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Quickstart

Prerequisites​

You will need:

  • Java 21+
  • Database credentials with read access
  • Network access to the database

Verify Java:

java -version

Step 1 — Download and Unzip​

Download the trial kit from the Download page.

Then unzip:

unzip scrim-trial-<version>.zip
cd scrim

Step 2 — Set Database Credentials​

Scrim reads database credentials from environment variables.

Set them before running:

export DB_URL="jdbc:postgresql://HOST:5432/DB"
export DB_USER="USER"
export DB_PASSWORD="PASSWORD"

Notes:

  • Credentials are never logged
  • You may alternatively edit the config files directly

Step 3 — Update Configuration for Your Tables​

Before running Scrim, update the sample configuration to match your database.

Open the default table-mode config:

nano sample-configs/table.yml
# or use your preferred editor

At minimum, update:

  • Table names to match your database
  • Schema name (if applicable)
  • Row limits or sampling percentages
  • Column-level masking rules (if configured)

Example:

tables:
  - name: users
  - name: orders
  - name: payments

Save the file after making changes.

Step 4 — Validate Configuration​

Validate your setup:

./bin/scrim validate --config sample-configs/table.yml

Expected output:

✔ Config valid
✔ Database reachable
✔ No write operations detected

Fix any reported errors before proceeding.

Step 5 — Preview Execution​

Preview what Scrim will do:

./bin/scrim plan --config sample-configs/table.yml

This shows the tables, limits, and masking rules that will be applied.

Step 6 — Run Scrim​

Run the extraction and masking process:

./bin/scrim run --config sample-configs/table.yml

Expected output:

✔ Run completed
✔ No writes made
Outputs written to ./out/

Step 7 — View Outputs​

By default, Scrim writes outputs to:

out/
├── csv/    # Masked CSV samples
├── sql/    # Masked SQL inserts
└── audit/  # Execution audit trail

Output Types​

  • CSV — masked sample data
  • SQL — masked insert statements
  • Audit — traceability and validation metadata

Query Mode (Optional)​

To extract data using custom SQL queries:

./bin/scrim run --config sample-configs/query.yml

This uses:

queries/example.sql

Edit this file to customise extraction logic.

Troubleshooting​

Java Not Found​

command not found: java

Install Java 21+ and retry.

Credentials Not Set​

Database credentials not configured

Ensure all three variables are set:

  • DB_URL
  • DB_USER
  • DB_PASSWORD

Permission Denied​

permission denied: ./bin/scrim

Fix with:

chmod +x bin/scrim

Connection Refused​

Connection refused

Check:

  • Database host and port
  • Firewall rules
  • Network connectivity

Giving Feedback​

Your feedback helps improve Scrim.

Next Steps​

  • Review advanced configuration options
  • Try query mode
  • Run Scrim in your CI or test environment