Methods and systems for performing high volume searches in a multi-tenant store

A method of performing a search comprising:

• receiving a query from a user, the query being directed to a set of search indexes, the search indexes being drawn from a database and containing identifiers for records of items in the database;
• determining a user access privilege level for the query, the database having a plurality of different user access privilege levels, the different levels allowing access to different sets of items of the database;
• selecting one of a plurality of privilege level search indexes, each privilege level search index corresponding to a user access privilege level of the database, the selected privilege level search index containing only items corresponding to the determined user access privilege level;
• applying the search to the selected privilege level search index;
• applying the search to further indexes drawn the database;
• returning a result set for the query, the result set including only items that are represented in the selected privilege level search index.

A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

• receiving a query directed to a search;
• determining whether the query complies with one of a plurality of search criteria, each of the plurality of search criteria corresponding to a predefined search index, each search index being drawn from a database and containing identifiers for records of items in the database;
• selecting a predefined search index corresponding to one of the plurality of search criteria if the query complies with said search criterion, the index containing entries that comply with the corresponding search criterion;
• applying the query to the selected index to find database items referenced in the index;
• selecting items based on applying the query to the selected index;
• returning a result set for the query, the result set including only items of the selected index.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of receiving a query directed to a search;
• determining whether the query complies with one of a plurality of search criteria, each of the plurality of search criteria corresponding to a predefined search index, each search index being drawn from a database and containing identifiers for records of items in the database;
• selecting a predefined search index corresponding to one of the plurality of search criteria if the query complies with said search criterion, the index containing entries that comply with the corresponding search criterion;
• applying the query to the selected index to find database items referenced in the index;
• selecting items based on applying the query to the selected index;
• returning a result set for the query, the result set including only items of the selected index.