3.2.2.2 How it Works

EIP metadata can help tremendously in the process of conflict resolution. Some examples are available below.

The two key pieces of information available for each individual data object are:

• The UUID used to indicate if an entity present in an EPC file (RESQML data) is already available in the current session of Software B, indicating the potential conflict between two versions of the same entity.
• The "modified" time inside the EIP metadata elements (or the "created" time if the entity has not yet been modified) indicating that the version in New File A is more recent than the edition (or version) of the entity in the Software B model.

After a conflict has been detected, Software B can extract other EIP metadata to help users select one version, either manually or following a common strategy (for example, always overwrite, ignore, keep the most recent one, import as a copy, and so forth).

In the above process, Software B is “kept live” between the initial import of the model and the import after modification. However the same resolution process can also occur in two different sessions of Software B, for example, if Software B saves the model in another EPC file or in its own persistence mechanism (e.g., database). IMPORTANT! For this approach to work, the persistence mechanism MUST retains the UUID and EIP metadata.