Patent ID: 8468212

Claim:
A data repository comprising: a memory configured to store data for the data repository, the data stored in the data repository including one or more data content items, each data content item being associated with zero or more metadata items, wherein each data content item is associated with a handle and wherein each metadata item is associated with an attribute name, the handle of each data content item in the data repository being an integer value having a fixed format and the attribute name of each metadata item in the data repository being an integer value having a fixed format, the memory being configured to store a plurality of different formats of data in the data repository for a plurality of client devices, the data repository including an assigned hierarchy of the integer values of attribute names for categories of metadata, wherein; each category of metadata is assigned a range of integer values for attribute names, and the hierarchy includes a plurality of levels of categories; a network interface configured to communicate with the plurality of client devices including a first client device and a second client device; and a control unit configured to control the storage of data in the memory, wherein the control unit provides functions for writing data to and reading data from the memory, wherein the control unit is configured to handle and transfer the data without interpretation of the data and without knowledge of the content or format of the data stored using the integer values of the handle of each data content item and the attribute name of each metadata item, wherein the control unit allows for the first client device to access metadata items in the data repository in a first format and a second client device to access metadata items in the data repository in a second format.