1. Accessing the Data Discovery and Classification Module

• Open the Lepide Data Security Platform console.

• From the left-hand navigation pane, select Data Discovery and Classification

• The main Data Discovery and Classification screen will appear.

2. Configuring SQL Server Settings

• Click the Settings icon on the top right corner of the Data Discovery and Classification screen.

• In the SQL Server Settings dialog box:

  • Enter the SQL Server IP Address or select it using the browse option.
    

• Choose the authentication method:

  • Windows Authentication Or SQL Server Authentication with valid credentials.

• Click Test Connection to verify SQL connectivity.
  

• Once the test succeeds, click OK to proceed.

3. Selecting or Creating the Classification Database

• In the Select Database field:

  • Choose an existing database from the dropdown list Or Click Create New Database to generate a new one for classification data

• (Optional) Check Import previously classified files information if migrating from an older setup.

• Click OK to save and close the dialog box.

4. Understanding Classification Hierarchy

The DDC module identifies sensitive data based on defined patterns, tags, templates, and profiles.
Each element works as a building block in the classification process.

4.1 Patterns

• Patterns are the smallest unit of classification.

• They are strings or regular expressions (RegEx) used to detect specific data types like credit card numbers, passport IDs, or postcodes.

• DDC comes with prebuilt patterns, but you can also create custom ones.

4.2 Tags

• A Tag groups related patterns under one label.

• This makes it easier to manage multiple related data identifiers.

4.3 Templates

• Templates hold one or more Tags.

• You can group Tags into a broader category such as Financial Data or Personal Identifiers.

• Templates allow you to classify large data sets based on their business relevance.

4.4 Profiles

• A Profile is the top layer of the DDC structure.

• It contains one or more Templates and applies them to a scanning target (such as a file server or SharePoint site).

• Profiles let you run targeted classification jobs and monitor their progress.

5. Verifying Database Connectivity

After saving settings:

• The platform will attempt to establish communication between the DDC Agent and the configured SQL Server.

• Ensure both systems are online and reachable on the configured port (default 1433).
  

6. Final Verification

After configuration:

• The DDC dashboard will display an Active SQL Connection indicator.

• You can now proceed to create new classification profiles for supported platforms (e.g., Windows File Server, SharePoint, Exchange, etc.).