Associating and using information in a metadirectory

1. A method for associating and using information in a metadirectory comprising:

receiving, for an object defined in one or more directories of at least one data source, an object name and an operation command that modifies a value of at least one attribute of the object;

providing the metadirectory, wherein the metadirectory comprises a metadirectory schema for defining the object with an object name in association with delta information, error information, and state information for the object, wherein the delta information comprises operation commands that modified at least one attribute of the object including operation commands add, delete and modify, wherein the error information comprises at least one of an extension error or a rule error generated during a metadirectory process that pertains to the object, and wherein the state information comprises state information associated with a metadirectory process that pertains to the object, wherein metadirectory information is processed by:

staging information, wherein the staging comprises communicating directory information from one or more data sources to the metadirectory;

synchronizing information, wherein the synchronizing comprises aggregating information and managing information with respect to a core area and a buffer in the metadirectory, and wherein the aggregating information comprises sub-processes joining, projecting and flowing, wherein:

joining establishes a link between an object in the core area and an object in a buffer area;

projecting creates a storage layer entity in the core area and establishes a link between the created storage layer entity and an already existing storage layer entity; and

flowing changes directory information in the core area of the metadirectory using a link established between an entity in the buffer and an entity in the core; and

wherein the managing information comprises sub-processes provisioning, deprovisioning and flowing, wherein:

provisioning is triggered by changes applied to an entity in the core area, where upon a buffer entity is created and a link between the changed entity in the core area and the created buffer entity is established; and

deprovisioning removes buffer entities in response to metadata indicating a buffer as deleted; and

exporting data, wherein the exporting comprises examining information in a buffer area of the metadirectory flagged for pending export and to communicate update information to at least one data sources; and

defining, for the object defined in the one or more directories of the at least one data source, a corresponding object in the metadirectory according to the metadirectory schema wherein the corresponding object definition for the object associates the object name and the operation command that pertains to at least one attribute of the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state information comprises a pending import state, an unconfirmed export state, an escrowed export, and an unapplied export state.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the state information includes text in an extensible markup language.

4. A method for associating and using information in a metadirectory comprising:

receiving, for an object defined in one or more directories of at least one data source, an attribute name, an operation command and, depending on the operation command, an attribute value;

providing the metadirectory, wherein the metadirectory comprises a metadirectory schema for defining the object with an object name in association with delta information, error information, and state information for the object, wherein the delta information comprises at least one operation command that pertains to at least one attribute of or for the object, wherein the error information, comprises at least one of an extension error or a rule error generated during a metadirectory process that pertains to the object, and wherein the state information comprises state information associated with a metadirectory process that pertains to the object; and

defining, for the object defined in the one or more directories of the at least one data source, a corresponding object in the metadirectory according to the metadirectory schema wherein the corresponding object definition for the received object associates the attribute name, the operation command, and depending on the operation command, the attribute value;

wherein metadirectory information is processed by:

staging information, wherein the staging comprises communicating directory information from one or more data sources to the metadirectory;

synchronizing information, wherein the synchronizing comprises aggregating information and managing information with respect to a core area and a buffer in the metadirectory, and wherein the aggregating information comprises sub-processes joining, projecting and flowing and managing information comprises sub-processes provisioning, deprovisioning and flowing; and

exporting data, wherein the exporting comprises examining information in a buffer area of a metadirectory flagged for pending export and communicating update information to the at least one data source.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the defining includes defining an object that includes delta information.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the delta information includes an operation command.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the operation command comprises an operation command selected from the group consisting of attribute level operation commands.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the delta information includes state information.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the state information comprises a pending import state, an unconfirmed export state, an escrowed export, and an unapplied export state.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the state information includes text in an extensible markup language.

11. One or more computer readable storage media containing instructions that are executable by a computer to perform actions comprising:

receiving, for an object defined in one or more directories of at least one data source, an attribute name, an operation command and, depending on the operation command, an attribute value;

providing a metadirectory that comprises a metadirectory schema for defining the object with an object name in association with delta information, error information, and state information for the object, wherein the delta information comprises at least one operation command that pertains to at least one attribute of or for the object, wherein the error information, comprises at least one of an extension error or a rule error generated during a metadirectory process that pertains to the object, and wherein the state information comprises state information associated with a metadirectory process that pertains to the object;

defining, for the object defined in the one or more directories of the at least one data source, a corresponding object in a the metadirectory according to the metadirectory schema wherein the corresponding object definition for the received object associates error information, the attribute name, the operation command and, depending on the operation command, the attribute value;

processing the metadirectory information by:

staging information, wherein the staging comprises communicating directory information from one or more data sources to the metadirectory;

synchronizing information, wherein the synchronizing comprises aggregating information and managing information with respect to a core area and a buffer in the metadirectory, and wherein the aggregating information comprises sub-processes joining, projecting and flowing and managing information comprises sub-processes provisioning deprovisioning and flowing; and

exporting data, wherein the exporting comprises examining information in a buffer area of a metadirectory flagged for pending export and communicating update information to the at least one data source generating error information related to the object; and

storing, according to the object definition, at least the error information and the attribute name in a storage of the metadirectory.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the state information comprises a pending import state, an unconfirmed export state, an escrowed export, and an unapplied export state.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the defining includes defining an object that includes delta information.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the delta information includes state information.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the delta information includes an operation command.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the operation command comprises an operation command selected from the group consisting of attribute level operation commands.