SQL/MP Installation and Management Guide

Reorganizing Tables and Maintaining Data
HP NonStop SQL/MP Installation and Management Guide—523353-004
8-15
Appending Data to Tables or Partitions
Appending Data to Tables or Partitions
The APPEND utility adds data to the end of a table or partition of a key-sequenced
table. The APPEND utility is a form of the LOAD utility adapted for a specific purpose;
it performs at the same speed as LOAD. Thus, the APPEND and LOAD utilities have
similar options and perform similar tasks.
The APPEND utility preserves the existing data in the target table; in this respect
APPEND is similar to COPY and differs from LOAD. For a comparison of the LOAD
and COPY utilities, see Loading, Copying, Appending, and Purging Data on page 8-7.
The APPEND utility is especially useful in a DSS environment. To keep a data
warehouse up to date, you can use APPEND to perform periodic (for example, daily,
weekly, or monthly) updates to the database.
You can use the APPEND utility to append data to multiple partitions of a table; the
DataLoader/MP product can help you streamline this task. DataLoader/MP is a
nonprivileged batch program that provides a library of utility routines for loading and
maintaining SQL tables. DataLoader/MP can use the APPEND utility to perform
append operations. For more information about the DataLoader/MP product, see the
DataLoader/MP Reference Manual.
Guidelines for Appending Data to Tables
When you append data to tables or table partitions, consider these guidelines:
•
The APPEND utility adds data to the end of a table or partition without purging
existing data. APPEND cannot insert data into arbitrary places in the table. (Use
COPY to insert rows between existing rows.)
•
APPEND adds data to key-sequenced or entry-sequenced SQL tables. You cannot
use APPEND to add data to a relative table, Enscribe file, unstructured file, or any
file other than an SQL file.
•
APPEND can use any source file that LOAD uses, including a SQL table, Enscribe
file, unstructured disk file, tape file, a device such as a terminal, or a Guardian
process.
•
Like LOAD, the APPEND utility writes rows in blocks to the target table. APPEND
is faster than COPY.
•
APPEND does not operate on tables with indexes.
•
APPEND provides the PARTONLY option to append data to individual partitions of
a key-sequenced table. APPEND adds rows with key values logically greater than
the last existing row in the target partition. The added key values must be logically
less than that of the first row in the next partition.
•
APPEND provides options for processing key-sequenced files. You can specify, for
instance, that the rows are in sorted order. You can specify a maximum number of
rows to be loaded. APPEND reorders unsorted input data and optionally uses a
user-specified scratch file location for the SORTPROG processes.