DIRECT=Y versus DIRECT=N when importing

What is the functional difference between:

1. importing a direct export dump (i.e. direct=y while exporting) and
2. importing a conventional export dump (i.e. direct=n while exporting)
   

   There is no difference. The choice you make on export effects how the export extracts data to the dump file... it does not have anything to do with importing.

   When you use DIRECT=Y this causes export to extract data by reading the data directly, bypassing the SQL Command Processing layer. This method can be much faster than a conventional path export.

   Conventional path export uses the SQL SELECT statement to extract data from tables. Data is read from disk into a buffer cache, and rows are transferred to the evaluating buffer. The data, after passing expression evaluation, is transferred to the export client, which then writes the data into the export file.

   In a direct path export, data is read from disk into the buffer cache and rows are transferred directly to the export client. The evaluating buffer is bypassed. The data is already in the format that export expects, thus avoiding unnecessary data conversion. The data is transferred to the export client, which then writes the data into the export file.

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