Take advantage of NOLOGGING option

Question

I am using ODP.NET to insert several million rows of data every night. This is generating a lot of log switches, it switches about every 2 minutes.
The database is in archivelog mode, but we have set the tables and indexes to NOLOGGING. However, there seems to be no change to the amount of logging generated. I am using the /*+ insert*/ hint, but that doesn't seem to help either.
I am am using array binding to insert 500 records at a time, too.
What can be done to make these inserts "direct inserts" so they do not generate logging??

Answer 1

Hi Brian,
The Oracle documentation is, in my opinion, misleading in regard to NOLOGGING and indexes. It has this to say:
http://download-east.oracle.com/docs/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14200/statements_5010.htm#sthref5118
logging_clause
Specify whether the creation of the index will be logged (LOGGING) or not logged
(NOLOGGING) in the redo log file. This setting also determines whether
subsequent Direct Loader (SQL*Loader) and direct-path INSERT operations
against the index are logged or not logged. LOGGING is the default.The confusing part is "This setting also determines whether subsequent Direct Loader (SQL*Loader) and direct-path INSERT operations against the index are logged or not logged." which would lead you to believe that DML operations against the index are not logged when the index is NOLOGGING. That is not the case however (as you've found out!).
Where I am, we do the drop, load, rebuild sequence. Primary key indexes or indexes used to enforce a unique constraint can't be dropped so you'd have to drop the constraint first then recreate it after loading.
Not pretty, but since indexes can't really be "appended" it makes sense.
Anyway, hope that is somewhat helpful and good luck,
- Mark