# Workspace modes

With Syntho, you can initialize a workspace by automatically applying suggested generators to all columns based on your workspace mode, speeding up your configuration process.

When creating a workspace, select one of the following modes to control how data is generated.

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### Initialization modes overview

| Mode             | When to use                                                                                                                                                                 | What happens                                                                                                     |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Synthesize all   | For one or more two related tables. To preserve maximum statistical validity with high privacy.                                                                             | PII columns receive mock generator suggestions, and non-PII columns use AI synthesis.                            |
| Mock all         | Theoretically the most secure, since all data is generated independently of the original data. This is also the best choice if there is no or limited input data available. | All PII and non-PII columns get one or more suggested mock generators.                                           |
| Mock or mask all | Like “Mock all”, except masking generators may be applied in certain scenarios to generate more realistic data.                                                             | All PII and non-PII columns get one or more suggested mock and/or mask generators.                               |
| De-identify      | When only replacement of PII is required, while non-PII columns should remain in-tact, making it suitable for internal test cases.                                          | Suggested generators are applied only to PII columns. Non-PII columns do not receive any generator suggestions.. |
| From scratch     | For custom configurations or when only a few tables need to be configured.                                                                                                  | All tables start excluded by default, and the application doesn't suggest generators.                            |

### PII scan

For all workspace modes (except **From Scratch**), a **PII scan** is automatically run during workspace creation. This scan detects and configures sensitive columns for de-identification, ensuring privacy compliance from the start.

This step is essential for modes that involve synthetization or de-identification to maintain data privacy and security. For more information, please refer to [automatic-pii-discovery-with-pii-scanner](https://docs.syntho.ai/configure-a-data-generation-job/privacy-dashboard/automatic-pii-discovery-with-pii-scanner "mention").

### Key generator

Select a **default key generator** to handle primary key (PK) and foreign key (FK) generation, ensuring data integrity and privacy.

1. **Duplicate**: Keeps original key values intact, maintaining relationships between tables.
2. **Hash**: Converts original keys into hashed values, preserving table relationships while obfuscating data for enhanced privacy.

You can adjust this setting later in your workspace configuration. For more information, refer to [key-generators](https://docs.syntho.ai/configure-a-data-generation-job/configure-column-settings/key-generators "mention").

### **Locale settings**

Set a default locale for mockers and PII processors (e.g., Dutch, English, Japanese, etc.), with fallback to English (US) if your locale isn’t supported. You can adjust this later in workspace settings.

### User roles

* **Before workspace creation**:\
  Any user can make full use of this feature.
* **After workspace creation**:\
  Only users with **Editor rights or higher** can make full use of this feature.