Use and enforcement of provenance and lineage constraints

Abstract

Provided are techniques for managing constraints. Content data and content metadata that is associated with the content data is stored. In response to receiving a change to one of the content data and the content metadata, a provenance value is calculated based on the change, wherein the provenance value represents a change in content between the changed content data or the content metadata and an original version of the content data or the content metadata, and a lineage value is calculated based on the change, wherein the lineage value represents a change in authorship between the changed content data or the content metadata and the original version of the content data or the content metadata. It is determined whether the calculated provenance value violates at least one constraint. It is determined whether the calculated lineage value violates at least one constraint. In response to determining that the calculated provenance value or the calculated lineage value violates at least one constraint, one or more actions associated with the violated constraint are performed, wherein the one or more actions include allowing the change and preventing the change.