Methods and systems for controlling access to custom objects in a database

• US 8,548,982 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Weissman, Craig, Oliver, Kevin, Jasik, Benji, Doshi, Kedar
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US13/346,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

In embodiments, methods and systems for controlling access to custom objects are provided. These techniques for controlling access to custom objects can enable embodiments to utilize a key for the protection of the security of data that is to remain private while not compromising efficiency of a query. The key for a requested custom object is identified and then used so that only an appropriate portion of a custom entity share table is searched to locate access information. It is then determined whether the user can access at least a portion of the custom object, and the appropriate and allowed data is sent to the user.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to diverse custom objects in a custom entity share table, the method including:

storing a plurality of custom object types for a plurality of shared database tenants in a custom entity share table in a memory, wherein;

a first custom object for a first tenant has a first schema including a first set of custom fields;

a second custom object for a second tenant has a second schema including a second set of custom fields;

the first and second custom objects are both stored in the same custom entity share table despite having different sets of custom fields; and

the first and second custom objects are both associated with fields for tenant identifier (id) and object type;

receiving a request on behalf of a user belonging to a particular tenant for access to custom objects of a particular custom object type;

identifying a particular tenant and a particular group within a particular organization to which the user belongs;

determining whether the particular group has access to the particular custom object type requested and, responsively, filtering custom objects in the custom entity share table by at least the tenant id and by the object type to select at least some of the plurality of the custom objects responsive to the request received; and

responsive to the received request, accessing the at least some selected custom objects of the particular custom object type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fields for the tenant id and object type are stored in the custom entity share table with the custom objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fields for the tenant id and object type are stored in a custom entity access table that is linked to the custom objects.