Delphix

Delphix holds a single, continuously updated copy of your production databases (including all binaries, configuration files and so forth). It can then provision complete virtual copies of this data as required. The automation and self-service that this provides fits well as part of Agile and DevOps initiatives. Features include the ability to refresh, reset and rewind data, as well as the ability to bookmark, branch and share data. Notably, Delphix provisioning is incremental, meaning that when your production database is updated, only those updates (and not entire datasets) will be pushed out to your virtual copies during a refresh. Even then, refreshes are strictly on demand: your users are given the freedom to decide if and when they need an update. In addition, different databases can be provisioned in a synchronised fashion. This could be used, for example, to facilitate integration testing for apps that use data from multiple data sources.

Fig 2 Self-service in Delphix

If your test data is potentially sensitive, you will need to a) profile your data and discover which tables, columns and so on are, in fact, sensitive, and b) mask that data. How this works is that you take your copy of the production database, profile it, create a masked, virtualised version, and then provision virtual copies from that version. This can all be achieved from within the Delphix platform. In addition, both data profiling and data masking via the Delphix platform can be leveraged on structured and unstructured data, can be scheduled or run on-demand, and come equipped with preconfigured templates specific to particular applications (such as SAP) and regulations (such as GDPR). If you already have your own data masking solution, you may choose to use that instead. Another option is to use internally written scripts for masking, though this is not an approach that we would recommend. Stand-alone (without data virtualisation) masking support is also available for mainframe (iSeries, VSAM and z/ OS) systems. Delphix also supports a tokenisation capability, and audit and compliance reporting is provided.

Data virtualisation is entirely unlike other approaches to test data management. It does not seek to produce a scaled-down set of test data that is in some way representative of your production data, whether created via data subsetting or via synthetic data generation. Rather, data virtualisation enables you to distribute – and therefore test on – all of your (virtualised and masked) production data. There is clear value in this. Beyond the fact that it ensures that your test data is 100% representative of your production data, it also lends itself very well to effective distribution and operationalisation of test data, and from there to DevOps. The self-service capabilities that Delphix provides reinforce the latter point.

Fig 3 Masking sensitive data in Delphix

Moreover, the data virtualisation, data masking, and data profiling capabilities provided by the Delphix platform are rapid, automated, and highly scalable. In terms of functionality, we would rate the product’s data masking and profiling capabilities as capable, but not exceptional. However, they are primarily policy driven, and hence can be applied effectively to a large quantity of data and data sources. In addition, all of these capabilities – along with self-service – are provided within a single, unified platform. This makes Delphix as a whole easy and convenient to use for test data management, as all of the tools a user might want are located in a single place.

The Bottom Line

Delphix is one of a very small number of data virtualisation vendors that operate in the test data management space. Although there are several reasons to recommend it, ultimately your opinion of it will be determined by whether or not you like its data virtualisation centric approach to test data management. As we said in our last report, “if you like the approach, you’ll love the product.”