Patent ID: 7543004

Claim:
A method, implemented on a processor, comprising the steps of: maintaining, separate from a database table, a plurality of mappings; wherein the database table contains a plurality of records; wherein each mapping of the plurality of mappings corresponds to a different workspace of a plurality of workspaces; wherein each mapping of the plurality of mappings explicitly indicates which records, within the database table, are associated with the workspace to which said each mapping corresponds; receiving a first request, associated with a first workspace, for one or more records from the database table; in response to receiving the first request: accessing, from the plurality of mappings, a first mapping that is associated with the first workspace; determining, from the first mapping, which records in the database table are associated with the first workspace; and returning first information only from the records determined to be associated with the first workspace; receiving a second request, associated with a second workspace that is a different workspace from the first workspace, for one or more records from the database table; in response to receiving the second request: accessing, from the plurality of mappings, a second mapping that is associated with the second workspace and that is a different mapping from the first mapping; determining, from the second mapping, which records in the database table are associated with the second workspace; and returning second information only from the records determined to be associated with the second workspace; wherein at least one of the records determined to be associated with the first workspace is the same record as a record determined to be associated with the second workspace.