Patent ID: 7296013

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: means for receiving a first query that comprises a specification of a first element, wherein the first element comprises a user-defined function, wherein the user-defined function comprises a method that manipulates an object data instance; means for determining whether the first element is available; means for determining whether a first backup for the first element is available; means for replacing the specification of the first element in the first query with a specification of the first backup if the first element is not available and the first backup is available; means for refraining from replacing the specification of the first element if the first element is available or the first backup is not available; means for removing the specification of the first element from the first query if the first element is specified by a user as not required, the first element is not available, and the first backup is not available; means for refraining from removing the specification of the first element if the first element is specified by the user as required, the first element is available, or the first backup is available; and means for executing the first query, which returns results.