Abstract: In a brokering system for items of software or data, submission inputs are made to a database. Each submission input includes a descriptive data set in relation to a unit of data or software, together with an address field. The brokering system loads the submission input to the database and copies it to temporary stores identified in the address field. Each temporary data store is allocated to a respective index management interface and is viewable to that index management interface only. Inputs can be made at the index management interface to transfer the descriptive data sets received to an index accessible by a plurality of search interfaces, or simply to delete the descriptive data set from the temporary data store.