Server system and method for discovering digital assets in enterprise information systems

A discovery method executable by a computer with one or more memories and one or more central processing units (CPUs), the method comprising the steps of:

• a. determining a starting point in a sub part of one or more application programs in an Enterprise Information System comprising the computer and having at least one network connection, the sub part of the application program having a path of execution;
• b. determining one or more edges of the path of execution and one or more elements of the sub part of the application program, each of the elements connected by at least one of the edges;
• c. placing the elements in an asset candidate list;
• d. classifying one or more of the elements in the asset candidate list according to an asset type;
• e. determining one or more of the elements in the asset candidate list that is to be included in an asset package, said package comprising the sub part of the one or more application programs from the Enterprise Information System and having at least one asset, each asset having an asset type and at least two asset layers, a first asset layer being a logic/data layer and a second asset layer being an extended environment layer, the logic/data layer having information that includes a function of the asset and the extended environment layer being a subset of the Enterprise Information System and having portions of the enterprise information system necessary to support the respective logic/data layer;
• and
• f. storing the asset package in an asset cache in a component distribution server/asset distribution server system that comprises:
• a package specification process that receives the asset package;
• a process adapter process that translates at least one of the asset layers of at least one asset in the package so that the asset performs the asset function on a target base environment of at least one target computer;
• and
• a target process that changes the at least one layer of the discovered asset to provide specific information for the target computer, whereby a transformed asset is an asset that is translated by the process adapter process and changed by the target process.