Test-DbaDbDataMaskingConfig

Sander Stad (@sqlstad), sqlstad.nl

Windows, Linux, macOS

Synopsis

Validates data masking configuration JSON files for structural and logical errors

Validates data masking configuration JSON files by checking column properties, data types, masking types, and action configurations against dbatools requirements.
Returns detailed error information for any tables and columns that fail validation, helping you identify configuration issues before running data masking operations.
Checks include required/allowed column properties, supported SQL Server data types, valid masking and subtype combinations, date range validations, and action property requirements.
Essential for troubleshooting complex masking configurations and ensuring they’ll execute successfully without runtime errors.

Syntax

Test-DbaDbDataMaskingConfig
    [-FilePath] <String>
    [-EnableException]
    [<CommonParameters>]

Examples

Example: 1

PS > Test-DbaDbDataMaskingConfig -FilePath C:\temp_datamasking\db1.json
Test the configuration file

Required Parameters

-FilePath

Specifies the full path to the data masking configuration JSON file to validate.
Use this to verify your masking configuration before running New-DbaDbDataMaskingConfig or Invoke-DbaDbDataMasking to catch errors early.

Property	Value
Alias
Required	True
Pipeline	false
Default Value

Optional Parameters

-EnableException

By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with “sea of red” exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this “nice by default” feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own try/catch.

Property	Value
Alias
Required	False
Pipeline	false
Default Value	False

Outputs

PSCustomObject

Returns validation error objects for any configuration issues found. If the configuration file is valid with no errors, no output is returned.

Each error object contains the following properties:

Table (string): Name of the table in the configuration where the error was found
Column (string): Name of the column in the table where the error was found
Value (string): The problematic value or comma-separated list of property names causing the error
Error (string): Description of the validation error encountered

Common validation errors include:

Missing required column properties (Action, CharacterString, ColumnType, Composite, Deterministic, Format, MaskingType, MaxValue, MinValue, Name, Nullable, KeepNull, SubType)
Invalid column data types (unsupported by SQL Server or dbatools)
Invalid masking types or subtypes (not available in dbatools randomization library)
Unsupported action categories, types, or subcategories
Invalid date range values or missing required min/max values for ‘Between’ subtype
Missing required action properties (Category, Type, Value for datetime actions; Category, Type, Value for number actions)
Action category incompatibility with column data type
Additional properties in columns that are not in the allowed properties list