7. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions to: generate a match rule key based on a match rule, wherein the match rule specifies whether two objects match; create a plurality of candidate keys by applying the match rule key to a plurality of data objects; create a probe key by applying the match rule key to a probe object; determine whether the probe key matches a candidate key of the plurality of candidate keys; determine whether the probe object matches a candidate object based on applying the match rule to the probe object and the candidate object in response to a determination that the probe key matches the candidate key corresponding to the candidate object; and identify the probe object and the candidate object as matching based on the match rule in response to a determination that the probe object matches the candidate object, the match rule identifying a match of the probe object and the candidate object unless both the probe object and the candidate object have corresponding non-empty fields that lack a match.
7. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions to: generate a match rule key based on a match rule, wherein the match rule specifies whether two objects match; create a plurality of candidate keys by applying the match rule key to a plurality of data objects; create a probe key by applying the match rule key to a probe object; determine whether the probe key matches a candidate key of the plurality of candidate keys; determine whether the probe object matches a candidate object based on applying the match rule to the probe object and the candidate object in response to a determination that the probe key matches the candidate key corresponding to the candidate object; and identify the probe object and the candidate object as matching based on the match rule in response to a determination that the probe object matches the candidate object, the match rule identifying a match of the probe object and the candidate object unless both the probe object and the candidate object have corresponding non-empty fields that lack a match. 9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the probe key matching any candidate database key and the probe object matching a candidate object is based on at least one of an exact match and fuzzy matching.