Smart polling

A method to process search requests at a search platform, the search platform being communicatively coupled to a plurality of clients as well as, via a communication interface, to an original data source, wherein resources over the communication interface are limited to a given threshold, the method comprising, at the search platform:

• in response to receiving a search request from one of the plurality of clients, determining whether to poll the original data source via the communication interface based on a polling control indicator and a load indicator, wherein the polling control indicator indicates a polling level for the search request determined by the search platform and the load indicator indicates an estimated current and future load on the communication interface;
• in response to determining to poll the original data source, generating at least one search result for the search request based on data polled from the original data source;
• in response to determining not to poll the original data source, generating at least one search result for the search request locally at the search platform;
• returning the at least one search result to the client.