Overview
A dSource is the copy of a source database's persistent data layer that Delphix Continuous Data uses to create and update virtual databases (VDBs). You can provision multiple VDBs from the same dSource. Based on the ingestion model and data source type, the dSource could be exposed through a mount point and interacts with a Staging Database Instance, Database, or Files. Consult the data source connector documentation for specific details.
In DCT, dSources from all connected CD engines are visible in a unified list under Data > Data Management > dSources. This centralized view allows administrators to manage dSources across the entire fleet of connected CD engines from a single interface.
Linking dSources
Once you have discovered your data source environments, you will see a list of data sources on that host. The first step to sync data is to link a dSource from the host.
Linking a dSource will ingest data from the source and create a dSource object on the connected CD engine. As mentioned, the dSource is an object used to create and update virtual copies of your database. As a virtualized representation of your source data, it cannot be managed, manipulated, or examined by database tools.
Once a dSource has been linked, you can begin to perform dSource operations on it through DCT, such as enable, detach, delete, and more.
dSource timeline
Both dSources and VDBs have timelines, which describe the history of a virtual database or dSource’s data. Virtual databases can be provisioned from any snapshot in a Timeline. In DCT, a Timeline is represented vertically with a series of individual snapshots as rows.
dSource snapshot
Snapshots of dSources preserve specific points in time for use later during the virtual database provisioning workflow. Taking a snapshot will create a new snapshot entry in the dSource's Timeline.