Processing abstract derived entities defined in a data abstraction model

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• an abstract data layer, configured to provide a set of logical fields used to compose abstract queries;
• wherein each logical field (i) specifies an access method that specifies how to access a respective data source, and (ii) wherein an access method for at least one logical field specifies an abstract derived entity specifying to aggregate physical data in one or more physical databases and defining a derived relational table as the data source associated with the at least one logical field, the abstract derived entity comprising a data object stored in the abstract data layer and that is referenced by other data objects in the abstract data layer as though the abstract derived entity is a relational table stored in the one or more physical databases, wherein the derived relational table is stored in the one or more physical databases and not in the abstract data layer, wherein the at least one logical field is defined based on a markup language and via a field entry having an access method entry and at least one of a field name entry, a queryable entry, and a displayable entry;
• and
• a runtime component, executed by the processor, configured to receive an abstract query specifying at least one logical field that provides an access method referencing the abstract derived entity, and not specifying any physical fields of the one or more physical databases, and further configured to, in response, (i) to generate a query contribution for each logical field included in the abstract query, (ii) to compose a derived relational table sub-query for the at least one logical field that specifies an abstract derived entity, (iii) to merge the query contributions and derived table sub-query into a combined query executable by a database management system, and (iv) to issue the combined query to the database management system, to generate a set of query results data;
• wherein the derived relational table sub-query queries the derived relational table defined by the abstract derived entity, wherein the derived relational table is generated when the abstract query is converted to a concrete query, and by aggregating values stored in a column of a first database table, joining the aggregated values with non-aggregated values stored in a column of a second database table, and filtering based on a parametric condition that facilitates the abstract derived entity serving as a template for a set of distinct abstract derived entities, each corresponding to a distinct value of the parametric condition, wherein the concrete query specifies to join the derived relational table with at least one non-derived relational table in the one or more physical databases and does not specify any logical fields of the abstract data layer, whereby the abstract data layer supports aggregating physical data without requiring any view aggregating the physical data to be created or maintained in the one or more physical databases.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation comprising:

• receiving, from a requesting entity, an abstract query composed from a set of logical fields and not specifying any physical fields of one or more physical databases, wherein each logical field specifies at least an access method for accessing data corresponding to the logical field, wherein the access method for at least one logical field accesses data from an abstract derived entity specifying to aggregate physical data in the one or more physical databases, the abstract derived entity comprising a data object stored in a data abstraction layer for the one or more physical databases, the data object referenced by other data objects in the data abstraction layer as though the abstract derived entity is a relational table stored in the one or more physical databases, wherein the at least one logical field is defined based on a markup language and via a field entry having an access method entry and at least one of a field name entry, a queryable entry, and a displayable entry, wherein a definition describing a derived relational table is retrieved for the abstract derived entity referenced by the at least one logical field;
• generating, by operation of one or more computer processors when executing the program and when the abstract query is converted to a concrete query, a derived table sub-query corresponding to the derived relational table described by the abstract derived entity wherein logical fields included in the abstract query are transformed into a query contribution consistent with the access method specifying a data source for the logical field, wherein the derived table sub-query is merged with the query contributions;
• and
• issuing the merged query against the physical data sources and the derived relational table to generate query results, wherein the derived relational table is generated in response to receiving the abstract query and by aggregating values stored in a column of a first database table, joining the aggregated values with non-aggregated values stored in a column of a second database table, and filtering based on a parametric condition that facilitates the abstract derived entity serving as a template for a set of distinct abstract derived entities, each corresponding to a distinct value of the parametric condition, wherein the concrete query specifies to join the derived relational table with at least one non-derived relational table in the one or more physical databases and does not specify any logical fields of the data abstraction layer, wherein the query results are returned to the requesting entity, whereby the data abstraction layer supports aggregating physical data without requiring any view aggregating the physical data to be created or maintained in the one or more physical databases.