Avoiding duplicate and equivalent data objects in service registries

A method for processing a service registration data object for a service registry database, the method comprising:

• providing a service registry manager configured to manage a database storing data objects representing a first data model and a set of one or more mapping rules, wherein the database is a service registry and each data object in the database is associated with a service registration;
• receiving, by the service registry manager, a data object conforming to a second data model;
• searching, by the service registry manager, the database for a set of elements of the received data object to identify instances of the received data object in the database;
• selecting, by the service registry manager, at least one of the mapping rules, the mapping rules providing a mapping between a set of elements of the second data model and a corresponding set of elements of the first data model;
• applying, by the service registry manager, the selected mapping rules to transform the set of elements of the received data object into a corresponding set of elements of a target data object conforming to the first data model;
• and
• searching, by the service registry manager, the database for the set of elements of the target data object to identify instances of the target data object in the database.