---
title: "Bulk copy operations in SQL Server"
description: "Describes the bulk copy functionality for the .NET Data Provider for SQL Server."
ms.date: "09/30/2019"
ms.assetid: 83a7a0d2-8018-4354-97b9-0b1d99f8342b
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.topic: conceptual
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
ms.reviewer: v-kaywon
---
# Bulk copy operations in SQL Server

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Microsoft SQL Server includes a popular command-line utility named **bcp** for quickly bulk copying large files into tables or views in SQL Server databases. The <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlBulkCopy> class allows you to write managed code solutions that provide similar functionality. There are other ways to load data into a SQL Server table (INSERT statements, for example) but <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlBulkCopy> offers a significant performance advantage over them.  
  
Using the <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlBulkCopy> class, you can perform:  
  
- A single bulk copy operation  
  
- Multiple bulk copy operations  
  
- A bulk copy operation within a transaction  
  
> [!NOTE]
>  When using .NET Framework version 1.1 or earlier (which does not support the <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlBulkCopy> class), you can execute the SQL Server Transact-SQL **BULK INSERT** statement using the <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand> object.  
  
## In this section  
[Bulk copy example setup](bulk-copy-example-setup.md)  
Describes the tables used in the bulk copy examples and provides SQL scripts for creating the tables in the AdventureWorks database.  
  
[Single bulk copy operations](single-bulk-copy-operations.md)  
Describes how to do a single bulk copy of data into an instance of SQL Server using the <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlBulkCopy> class, and how to perform the bulk copy operation using Transact-SQL statements and the <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand> class.  
  
[Multiple bulk copy operations](multiple-bulk-copy-operations.md)  
Describes how to do multiple bulk copy operations of data into an instance of SQL Server using the <xref:Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlBulkCopy> class.  
  
[Transaction and bulk copy operations](transaction-bulk-copy-operations.md)  
Describes how to perform a bulk copy operation within a transaction, including how to commit or rollback the transaction.  
  
## Next steps
- [SQL Server and ADO.NET](index.md)