1. A method of providing a logical framework for defining abstract modification operations for modifying physical data, comprising: providing an abstract model for defining an abstract modification specification logically describing an operation to modify the data, the abstract model comprising: a plurality of logical fields; and a mapping rule for each of the plurality of logical fields, which map the plurality of logical fields to physical entities of the data; and providing a run-time component to transform the abstract modification specification into a physical modification specification consistent with the physical data.