I have a client/server architecture. Using an Oracle dbms on the database server side. I need to perform a user-triggered (from client side) backup of the database, where the best way to perform that is using a stored procedure on the server side which the client may call, as the client has no oracle tools to perform the backup. I've searched thorough inside available solutions and have found that using a stored procedure is the best way. Well, then I found that using oracle data pump API is the best way to use inside a PL/SQl stored procedure.

My specific questions about the API are...

I would like to ask about two issues ...

---- The first -----

the detach function to detach the handler, is it necessary to be used at the end of the procedure? and what if I don't use it? I read the Oracle documentation but I didn't get their point, they say it doesn't terminate the job but indicates that the user is not interested in it, an when I use detach at the end of my procedure the exported .dmp file disappears.

---- The second -----

to perform a user (client side) triggered back up as the modification are only to the data, I used TABLE parameter for the export operation. But the version parameter... what should it be? I also read the documentation but couldn't determine what I need (LATEST or COMPATIBLE) ?

Thanks