Guides

This chapter provides a collection of practical guides for common XDM tasks and processes. Each guide is based on a specific use case and explains, step by step, how to achieve a particular goal or solve a recurring problem. To implement the solution, the guides combine the relevant XDM configuration objects, scripts, and process steps, often spanning multiple modules.

Use the overview below to quickly find the guide that best matches your scenario.

Environment, Integration, and Automation

Kerberos Authentication with Oracle: Prepare the required Helm and runtime settings to use Kerberos authentication for an Oracle database in XDM.
Triggering MVS Host Jobs from a Stage Hook: Trigger an MVS host job directly from a stage hook to integrate external processing steps into an XDM workflow.
Dynamic Environments Using Activation Scripts: Control installed applications in environments dynamically by evaluating custom parameters during activation.
Setup Environment ID as Environment Variable: Make the current environment identifier available to workflows, stage hooks, and modification methods through environment variables.
Script Libraries for Code Reuse: Centralize shared Groovy logic in script libraries to reduce duplication and simplify maintenance across scripts.
Dynamic Rule Activation Using Custom Parameters: Access custom parameters from an entity copy task inside an entity modification rule activation script.
Using Files in WHERE Clauses: Feed lists of values into task start conditions by referencing a file object in the WHERE clause.

Data Transformation and Masking

Accessing Additional Columns in Modification: Make extra source columns available in modification methods, even when they are not part of the copied table structure.
Value-Preserving Masking: Build a reusable mapping table that permutes source values consistently for deterministic data masking.
Risk-Based Address Masking: Mask address data while preserving classification logic for different risk zones used in insurance scenarios.
Modify JSON Data in a JSONB Column: Parse and update selected JSON attributes in a jsonb column with Groovy and JsonSlurper.
Setting Dummy PDF Files in Columns: Replace existing binary content with a predefined dummy file, such as a PDF, to mask sensitive data safely.
Writing Data to an XDM File: Extract values from a database, transform them as required, and store them directly in an XDM file.

Schema Comparison and Copy Tasks

Comparing Environments: Use a structure compare task to identify schema differences between two database environments.
Synchronizing Structures Before Native Copy: Separate structural alignment from data transfer by combining structure compare and native table copy tasks.
Automating Identity Start Values: Initialize identity columns in newly created SQL Server tables based on the maximum values from the source system.
Environment-Based Schema and Table Naming: Resolve environment-specific schema and table names dynamically for compatibility and native table copy tasks.
Handling GENERATED ALWAYS Columns: Handle merge scenarios where a generated-always column is part of the primary key.

Modeling and Housekeeping

Exploring Data Relations: Analyze existing foreign-key relationships and generate recommendations for missing data relation rules.
Delete Expired Objects: Clean up expired executions, workflows, tasks, and icebox generations from one centrally managed stage hook.