Where is metadata stored?
Metadata is stored wherever, whenever, and however an application that requires it consumes it. Metadata may be stored in SQL databases, in flat files, in spreadsheets, in raw xml files, and encapsulated in packages designed for distribution, discovery and retrieval. Metadata that your application needs to function properly should be stored in the format that serves your application. It is when you want to share your metadata that metadata standards come into play. Today, the standard carrier for interoperable sharing of information between disparate applications is some form of XML. At the point you want to make your stored metadata available to applications in a standard way, you will need to consider how those applications might query your application and how you will need to package your metadata in a way that those applications will be able to understand. A number of open and extensible XML standards for interoperable data are available including the service definition standards S
