Introduction to data masking

Some SAP tables may contain sensitive information which you may not wish to show in LiveCompare results. LiveCompare support this by allowing table columns to be masked in retrieval, comparison and report results, and in the Quick Compare Wizard.

When a table column is masked, the column’s contents are replaced with ****** in the results displayed by LiveCompare. Data masking is applied to table data retrieved, compared and reported on from all RFC Destinations.

Specify the table columns to be masked

The SAP table columns to be masked are defined in an Excel External Data Source named SAP Data Mask. It has a column named TABNAME which stores the names of SAP tables, and column named FIELDNAME which stores the names of the table columns to be masked.

The default SAP Data Mask External Data Source delivered with LiveCompare includes a data mask for a column named NOSUCHFIELD in a sample table named /ICORP/YVPRRSD99. To upload your own set of table fields to be masked, carry out the following steps.

1. Create an Excel spreadsheet named SAP_Data_Mask.xls, with two columns named TABNAME and FIELDNAME.

2. Set the TABNAME column to the name of an SAP table, and the FIELDNAME column to the name of column to be masked.

3. Repeat Step 2 as required to mask additional table fields. Note that more than one column may be masked in the same SAP table.

4. Save and close the Excel spreadsheet.

5. Log in to LiveCompare an Administrator and select the icon.

6. Expand the Data > External Data Sources folder in the LiveCompare hierarchy, and select the SAP Data Mask External Data Source.

7. Click ‘Replace Data File’ to display the Replace External Data File screen.

8. Click ‘Choose File’ and browse for your Excel spreadsheet, then click ‘OK’.

9. Click ‘OK’ to upload the spreadsheet.

Restart the Tricentis LiveCompare Application Server service by carrying out the following steps:

1. Select the Process Runs > Running folder in the LiveCompare hierarchy and make sure that no workflows are currently running. Select the Administration > Users folder and make sure that no other users are logged in to LiveCompare.

2. Open a command prompt with Administrator privileges on the LiveCompare server, and run the following:

net stop rnserver

net start rnserver

If LiveCompare is resource group-controlled, the SAP Data Mask External Data Source does not need to be added to a resource group for data masking to work. Excluding the SAP Data Mask External Data Source from all resource groups will prevent users with LiveCompare Editor privileges from modifying it.

Retrieval results

Table data retrieved by the following actions is masked according to the entries in the SAP Data Mask External Data Source. Masked columns have their values replaced with ****** in LiveCompare’s retrieval results.

• Extract Tables

• Read SAP Table

• Read SAP Table and Join

• Retrieve Table Set

Table contents retrieved in Hierarchy datasets are also masked.

Comparison results

Table data compared by the following actions is masked according to the entries in the SAP Data Mask External Data Source.

• Compare Objects

• Compare SAP Tables

• Compare Table Set

• Compare Tables

Table contents compared in Hierarchy datasets and by the by the Quick Compare Wizard and are also masked.

Masked column values are compared as normal, and comparison statuses are displayed for them. However, masked columns have their values replaced with ****** in LiveCompare’s comparison results.

Report results

Table data reported on by the following actions will be masked according to the entries in the SAP Data Mask External Data Source.

• Create Hierarchy Report

• Create Table Set Report

Exported table data

Data masking is preserved in table data that is exported to Excel, or copied to the Windows Clipboard.

Remove data masking

To remove data masking, carry out the following steps.

1. Create an empty Excel spreadsheet named SAP_Data_Mask.xls, with two columns named TABNAME and FIELDNAME.

2. Log in to LiveCompare an Administrator and select the icon.

3. Upload the spreadsheet to the SAP Data Mask External Data Source, replacing its original data file as described here.

4. Restart the Tricentis LiveCompare Application Server service as described here.

Tables to ignore