Patent ID: 7822710

Claim:
A method of extracting data from one or more data sources to a central repository storing a data model, the data model comprising a set of components and relationships representing entities in an environment and the relationships between these entities, wherein each of the components and relationships in the data model has a type and a set of properties and the values for the type and set of properties of each of the components and relationships in the data model are based on a first set of data extracted at a first time from each of the one or more data sources, comprising: extracting a second set of data from the one or more data sources at a second time subsequent to the first time; normalizing and mapping the second set of data into a format associated with the data model in the central repository; correlating the second set of data extracted at the second time with the components and relationships of the data model stored in the central repository; comparing the components and relationships of the data model in the central repository with the second set of data; and updating the data model in the central repository based on the comparison of the components and relationships of the data model, wherein updating the data model comprises determining a set of operations to update the data central repository, wherein the set of operations is based on the comparison between the second set of data and the component and relationships in the central repository and the set of operations are configured to alter the types of values of the components or relationships in the central repository or to add components or relationships to the central repository to account for changes in the one or more data sources associated with the components or relationships which occurred between the first time and the second time, and applying the set of operations to the central repository to update the data model.