Patent ID: 8140578

Claim:
A computer implemented method for managing multilevel hierarchical structured information in disparate knowledge repositories, the computer implemented method comprising: creating, by a data processing system, an association data structure for a multi-phased software test process as metadata in a metadata repository to form a created association data structure; populating, by the data processing system, the association data structure with association information of the multi-phased software test process; creating, by the data processing system, a process data structure in the metadata repository; collecting, by the data processing system, information from each test phase of the multi-phased software test process across the disparate knowledge repositories using the created association data structure to form collected information, wherein collecting information from each test phrase of the multi-phased software test process comprises: locating a repository that comprises identity information of a test phase in response to initiation of the test phase; searching the repository for process information of the test phase; and extracting the process information of the test phase to form extracted process information, wherein the extracted process information includes access and modification timestamps of the test phase; and storing, by the data processing system, the extracted process information from each test phase of the multi-phased software test process in the process data structure in the metadata repository, wherein the collected information is searched on a periodic basis to provide process-related information that is used to detect problems with the multi-phased software test process, and wherein corrective actions are taken automatically in response to detected problems.