Abstract: The validation of a product for placement in a catalog in a marketplace utilizes a distributed approval workflow. A validation engine receives product submissions for inclusion into the marketplace's catalog. The validation engine initiates the distributed approval workflow to one or more approval engines that are equipped to perform the tasks needed to validate the product. The validation engine monitors the distributed approval workflow performed by the approval engines until completion. Upon successful completion of the distributed approval workflow, the product may be placed onto the marketplace's catalog for distribution.

Abstract: Described are mechanisms and techniques for enabling incremental non-chronological synchronization of namespaces. In an environment, entities must have unique names within a namespace and entities may only refer to entities that actually exist within the namespace. Synchronizing two such namespaces involves providing a mechanism for indicating that an entity has been created because a reference to that entity has been made even though that entity does not yet exist. At such time as the entity is formally created, the indication is removed. Synchronizing two such namespaces also involves providing a mechanism for indicating that an entity's unique name in the namespace has been compromised through the synchronization process.

Abstract: Changes to references are propagated between entities in correlated namespaces. A first object in one external namespace refers to a second object in the one external namespace. The first object and the second object have associated central representations in a central namespace. A change to that reference is propagated to a third object in a third namespace by evaluating the associations between the central representations in the central namespace to determine if the third object is associated with one of the central representations, and if so, propagating the change to the reference. A user interface for configuring the flow of the propagations is also described.

Abstract: Described are mechanisms and techniques for enabling incremental non-chronological synchronization of namespaces. In an environment, entities must have unique names within a namespace and entities may only refer to entities that actually exist within the namespace. Synchronizing two such namespaces involves providing a mechanism for indicating that an entity has been created because a reference to that entity has been made even though that entity does not yet exist. At such time as the entity is formally created, the indication is removed. Synchronizing two such namespaces also involves providing a mechanism for indicating that an entity's unique name in the namespace has been compromised through the synchronization process.