Deploying predefined data warehouse process models

1. A method of deploying a predefined data warehouse process model from a development system having a development environment to a customer system having a customer environment, the customer environment being different from the development environment, the method comprising the steps of:

exporting metadata from the predefined warehouse process model to an interchange metadata file, wherein the metadata comprises data elements describing a development environment, wherein the metadata comprises at least some data elements having values that are site dependent;

copying, from the interchange metadata file to an interchange resource file, site dependent data elements;

identifying site dependent data values of the customer system;

converting, in the interchange metadata file, the site dependent data element values to the site dependent data values of the customer system; and

importing the interchange metadata file into the customer system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying site dependent data elements.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the site dependent data elements include language dependent data elements, and

identifying site dependent data elements includes identifying language dependent data elements.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising building the predefined warehouse process model with unique names for site dependent data elements and with unique names for databases, database users, and table schemas.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

copying, from the interchange metadata file to an interchange resource file, site dependent data elements further comprises copying, from the interchange metadata file into a translation resource file, language dependent data elements;

the method further comprises translating the language dependent data elements into one or more customer languages and recording the translations in related fields in the translation resource file;

identifying site dependent data values of the customer system further comprises identifying a customer language of the customer system; and

converting, in the interchange metadata file, the site dependent data element values to the site dependent data values of the customer system further comprises converting language dependent data elements to the customer language of the customer site.

6. A method of deploying a predefined data warehouse process model from a development system having a development environment to a customer system having a customer environment, the customer environment being different from the development environment, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying data elements having values that are site dependent;

identifying data elements having values that are language dependent;

building the predefined warehouse process model with unique names for site dependent data elements and with unique names for databases, database users, and table schemas;

exporting metadata from the predefined warehouse process model to an interchange metadata file, wherein the metadata comprises data elements describing a development environment, wherein the metadata comprises at least some data elements having values that are site dependent;

copying, from the interchange metadata file into a translation resource file, the language dependent data elements;

copying, from the interchange metadata file to an interchange resource file, the site dependent data elements;

translating the language dependent data elements into one or more customer languages and recording the translations in related fields in the translation resource file

identifying a customer language of the customer system;

identifying site dependent data values of the customer system;

converting language dependent data elements to the customer language of the customer site

converting, in the interchange metadata file, in dependence upon the contents of the translation resource file, the customer language, and the contents of the interchange resource file, the site dependent data element values to the site dependent data values of the customer system; and

importing the interchange metadata file into the customer system.

7. A system of deploying a predefined data warehouse process model from a development system having a development environment to a customer system having a customer environment, the customer environment being different from the development environment, the system comprising:

means for exporting metadata from the predefined warehouse process model to an interchange metadata file, wherein the metadata comprises data elements describing a development environment, wherein the metadata comprises at least some data elements having values that are site dependent;

means for copying, from the interchange metadata file to an interchange resource file, site dependent data elements;

means for identifying site dependent data values of the customer system;

means for converting, in the interchange metadata file, the site dependent data element values to the site dependent data values of the customer system; and

means for importing the interchange metadata file into the customer system.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising means for identifying site dependent data elements.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the site dependent data elements include language dependent data elements, and

identifying site dependent data elements includes means for identifying language dependent data elements.

10. The system of claim 7 further comprising means for building the predefined warehouse process model with unique names for site dependent data elements and with unique names for databases, database users, and table schemas.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein:

means for copying, from the interchange metadata file to an interchange resource file, site dependent data elements further comprises means for copying, from the interchange metadata file into a translation resource file, language dependent data elements;

the system further comprises means for translating the language dependent data elements into one or more customer languages and means for recording the translations in related fields in the translation resource file;

means for identifying site dependent data values of the customer system further comprises means for identifying a customer language of the customer system; and

means for converting, in the interchange metadata file, the site dependent data element values to the site dependent data values of the customer system further comprises means for converting language dependent data elements to the customer language of the customer site.

12. A computer program product of deploying a predefined data warehouse process model from a development system having a development environment to a customer system having a customer environment, the customer environment being different from the development environment, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium,

means, recorded on the recording medium, for exporting metadata from the predefined warehouse process model to an interchange metadata file, wherein the metadata comprises data elements describing a development environment, wherein the metadata comprises at least some data elements having values that are site dependent;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for copying, from the interchange metadata file to an interchange resource file, site dependent data elements;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying site dependent data values of the customer system;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for converting, in the interchange metadata file, the site dependent data element values to the site dependent data values of the customer system; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for importing the interchange metadata file into the customer system.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying site dependent data elements.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

the site dependent data elements include language dependent data elements, and

identifying site dependent data elements includes means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying language dependent data elements.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for building the predefined warehouse process model with unique names for site dependent data elements and with unique names for databases, database users, and table schemas.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for copying, from the interchange metadata file to an interchange resource file, site dependent data elements further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for copying, from the interchange metadata file into a translation resource file, language dependent data elements;

the computer program product further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for translating the language dependent data elements into

one or more customer languages and means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording the translations in related fields in the translation resource file;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying site dependent data values of the customer system further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying a customer language of the customer system; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for converting, in the interchange metadata file, the site dependent data element values to the site dependent data values of the customer system further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for converting language dependent data elements to the customer language of the customer site.