Maximum Performance Data Masking

The process of data masking by its very nature can be a lengthy operation – by this I mean the actual read, transform, update process performed by the masking tool. The time taken from start to finish is directly proportionate to the quantity and complexity of data to be masked.

No two datasets are the same. We have different data store technologies, different schema designs, different ratios of sensitive data contained in the data store. I am often asked how long the masking process will take for a given database before I’ve even seen it! There is no rule of thumb here. The only way we can give a useful estimate is by creating, running and timing the actual masking job(s) themselves.

What we can do though, and we must do, is design our masking configurations/jobs with maximum performance in mind. Performance tuning is often an after thought that inevitably forces rework whereas if we work from the outset with performance in mind we can ensure time and effort is kept to a minimum and most importantly the process runtime is too.

Let’s explore the key areas that affect performance in a typical Delphix data masking enterprise implementation.

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A Demo Of Delphix Data Masking

Delphix Masking Login

 

 

 

 

 

As a follow on from the GDPR For Non-production Environments post and to give an insight in how to use the basic functionality of Delphix Masking I thought I would write this post in the format of a demonstration.  It’s a demo I give to the DBA’s and Application Specialists that attend the Delphix training courses I teach before they get their hands dirty and do it themselves in the labs.

Warning: this is a very screenshot heavy post!

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GDPR For Non-production Environments

GDPR

 

 

 

 

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect in May of 2018 and businesses who collect, use, and share data from European citizens – whether based in the EU or not – will have to comply or risk some pretty heavy punishment (up to EUR20m or 4% of annual worldwide turnover!).  So how can the GDPR affect companies current processes when copying and moving data into non-production environments?

For every production system there can be tens of non-production database copies used to support the ongoing development and testing of that production system.  In my 15+ years of working with databases in various industries I have rarely seen effective and secure processes to desensitize data when copying the production source to these supporting environments.  To be fair, recent years have shown an improvement here but seldom enough and often the process is more of a token gesture to put a tick in a box, rather than a clear concerted effort to ensure the data is completely desensitized and importantly, certified to be so.  That can’t be the case anymore.

Lets take a look at what impact GDPR has on this process and how the Delphix Dynamic Data Platform is a good example of a tool businesses can use to achieve compliance.

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