Patent ID: 6928452

Claim:
A method to be used with a system including at least one processor linked to a plurality of databases on which records are stored, the records referenceable via data references (DRs), each DR associated with at least one XML tag, the method for efficiently searching the databases for records referenced by a DR and comprising the steps of: a) receiving a DR; b) identifying the at least one XML tag associated with the received DR; c) based on the identified at least one XML tag, identifying an ordered database sub-set including databases having a likelihood of including records referenced by the DR which is greater than a threshold level, the databases ordered according to likelihood that the databases will include at least one record referenced by the DR; d) searching the sub-set according to the order for DR referenced records; e) where sub-set searching is completed prior to identifying N records, performing a first function; and f) where N records are identified, rendering the identified records accessible.