ARX Data Anonymization Tool - SQL Server connection and anonymization

Question

I am trying to make ARX connect to a SQL Server database with hostname\instance and Windows auth. ARX keeps reporting "Unknown server host name". I need input for what ARX expects in "Server" when there is also an instance name.

The reason for looking at ARX, is because I am searching for a tool, which is capable of anonymizing a SQL Server database.

Connect to a SQL Server database, import the data and pattern, anonymize the data, overwrite the data in the database with the anonymized data.

Answer 1

Author of ARX here. Some feedback:

1. ARX is relased in two forms: a Java programming library as well as a GUI. There is more flexibility when using the programming library than with the GUI. You will be able to (in theory) import the data from a SQL Server DBMS, but you will not be able to write data back to the DBMS. This functionality is easy to implement using the library, however.
2. We have been struggling with DBMS connection problems for quite some time. The reason is that we don't have that many different types of DBMSs around to be able to test wide range of possible connection settings. For example, I don't have SQL Server installation around, so I cannot investigate your problem.

That said, please report this issue on our GitHub issue tracker (https://github.com/arx-deidentifier/arx/issues). If you are able to run ARX from source, we would be happy to help to debug your problem. An issue requesting an export feature to DBMSs has already been created (https://github.com/arx-deidentifier/arx/issues/332). If you want, you can upvote it by commenting.