Making and using abstract XML representations of data dictionary metadata

An apparatus employed in a database system that includes a processor and a storage device accessible to the processor for comparing database system metadata for a set of at least two objects belonging to the same class of objects, the database system metadata defining an object in a database system, the object belonging to a class thereof that is defined in the database system metadata and the database system metadata defining the object such that the database system is able to query the object, the database system metadata being included in the storage device, and the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor of the database system to perform an execution of a query that causes the database system metadata to be fetched and used to generate a simplified XML (SXML) representation of the database system metadata for an object of a class, in which
• the simplified XML (SXML) representation comprises an aggregate metadata of the object, and
• the aggregate metadata is less than metadata of all properties of the object and does not include some metadata, which is specific to an instance of the object, or metadata, which is associated with a property of the object, that cannot be specified by a user during creation of the object;
• and
• a metadata comparator coupled to the at least one processor to compare the simplified XML (SXML) representation to another simplified XML (SXML) representation, which is generated by another database system for another object of the class, in which the another simplified XML (SXML) representation represents one or more differences between metadata for the object and metadata for the another object.

A method for comparing database system metadata for a set of at least two objects belonging to a class of objects, the database system metadata defining an object in a database system, the object belonging to the class that is defined in the database system metadata and the database system metadata defining the object such that the database system is allowed to query the object, the method comprising:

• using at least one processor of the database system to perform a process, the process comprising:
• performing an execution of a query to fetch the database system metadata for an object of a set of objects of a class;
• generating a simplified XML (SXML) representation of the database system metadata for the object of the set of objects by using the database system metadata that is fetched, in which
• the simplified XML (SXML) representation comprises an aggregate metadata of the object,
• the aggregate metadata is less than metadata of all properties of the object and does not include some metadata, which is specific to an instance of the object, or metadata, which is associated with a property of the object, that cannot be specified by a user during creation of the object, and
• the simplified XML (SXML) representation is characterized by being capable of being compared with another simplified XML (SXML) representation generated by another database system for another object of the class to which the object belongs, the another simplified XML (SXML) representation representing one or more differences between metadata for the object and metadata for the another object.