System and method for rule-based data object matching

1. An object matching system comprising:

a plurality of disparate databases comprising data objects; and a master data server comprising a computer programmed to provide:

a plurality of adapters configured to connect to said plurality of disparate databases;

a matching module configured to obtain an object matching rule and to determine all matching data objects, where the matching module is to determine that when a first parent object and a second parent object each comprises sub objects, the matching module will determine and save all data object matches by traversing the sub objects until all matches are determined and saved wherein the object matching rule includes certainty testing that comprises both an automatic matching rule and a manual matching rule, wherein the automatic matching rule determines if both a source and a target object have equal values associated with a first field and specified sub objects match normalized values associated with the first field, and wherein the manual matching rule determines if sub objects related to the first field are equal; and

a data integrator configured to merge at least two of the saved matching data objects to produce a master data object.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the object matching rule is associated with a first portion of a data object's fields and a next highest priority rule matches the data object's fields other than the first portion of the data object's fields.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the object matching rule is a converse to a next highest priority object matching rule, wherein the next highest priority rule comprises determining that a match exists for a source or target object that has a NULL value for a first field when both the source and target objects have a same value for a second field and wherein the converse comprises determining that a match exists for a source or target object that has a NULL value for the second field when both the source and target objects have a same value for the first field.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the object matching rule is associated with a first portion of a data object's fields and a next highest priority rule matches at least one of data object's fields other than the first portion of the data object's fields.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the matching module determines near matches that signify true matches based on transposition of letters, doubling of letters, and adjacent-on-keyboard letters.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each adapter of the plurality of adapters is customized to interface to a specific disparate database.

7. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions stored therein, wherein said computer readable instructions comprise:

connecting to a plurality of disparate databases; obtaining a source object and a target parent object where the source object comprises sub objects and the target object comprises sub objects from said plurality of disparate databases;

obtaining an object matching rule wherein the object matching rule includes certainty testing that comprises both an automatic matching rule and a manual matching rule, wherein the automatic matching rule determines if both a source and a target object have equal values associated with a first field and specified sub objects match normalized values associated with the first field, and wherein the manual matching rule determines if sub objects related to the first field are equal;

comparing the source object and the target object and each respective sub object utilizing said object matching rule to determine all matching data objects by traversing the sub objects until all matches are determined;

saving the determined matches; and

merging at least two of the saved matching data objects to create a master data object.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein said computer readable instructions further comprise:

matching data sub objects utilizing said object matching rule; and

merging matching data sub objects into said master data object.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the certainty testing specifies a low probability that the at least two of said plurality of data objects are matches and that a manual verification is needed.

10. The medium of claim 7 , wherein the matching module determines near matches that signify true matches based on transposition of letters, doubling of letters, and adjacent-on-keyboard letters.

11. The medium of claim 7 , wherein each adapter of the plurality of adapters is customized to interface to a specific disparate database.

12. An object matching system comprising:

a plurality of disparate databases comprising data objects; and a master data server comprising a computer programmed to provide:

a plurality of adapters configured to connect to said plurality of disparate databases;

a matching module configured to (i) obtain an object matching rule associated with a first portion of a data object's fields, (ii) compare data objects provided by said plurality of adapters through use of the object matching rule, wherein the data objects comprise a source object and a target object and the source object and the target object each comprise sub objects and (iii) compare the source object and the target object and each respective sub object utilizing said object matching rule to determine and save all matching data objects by traversing the sub objects until all matches are determined wherein the object matching rule includes certainty testing that comprises both an automatic matching rule and a manual matching rule, wherein the automatic matching rule determines if both a source and a target object have equal values associated with a first field and specified sub objects match normalized values associated with the first field, and wherein the manual matching rule determines if sub objects related to the first field are equal; and

a data integrator configured to merge at least two matching data objects of the saved matching data objects to produce a master data object.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the object matching rule is associated with a first portion of a data object's fields and a next highest priority rule matches the data object's fields other than the first portion of the data object's fields.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the object matching rule is a converse to a next highest priority object matching rule, wherein the next highest priority rule comprises determining that a match exists for a source or target object that has a NULL value for a first field when both the source and target objects have a same value for a second field and wherein the converse comprises determining that a match exists for a source or target object that has a NULL value for the second field when both the source and target objects have a same value for the first field.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the matching module determines near matches that signify true matches based on transposition of letters, doubling of letters, and adjacent-on-keyboard letters.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein each adapter of the plurality of adapters is customized to interface to a specific disparate database.