Patent ID: 8713058

Claim:
A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising executable instructions to: create a first export file that defines attributes and relationships associated with a first business intelligence object in a source system; form a second export file that characterizes a second business intelligence object associated with the first business intelligence object, the presence of the second business intelligence object being required by the first business intelligence object to function; combine, using a rule file associated with the first business intelligence object and a rule file associated with the second business intelligence object, the first export file and the second export file into a composite export entity that preserves dependencies between the first business intelligence object and the second business intelligence object within a hierarchy of business intelligence objects, wherein each rules file comprises meta-metadata characterizing a representation of the corresponding business intelligence object that allows for the reconstruction of the corresponding object from its representation in the composite export entity; and distribute the composite export entity to a target system so that the first business intelligence object and the second business intelligence object can be inserted into an object hierarchy within the target system that is not identical to an object hierarchy in the source system, the distribution comprising one or more of: downloading the composite export entity to a target system, sending the composite export entity by file transfer protocol, downloading or uploading the composite export entity to a web resource, storing the composite export entity to a computer readable medium, or emailing the composite export entity to the target system; wherein: the composite export entity is distributed by one or more of: downloading the composite export entity to a target system, sending the composite export entity by file transfer protocol, downloading or uploading the composite export entity to a web resource, storing the composite export entity to a computer readable medium, or emailing the composite export entity to the target system; the composite export entity further preserves security settings for at least one of the first business intelligence object and the second business intelligence object, the security settings defining what actions a user can take with the corresponding business intelligence object.