SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR VALIDATING ONE OR MORE METADATA OBJECTS

• US 20110202508A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Bezar, Eric David, Brooks, David, Gross, Adam, Jasik, Benji, Wong, Simon, Chasman, Douglas, Tzuo, Tien, Tucker, Lewis Wiley, Hansma, Scott, Tamm, Steven, Mason, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/687
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/214 Database migration support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2329 using versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/50 Circuit switching systems, i.e. systems in which the path is physically permanent during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for creating, exporting, viewing and testing, and importing custom applications in a multi-tenant database environment. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide a vehicle for sharing applications across organizational boundaries. The ability to share applications across organizational boundaries can enable tenants in a multi-tenant database system, for example, to easily and efficiently import and export, and thus share, applications with other tenants in the multi-tenant environment.

Claims

1-67. -67. (canceled)

68. A method, comprising:

creating a package definition that references a set of one or more metadata objects describing an application;

distributing the one or more metadata objects; and

validating the one or more metadata objects;

wherein the validation occurs prior to installation of the application.

69. The method recited in claim 68, wherein the package definition includes a package identifier.

70. The method recited in claim 68, wherein object dependencies for the metadata are identified and included in the package definition.

71. The method recited in claim 68, wherein the validating includes checking for missing components.

72. The method recited in claim 68, wherein the package definition is stored in a database.

73. The method recited in claim 68, wherein the validation is performed in response to a user request.

74. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for creating a package definition that references a set of one or more metadata objects describing an application;

computer code for distributing the one or more metadata objects; and

computer code for validating the one or more metadata objects;

wherein the validation occurs prior to installation of the application.

75. The computer program product recited in claim 74, wherein the package definition includes a package identifier.

76. The computer program product recited in claim 74, wherein the computer program product is operable such that object dependencies for the metadata are identified and included in the package definition.

77. The computer program product recited in claim 74, wherein the computer code for validating includes computer code for checking for missing components.

78. The computer program product recited in claim 74, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the package definition is stored in a database.

79. The computer program product recited in claim 74, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the validation is performed in response to a user request.

80. A system, comprising:

a processor for creating a package definition that references a set of one or more metadata objects describing an application, distributing the one or more metadata objects, and validating the one or more metadata objects;

wherein the validation occurs prior to installation of the application.

81. The system recited in claim 80, wherein the package definition includes a package identifier.

82. The system recited in claim 80, wherein the system is operable such that object dependencies for the metadata are identified and included in the package definition.

83. The system recited in claim 80, wherein the system is operable such that the validating includes checking for missing components.

84. The system recited in claim 80, wherein the system is operable such that the package definition is stored in a database.

85. The system recited in claim 80, wherein the system is operable such that the validation is performed in response to a user request.