Customization of metadata describing objects in a computing environment

• US 20060190466A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Plaisted, Patrick E., Morel, Michael J., Mortensen, Douglas R., Mortensen, Richard W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

The present invention facilitates customization of metadata that describes objects in a software system without requiring modification of source code. A customization that describes a desired customization to metadata is received and the relevant metadata is identified. A delta value indicating the customization to the metadata is stored.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of customizing metadata in a software system, comprising:

receiving a customization specification identifying a desired customization to the metadata;

identifying a first metadata value to be customized in a metadata store based on the specification;

storing a separate delta value, separate from the identified first metadata value, the delta value being a customization value for the identified, first metadata value; and

customizing the first metadata value with the delta value based on the customization specification.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein customizing the first metadata value comprises retrieving the delta value when accessing the first metadata value, without changing the first metadata value in the metadata store.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein customizing the first metadata value comprises:

replacing already existing metadata with the delta value when the first metadata value is retrieved.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein customizing the first metadata value comprises:

adding the delta value to the first metadata value when the first metadata value is retrieved.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein storing the delta value comprises:

storing the delta value in a metadata store that stores the metadata.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the metadata is stored in a metadata store and wherein storing comprises:

storing the delta value in a separate data store, separate from the metadata store.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the metadata is represented by a metadata tree structure having leaves with values indicative of metadata values.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein identifying comprises:

identifying a leaf in the metadata tree structure that is to be customized based on the customization specification.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein storing the delta value comprises:

storing a new value for the identified leaf.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein customizing comprises:

replacing the value for the identified leaf, with the new value for the identified leaf, in the metadata tree structure.

11. A system for customizing metadata in software, comprising:

a metadata store storing a metadata structure indicative of the metadata;

a delta store storing delta values indicative of desired customizations to the metadata structure; and

a customization component configured to receive a request for metadata and customize the metadata structure by accessing the delta store and modifying the metadata structure with delta values associated with the requested metadata to obtain a customized metadata structure, and return the customized metadata structure.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the metadata store and the delta store are implemented on a single storage device.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the metadata structure comprises:

a tree having nodes, each node including at least one metadata value.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the delta values comprise customization values for nodes in the tree to be customized.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each node has a corresponding node type.

16. The system of claim 15 and further comprising:

a conflict resolution component storing conflict resolution policies associated with nodes in the tree.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the customization component is configured to identify a customization conflict in which a plurality of different customization values is specified for a single node and to apply a conflict resolution policy to resolve the conflict.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the conflict resolution policies are associated with the nodes based on the node type of the nodes.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the customization component comprises:

an adapter entity having methods invoked to receive the request for metadata and to identify metadata customizations to be made.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the customization component comprises:

a target entity having methods invokable by the adapter to apply the delta values to the metadata to be customized.