Operation A data integration operation may take several forms, including: • Discrete operation – all the source data and contextual metadata is read, and the source data is analyzed and transformed, to produce the integrated data in a single step • Continual synchronization – the integrated data is initially created as in a discrete operation, and subsequent changes to the source data trigger corresponding changes to the integrated data • Dynamic query – specific queries of the integrated data trigger queries of the source data, for which responses are transformed and returned