Overview of SQL Server virtual databases

Virtual databases are a key data management concept for Delphix, explained in Provisioning and Managing Virtual Databases. In order to create or provision a virtual database, you will need a linked dSource from a source host and a compatible target environment, as described in the overview for Managing Environments and Hosts and Overview of Requirements for SQL Server.

From a dSource, you can select a snapshot or point in time to create a VDB. SQL Server VDBs each have their own configuration settings as described in Configuration Settings for SQL Server Virtual Databases below. This document describes the steps to provisioning VDBs with SQL Server.

Procedure

1. In the Datasets panel on the left-hand side, click the group containing the dSource or VDB from which you want to provision and select the dSource or VDB from the provided list.

2. From the TimeFlow tab, select a snapshot to provision from. To provision from a specific point in time from dSources with LogSync enabled, use the open LogSync button.

3. Click to open the Provision VDB wizard, and select a compatible Target Environment for the new SQL Server VDB

4. On the Target Configuration page, you may customize the VDB. For a list of available configuration options, see Configuration Settings for SQL Server Virtual Databases below.

5. Select a Snapshot Policy for the VDB.

6. If the VDB should be masked during provisioning, enable Masked Provisioning by selecting an option on the Masking page

7. Enter any operations that should be run on the Hooks page.

8. Review the VDB Configuration and Summary, and then click Submit.

When provisioning starts, you can review the progress of the job by selecting the VDB and clicking on the Status tab, or by selecting System and viewing the Jobs page.

Alternatively, you can see this in the Actions Sidebar. When provisioning is complete, the VDB will be included in the group you designated and listed in the Datasets panel.

Configuration settings for SQL server virtual databases

Each VDB has its own data management settings, found during the provisioning workflow as well as in the configuration page for that VDB. When you create a SQL ServerVDB, Delphix copies most configuration settings from the dSource and uses them to create the VDB. However, you can customize these with the following settings: