How to load data from SFTP Bulk to TiDB
Learn how to use Airbyte to synchronize your SFTP Bulk data into TiDB within minutes.


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How to Sync to Manually
Step 1: Prepare Your Environment
Ensure that you have access to both the SFTP server and the TiDB database. Install necessary tools such as `sftp` for secure file transfer and `mysql` client for interacting with TiDB. Verify network connectivity to both the SFTP server and the TiDB instance.
Step 2: Download Data from SFTP Server
Use the `sftp` command-line tool to connect to the SFTP server and download the required data files to your local machine or a server that can access TiDB. Use a command like `sftp user@hostname:/path/to/file` to transfer files.
Step 3: Prepare Data for Import
Inspect the downloaded data files to ensure they are in a format that TiDB can accept, such as CSV or TSV. If necessary, clean or transform the data to match the schema of your TiDB tables. Ensure that any delimiters, encodings, and escape characters are consistent.
Step 4: Create TiDB Schema
Before importing data, ensure that your TiDB database has the appropriate schema in place. Use the `mysql` client to connect to TiDB and run `CREATE TABLE` statements to define the structure of your tables. Ensure that the data types and columns match those of the imported data.
Step 5: Load Data into TiDB
Use the `mysql` client’s `LOAD DATA INFILE` command to import data files into TiDB. First, ensure that the files are accessible from the TiDB server or upload them to the TiDB server's accessible directory. Then, execute a command such as:
```sql
LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/path/to/file.csv' INTO TABLE your_table FIELDS TERMINATED BY ',' LINES TERMINATED BY '\n';
```
Adjust delimiters based on your file format.
Step 6: Verify Data Integrity
After loading the data, verify that it has been imported correctly by executing SQL queries on TiDB to check for accuracy and completeness. Compare the number of records and some sample entries in TiDB with the original data files to ensure consistency.
Step 7: Clean Up and Automate
Remove any temporary files from your local or intermediate servers to save space. If this data transfer is a recurring task, consider writing a script that automates the entire process, including downloading, transforming, and loading data. Use shell scripting to automate these steps and schedule them using a tool like `cron` for periodic execution.
Following these steps will help you efficiently move data from an SFTP server to TiDB without relying on third-party connectors or integrations.