METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A CLIENT ACCESS TO AN EXTERNAL SERVICE VIA AN APPLICATION SERVICES PLATFORM

• US 20080086735A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheenath, Manoj, Chasman, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing a client access to an external service via an application services platform. These mechanisms and methods for providing a client access to an external service via an application services platform can enable embodiments to provide effective access to such external service without necessarily forcing the client to access the external service separately with respect to the application services platform. The ability of embodiments to provide such technique can enable the integration of an external service with an application services platform, thus allowing the client to access the external service in a more effective manner.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a client request from an application supported by an application services platform to access an external service;

preparing an invocation message to invoke the external service on behalf of a client, the invocation message including information; and

sending the invocation message to a proxy to cause the message information to be delivered to the external service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application includes a network browser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external service is not provided by the application services platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message information is received, at least in part, with the client request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy is a component of the application services platform.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising authenticating the client request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the invocation message is conditionally prepared and sent, based on the authentication.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising determining whether the client request complies with a plurality of rules.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the invocation message is conditionally prepared and sent, based on the determination.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules relate to a protocol associated with the client request.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules relate to an address range associated with the client request.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules relate to a size of the client request.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules relate to a number of the client requests.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules relate to the external service associated with the client request.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the rules relate to an amount of usage of the external service associated with the client request.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the rules are enforced utilizing a white list.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules are user configurable.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the rules are different for each of a plurality of users of the application services platform.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the client request is reformatted to prepare the invocation message.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the application services platform includes a multi-tenant database system.

21. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

detecting a client request from an application supported by an application services platform to access an external service;

preparing an invocation message to invoke the external service on behalf of a client, the invocation message including information; and

sending the invocation message to a proxy to cause the message information to be delivered to the external service.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

detecting a client request from an application supported by an application services platform to access an external service;

preparing an invocation message to invoke the external service on behalf of a client, the invocation message including information; and

sending the invocation message to a proxy to cause the message information to be delivered to the external service.

23. A method for transmitting code in a multi-tenant database system on a transmission medium, the method comprising:

transmitting code to detect a client request from an application supported by an application services platform to access an external service;

transmitting code to prepare an invocation message to invoke the external service on behalf of a client, the invocation message including information; and

transmitting code to send the invocation message to a proxy to cause the message information to be delivered to the external service.