Remote data access and integration of distributed data sources through data schema and query abstraction

A method of accessing data in an environment of multiple data repositories, comprising:

• issuing, by a requesting entity, an abstract query according to a query specification of the requesting entity;
• wherein the query specification provides a definition for a plurality of logical fields of the abstract query;
• and
• transforming the abstract query into a query consistent with a particular physical data representation of the data according to access methods which map the logical fields to physical entities of the data by defining a method for accessing each of the physical entities and a location for each of the physical entities.

A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs an operation of accessing data having a particular physical data representation, the operation comprising:

• issuing, by a requesting entity, an abstract query according to a query specification of the requesting entity;
• wherein the query specification provides a definition for logical fields of the abstract query;
• and
• transforming the abstract query into a query consistent with a particular physical data representation of the data according to access methods which map the logical fields to physical entities of the data by defining, for each of the physical entities, at least a method for accessing the physical entity and a location of the physical entity.

A computer, comprising:

• a memory containing at least (i) a requesting entity comprising a query specification providing a definition for an abstract query comprising a plurality of logical fields, (ii) a data repository abstraction component comprising mapping rules which map the logical fields to physical entities of data, wherein the mapping rules comprise location specifications for each of at least a portion of the logical fields of the abstract query, and wherein each of the location specifications specify a location of a data source containing a physical entity to be accessed;
• and (iii) a runtime component for transforming the abstract query into a query consistent with the physical entities of data according to the mapping rules;
• and
• a processor adapted to execute contents of the memory.