Use consistent data masking

TDM Studio allows you to mask your data in various ways and provides the functions that you need to do so. This includes the following possibilities:

Create valid data from one or more data pools

You can mask personal data such as a name or an address by replacing the person or their address with fictional but valid data. This means that the new data is not the real information but coherent in relation. For instance, you can replace the name of a female person with another female name instead of any random name. Consistent masking generates the new values from a data pool that provides a set of values, e.g. valid female names or valid addresses in Germany.

Mask data with constant values, characters, or randomly created values

You can mask personal data like a name or an address by replacing it with constant values or by masking characters. For instance, you can simply replace a value with an X.

Combine different masking methods

You can create data that combines valid data from one or more data pools with constant values, characters, or randomly created values.

Additionally, consistent masking enables you to mask several databases and storages in the same way. This means that a particular data item is replaced with the same new value in each case. This allows you to restore complete targets as well as single values without the need to duplicate any functions.

Configure consistent masking

You can configure all masking functions that TDM Studio offers. This includes the following elements:

• Data pools

• Consistency database

• Targets

• Masking algorithms

• Masking functions

TDM Studio also provides a restart function that allows you to easily continue the masking process if it was interrupted before completion.

TDM Masking Wizard versus Tricentis TDM Wizard for Databases

From Tricentis TDM Studio 12.3 onwards, you can use the TDM Masking Wizard and the Tricentis TDM Wizard for Databases, both Wizards offer similar functionalities. However, to optimize performance and user experience, consider the following use case recommendations when you decide which Wizard to use for a particular task.

Use TDM Masking Wizard

Tricentis recommends using the TDM Masking Wizard in the following use cases:

• Masking user data (particularly when using masking algorithms and interfaces, as well as custom artefacts)

• Create a copy from an existing database

Use Tricentis TDM Wizard for Databases

Tricentis recommends to use the Tricentis TDM Wizard for Databases for the following use cases:

• Inserting data into a specific database

• Working with synthetic data

• Update an existing database

• Creating tasks for deleting database tables

• Previewing database tables