Patent ID: 7213037

Claim:
A computer-implemented system for centrally managing core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise, comprising: a centralized master repository containing the core enterprise reference data, wherein the core enterprise reference data comprises master data representing core configuration data associated with entities of the enterprise; an internal services framework coupled to the centralized master repository and providing internal services for managing the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository, one or more of the internal services having direct access to the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository for management purposes; an infrastructure services layer coupled to the centralized master repository and providing for bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows, the external operational systems being permitted indirect access to the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository for operational purposes; and a database comprising a cached data area for providing one or more of the internal services with direct access to the core enterprise reference data, the cached data area containing cached data representing core enterprise reference data extracted from the managed data area for processing in connection with the one or more internal services and re-insertion into the managed data area following such processing, wherein the managed data area stores the core enterprise reference data as cached data in an intermediate state for manipulation according to a manipulation process, the core enterprise reference data is maintained as locked in its true state for read only access until completion of the manipulation process, outputting the intermediate state of the cached data related to the core enterprise reference data to an entity of the enterprise.