Mapping to an existing source doesn't work like expected

Peter13

We use SQL Data Generator to anonymize production data: we copy a table, we tell Data Generator to populate the copy, we assign the original table as the data source ("Use existing data source") and then we assign generators to columns that contain sensitive data.

This works fine in version 1, but since we switched to version 2 (and SQL Server 2012) Data Generator no longer automatically maps the original columns to the copy table. This means we have to map the corresponding columns manually. Is there a way to tell Data Generator 2 to behave like it used to in version 1? The documentation for version 2 tells me it should still work as before, but somehow it doesn't.

Brian Donahue

We are dealing with your request via the support ticket that you logged via email. I'll update this forum topic if we can work out what the problem is.

Peter13

Because other visitors of this forum can't read my support ticket, I will inform them this way about our proceedings:

Red Gate has determined that the automatic column mapping functionality has disappeared between version 1 and 2 an has no idea when it will be fixed. Leaving me, of course, very disappointed. Why do you remove functionality when upgrading a product without notifying your users? The only reason I can think of is you want to sell your product "SQL Data Refresh". Which, by the way, doesn't satisfy our needs because SQL Server 2012 isn't supported.

Peter13

Still no indication from Red Gate when this will be fixed.

Apparently this issue is no problem for other Data Generator users, since I don't read any other complaints... Are we the only ones who use Data Generator to generate test data based on production data?

indigoweb

I am experiencing the very same issue - this is a new installation and we are trialling the product. For us, this feature creates random data, and just uses our CSV file to determine the number of rows, which is weird.

I would have thought this to be a critical feature to speed up testing. E.g. if you want to create test user accounts, and not have to track down a valid login each time.

Is this something Red Gate plans on fixing?

Peter13

@indigoweb:

If you wonder when Red Gate will be fixing this issue, in January I was told that "Any future updates to SDG are not even in the schedule at this point, so I do not know when work will be done on it again."

In March, I asked if there was any news on this subject. I got this reply: "I'm still not aware of any planned work on that particular tool".

Doesn't sound very hopeful, does it?...

AspenGuy

We have found this is a problem too. We have just started using Data Generator 2 and when using a source table or view, the tool does not auto map the columns.

As we have potentially up to a hundred columns, manually mapping this makes it quicker to write our own scripts.

If this was working in V1 then we are disappointed it is not in V2.

From previous posts this does not look like it will be fixed unless a Red Gate developer lets us know otherwise.

Peter13

We have decided to switch to another tool. This is essential functionality for us. Red Gate has confirmed this is a bug in Data Generator 2, but more than 8 months after my message they still can't tell me when it will be fixed.