If you choose conventional mode of export , you will have set huge buffer size than the default value eg: 8192000/4096000

Since you have CONSISTENT=Y and having high DML activity, it will be slow .

If you choose the DIRECT mode: ( DIRECT=Y ), as you asked me, you have the following limitations:

1. NO Interactive mode with DIRECT=Y
2. You Can not export in diect mode with TRANSPORT_TABLESPACES=Y
3. you could not use direct path Export for tables containing objects and LOBs ( In 8i + , uses conventional path )
4. Parametaer QUERY can not be used
5. BUFFER parameter has no effect on direct mode
6. Character set conversion ( session's character set should match with the database character set ).


As you are Exporting the FULL db , you can include the RECORDLENGTH=32*1024 ( 32KB ) along with DIRECT=Y,
This should give better perfromance.

And also DB_BLOCK_SIZE will also matter in export. Larger is the better.


Hope this helps !!!!!