Method and system for selecting amongst a plurality of processes to send a message

• US 8,255,374 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Jasik, Benji, Fell, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, THANH HA T
• Application Number:
  US11/849,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/200, 707/999.003, 707/999.01, 707/999.2, 707/705, 707/770, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for selecting amongst a plurality of processes to send a message (e.g. a message for updating an endpoint system, etc.). These mechanisms and methods for selecting amongst a plurality of processes to send a message can enable embodiments to utilize more than one queue for sending such message. The ability of embodiments to provide such multi-process feature can, in turn, prevent latency that typically accompanies a mounting number of messages.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a trigger including an event that is initiated as a result of at least one change made to data stored in a first database of an on-demand database service;

in response to the detecting of the trigger, retrieving message information from a portion of a second database being managed by the on-demand database service;

generating a message utilizing the retrieved message information of the second database and the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database, the generated message including a pointer identifying a location of the data stored in the first database to which the at least one change was made, wherein the message reflects the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service;

selecting at least one of a plurality of processes for sending the generated message and the retrieved message information; and

sending the generated message and the retrieved message information to a device of a subscriber of the on-demand database service, utilizing the selected at least one of the plurality of processes, for use by the subscriber in propagating the at least one change to the device of the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising determining a type of the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the retrieved message information is conditionally retrieved, based on the determined type of the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated message is initiated utilizing a workflow rule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of triggers is different for a plurality of different subscribers of the on-demand database service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of messages is stored in a queue before being processed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of messages is retrieved from the queue for processing.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of messages are grouped according to an associated subscriber of the on-demand database service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of messages are grouped utilizing a subscriber identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a first one of the plurality of processes is configured to process the generated message faster than a second one of the plurality of processes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one process is selected based on a past behavior of the subscriber of the on-demand database service associated with the generated message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one process is selected based on a response time of the subscriber of the on-demand database service associated with the generated message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the selecting of the at least one process, each of a plurality of messages associated with the subscriber of the on-demand database service is sent utilizing the at least one process.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the selecting of the at least one process, each of a plurality of messages is stored in a queue associated with the at least one process.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one process retrieves the message information from the portion of the second database for each of the plurality of messages, and sends the retrieved message information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one process further collects data on responses to the sent message and the sent message information.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising reporting the data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger is rule-based.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated message is generated utilizing a web service definition language (WSDL).

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving includes adding a session identifier to the message information.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-demand database service includes a multi-tenant database system.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-demand database service includes an application platform that enables creation, management and execution of one or more applications that are developed by at least one of:

a provider of the on-demand database service, users accessing the on-demand database service via user systems, and third party application developers accessing the on-demand database service via the user systems.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the change includes an addition made to the data stored in a first database of the on-demand database service.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger is initiated by a rule.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the rule is configured by the subscriber.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the rule dictates at least one predetermined type of change to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service for which the trigger is initiated, such that the change made to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service is of one of the at least one predetermined type of change.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the change made to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service results from a manual process.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the change made to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service is specific to the subscriber.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger is specific to predetermined types of changes to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service.

30. A non-transitory machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

detecting a trigger including an event that is initiated as a result of at least one change made to data stored in a first database of an on-demand database service;

in response to the detecting of the trigger, retrieving message information from a portion of a second database being managed by the on-demand database service;

generating a message utilizing the retrieved message information of the second database and the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database, the generated message including a pointer identifying a location of the data stored in the first database to which the at least one change was made, wherein the message reflects the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service;

selecting at least one of a plurality of processes for sending the generated message and the retrieved message information; and

sending the generated message and the retrieved message information to a device of a subscriber of the on-demand database service, utilizing the selected at least one of the plurality of processes, for use by the subscriber in propagating the at least one change to the device of the subscriber.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

detecting a trigger including an event that is initiated as a result of at least one change made to data stored in a first database of an on-demand database service;

in response to the detecting of the trigger, retrieving message information from a portion of a second database being managed by the on-demand database service;

generating a message utilizing the retrieved message information of the second database and the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database, the generated message including a pointer identifying a location of the data stored in the first database to which the at least one change was made, wherein the message reflects the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service;

selecting at least one of a plurality of processes for sending the generated message and the retrieved message information; and

sending the generated message and the retrieved message information to a device of a subscriber of the on-demand database service, utilizing the selected at least one of the plurality of processes, for use by the subscriber in propagating the at least one change to the device of the subscriber.

32. A method for transmitting code for use in a multi-tenant database system on a transmission medium, the method comprising:

transmitting code to detect a trigger including an event that is initiated as a result of at least one change made to data stored in a first database of an on-demand database service;

transmitting code to, in response to the detecting of the trigger, retrieve message information from a portion of a second database being managed by the on-demand database service;

transmitting code to generate a message utilizing the retrieved message information of the second database and the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database, the generated message including a pointer identifying a location of the data stored in the first database to which the at least one change was made, wherein the message reflects the at least one change made to the data stored in the first database of the on-demand database service;

transmitting code to select at least one of a plurality of processes for sending the generated message and the retrieved message information; and

transmitting code to send the generated message and the retrieved message information to a device of a subscriber of the on-demand database service, utilizing the selected at least one of the plurality of processes, for use by the subscriber in propagating the at least one change to the device of the subscriber.