Partition-level Import can only be specified in table mode. It lets you selectively load data from specified partitions or subpartitions in an export file. Keep the following guidelines in mind when using partition-level Import.
Import always stores the rows according to the partitioning scheme of the target table.
Partition-level Import inserts only the row data from the specified source partitions or subpartitions.
If the target table is partitioned, then partition-level Import rejects any rows that fall above the highest partition of the target table.
Partition-level Import cannot import a nonpartitioned exported table. However, a partitioned table can be imported from a nonpartitioned exported table using table-level Import.
Partition-level Import is legal only if the source table (that is, the table called tablename at export time) was partitioned and exists in the export file.
If the partition or subpartition name is not a valid partition in the export file, then Import generates a warning.
The partition or subpartition name in the parameter refers to only the partition or subpartition in the export file, which may not contain all of the data of the table on the export source system.
If ROWS=y (default), and the table does not exist in the import target system, then the table is created and all rows from the source partition or subpartition are inserted into the partition or subpartition of the target table.
If ROWS=y (default) and IGNORE=y, but the table already existed before import, then all rows for the specified partition or subpartition in the table are inserted into the table. The rows are stored according to the existing partitioning scheme of the target table.
If ROWS=n, then Import does not insert data into the target table and continues to process other objects associated with the specified table and partition or subpartition in the file.
If the target table is nonpartitioned, then the partitions and subpartitions are imported into the entire table. Import requires IGNORE=y to import one or more partitions or subpartitions from the export file into a nonpartitioned table on the import target system.