Patent ID: 7831553

Claim:
A system for integrating metadata with a metabase, wherein the system is coupled, via a network, to multiple computers, the system comprising: a centralized metabase component that stores metadata identifying one or more data objects and one or more data classifications associated with each data object, wherein the data classifications describe one or more characteristics of the data object, and wherein the centralized metabase is coupled to the multiple computers via the network; a metadata receiving component that receives, via the network, multiple metadata entries for integration with the metabase; a metadata locating component for locating metadata in the metabase related to the received metadata; and, a metadata integration component for adding the received metadata into the metabase wherein the metadata integration component is configured to: receive one or more rules to apply to the multiple metadata entries, wherein the one or more rules provide an order of preference by which the multiple metadata entries are to be integrated into the centralized metabase; apply the one or more rules to the multiple metadata entries after detecting that at least one of the computers has been disconnected from the network and then reconnected to the network; based on the application of the one or more rules, determine the order of preference by which to integrate the multiple metadata entries into the centralized metabase; and integrate the multiple metadata entries into the centralized metabase according to the determined order of preference.