Patent ID: 8140594

Claim:
A method of sharing data, the method comprising: storing a central data object in a central computer system, the central data object including an attribute and a plurality of values for the attribute; creating a first mapping, using one or more processors, between the values of the attribute for the central data object stored in the central computer system and values of an attribute for a first client data object stored in a client computer system, the first mapping designating a correspondence between central metadata and client metadata, the central metadata referring to a first value of the attribute for the central data object, the central metadata indicating the first value is valid for the attribute for the central data object during a first time period, the central metadata referring to a second value of the attribute for the central data object, the central metadata indicating the second value is valid for the attribute for the central data object during a second time period not overlapping the first time period, and the client metadata referring to a value of the attribute for the first client data object; storing the first mapping; using the first mapping to selectively extract first data from the central data object for distribution to the first client data object; and distributing the extracted first data from the central computer system to the client computer system.