Abstract: Data processing for objects with unknown data structures, including receiving a processing request for a business object having an unknown business object data structure, where data for the business object is stored in a persistent data store having an unknown persistent data structure, and the processing request includes a reference to the business object and a processing instruction. Embodiments typically also include: inferring the business object data structure from metadata describing the business object; inferring the persistent data structure from metadata describing the persistent data structure; validating the business object data structure with respect to the persistent data structure; creating a data object structured according to the persistent data structure; transforming data values from the business object to the data object; and applying the processing instruction, with the data object, to the persistent data store.