Apparatus and method for distributing information between business intelligence systems

1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

define a first information object, wherein the first information object is operative to perform:

a first function when associated with a first system, and

a second function when associated with a second system;

define a plurality of properties for the first information object, wherein the plurality of properties are divided into:

a first set of properties for when the first information object is in the first system, and

a second set of properties when the first information object is in the second system; and

transmit the first information object to the second system for execution of the second function at the second system in accordance with the second set of properties.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first information object refers to:

a second information object when the first information object is in the first system; and

a third information object when the first information object is in the second system.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the plurality of properties of the first information object include one or more properties selected from inheritance, dependency, security, versioning, replication capacity, creation date, change date, object identification (ID), language properties and locale properties.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to create an export entity for the first information object.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to:

identify an item associated with the information object;

combine the information object and the item into a composite export entity; and

distribute the composite export entity.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to:

identify a parent information object that is coupled to the first information object and from which the first information object depends;

classify the dependent information object as replicable, wherein a replicable information object is exported with the first information object.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the information object defines a part of at least one of a business intelligence (BI) tool, a BI subject, and a BI activity.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to assign a default value to a property of the plurality of properties.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to:

create a query that uniquely specifies a non-replicable object in either the first system or the second system; and

store the query within a property of the plurality of properties.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to store metadata within a property of the plurality of properties, wherein:

the metadata uniquely identifies a non-replicable object in either the first system or the second system, and

the first information depends on the non-replicable object.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to:

enable the first information object for distribution;

determine if the first information object has dependencies on an other information object;

determine if the other information object has dependencies on a further information object;

create a copy of the information object; and

export the copy of the information object from the first system.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to execute the first information object at the first system to perform the first function in accordance with the first set of properties.