Patent ID: 8799308

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving at least one keyword and a logical collection identifier at a search engine, wherein said logical collection identifier identifies a logical collection, said logical collection comprises a plurality of business objects, and each business object of said plurality of business objects represents a corresponding data source of a plurality of data sources by virtue of being communicatively coupled between said search engine and said corresponding data source of said plurality of data sources; and performing a search using said at least one keyword and said logical collection identifier, wherein said performing said search comprises identifying a single search index using said logical collection identifier, wherein said single search index is associated with a set of business objects comprising at least two business objects of said plurality of business objects, searching said single search index using said at least one keyword, and retrieving at least one reference from said single search index, wherein said at least one reference corresponds to said at least one keyword, said at least one reference identifies a first record in a first business object of said set of business objects, and a second record in a second business object of said set of business objects, said first record represents first data in a first data source of said plurality of data sources, said first business object represents said first data source, said second record represents second data in a second data source of said plurality of data sources, and said second business object represents said second data source.