The workbench can use JDBC to connect directly to databases.
Overview of database connections
Use the New Database Connection wizard or pages that are embedded in
other wizards to create a JDBC connection to a database.
Managing database connections
You can refresh, reconnect, disconnect, and delete your database connection.
You can also view the properties of a database connection.
Data object filters
You can use filters to exclude data objects (such as tables, schemas,
stored procedures and user-defined functions) from your view. Only the data
objects that match the filter condition are shown.
Offline database connections
You can save database information so that you can view objects in a
database connection even when you do not have an active connection. You must
save the database information to your computer before you disconnect from
a database.