1. A method comprising: receiving a source artifact from a process, wherein the source artifact is one of a Web Service Definition Language (WSDL) format file, a Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) format file, an XML Schema Definition (XSD) format file, and an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XLST) format file; introspecting said source artifact to identify a plurality of service metadata artifact entities based on a model of the format of said source artifact; processing a first service metadata artifact entity of said plurality of service metadata artifact entities to generate a processed service metadata artifact entity, wherein said processing includes canonicalizing said first service metadata artifact entity; wherein said processed service metadata artifact entity is not required to be schema-valid; applying a hashing function to said processed service metadata artifact entity to generate a fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity; searching a service metadata repository, using said fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity, to identify a preexisting service metadata asset having a fingerprint attribute matching said fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity; if the fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity matches a fingerprint attribute of a preexisting service metadata asset in the service metadata repository, returning to said process a service metadata repository reference to said matching preexisting service metadata asset; if the fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity does not match a fingerprint attribute of a preexisting service metadata asset in the service metadata repository, storing said first service metadata artifact entity in said service metadata repository as a new service metadata asset, storing said fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity as an attribute of said new service metadata asset, and returning to said process a service metadata repository reference to said new service metadata asset.
1. A method comprising: receiving a source artifact from a process, wherein the source artifact is one of a Web Service Definition Language (WSDL) format file, a Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) format file, an XML Schema Definition (XSD) format file, and an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XLST) format file; introspecting said source artifact to identify a plurality of service metadata artifact entities based on a model of the format of said source artifact; processing a first service metadata artifact entity of said plurality of service metadata artifact entities to generate a processed service metadata artifact entity, wherein said processing includes canonicalizing said first service metadata artifact entity; wherein said processed service metadata artifact entity is not required to be schema-valid; applying a hashing function to said processed service metadata artifact entity to generate a fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity; searching a service metadata repository, using said fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity, to identify a preexisting service metadata asset having a fingerprint attribute matching said fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity; if the fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity matches a fingerprint attribute of a preexisting service metadata asset in the service metadata repository, returning to said process a service metadata repository reference to said matching preexisting service metadata asset; if the fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity does not match a fingerprint attribute of a preexisting service metadata asset in the service metadata repository, storing said first service metadata artifact entity in said service metadata repository as a new service metadata asset, storing said fingerprint of said processed service metadata artifact entity as an attribute of said new service metadata asset, and returning to said process a service metadata repository reference to said new service metadata asset. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said processing step comprises sorting elements of said first service metadata artifact entity.