13. A system for processing complex procedural queries, the system comprising: a query buffer processor for receiving a complex procedural query, including a plurality of sub-queries, for iterated execution, wherein the complex procedural query is expressed using a general-purpose functional programming language; an external memory for storing non-persistent program data and procedures that can be routinely accessed in the course of query execution; a query execution unit (QEU) processor in communication with the query buffer processor and the external memory, the QEU processor configured to iteratively execute the entire complex procedural query by executing the sub-queries of the complex procedural query and combining results of the sub-queries such that incomplete execution of one sub-query does not rule out execution of other independent sub-queries; a device in communication with the QEU processor, the device configured to signal and respond to soft failures, which can terminate one sub-query of the complex procedural query while allowing other independent sub-queries to proceed; a hardware query cache in communication with the QEU processor, the hardware query cache configured to store known query results for immediate retrieval without recourse to at least one external database, to return known query results, and to return a soft failure, indicative that the execution of the complex procedural query resulted in incomplete information, when results are not known without recourse to at least one external database; and a plurality of external database adaptor processors in communication with the hardware query cache, the database adaptor processors configured to optimize a set of independent queries bundled together into a single package, wherein the QEU processor is configured to execute a subsequent iteration of the entire complex procedural query, if a soft failure is returned from a previous iteration of the query, using results of the query obtained in at least one earlier iteration of the query execution until no further soft failures occur, wherein the complex procedural query is severable such that at least a first portion of the complex procedural query can proceed even if a second portion of the complex procedural query fails.
13. A system for processing complex procedural queries, the system comprising: a query buffer processor for receiving a complex procedural query, including a plurality of sub-queries, for iterated execution, wherein the complex procedural query is expressed using a general-purpose functional programming language; an external memory for storing non-persistent program data and procedures that can be routinely accessed in the course of query execution; a query execution unit (QEU) processor in communication with the query buffer processor and the external memory, the QEU processor configured to iteratively execute the entire complex procedural query by executing the sub-queries of the complex procedural query and combining results of the sub-queries such that incomplete execution of one sub-query does not rule out execution of other independent sub-queries; a device in communication with the QEU processor, the device configured to signal and respond to soft failures, which can terminate one sub-query of the complex procedural query while allowing other independent sub-queries to proceed; a hardware query cache in communication with the QEU processor, the hardware query cache configured to store known query results for immediate retrieval without recourse to at least one external database, to return known query results, and to return a soft failure, indicative that the execution of the complex procedural query resulted in incomplete information, when results are not known without recourse to at least one external database; and a plurality of external database adaptor processors in communication with the hardware query cache, the database adaptor processors configured to optimize a set of independent queries bundled together into a single package, wherein the QEU processor is configured to execute a subsequent iteration of the entire complex procedural query, if a soft failure is returned from a previous iteration of the query, using results of the query obtained in at least one earlier iteration of the query execution until no further soft failures occur, wherein the complex procedural query is severable such that at least a first portion of the complex procedural query can proceed even if a second portion of the complex procedural query fails. 19. The system of claim 13 wherein the QEU processor is configured to be used with a query language that is repetitively innocuous.