Abstract: Controlling access to nodes in a relational graph at query time by using an approximate membership query (AMQ) filter and ordered queries based on historic grants or denials of access according to security context enables a more efficient querying of the relational graph while preserving access controls. Security contexts that grant or deny access to a node are stored in an associated AMQ filter and are queried according to the subject's security context in an order based on the frequency at which the security contexts have previously granted or denied access to nodes in the relational graph.

Abstract: An API on a server system automatically gathers an instance of each multiple resources from different sources, storing each instance in the server system. Later, a call to the API is received from a querying application, the call comprising a search query comprising. In response, the API selects one or more of the plurality of resources as search results based on evaluating the criterion or criteria against the already-gathered instances of the resources as stored in the server system. The API returns a search response to the querying application, making the corresponding stored instances available to a consuming party In embodiments the API is “holistic” in nature, in that the search results may comprise different types of resource (e.g. file, email, task), from different types source (e.g. type of application they originate from), and/or related to the consuming part by different types of activity (e.g. used, modified shared, trending).