External Databases

The SQLoader is a CLI program that enables you to load data into SQreamDB from other DBMS and DBaaS.

SQLoader supports Oracle, Postgresql, Teradata, Microsoft SQL Server, and SAP HANA.

Before You Begin

It is essential that you have the following:

• Java 17

• SQLoader configuration files

• SQLoader.jar file

Minimum Hardware Requirements

Component	Type
CPU cores	16
RAM	32GB

Sizing Guidelines

The SQLoader sizing is determined by the number of concurrent tables and threads based on the available CPU cores, limiting it to the number of cores minus one, with the remaining core reserved for the operating system. Each SQLoader instance runs on a single table, meaning concurrent imports of multiple tables require multiple instances. Additionally, when dealing with partitioned tables, each partition consumes a thread, so users should consider the table’s partition count when managing thread allocation for efficient performance.

Getting the SQLoader Configuration and JAR Files

1. Download the .tar file using the following command:

curl -O https://sq-ftp-public.s3.amazonaws.com/sqloader-7.8.tar

2. Extract the .tar file using the following command:

tar -xf sqloader-7.8.tar.gz

A folder named sqloader with the following files is created:

SQLoader Files

File	Description
sqream-mapping.json	Maps foreign DBMS and DBaaS data types into SQreamDB data types during ingestion
sqload-jdbc.properties	Used for defining a connection string and may also be used to reconfigure data loading
reserved_words.txt	A list of reserved words which cannot be used as table and/or column names.
sqloader.jar	The SQLoader package file

Connection String

The sqload-jdbc.properties file contains a connection string that must be configured to enable data loading into SQreamDB.

1. Open the sqload-jdbc.properties file.

2. Configure connection parameters for:

   1. Either Postgresql, Oracle, Teradata, Microsoft SQL Server, SAP HANA or SQreamDB connection strings

   2. Optionally, Oracle or SQreamDB catalogs (recommended)

Connection String Parameters

Parameter	Description
HostIp:port	The host and IP address number
database_name	The name of the database from which data is loaded
user	Username of a role to use for connection
password	Specifies the password of the selected role
ssl	Specifies SSL for this connection

Loading Data into SQreamDB Tables

1. Run the sqloader.jar file using the following CLI command:

java -jar sqloader.jar

2. You may load the entire data of a source table using the following CLI command:

java -jar sqloader.jar -table source_table_name

3. You may customize the data load either by using each of the following parameters within a CLI command or by configuring the properties file:

SQLoader CLI Parameters

CLI Parameter	State	Default	Type	Description
-batchsize	Optional	10.000		The number of records to be inserted into SQreamDB at once. Please note that the configured batch size may impact chunk sizes.
-casesensative	Optional	false		If true, keeps table name uppercase and lowercase characters when table is created in SQreamDB
-check_cdc_chain	Optional	false		Check CDC chain between tracking table and source table
-chunkSize	Optional	0		The number of records read at once from the source database
-columnlist	Optional	None	.txt	The name of the file that contains all column names. Columns must be separated using \n
-columns	Optional	All columns		The name or names of columns to be loaded into SQreamDB (“col1,col2, …”). For column names containing uppercase characters, maintain the uppercase format, avoid using double quotes or apostrophes, and ensure that the caseSensitive parameter is set to true
-config	Optional	/home/username/downloads/config/sqload-jdbc.properties		Defines the path to the configuration file you wish to use. This parameter may be defined using only the CLI
-config_dir	Optional	/home/username/downloads/config		Defines the path to the folder containing both the data type mapping and the reserved words files. The defined folder must contain both files or else you will receive an error.
-count	Optional	true		Defines whether or not table rows will be counted before being loaded into SQreamDB
-delete	Optional	true		Defines whether or not loading using Change Data Capture (CDC) includes deleted rows
-drop	Optional	true		Defines whether or not a new target table in SQreamDB is created. If false, you will need to configure a target table name using the -target parameter
-fetchsize	Optional	100000		The number of records to be read at once from source database.
-filter	Optional	1=1		Defines whether or not only records with SQL conditions are loaded
-h, --help	Optional	No input		Displays the help menu and exits
-limit	Optional	0 (no limit)		Limits the number of rows to be loaded
-load_dttm	Optional	true		Add an additional load_dttm column that defines the time and date of loading
-lock_check	Optional	true		Defines whether or not SQLoader will check source table is locked before the loading starts
-lock_table	Optional	true		Defines whether or not SQLoader will lock target table before the loading starts
-log_dir	Optional	logs		Defines the path of log directory created when loading data. If no value is specified, a logs folder is created under the same location as the sqloader.jar file
-partition	Optional	None	Partition identifier string	Specifies the number of table partitions. If configured, -partition ensures that data is loaded according to the specified partition. You may configure the -thread parameter for parallel loading of your table partitions. If you do, please ensure that the number of threads does not exceed the number of partitions.
-rowid	Optional	false		Defines whether or not SQLoader will get row IDs from Oracle tables
-source_db	Optional	ORCL		Defines the source database name. It does not modify the database connection string but impacts the storage and retrieval of data within catalog tables.
-split	Optional	None	Column name string	Column name for split (required for multi-thread loads)
-table	Mandatory	None	Table name string	Source table name to load data from
-target	Optional	Target table name	Table name string	Target table name to load data into
-thread	Optional	1		Number of threads to use for loading. Using multiple threads can significantly improve the loading performance, especially when dealing with columns that have metadata statistics (e.g., min/max values). SQLoader will automatically divide the data into batches based on the specified thread number, allowing for parallel processing. You may use -thread both for tables that are partitioned and tables that are not. See Sizing Guidelines
-truncate	Optional	false		Truncate target table before loading
-type	Optional	full		Defines a loading type that affects the table that is created in SQreamDB. Options are full, cdc, or inc. Please note that cdc, and inc are supported only for Oracle
-use_dbms_lob	Optional	true		Defines whether or not SQLoader uses dbms_lob_substr function for CLOB and BLOB data types
-use_partitions	Optional	true		Defines whether or not SQLoader uses partitions in SELECT statements

