1. A method of preparing a database query for use by a data management system, the method including: receiving a database query; receiving information about a data source from a data storage, the data source being populated with data elements; producing a structural representation of the data source wherein the structural representation includes a formatted data organization reflective of the data source and is absent the data elements of the data source; and providing the structural representation and the database query to a plan generator capable of producing a query plan representing operations for executing the database query on the data source.