Variable cardinality index and data retrieval

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• receiving, at a search engine, a token and a cardinality limit;
• and performing a search through a multi-level hash table index for one or more records associated with the token, wherein the search comprises a hash table lookup and a B-Tree progression, and the search is limited according to the cardinality limit, wherein the multi-level hash table index increases cardinality from a top index and comprises multiple levels of hash tables respectively pointing to at least one other level of hash tables, wherein at least one portion of the hash tables in the multi-level hash table index points to a subset comprising a multitude of records, the search engine performs a token search on each hash table through the B-tree progression and each hash table includes at least one unique file identification for a record in the multitude of records.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed on a computing system, cause the computing system to at least:

• receive, at a search engine, a token and a cardinality limit;
• and perform a search through a multi-level hash table index for one or more records associated with the token, wherein the search comprises a hash table lookup and a B-Tree progression, and the search is limited according to the cardinality limit, wherein the multi-level hash table index increases cardinality from a top index and comprises multiple levels of hash tables respectively pointing to at least one other level of hash tables, wherein at least one portion of the hash tables in the multi-level hash table index points to a subset comprising a multitude of records, the search engine performs a token search on each hash table through the B-tree progression, and each hash table includes at least one unique file identification for a record in the multitude of records.