1. A method for deserializing data by an application, comprising: determining whether at least one model containing at least one model class instance is known or unknown to the application based upon information contained in a meta-data artifact, the meta-data artifact information including at least one of version information, ignore policy information, or upgrade information associated with the at least one model, wherein the ignore policy information specifies at least whether data associated with the at least one model class instance is required or optional; determining whether the at least one model is ignorable or non-ignorable by the application, based upon the meta-data artifact information; when the at least one model is determined to be unknown to the application and the at least one model is determined to be ignorable by the application, marking all references to the at least one model class instance as unresolved; determining whether the at least one model class instance is convertible or non-convertible to a generic representation, based upon the meta-data artifact information; and when the at least one model is determined to be unknown to the application and the at least one model class instance is determined to be convertible to a generic representation, converting the at least one model class instance to a generic representation; determining whether the at least one model has a version that is compatible or incompatible with a version of the application, based upon the meta-data artifact information; determining whether the at least one model class instance is over-writable or non-over-writable, based upon the meta-data artifact information; when the at least one model is determined to be known to the application, the at least one model is determined to be compatible with a version of the application, and the at least one model class instance is determined to be non-over-writable, marking the at least one model class instance as non-over-writable and deserializing the at least one model class instance.