Systems and methods for deploying a tenant in a provider-tenant environment

• US 20070156806A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Gruener, Alex, Becker, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention discloses methods and systems for hosting tenants over a network in a computer-based environment in which a provider may receive data structures corresponding to a first tenant, determine which of the data structures are specific to the first tenant and which the data structures are shared with the other tenant; generate a tenant template that stores the data structures specific to the first tenant, and use the tenant template to generate a tenant database corresponding to the first tenant and storing the data structures specific to the first tenant.

Claims

1. A method for managing a provider-tenant system where a provider communicates with a plurality of tenants over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data structures corresponding to a first tenant;

determining which of the plurality of data structures are specific to the first tenant and which of the plurality of data structures are shared by the plurality of tenants;

generating a tenant template that stores at least one data structure specific to the first tenant; and

using the tenant template to generate a tenant database corresponding to the first tenant and storing the at least one data structure specific to the first tenant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the first tenant to access to the data structures specific to the first tenant at the first tenant and access to the shared data structure stored at the provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second copy of the tenant template;

using the second copy of the tenant template to generate a second tenant database corresponding a second tenant at the second tenant; and

enabling the second tenant to access to the data structures specific to the second tenant at the second tenant and access to the shared data structure stored at the provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the first tenant to have access to the shared data structures at the provider based on data defined in the tenant template.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tenant is a new tenant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first tenant is different than any of the plurality of tenants.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tenant template is a database schema.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating a tenant database further includes copying the database schema.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tenant template is stored in a template database and generating a tenant database further includes creating a copy of the template database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the tenant template is stored in at least one data volume and generating a tenant database further includes creating a snapshot of the data volume.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first tenant is a new tenant.

11. A system for managing a provider-client system where the provider where the provider communicates with a plurality of tenants over a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of data structures corresponding to a first tenant;

means for determining which of the plurality of data structures are specific to the first tenant and which of the plurality of data structures are shared by the plurality of tenants;

means for generating a tenant template that stores at least one data structure specific to the first tenant; and

means for using the tenant template to generate a tenant database corresponding to the first tenant and storing the at least one data structure specific to the first tenant.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for enabling the first tenant to access to the data structures specific to the first tenant at the first tenant and access to the shared data structure stored at the provider.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating a second copy of the tenant template;

means for using the second copy of the tenant template to generate a second tenant database corresponding a second tenant at the second tenant; and

means for enabling the second tenant to access to the data structures specific to the second tenant at the second tenant and access to the shared data structure stored at the provider.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for enabling the first tenant to have access to the shared data structures at the provider based on data defined in the tenant template.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first tenant is different than any of the plurality of tenants.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the tenant template is a database schema.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for generating a tenant database further includes means for creating a copy of the database schema.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the tenant template is stored in a template database and the means for generating a tenant database further includes means for creating a copy of the template database.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the tenant template is stored in at least one data volume and the means for generating a tenant database further includes means for creating a snapshot of the data volume.