Choosing how to run the Data Load utility

The Data Load utility can be run in three different ways according to your needs. It can be run in the development environment, from the Utility server Docker container, or as a scheduled job.

(Developer)

Running the Data Load utility in WebSphere Commerce Developer

This method is for developers that use WebSphere Commerce Developer. If you need to customize the Data Load utility, we can use this method. We can test our customization code, configuration files, and sample data before you deliver it to others for testing or business use. We can also use the utility to load large amounts of sample data for our other customizations. If we are not customizing the Data Load utility and want to create a small amount of test data for our other customizations, consider by using business tools such as the Management Center. For more information about customizing the DataLoad utility, see Customizing the Data Load utility.

Running the utility in the Utility server Docker container

This method is suitable for administrators loading data into a workspace, staging environment, or production environment. Running the utility in the Utility server Docker container is also useful if you need to run the Data Load utility once, or on an irregular basis. Your administrator needs to have access to the Utility server Docker container. You might also need to customize the Utility server Docker container or change its deployment to maximize the efficiency of the Data Load utility. For more information about running the Data Load utility, including customizations, sample files, and approaches, see Overview of the Data Load utility.

Running the utility as a scheduled job

Use this approach if we are running the utility regularly, and are using data in a fixed location. Having a fixed location such as an SFTP server is convenient for business users. We can put updates in the server and ensure that these updates are loaded into the system in a timely manner. A fixed location is also useful when the data to be loaded is coming from an external system, and an automated process synchronizes the two systems within a reasonable time window. In this case, run the Data Load utility from the Transaction server container. We need access to the Administration Console ability to create transports and scheduled jobs. You might need to customize the Transaction server container for the environment. Your business users or automated processes need access to the SFTP server to which the files are uploaded. For more information about running the Data Load utility as a scheduled job, see Configure a Data Load utility scheduler job.
Next topic: Configure the Data Load utility to run a file difference preprocess