Method and apparatus for searching a hierarchical database and an unstructured database with a single search query

Abstract

Techniques for searching a hierarchical database and an unstructured database with a single search query are described herein. In one embodiment, a single search query is received that has syntax identifying an unstructured search string within a structured search query to automatically cause a search of the inverted index and use of the result to automatically search the hierarchical database. The unstructured search string is extracted from the single search query and an inverted index is searched according to the unstructured search string, wherein the inverted index includes virtual documents created from data stored in the hierarchical database, wherein each virtual document includes a unique identifier from the hierarchical database used to designate the data in the hierarchical database from which that virtual document was created, wherein a result of the inverted index search includes the unique identifiers of the virtual documents that meet the search. For each of the unique identifiers in the result, a separate search query is generated from the single search query by replacing the unstructured search string in the structured search query with that unique identifier and the hierarchical database is searched according to the separate search query. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.