System for supporting a multi-tenant data architecture

• US 10,250,453 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Singh, Servesh Pratap, Jain, Ritesh N., Shankar, Smita
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/748,492
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 715741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system that enables a single software application instance to support multiple tenants, wherein each tenant is associated with a separate database. First, the software application instance receives an input, wherein the input requires an operation to be performed on a database of one of the supported tenants. Next, the software application instance identifies the tenant with which the input is associated. The software application instance then obtains a context associated with the tenant. From the context, the software application instance obtains a service object. Finally, the software application invokes a method provided by the service object'"'"'s class. This enables a data access object, which is encapsulated within the service object, to perform the operation on the database.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an authentication request from a user affiliated with a tenant, wherein each tenant in a set of tenants is associated with a separate database in a set of databases, and further wherein the authentication request includes an identifier corresponding to the tenant;

extracting the identifier from the authentication request;

retrieving a tenant-specific context from a hash table based on the identifier;

rendering a tenant-specific user interface to the user based on the identifier;

receiving an input from the user, wherein the input requires an operation to be performed on a database associated with the tenant in the set of databases;

obtaining, from the tenant-specific context, a tenant-agnostic service object that comprises;

a first set of class methods corresponding to a set of tenant-agnostic operations for performing on any of the set of databases; and

a tenant-specific data access object comprising a second set of class methods corresponding to a set of operations specific to the database associated with the tenant;

invoking, on the tenant-agnostic service object, a first class method from the first set of class methods;

invoking, on the tenant-specific data access object, a second class method from the second set of class methods, wherein the second class method corresponds to the first class method, and

performing the operation on the database based on the second class method.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the input from the user is received through a browser which is executing on a client and which interacts with the tenant-specific user interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

upon retrieving the tenant-specific context based on the identifier, storing the tenant-specific context in a user'"'"'s session in the browser.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises identifying the tenant with which the input from the user is associated with based on extracting the tenant-specific context from the user'"'"'s session while receiving the input from the user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the tenant is an application that uses the database to store data specific to the application.

6. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for receiving an authentication request from a user affiliated with a tenant, wherein each tenant in a set of tenants is associated with a separate database in a set of databases, and further wherein the authentication request includes an identifier corresponding to the tenant;

instructions for extracting the identifier from the authentication request;

instructions for retrieving a tenant-specific context from a hash table based on the identifier;

instructions for rendering a tenant-specific user interface to the user based on the identifier;

instructions for receiving an input from the user, wherein the input requires an operation to be performed on a database associated with the tenant in the set of databases;

instructions for obtaining, from the tenant-specific context, a tenant-agnostic service object that comprises;

a first set of class methods corresponding to a set of tenant-agnostic operations for performing on any of the set of databases; and

a tenant-specific data access object comprising a second set of class methods corresponding to a set of operations specific to the database associated with the tenant;

instructions for invoking, on the tenant-agnostic service object, a first class method from the first set of class methods,

instructions for invoking, on the tenant-specific data access object, a second class method from the second set of class methods, wherein the second class method corresponds to the first class method; and

instructions for performing the operation on the database based on the second class method.

7. The computer-program product of claim 6, wherein the input from the user is received through a browser which is executing on a client and which interacts with the tenant-specific user interface.

8. The computer-program product of claim 7, wherein the mechanism further includes:

instructions for storing the tenant-specific context in a user'"'"'s session in the browser.

9. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the mechanism further includes instructions for identifying the tenant with which the input from the user is associated with based on instructions for extracting the tenant-specific context from the user'"'"'s session while receiving the input from the user.

10. The computer-program product of claim 6, wherein the tenant is an application that uses the database to store data specific to the application.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a program module, wherein the program module is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the program module including instructions wherein the instructions include;

instructions for receiving an authentication request from a user affiliated with a tenant, wherein each tenant in a set of tenants is associated with a separate database in a set of databases, and further wherein the authentication request includes an identifier corresponding to the tenant;

instructions for extracting the identifier from the authentication request;

instructions for retrieving a tenant-specific context from a hash table based on the identifier;

instructions for rendering a tenant-specific user interface to the user based on the identifier;

instructions for receiving an input from the user, wherein the input requires an operation to be performed on a database associated with the tenant in the set of databases;

instructions for obtaining, from the tenant-specific context, a tenant-agnostic service object that comprises;

a first set of class methods corresponding to a set of tenant-agnostic operations for performing on any of the set of databases; and

a tenant-specific data access object comprising a second set of class methods corresponding to a set of operations specific to the database associated with the tenant;

instructions for invoking, on the tenant-agnostic service object, a first class method from the first set of class methods;

instructions for invoking, on the tenant-specific data access object, a second class method from the second set of class methods, wherein the second class method corresponds to the first class method; and

instructions for performing the operation on the database based on the second class method.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the input from the user is received through a browser which is executing on a client and which interacts with the tenant-specific user interface.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further include:

instructions for storing the tenant-specific context in a user'"'"'s session in the browser.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further include instructions for identifying the tenant with which the input from the user is associated with based on instructions for extracting the tenant-specific context from the user'"'"'s session while receiving the input from the user.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the tenant is an application that uses the database to store data specific to the application.