Using the type Parameter

Using the type parameter you may define a loading type that affects the table that is created in SQreamDB.

Loading Type	Parameter Option	Description
Full Table	full	The entire data of the source table is loaded into SQreamDB
Change Data Capture (CDC)	cdc	Only changes made to the source table data since last load will be loaded into SQreamDB. Changes include transactions of INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. SQLoader recognizes tables by table name and metadata. Supported for Oracle only
Incremental	inc	Only changes made to the source table data since last load will be loaded into SQreamDB. Changes include transactions of INSERT statement. SQLoader recognizes the table by table name and metadata. Supported for Oracle only

Creating Summary Tables

Summary tables are pre-aggregated tables that store summarized or aggregated data, which can help improve query performance and reduce the need for complex calculations during runtime.

Summary tables are part of the schema within the database catalog.

Creating a Summary Table

This summary table uses Oracle syntax.

CREATE TABLE public.SQLOAD_SUMMARY (
  DB_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  SCHEMA_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME_FULL TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  LOAD_TYPE TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  UPDATED_DTTM_FROM DATE VISIBLE,
  UPDATED_DTTM_TO DATE VISIBLE,
  LAST_VAL_INT NUMBER(22,0) VISIBLE,
  LAST_VAL_TS DATE VISIBLE,
  START_TIME TIMESTAMP(6) VISIBLE,
  FINISH_TIME TIMESTAMP(6) VISIBLE,
  ELAPSED_SEC NUMBER VISIBLE,
  ROW_COUNT NUMBER VISIBLE,
  SQL_FILTER TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  PARTITION TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  STMT_TYPE TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  STATUS TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  LOG_FILE TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  DB_URL TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  PARTITION_COUNT NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 0,
  THREAD_COUNT NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 1,
  ELAPSED_MS NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 0,
  STATUS_CODE NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 0,
  ELAPSED_SOURCE_MS NUMBER(38,0) DEFAULT NULL,
  ELAPSED_SOURCE_SEC NUMBER(38,0) DEFAULT NULL,
  ELAPSED_TARGET_MS NUMBER(38,0) DEFAULT NULL,
  ELAPSED_TARGET_SEC NUMBER(38,0) DEFAULT NULL,
  TARGET_DB_URL VARCHAR2(200) DEFAULT NULL,
  SQLOADER_VERSION VARCHAR2(20) DEFAULT NULL,
  HOST VARCHAR2(200) DEFAULT NULL
);

Creating a Change Data Capture Table

Change Data Capture (CDC) tables are supported only for Oracle.

CREATE TABLE public.CDC_TABLES (
  DB_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  SCHEMA_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME_FULL TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME_CDC TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  INC_COLUMN_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  INC_COLUMN_TYPE TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  LOAD_TYPE TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  FREQ_TYPE TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  FREQ_INTERVAL NUMBER(22,0) VISIBLE,
  IS_ACTIVE NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 0,
  STATUS_LOAD NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 0,
  INC_GAP_VALUE NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 0
);

CREATE TABLE public.CDC_TRACKING (
  DB_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  SCHEMA_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME_FULL TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  LAST_UPDATED_DTTM DATE VISIBLE,
  LAST_VAL_INT NUMBER(22,0) VISIBLE DEFAULT 0,
  LAST_VAL_TS TIMESTAMP(6) VISIBLE,
  LAST_VAL_DT DATE VISIBLE
);

CREATE TABLE public.CDC_TABLE_PRIMARY_KEYS (
  DB_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  SCHEMA_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  TABLE_NAME_FULL TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  CONSTRAINT_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  COLUMN_NAME TEXT(200 BYTE) VISIBLE,
  IS_NULLABLE NUMBER VISIBLE DEFAULT 0
);

Data Type Mapping

Automatic Mapping

The SQLoader automatically maps data types used in Oracle, Postgresql, Teradata, Microsoft SQL Server, and SAP HANA tables that are loaded into SQreamDB.

