Patent ID: 8306946

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of deploying a data management application to a target computer system, comprising: (a) storing, in a deployment database, metadata for a master data management application, wherein the metadata is representative of: (i) business rules and process workflows that manage business data from multiple sources, wherein: (1) the business rules and process workflows are applied, to the business data from the multiple sources, to consolidate the business data and produce master data (2) the master data is stored in a central business database; and (3) the master data is fed to one or more consuming business processes; (ii) a model definition for a form the master data will take in the central business database; (b) storing in the deployment database, configuration settings for deployment of the master data management application on the target computer system; (c) retrieving the metadata and configuration settings from the deployment database; (d) confirming installation instructions of the master data management application based on input into a graphical user interface; (e) confirming that any changes made to the metadata and configuration settings were performed using a design tool by an authorized user and that such changes were not directly performed on the target computer system; and (f) installing the master data management application on the target computer system based on the installation instructions, metadata, and configuration settings.