SQL Provision

SQLServerCentral Editorial

Creating Test Data

  • Editorial

This editorial was originally published on Jan 9, 2020. It is being re-run as Steve is out of town. Test data is hard to come by, and I agree with Brent Ozar: " I get so frustrated when I hear trainers/presenters/bloggers/idealists talk about how developers should be using purpose-built-from-scratch data sets with no real customer […]

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2023-06-07 (first published: )

498 reads

External Article

Dealing with Server Objects, Settings and Features when Provisioning Databases

  • Article

If we want the behavior and performance of our test databases to mimic that observed in production, then we must consider not only the database but also the server. Grant Frtichey reviews the server-level objects, settings and features that we may need to consider, and then shows how to 'synchronize' the linked servers, user logins and SQL Agent jobs, as part of an automated provisioning process, using SQL Provision.

2019-07-26

External Article

A Re-Introduction to HIPAA and SOX

  • Article

SQL Provision can help organizations ensure compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and SOX. But what exactly are these legislations asking of DBAs and how does this impact the work you do? Robert Sheldon provides an overview of the two US regulations in this four-part series.

2019-03-12

2,407 reads

External Article

Back to Basics; Masking Address Data

  • Article

Protecting Personable Identifiable Information is central to the compliance of numerous regulations which your organization may be subject to. In this article Grant Fritchey starts with the basics of obfuscating address data with the data masking technology in SQL Provision.

2019-03-07

3,101 reads

External Article

Protecting Credit Card Data when Testing

  • Article

Privacy regulations, ranging from GDPR to HIPAA, among many others, put strict compliance requirements on the storage and use of personal and sensitive data. In this article Grant Fritchey explains how the data masking technology in SQL Provision can help you protect credit card data while maintaining characteristics and distribution of the real thing.

2019-03-05

2,916 reads

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Question of the Day

Backing Up a DMK

In SQL Server 2025, I have a database with a Database Masker Key (DMK). I want to back up this key and keep a copy offline. When do I have to open this key before running the backup?

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