Systems and methods for extending shared data structures with tenant content in a provider-tenant environment

• US 20080162536A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Brandl, Tobias, Becker, Wolfgang A.
• Application Number:
  US11/647,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162536A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

The present invention discloses methods and systems for hosting tenants over a network in a computer-based environment in which a provider may store a shared data structure having shared data. A tenant sever retrieves a shared data structure including data elements shared by the plurality of tenants. In addition, tenant sever retrieves a corresponding extended data structure including tenant-specific elements modified for the tenant. From the shared data structure and the extended data structure, tenant server generates a combined data structure including the tenant-specific elements.

Claims

1. A method for responding, at a provider, to a data request received from a first tenant of a plurality of tenants, the method comprising:

retrieving, based on the data requests, a shared data structure shared by the plurality of tenants;

retrieving an extended data structure corresponding to the shared data structure, the extended data structure including a tenant-specific data element specific to the first tenant; and

generating a combined data structure based on the shared data structure and the extended data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a combined data structure further comprises:

comparing the shared data structure and the extended data structure; and

identifying, based on the comparison, any data elements of the shared data structure in common with tenant-specific elements of the extended data structure.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein generating a combined data structure comprises:

generating, based on the identification, a union of the shared data structure and the extended data structure that excludes elements of the shared data structure in common with tenant-specific elements of the extended data structure.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein the performing a database union comprises:

creating a database view of the elements of the shared data structure and the elements of the extended data structure included in the combined data structure.

5. A method of claim 2, wherein comparing comprises:

comparing the shared data structure and the extended data structure based on a property of the shared data structure and extended data structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended data structure is stored at the provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended data structure is stored at the first tenant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared data structure is retrieved based on shared metadata stored at the provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared data structure is retrieved based on shared metadata stored at the first tenant.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the extended data structure is retrieved based on extension metadata stored in association with the shared metadata.

11. A system responding, at a provider, to a data request received from a first tenant of a plurality of tenants, the method comprising:

means for retrieving, based on the data requests, a shared data structure shared by the plurality of tenants;

means for retrieving an extended data structure corresponding to the shared data structure, the extended data structure including a tenant-specific data element specific to the first tenant; and

means for generating a combined data structure based on the shared data structure and the extended data structure.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for generating a combined data structure further comprises:

means for comparing the shared data structure and the extended data structure; and

means for identifying, based on the comparison, any data elements of the shared data structure in common with tenant-specific elements of the extended data structure.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein means for generating a combined data structure further comprises:

means for generating, based on the identification, a union of the shared data structure and the extended data structure that excludes elements of the shared data structure in common with tenant-specific elements of the extended data structure.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for performing a database union further comprises:

creating a database view of the elements of the shared data structure and the elements of the extended data structure included in the combined data structure.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for comparing further comprises:

means for comparing the shared data structure and the extended data structure based on a property of the shared data structure and extended data structure.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the extended data structure is stored at the provider.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the extended data structure is stored at the first tenant.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the shared data structure is retrieved based on shared metadata stored at the provider.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the shared data structure is retrieved based on shared metadata stored at the first tenant.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the extended data structure is retrieved based on extension metadata stored in association with the shared metadata.