As a common repository for raw data files, these servers serve as starting points for many ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes into Destinations. Here's how businesses can harness the data stored in FTP servers for analytics:

• Data Aggregation from Multiple Sources: Businesses often receive data in file formats like CSV, Excel, or XML from various departments or external partners. An FTP server acts as a centralized location for consolidating these disparate data sources, readying them for extraction and analysis.
• Timely Data Refreshes: Automated ETL processes can be set up to monitor FTP directories for new or updated files. Upon detection, these files can be automatically extracted, transformed as necessary, and loaded into a Destination, ensuring timely data refreshes for analytics.
• Historical Data Analysis: FTP servers can store archives of historical data files. By loading this historical data into a Destination, businesses can run time-series analyses, track changes over time, and identify long-term trends and patterns.
• Data Quality and Transformation: Before loading into a Destination, the raw files in FTP servers can be processed to ensure data quality. This includes tasks like filtering out corrupt or irrelevant data, normalizing data formats, and enriching data with additional context.

By strategically using an FTP server as an intermediary storage for raw data files, businesses can streamline their ETL processes, ensuring consistent, timely, and high-quality data flow into their Destinations for comprehensive analytics.