Abstract: A software and/or hardware facility for implementing composite applications. The facility includes a composite application designer that enables users to create and modify composite applications. A composite application can include data from primary assets, as well as data from derived assets, which are assets that are derived from one or more primary assets. The composite application designer also enables the creation of configuration files for configuring access to data corresponding to primary and derived assets. The facility also includes a data access service that enables access to data corresponding to primary and derived assets. The data access service is configured by a configuration file that is created by the composite application designer.