System and method for ensuring referential integrity for heterogeneously scoped references in an information management system

A system and method are provided for an information management system (IMS) to manage heterogenous references in the system, to ensure "referential integrity", without changing the underlying relational database management system (RDBMS) of the IMS. One or more system tables are kept that are not visible to system users. In one embodiment, the RDBMS' mechanisms to ensure referential integrity for homogenous references is used in conjunction with the system table to extend referential integrity to heterogenous references. In another embodiment, the triggers of the RDBMS, in conjunction with the system table, are used to ensure referential integrity of heterogenous references.