CLIENT-SPECIFIC DATA CUSTOMIZATION FOR SHARED DATABASES

• US 20110010394A1
• Filed: 07/08/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Mary E., Poddar, Indrajit, Carew, David J., Guo, Ying C.
• Application Number:
  US12/499,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010394A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/793
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata

Abstract

A client identifier (ID) and a client-specific data field identifier for each item of client-specific data associated with a first client of a set of clients are received at a processor associated with a software as a service (SaaS) module. An extensible markup language (XML) formatted document for storing the client-specific data, including a set of client-specific data elements, each element referenced by one of the client-specific data field identifiers, is created for the first client. The XML formatted document is inserted into an XML formatted column of a row in a database table, where the database table is shared among a set of clients and stored in a shared database. The client ID is inserted into a structured query language (SQL) formatted data column of the row in the database table.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a processor associated with a software as a service (SaaS) module, a client identifier (ID) and a client-specific data field identifier for each item of client-specific data associated with a first client of a plurality of clients;

creating, for the first client, an extensible markup language (XML) formatted document for storing the client-specific data comprising a plurality of client-specific data elements, each element referenced by one of the client-specific data field identifiers;

inserting the XML formatted document into an XML formatted column of a row in a database table, where the database table is shared among a plurality of clients and stored in a shared database; and

inserting the client ID into a structured query language (SQL) formatted data column of the row in the database table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring an XML schema for automated validation of data entered into the XML formatted document created for the first client based upon a data type associated with each item of client-specific data; and

storing the XML schema in association with the XML formatted document in the shared database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request via a user input device to render a user interface for the first client of the plurality of clients;

performing a query operation of the shared database using the client ID; and

receiving the XML formatted document created for the first client in response to the query.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

parsing the XML formatted document;

identifying as client-specific metadata each client-specific data field identifier that references each of the plurality of client-specific data elements associated with the XML formatted document;

retrieving, from the shared database, data associated with each element of the XML formatted document using the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document; and

rendering the user interface for the first client on a display based upon the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document.

5. The method of claim 4, where rendering the user interface for the first client based upon the client-specific metadata comprises:

for each item of data associated with the XML formatted document;

creating a user interface field based upon the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document; and

populating the user interface field on the display with the associated item of data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a data change request and requested data via the user input device requesting a change to one of the populated items of data to the requested data;

automatically validating a data type associated with the requested data using at least one of a configured XML schema and a class object definition created based upon a data type associated with each item of client-specific data; and

storing the requested data to the XML column upon automated validation of the data type associated with the requested data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the XML formatted document from the shared database;

adding a new client-specific data element to the XML formatted document during run-time;

inserting the XML formatted document with the new client-specific data element into the XML formatted column of the row in the database table; and

utilizing the new client-specific data element during application-level processing.

8. A system, comprising:

a database shared among a plurality of clients; and

a processor programmed to;

receive a client identifier (ID) and a client-specific data field identifier for each item of client-specific data associated with a first client of the plurality of clients;

create, for the first client, an extensible markup language (XML) formatted document for storing the client-specific data comprising a plurality of client-specific data elements, each element referenced by one of the client-specific data field identifiers;

insert the XML formatted document into an XML formatted column of a row in a database table, where the database table is shared among a plurality of clients and stored in a shared database; and

insert the client ID into a structured query language (SQL) formatted data column of the row in the database table.

9. The system of claim 8, where the processor is further programmed to:

configure an XML schema for automated validation of data entered into the XML formatted document created for the first client based upon a data type associated with each item of client-specific data; and

store the XML schema in association with the XML formatted document in the shared database.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a display device; and

where the processor is further programmed to;

receive a request to render a user interface for the first client of the plurality of clients on the display device;

perform a query operation of the shared database using the client ID; and

receive data associated with the XML formatted document created for the first client in response to the query.

11. The system of claim 10, where the processor is further programmed to:

parse the XML formatted document;

identify as client-specific metadata each client-specific data field identifier that references each of the plurality of client-specific data elements associated with the XML formatted document;

retrieve, from the shared database, data associated with each element of the XML formatted document using the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document; and

render the user interface for the first client on the display based upon the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document.

12. The system of claim 11, where, in being programmed to render, on the display, the user interface for the first client based upon the client-specific metadata, the processor is programmed to:

for each item of data associated with the XML formatted document;

create a user interface field based upon the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document; and

populate the user interface field with the associated item of data.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a user input device; and

where the processor is further programmed to;

receive a data change request and requested data via the user input device requesting a change to one of the populated items of data to the requested data;

automatically validate a data type associated with the requested data using at least one of a configured XML schema and a class object definition created based upon a data type associated with each item of client-specific data; and

store the requested data to the XML column in the shared database upon automated validation of the requested data.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium including a computer readable program, where the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive, at a processor associated with a software as a service (SaaS) module, a client identifier (ID) and a client-specific data field identifier for each item of client-specific data associated with a first client of a plurality of clients;

create, for the first client, an extensible markup language (XML) formatted document for storing the client-specific data comprising a plurality of client-specific data elements, each element referenced by one of the client-specific data field identifiers;

insert the XML formatted document into an XML formatted column of a row in a database table, where the database table is shared among a plurality of clients and stored in a shared database; and

insert the client ID into a structured query language (SQL) formatted data column of the row in the database table.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, where the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to

configure an XML schema for automated validation of data entered into the XML formatted document created for the first client based upon a data type associated with each item of client-specific data;

and

store the XML schema in association with the XML formatted document in the shared database.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, where the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

receive a request via a user input device to render a user interface for the first client of the plurality of clients;

perform a query operation of the shared database using the client ID; and

receive data associated with the XML formatted document created for the first client in response to the query.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, where the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to:

parse the XML formatted document;

identify as client-specific metadata each client-specific data field identifier that references each of the plurality of client-specific data elements associated with the XML formatted document;

retrieve, from the shared database, data associated with each element of the XML formatted document using the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document; and

render the user interface for the first client on the display based upon the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, where, in causing the computer to render the user interface for the first client based upon the client-specific metadata, the computer readable program when executed on a computer further causes the computer to:

for each item of data associated with the XML formatted document;

create a user interface field based upon the client-specific metadata associated with each element of the XML formatted document; and

populate the user interface field on the display with the associated item of data.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, where the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

receive a data change request and requested data via the user input device requesting a change to one of the populated items of data to the requested data;

automatically validate a data type associated with the requested data using at least one of a configured XML schema and a class object definition created based upon a data type associated with each item of client-specific data; and

store the requested data to the XML column upon automated validation of the data type associated with the requested data.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, where the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

retrieve the XML formatted document from the shared database;

add a new client-specific data element to the XML formatted document during run-time;

insert the XML formatted document with the new client-specific data element into the XML formatted column of the row in the database table; and

utilize the new client-specific data element during application-level processing.