Metadata Synchronization via Federated Repository Crawling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems face challenges in synchronizing metadata across various applications, leading to discrepancies and difficulties in data ownership, lack of a common metadata glossary, and inefficient processes for keeping governed metadata in sync with originating repositories.
Innovation Solution
A metadata synchronization system that includes a federated metadata repository, a governed metadata repository, and a crawler to ensure metadata elements are up-to-date and conform to standard data types, with notification mechanisms for users and automated processes to address discrepancies and data type inconsistencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual metadata synchronization processes are used across multiple applications, then flexibility in managing different application metadata requirements is maintained, but synchronization efficiency and consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a metadata repository as an intermediary component that mediates between multiple applications and their metadata. This repository serves as a central coordination point that enables automated synchronization while maintaining the ability to handle diverse application-specific metadata requirements through standardized interfaces and data models.
2Reliability
If automated crawling processes are implemented to detect metadata discrepancies, then synchronization completeness is improved, but system complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the metadata repository and crawler work autonomously to detect and resolve synchronization issues. The system automatically crawls applications, identifies metadata discrepancies, and triggers appropriate synchronization actions without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving reliability while managing complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the crawler continuously monitors metadata states across applications and provides feedback to the metadata repository. This feedback loop enables the system to detect synchronization issues and automatically initiate corrective actions, improving synchronization completeness while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured information flow.
3Manufacturing precision
If data type conformance checks are performed on all metadata elements, then data consistency is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing data type conformance checks selectively rather than uniformly on all metadata elements. The system focuses conformance validation on critical metadata elements and those identified as having discrepancies during crawling, thereby maintaining data consistency for essential data while reducing overall processing time and computational resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A metadata synchronization system is provided. The metadata synchronization system may include a plurality of metadata elements included in a plurality of applications. The plurality of applications may be coupled to a plurality of application hubs. The plurality of application hubs may be coupled to a federated metadata repository. The plurality of application hubs may be coupled to a governed metadata repository. The system may include crawling the plurality of applications, the plurality of application hubs, the federated metadata repository and the governed metadata repository to ensure that the metadata elements are synchronized across all of the components. In the event that a metadata element is not synchronized across any one of the components, the system may notify interested parties and/or resolve the discrepancy.