A method comprising: receiving, at a reference data platform, a host identifier of a host data platform external to the reference data platform; receiving a data table identifier for a local data table; instantiating a local database within the reference data platform, the local database comprising the local data table; establishing a data connection between the reference data platform and the host data platform; issuing a request over the data connection to the host data platform for data elements stored in the host data platform; reproducing the data elements from the host data platform in the local data table; providing access to the local data table for an application that refers to the data elements during execution; determining a data query, comprising a data report, against the host data platform that will return the data elements to the reference data platform, where: determining comprises: receiving an identification of the data elements prior to establishing the data connection and where the data query is configured for execution by the host data platform to output the data elements and control what data elements are returned and in what order from the host data platform by a pre-defined data report; creating the data report on the host data platform prior to establishing the data connection, where: issuing the request comprises: issuing an execution request that the host data platform execute the data report, making a Web service call to the host data platform, where: the Web service call comprises a report identifier corresponding to the data report that was created on the host data platform prior to establishing the data connection, where: the Web service call further comprises a timestamp; the data report is configured to be responsive to the timestamp by determining data changes in the data elements in the host data platform after the timestamp; and the reference data platform incrementally updates the local data table with the data changes. receiving, at a reference data platform, a host identifier of a host data platform external to the reference data platform; receiving a data table identifier for a local data table; instantiating a local database within the reference data platform, the local database comprising the local data table; establishing a data connection between the reference data platform and the host data platform; issuing a request over the data connection to the host data platform for data elements stored in the host data platform; reproducing the data elements from the host data platform in the local data table; providing access to the local data table for an application that refers to the data elements during execution; determining a data query, comprising a data report, against the host data platform that will return the data elements to the reference data platform, where: determining comprises: receiving an identification of the data elements prior to establishing the data connection and where the data query is configured for execution by the host data platform to output the data elements and control what data elements are returned and in what order from the host data platform by a pre-defined data report; creating the data report on the host data platform prior to establishing the data connection, where: issuing the request comprises: issuing an execution request that the host data platform execute the data report, making a Web service call to the host data platform, where: the Web service call comprises a report identifier corresponding to the data report that was created on the host data platform prior to establishing the data connection, where: the Web service call further comprises a timestamp; the data report is configured to be responsive to the timestamp by determining data changes in the data elements in the host data platform after the timestamp; and the reference data platform incrementally updates the local data table with the data changes. determining comprises: receiving an identification of the data elements prior to establishing the data connection and where the data query is configured for execution by the host data platform to output the data elements and control what data elements are returned and in what order from the host data platform by a pre-defined data report; creating the data report on the host data platform prior to establishing the data connection, where: issuing the request comprises: issuing an execution request that the host data platform execute the data report, making a Web service call to the host data platform, where: the Web service call comprises a report identifier corresponding to the data report that was created on the host data platform prior to establishing the data connection, where: the Web service call further comprises a timestamp; the data report is configured to be responsive to the timestamp by determining data changes in the data elements in the host data platform after the timestamp; and the reference data platform incrementally updates the local data table with the data changes. the Web service call further comprises a timestamp; the data report is configured to be responsive to the timestamp by determining data changes in the data elements in the host data platform after the timestamp; and the reference data platform incrementally updates the local data table with the data changes.