Efficient access marking approach for efficient retrieval of document access data

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• creating and storing a plurality of access group identifiers each associated with one or more user account identifiers of a plurality of user account identifiers, and a plurality of classification markings each representing a different level of security classification of an electronic document,
• the plurality of access group identifiers being unrelated to the plurality of classification markings;
• associating each user account identifier of the plurality of user account identifiers with at least one classification marking of the plurality of classification markings;
• indexing and storing in a classification index, for each particular electronic document of a plurality of electronic documents, one or more access group identifiers of the plurality of access group identifiers;
• indexing and storing in the classification index, for each particular electronic document of the plurality of electronic documents, one or more classification markings of the plurality of classification markings;
• receiving, after the indexing and storing, a search query that specifies one or more document properties;
• obtaining a first set of classification markings, from the plurality of classification markings, associated with the search query;
• executing, based on the search query, a search of the classification index available prior to receiving the search query using a covering query,
• wherein the covering query requires at least a number of matches equal to a number of classification markings indexed for each electronic document, each match between a classification marking of the first set of classification markings and a classification marking of a second set of classification markings that is associated with a particular electronic document that satisfies the one or more document properties, to obtain a result set of electronic documents;
• filtering the result set of electronic documents by including a certain electronic document only when a particular user account identifier associated with the search query is associated with at least one access group identifier that is associated with the certain electronic document;
• providing the result set of electronic documents in response to the search query,
• wherein the computer-implemented method is performed using one or more processors.