You can use the ORACLE_BIGDATA driver to access data located in external file systems and object stores.

If you are accessing files residing in the file system, then you must have access to the directory object where the files reside. More details can be found in "Location of Data Files and Output Files"

If you are using Object Storage, then there are three steps required to access data in an object store:

1. Enable your database, users, and roles to safely access data in Object stores

   .

2. Create a credential object (not required for public buckets).

   A credential object stores object store credentials in an encrypted format. The identity specified by the credential must have access to the underlying data in the object store.

3. Create an external table or query using an inline external table. The access driver type must be ORACLE_BIGDATA. The CREATE TABLE statement must reference the credential object, which provides authentication to access the object store. The table that you create also requires a LOCATION clause, which provides the URI to the files within the object store.

   For public buckets, the CREDENTIAL is not required.