Master data management system for centrally managing core reference data associated with an enterprise

1. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a storage medium stored therein a centralized master repository comprising core enterprise reference data;

a storage medium stored therein an internal services framework coupled with 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;

a storage medium stored therein an infrastructure services layer coupled with the centralized master repository, comprising:

a back side data access layer having an object-based control layer configured to:

provide bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems having one or more enterprise solution components, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

provide the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository; and

map between the centralized master repository and the one or more enterprise solution components of the one or more external operation systems, the mapping having fixed transformations; and

a front side data access layer configured to:

transfer control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system; and

provide the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository; and

a database coupled with the centralized master repository storing the core enterprise reference data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external operational system is modified without modifying the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external operational system is integrated when the external operational system is introduced, modified, or replaced.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein another enterprise is integrated into the enterprise.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the core enterprise reference data stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute associated with a point in n-dimensional entity space.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the centralized master repository comprises multiple master repositories residing at multiple physical locations, the centralized master repository appearing to internal services and external operational systems as a single master repository at a single physical location.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising a database containing at least some of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository, any core enterprise reference data that is not physically contained in the database appearing to internal services and external operational systems as if it was physically contained in the database.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure services layer is configured to facilitate application integration with the external operational systems.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure services layer further provides enterprise messaging between one or more of the internal services and the external operational systems according to operation of one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the back side data access layer is configured to provide the external operational systems with indirect access to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository through one or more staging areas associated with the centralized core repository.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the front side data access layer is embodied using an object-based services layer residing on an application server within an application server layer.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the front side data access layer is configured to transfer core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and an external operational system where the external operational system requires core enterprise reference data in a particular format that the back side data access layer does not support.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external operational systems comprise one or more of:

external enterprise solution components associated with the enterprise; and

external enterprises.

14. A method of centrally managing core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise, comprising:

providing a centralized master repository containing the core enterprise reference data;

providing an internal services framework that is coupled with the centralized master repository and provides 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;

providing an infrastructure services layer that is coupled with the centralized master repository and comprises:

a back side data access layer having an object-based control layer configured to:

provide bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems having one or more enterprise solution components, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

provide the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository;

map between the centralized master repository and the one or more enterprise solution components of the one or more external operation systems, the mapping having fixed transformations; and

a front side data access layer configured to:

transfer control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system; and

provide the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository; and

a database associated with the centralized master repository storing the core enterprise reference data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the external operational system is modified without modifying the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the external operational system is integrated when the external operational system is introduced, modified, or replaced.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein another enterprise is integrated into the enterprise.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the core enterprise reference data stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute associated with a point in n-dimensional entity space.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the centralized master repository comprises multiple master repositories residing at multiple physical locations, the centralized master repository appearing to internal services and external operational systems as a single master repository at a single physical location.

20. The method of claim 14 , comprising providing a database containing at least some of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository, any core enterprise reference data that is not physically contained in the database appearing to internal services and external operational systems as if it was physically contained in the database.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the infrastructure services layer is configured to facilitate application integration with the external operational systems.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the infrastructure services layer further provides enterprise messaging between one or more of the internal services and the external operational systems according to operation of one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein the back side data access layer is configured to provide the external operational systems with indirect access to associated external operation services that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository through one or more staging areas associated with the centralized core repository.

24. The method of claim 14 , wherein the front side data access layer is embodied using an object-based services layer residing on an application server within an application server layer.

25. The method of claim 14 , wherein the front side data access layer is configured to transfer core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and an external operational system where the external operational system requires core enterprise reference data in a particular format that the back side data access layer does not support.

26. The method of claim 14 , wherein the external operational systems comprise one or more of:

external enterprise solution components associated with the enterprise; and

external enterprises.

27. Software that centrally manages core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise, the software embodied in one or more computer-readable media and when executed using one or more computer systems configured to:

interact with a centralized master repository containing the core enterprise reference data;

provide an internal services framework that is coupled with the centralized master repository and provides 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;

provide an infrastructure services layer that is coupled with the centralized master repository and comprises:

a back side data access layer having an object-based control layer configured to:

provide bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems having one or more enterprise solution components, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows;

provide the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository;

map between the centralized master repository and the one or more enterprise solution components of the one or more external operation systems, the mapping having fixed transformations; and

a front side data access layer configured to:

transfer control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system; and

provide the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository; and

a database associated with the centralized master repository storing the core enterprise reference data.

28. The software of claim 27 , wherein the external operational system is modified without modifying the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository.

29. The software of claim 27 , wherein the external operational system is integrated when the external operational system is introduced, modified, or replaced.

30. The software of claim 27 , wherein another enterprise is integrated into the enterprise.

31. The software of claim 27 , wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the core enterprise reference data stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute associated with a point in n-dimensional entity space.

32. The software of claim 27 , wherein the centralized master repository comprises multiple master repositories residing at multiple physical locations, the centralized master repository appearing to internal services and external operational systems as a single master repository at a single physical location.

33. The software of claim 27 , configured to interact with a database containing at least some of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository, any core enterprise reference data that is not physically contained in the database appearing to internal services and external operational systems as if it was physically contained in the database.

34. The software of claim 27 , wherein the infrastructure services layer is configured to facilitate application integration with the external operational systems.

35. The software of claim 27 , wherein the infrastructure services layer further provides enterprise messaging between one or more of the internal services and the external operational systems according to operation of one or more enterprise-level business workflows.

36. The software of claim 27 , wherein the back side data access layer is configured to provide the external operational systems with indirect access to associated external operation services that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository through one or more staging areas associated with the centralized core repository.

37. The software of claim 27 , wherein the front side data access layer is embodied using an object-based services layer residing on an application server within an application server layer.

38. The software of claim 27 , wherein the front side data access layer is configured to transfer core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and an external operational system where the external operational system requires core enterprise reference data in a particular format that the back side data access layer does not support.

39. The software of claim 27 , wherein the external operational systems comprise one or more of:

external enterprise solution components associated with the enterprise; and

external enterprises.

40. A system for centrally managing core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise, comprising:

means for providing a centralized master repository comprising core enterprise reference data;

means for providing an internal services framework coupled with 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; and

means for providing bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems having one or more enterprise solution components, according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows; and

means for providing the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository;

means for mapping between the centralized master repository and the one or more enterprise solution components of the one or more external operation systems, the mapping having fixed transformations;

means for transferring control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system;

means for providing the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository; and

means for providing a database associated with the centralized master repository storing the core enterprise reference data.