Patent ID: 8140573

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting an indication to create a metadata file for a business object in a first database, wherein the metadata file indicates the hierarchical structure of interrelated data object types that constitute the business object and indicates relationships among the data object types; determining a root data object type in a tree data structure representing the business object and a maximum depth, wherein the maximum depth represents a maximum level of the hierarchical structure for which metadata should be collected; traversing each data object type of the tree data structure beginning at the root data object type; locating each data object type in the first database; determining metadata of each data object type from the first database; recording metadata of each data object type to the metadata file; detecting a request to export the business object from the first database; determining the metadata file for the business object and a filter, wherein the filter indicates which business object instances of the business object to export; creating an export file; writing extensions to the export file, wherein extensions are scripts that customize business object instances during import; determining a first business object instance based on the filter; determining a first parent data object instance corresponding to the first business object instance based on the metadata; determining attributes of the first parent data object instance; writing the attributes and metadata of the first parent data object instance to the export file; determining a plurality of children data object instances based on the metadata file; determining attributes of the each of the plurality of children data object instances; and writing the attributes and metadata of each of the plurality of children data object instances to the export file.