Abstracted metadata policy component and related architecture

In a computing environment including a data file and a plurality of differently formatted portions of metadata corresponding to the data file, each differently formatted portion of metadata including a plurality of metadata fields comprising metadata elements corresponding to the data file, a method for determining which metadata format to return when one or more fields of metadata elements for the data file are to be accessed, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for a metadata field that corresponds to the data file, the data file having a plurality of corresponding differently formatted metadata elements formatted at least in a first and a second different format type;
• referring to metadata priority data corresponding to the requested metadata field that indicates which metadata element format receives priority for the requested metadata field;
• determining that metadata elements of the first format type are to be returned according to the metadata priority data;
• and
• updating based on the determination, returning the metadata elements from the metadata field having the first format type, wherein locations in the metadata that map to a path parameter are obtained and wherein at least one output corresponds to one of the locations.

In a computing environment including a data file and a plurality of differently formatted portions of metadata corresponding to the data file, each differently formatted portion of metadata including a plurality of metadata fields comprising metadata elements corresponding to the data file, an apparatus, comprising:

• a receiving component configured to receive a request for a metadata field that corresponds to the data file, the data file having a plurality of corresponding differently formatted metadata elements formatted at least in a first and a second different format type;
• a referring component configured to refer to metadata priority data corresponding to the requested metadata field that indicates which metadata element format receives priority for the requested metadata field;
• a determining component configured to determine that metadata elements of the first format type are to be returned according to the metadata priority data;
• and
• a returning component configured, based on the determination, to return the metadata elements from the metadata field having the first format type, wherein locations in the metadata that map to a path parameter are obtained and wherein at least one output corresponds to one of the locations.