30. A method of editing a portable abstract view definition of a network object database including a plurality of network objects, the method comprising acts of: (A) editing a column of a table comprising an abstract view of the network object database, the editing changing operational properties of two or more of the plurality of network objects representing one or more aspects of two or more different types of network devices on a communications network, the change in the operational property causing a change in the one or more aspects of the two or more different types of network devices; and defining the abstract view by: (B) generating request information for retrieving the two or more network objects representing the one or more aspects of the two or more different types of network devices; and (C) generating a document that includes a definition of the table, the table definition including the generated request information and a definition of the column of the table.
30. A method of editing a portable abstract view definition of a network object database including a plurality of network objects, the method comprising acts of: (A) editing a column of a table comprising an abstract view of the network object database, the editing changing operational properties of two or more of the plurality of network objects representing one or more aspects of two or more different types of network devices on a communications network, the change in the operational property causing a change in the one or more aspects of the two or more different types of network devices; and defining the abstract view by: (B) generating request information for retrieving the two or more network objects representing the one or more aspects of the two or more different types of network devices; and (C) generating a document that includes a definition of the table, the table definition including the generated request information and a definition of the column of the table. 33. The method of claim 30 , defining the abstract view further comprising: (D) providing the document to one or more network devices on a network.