To get started developing your project, you need to bring some data files and perhaps some existing scripts into Workbench. Many additional files are created in Workbench as you develop your project. Here are ways to bring files into the Workbench Project structure:
- Drag files from Windows Explorer directly into your project structure in Workbench Explorer
- Move files into Workbench project folders directly on the server, which might include copying files or by using FTP
- Set Aliases within the Project Settings in Workbench to where input data is stored.
- Use the Copy Project feature from the Initial Contents list in the New Project dialog box. For more information, see Creating a New Project.
Whichever method you use, you can see that the Workbench Explorer and Windows Explorer windows automatically update and stay in sync.
For the long term scenario, as part of the development and test phases, Production scripts will be created to refresh project data by performing ETL tasks in a scheduled and controlled manner. This automation ensures that the latest data is always available to end-users.
TIP: In general, if you need to move a very large volume of data from one server to another server, it is best to do the transfer without the Workbench client in the middle. It is better to use tools such as SFTP or something similar.