1. A method for providing data services to an application by a data access system, comprising: receiving a mapping that associates valid application states corresponding to an application executed by a client computer system with valid database states corresponding to a database in which data for use by said application is stored; generating a set of query view definitions and a set of update view definitions from said mapping, such that the query views determine the application state from a database state, and the update views determine the database state from the application state; utilizing said set of query view definitions and said set of update view definitions to persist in said database a data modification produced by said client computer system.