26. The system of claim 22 , wherein the search mechanism is configured to use the first search criterion and the second search criteria to obtain the one or more first values by selecting values of a key of the first key-value family that equals the first search criterion where the selected values satisfy the second search criteria.
22. A data system comprising: a computer comprising one or more processors; a key-value data repository in a data storage device that is coupled to the computer and comprising a first key-value family, a second key-value family, and a third key-value family; an improved search mechanism in the computer and configured to: receive a search parameter and determine a first search criterion and one or more second search criteria based upon the search parameter; based on the first search criterion and the second search criteria, to obtain one or more first values from the first-key value family; based on the one or more first values, to obtain one or more second values from the second key-value family; based on the one or more second values, to obtain one or more compressed values from the third key-value family; wherein the key-value data repository comprises a cluster of a plurality of computing nodes; wherein at least one key of the first key-value family is mastered by at least one node of the plurality nodes and at least one other key of the first key-value family is mastered by at least one other node of the plurality of nodes; wherein each and every node of the cluster of nodes is configured to obtain values for any key of the first key-value family; return one or more uncompressed portions of the one or more compressed values as search results.