# VFS browser

In some transformation steps and job entries, a Virtual File System (VFS) browser is used in place of VFS connections and the Open dialog box. When you use the VFS browser, specify a VFS URL instead of the VFS connection. The files are accessed using HTTP and the URLs contain schema data that identify a protocol to use. Your files can be local or remote, and can reside in compressed formats such as TAR and ZIP. For more information, see the [Apache Commons VFS documentation](http://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-vfs/).

## Before you begin

If you need to access a Google Drive, see [Access to a Google Drive](/pdia-data-integration/10.2-data-integration/data-integration-perspective-in-the-pdi-client/virtual-file-system-browser/before-you-begin-vfs-connections/access-to-google-cloud.md).


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