A method comprising: receiving a request to restore a selected object from a backup of a database comprising a plurality of objects, wherein the plurality of objects comprises the selected object; locating a database table comprising information associated with the selected object in the backup, wherein the information identifies one or more of a plurality of data relationships between objects of the plurality of objects, and said locating comprises using database table metadata gathered from the database at the time the backup of the database was created; restoring the selected object using the information associated with the selected object, the method being characterized by identifying one or more necessary objects, wherein each of the necessary objects is necessary to restore the selected object by virtue of a relationship between the each of the necessary objects and the selected object, the relationship comprises a hierarchical relationship, the relationship between the each of the necessary objects and the selected object is described by at least one of the plurality of data relationships, and the selected object inherits one or more characteristics from the one or more necessary objects; and the restoring comprises restoring the one or more necessary objects prior to restoring the selected object. receiving a request to restore a selected object from a backup of a database comprising a plurality of objects, wherein the plurality of objects comprises the selected object; the plurality of objects comprises the selected object; locating a database table comprising information associated with the selected object in the backup, wherein the information identifies one or more of a plurality of data relationships between objects of the plurality of objects, and said locating comprises using database table metadata gathered from the database at the time the backup of the database was created; restoring the selected object using the information associated with the selected object, the method being characterized by the information identifies one or more of a plurality of data relationships between objects of the plurality of objects, and said locating comprises using database table metadata gathered from the database at the time the backup of the database was created; restoring the selected object using the information associated with the selected object, the method being characterized by identifying one or more necessary objects, wherein each of the necessary objects is necessary to restore the selected object by virtue of a relationship between the each of the necessary objects and the selected object, the relationship comprises a hierarchical relationship, the relationship between the each of the necessary objects and the selected object is described by at least one of the plurality of data relationships, and the selected object inherits one or more characteristics from the one or more necessary objects; and the restoring comprises restoring the one or more necessary objects prior to restoring the selected object. each of the necessary objects is necessary to restore the selected object by virtue of a relationship between the each of the necessary objects and the selected object, the relationship comprises a hierarchical relationship, the relationship between the each of the necessary objects and the selected object is described by at least one of the plurality of data relationships, and the selected object inherits one or more characteristics from the one or more necessary objects; and the restoring comprises restoring the one or more necessary objects prior to restoring the selected object.