21. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the host organization provides a multi-tenant database system which implements the search index executing via computing architecture of the host organization, the multi-tenant database system having elements of hardware and software that are shared by a plurality of separate and distinct customer organizations, each of the separate and distinct customer organizations being remotely located from the host organization.
17. A computer-implemented method to execute within a host organization having at least a processor and a memory therein, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises: storing a search index on disk within the host organization, the search index comprised of a plurality of individual search index files, each of the individual search index files being accessible as a random access file, the search index and having information stored therein, wherein at least one of the individual search index files constitutes a term dictionary or a term index type file having internal structure which allows a portion of the individual search index file to be updated, encrypted, and/or decrypted without affecting the internal structure of the individual search index file; wherein the search index stores both customer data and non-customer data organized into sub-blocks, wherein sub-blocks having customer data therein do not contain non-customer data and wherein sub-blocks having non-customer data therein do not contain customer data; encrypting the information being written into the search index via a file input/output (TO) layer and decrypting the customer information being read from the search index via the file IO layer, wherein the file IO layer encrypts and decrypts only a portion of the search index in reply to an operation without requiring decryption or encryption of the individual search index file in its entirety; and executing, via a query interface, the operation against the information stored in the memory in its decrypted form.