Query SFTP Data in DataGrip



Create a Data Source for SFTP in DataGrip and use SQL to query live SFTP data.

DataGrip is a database IDE that allows SQL developers to query, create, and manage databases. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for SFTP, DataGrip can work with live SFTP data. This article shows how to establish a connection to SFTP data in DataGrip and use the table editor to load SFTP data.

Create a New Driver Definition for SFTP

The steps below describe how to create a new Data Source in DataGrip for SFTP.

  1. In DataGrip, click File -> New > Project and name the project
  2. In the Database Explorer, click the plus icon () and select Driver.
  3. In the Driver tab:
    • Set Name to a user-friendly name (e.g. "CData SFTP Driver")
    • Set Driver Files to the appropriate JAR file. To add the file, click the plus (), select "Add Files," navigate to the "lib" folder in the driver's installation directory and select the JAR file (e.g. cdata.jdbc.sftp.jar).
    • Set Class to cdata.jdbc.sftp.SFTP.jar
    Additionally, in the advanced tab you can change driver properties and some other settings like VM Options, VM environment, VM home path, DBMS, etc
    • For most cases, change the DBMS type to "Unknown" in Expert options to avoid native SQL Server queries (Transact-SQL), which might result in an invalid function error
  4. Click "Apply" then "OK" to save the Connection

Configure a Connection to SFTP

  1. Once the connection is saved, click the plus (), then "Data Source" then "CData SFTP Driver" to create a new SFTP Data Source.
  2. In the new window, configure the connection to SFTP with a JDBC URL.

    Built-in Connection String Designer

    For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the SFTP JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.sftp.jar

    Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

    SFTP can be used to transfer files to and from SFTP servers using the SFTP Protocol. To connect, specify the RemoteHost;. service uses the User and Password and public key authentication (SSHClientCert). Choose an SSHAuthMode and specify connection values based on your selection.

    Set the following connection properties to control the relational view of the file system:

    • RemotePath: Set this to the current working directory.
    • TableDepth: Set this to control the depth of subfolders to report as views.
    • FileRetrievalDepth: Set this to retrieve files recursively and list them in the Root table.
    Stored Procedures are available to download files, upload files, and send protocol commands. See gdatamodel for more on using SQL to interact with the server.

  3. Set URL to the connection string, e.g., jdbc:sftp:RemoteHost=MyFTPServer;
  4. Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the connection string

At this point, you will see the data source in the Data Explorer.

Execute SQL Queries Against SFTP

To browse through the SFTP entities (available as tables) accessible through the JDBC Driver, expand the Data Source.

To execute queries, right click on any table and select "New" -> "Query Console."

In the Console, write the SQL query you wish to execute. For example: SELECT Filesize, Filename FROM MyDirectory WHERE FilePath = /documents/doc.txt

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for SFTP and start working with your live SFTP data in DataGrip. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

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An easy-to-use database-like interface for Java based applications and reporting tools access to remote files and directories.