Red Hat, Inc.

Alex Miller

Robert W Scanlon

Steven Gene Wolfangel

Randall Hauch

Brad Wright

Embodiments of the invention provide a system for generating and maintaining virtual and physical metadata layers in a MetaBase metadata repository in order to simplify and optimize the retrieval of data from a plurality of disparate information sources. The system stores in a physical metadata layer of a metadata repository a plurality of physical metadata elements, wherein each one of the physical metadata elements corresponds to the metadata elements in the plurality of information sources. Logical metadata elements are stored in the virtual metadata layer and are linked to the physical metadata elements in order to maintain the relationships therebetween. By maintaining the relationships between the physical metadata elements, users can initiate a data query request for data corresponding to a logical metadata element, and the system is configured to retrieve the desired data from the relevant information sources.

System and method for accessing data in disparate information sources

The present invention relates to a system () for generating and maintaining virtual and physical metadata layers in a MetaBase metadata repository () in order to simplify and optimize the retrieval of data from a plurality of disparate information sources (-). The system stores in a physical metadata layer of a MetaBase metadata repository a plurality of physical metadata elements, wherein each one of the physical metadata elements corresponds to the metadata elements in the plurality of information sources. Logical metadata elements are stored in the virtual metadata layer and are linked to the physical metadata elements in order to maintain the relationships therebetween. By maintaining the relationships between the physical metadata elements, users can initiate a data query request for data corresponding to a logical metadata element, and the system is configurated to retrieve the desired data from the relevant information sources, even in the event that relevant information sources maintain the data in fields having different data field names, that the information sources employ incompatible data formats, and that the relevant information sources employ different query languages.

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Webster Groves, MO, United States of America

Alex Miller