump file sets created by a database release that is newer than the current database release, unless those dump file sets were created with the VERSION parameter set to the release of the target database. Therefore, the best way to perform a downgrade is to perform your Data Pump export with the VERSION parameter set to the release of the target database.

When operating across a network link, Data Pump requires that the remote database release be either the same as the local database or one release older, at the most. For example, if the local database is Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2), then the remote database must be either that release or Oracle Database 11g release 1 (11.1).