Patent US 6,941,295

Data is stored in a persistent, user-defined, shareable in-memory database table. When a search request specifying a number of results to be retrieved from a desired starting point is received, the data is located in an in-memory database table and the specified number of results from the desired starting point are returned. Stored descriptors corresponding to search terms in the search request are retrieved and mapped to location information in a header area of the in-memory database table. Using the location information, data is retrieved either from a data area of the in-memory database table or from a relational data store. The data that is accessed via the in-memory database table is updated upon receiving an update request and may either be data in a data area of the in-memory database table or may be relational data.