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Terminology

Terminology

Algorithm Instance - An algorithm instance is a fully-formed algorithm, which may be assigned to mask data in your masking Inventory. Algorithm instances are uniquely identified by their algorithmName in the Masking API, which is sometimes referred to as "algorithm code" or algorithmCd.

Algorithm Component - This term refers to a Java class within an algorithm plugin that implements the MaskingAlgorithm Java interface.

Algorithm Framework - This term refers to a family of algorithms on the Delphix Masking Engine. It is necessary to create an instance of an algorithm framework in order to use it - for example, FirstNameLookup is an instance of the Secure Lookup (aka. SL) algorithm framework.

Delphix Algorithm SDK - A toolkit authored by Delphix to support the development of algorithm plugins. This includes a CLI for testing algorithms, a skeleton generator for creating empty plugin projects and algorithm classes, and sample algorithms illustrating various use cases.

Delphix Masking API - This refers to the set of web APIs offered by the Delphix Masking Engine over HTTP/HTTPS. This API is sometimes referred to as the V5 APIs (referencing their current major version number) or Masking Web API.

Delphix Masking Plugin API - A package containing the set of Java interfaces that may be implemented in and consumed by a plugin for the Delphix Masking Engine. In order for a plugin to supply algorithms, one or more classes in the plugin must implement the MaskingAlgorithm interfaces provided by this API. This component also includes some common utilities used to load and run plugins on the engine and in the Masking SDK. The JAR containing the appropriate version of the Delphix Masking Plugin API classes has been embedded in the Algorithm SDK zip file.

Plugin - A JAR file containing classes that implement interfaces usable to extend the Delphix Masking Engine. Currently, only masking algorithms may be included in plugins. Plugins also contain self-descriptive metadata to facilitate their use on the engine.

Multi-Column (MC) Algorithm - An algorithm that can take as input more than one field and mask one or all the inputted fields, computing the masked value using any of the fields provided. An MC Algorithm can also take in read-only fields that it does not modify but uses to compute a masked value for another field. The type of the input specified for an MC Algorithm is GENERIC_DATA_ROW, though all the fields must specify one of the "standard" masking types (STRING, BIG DECIMAL, etc).