Sharing information between tenants of a multi-tenant database

• US 8,452,726 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Kuruganti, Aditya S., Fell, Simon Z., Pasala, Jayaprakash, Sanikommu, Samatha, Doshi, Kedar, Lai, Sanjaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US12/885,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 707/608, 707/769, 707/770, 707/827, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/608
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• 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 16/275 Synchronous replication
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

In a method, system, and computer-readable medium having instructions for sharing information between tenants of a multi-tenant database, information is received on a connection between a first tenant of a multi-tenant database and a second tenant and the connection has information on a scope of data from the first tenant shared with the second tenant, data is allowed for a record of the first tenant to be accessible to the second tenant in accordance with the connection, information is received on a file related to the record of the first tenant, and data is allowed from the file to be accessible to the second tenant in accordance with the connection.

Claims

1. A method of sharing information between tenants in a multi-tenant database, the method comprising:

performing by one or more processors;

establishing connection information between a first tenant of a multi-tenant database and a second tenant, wherein the connection information comprises information defining a scope of data from the first tenant that is shared with the second tenant;

managing access of data of a record of the first tenant by the second tenant in accordance with the connection information;

receiving information on a file related to the record of the first tenant;

managing access of data of the file by the second tenant in accordance with the connection information;

receiving information on a related record that is related to the record of the first tenant; and

sending a request to enter data from the related record in a database table of the second tenant in accordance with the connection information.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving the data of the record of the first tenant; and

retrieving the connection information upon entry of the data of the record of the first tenant in the multi-tenant database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the record comprises at least one of a case, a note, an attachment, and a comment.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

retrieving mapping information that maps one or more columns in a database table of the first tenant to one or more columns in a database table of the second tenant;

creating a shared record for the second tenant using the mapping information; and

sending a request to enter the shared record into the database table of the second tenant.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the shared record comprises the data of the file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the related record is a parent record.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having one or more instructions thereon for sharing information between tenants in a multi-tenant database, the instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to carry out:

establishing connection information between a first tenant of a multi-tenant database and a second tenant, wherein the connection information comprises information defining a scope of data from the first tenant that is shared with the second tenant;

managing access of data of a record of the first by the second tenant in accordance with the connection information;

receiving information on a file related to the record of the first tenant;

managing access of data of the file by the second tenant in accordance with the connection information;

receiving information on a related record that is related to the record of the first tenant; and

sending a request to enter data from the related record in a database table of the second tenant in accordance with the connection information.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, the instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to further carry out:

receiving the data of the record of the first tenant; and

retrieving the connection information upon entry of the data of the record of the first tenant in the multi-tenant database.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the record comprises at least one of a case, a note, an attachment, and a comment.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, the instructions when executed by one or more processors causing the one or more processors to further carry out:

retrieving mapping information that maps one or more columns in a database table of the first tenant to one or more columns in a database table of the second tenant;

creating a shared record for the second tenant using the mapping information; and

sending a request to enter the shared record into the database table of the second tenant.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the shared record comprises the data of the file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the related record is a parent record.

13. A system for optimizing a query in a database system, the system comprising:

a processor; and

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

establishing connection information between a first tenant of a multi-tenant database and a second tenant, wherein the connection information comprises information defining a scope of data from the first tenant that is shared with the second tenant;

managing access of data of a record of the first tenant by the second tenant in accordance with the connection information;

receiving information on a file related to the record of the first tenant;

managing access of data of the file by the second tenant in accordance with the connection information;

receiving information on a related record that is related to the record of the first tenant; and

sending a request to enter data from the related record in a database table of the second tenant in accordance with the connection information.

14. The system of claim 13, the instructions when executed by the processor causing the processor to further carry out:

receiving the data of the record of the first tenant; and

retrieving the connection information upon entry of the data of the record of the first tenant in the multi-tenant database.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the record comprises at least one of a case, a note, an attachment, and a comment.

16. The system of claim 13, the instructions when executed by the processor causing the processor to further carry out:

retrieving mapping information that maps one or more columns in a database table of the first tenant to one or more columns in a database table of the second tenant;

creating a shared record for the second tenant using the mapping information; and

sending a request to enter the shared record into the database table of the second tenant.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the related record is a parent record.