Hosted multi-tenant application with per-tenant unshared private databases

• US 8,122,055 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Grewal, Jasjit Singh, Shutt, David Robert, Kolpak, Jeremy, Peri, Jagan, Lewis, Elliot Stephenson
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Application Number:
  US11/789,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/640, 707/661, 707/758, 707/782, 707/783, 707/784, 707/791, 707/802, 707/999.201, 707/999.202, 707/999.203, 707/999.204, 709/218, 709/225, 709/226, 718/100
• US Class Current: 707/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for providing a hosted multi-tenant application that utilizes per-tenant unshared private databases. A shared middle-tier is utilized in conjunction with private, unshared databases for each of the tenants. The private, unshared databases are utilized to store application data for an associated tenant, along with any customizations to the application implemented by the tenant. A shared configuration database is also utilized that stores application data that is shared among the tenants. When a request is received from a tenant to access the hosted application, the shared configuration database is utilized to locate the private, unshared database associated with the tenant making the request. The contents of the private, unshared database associated with the tenant making the request are then utilized to response to the request.

Claims

1. A system for providing a hosted application to a plurality of tenants, the system comprising:

a private unshared database stored at a database server within a scale group;

a configuration database storing mapping data that is shared among the plurality of tenants, the configuration database being configured to store mapping data for mapping each of the plurality of tenants to a scale group storing the private unshared database associated with the tenant; and

a computer executing an application configured to

receive a request for the hosted application from one of the plurality of tenants,

in response to the request, locate a private unshared database associated with the one of the plurality of tenants by searching the configuration database shared among the plurality of tenants to retrieve the mapping data indicating the database server and the scale group where the private unshared database associated with the one of the plurality of tenants is stored, and

respond to the request for the hosted application utilizing data stored in the located private unshared database, wherein the hosted application comprises a customer relationship management application accessed through a plug-in executing within a personal information manager application.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a structured query language (SQL) server application configured to create and maintain the configuration database and the private unshared databases.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to:

monitor an average workload of the scale group;

move the private unshared database to a new scale group based, at least partially, upon the average workload of the scale group; and

update the mapping data stored at the configuration database to indicate movement of the private unshared database to the new scale group.

4. A method for providing a hosted application to a plurality of tenants, the method comprising:

storing a private unshared database at a database server within a scale group;

storing mapping data at a configuration database shared among the plurality of tenants, the configuration database being configured to store mapping data for mapping each of the plurality of tenants to a scale group storing the private unshared database associated with the tenant;

receiving a request for the hosted application from one of the plurality of tenants;

in response to the request, locating a private unshared database associated with the one of the plurality of tenants by searching the configuration database shared among the plurality of tenants to retrieve the mapping data indicating the database server and the scale group where the private unshared database associated with the one of the plurality of tenants is stored; and

responding to the request for the hosted application utilizing data stored in the located private unshared database, wherein the hosted application comprises a customer relationship management application accessed through a plug-in executing within a personal information manager application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the private unshared database is maintained by a structured query language (SQL) application.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

monitoring an average workload of the scale group;

moving the private unshared database to a new scale group based, at least partially, upon the average workload of the scale group; and

updating the mapping data stored at the configuration database to indicate movement of the private unshared database to the new scale group.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuration database and the private unshared databases are created and maintained by a structured query language (SQL) server application.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide a shared middle-tier operative to provide a hosted business application to a plurality of tenants;

store a private unshared database for each of the plurality of tenants in one or more scale groups, the scale groups accessible to the shared middle-tier;

store mapping data at a configuration database shared among the plurality of tenants, the configuration database being configured to store mapping data for mapping each of the plurality of tenants to a scale group storing the private unshared database associated with the tenant;

receive at the shared middle-tier a request to access the hosted business application from one of the tenants;

in response to receiving the request, locate the private unshared database associated with the one of the plurality of tenants and inaccessible to the other tenants by searching the configuration database to retrieve the mapping data indicating for the database server and the scale group where the private unshared database associated with the one of the plurality of tenants is stored; and

to

respond to the request to access the hosted business application utilizing data stored in the located private unshared database associated with the one of the tenants, wherein the hosted business application comprises a customer relationship management application accessed through a plug-in executing within a personal information manager application.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the private unshared databases are maintained by a structured query language (SQL) application.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

monitor an average workload of the scale groups;

move one or more private unshared databases to new scale groups based, at least partially, upon the average workload of the scale groups; and

update the mapping data stored at the configuration database to indicate movement of the private unshared database to the new scale group.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the SQL application is further configured to create and maintain the configuration database and to create the private unshared databases.