What is Oracle Data Pump (impdp and expdp)?

• Oracle Data Pump is a new feature of Oracle Database 10 g that provides high speed, parallel, bulk data and metadata movement of Oracle database contents.
• DBMS_DATAPUMP package  provides a server-side infrastructure for fast data and metadata movement. expdp and impdp is used to import/export activites.
• It vastly improved performance and greatly enhanced functionality, such as restartability, flexible object selection, and better monitoring and control of export and import jobs.
• Data Pump is server-based, rather than client-based. Dump files, log files, and SQL files are accessed relative to server-based directory paths, so that appropriate file security can be enforced.
• Data Pump requires you to specify directory paths as directory objects. A directory object maps a name to a directory name on the file system.
• Before you can run Data Pump Export or Data Pump Import, a directory object must be created by a DBA or by any user with CREATE ANY DIRECTORY privilege.