METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DATA INTEGRATION PROJECTS TO FACILITATE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS THEREOF

1 . A method of managing the development, controlled release, and analysis of a data integration project, the method comprising:

a. receiving and storing a project in a source control system, said project comprising project source files;

b. associating the stored project with a first superstate and a second superstate, wherein the first superstate is initialized to unlocked and the second superstate is initialized to unpublished;

c. when the first superstate is unlocked, using the source control system to permit a defined set of users to access and modify the stored project source files;

d. In response to receiving a user command, changing the first superstate to locked, and subsequently denying users the ability to modify the stored project source files;

e. In response to receiving a user command, changing the second superstate to published and automatically storing in a relational database the contents of the project source files and metadata related thereto; and

f. when the second superstate is published, receiving commands to perform analysis of the project and using said commands to issue queries to the relational database;

g. such that the ability to modify the project source files is managed by the first superstate, which may be either locked or unlocked, and the ability to analyze the project using the relational database is managed by the second superstate, which may be published or unpublished.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first superstate may not be set to locked unless the second superstate is published.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first superstate must be unlocked when the project is in a development phase, and wherein the first superstate must be locked when the project is in testing and deployment phases.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second superstate must be published when the project is in testing and deployment phases, and wherein the second superstate may be published when the project is in a development phase.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising providing user-interface controls that permit a defined set of users to access and modify the stored project source files when the first superstate is unlocked, and not providing said user-interface controls when the first superstate is locked.

6 . A system for managing the development, controlled release, and analysis of a data integration project, the system comprising:

a. a source control system and a relational database;

b. logic for receiving and storing a project in a source control system, said project comprising project source files;

c. logic for associating the stored project with a first superstate and a second superstate, logic for initializing the first superstate to unlocked, and logic for initializing the second superstate to unpublished;

d. logic for using the source control system to permit a defined set of users to access and modify the stored project source files, when the first superstate is unlocked;

e. Logic for changing the first superstate to locked upon receipt of a user command and subsequently denying users the ability to modify the stored project source files;

f. Logic for changing the second superstate to published upon receipt of a user command and automatically storing in the relational database the contents of the project source files and metadata related thereto; and

g. Logic for receiving, when the second superstate is published, commands to perform analysis of the project and for using said commands to issue queries to the relational database;

h. such that the ability to modify the project source files is managed by the first superstate, which may be either locked or unlocked, and the ability to analyze the project using the relational database is managed by the second superstate, which may be published or unpublished.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the first superstate may not be set to locked unless the second superstate is published.

8 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the first superstate must be unlocked when the project is in a development phase, and wherein the first superstate must be locked when the project is in testing and deployment phases.

9 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the second superstate must be published when the project is in testing and deployment phases, and wherein the second superstate may be published when the project is in a development phase.

10 . The system according to claim 6 , further comprising logic for providing user-interface controls that permit a defined set of users to access and modify the stored project source files when the first superstate is unlocked, and not providing said user-interface controls when the first superstate is locked.