> The idea is, you can now perform sql on this 20gb flat file. You > probably wouldn't want to use it > directly in joins if it's that big but you can now easily distribute it. > You can use it to merge into=20 > other tables or insert /*+ append */ for direct path access. And Oracle claims that even PARALLEL option works on external tables... Tanel. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe send email to: oracle-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put 'unsubscribe' in the subject line. -- Archives are at //www.freelists.org/archives/oracle-l/ FAQ is at //www.freelists.org/help/fom-serve/cache/1.html -----------------------------------------------------------------