Event actions and event tables can be used to help with the transition from an initial load to ongoing change replication. For example, suppose an existing, populated source table must be added to the Oracle GoldenGate configuration. This table must be created on the target, and then the two must be synchronized by using an export/import. This example assumes that an event table named source.event_table exists in the source database and is specified in a Replicat TABLE statement.

TABLE source.event_table, EVENTACTIONS (IGNORE, LOG INFO, STOP);

To allow users to continue working with the new source table, it is added to the Extract parameter file, but not to the Replicat parameter file. Extract begins capturing data from this table to the trail, where it is stored.

At the point where the source and target are read-consistent after the export, an event record is inserted into the event table on the source, which propagates to the target. When Replicat receives the event record (marking the read-consistent point), the process stops as directed by EVENTACTIONS STOP. This allows the new table to be added to the Replicat MAP statement. Replicat can be positioned to start replication from the timestamp of the event record, eliminating the need to use the HANDLECOLLISIONS parameter. Operations in the trail from before the event record can be ignored because it is known that they were applied in the export.

The event record itself is ignored by Replicat, but an informational message is logged.