System and method for harvesting metadata into a service metadata repository

A computer-readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by a computer cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

• receiving a request from an automatic introspection tool;
• identifying source artifacts to introspect;
• building entity objects based on a model;
• beginning a transaction;
• transforming each artifact entity into a canonical form;
• creating non-artifact entities;
• creating a fingerprint for each artifact entity;
• and
• committing the transaction.

A system comprising:

• a metadata manager;
• a metadata reader, wherein the metadata reader reads metadata from one or more artifacts;
• an introspector, wherein the introspector introspects one or more artifact entities;
• a metadata writer, wherein the metadata writer starts a transaction;
• an artifact writer;
• and
• a service metadata repository client component, wherein the service metadata client component communicates with the service metadata repository.