Database masking and privilege for organizations

• US 20050198043A1
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kintera, Inc. (Blackbaud Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kintera, Inc. (Blackbaud Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gruber, Allen B., Chen, Jeane, Gruber, Harry E.
• Application Number:
  US10/439,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198043A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/278 Data partitioning, e.g. horizontal or vertical partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries

Abstract

A database in a computer system linked to a network is discloses. The database is configured to store one or more organizations'"'"' data. Each organization comprises one or more sub-organizations. The database is partitioned into one or more virtual data islands, wherein each virtual data island stores data of an organization. Each virtual data island is further partitioned into one or more sub-islands, wherein each sub-island stores data for a sub-organization. There are one or more constituent records (CR) in each sub-island, each CR including one or more fields with data. A sub-organization can share data from selected fields with multi-level organizations and other sub-organizations. The database further comprises a masking means allowing the sub-organization, individual donors or volunteers to mask one or more fields in the CR, wherein data in the masked fields are not shared with organizations and other sub-organizations. The CR includes donor information, including donor names, addresses, amount of money donated, etc. The invention allows individual donors and/or the organizations to mask selected fields.

Claims

1. A database in a computer system linked to a network and configured to store one or more organizations'"'"' data, each organization having one or more sub-organizations, the computer system having one or more processors and one or more storage devices coupled to the processor for storing data, comprising:

one or more virtual data islands partitioned inside the database, each virtual data island storing data of an organization;

each virtual data islands further partitioned into one or more sub-islands, wherein each sub-island storing data for a sub-organization;

one or more constituent records (CR) in each sub-island, each including one or more fields with data;

wherein a sub-organization can share data from selected fields with organizations and other sub-organizations.

2. The database according to claim 1, further comprising a masking means allowing the sub-organization to mask one or more fields in one or more CR, wherein data in the masked fields are not shared with the organizations and other sub-organizations.

3. The database according to claim 1, wherein the organization is a nonprofit organization engaged in fundraising.

4. The database according to claim 1, wherein the sub-organization is a chapter of the organization and is engaged in fundraising.

5. The database according to claim 1, wherein the CR includes donor information.

6. The database according to claim 1, wherein a field in the CR includes donor names.

7. The database according to claim 1, wherein a field in the CR includes donor contact information.

8. The database according to claim 1, wherein a field in the CR includes the amount of money donated by the donors.

9. The database according to claim 1, wherein data from fields that are not masked are automatically provided to the organization.

10. The database according to claim 5, further comprising means for allowing individual donors to mask selected fields.

11. The database according to claim 5, further comprising means for allowing volunteers to mask selected fields.

12. The database according to claim 5, further comprising means for allowing organizations to mask selected fields.

13. The database according to claim 5, further comprising means for allowing sub-organizations to mask selected fields.

14. The database according to claim 1, wherein a CR can be associated in a plurality of sub-organizations in a plurality of organizations.

15. The database according to claim 1, wherein a CR includes one or more standard fields and one or more special fields.

16. The database according to claim 15, wherein standard fields are shared with other sub-organizations and multi-level organizations.

17. The database according to claim 15, wherein the special fields are not shared if they are masked, and wherein the special fields are shared if they are masked.

18. The database according to claim 15, wherein an update of a field in a CR automatically updates the same fields in other sub-organizations.

19. The database according to claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

20. The database according to claim 1, wherein the network is a wide area network.

21. The database according to claim 1, wherein the organization is a nonprofit organization (NPO).

22. The database according to claim 1, wherein the organization is a charitable organization.

23. A method for storing one or more organizations'"'"' data in a database in a computer system linked to a network, each organization having one or more sub-organizations, the computer system having one or more processors and one or more storage devices coupled to the processor for storing data, comprising the steps of:

creating one or more virtual data islands partitioned inside the database, each virtual data island storing data of an organization;

partitioning each virtual data islands into one or more sub-islands, wherein each sub-island storing data for a sub-organization;

creating one or more constituent records (CR) in each sub-island, each CR including one or more fields with data;

wherein a sub-organization can share data from selected fields with organizations and other sub-organizations.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of masking one or more fields in the CR, wherein data in the masked fields are not shared with the organizations and other sub-organizations.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein data from fields that are not masked are automatically shared with the organizations.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the organization is a nonprofit organization engaged in fundraising.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the sub-organization is a chapter of the organization and is engaged in fundraising.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the CR includes donor information.

29. method according to claim 24, wherein a field in the CR includes donor names.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein a field in the CR includes donor contact information.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein a field in the CR includes the amount of money donated by the donors.

32. A computer program product including a program code embodied in a storage medium for carrying out the method steps for storing one or more organizations'"'"' data in a database in a computer system linked to a network, each organization having one or more sub-organizations, the computer system having one or more processors and one or more storage devices coupled to the processor for storing data, the method comprising the steps of:

creating one or more virtual data islands partitioned inside the database, each virtual data island storing data of an organization;

partitioning each virtual data islands into one or more sub-islands, wherein each sub-island storing data for a sub-organization;

creating one or more constituent records (CR) in each sub-island, each CR including one or more fields with data;

wherein a sub-organization can share data from selected fields with organizations and other sub-organizations.