METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR UPGRADING AND INSTALLING APPLICATION PACKAGES TO AN APPLICATION PLATFORM

• US 20080201701A1
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissman, Craig, Hansma, Scott, Tamm, Steven, Jensen-Horne, Nathan, Hofhansl, Lars
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/563 by source code analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Systems and methods for installing and upgrading application packages to an application platform. The systems and methods are particularly useful in an on-demand database service. Application packages may be uploaded to a directory by developing users (developers) for installation by subscribing users (subscribers). Alternatively, a developer may send identification information to a subscribing user to allow that user to access and install that application package created by the developer. Application packages may also be upgraded. If a developer changes the original source package, a subscriber can choose to pull into their organization the change(s) made by the publisher while preserving any data rows the subscriber had created since first importing the package. One or more flags may be set in the package definition to determine whether and to what extent customizations to a package may be made and upgraded by the subscriber and/or developer. A “manageable” field is provided to identify whether customizations to a particular object are subject to upgrade; if the package or an object in the package is marked as managed, a user is allowed to customize the package or the object, and these customizations will not be altered upon upgrading of the package. A “control” field is provided to identify whether an object may be modified by the developer and/or the subscriber. An “immutable” field is provided to identify whether an object can or cannot be altered by anyone.

Claims

1. A method for installing application packages to an application platform managed by an on-demand database service, comprising:

(a) indicating, by a developer (publisher) of an application package, that the developer will allow a license manager that tracks applications on behalf of at least one developer to track what versions of the application package the developer has uploaded and what versions a set of subscribers currently have installed; and

(b) permitting the license manager to inform at least one of the set of subscribers of a new update to the application package when the developer uploads the new update.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) not applying changes made by the developer to a custom object having metadata indicating that the custom object is an “

immutable”

object to identify that the custom object cannot be altered by anyone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) restricting at least one of the developer and the subscriber from modifying a custom object having metadata indicating that the custom object is a “

managed”

object to identify that the custom object can be customized by the developer and the subscriber, thereby avoiding conflicting changes to respective versions of the metadata of the developer and the subscriber.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the new update is a new version of the package, the method further including:

(c) upon receipt of a selection of the new version from a first subscriber, installing the new version to the first subscribers organization.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein installing the new version to the first subscriber includes:

identifying a version number of the application package currently installed to the first subscriber, and

uploading metadata for the new version and metadata for any intervening versions of the application package.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein when the developer uploads a new version of an application package including the new update of one or more metadata components in the application package, the developer is unable to modify any prior versions of the application package stored to a directory that is accessible to the subscribers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein all versions of the application package have a version-invariant package identifier.

8. A method for upgrading application packages installed to an application platform and managed by an on-demand database service, comprising:

storing an uploaded application package at a directory that is accessible by a plurality of subscribers, the application package being created by a developer and including a set of metadata components;

responsive to receiving from a first subscriber a selection of the application package, installing the application package to the first subscriber;

receiving, from the developer, a new version of the uploaded application package at the directory;

storing the new version, wherein the stored new version includes only a) any new metadata component or components relative to a prior version and/or b) any changes to a metadata component of a prior version;

informing the first subscriber of the new version of the application package; and

responsive to receiving from a subscriber a selection of the new version, installing the new version to the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selection of the new version is received from the first subscriber, and wherein installing the new version includes installing the new metadata component or components and/or any changes to a metadata component of the prior version.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the selection of the new version is received from a second subscriber, and wherein installing the new version includes installing the metadata components of the prior version of the application package and the new metadata component or components and/or any changes to a metadata component of the prior version.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of metadata components includes one or more of a standard object, a custom objects, a custom field, code or a formula.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein if the developer indicated that a metadata component in a uploaded package is a component that cannot be modified, not applying any changes attempted to be made to that metadata component by a subscriber or the developer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein if the developer indicated that a metadata component in a uploaded package is a component is modifiable, allowing the subscriber to modify that component in the installed package.

14. A computer-readable medium storing computer code for controlling one or more processor components to manage installation of application packages to an application platform in an on-demand database service, the code including instructions to:

(a) receive an indication by a developer of an application package that the developer will allow a license manager that tracks applications on behalf of at least one developer to track what versions of the application package the developer has uploaded and what versions a set of subscribers currently have installed; and

(b) permit the license manager to inform at least one of the set of subscribers of a new update to the application package when the developer uploads the new update.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the code further includes instructions to not apply changes made by the developer to a custom object having metadata indicating that the custom object is an “

immutable”

object to identify that the custom object cannot be altered by anyone.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the code further includes instructions to restrict at least one of the developer and the subscriber from modifying a custom object having metadata indicating that the custom object is a “

managed”

object to identify that the custom object can be customized by the developer and the subscriber.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the new update is a new version of the package, and wherein the code further includes instructions to, upon receipt of a selection of the new version from a first subscriber, install the new version to the first subscribers organization by identifying a version number of the application package currently installed to the first subscriber, and uploading metadata for the new version and metadata for any intervening versions of the application package.

18. A computer-readable medium storing computer code for controlling one or more processor components to manage installation and upgrading of application packages to an application platform in an on-demand database service, the code including instructions to:

store an uploaded application package at a directory that is accessible by a plurality of subscribers, the application package being created by a developer and including a set of metadata components;

responsive to receiving from a first subscriber a selection of the application package, install the application package to the first subscriber;

responsive to receiving from the developer a new version of the uploaded application package, store the new version to the directory, wherein the stored new version includes only a) any new metadata component or components relative to a prior version and/or b) any changes to a metadata component of a prior version;

automatically inform the first subscriber of the new version of the application package; and

responsive to receiving from a subscriber a selection of the new version, install the new version to that subscriber.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selection of the new version is received from the first subscriber, and wherein the instructions to install the new version includes instructions to install the new metadata component or components and/or any changes to a metadata component of the prior version.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selection of the new version is received from a second subscriber, and wherein the instructions to install the new version includes instructions to install the metadata components of the prior version of the application package and the new metadata component or components and/or any changes to a metadata component of the prior version.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the set of metadata components includes one or more of a standard object, a custom objects, a custom field, code or a formula

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the code further includes instructions to not apply any changes attempted to be made to a metadata component by a subscriber or the developer if the developer had indicated that that metadata component in the uploaded package is a component that cannot be modified.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the code further includes instructions to allow the subscriber to modify a component in the installed package if the developer had indicated in the uploaded package that that metadata component is a component that is modifiable.

24. A system for managing installation and upgrades of application packages installed to an application platform in an on-demand database service;

the system comprising;

a database system for storing metadata components; and

one or more processors configured to;

store an uploaded application package to a directory portion of the database that is accessible by a plurality of subscribers, the application package including a set of metadata components created and uploaded to the directory by a developer;

responsive to receiving from a first subscriber a selection of the application package, install the application package to the first subscriber;

responsive to receiving from the developer a new version of the uploaded application package, store the new version to the directory, wherein the stored new version includes only a) any new metadata component or components relative to a prior version and/or b) any changes to a metadata component of a prior version;

automatically inform the first subscriber of the new version of the application package; and

responsive to receiving from a subscriber a selection of the new version, install the new version to that subscriber.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein if the selection of the new version is received from the first subscriber, installation of the new version includes an install of the new metadata component or components and/or any changes to a metadata component of the prior version, and wherein if the selection of the new version is received from a second subscriber, installation of the new version includes an install of the metadata components of the prior version of the application package and the new metadata component or components and/or any changes to a metadata component of the prior version.