Abstract: A business method allows a reference data facility to provide high quality reference data to multiple customers. The reference data service is predicated on establishing independent contractual arrangements or subscriptions between multiple customers and multiple data vendors. The reference data facility receives value streams from the multiple data vendors and delivers reference data based on those value streams to the multiple customers, depending on the independent contractual arrangements or subscriptions that entitle the customers to receive values from some subset of the data vendors. The reference data facility insures that no customer receives data or benefits from the knowledge of data content from a vendor with whom they do not have a contractual arrangement or to whose data they are otherwise not entitled.

Abstract: Provision for scalable cleansing and value enhancement of data in the context of a multi-source multi-tenant data repository. The source data comes from multiple sources and on multiple topics. Evolutionarily tracked source data tags are used to hold tracking information reflecting the nature and sources of each change to the data, as it is affected during the various stages of data processing. The stages of processing include validation, normalization, single-source cleansing and cross-source processes. Various rules are applied during these stages, and evolutionarily tracked source data tags are used to record sources and agents of all changes to the data. As information is processed, transformed, and added to the repository, corresponding evolutionarily tracked source data tags are stored in association with the various information elements. The information contained in these tags can be used to enforce data entitlements in a multi-tenant data repository environment.

Abstract: A multi-source multi-tenant reference data utility and methods for forming and maintaining the same, delivering high quality reference data in response to requests from clients, implemented using a shared infrastructure, and also providing added value services using the client's reference data. Included are data cleansing and quality assurance of the received data with full tracking of the sourcing of each value, storage of resulting entity values in a repository which allows retrievals and enforces source based entitlements, and delivery of retrieved data in the form of on demand datasets supporting a wide range of client application needs. An advantageous implementation has additional services for reporting on data quality and usage, a selection of value adding data driven computations and business document storage.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and software for responding to a request for an on demand dataset by configuring and then executing a workflow process tailored to the requester's needs. The generated workflow gathers identified information from a repository, organizes its format and delivers it to the requester. The on demand dataset request specification is structured to allow independent specification of (1) data to be included, (2) policy on which value sources to use; (3) delivery mode—including real-time, batched, and one-time query modes, (4) output format, and (5) delivery and communications protocols and other on demand dataset properties. This separation of concerns allows a wide variety of on demand data set requirements from different requesters to be met. Delivery of information from an outsourced multi-source multi-tenant data repository to its tenants is a context in which the method is useful.

Abstract: Forming and maintaining a multi-source multi-tenant data repository on behalf of multiple tenants. Information in the multi-source multi-tenant data repository is received from multiple sources. Different sources and different data quality enhancement processes may yield different values for attributes of the same referred entity. Information in the multi-source multi-tenant data repository is tagged with annotations documenting the sources of the information, and any data quality processing actions applied to it. Tenants of the multi-source multi-tenant data repository have entitlement to values from some sources and to the results of some quality enhancement processes. Aspects of the method maintain this entitlement information; employ evolutionarily tracked source data tags; receive requests for information, locate the requested information, apply any sourcing preference, enforce entitlements and return entitled values to the requester.