Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for processing data. During operation, the system stores a conversation containing a series of messages exchanged among a number of participants in a first document containing metadata for the conversation; a second document containing message content for the series of messages, wherein the message content includes a fixed position gap between starting or ending positions in consecutive messages in the series of messages; and one or more additional documents storing message metadata for individual messages in the conversation. Next, the system processes a first search across the series of messages in the conversation using an index of the set of documents. The system also processes, using the index, a second search within individual messages in the series of messages as a span query with a distance that is shorter than the fixed position gap.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for processing data. During operation, the system stores a conversation containing a series of messages exchanged among a number of participants in a first document containing metadata for the conversation; a second document containing message content for the series of messages, wherein the message content includes a fixed position gap between starting or ending positions in consecutive messages in the series of messages; and one or more additional documents storing message metadata for individual messages in the conversation. Next, the system processes a first search across the series of messages in the conversation using an index of the set of documents. The system also processes, using the index, a second search within individual messages in the series of messages as a span query with a distance that is shorter than the fixed position gap.