System and method for maintaining metadata correctness

Abstract

A method is disclosed. The method includes a relationship server receiving a discovery service request from a client computer, the relationship server comparing metadata provided in the discovery service request against a database and a crawler retrieving updated metadata from a commerce server for if the metadata provided in the discovery service request does not match the metadata stored in the database column.

1 . A method comprising:
 a relationship server receiving a discovery service request from a client computer;   the relationship server comparing metadata provided in the discovery service request against a database; and   a crawler retrieving updated metadata from a commerce server if the metadata provided in the discovery service request does not match the metadata stored in the database column.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the database includes a set of columns each column having associated metadata, a unique product identifier, a timestamp indicating the last time a request for an item was checked and a flag to indicate pending updates. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising updating a timestamp if the metadata provided in the discovery service request matches the metadata stored in the database column. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising setting the pending update flag if the metadata provided in the discovery service request does not match the metadata stored in the database column. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the relationship server returning a list of recommendations to the client computer. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 the crawler checking the database for a list of product identifiers that have a pending update flag set;   the crawler requesting product information from one or more commerce servers for products corresponding to each of the product identifiers;   the crawler receiving metadata from the one or more commerce servers corresponding for the products corresponding to each of the product identifiers; and   the web crawler updating the database entries.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein updating the database entries comprises:
 modifying current metadata information; and   clearing the pending update field for the product.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a client computer submitting a request for product information to a commerce server via a network; and   the client computer receiving a discovery service URL having encoded metadata about the product.   
   
   
       9 . A network comprising:
 a plurality of commerce servers;   a client computer to request a page including metadata from a first of the commerce servers corresponding to a product; and   a relationship server to receive a content request including the metadata from the client computer, to compare the received metadata to first metadata stored in a database and to validate the metadata if the received metadata does not match the first metadata.   
   
   
       10 . The network of  claim 9 , further comprising the relationship server placing an identifier in a validation queue if the received metadata does not match the first metadata. 
   
   
       11 . The network of  claim 10 , further comprising the relationship server removing the identifier from the validation queue to validate, retrieves updated metadata from the first customer server and stores the updated metadata in the database. 
   
   
       12 . The network of  claim 11 , wherein the updated metadata is written over the first metadata. 
   
   
       13 . A relationship server comprising:
 a database;   a validation queue;   a web application to receive a content request including the metadata from the client computer and to compare the received metadata to first metadata stored in the database; and   a metadata validator to validate the metadata if the received metadata does not match the first metadata.   
   
   
       14 . The network of  claim 13 , wherein the metadata validator places an identifier in the validation queue if the received metadata does not match the first metadata. 
   
   
       15 . The network of  claim 14 , wherein the metadata validator removes the identifier from the validation queue to validate, retrieves updated metadata from a customer server and stores the updated metadata in the database. 
   
   
       16 . An article of manufacture comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing operations comprising:
 a relationship server receiving a discovery service request from a client computer;   the relationship server comparing metadata provided in the discovery service request against a database; and   a crawler retrieving updated metadata from a commerce server if the metadata provided in the discovery service request does not match the metadata stored in the database column.   
   
   
       17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 16 , wherein the database includes a set of columns each column having associated metadata, a unique product identifier, a timestamp indicating the last time a request for an item was checked and a flag to indicate pending updates. 
   
   
       18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing further operations comprising updating a timestamp if the metadata provided in the discovery service request matches the metadata stored in the database column. 
   
   
       19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 18 , wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing further operations comprising setting the pending update flag if the metadata provided in the discovery service request does not match the metadata stored in the database column. 
   
   
       20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing further operations comprising the relationship server returning a list of recommendations to the client computer. 
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 19 , wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing further operations comprising:
 the crawler checking the database for a list of product identifiers that have a pending update flag set;   the crawler requesting product information from one or more commerce servers for products corresponding to each of the product identifiers;   the crawler receiving metadata from the one or more commerce servers corresponding to each of the product identifiers; and   the web crawler updating the database entries.   
   
   
       22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 21 , wherein updating the database entries comprises:
 modifying current metadata information; and   clearing the pending update field for the product.   
   
   
       23 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a client computer submitting a request for product information to a commerce server via a network; and   the client computer receiving a discovery service URL having encoded metadata about the product.