Abstract: An architecture to enable search gateways as part of a federated search supports searching for data in one or more heterogeneous data sources. The one or more heterogeneous data sources are within a computer system. Initially, a request for data is received at a federated data source. From the federated data source, data is retrieved from one or more of one or more terminal data repositories or one or more search gateway data sources.

Abstract: A persistent federated folder within a federated content management system saves the result of a search or selection of items stored in various heterogeneous datastores. The federated folder can be used to save federated search results, to act as a container in a workflow process, or a container for a set of documents or folders with similar characteristics. The search result may be shared by several application programs without performing a separate search for each application. The federated folder and its associated storage structure have the capability to save its instances persistently. The federated folder operations can selectively create, retrieve, update, and/or delete an instance of a federated folder in addition to adding, retrieving updating and deleting its parts and its members. Seamless integration with the federated query is provided to operate on the federated folder transparently regardless of the locality of the user or the datastores the user is searching.