function Merge-DSCConfigurationData {
    [CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName="Data")]
    Param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true, ParameterSetName="Data")]
        [System.Collections.IDictionary]
        $Template,

        [Parameter(Mandatory=$false, ParameterSetName="Data")]
        [System.Collections.IDictionary]
        $Deployment = @{},

        [Parameter(Mandatory=$false, ParameterSetName="Data")]
        [System.Collections.IDictionary]
        $Output,

        [Parameter(Mandatory=$true, ParameterSetName="Path", ValueFromPipeline=$true, ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true)]
        [Alias("FullName")]
        [string[]]
        $Path,

        [Parameter(Mandatory=$false, ParameterSetName="Path")]
        [switch]
        $PassThru,

        [Parameter(Mandatory=$false, ParameterSetName="Data")]
        [string]
        $MergePath = '$'
    )

    begin {
        $TemplatePath = @()
    }

    process {
        if($PSCmdlet.ParameterSetName -eq "Path"){
            $TemplatePath += @($Path)
            return
        }

        if($Output -eq $null){
            $Output = $Deployment
        }

        if((Test-ConfigurationDataNodeSealed -Node $Template) -and $Deployment.Count -gt 0){
            throw "Configuration data path [$MergePath] is sealed and cannot be modified."
        }

        foreach($Property in $Template.GetEnumerator()){
            if($Property.Name -eq "Metadata"){
                Write-Verbose "Skipping metadata block during configuration data merge"
                continue
            }

            if($Property.Value -is [System.Collections.IDictionary]){
                Write-Verbose "Key [$($Property.Name)] is a Dictionary"
                if(Test-ConfigurationDataDictionaryKey -Dictionary $Deployment -Key $Property.Name){
                    Write-Verbose "Key [$($Property.Name)] is present in Deployment Data"
                    $Output[$Property.Name] = Merge-DSCConfigurationData -Template $Template[$Property.Name] -Deployment $Deployment[$Property.Name] -Output $Output[$Property.Name] -MergePath "$MergePath.$($Property.Name)"
                }else{
                    Write-Verbose "Key [$($Property.Name)] is not present in Deployment Data"
                    $Output.Add($Property.Name,(Copy-ConfigurationDataValue -Value $Template[$Property.Name]))
                }
            }elseif($Property.Value -is [System.Array]){
                Write-Verbose "$($Property.Name) is ein Array"
                Write-Verbose "Total Items in Template Array [$($Property.Value.Count)]"
                Write-Verbose "Total Items in Deployment Array [$(@(Get-ConfigurationDataDictionaryValue -Dictionary $Deployment -Key $Property.Name -DefaultValue @()).Count)]"
                if(Test-ConfigurationDataDictionaryKey -Dictionary $Deployment -Key $Property.Name){
                    Write-Verbose "Array is defined in Deployment"

                    $DeploymentArray = Get-ConfigurationDataDictionaryValue -Dictionary $Deployment -Key $Property.Name
                    $TemplateItems = for($i=0;$i -lt $Property.Value.Count; $i++){
                        $SearchKeyNames = @(Get-ConfigurationDataArrayMergeKeyNames -ArrayName $Property.Name -Item $Property.Value[$i])
                        [PSCustomObject]@{
                            Value = $Property.Value[$i]
                            SearchKeyNames = $SearchKeyNames
                            IsWildcard = Test-ConfigurationDataItemWildcard -Item $Property.Value[$i] -KeyNames $SearchKeyNames
                        }
                    }

                    $TemplateItems = @($TemplateItems | Where-Object { -not $_.IsWildcard }) + @($TemplateItems | Where-Object { $_.IsWildcard })

                    foreach($TemplateItem in $TemplateItems){
                        $SearchKeyNames = @($TemplateItem.SearchKeyNames)

                        if($SearchKeyNames.Count -eq 0){
                            Write-Verbose "No matching name key found for item in [$($Property.Name)]"
                            $Output[$Property.Name] += ,(Copy-ConfigurationDataValue -Value $TemplateItem.Value)
                            continue
                        }

                        if($TemplateItem.IsWildcard){
                            $MatchingDeploymentItems = @($DeploymentArray | Where-Object { Test-ConfigurationDataItemHasKeys -Item $_ -KeyNames $SearchKeyNames })
                        }else{
                            $MatchingDeploymentItems = @($DeploymentArray | Where-Object { Test-ConfigurationDataItemKeyMatch -Left $_ -Right $TemplateItem.Value -KeyNames $SearchKeyNames })
                        }

                        if($MatchingDeploymentItems.Count -gt 0){
                            foreach($DeploymentItem in $MatchingDeploymentItems){
                                $OutputItem = @($Output[$Property.Name] | Where-Object { Test-ConfigurationDataItemKeyMatch -Left $_ -Right $DeploymentItem -KeyNames $SearchKeyNames })[0]
                                Merge-DSCConfigurationData -Template $TemplateItem.Value -Deployment $DeploymentItem -Output $OutputItem -MergePath "$MergePath.$($Property.Name)[$(Format-ConfigurationDataMergeKey -Item $DeploymentItem -KeyNames $SearchKeyNames)]" | Out-Null
                            }
                        }else{
                            if($TemplateItem.IsWildcard){
                                Write-Verbose "Wildcard item [$(Format-ConfigurationDataMergeKey -Item $TemplateItem.Value -KeyNames $SearchKeyNames)] in [$($Property.Name)] matched no deployment items"
                            }else{
                                Write-Verbose "Pair [$(Format-ConfigurationDataMergeKey -Item $TemplateItem.Value -KeyNames $SearchKeyNames)] not present"
                                $Output[$Property.Name] += ,(Copy-ConfigurationDataValue -Value $TemplateItem.Value)
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }else{
                    Write-Verbose "Array is not defined in Deployment"
                    $Output[$Property.Name] = Copy-ConfigurationDataValue -Value $Template[$Property.Name]
                }
            }else{
                Write-Verbose "$($Property.Name) is a String or Integer Value"
                if(-not (Test-ConfigurationDataDictionaryKey -Dictionary $Deployment -Key $Property.Name)){
                    $Output.Add($Property.Name,(Copy-ConfigurationDataValue -Value $Template[$Property.Name]))
                }elseif($Deployment[$Property.Name] -ne $Property.Value){
                }
            }
        }

        return $Output
    }

    end {
        if($PSCmdlet.ParameterSetName -eq "Path"){
            return Merge-ConfigurationDataTemplateFile -Path $TemplatePath -PassThru:$PassThru
        }
    }
}