1. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising: combining, by a data processing system, notifications into a combined notification for updating a metadata database or an index database wherein each of the notifications indicate a creation or modification of a file on a storage device; updating the metadata database or the index database after receiving the combined notification; filtering the notifications before the combining of notifications using first rules, wherein notifications for files that are not to be indexed are prevented from causing the metadata database or the index database to be updated, wherein the filtering is based on a file pathname of a file and a plurality of predetermined pathnames; filtering at least one of the notifications using second rules in response to filtering the at least one notification using the first rules, wherein the second rules are specific to a location of the file on the storage device, the file corresponding to the at least one notification.