Oracle

Oracle Type	SQreamDB Type
BIGINT, INT, SMALLINT, INTEGE	BIGINT
CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR, VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR, CHARACTER	TEXT
DATE, DATETIME	DATETIME
TIMESTAMP	DATETIME
DATE	DATE
BOOLEAN	BOOL
NUMERIC	NUMERIC
FLOAT, DOUBLE	DOUBLE
CLOB	TEXT
BLOB	TEXT
RAW	TEXT

Postgresql

Postgresql Type	SQreamDB Type
CHAR, VARCHAR, CHARACTER	TEXT
TEXT	TEXT
INT, SMALLINT, BIGINT, INT2, INT4, INT8	BIGINT
DATETIME, TIMESTAMP	DATETIME
DATE	DATE
BIT, BOOL	BOOL
DECIMAL, NUMERIC	NUMERIC
FLOAT, DOUBLE	DOUBLE
REAL, FLOAT4	REAL

Teradata

Teradata Type	SQreamDB Type
F	DOUBLE
N, D	NUMERIC
CO	TEXT
BO	TEXT
A1, AN, AT, BF, BV, CF, CV, JN, PD, PM, PS, PT, PZ, SZ, TZ	TEXT
I, I4, I(4)	INT
I2, I(2)	SMALLINT
I1, I(1)	TINYINT
DH, DM, DS, DY, HM, HS, HR, I8, MO, MS, MI, SC, YM, YR	BIGINT
TS, DATETIME	DATETIME
DA	DATE
BIT	BOOL
REAL, DOUBLE	DOUBLE

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server Type	SQreamDB Type
CHAR, NCHAR, VARCHAR, NVARCHAR, NVARCHAR2, CHARACTER, TEXT, NTEXT	TEXT
BIGINT, INT, SMALLINT, INT, TINYINT	BIGINT
DATETIME, TIMESTAMP, SMALLDATETIME, DATETIMEOFFSET, DATETIME2	DATETIME
DATE	DATE
BIT	BOOL
DECIMAL, NUMERIC	NUMERIC
FLOAT, DOUBLE	DOUBLE
REAL	REAL
VARBINARY	TEXT

SAP HANA

SAP HANA Type	SQreamDB Type
BIGINT, INT, SMALLINT, INTEGER, TINYINT	BIGINT
CHAR, VARCHAR, NVARCHAR, TEXT, VARCHAR2, NVARCHAR2	TEXT
DATETIME, TIMESTAMP, SECONDDATE	DATETIME
DATE	DATE
BOOLEAN	TEXT
DECIMAL, SMALLDECIMAL, BIGDECIMAL	NUMERIC
DOUBLE, REAL	FLOAT
TEXT	TEXT
BIGINT	BIGINT
INT	INT
SMALLINT	SMALLINT
TINYINT	TINYINT
DATETIME	DATETIME
DATE	DATE
BOOL	BOOL
NUMERIC	NUMERIC
DOUBLE	DOUBLE
FLOAT	FLOAT
REAL	REAL

Manually Adjusting Mapping

You have the possibility to adjust the mapping process according to your specific needs, using any of the following methods.

names Method

To specify that you want to map one or more columns in your table to a specific data type, duplicate the code block which maps to the SQreamDB data type you want and include the names parameter in your code block. The SQLoader will map the specified columns to the specified SQreamDB data type. After the specified columns are mapped, the SQLoader continue to search for how to convert other data types to the same data type of the specified columns.

In this example, column1, column2, and column3 are mapped to BIGINT and the Oracle data types BIGINT, INT, SMALLINT, INTEGER are also mapped to BIGINT.

{
  "oracle": [
        {
          "names": ["column1", "column2", "column3"],
          "sqream": "bigint",
          "java": "int",
          "length": false
        },
        {
          "type": ["bigint","int","smallint","integer"],
          "sqream": "bigint",
          "java": "int",
          "length": false
        }
}

CLI Examples

Loading data into a CDC table using the type and limit parameters:

java -jar sqloader.jar -table source_table_name -type cdc -limit 100

Loading data into a table using your own configuration file (this will override the default configuration file):

java -jar sqloader.jar -config path/to/your/config/file

Loading data into a table using a custom configuration file:

java -jar -config MyConfigFile.properties -table source_table_name -type cdc -target target_table_name -drop true -lock_check false

Loading data into a table using a the filter parameter:

java -jar sqloader.jar -table source_table_name -filter column_name>50