Systems and methods for implementing a tenant space in a provider-tenant environment

• US 20070156902A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Becker, Wolfgang
• Application Number:
  US11/320,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156902A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

The present invention discloses methods and systems for tenants to execute application software hosted by a provider in a computer-based environment. For instance, the provider server may receive a data request identifying a particular data structure associated with the application software and to be used by a first tenant. The provider may then determine whether the particular data structure is a data structure specific to the first tenant or a data structure shared by the tenants, retrieve, when the particular data structure is a shared data structure, the particular data structure from a first storage location accessible to each of the tenants, and retrieve, when the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure, the particular data structure from a second storage location that has access to only the first tenant.

Claims

1. A method for a plurality of tenants to execute application software hosted by a server, the method comprising:

receiving a data request identifying a particular data structure associated with the application software and to be used by a first tenant of the plurality of tenants;

determining whether the particular data structure is a data structure specific to the first tenant or a data structure shared by the plurality of tenants;

retrieving, when the particular data structure is a shared data structure, the particular data structure from a first storage location accessible to each of the plurality of tenant terminals; and

retrieving, when the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure, the particular data structure from a second storage location that has access to only the first tenant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tenant-specific data structure includes data relating to at least one of configuration data and transactional data unique to the first tenant.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

storing data structure identifiers having data that associates a shared data structure with data describing a location of data of the shared data structure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the location of the shared data is at the server.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein retrieving the particular data structure when the particular data structure is a shared data structure, further includes:

redirecting the data request, based on the data structure identifiers, to the first storage location.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the data structure identifiers include an alternate name for the shared data structure.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the data structure identifiers include a reference to the first storage location of the shared data structure.

8. The method of claim 1, further including:

storing shared-metadata describing the first storage location of the shared data structure.

9. The method of claim 8, determining whether the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure or a shared data structure, further includes:

determining, based on the shared-metadata, whether the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure or a shared data structure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the particular data structure when the particular data structure is a shared data structure, further includes:

retrieving the shared data structure from the server.

11. A method for a plurality of tenants to run application software hosted by a provider, the method comprising:

receiving a data request identifying a particular data structure associated with the application software and to be used by a first tenant of the plurality of tenants;

requesting, when the particular data structure is a data structure shared by the plurality of tenants, the particular data structure from the provider; and

retrieving, when the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure, the particular data structure from a storage location accessible to only the first tenant of the plurality of tenants.

12. A system for a plurality of tenant terminals to execute application software hosted by a server, the system comprising:

means for receiving a data request identifying a particular data structure associated with the application software and to be used by a first tenant of the plurality of tenants;

means for determining whether the particular data structure is a data structure specific to the first tenant or a data structure shared by the plurality of tenants;

means for retrieving, when the particular data structure is a shared data structure, the particular data structure from a first storage location accessible to each of the plurality of tenant terminals; and

means for retrieving, when the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure, the particular data structure from a second storage location that has access to only the first tenant.

13. The system of claim 12, further including:

means for storing data structure identifiers having data that associates a shared data structure with data describing a location of data of the shared data structure.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the location of the shared data is at the server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein retrieving the particular data structure when the particular data structure is a shared data structure, further includes:

redirecting the data request, based on the data structure identifiers, to the first storage location.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the data structure identifiers include an alternate name for the shared data structure.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the data structure identifiers include a reference to the first storage location of the shared data structure.

18. The system of claim 12, further including:

means for storing shared-metadata describing the first storage location of the shared data structure.

19. The system of claim 18, determining whether the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure or a shared data structure, further includes:

means for determining, based on the shared-metadata, whether the particular data structure is a tenant-specific data structure or a shared data structure.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein retrieving the particular data structure when the particular data structure is a shared data structure, further includes:

means for retrieving the shared data structure from the server.