Before running discovery or masking operations, ensure that the SAP ASE (Sybase) database is properly configured. Proper database configuration helps prevent failures and improves performance during masking operations.

The following recommendations help prepare Sybase databases for Continuous Compliance.

Memory configuration

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) requires sufficient memory allocation to handle database workloads. Masking operations update large volumes of data and may require higher memory capacity than normal workloads.

Recommendation

Ensure that the database instance has sufficient memory allocation to handle large update operations.

SAP ASE memory requirements depend on several configuration parameters, including:

  • Total logical memory

  • Procedure cache size

  • Buffer cache size

Database administrators should review and tune memory configuration based on workload requirements. Refer to the SAP ASE documentation for guidance on determining appropriate memory allocation.

Table key configuration

Masking operations require a unique key to identify rows when updating records.

For optimal performance, the key used during masking should be indexed. A clustered index is typically the most efficient option.

Continuous Compliance uses the following order when selecting a key:

  1. Primary Key (PK) – If a primary key exists, it is used.

  2. IDENTITY column – If no primary key exists but an identity column is present, that column is used.

  3. Logical Key (LK) – A user-defined logical key can override other keys if it is unique and contains no NULL values.

  4. Generated identity column – If no key exists, a temporary identity column may be created during masking operations.

Temporary identity columns created during masking are removed after the masking job completes.

Transaction log configuration

Sybase ASE records all database changes in the transaction log. Masking operations can generate large transactions because many rows may be updated.

Recommendation

Ensure that transaction logs are appropriately sized to support large update operations.

If the transaction log becomes full during masking, the database transaction may be suspended and masking jobs may appear to stall.

Database administrators should monitor and manage transaction log space during masking operations.

In some cases, resizing the database or increasing the transaction log space may be required.

Masking user privileges

It is recommended to create a dedicated database user for masking operations. This user should have the necessary privileges to read and update data within the database.

Typical permissions required for masking operations include:

  • SELECT

  • INSERT

  • UPDATE

  • DELETE

  • ALTER TABLE

Example SQL commands to create a masking user:

CREATE LOGIN mask_user WITH PASSWORD 'password';
sp_addlogin mask_user, 'password';
sp_adduser mask_user;

Example commands to grant permissions:

GRANT SELECT ON <table_name> TO mask_user;
GRANT INSERT ON <table_name> TO mask_user;
GRANT UPDATE ON <table_name> TO mask_user;
GRANT DELETE ON <table_name> TO mask_user;
GRANT ALTER ANY TABLE TO mask_user;

Ensure that the credentials configured in the connector correspond to a user with the required privileges.

Last updated
Oct 8, 2026